Hey just thanks. Your vids have been a a way to open the doors into more complex sound design for this obsessive amateur. Your vids strike a balance between accessible without ever being patronizing. Really appreciate it. I’ll keep doing my homework.
Ayyyy really glad to hear that! Exactly what I want to hear - a TON of work goes into these videos to make sure things are digestible and sorta skill level agnostic so they're accessible to everyone.
Absolutely true about analog still being in wide use in the Eighties. It used to be when you bought a cassette or CD there would probably be a little label on it somewhere that read "AAA" or "AAD" or "ADD" or "DDD." And those 3 letters stood for how the music was recorded, mixed and mastered: all analog; analog recording and mixing with digital mastering; analog recording with digital mixing and mastering; or all-digital.
You're absolutely right. But it wasn't just a mix in regards to recording tech, the synthesizers too came from both domains, which is one of the things that made the sound of the 80s so unique, I think. But to keep it on topic: I distinctly remember my stepfather bringing home an album with Thelma Houston (Whitney’s aunt), featuring the creme de la creme of LA’s session musicians, and it was all recorded live directly onto the engraved master disc from which the vinyl was produced. These were the challenges they fought in the analog era: Every step in the signal chain degraded the end result to some extent, because of the laws of physics. Obviously very few had the chops (and balls) to afford these few steps though. But what a cool concept.
Definitely adding suspended notes or chord extensions was a big thing in the 1980s. Not just a keyboard thing. If you look at what guitar players were doing you hear a ton of added 6ths and 2nds/9ths in the chord voicing. Maybe some of that was players being influenced by earlier styles like jazz-rock fusion which had a lot of harmonic complexity. Really liked what you were doing with the leads there. and the echo cha cha cha (e.g. Friday the 13th), lol. Classic.
I wouldn't sweat that 16 track issue: group those stray risers and hits and add some tape sat and compression, so that it sounds like you bounced multiple tracks down to stereo... Like we used to do with those portastudios
When I was 10, I snuck into the theater to watch Assault on Precinct 13. Yeah, the movie was fun, but the soundtrack broke me - I was obsessed with synths ever since.
To make Retro music I’m fortunate enough to have a Time Machine that can also miniaturise me too. This way I can travel back in time and be small enough to be inside Toto’s keyboard rig in 1982 and take samples of sounds to use at home. Although one time the part of the machine that miniaturises me ran out of battery power and I immediately became full size again. This happened at a live show at Madison Square Garden as they were performing Rosanna. I literally exploded out of Prophet 5 and stopped the gig. The gig was filmed that night but the funny thing is, the recording shows none of what I describe.
I LOVE the ''add one note to the triad'' approach, it sounds great, but there's another benefit. All these intervals can be daunting, so just changing this one thing makes it easier to remember what you did and how it changed things. I'd also make use of omission, to a very simple degree. Even beginners probably run into that situation where neither the major nor minor third are what you want, maybe just stacking two fifths for root, 5th and 9th is actually the sound you want, that one can work well to keep rock or synthwave etc. a bit less sentimental and a bit more cool. I still return to these kinda chords frequently, even just diatonic, no matter if I'm confident enough to pick intervals in a completely free-form way or have every chord in a different key etc.
These types of soundtracks for TV and movies in the 80s were really a driving force behind what got me interested in music in the first place way back when. You may not have even been born when these things first made their appearance but you really nailed the vibe, and your thought process behind your showcase piece and your execution were spot on. Your channel is one of my favorites because of the great content like this and your always humorous delivery. It's always a good day when a new video from your channel pops up on my feed! :-)
This type of music is my Jam. Thanks for all the ideas. I definitely like all the attention 80s stuff is getting lately. Abletons Analog Lab is sooooo good for sounds like this, it's my foundation go to.
I just finished season 4 one minute ago and devastated that I had nothing more to watch, I found your new video which gave me hope and so many smiles that I am just back at the daw
I'm a drummer and singer.. I dig tech stuff a lot! This really made for a nice few moments of my day! I've done huge audio events in my days but not this kind of work and I find what you have demonstrated here just fantastic and more! My two children are boom operators in the movie segment of audio, and also work with sounds in many other ways. I know they'll really like what you've recorded here for sure. We are all musicians as well... Thanks for such a well-explained video for me and my son and daughter. We'll all learn from it and its straightforward presentation! You rock my good man! Thank You!
Much appreciated, Cameron, you never fail to deliver something interesting, entertaining, and valuable in your videos. As a lifelong fan of the Berlin School music of Tangerine Dream and the like from the early 1970's, this was definitely a nice surprise from you, and quite masterfully realized, too. Great job, and all the best to you from down the road in Memphis TN 🙂
@@AbstractCatsMedia Loved that soundtrack. I first heard TD in 1978 (Phaedra, Cyclone, Stratosfear, and Rubycon), saw them in concert many times, and still enjoy them today (although not so much some of the post Edgar Froese material).
Made me smile. Partly because I don't know why, and somewhat because whenever I fiddled around with different synth plugins, this kind of stuff was just making itself under my hands. Well, I am from the eighties, and I was quite active as a keyboard player ever since I was a kid in grade six - yes, I was one of the lucky ones to have the opportunity to have access to some cool stuff at the time. My band buddies and I always dreamed of making it big, which never came to be. We always thought that what we did was never good enough, not realizing that we were just engulfed in the awesomeness of times. Thank you for this video. Cheers man! :)
Your explanations make it sound like the '80s technology was much more limited than it actually was. Back in the day, we did a lot of track bouncing to achieve more tracks, so you're 16 track limit or 24 track limit doesn't really hold water. Additionally, we could think several machines together in order to provide more tracks. Though this might not have fit in with carpenters budget, bouncing tracks would certainly an option that many of us employed back in the day.
Cameron, I signed up for HookPad some time back. Not only does it keep you honest, but it teaches you about what music is all about. Plus, you can sequence and compose entire songs on it with lyrics. Thanks.
I've filed under this my X-files, for my wonder years of exploring these strange thingy soundings to take it to the next generation of star treekking...seriously, this is super cool stuff - I'm very much an amateur musician who picked up a midi keyboard this year and have downloaded many plugins (many of your recommendations). In these past months I've always gravitated to anything that produces 80s tones. Keep doing what you're doing - mucho gratitude! (super therapeutic as a release from my day job as a palliative care practitioner). 🖖
I'm old, so I grew up on old electronic music. I do have a tendency to keep things simple, love those old synthy leads and melancholy and spooky melodies. Another approach to making things sound "big" is sound design that creates complex and evolving sounds. And yes, I love the chord progressions with lots of spicy notes.
😅 I’ve been listening to you as a podcast in the car but half way through this video I feel like I need to watch exactly what you are doing! It just sounds so nice and intriguing ! I shall rewatch and start putting the work in! Thank you for doing what you do 😊
i started playing Dungeons and Dragons in 1986, when i was 12 years old. This show has a very special place in my heart, better not talk to much shit, Cameron! LoL
I’m really glad I found your channel. I find your work exceptionally educational. In my work I find it there is something missing. As I have Evolved with better plug-ins over the years. I still feel that there is some sort of layer of richness or layer of depth I am missing. I feel like my instrument choices orchestration is on track. But I think by not deeply going into the sound design or mixing of each patch might be crippling my potential . My mixing is very basic at best. I start all my levels -18 and bring them up from there without trying to clip to match. I do concentrate a lot on volume Crossfades and panning when needed. I am child of the 70s and 80s. I’m now 50 years old and I have three decades of music that I loved and springs out I spirit. I took music theory in college. At the end of the day I’m a musician that writes from the heart and what feels good coming out of my soul. Now I’m trying to catch up with all the technical aspects of mixing. it really has me frustrated. Thank you again for this video it is very informative. I know that you’re a very busy and you probably get 1 million people asking you to take a look at they’re work. If you click on my name you’ll see my latest video. I drive semi truck down the road earning a living for my family while producing music and video on my small portable studio in my truck. I currently use logic as a DAW coming out of DP 10. After beating myself up with logic loops I finally upgraded to Arturia V9 and mkIi key lab 49. If you can suggest anything that would help me fill the void in my soundscape I would really appreciate it sir. Thank you. I’ll be watching and learning more from what you have on your UA-cam channel library.
that's a badass piece, nice 80s track and great video throughout. also, you got me into modular via Cardinal, and i've got VCV Rack now and totally dig it, i'd love to see some patching videos if you are ever so inspired. great channel and amazing work over the years, thank you!
A great, expertly produced video, a joy to watch! May I ask, what kind of midi visualizer you're using at 9:05? There are plenty of them, but this one looks really nice and clean!
Just discovered your channel mate. You've been a big help getting my studio at home sorted. Downloaded some amazing plugins to go along nicely with my hardware synths. Just wanted to say, I checked your name on Spotify, your music is excellent mate.
You should add the great AORock with many synths like Aldo Nova...Van Halen (jump...I'll wait etc..) Journey...Toto...Giuffria....Sabu....Heart.....Starship...Saga and many others. Some of the best synth riff of all times cames from this incredible rich rock that is not primitive like metallica or ac/dc but much more evolute. Two perfect examples are the song Moodido by Toto and the song See the Light by Aldo Nova both with majestic synth riff. By the way...what makes sound so called "retro" (read : majestic) so "retro" is that it is REAL...that's so simple.
Great historical context here! I love how you point out the new access to increased polyphony and how that affected the writing process in the 80s. Limitations define creativity.
Well . . . Retro does not sound retro to me . . . I am 54 y.o. and my fave synths were always those cloned today. I am unable to use more then 32 audio tracks, since most of the songs I like most were recorded between 4 and 16 mono channels. Also in the so called "alternative" music world people did not have more than 6 different synths. These littlr "panning/filtering" trIcks make a big difference cause it gives an "80s" track some "vapour wave/modern edge" of today. By the way I loved your video ! ! ! Very inspiring indeed. Also very nice voice you have!
To any folks out there dipping their toes into the waters of composing for the first time, like dude says, simplicity is important. In fact, the power of simplicity cannot be praised enough.
1 Thing You Should Know RE Controlling Music Sound Design: (OFF TOPIC, but I can't help myself). A BIG THANK YOU for your recommendations (and messages back and forth to ME) with respect to SENSEL MORPH. It took me a considerable amount of time (considerable), but..with the help of Peter @ Sensel and some Happy Accidents,.it's fully functional now. Just a FOR EXAMPLE, FXpansion's CYPHER2 and SENSEL MORPH... O.M.G. .. I can not imagine EVER using another controller but MORPH and am SO happy that I did not settle for LUMI! In addition to the 5 points of control Morph provides, I have discovered a 6th element within it, which has increasingly becoming a cherished and frequently used tool in my sound design. So,...THANKS, Dr, Venus, for steering me in an amazing direction. I have Piano, Controller and Drum Overlays and will definitely add the Buchla Overlay.
I just finished working on a lo-fi track chill track. So this video is perfect timing. I'm thankful for the homework assignment from this video to try on my next project. So far I am able to make a track in one week. Hopefully as I learn I will be able to go faster. We'll see how fast I can make something in this genre (a genre that really inspired me to learn music production).
If you haven't listened to it, SURVIVE's album, RR749 is really good. More avant garde than their Stranger Things stuff but I think it's far better as an example of compositionally interesting work.
Thank you. Your videos are a constant source of inspiration. When you say you've been using clips, I actually don't know what that means, and don't recognise the DAW, unless it was Maschine or something along those lines.
Just get Diva. I had it for a week and have no idea why it took me so long to get it (probably weak computer I had). If you have proper m1 Mac and especially use Bitwig the clap version is very cpu friendly. Sound just enormous. I’m already selling my Moog cause don’t see the point to have it. Diva sound the same if not better.
I have no idea how i passed this video… This tune is absolutely fantastic! Also very inspiring and you sell me some new plugins 😁 So to answer your question: This turns out stunning! I like stuff like this quite alot and will try to build such a track by my own! Thanks for this!
Just ran across your channel... The buttery voice drew me in, the talent kept me here. I've gone through several of your videos and the information you present is priceless, and I wish I came across it years ago, so thank you! I would love to hear your take on composing Argent Metal (ala Mick Gordon, Doom 2016), as the synth work and sound design there is killer, and I feel like you could break it down so well. Anyways, thanks! You've made a subscriber out of me!
I had a CZ-101 and the RZ-1 drum machine. Wish I hadnt sold those! Also, another good soundtrack from the '80's for me anyway was from the movie Cat People.
00:06 - Grumpy Mustach takes big stinky poo-poo on Unison Audio. *LMAO* Got into a debate with *"I got you"* guy on facebook last year. He got a little upset when I may have mentioned his product is a rip. Good stuff as always
Very inspiring dude! I just picked up an Oxygen Pro 49 for my first crack at all this, and have always leaned towards 80s soundtrack music. So excited to learn and produce!!!
The thought and time you invest into your videos is so impressive and makes for such an entertaining watch. Awesome breakdown of this sound. Looking forward to using these techniques in my own productions!
That is a very cool dark synth track, very worthy of Stranger Things or even a John Carpenter movie. Your playing is always amazing and inspiring. Thank you for another awesome video.
Awesome video - and awesome track to go along with it. Thank you, grumpy mustache! I've been slowly trying to write more of this genre, since I enjoy it so much, and I will definitely be incorporating these ideas going forward.
Get a Juno plugin, it'll make synthwave sounds so much easier to make. Basses and arps sound absolutely fantastic on the Juno with the double chorus. If you want that carpet of stompy lush bass, Juno can't be beat IMO.
Great retro video and nice to see more Bitwig in the wild! would love to see some videos on more gear and your take on different DAWs. DAWs are like hardware, you can end up collecting them lol but I have found Bitwig an nice evolution of what Ableton has and strangely enough, more stable than Logic (not crashes but project corruption) and way more organizational capabilities.
( 5:52 ) The quality of the bass sounds fan-tas-tic on my 2031A's ! Beautiful bass + cool sounds. . Enjoyed the video and gonna check out bitwig. Seems like an interesting DAW. . Thumbs up.
This reverb sounds quite pleasant, but I think it gives the track too much modern vibes with its thickness. At the time producers were heavily concerned with volume dynamics. There were of course exceptions like Vangelis, but they didn't make the norm.
Nice! Definitely has plenty of Carpenterism! Also, a touch of the Metroid aesthetic, which probably in part is what it is due to the game series beginning in the 80s.
The track sounds awesome and certainly fits the Carpenter/Kyle Dixon/Michael Stein vibes. I’m a massive fan of this style of music and 70’s/80’s scores. I have a bunch of synth covers of a lot of classic themes on my channel if anyone’s interested.
Really really loved this video, thank you so much for this. Actually I really enjoy most of your videos and have learnt a lot. Appreciate you sharing your knowledge, it's incredibly helpful.
depends on how you envision the track. i see it ramping up around 17:45 into a bit faster tempo with a pumping retro scifi beat and some different chord progressions wouldve been cool.
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Hey just thanks. Your vids have been a a way to open the doors into more complex sound design for this obsessive amateur. Your vids strike a balance between accessible without ever being patronizing. Really appreciate it. I’ll keep doing my homework.
Ayyyy really glad to hear that! Exactly what I want to hear - a TON of work goes into these videos to make sure things are digestible and sorta skill level agnostic so they're accessible to everyone.
Absolutely true about analog still being in wide use in the Eighties. It used to be when you bought a cassette or CD there would probably be a little label on it somewhere that read "AAA" or "AAD" or "ADD" or "DDD." And those 3 letters stood for how the music was recorded, mixed and mastered: all analog; analog recording and mixing with digital mastering; analog recording with digital mixing and mastering; or all-digital.
You're absolutely right. But it wasn't just a mix in regards to recording tech, the synthesizers too came from both domains, which is one of the things that made the sound of the 80s so unique, I think.
But to keep it on topic: I distinctly remember my stepfather bringing home an album with Thelma Houston (Whitney’s aunt), featuring the creme de la creme of LA’s session musicians, and it was all recorded live directly onto the engraved master disc from which the vinyl was produced. These were the challenges they fought in the analog era: Every step in the signal chain degraded the end result to some extent, because of the laws of physics. Obviously very few had the chops (and balls) to afford these few steps though. But what a cool concept.
@@hackapump Now that's *_seriously_* Old School! Like Bessie Smith, Robert Johnson kinda Old School.
@@OgamiItto70 True that. But in hifi. ;)
@@OgamiItto70 BTW, it features the arguably best cover of "Got To Get You Into My Life" ever attempted.
If you got a CD that said AAA then something was wrong somewhere :)
For me, sticking to minimal arrangements keeps things clean, and more manageable.
I'm guilty of doing the exact opposite. So I'm training myself to operate on the less is more philosophy.
Definitely adding suspended notes or chord extensions was a big thing in the 1980s. Not just a keyboard thing. If you look at what guitar players were doing you hear a ton of added 6ths and 2nds/9ths in the chord voicing. Maybe some of that was players being influenced by earlier styles like jazz-rock fusion which had a lot of harmonic complexity. Really liked what you were doing with the leads there. and the echo cha cha cha (e.g. Friday the 13th), lol. Classic.
Not even going to lie your string packs for decent sampler are literally the most perfect ones ive ever downloaded. Thank you Mr. Venus Theory
I wouldn't sweat that 16 track issue: group those stray risers and hits and add some tape sat and compression, so that it sounds like you bounced multiple tracks down to stereo... Like we used to do with those portastudios
Yes to this! 🙌
Absolutely. I was thinking the same thing. They just need to be their own sub-mix.
Loved this one! I've always been a big fan of Carpenter's dark synth tracks of the 80's!
Great stuff for sure - been binging it ever since making this video after researching a bunch of old soundtracks haha
I binged the ost for Halloween Kills the other day and I’d consider it some of his best work. The movie was…meh
@@VenusTheory sound track to The Thing is just incredible!
Nice work here too!
When I was 10, I snuck into the theater to watch Assault on Precinct 13. Yeah, the movie was fun, but the soundtrack broke me - I was obsessed with synths ever since.
To make Retro music I’m fortunate enough to have a Time Machine that can also miniaturise me too. This way I can travel back in time and be small enough to be inside Toto’s keyboard rig in 1982 and take samples of sounds to use at home. Although one time the part of the machine that miniaturises me ran out of battery power and I immediately became full size again. This happened at a live show at Madison Square Garden as they were performing Rosanna. I literally exploded out of Prophet 5 and stopped the gig. The gig was filmed that night but the funny thing is, the recording shows none of what I describe.
😂😂😂😂😂
I LOVE the ''add one note to the triad'' approach, it sounds great, but there's another benefit. All these intervals can be daunting, so just changing this one thing makes it easier to remember what you did and how it changed things. I'd also make use of omission, to a very simple degree. Even beginners probably run into that situation where neither the major nor minor third are what you want, maybe just stacking two fifths for root, 5th and 9th is actually the sound you want, that one can work well to keep rock or synthwave etc. a bit less sentimental and a bit more cool.
I still return to these kinda chords frequently, even just diatonic, no matter if I'm confident enough to pick intervals in a completely free-form way or have every chord in a different key etc.
These types of soundtracks for TV and movies in the 80s were really a driving force behind what got me interested in music in the first place way back when. You may not have even been born when these things first made their appearance but you really nailed the vibe, and your thought process behind your showcase piece and your execution were spot on. Your channel is one of my favorites because of the great content like this and your always humorous delivery. It's always a good day when a new video from your channel pops up on my feed! :-)
The music for Nightrider and Airwolf had a huge impact on me as a kid in the 80s.
@@ptkelly80 Oh man, those soundtracks were the BEST! I also loved Jan Hammer's work on Miami Vice.
This type of music is my Jam. Thanks for all the ideas. I definitely like all the attention 80s stuff is getting lately. Abletons Analog Lab is sooooo good for sounds like this, it's my foundation go to.
I just finished season 4 one minute ago and devastated that I had nothing more to watch, I found your new video which gave me hope and so many smiles that I am just back at the daw
I'm a drummer and singer..
I dig tech stuff a lot! This really made for a nice few moments of my day! I've done huge audio events in my days but not this kind of work and I find what you have demonstrated here just fantastic and more!
My two children are boom operators in the movie segment of audio, and also work with sounds in many other ways.
I know they'll really like what you've recorded here for sure. We are all musicians as well...
Thanks for such a well-explained video for me and my son and daughter. We'll all learn from it and its straightforward presentation! You rock my good man!
Thank You!
Much appreciated, Cameron, you never fail to deliver something interesting, entertaining, and valuable in your videos. As a lifelong fan of the Berlin School music of Tangerine Dream and the like from the early 1970's, this was definitely a nice surprise from you, and quite masterfully realized, too. Great job, and all the best to you from down the road in Memphis TN 🙂
TD, indeed. Tangerine Dream's Sorcerer soundtrack, in particular. I've been a TD fan since about 1985.
@@AbstractCatsMedia Loved that soundtrack. I first heard TD in 1978 (Phaedra, Cyclone, Stratosfear, and Rubycon), saw them in concert many times, and still enjoy them today (although not so much some of the post Edgar Froese material).
@@NigelMerrick Mid 70s- mid 80s, probably my favorite period. I agree about the post Frose, work. I've never seen them, sadly.
Made me smile. Partly because I don't know why, and somewhat because whenever I fiddled around with different synth plugins, this kind of stuff was just making itself under my hands. Well, I am from the eighties, and I was quite active as a keyboard player ever since I was a kid in grade six - yes, I was one of the lucky ones to have the opportunity to have access to some cool stuff at the time. My band buddies and I always dreamed of making it big, which never came to be. We always thought that what we did was never good enough, not realizing that we were just engulfed in the awesomeness of times. Thank you for this video. Cheers man! :)
Your explanations make it sound like the '80s technology was much more limited than it actually was. Back in the day, we did a lot of track bouncing to achieve more tracks, so you're 16 track limit or 24 track limit doesn't really hold water. Additionally, we could think several machines together in order to provide more tracks. Though this might not have fit in with carpenters budget, bouncing tracks would certainly an option that many of us employed back in the day.
Cameron, I signed up for HookPad some time back. Not only does it keep you honest, but it teaches you about what music is all about. Plus, you can sequence and compose entire songs on it with lyrics. Thanks.
I've filed under this my X-files, for my wonder years of exploring these strange thingy soundings to take it to the next generation of star treekking...seriously, this is super cool stuff - I'm very much an amateur musician who picked up a midi keyboard this year and have downloaded many plugins (many of your recommendations). In these past months I've always gravitated to anything that produces 80s tones. Keep doing what you're doing - mucho gratitude! (super therapeutic as a release from my day job as a palliative care practitioner). 🖖
I'm old, so I grew up on old electronic music. I do have a tendency to keep things simple, love those old synthy leads and melancholy and spooky melodies. Another approach to making things sound "big" is sound design that creates complex and evolving sounds. And yes, I love the chord progressions with lots of spicy notes.
Enjoyed this so much I listened twice.
😅 I’ve been listening to you as a podcast in the car but half way through this video I feel like I need to watch exactly what you are doing! It just sounds so nice and intriguing ! I shall rewatch and start putting the work in! Thank you for doing what you do 😊
Thanks for that video. It is really helpful. I would love to see a tutorial like that for music in the style of Jean Michel Jarre!
i started playing Dungeons and Dragons in 1986, when i was 12 years old. This show has a very special place in my heart, better not talk to much shit, Cameron! LoL
GREAT TRACK!
Grumpy mustache, Wins! Great content as always and track to boot. Thanks for sharing. 🔥
That was great! Would really appreciate a video about creating sounds from scratch on analog synth plugins.
analogue plugins don't exist
@@ogasi1798 .. You're right, of course. Analog plugins do not exist. "Analog synth" plugins, however, do exist.
I’m really glad I found your channel. I find your work exceptionally educational. In my work I find it there is something missing. As I have Evolved with better plug-ins over the years. I still feel that there is some sort of layer of richness or layer of depth I am missing.
I feel like my instrument choices orchestration is on track. But I think by not deeply going into the sound design or mixing of each patch might be crippling my potential . My mixing is very basic at best. I start all my levels -18 and bring them up from there without trying to clip to match. I do concentrate a lot on volume Crossfades and panning when needed. I am child of the 70s and 80s. I’m now 50 years old and I have three decades of music that I loved and springs out I spirit. I took music theory in college. At the end of the day I’m a musician that writes from the heart and what feels good coming out of my soul. Now I’m trying to catch up with all the technical aspects of mixing. it really has me frustrated. Thank you again for this video it is very informative. I know that you’re a very busy and you probably get 1 million people asking you to take a look at they’re work. If you click on my name you’ll see my latest video. I drive semi truck down the road earning a living for my family while producing music and video on my small portable studio in my truck. I currently use logic as a DAW coming out of DP 10. After beating myself up with logic loops I finally upgraded to Arturia V9 and mkIi key lab 49. If you can suggest anything that would help me fill the void in my soundscape I would really appreciate it sir.
Thank you. I’ll be watching and learning more from what you have on your UA-cam channel library.
This was a cool vid. It'd be neat to see similar historic context for other iconic electronic music.
You are one of the single most underrated composers and musicians. Also, My wife likes your voice haha
This is like a mini master's thesis in why we get all misty-eyed hearing arpeggiated sawtooth waves through reverb. Bravo.
that's a badass piece, nice 80s track and great video throughout. also, you got me into modular via Cardinal, and i've got VCV Rack now and totally dig it, i'd love to see some patching videos if you are ever so inspired. great channel and amazing work over the years, thank you!
That gave me chills. Beautiful work!
A great, expertly produced video, a joy to watch! May I ask, what kind of midi visualizer you're using at 9:05? There are plenty of them, but this one looks really nice and clean!
dude this is amazing, great John wick cosplay too
Just discovered your channel mate. You've been a big help getting my studio at home sorted. Downloaded some amazing plugins to go along nicely with my hardware synths. Just wanted to say, I checked your name on Spotify, your music is excellent mate.
The score from S U R V I V E is what got me interested in synthwave when the first season of Stranger Things came out.
I was made aware from them from the movie 'The Guest' (2014).
Highly recommend both it and its soundtrack.
ATX 💪💪💪
You should add the great AORock with many synths like Aldo Nova...Van Halen (jump...I'll wait etc..) Journey...Toto...Giuffria....Sabu....Heart.....Starship...Saga and many others. Some of the best synth riff of all times cames from this incredible rich rock that is not primitive like metallica or ac/dc but much more evolute. Two perfect examples are the song Moodido by Toto and the song See the Light by Aldo Nova both with majestic synth riff. By the way...what makes sound so called "retro" (read : majestic) so "retro" is that it is REAL...that's so simple.
Great historical context here! I love how you point out the new access to increased polyphony and how that affected the writing process in the 80s. Limitations define creativity.
Please do a whole album like this! Love this.
Well . . . Retro does not sound retro to me . . . I am 54 y.o. and my fave synths were always those cloned today. I am unable to use more then 32 audio tracks, since most of the songs I like most were recorded between 4 and 16 mono channels. Also in the so called "alternative" music world people did not have more than 6 different synths. These littlr "panning/filtering" trIcks make a big difference cause it gives an "80s" track some "vapour wave/modern edge" of today. By the way I loved your video ! ! ! Very inspiring indeed. Also very nice voice you have!
I just wanted to thank you for helping me 'see' a bit more authentic synthwave sounds. It has really helped! 😀👍
I'm working on my 2nd EP and this video is exactly what I needed. Thank you so much.
Every model followed by a number was FIRE AS FOOOOOOOCK !!! I’m chunking my money at them this what I been looking for thank you bro!!!!!!!!
To any folks out there dipping their toes into the waters of composing for the first time, like dude says, simplicity is important. In fact, the power of simplicity cannot be praised enough.
that second transition-y '82 immediately had me thinking "Dr. Who", because that's a very similar "whoosh" to the start of that show's theme song...
You are a gift to the community🙏😊. Thank you🙏
1 Thing You Should Know RE Controlling Music Sound Design: (OFF TOPIC, but I can't help myself). A BIG THANK YOU for your recommendations (and messages back and forth to ME) with respect to SENSEL MORPH. It took me a considerable amount of time (considerable), but..with the help of Peter @ Sensel and some Happy Accidents,.it's fully functional now. Just a FOR EXAMPLE, FXpansion's CYPHER2 and SENSEL MORPH... O.M.G. .. I can not imagine EVER using another controller but MORPH and am SO happy that I did not settle for LUMI! In addition to the 5 points of control Morph provides, I have discovered a 6th element within it, which has increasingly becoming a cherished and frequently used tool in my sound design. So,...THANKS, Dr, Venus, for steering me in an amazing direction. I have Piano, Controller and Drum Overlays and will definitely add the Buchla Overlay.
I just finished working on a lo-fi track chill track. So this video is perfect timing. I'm thankful for the homework assignment from this video to try on my next project. So far I am able to make a track in one week. Hopefully as I learn I will be able to go faster. We'll see how fast I can make something in this genre (a genre that really inspired me to learn music production).
Yeeeeh, John Carpenter! I was about to drop my retro stuff ideas, but this makes me go back at it :D
If you haven't listened to it, SURVIVE's album, RR749 is really good. More avant garde than their Stranger Things stuff but I think it's far better as an example of compositionally interesting work.
Really like how you used gate lab. It fit super well in this track.
Thank you. Your videos are a constant source of inspiration. When you say you've been using clips, I actually don't know what that means, and don't recognise the DAW, unless it was Maschine or something along those lines.
All is so epic but the pad with spaced out is what melted me ;)
Just get Diva. I had it for a week and have no idea why it took me so long to get it (probably weak computer I had). If you have proper m1 Mac and especially use Bitwig the clap version is very cpu friendly. Sound just enormous. I’m already selling my Moog cause don’t see the point to have it. Diva sound the same if not better.
The Stranger Things soundtrack, instantly sounded like Tangerine Dream's Sorcerer soundtrack (1977), to me. Great sound tracks, indeed!
Bonkers result as always and sure Jan Mikkel Jarre would approve!
Amazing mate! 👏🏻
I have only just got into this series, the soundtrack was an unexpected surprise!!
I have no idea how i passed this video… This tune is absolutely fantastic! Also very inspiring and you sell me some new plugins 😁
So to answer your question: This turns out stunning! I like stuff like this quite alot and will try to build such a track by my own! Thanks for this!
Just ran across your channel... The buttery voice drew me in, the talent kept me here.
I've gone through several of your videos and the information you present is priceless, and I wish I came across it years ago, so thank you!
I would love to hear your take on composing Argent Metal (ala Mick Gordon, Doom 2016), as the synth work and sound design there is killer, and I feel like you could break it down so well.
Anyways, thanks! You've made a subscriber out of me!
I had a CZ-101 and the RZ-1 drum machine. Wish I hadnt sold those! Also, another good soundtrack from the '80's for me anyway was from the movie Cat People.
2:17 - the Wavestation was produced from 1990 to 1994 lmao edit: that chord progression was dope though
Was sorta referring to the 'late 80s' sound there that spilled over into the early 90s, maybe should have clarified that a bit.
@@VenusTheory that's fair, and you're right I can see the wavestation being a large part of that sound so yeah my bad I apologize
00:06 - Grumpy Mustach takes big stinky poo-poo on Unison Audio. *LMAO*
Got into a debate with *"I got you"* guy on facebook last year.
He got a little upset when I may have mentioned his product is a rip.
Good stuff as always
Very inspiring dude! I just picked up an Oxygen Pro 49 for my first crack at all this, and have always leaned towards 80s soundtrack music. So excited to learn and produce!!!
Ayyyyyyyy well glad to be of service. Let me know how it turns out, happy noisemaking!
The thought and time you invest into your videos is so impressive and makes for such an entertaining watch. Awesome breakdown of this sound. Looking forward to using these techniques in my own productions!
Check out Cleanse Fold & Manipulate by Skinny Puppy, epic 80's layering of sounds & samples. Dwayne Goettel at his best...
That is a very cool dark synth track, very worthy of Stranger Things or even a John Carpenter movie. Your playing is always amazing and inspiring. Thank you for another awesome video.
Great video! I haven't subscribed to any new music UA-camrs in a minute, but I really like your style and delivery.
Bravo! It sounds wonderful! Very 80's! Thank you!
Awesome! Beautiful!
Awesome video - and awesome track to go along with it. Thank you, grumpy mustache!
I've been slowly trying to write more of this genre, since I enjoy it so much, and I will definitely be incorporating these ideas going forward.
Hell yes!! This is exactly the video I've been looking for recently
I was back in the 80s with all those classic carpenter horrors. great job!
I love this video ! You are the best Venus! Greetings from PSPaudioware
For me the genesis of this “new” era of 80,s alike music themes is Dr’s Who theme. X-Files, Strangers Things brings this vibe.
So Rad!
Kinda reminded me of kick bong,
Some of the textures
Nice work man!!!
This really inspires to jump into sound desing
yo i appreciate your level of detail you put in to these videos.
Get a Juno plugin, it'll make synthwave sounds so much easier to make. Basses and arps sound absolutely fantastic on the Juno with the double chorus. If you want that carpet of stompy lush bass, Juno can't be beat IMO.
Great retro video and nice to see more Bitwig in the wild! would love to see some videos on more gear and your take on different DAWs. DAWs are like hardware, you can end up collecting them lol but I have found Bitwig an nice evolution of what Ableton has and strangely enough, more stable than Logic (not crashes but project corruption) and way more organizational capabilities.
Bro... Like, 4 days ago I finally give in and start watching Stranger Things, and I love it, and you drop this?? 4 days ago?
Strange.
...ooooooh, so THAT'S how Tom Happ made the Axiom Verge soundtrack!
A lot of musical things about a lot of musical things suddenly make sense.
I love your videos so much! They're so well presented and well articulated. Sorry I can't keep commenting on all of them! Much love! 💜
Great video man! love how you approached every segment on detail, retro synths 80's feeling on point !
That arp bass is right out of Carpenter's lunch box, and I just want to snack it all day.
I love your videos! always entertaining AND educational.
( 5:52 ) The quality of the bass sounds fan-tas-tic
on my 2031A's !
Beautiful bass + cool sounds.
.
Enjoyed the video and gonna check out bitwig.
Seems like an interesting DAW.
.
Thumbs up.
Yeeeesssss! Thanks for sharing this!!!
This reverb sounds quite pleasant, but I think it gives the track too much modern vibes with its thickness. At the time producers were heavily concerned with volume dynamics. There were of course exceptions like Vangelis, but they didn't make the norm.
This is truly outstanding!!
Mega track, Cameron. If John Carpenter, Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein had a love child...
Nice! Definitely has plenty of Carpenterism! Also, a touch of the Metroid aesthetic, which probably in part is what it is due to the game series beginning in the 80s.
I bought the UAD Lexicon 224 reverb and its amazing especially when I use it on the OB-Xa or CS-80 by Arturia. The pads sound so lush...
Very “X” Files vibe, cool though and seriously well explained 👍
This is so rad. Saving this vid:)
The track sounds awesome and certainly fits the Carpenter/Kyle Dixon/Michael Stein vibes. I’m a massive fan of this style of music and 70’s/80’s scores. I have a bunch of synth covers of a lot of classic themes on my channel if anyone’s interested.
You need to make more retrosynth / synthwave tracks!
Send it to the Duffer Brothers! Really great.
Really really loved this video, thank you so much for this. Actually I really enjoy most of your videos and have learnt a lot. Appreciate you sharing your knowledge, it's incredibly helpful.
depends on how you envision the track. i see it ramping up around 17:45 into a bit faster tempo with a pumping retro scifi beat and some different chord progressions wouldve been cool.
This was a very, very informational video with a cool example and final result.