@Anders Enger Jensen: Are you the follower mentioned who is so lucky to own this? You seem to know the banks pretty well. Would be great to see another collaboration of my favourite musicians on youtube too. About the synth: It doesn't sound as "cheap" to me as 80s enthusiasts might think.
Juergen Bernhard Naw, I just grabbed the manual online and jotted down the presets while Espen was playing the sounds (from what I could see in the display). I have enough modules and synths now actually. Running out of space... but moving to a new place soon, so stay tuned for a studio buildup video. ;)
In my opinion, this video shows that gear can be important in some situations, but a musician's skill and creativity is much more important and is what really makes the difference.
The famous 80s horror movie director / music score composer John Carpenter loved this. He made like 90% of the music score for his iconic horror movies with this (KAWAI K1 / PH50) The KAWAI PH50 (PH-M with keys / Keyboard version of PH-M) was the first thing I bought in 1993 new from my own money and never did regret it. Best DM 199.99 ($200?) ever spent! It still serves me as a master keyboard after over 30 years in my studio due to its 3/4 size keys. It's a godsend for musicians with smaller hands, elder beginners or for the (elder) musicians with arthritis.
This is worth coming back to every so often and rewatching. A perfect antidote to all the geartube videos we're all guilty of watching and letting lead us a bit astray.
9:04 - classic house organ 9:24 - Seinfeld 9:33 - I love this soooooo much!!! Epic, anthemic, timeless 9:50 - Sounds like something Marc Almond have used
Just shows people are obsessed with all the latest and greatest equipment and samples presets. Espen uses a cheap machine and blows us all away. If I heard this on the radio there is no way I would have know this was a cheap sound module. If Espen can do this with cheap equipment what can you do with your expensive ones?
the chips are a K1 light derivative indeed, but a cost cutting version of the chips in the box, I use a PHM myself in my synthwave music, and I got mine in the mid 90's because it was all I could afford, but you did it justice, great job Espen Kraft, but your theories on the chips are confirmed. Stay safe and well through these times, and much love.
PSB apparently had only this module to make music with. I suspected as much back in the day but everybody said I was crazy and that they were really good musicians with really good and expensive gear. Not.
Did you succeed 😮?:WHAT? you put together an 80s sounding POP DANCE MASTERPIECE 🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶. Thats a killer piece of professional audio gear. Not a toy. Its not what you have , but how you use it. Wow nice work Mr Kraft . 🇬🇧
ain't that the truth. The 99.9999% just fantasise about gear instead of actually making or performing music. As a guitar player the best thing I ever did was ditch electric altogether, play exclusively acoustic and accept that computer music & sound engineering also bores me to death and is a waste of time musically. Now I just attempt to write tunes that sound good when played acoustic, and played into the in built mic of a phone. If I come up with something good, a pro engineer can deal with the recording & mixing !
4 роки тому+4
@@dfpguitar Collecting gear is easily and kind of addictive. I too might have bought some synths which I can't really program. I bought a Behringer K-2 because I really love what people do with an MS-20 but I can't program the thing... It took me a year of it collecting dust before I actually used it in a recording. I mean, I like having more than one synth for different tonal capabilities but you shouldn't overdo it. Sound demos on UA-cam can sound so incredibly mesmerizing but that's not at all how the synth is actually going to sound in a record... I can program the wildest sounds in my Moog but if you actually want to make music with it, those sounds are totally unusable. But I have learned to just stick to the gear I have now. A good mono synth for bass and leads, an old analog poly for the stringy stuff, 80's digital synth for that grit and then you have all the generic types of synth to make lots and lots of music.
r/synthesizers is such a ball ache. They also have a real prejudice against certain brands or people who can afford nice instruments, despite brand-bashing and price prejudice being the number 1 rule. I post a song made with Behringer equipment and they go into a behringer hate circle jerk and my song gets downvoted to negative number -- post that I recently gotten a Prophet 5 and the sarcasm laden "that's nice, but I'll stick with my Pro-53 :) " come in thick and fast. It's not a friendly atmosphere, at all.
The Pet Shop Boys called - they want their sound module back! Nice job, well done. I don't think this sound module sounds crappy at all - it's got some nice sounds, definitely pop oriented. Using an 80's general MIDI sound module like the Roland MT-32 may not yield as good a result, but in the hands of a creative musician, who knows!
At this point, I think it's possible for you to make a catchy retro synthpop song with some twine, duct tape, and an old coffee can. Brilliant track, per usual!
I would add one more thing: it is amazing how these samples are pleasant and lo-fi at the same time. Lots of people would not use them since there are more realistic samples on modern machine on the whole keyboard range, but this Kawai ones are spectacular for '80s songs!
Nice job, if anyone could make this little box shine, it's Espen! It's almost as if Kawaii engineers distilled the sound of 1989 into a little box (time capsule?). I have a question Espen, are you the third Pet shop boy? Cheers!
Espen, most people talk out their other hole most times. I don't think most people like or are willing to accept a challenge. Anything they are unable to figure out right away they give up and blame the thing, whether it be a synth or something else. I think this sounds amazing.
I used to make music with a borrowed ESQ-1, Amiga with Octamed, TR-626, a Midiverb 3 and a couple of cheap pedals. And I loved it! There were limitations but I think that can actually help sometimes - when you're basically pretty much unlimited, as we are with today's DAWs and tools, it can leave you unable to actually say "this track is done" because you can't make your mind up. It's happened to me.
in my little experience with "cheap" modules, is that you often get very cool dry sounds that you can do alot from. if you have a very rich sample/sound , it might be hard to manipulate , because there already so much done to it. if you only going to play piano, then you might use a hi quality piano synth/sampler, but if you want to twist and bend the sounds alot, you might better of use very dry and static sounds, so you after can add effects on if you want, like phasers , chorus, or even the same sound 8 times but all are ever so slightly out of tune.
Actually that's true with a lot of digital "showcase" sounds I think were stuck in to sell units, but which can't fit well into a mix except maybe in the intro. The D50's "soundtrack" comes to mind and you can spot it a mile off.
For some reason, your recent videos have been flying under my radar. I came to check in on you and see that i have some catching up to do! Yay for me!!
Wanna bet... For years the PHm was half my rig, (along with a Roland D-5)... Two "low end" synths that a lot of people thought were a joke - until they heard me play. Take both synths layered, route them through an EQ, (to kick the low end up some, and clean up the highs), then out to an efx chain of Chorus, Delay, Distortion, Reverb, topped off with just a hint of compression, and my two "cheap" synths sounded just as good as any "pro" level board of the late 80's - early 90's. The only thing really lacking was deep programming possibilities, I was more or less stuck with what the PHm had for sound, and what the D-5 could do...
You pulled some nice sounds out of that unit. You used it well. Thinking back to those times; a lush long reverb like that would have cost a fair few times more than that Kawai unit itself. 😉
I still own Kawai PH50 keyboard. That was the first keyboard I bought with my own money. It is totally underrated small keyboard. Sure, the sounds can be a bit LoFi and the acoustic sounds are as fake sounding as they can be, but many of the synth sounds still sound great out of the box. Many electric piano sounds are usable on their own and some organs sound amazing, far better than pricier synths today. The keyboard version has not so great quality keys and no true velocity sensitivity, you can just select either full velocity or much less velocity and nothing in between.
I liked so much this video, congrats !!!! 👏👏👏👍👍👍 When I worked at music shops in the mid 80-90's I always kept at home a minimal set up to make music in the same spirit you describe here ! So gratifying to make nice sounds with some devices about which people think they are only low range ! This even guided me to the crazy situation where I started high sales scores showcasing the AKAI S1000 series with sounds I created originally by creating and combining sounds from Kawai K5, Roland U-220/SC-55, Yamaha TX81Z plus an OSCar ! Always a pleasure to watch well done musical videos by the talented passionate that you are.
Everyones focusing on the sounds used but no ones mentioned the lyrics. "Cant nail that prick" and "ill I'll take off my watch and sell it" Genius love it.
I think it sounds awesome. There’s no such thing as bad sounds to me. Just different sounds or characters to use in your production and I can be creative with anything, even a bad actor with an ugly face. I’d love one of those KAWAI modules. The standard back then though is a valid reason for them not being considered useable for creating a pop radio hit in the 80s. Interesting.
Somehow I knew that you were going to be able to pull off doing a nice track with it LOL. I had the Kawaii Ph50 given to me as a Christmas gift back in the 90’s. I honestly never expected to use that keyboard live but I did end up using it because it had a bunch of good sounds.
Great singing and playing...you make your song sound like a lost 80s gem discovered after all these years that's been buried in a vaulted dustbin. I've owned three KAWAI PH50s down the years and used one on numerous gigs alongside my Roland, Yamaha & Korg pro models. Adding it to my setup's given me a semi-gritty unique set of sonic profiles that I've never heard from any other keyboard. Some ten years back I added a PHm to fatten and otherwise augment the PH50's patches even further-some incredible sounds from being doubled with the KAWAI PH50 when MIDI'd up. Touted as the 1/2 rack version of the PH50, a majority of the PHm's sounds were in fact mirrored in both. But I was also surprised to discover there are some eighteen KAWAI patches that are only uniquely on one or the other, so apparently they don't share the exact same chip set.
the best thing about those old early 90's modules is that they came with big user's manuals. (i have a k4r, boss ds-330 and original sr-16 all with really nice manuals) i still use them even though i have amazing new gear too. my k4r has its own sound.
@5:18 Don't recall if I commented on that bit originally, (and I'm too lazy to check), but the PHm doesn't use "left over" K1 sounds, the sounds are a selection of K1 sounds - The K1/K1 II can create every patch on the PHm perfectly.
A good producer uses what he has and you've just shown you don't need expensive equipment to make good music. Espen you're one amazing talented 80's guy. Thank you sir
I had this module. Always felt it was underrated. In the ever changing world of music gear. Great video as usual Espen. Norways anwser to to Neil Tennant. And the PSBs.
Was expecting this to be terrible amateur crap, but genuinely amazed at how great this is! If this was on the radio now, everyone would assume it was a lesser known Pet Shop Boys song from the 1980s. 10/10!
I don't know, the song sounds fantastic (it's also a beautiful song) and I like the sounds on their own. They remind me game soundtracks from PS1, so maybe that's it.
That track slapped so hard. I've always been a fan of using "toy" and/or "cheapo" synths to create something cool and wow, you nailed it. People are quick to judge and underestimate ;)
Kawai fan boy here. When starting out I had 2 Phm’s with a K4 and a midi patch bay and a Roland keyboard mixer. I was in lo fi heaven layering patches trying to sound like Yes, King Crimson and Genesis. I was poor, yet resourceful. Kawai made wonderful affordable gear. I still have a PH 50 I use sometimes, sounds ok in a mix. My understanding was the Ph50 and Phm were the 8 bit patches from the K1. The K4 was 16 bit. I still have the K4 in storage, unfortunately it needs a battery. I had a lot of pleasure and creativity with Kawai budget gear. I graduated to Korg / Roland / VST gear, but have a soft spot for Kawai products. It is unfortunate they quit with the K5000, at least they went out swinging.
make one with a Casio with on board speakers LOL This song you put together for this video is very good, well done takes me back in time Thank you Kraft
This was great, I used to have an old roland mt-32 wich is similar to this unit and ppl said it was a toy but I loved it and I made lots of songs with it..ok I never used it in the real studio but I made the basics on my songs on that thing..unfortunally it got stolen and I miss it
All this tell me is that it’s not the equips but the operator. Kudos mr Kraft, you’ve done it again. A little EQ and post-processing and nobody would know it wasn’t a big-name box.
And to this end, the timeless and oft-remixed album ‘Surreal Sheep’ by Aural Expansion was created entirely on a Korg M1 (all sounds and processing). So much for needing a room full of gear.
Great Job Espen! When i was young i had the chance to play around with a lot of 80is gear. Sometimes i come across the same device today. One lesson i learned: Creativitiy, Productrion Skills and artists talent made the hits of the 80is. It´s not the Sound that made devices like the Jupiter 8, Tr808 or PPG Wave, Prophet 5 important for the 80s. It´s the fact that technology became affordable and widely available to more artists.
This Synth brings sounds, that many people try to rebuild on overprized VSTs. Kawai synths are very afordable on the market. Love the gritty sound from kawai.
There is nothing "cheap" about the sounds in the Kawai PHm... Run through some decent effects + a bit of EQ and the PHm easily was able to hold it's own against more "pro" level synths... One thing I wish Kawai had done was make the damn thing programmable...
Brilliant demo! Cool song! Made the point loud and clear. Within the context of the kind of original song you are able to create, Espen (with your '80s sensibilities), I think you prove time and again that these "cheaper" synths actually sound even better than many other synths would, because of their vintage authenticity. Your composition really brings out their character. Bravo again from San Diego.
Here's a clue I found on Wikipedia about the voices in the PHm: "The K4 uses subtractive synthesis based on sampled waveforms, the K1 and K5 are additive synthesizers. The K1 is one of the first popular synthesizers that has no filter whatsoever; all sounds are made by stacking wave samples and applying frequency modulation." then later in the same article: "Later developments resulted in Kawai Spectra KC10 (1990)[12] based on the K4 engine, along with a group of original multitimbral instruments, including Kawai PH-50 Pop Keyboard and its half-rack version PHm"
I've had one of these for years, I just hated how terribly basic the multitimbral mode is.. basically presets of a couple tones on different channels and then panned hard left or right.. I think you should've mentioned the sheer amount of reverb you put on. this has no inbuilt effects. Btw, its the K1ii in terms that its got the extra waveforms that the original K1 didnt. It has the amazing Arrangement patch used in LFO Leeds Warehouse Mix also. You didnt include the patch in the vid so I thought I might as well mention for all the acid house fans out there like me :>
@@EspenKraft You asked which K1 it was based on in the video so I replied. also I mean this thing sounds great dry and was usually used dry for Amiga samples especially. Hear Allister Brimble's Themsophoria for a mix of K1, D110 and U110 tones.
It's amazing what you can get out of seemingly bad sounds. The composition of sounds (how they fit together), mixing and the song itself are so much more important.
My manual for my PH50 as well as the box (now gone) said the PH50 sounds are a subset of sounds from the K5. I love my PH50, so I've always considered picking up a K5. Incidentally, I purchased my unit new in 1990 at Sam Ash in Carle Place, NY, USA. It cost just $99, and it was an easy and affordable way to get a cheap MIDI controller with a bender and mod (joystick). I'd hope that the rack version sold for less! I wrote a lot of pieces on that thing! None of my other synths sound like it. It's got a great set of haunting, 1980's-style movie-soundtrack sounds onboard, though the stereo panning has something to be desired 😂 - it hard-pans below and above middle C - but 2 speakers are a plus! Cheers, Espen! Happy music-making!
Wow, all that from the one little box. So as long as your synth/keyboard has some variety and a good selection of sounds then its all up to your creativity and production skills to make a complete song that sounds good.
In some situations, you need both, talent and the best gears. To win a Formula 1 grand prix, you'll need the best car... and the talent of course. You will never win a F1 GP race with a Traban against a top notch Formula 1 car.
Demonstrated sounds:
7:07 137 - Backin'Sy2
7:29 135 - String Ens
7:42 133 - Analog Str
8:05 132 - DeepString
8:33 131 - Revelation
8:52 130 - StringWash
9:04 129 - NealLarsen
9:24 120 - FunkGuitar
9:32 117 - OB-Brass
9:49 116 - Brasstrix
10:03 111 - Kick Bass2
10:15 108 - Bass Gtr. 2
10:31 107 - Blue Note
10:47 106 - E GrPiano2
11:05 101 - Al's Rhodes
11:22 100 - Bottle Bell
11:28 088 - Jan's Theme
11:44 069 - OrientBell
11:53 040 - Jump! PHm
12:02 004 - Real Rhodes
12:27 142 - Flex Solo
12:39 176 - Mowaaaa-
Thanks my friend! :)
@Anders Enger Jensen: Are you the follower mentioned who is so lucky to own this? You seem to know the banks pretty well.
Would be great to see another collaboration of my favourite musicians on youtube too.
About the synth: It doesn't sound as "cheap" to me as 80s enthusiasts might think.
Juergen Bernhard Naw, I just grabbed the manual online and jotted down the presets while Espen was playing the sounds (from what I could see in the display). I have enough modules and synths now actually. Running out of space... but moving to a new place soon, so stay tuned for a studio buildup video. ;)
@@AndersEngerJensen definitelywill, and will be waiting for a new retrogroove compilation. Hopefully I'll get that one on tape this time.
wow that's too many
In my opinion, this video shows that gear can be important in some situations, but a musician's skill and creativity is much more important and is what really makes the difference.
Cheers! :)
Absolutely
I'm agree, the instrument is "not importan", the musisian and creativity is the key
@@sandroslb
Espen is the Yoda of retro synth pop. He could make a Casio CZ1 sound better than us using a Jupiter 8.
Absolutely, more people need to come to terms with that, some people out there buying obnoxiously expensive gear and still create weak compositions
The famous 80s horror movie director / music score composer John Carpenter loved this. He made like 90% of the music score for his iconic horror movies with this (KAWAI K1 / PH50)
The KAWAI PH50 (PH-M with keys / Keyboard version of PH-M) was the first thing I bought in 1993 new from my own money and never did regret it.
Best DM 199.99 ($200?) ever spent!
It still serves me as a master keyboard after over 30 years in my studio due to its 3/4 size keys.
It's a godsend for musicians with smaller hands, elder beginners or for the (elder) musicians with arthritis.
Nicely done! This could easily pass itself off as a "long lost B-side" of ~1983 Pet Shop Boys.
Reminded me more of the related supergroup Electronic. There again, I only really know the first two PSB albums well.
Cheers!
I actually (pun intended) had Electronic in mind when I mixed it. ;-)
Vocal delivery definitely has more than a hint of Neil.
Definitely hear a little "Getting Away With It." No complaints here for that.
Setting myself challenges like this (ie. Write a song using only one tool) has been one of the most rewarding things ive done musically.
It's fascinating how close your voice is to Neil Tennant's voice. I can only agree, it sounds like the Pets Shop Boys. And I really like it!!!
Cheers! :)
He dose sound like him and so does his music.
Nils' Kawai K1v plugin has a bank with all presets from the PHm btw! Some very cool sounds in there. Cheers!
I forgot you were making a point!! I stated enjoying the song instead! Fantastic Work!!
Awesome, thanks! :)
Agreed, and the sounds I think were totally usable. Rich style analogue pads and strings plus FM basses, you couldn't really go wrong here.
By the way the sounds coming out of the pop synth mod are very very useful indeed.
This is worth coming back to every so often and rewatching. A perfect antidote to all the geartube videos we're all guilty of watching and letting lead us a bit astray.
9:04 - classic house organ
9:24 - Seinfeld
9:33 - I love this soooooo much!!! Epic, anthemic, timeless
9:50 - Sounds like something Marc Almond have used
Kawai has always made good sounding mods.
A poor carpenter blames his tools.
Very wise phrase
Just shows people are obsessed with all the latest and greatest equipment and samples presets.
Espen uses a cheap machine and blows us all away.
If I heard this on the radio there is no way I would have know this was a cheap sound module.
If Espen can do this with cheap equipment what can you do with your expensive ones?
the chips are a K1 light derivative indeed, but a cost cutting version of the chips in the box, I use a PHM myself in my synthwave music, and I got mine in the mid 90's because it was all I could afford, but you did it justice, great job Espen Kraft, but your theories on the chips are confirmed. Stay safe and well through these times, and much love.
Thanks for the comment! Stay safe too, cheers ;D
This sounds exactly like Slayer.
No, wait, I meant the Pet Shop Boys
I must work harder to sound like Slayer I think. ;-)
I was looking some coment about PSB. Yes, Neil Tennant would love this song :)
Bill McLintock can make that happen...
PSB apparently had only this module to make music with. I suspected as much back in the day but everybody said I was crazy and that they were really good musicians with really good and expensive gear. Not.
It actually sounds really nice in a lofi 80's kind of way.
Cheers!
Great! Today people buy, buy, buy expensive vintage synths... but don't play, don't study. Great video, man!
Cheers!
its a HIT...a bonafide 80's authentic hit record. congratulations .lyrics and all
Many thanks! :D
Well I love it!!!! Plus I'll never look at my Kawaii PHm the same ever again....
Did you succeed 😮?:WHAT? you put together an 80s sounding POP DANCE MASTERPIECE 🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶. Thats a killer piece of professional audio gear. Not a toy. Its not what you have , but how you use it. Wow nice work Mr Kraft . 🇬🇧
Cheers!
everyone on r/synthesizers: "wow that's amazing, if only i had this module then I could make good music too!"
ain't that the truth. The 99.9999% just fantasise about gear instead of actually making or performing music. As a guitar player the best thing I ever did was ditch electric altogether, play exclusively acoustic and accept that computer music & sound engineering also bores me to death and is a waste of time musically. Now I just attempt to write tunes that sound good when played acoustic, and played into the in built mic of a phone. If I come up with something good, a pro engineer can deal with the recording & mixing !
@@dfpguitar Collecting gear is easily and kind of addictive. I too might have bought some synths which I can't really program. I bought a Behringer K-2 because I really love what people do with an MS-20 but I can't program the thing... It took me a year of it collecting dust before I actually used it in a recording. I mean, I like having more than one synth for different tonal capabilities but you shouldn't overdo it. Sound demos on UA-cam can sound so incredibly mesmerizing but that's not at all how the synth is actually going to sound in a record... I can program the wildest sounds in my Moog but if you actually want to make music with it, those sounds are totally unusable.
But I have learned to just stick to the gear I have now. A good mono synth for bass and leads, an old analog poly for the stringy stuff, 80's digital synth for that grit and then you have all the generic types of synth to make lots and lots of music.
r/synthesizers is such a ball ache. They also have a real prejudice against certain brands or people who can afford nice instruments, despite brand-bashing and price prejudice being the number 1 rule. I post a song made with Behringer equipment and they go into a behringer hate circle jerk and my song gets downvoted to negative number -- post that I recently gotten a Prophet 5 and the sarcasm laden "that's nice, but I'll stick with my Pro-53 :) " come in thick and fast.
It's not a friendly atmosphere, at all.
The Pet Shop Boys called - they want their sound module back! Nice job, well done. I don't think this sound module sounds crappy at all - it's got some nice sounds, definitely pop oriented. Using an 80's general MIDI sound module like the Roland MT-32 may not yield as good a result, but in the hands of a creative musician, who knows!
Cheers man! :)
At this point, I think it's possible for you to make a catchy retro synthpop song with some twine, duct tape, and an old coffee can. Brilliant track, per usual!
Believe it or not, I actually recorded myself ripping off duct tape and used it as a drum break. ;-) Thanks!
I would add one more thing: it is amazing how these samples are pleasant and lo-fi at the same time. Lots of people would not use them since there are more realistic samples on modern machine on the whole keyboard range, but this Kawai ones are spectacular for '80s songs!
Nice job, if anyone could make this little box shine, it's Espen!
It's almost as if Kawaii engineers distilled the sound of 1989 into a little box (time capsule?).
I have a question Espen, are you the third Pet shop boy? Cheers!
Thanks Andy! :D
Espen, most people talk out their other hole most times. I don't think most people like or are willing to accept a challenge. Anything they are unable to figure out right away they give up and blame the thing, whether it be a synth or something else. I think this sounds amazing.
It's cheap, smal, and it sounded *STUNNING!*
WONDERFUL track! It's not the gear, it's the talent!
Many thanks! :)
High end gear is nice but you can do a lot with just an ESQ1 synth and a tape machine.
I used to make music with a borrowed ESQ-1, Amiga with Octamed, TR-626, a Midiverb 3 and a couple of cheap pedals. And I loved it! There were limitations but I think that can actually help sometimes - when you're basically pretty much unlimited, as we are with today's DAWs and tools, it can leave you unable to actually say "this track is done" because you can't make your mind up. It's happened to me.
Facts
The electric piano is nicely sampled.
Neil Tennant is very proud of you. Thanks for this!!
He doesn't know who I am, but thanks! ;)
wow.. that Kawai has some fantastic sounds in it! i love the Bass and the Pads
in my little experience with "cheap" modules, is that you often get very cool dry sounds that you can do alot from.
if you have a very rich sample/sound , it might be hard to manipulate , because there already so much done to it.
if you only going to play piano, then you might use a hi quality piano synth/sampler, but if you want to twist and bend the sounds alot, you might better of use very dry and static sounds, so you after can add effects on if you want, like phasers , chorus, or even the same sound 8 times but all are ever so slightly out of tune.
Actually that's true with a lot of digital "showcase" sounds I think were stuck in to sell units, but which can't fit well into a mix except maybe in the intro. The D50's "soundtrack" comes to mind and you can spot it a mile off.
For some reason, your recent videos have been flying under my radar. I came to check in on you and see that i have some catching up to do! Yay for me!!
you can't make cheap sound expensive, but you can make cheap sound good.
Wanna bet...
For years the PHm was half my rig, (along with a Roland D-5)... Two "low end" synths that a lot of people thought were a joke - until they heard me play. Take both synths layered, route them through an EQ, (to kick the low end up some, and clean up the highs), then out to an efx chain of Chorus, Delay, Distortion, Reverb, topped off with just a hint of compression, and my two "cheap" synths sounded just as good as any "pro" level board of the late 80's - early 90's. The only thing really lacking was deep programming possibilities, I was more or less stuck with what the PHm had for sound, and what the D-5 could do...
That's indeed pure K1 aesthetics. I've among others two K1 ll and can so far not detect any difference.
You pulled some nice sounds out of that unit.
You used it well.
Thinking back to those times; a lush long reverb like that would have cost a fair few times more than that Kawai unit itself. 😉
Thanks! Yes, quality studio reverb in the mid to late 80s cost a lot! ;-)
If on Pc I suggest You to try Vallhalla free reverb. Everybody says it is super.
"i'll take my watch off and sell it for you" LMAO awesome. Big success Mr. Kraft! :D
You my friend are a REAL bad ass!! That was dope AF ... no matter what it was made on ✌️.
Cheers! :)
I still own Kawai PH50 keyboard. That was the first keyboard I bought with my own money. It is totally underrated small keyboard. Sure, the sounds can be a bit LoFi and the acoustic sounds are as fake sounding as they can be, but many of the synth sounds still sound great out of the box. Many electric piano sounds are usable on their own and some organs sound amazing, far better than pricier synths today. The keyboard version has not so great quality keys and no true velocity sensitivity, you can just select either full velocity or much less velocity and nothing in between.
This is great. You've got a lot of talent. It reminds me of pet shop boys.
Many thanks! :)
mix between PSB and A-ha
I liked so much this video, congrats !!!! 👏👏👏👍👍👍
When I worked at music shops in the mid 80-90's I always kept at home a minimal set up to make music in the same spirit you describe here !
So gratifying to make nice sounds with some devices about which people think they are only low range !
This even guided me to the crazy situation where I started high sales scores showcasing the AKAI S1000 series with sounds I created originally by creating and combining sounds from Kawai K5, Roland U-220/SC-55, Yamaha TX81Z plus an OSCar !
Always a pleasure to watch well done musical videos by the talented passionate that you are.
Thanks!
Everyones focusing on the sounds used but no ones mentioned the lyrics.
"Cant nail that prick" and "ill I'll take off my watch and sell it"
Genius love it.
Happy you picked up on it! I actually spend a lot of time on the stories in my music. Cheers! :)
I've always been a great fan of Kawai synths . The K5000 is what I'm after one day
This song definitely scratches my 80's itch...well done!
Many thanks! :)
I think it sounds awesome. There’s no such thing as bad sounds to me. Just different sounds or characters to use in your production and I can be creative with anything, even a bad actor with an ugly face. I’d love one of those KAWAI modules. The standard back then though is a valid reason for them not being considered useable for creating a pop radio hit in the 80s. Interesting.
Somehow I knew that you were going to be able to pull off doing a nice track with it LOL. I had the Kawaii Ph50 given to me as a Christmas gift back in the 90’s. I honestly never expected to use that keyboard live but I did end up using it because it had a bunch of good sounds.
Thanks! :)
Great singing and playing...you make your song sound like a lost 80s gem discovered after all these years that's been buried in a vaulted dustbin.
I've owned three KAWAI PH50s down the years and used one on numerous gigs alongside my Roland, Yamaha & Korg pro models.
Adding it to my setup's given me a semi-gritty unique set of sonic profiles that I've never heard from any other keyboard.
Some ten years back I added a PHm to fatten and otherwise augment the PH50's patches even further-some incredible sounds from being doubled with the KAWAI PH50 when MIDI'd up.
Touted as the 1/2 rack version of the PH50, a majority of the PHm's sounds were in fact mirrored in both.
But I was also surprised to discover there are some eighteen KAWAI patches that are only uniquely on one or the other, so apparently they don't share the exact same chip set.
Thanks man!
I've actually got one of these modules as well as the K1. You've given me fresh ideas Espen, thanks bud. 😎
Happy to hear that! :)
I think, there's only one contemporary alternative & cheap inspirating synth: the Korg Wavestate.
Wow, it is not the gear, that makes a good song. It is the brilliant composer and producer!
Great job mate!
Thanks! :)
Holy Sh*t Serpentza from Shenzhen watches this music channel. Scarily small world....
This is an ear worm. I've had it looping on Spotify for these past few days. Well done!
Sweet! :D
Amazing tune as usual Espen... you are legendary for beyond cool music smoothness.
Cheers! :D
Could easily pass for a PSB demo. The sounds are kinda like Miami Vice, thought.
Miami Vice was a great show.
@@EspenKraft I assume you have Escape From Television?
Don't have the album physically. ;-)
One of the best '80s songs I've heard in a very long time, So cool!
Awesome, thanks! :)
since the 80s or so^^
It has a nice New Order vibe. Awesome track.
You are right. It´s about skills and creativity. Look at Marsheaux´s E-Bay Queen first record.
Cheers! :)
the best thing about those old early 90's modules is that they came with big user's manuals. (i have a k4r, boss ds-330 and original sr-16 all with really nice manuals)
i still use them even though i have amazing new gear too. my k4r has its own sound.
haha, well the Kawai ph's came with a single folded two-sided sheet of paper!
I love it...sounds fantastic and as usual I love your singing voice. You have an extreme gift, keep going forward with it!
Many thanks for saying this! Cheers :D
your demo track of this was a BANGER!! you should get it's cousin the xs-1, it's amazingly 80s
Thanks! If someone send me one I will make something with it. ;-)
@5:18 Don't recall if I commented on that bit originally, (and I'm too lazy to check), but the PHm doesn't use "left over" K1 sounds, the sounds are a selection of K1 sounds - The K1/K1 II can create every patch on the PHm perfectly.
There's no substitute for being able to play. Sounds terrific
Thanks!
A good producer uses what he has and you've just shown you don't need expensive equipment to make good music.
Espen you're one amazing talented 80's guy.
Thank you sir
I had this module. Always felt it was underrated. In the ever changing world of music gear. Great video as usual Espen. Norways anwser to to Neil Tennant. And the PSBs.
Thanks! :D
Great 👍
I still own my K11 and it still does it's job. I used it in several bands and never had complaints from my band mates.
With a musical genius of course you can make something awesome!
Cheers!
Was expecting this to be terrible amateur crap, but genuinely amazed at how great this is! If this was on the radio now, everyone would assume it was a lesser known Pet Shop Boys song from the 1980s. 10/10!
Cheers man, I appreciate it. :) I have a similar video where I use the Casio SK-1 instead. (another song though)
I don't know, the song sounds fantastic (it's also a beautiful song) and I like the sounds on their own. They remind me game soundtracks from PS1, so maybe that's it.
Awesome, thanks! :)
That "Blue Note" sound is awesome. I wish I could find something like it for my "fancy" (by comparison) MC-707.
Always wanted this module. Still have my Kawai ph50 (the mini keyboard version). They're 4 channel MIDI multitimbral!
If you have the PH then you have the PHm... ?
@@looneyburgmusic a ph50 *is* a phm with minikeys and a joystick 🕹️.
@@lemelstudio Yes. Hence why I asked why you wanted the module when you already have it..
@@looneyburgmusic oh! so I could get rid of the keyboard and save some space, of course!
@@lemelstudio ahhh... that's me as well, but I never actually get around to selling the keys version's once I get the rackmounts 😀
That track slapped so hard. I've always been a fan of using "toy" and/or "cheapo" synths to create something cool and wow, you nailed it.
People are quick to judge and underestimate ;)
Cheers!
That's cool, sounds a little bit like Pet Shop Boys. This is a 80s pop song indeed.
Thanks!
Kawai fan boy here. When starting out I had 2 Phm’s with a K4 and a midi patch bay and a Roland keyboard mixer. I was in lo fi heaven layering patches trying to sound like Yes, King Crimson and Genesis. I was poor, yet resourceful. Kawai made wonderful affordable gear. I still have a PH 50 I use sometimes, sounds ok in a mix. My understanding was the Ph50 and Phm were the 8 bit patches from the K1. The K4 was 16 bit. I still have the K4 in storage, unfortunately it needs a battery. I had a lot of pleasure and creativity with Kawai budget gear. I graduated to Korg / Roland / VST gear, but have a soft spot for Kawai products. It is unfortunate they quit with the K5000, at least they went out swinging.
make one with a Casio with on board speakers LOL This song you put together for this video is very good, well done takes me back in time Thank you Kraft
Sweet man, thanks! :D
Sounds great to me, ive always said , its not what you have, but how you use it.
This was great, I used to have an old roland mt-32 wich is similar to this unit and ppl said it was a toy but I loved it and I made lots of songs with it..ok I never used it in the real studio but I made the basics on my songs on that thing..unfortunally it got stolen and I miss it
Thanks! Sorry about your stolen MT-32.
All this tell me is that it’s not the equips but the operator. Kudos mr Kraft, you’ve done it again.
A little EQ and post-processing and nobody would know it wasn’t a big-name box.
And to this end, the timeless and oft-remixed album ‘Surreal Sheep’ by Aural Expansion was created entirely on a Korg M1 (all sounds and processing).
So much for needing a room full of gear.
Happy you think so, thanks! :)
This is why UA-cam exist. Thanks for this!
Cheers! :)
Great Job Espen!
When i was young i had the chance to play around with a lot of 80is gear.
Sometimes i come across the same device today.
One lesson i learned:
Creativitiy, Productrion Skills and artists talent made the hits of the 80is.
It´s not the Sound that made devices like the Jupiter 8, Tr808 or PPG Wave, Prophet 5 important for the 80s.
It´s the fact that technology became affordable and widely available to more artists.
Very true. If it's one thing about the 80s, it's that tech became available to all, especially as the decade came to and end.
Lyrics point to it being a ballad sung by a broken-hearted assassin. "I'll take that guy out of the equation."
I exaggerated a bit for dramatic purposes, even if the thought behind the words are based on a true story. ;-)
Lovely song! Indeed, has the spirit of an old lost hit! In my opinion, the sound of the module it's lovely!
Many thanks!
You're so talented. It's such a shame that you can't make a living from it nowadays, because no one listens to synthpop anymore!
I plan to do just that. ;-)
Nobody listens to Synthpop anymore....says WHO?
This Synth brings sounds, that many people try to rebuild on overprized VSTs. Kawai synths are very afordable on the market. Love the gritty sound from kawai.
There is nothing "cheap" about the sounds in the Kawai PHm... Run through some decent effects + a bit of EQ and the PHm easily was able to hold it's own against more "pro" level synths...
One thing I wish Kawai had done was make the damn thing programmable...
Brilliant demo! Cool song! Made the point loud and clear. Within the context of the kind of original song you are able to create, Espen (with your '80s sensibilities), I think you prove time and again that these "cheaper" synths actually sound even better than many other synths would, because of their vintage authenticity. Your composition really brings out their character. Bravo again from San Diego.
Many thanks again my friend! I was surprised myself. Never actually used this back then.
Average purchase price for this module last week: $65-$100
This weeks purchase price: Multiply above figure 3x
Lovely! It's always about the people who use the gear,not the gear itself.. I will never get tired of those 80's sounds;)
Cheers! :)
This module is like guys in our age, old fashioned but if you know where is correct connection and plug you can be suprised ;)
Excellent analogy! ;-)
Here's a clue I found on Wikipedia about the voices in the PHm:
"The K4 uses subtractive synthesis based on sampled waveforms, the K1 and K5 are additive synthesizers. The K1 is one of the first popular synthesizers that has no filter whatsoever; all sounds are made by stacking wave samples and applying frequency modulation."
then later in the same article:
"Later developments resulted in Kawai Spectra KC10 (1990)[12] based on the K4 engine, along with a group of original multitimbral instruments, including Kawai PH-50 Pop Keyboard and its half-rack version PHm"
Forgot to post the link to the article - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kawai_Musical_Instruments#Synthesizers
You sound like Neil Tennant from Pet Shop Boys and the backing music sounds like 'Send Me An Angel' by Real Life.
The chord change and emphasis strings. Yes
I've had one of these for years, I just hated how terribly basic the multitimbral mode is.. basically presets of a couple tones on different channels and then panned hard left or right..
I think you should've mentioned the sheer amount of reverb you put on. this has no inbuilt effects.
Btw, its the K1ii in terms that its got the extra waveforms that the original K1 didnt.
It has the amazing Arrangement patch used in LFO Leeds Warehouse Mix also. You didnt include the patch in the vid so I thought I might as well mention for all the acid house fans out there like me :>
The K1 loves being treated to lots of reverb.
It's all in the video description. ;-) Reverb is part of the essence of 80s pop.
@@EspenKraft Sure is I love it! Bring back reverb I say!
@@EspenKraft You asked which K1 it was based on in the video so I replied.
also I mean this thing sounds great dry and was usually used dry for Amiga samples especially. Hear Allister Brimble's Themsophoria for a mix of K1, D110 and U110 tones.
@@ObscureModules Sure, thanks! 80s synths must have lots of reverb on them to be 80s. ;-)
I have a K1 and the PHm sounded just as good in my opinion. Loved it. Well done!
Many thanks! :)
It's amazing what you can get out of seemingly bad sounds. The composition of sounds (how they fit together), mixing and the song itself are so much more important.
The sum is often greater than the parts yeah. ;-)
That song really makes me think of the Pet Shop Boys.
My manual for my PH50 as well as the box (now gone) said the PH50 sounds are a subset of sounds from the K5. I love my PH50, so I've always considered picking up a K5.
Incidentally, I purchased my unit new in 1990 at Sam Ash in Carle Place, NY, USA. It cost just $99, and it was an easy and affordable way to get a cheap MIDI controller with a bender and mod (joystick). I'd hope that the rack version sold for less!
I wrote a lot of pieces on that thing! None of my other synths sound like it. It's got a great set of haunting, 1980's-style movie-soundtrack sounds onboard, though the stereo panning has something to be desired 😂 - it hard-pans below and above middle C - but 2 speakers are a plus!
Cheers, Espen! Happy music-making!
Cheers man! :)
Amazing track
Cheers!
I saw the title of this video, and i'm like, "yes. yes you can Espen". And, you did NOT disappoint!!!!!!!!
Thanks Robert!
You succeeded.
Thanks! :)
Wow, all that from the one little box. So as long as your synth/keyboard has some variety and a good selection of sounds then its all up to your creativity and production skills to make a complete song that sounds good.
The sum is often greater than the parts. ;-)
In some situations, you need both, talent and the best gears. To win a Formula 1 grand prix, you'll need the best car... and the talent of course. You will never win a F1 GP race with a Traban against a top notch Formula 1 car.
Not sure the analogy holds up 100% to this, but some truth in that none the less. ;-)