THE PRODIGY SYNTH TUTORIAL

Поділитися
Вставка
  • Опубліковано 9 тра 2024
  • A detailed look at some famous Prodigy synthesizer sounds recreated with the original hardware that Liam Howlett used back in the day.
    Huge thank you to everyone who helped make this video possible, especially my Patrons.
    0:00 Intro
    1:33 Tutorial 1a: “Poison” Riff Sound
    8:03 Tutorial 1b: “Poison” Lead Sound
    12:10 Tutorial 2: “Smack my bitch up” Riff Sound
    18:27 Tutorial 3: “Claustrophobic Sting” 303 Riff
    21:39 Tutorial 4: “Voodoo People” Riff Sound
    26:25 Tutorial 5: “Firestarter” Breakdown FX Sound
    33:40 Tutorial 6: “Out of Space” String Sound
    36:33 Summary

КОМЕНТАРІ • 1,1 тис.

  • @retrosound72
    @retrosound72 9 місяців тому +224

    I prefer the more human version ua-cam.com/video/zcOhrtAFc-Y/v-deo.html

    • @AlexBallMusic
      @AlexBallMusic  9 місяців тому +19

      😂😂😂

    • @WarmVoice
      @WarmVoice 9 місяців тому +17

      Ha, I wasn't expecting that 😆

    • @qrdnk
      @qrdnk 9 місяців тому +7

      ...hard grinning here, too

    • @alejandromagana1554
      @alejandromagana1554 9 місяців тому +3

      Hhahahahahaha that was so unexpected

    • @apoplexiamusic
      @apoplexiamusic 9 місяців тому +2

      Wow wow wow wow wow….
      Wow!

  • @LonelyOwl
    @LonelyOwl 9 місяців тому +120

    How the fuck did Liam make so many bangers... One of the best producers of all time

    • @_Area-51
      @_Area-51 5 місяців тому +3

      Totally, man's a proper artist

    • @goyindi
      @goyindi 5 місяців тому +4

      by being an absolute 'kin legend/freak/artistic genius. Sooooo much respek. I mean he was the prodigy... the other lads just got out of the way

    • @AMgangwolf
      @AMgangwolf 4 місяці тому +5

      clue is in the band name

    • @jasoncruizer
      @jasoncruizer 4 місяці тому +9

      listening and understanding music theory, he was piano taught, did classical training but quit to get into sampling. People who know theory destroy people who dont, because your taught tonality , cadence, pitch not just listening to beats and music.
      When you know the tonality of sound, you can piece things together based on math and science of how audio works, and literally put things together like a jigsaw puzzle, this is how composers like Mozart and Beethoven could write symphony's.
      Liam was a child Prodigy, but he wanted to do Hip-Hop so he quit classical training, but he has the skill of a composer but he uses it in Breakbeat/Hip-Hop styled song creating.

    • @Nathrw
      @Nathrw 4 місяці тому +5

      @@jasoncruizeryou are absolutely spot on, sadly people don’t take the time today to understand theory in general which I think this is why there is a lot of sub par music

  • @sunilsolanki
    @sunilsolanki 9 місяців тому +316

    To electronic musicians... This is as important as Hendrix 's guitar or Bonham's drums. Bravo Alex!!!

    • @pepinillosazucarados6743
      @pepinillosazucarados6743 9 місяців тому +4

      @Pardus777 VERY TRUE ... REMINDS ME OF VANGELIS A REAL ARTIST

    • @sandpiper9288
      @sandpiper9288 9 місяців тому +1

      Electronic music sucks

    • @yoyolebatteur
      @yoyolebatteur 9 місяців тому +2

      @@sandpiper9288 The Prodigy are the exception ;)

    • @M364A
      @M364A 9 місяців тому +6

      @@sandpiper9288 this is obivious ragebate

    • @qrdnk
      @qrdnk 9 місяців тому

      @Pardus777 That´s a good point.

  • @ronny332
    @ronny332 9 місяців тому +87

    The name Prodigy is still exactly what describes the band perfectly. What they have done in the 90s is incredible. R.I.P. Keith Flint.

    • @romu7999
      @romu7999 9 місяців тому

      I'm a rock / metal guy and that band was so great for me. First trip to UK in 1997 CRAZY time !!!!!

  • @DetroitMicroSound
    @DetroitMicroSound 9 місяців тому +416

    R.I.P. Keith. A true one-of-a-kind artist, who helped move mountains in popular music, and a good man.

    • @AlexBallMusic
      @AlexBallMusic  9 місяців тому +50

      Indeed. Forever a legend.

    • @DetroitMicroSound
      @DetroitMicroSound 9 місяців тому +11

      @@AlexBallMusic Thanks for this history revisit! Great work!

    • @nerfytheclown
      @nerfytheclown 9 місяців тому +7

      Dang. This was the first I had heard. I didn't even know he was sick.

    • @marklewis4024
      @marklewis4024 9 місяців тому +9

      @@nerfytheclownapparently a suicide sadly

    • @nerfytheclown
      @nerfytheclown 9 місяців тому +20

      @@marklewis4024 this decade is trying to kill the past and anyone that remembers it....

  • @goyindi
    @goyindi 5 місяців тому +19

    I was at a huge music festival in Australia called the Big Day OUt. I was 14 years old, on acid and had lost all my friends. I was hustling to get to where Slayer was playing completely lost. All of a sudden this sound came into my brain that was insanely amazing and unfamiliar and mind blowingly intoxicating. It was soooo loud and commanding. It was the synth line from Voodoo People i later found out and it was The Prodigy and the beat dropped and a whole field of people just went insanely ballistic and i completely forgot about slayer and joined in. One of the greatest moments of my young life!!!!!! MY life took a big turn at that point. Thankyou Liam Howlett for blowing my brain into another dimension and giving me the loving gift of dirty, twisted synth madness derangement syndrome. xoxoxox

  • @timpayne7676
    @timpayne7676 9 місяців тому +37

    It’s like watching a UA-cam video unlocking the secrets of the universe. Amazing.

  • @MetaFunction
    @MetaFunction 9 місяців тому +37

    My mate did some tech servicing for Liam at his room in Tileyard. As a long time 2600 owner, my mate asked me to visit to help setup his 2600 as he was having issues getting the gate / trigger working over midi. In the corner was a W30. It was the same one Liam used on What Evil Lurks EP. My inner child raver was very happy.

  • @zanderxymox
    @zanderxymox 9 місяців тому +102

    The Fat of the Land is an absolute masterpiece of an album. One of my all-time favorites in the electronic genre!

    • @sirfizz6518
      @sirfizz6518 9 місяців тому +2

      Fair play, Experience and Jilted as well!

    • @valley_robot
      @valley_robot 9 місяців тому

      Apart from always outnumbered I rate all their albums really highly

    • @Harrysound
      @Harrysound 9 місяців тому +1

      I was at the HMV midnight opening for it

    • @Ricardo-cl3vs
      @Ricardo-cl3vs 9 місяців тому +2

      In Germany it's called "Die Fette vom Land".

    • @err4071
      @err4071 9 місяців тому +2

      The Fat of the Land is a better-produced album without a doubt
      but prodigy experience including all the singles and b sides is
      musically better with better hooks and the more interesting beats.
      Around that time period and the jilted period liam howlett was
      definitely at his best in my opinion.

  • @TheDeadlyKind
    @TheDeadlyKind 9 місяців тому +44

    Oh my word, I do love the Prodigy.

  • @Musikkeller-Innsider
    @Musikkeller-Innsider 9 місяців тому +35

    Prodigy, synths AND Alex Ball! This is overkill :-D

  • @AgentsofRush
    @AgentsofRush 9 місяців тому +122

    I never even thought the poison riff would have been done on a JD. Nice one Alex you got the remedy!

    • @AlexBallMusic
      @AlexBallMusic  9 місяців тому +43

      Yep, the JD-990 is quite eye opening for me. I'll probably give it a video of its own in time.

    • @AgentsofRush
      @AgentsofRush 9 місяців тому +8

      @@AlexBallMusic Yes it. Been playing with with a Roland module today myself. So a vid on the JD would be cool 👍

    • @makipri
      @makipri 9 місяців тому +1

      @@AlexBallMusic got a JD-800 a good 15 years ago and then thought of getting a JD-990 aside a couple of years ago. Until looking at the resale prices. Sweet Jesus they are high! Well, I had waited almost 15 years even to get the JD-800 until I noticed the price is never gonna decrease and paid about the price they were brand new.
      I know 990 has at least osc sync that the 800 doesn’t have but I would just like to have a lighter tour version as well. I wonder whether this expansion module would fit them both.

    • @6581punk
      @6581punk 3 місяці тому +2

      Was lucky to know it was a great module way before the price rise. Can't find the price I paid, but it was probably £500-600. I got a JV-2080 for $199 which was a bargain.

  • @AudioPilz
    @AudioPilz 9 місяців тому +6

    Hot damn!!! Spot on!!!

    • @dankeplace
      @dankeplace 9 місяців тому

      uh oh, bad gear time?

  • @OTOss8
    @OTOss8 9 місяців тому +16

    Boy, I sure remember my introduction to The Prodigy. I'd been doing a bit of LSD with my school friends and older girlfriend on the weekends and listening to a lot of music by The Orb and back in the day one of the only ways to find new music by a band was to swing by the record store and see what was in stock. I stopped by a store that was not my usual haunt but it was close to where I lived and I believe, it's the only time I bought music there but immediately, I beelined to the "Electronica" section and flipped through the CDs until I found the section for "The Orb." What seemed like bad luck at the time turned out to be good luck as there wasn't any CDs by them at all, however, just back from that was this stark white CD that just said "The Prodigy Experience." I didn't know if it was the name of the band or the name of the album but I liked the cover, and I wanted something new to listen to so I bought it. The way it was laid out, I thought it might have even been saying, "Experience The Prodigy"
    Friends, let me tell you, as someone who was looking for something similar to Little Fluffy Clouds or Outlands or better still The Fountains of Elisha mix of Outlands ( ua-cam.com/video/ATZxJJn8xaM/v-deo.html ) by The Orb, I was *not* ready for The Prodigy. On the first play, I hated the CD. I felt like I got totally screwed. Back then though, you boughts it? you keeps it. So, there I was, stuck with this CD. So I listened to it. I listened over and over trying to find my way in and, as it was for many, Out of Space is what finally broke me and I realized I liked at least one song on the CD. The Jericho started to make sense to me then Wind it Up. Eventually Weather Experience with its spooky, uncomfortable vibe mixed with the soaring hopeful synths worked its way under my skin. Before I knew it, this unusual CD with it's challenging music worked its way completely into my life and is the soundtrack to so many of the ridiculous things I did in my youth. When Music for the Jilted Generation hit it was all over, I was a dyed in the wool fan. Shortly after I got my hands on the Poison CD single (I still have it) and that 95EQ mix of Poison became one of my most played songs of all time.
    All of this is just a long way to say how much I love The Prodigy and how cool it is to see how they made some of the sounds that were my constant companions for many, many years. What a band.

    • @ganiniii
      @ganiniii 3 місяці тому +1

      I still have it on my car and its one of the CD's that plays the most despite obvious scratches. Same for Underworld live in Brussels CD. Funny enough I started liking The Prodigy because of Fat of the Land and nowadays those tracks don't have the same appeal to me but The Experience still touches my innerself.

    • @OTOss8
      @OTOss8 3 місяці тому

      @@ganiniii It makes me happy that you love it as much as I do. I think you're right on the money vis-a-vis Fat of the Land vs. Experience. The opening notes of Jericho are every bit as powerful now as they were when this first dropped. Cheers friend.

  • @SimoWill75
    @SimoWill75 9 місяців тому +7

    I see Prodigy in the title, I immediately click like.

  • @Sweedy44
    @Sweedy44 9 місяців тому +81

    Liam is a pure genius and The Prodigy is a unique band. Thank you Alex for this video and all the nostalgic vibes you share.

    • @riseatdawnmedia
      @riseatdawnmedia 9 місяців тому +3

      Maybe take a listen to Amon Tobin. Hope you enjoy as much as I did. Have fun... brother from my jilted generation.

    • @Sweedy44
      @Sweedy44 9 місяців тому

      @@riseatdawnmedia Love Amon Tobin too of course. Some others... The Chemical Brothers, Laurent Garnier, Mr Oizo, Vitalic, ScanX, Micropoint...

  • @8mu-
    @8mu- 9 місяців тому +45

    I make sample hunting videos, and I've covered The Prodigy at length, it's always fascinated me, been a fan of them since seeing Out Of Space on MTV in about 1992. having familiarized myself with most of their samples, it's been amazing to see the other side of their music production. I've literally been waiting for a video like this for god knows how long. Thank you so much.

    • @milhouse777
      @milhouse777 8 місяців тому +3

      Hey, your sample videos are awesome!

    • @BeersAndBeatsPDX
      @BeersAndBeatsPDX 7 місяців тому

      Your videos are sick and one of the channels that inspired me to make dnb specific sample videos

    • @waynesilverman3048
      @waynesilverman3048 4 місяці тому

      I thought Liam played by hand insteadof sequencer s as he was a goodpiano man .He even did the beats on the 1st lp Manually

    • @mrstephenpariah
      @mrstephenpariah 27 днів тому

      ​@@waynesilverman3048Recorded to sequencer on the W30. He'd play the parts through instead of looping bars and quantising, which resulted in a more dynamic feel.

  • @midimoog
    @midimoog 9 місяців тому +4

    Prodigy paved the way how synths should sound like. Raw and gritty; back to the basics, in fact.

  • @ArtisticAutisticandAiling
    @ArtisticAutisticandAiling 9 місяців тому +40

    What a way to turn my "I don't feel good" day into a Wow Alex Ball grooves to the Prodigy like I do!? :D
    This is the coolest tutorial I have ever seen for music
    Also for SMBU you are right he used a Chorus (more like Doubling Echo, where two different takes of Korg Prophecy both slightly alternate versions of the same patch. If you hear the album version, in headphones the left side is the Original Prophecy patch Liam did in 1996. Whereas the right side is the Doubled Prophecy patch for the 1997 album. Been listening to The Prodigy since I was three in '97. So The Fat of The Land has always been one of my favourite albums of all-time. :D

  • @broklee
    @broklee 9 місяців тому +24

    The Prodigy is what got me into synthesizers. I came across a W30 on Craigslist in an unrelated search. Thought it looked interesting and came across the VSE article mentioning Liam Howlett. Blew my mind how large of a role the W30 played in their first couple of albums.

    • @compucorder64
      @compucorder64 9 місяців тому +3

      It's true. And they're still pretty cheap, those W-30s. Casio FZ-1s are another cheap keyboard sampler that played a big part in UK electronic music. Aphex Twin, Underworld, u-Ziq and plenty of others. There's a whole pile of Akai S950 all over that era too, hardcore, jungle etc..

    • @sophiepooks2174
      @sophiepooks2174 9 місяців тому +1

      @@compucorder64 Where I live they are ridiculous prices $5K S950, W30 $6-7K as wonderful as they seemed back in the day will leave them where they belong, in the past, unless prices become sane again, sadly with greed being what it is today 100% doubt it.

    • @charliesilverman1132
      @charliesilverman1132 9 місяців тому +4

      I remember he had 2 W-30's in 91-92, They played Donington park the night after he did top of the pops. They were very nice chaps & very polite.

    • @saftpackerl
      @saftpackerl 9 місяців тому

      Didnt he use the w30s just for live "loop firing"? Not so much production...

    • @compucorder64
      @compucorder64 9 місяців тому +3

      ​@@saftpackerl No, seems not. He used it for early hip-hop production, then produced the demo that got him signed to XL. Which later fed into the What Evil Lurks EP. Later, he used it to drive his MIDI chain, with 909 before it. And he used it for sequencing. Seems he used it at the beginning the way others might have used an MPC. Think Charly was produced on it. Seems it was a key part of his early lo-fi sound, which he partly attributes to his getting signed to XL. There's an interview on MusicRadar. Not sure after the first E.P.s and albums, but sounds like he was very comfortable and proficient with it as his hardware sequencer. And even midi'd two together to get 32-channels when he got all his other hardware. It sounds like the 12-bit sampling was also a big part of his sound.

  • @allgonewrongful
    @allgonewrongful 9 місяців тому +8

    That 'Poison' intro was completely unexpected and also rather good. Some might say hilarious, but as a responsible person I limited myself to a 'sensible chuckle'.

  • @leser1music
    @leser1music 9 місяців тому +41

    I'm most amazed by how many of Liam's famous synth sounds are presets

    • @leonardozambon5370
      @leonardozambon5370 9 місяців тому +8

      You should watch a video where damon Albarn explain that most all the base of Clint Eastwood is a preset

    • @Wil_Dsense
      @Wil_Dsense 9 місяців тому +7

      Hey man, if you want, check out the video: Making Of “The Prodigy - “Smack My Bitch Up” in Ableton ‘ showing where the samples came from and how he made the tune… had no idea he sampled ‘Bulls on Parade’ by RATM amongst others. It’s made up of mostly samples, but in the most genius way. It’s also crazy how the guy back engineered the tunes to find all the samples. 🤯

    • @BeersAndBeatsPDX
      @BeersAndBeatsPDX 7 місяців тому +2

      You'd be amazed how many of your favorite songs are made from samples and presets

    • @rimereit
      @rimereit 6 місяців тому +1

      Well, they are not presets anymore. Somehow mysterious voodoo magic transformed them into new sounds.

  • @robertsyrett1992
    @robertsyrett1992 9 місяців тому +5

    I like how your 303 has all the silver rubbed off around the top knobs. Very well used instruments make me happy.

  • @UKBreakz
    @UKBreakz 9 місяців тому +2

    Superb Tutorial! Grew up in Springfield Essex. Went to Boswells, same school as Keith. He was a year below me. Had the pleasure to play along side them in a few gigs back in the early 90's. R.I.P Keith! Essex Finest!

  • @Lantertronics
    @Lantertronics 9 місяців тому +45

    The reverse engineering of the Poison Lead patch at 8:06 is phenomenal..

  • @itstobitan
    @itstobitan 9 місяців тому +5

    The Prodigy and their sounds inspired me so much! It’s unbelievable how less their impact on pop music has been discussed. They actually laid the path for a whole new generation of electronic music where genres blended and merged altogether. I do know that they didn’t invented all of their style, but of cause they brought it to the mainstream.

  • @JonMichaelDeShazer
    @JonMichaelDeShazer 9 місяців тому +87

    1 year ago this week I was in London visiting from Denver at their show at Brixton Academy. One of the craziest shows I've ever been to and one of my favorite bands of all time. And as a fellow synth nerd, this video is poetry.
    By the way, I would absolutely die a happy man if you did an Orbital synth tutorial.

    • @AlexBallMusic
      @AlexBallMusic  9 місяців тому +67

      Absolutely amazing live, I bet that was ace!
      Orbital - I know Paul a little bit, very nice guy. Maybe I could persuade him to give me some hints.

    • @niggy1kanobi1
      @niggy1kanobi1 9 місяців тому +4

      That would be awesome!

    • @Mouxbar
      @Mouxbar 9 місяців тому +2

      @@AlexBallMusic Grovels 😉

    • @JonMichaelDeShazer
      @JonMichaelDeShazer 9 місяців тому +6

      @@AlexBallMusic I got to meet Paul and Phil when I was out there too as we have some mutual acquaintances that brokered the meeting. Paul would definitely help out.

    • @PnPModular
      @PnPModular 9 місяців тому +4

      I would love an orbital video also . Loving this one. . accuracy is unbelievable even my wife looked up 😂

  • @sleevegarnish5078
    @sleevegarnish5078 9 місяців тому +4

    My mind is glowing 💭

    • @jdmjesus6103
      @jdmjesus6103 9 місяців тому +1

      It sounds like glowing but I think it might be 'going' and sampled from 2001 a space odyssey

  • @VEC7ORlt
    @VEC7ORlt 4 місяці тому +3

    Damn, I almost forgot how pure and powerful these are.

  • @positronalpha
    @positronalpha 6 місяців тому +6

    The Claustrophobic Sting bassline is genius in its simplicity. Liam's work on Experience and Jilted is some of the best in modern music history, up there with the likes of Stevie Wonder and Quincy Jones. He should be given a Polar Prize for those two alone.

  • @WarmVoice
    @WarmVoice 9 місяців тому +6

    I bought "Experience" back in 1993 as a 13 year old. It was one of the first CDs I owned. "No Good" came out a year later. Liam was making the rawest rave sounds ever heard. It's great to hear these synth patches deconstructed so faithfully.

    • @Bobo
      @Bobo 9 місяців тому +1

      I was about 12 when I bought it. I got blessed when hearing No Good and Outer space back then ☺️

    • @WarmVoice
      @WarmVoice 9 місяців тому +2

      @@Bobo Good times

  • @Modenut
    @Modenut 9 місяців тому +11

    Voodoo People is such a perfect tune. Love it to bits.

  • @devilboner
    @devilboner 9 місяців тому +11

    Well, this was fucking brilliant! Makes me want to clear my schedule this evening and just jam out to some Prodigy!

  • @computrhead
    @computrhead 9 місяців тому +10

    Love the Korg Prophecy. I love how it uses physical modeling technology.

  • @mufcmusic8514
    @mufcmusic8514 9 місяців тому +4

    Liam Howlett is a Pioneer, RIP Keith and big respect to all involved ❤️🏆

  • @hellodavidryan
    @hellodavidryan 9 місяців тому +12

    Great video. Had the chance to play a lot of the same lineups back in the day, as another live act, and loved the whole Prodigy crew (in their various configs). Liam will go down in history is an important creative, and endured no shortage of cheap seat criticisms and pushed through multiple eras of electronic music. Was always in awe of the hard work and determination he had, from the early days of pushing records to lugging the live/playback rig to all the major label era. Amazing. Great to see his studio talent getting such recognition.

  • @djGreenALERT
    @djGreenALERT 9 місяців тому +9

    Damn-it.. Why can I only give this just one thumbs up.. I have two thumbs!!!! One is just not enough .. Great upload!

  • @Toolsquatch
    @Toolsquatch 9 місяців тому +6

    Liam is the keyboardist's keyboardist, always fascinating seeing (and hearing) how we got those iconic sounds!

  • @stoatystoat174
    @stoatystoat174 9 місяців тому +9

    Experience (Prodigy album) is one of my favourite start to finish albums, they do so much with less sonic ingredients than later albums, thanks for doing a video on them
    Im a big fan of your 'how to' videos. 80s chords and the prophet 5 ones very useful (Everything in its Place sound made on Pro800 🥰)

  • @doublebass
    @doublebass 9 місяців тому +30

    Prodigy is what got me into electronic music as a 12 year old kid, it sounded so different than the rap and punk all my schoolmates we're listening to, I was instantly hooked.

    • @jasonb2089
      @jasonb2089 9 місяців тому +5

      Same. I went to a music festival when I was 19 that the Prodigy was headlining. I had never heard of them, so I asked my friend if she wanted to leave after the co-headlining band to beat traffic. She convinced me to stay and I bought my first synth about a month later!

    • @connorflynn1885
      @connorflynn1885 9 місяців тому +5

      I was like 9 or so when I first got into them and I'm pretty sure them and Primus made me the funky weirdo I ended up becoming.

    • @doublebass
      @doublebass 9 місяців тому +2

      @@connorflynn1885 as a bass player I concur.

    • @xntricity6446
      @xntricity6446 9 місяців тому +4

      Same here, about 13yo and prodigy blew my mind. Edm /rave was appealing but the prodigy brought it to an all new level of greatness

    • @n1k0n_
      @n1k0n_ 8 місяців тому +2

      Watching hackers in 95 dipped my toes in edm but my brother brought home a big beat sampler CD set from a senior trip to the UK and I've been hooked since. DNB is my bread and butter and has been for almost 20+ years. I remember one day thinking this is all people in the future will listen to 😅

  • @outerspacebass
    @outerspacebass 9 місяців тому +9

    Dude I love how you're hitting on the older songs. Classics for me. Giving me chills... Particularly out of space

  • @bitspacemusic
    @bitspacemusic 9 місяців тому +3

    'No Good' is so good.

  • @lucid484
    @lucid484 9 місяців тому +9

    Jesus, I had no idea they used so much JD!!! Been a prodigy fan since the very beginning and I thank you so much for doing this!!!!

  • @markpeters284
    @markpeters284 9 місяців тому +3

    Excellent vid as always.
    Bit of my Prodigy trivia if your interested. Sometime in 1990 the band I was in got a gig in ‘The Bit On The Side’ which was a bar on the side of Golddiggers nightclub in Chippenham, should have had a few people there but it was quiet, loads of people around and a bit of a buzz going on. Turns out a new band ‘The Prodigy’ were playing in the main club and word on the street was they going to be the next big thing. Guess the rest is history. 😊

  • @THETBRETT
    @THETBRETT 9 місяців тому +4

    as a long time Prodigy fan, and more recently Alex fan, this video was brilliant. Liams ability to produce what he did using gear like this sequenced by Roland w-30's (you should do one on those) boggles my mind. Having dabbled in midid back in the day it astonishes me what he produced, the amount of painstaking work to get even 1 track done and saved to floppies must've taken hours and hours and hours.. Experience especially has a place in my heart forever as that door opening music/album everyone has. Particularly like the claustrophobic sting tb 303 bit as it is still one of my favs. French kiss!

    • @Greg-yi5re
      @Greg-yi5re 9 місяців тому +2

      "I nearly killed myself in the studio, as working has to be intense. Otherwise it doesn't mean anything to me. I was like a machine" - Liam Howlett

  • @Aquatarkus96
    @Aquatarkus96 9 місяців тому +5

    Growing up, my friends and I were all very into rock and metal, except Prodigy. Fat of the Land got as many plays as any abum by Metallica or Dream Theater when we hang out. Later I managed to get those guys into stuff like Boards of Canada and Tangerine Dream, but Prodigy still gets played on road trips and at parties and such all the time. Truly classic music!

    • @HellDrinker
      @HellDrinker 9 місяців тому +1

      I grew up on metal, but these guys got me into all sorts of electronic music, like Aphex Twin, many great techno and drum and bass acts too. They deffo changed my perception of electronic music. To this day it's one of my favorite bands. This year I'm going to their 8th gig.

    • @landypaule
      @landypaule 8 місяців тому

      Same with me. Brought up by my older Brother with Metal and DT etc. But Prodigy also got me :-)
      We used to listen to Fat of the Land when driving Indoor go-cart. Absolute banger. Nothing beats this drive, when you Drive 😊

  • @AdamTheAd-vanc3d
    @AdamTheAd-vanc3d 9 місяців тому +1

    Alex Ball you absolute legend 🔥❤🔥❤🔥❤🔥.
    Much thansk for bringing this video to the table finally 👌🏾👌🏾

  • @nruva
    @nruva 9 місяців тому

    Fantastic crash course on some classic sounds. Really enjoyed this.

  • @SamLowryDZ-015
    @SamLowryDZ-015 9 місяців тому +3

    Every time someone mentions the Prodigy I always think back to Keith and his big coat up to no good in the 'beer garden' of Flacks.
    From toytown techno to stadium giants - Liam always seemed ahead of the curve and the bands' continued success demonstrates this.

  • @christofferainek
    @christofferainek 9 місяців тому +4

    Wow, such iconic sounds. Brilliant breakdown 👌👍

  • @echodub81
    @echodub81 9 місяців тому +2

    This was a very interesting tutorial to watch. Well done man!

  • @edalstrobert8628
    @edalstrobert8628 9 місяців тому +2

    Amazing work decoding these iconic sounds, really appreciated :)

  • @NickBrightUK
    @NickBrightUK 9 місяців тому +8

    Incredible video. Thank you to you, and Liam, of course for crafting the soundtrack to my teens.

  • @DmitryPuffin
    @DmitryPuffin 9 місяців тому +4

    That's the video I wasnt expecting, but really enjoyed watching.
    Thank you! Quite interesting and inspiring.

  • @EdgyNumber1
    @EdgyNumber1 9 місяців тому

    LOVED this video Alex. Top quality as usual. Thanks!

  • @bigkik
    @bigkik 9 місяців тому

    Incredible video ! It is really impressive to revive those epic sounds ! Thank you so much !

  • @Mouxbar
    @Mouxbar 9 місяців тому +3

    I got very excited when this popped up in my feed 😝 Love Liam's sounds...

  • @44holmez
    @44holmez 9 місяців тому +5

    Absolutely glorious. Thanks for this wonderful walkthrough of these vintage gems. ❤

  • @neanderthalboneflute6519
    @neanderthalboneflute6519 9 місяців тому

    You’ve made a lot of people happy sharing your knowledge 👏🏽. Great stuff

  • @tonydotnottingham
    @tonydotnottingham 9 місяців тому +1

    Thanks for sharing the process for each of these, especially Poison!

  • @georgehearn4651
    @georgehearn4651 9 місяців тому +4

    Just absolutely brilliant and I’ve wanted to see something like this for ages and you’re the best guy to deliver it! Liam howlett’s synth riffs are iconic

  • @stoltzcouk
    @stoltzcouk 9 місяців тому +3

    I’ve been trying to figure out how the opening sound for poison was made for over 2 decades, THANK YOU for covering it, I can FINALLY scratch that itch!

  • @midierror
    @midierror 9 місяців тому

    Absolutely brilliant video!!! So great to see how these sounds were put together. ICONIC!

  • @glade_maker
    @glade_maker 9 місяців тому +1

    As always, incredible amount of research and work behind those videos! Thank you so much Alex for putting this out there!!

  • @palaHD
    @palaHD 9 місяців тому +6

    Absolute synth scientist you are,excellent work mate

  • @justinwolz4932
    @justinwolz4932 9 місяців тому +8

    The vocal sample for Out of Space is from a Max Romeo (Production by Lee "Scratch" Perry) song called, "Chase the Devil." Great track, both his and Prodigy's.

    • @idleprepress
      @idleprepress 6 місяців тому +1

      And the song itself appears in a rasta movie "The Harder They Come".

  • @crazygamingswede
    @crazygamingswede 9 місяців тому +1

    I love the format of this video! Really interesting and fun to explore classic sounds like this. Very nicely done Alex!!

  • @BathedInMilk
    @BathedInMilk 9 місяців тому

    I love it when you do how to's/breakdowns. Amazing work.

  • @flynnnrg
    @flynnnrg 9 місяців тому +14

    Cracking video, Alex. Your T2 score video was so far my favourite but this is a very strong contender. Such iconic sounds from a bygone era.

    • @AlexBallMusic
      @AlexBallMusic  9 місяців тому +4

      Cheers, I'm trying to get back to the kinds of videos that brought people to the channel in the first place. This is one such video. :)

  • @oblitafier
    @oblitafier 9 місяців тому +14

    I hope this video will elicit more love for Roland’s work in the digital domain. From the D50, right through to Zenology, they created an incredibly powerful synth engine and huge library of iconic sounds
    It also shows what can be achieved with whatever tools are available to you

    • @vaiman7777
      @vaiman7777 9 місяців тому +5

      Crazy isn't it? People say Ewwww digital. But then swoon over the Prodigy and other acts that use it.

    • @err4071
      @err4071 9 місяців тому +1

      The old pieces of digital hardware from the mid 80's to the mid 90's
      are more interesting and more appealing than the newer ones
      in my opinion.

    • @err4071
      @err4071 9 місяців тому

      @@vaiman7777
      Liam uses both but their sound is definitely more digital.

  • @simonwilde428
    @simonwilde428 9 місяців тому

    Outstanding vid, finally great to see the setup and setting for these classic prodigy sounds 😎👍

  • @airturnip
    @airturnip 9 місяців тому

    I have been waiting years for this video, this is gold, many thanks!

  • @jiltedgenerator
    @jiltedgenerator 9 місяців тому +2

    Great video, some real quality insights❤

  • @aradder
    @aradder 9 місяців тому +5

    Excellent, crazy detailed. I knew that Boutique JD-08 patch sounded familiar! Would be cool to have a video on famous JD-800/990 presets

  • @hrrld
    @hrrld 9 місяців тому

    Mind expanding stuff, here. Definitely appreciate the effort that went into the research, prep, and production of this. Guacamolly. Thank you.

  • @mau5pilot854
    @mau5pilot854 9 місяців тому

    Alex your videos are always so interesting!

  • @jesseanderson3835
    @jesseanderson3835 9 місяців тому +3

    These artist breakdowns are chocked full of so much gold for us budding producers. Even better when one actually has a few pieces of gear in the collection. Just reminds me to dig in and play around with the synths I have rather than hunting down the next synth that will make us a "legit" artist. I love going back to a synth/machine I've neglected for a bit and finding inspiration in it. Cheers from Texas.

  • @Reg-Edit
    @Reg-Edit 9 місяців тому +3

    Loved this one 🙏❤️

  • @brucefellowes4848
    @brucefellowes4848 9 місяців тому

    Another brilliant video. Interesting to see where the original sounds came from. Took me back to the 90's.

  • @ArcMediaFilms
    @ArcMediaFilms 8 місяців тому

    This is brilliant thank you so much for breaking down these amazing sounds. Love it👍

  • @HoraceMash
    @HoraceMash 9 місяців тому +3

    Oh man! This is soooo satisfying to watch and learn from. Your explanations and the logical flow of ideas are just a delight… what a gift to us all. Thank you 🙏 thank you 🙏 thank you 🙏

  • @pvugts
    @pvugts 9 місяців тому +3

    I love the sound from Voodoo People, well done! Great video.

    • @AlexBallMusic
      @AlexBallMusic  9 місяців тому +1

      Yeah, such a familiar riff. Satisfying to play.

  • @jimle22
    @jimle22 9 місяців тому

    Alex I always enjoy your breakdown videos of these vintage sounds and how they came to be. Very informative and gives us a better perspective on how to use our synths in our own music. Thank you for your time and dedication and to your friends also who assist and facilitate these tutorials.

  • @DMTCYMATICSDreamMusicTemple
    @DMTCYMATICSDreamMusicTemple 9 місяців тому

    Awesome sound design tutorial Alex! I’ve been listening to The Prodigy about 30 years! Thank you for making this video!

  • @NEOREV_MUSIC
    @NEOREV_MUSIC 9 місяців тому +2

    Awesome video! I discovered electronic music and The Prodigy in 1993 when I was 9 years old. I was listening to rock music like Nirvana and The Smashing Pumpkins and playing on my dad's drum set. The Prodigy inspired me to want to make electronic music. Thank you so much for this vid.

  • @skyrocketautomotive670
    @skyrocketautomotive670 9 місяців тому +4

    I've never really been a fan of the Prodigy, but my god did they get some great sounds, and watching this amazing tutorial made me appreciate it even more!

    • @breakfreak3181
      @breakfreak3181 9 місяців тому

      The sounds are preset synth sounds created by sound designers who worked for the synth companies. Liam didn't create these sounds he used them as they sounded 'straight out the box'. This video is a description of how the sound designers created the sounds.

  • @funkelee75
    @funkelee75 9 місяців тому

    Nice Workk!! Super nice!! wanted to see this for ever!!

  • @peterkeys88
    @peterkeys88 9 місяців тому +1

    high quality breakdown! Man, i enjoyed this

  • @this_connor_guy
    @this_connor_guy 9 місяців тому +9

    "This sound was developed by Eric Persing"
    Of COURSE! It's an amazing sound! :)

  • @Keyboardistmatt
    @Keyboardistmatt 9 місяців тому +3

    I found this interesting also because I have a Prophecy and a JD800.
    The JD Wailing guitar is great - I use an edited version of that in my music. As a side note, when my JD caught the red glue virus a few years ago I bought an XV5080 and was able to program some of my JD sounds into it.
    That Space Adventure sound on the Prophecy is cool too. I've used it slightly tweaked.
    Another great vid Alex!

  • @davidhrivnak
    @davidhrivnak 9 місяців тому

    Your videos are always thoughtful, smart, funny, and informative, but I especially like when you do deep dives like this one. You’re a real synthesist’s synthesist, and I really appreciate the hard work and time you put into making these

  • @MusicalWizardryMarcoIannello
    @MusicalWizardryMarcoIannello 9 місяців тому

    Truly super interesting, thank you for making such a video

  • @craigsg01
    @craigsg01 9 місяців тому +7

    I bought one of these on eBay recently (Prophecy) ! Then I ALSO bought a Z1 !

    • @AlexBallMusic
      @AlexBallMusic  9 місяців тому +2

      Congrats.

    • @craigsg01
      @craigsg01 9 місяців тому +1

      @@AlexBallMusic Thanks Alex. Just need to figure out how to program them now !

    • @AlexBallMusic
      @AlexBallMusic  9 місяців тому +2

      @@craigsg01 The interface is like a microwave and a calculator.

    • @craigsg01
      @craigsg01 9 місяців тому

      @@AlexBallMusic Sounds fun ! I think I'll get the mac editor software if available then !

  • @ASH-ou4cg
    @ASH-ou4cg 9 місяців тому +5

    This was INCREDIBLE! Great job! I wonder if the U-220 and JD-990 waves are in the JV-1080...

  • @marinerecords58corshagwen
    @marinerecords58corshagwen 9 місяців тому

    Good job, it's always interesting to learn more about the famous pieces that have contributed to forge our musical culture. Thank you for your hard work!

  • @AdamNRG316
    @AdamNRG316 9 місяців тому +1

    Great video. Them out of space chords still get me every time. Goosebumps

  • @electronictiger
    @electronictiger 9 місяців тому +7

    Well done Alex! It's funny how many of The Prodigy's sounds are presets. Which isn't necessarily bad. There are many artists who relied on presets. I mean by now a 303 or the infamous Amen-break are pretty much presets. It's what you do with it that sets you apart. And Liam Howlett & The Prodigy are a prime example of that. The individual building blocks they used may have existed before. But what they built with it was new & refreshing.

    • @makipri
      @makipri 9 місяців тому +2

      Even LFO’s LFO is using preset with the chord coming out of it!

    • @Greg-yi5re
      @Greg-yi5re 9 місяців тому

      A professional is able to get brilliant results using almost any gear. Prophecy was a new gadget back then and that's why it attracted Liam's attention. I suppose he tried all synths in production being in a constant search himself

  • @benzmobil
    @benzmobil 9 місяців тому +7

    Fascinating! Those patches are not that complicated after all and can be reproduced easily on most modern software synths.

    • @AlexBallMusic
      @AlexBallMusic  9 місяців тому +3

      Yep, that's why they're great to break down.

  • @jooyoonchung3593
    @jooyoonchung3593 9 місяців тому +1

    This video has answered questions I’ve had for three decades about how these particular sounds were made! I had some guesses I came up with over the years and it was neat to see what I got right and what I got very, very wrong.

  • @DD-il4gu
    @DD-il4gu 9 місяців тому

    Thanks for the video, Alex. It was very interesting to find out about making those sounds.