Get the exclusive NordVPN deal here: nordvpn.com/rickytinez. It’s risk free with Nord’s 30 day money-back guarantee! Also what’s your current synth, drum machine, sampler setup? SDS? Did we just create that?!
I don't use any hardware synths. I prefer VSTs like Arturia V Collection and Korg Collection. Those are great for making music. But I'm sequencer maniac and have Arturia BeatStep Pro (2 units), Presonus Atom SQ, Arturia SpakLE, Nektar Aruba and M-Audio Trigger Finger Pro. Those are great devices and I have a lot of fun when making beats. Thank you for sharing your setup.
For me he is in a way the Bob Ross of electronic music making. He makes it look easy, records all his steps, has likeable charisma and explains everything in very relaxed atmosphere. But his results are much better than what I could achieve especially in such a short span.
The thing about Bob I don't think many understand, he wanted you to paint, he wanted you to try, it isn't about doing something perfect or just like him, it's about doing art. Like him, I believe everyone is an artist and I push it on everyone like a mormon pushing jesus.
Personally, I don't view using samples as "cheating" in any way. I think selecting and manipulating samples is just as creative as any other form of musical expression. As I've gotten older (69 this month) my dexterity with traditional musical instruments has declined but fortunately with the aid of modern technology, I can still make a beat. They're all just tools, it's what you do with them that makes the music.
Agree 100% Using sounds in every possible way, is totally legitimate, in my world too. This is real world art, not a grade school math test. Do your thing, enjoy the process, the results speak for themselves.
100% agreed....same with using loops. Presets what ever....its not like anybody would say you should build your own drums and software and come up with music theory on your own...just use Whatever works and keep rocking.
I’m right there with you Bo-Bo. Severe arthritis makes it harder to play guitar for me. Always had a fascination with synths and now diving deep into it at 65. Samples, analog, modular, wavetable, love it all and it’s all viable art. It’s what you do with it.
@@SlavicSon Yeah I was a guitarist back in the day but arthritis got me as well. Still have a 70's SG I bought new. My hands don't work that well anymore but I got interested in synths a few years back so I can still make some music.
After rewatching this video over and over for the last two months I finally made the leap and grabbed a Model: Cycles & Circuit Rhythm as my first synth + sampler set up. Really looking forward to jumping in and wrapping my head around the workflow. The immediacy of it all in this video really drew me to this combination, although I’ll probably go with a different key-based synth. Thanks for inspiring and doing what you do!
Since you know what you are doing with your external gear, your skill is demonstrated above the sampling. It's not cheating when your talent is magnified
I love the Compact Creations vids! Really makes you appreciate the gear you already have. Lately I've been obsessed with hooking up as much stuff as possible. However today I decided to keep it simple and used Microfreak, Circuit Tracks and Tr6s. It was more than enough for a session.
I started collecting gear but Stoped at the MiniNova and Peak because though they sound great it's just way easier to make the exact sound I want from a DAW and Soft sythersizor VST's . I got the Physical sythersizors for fun and they dont really ever get used in My music.
Hey so I've only just started making music with synths and grooveboxes and samplers. I'd just like to say cheers for saying the quiet bit loud whenever you make these videos, apart from yer overall lovely tone (and awesome wee tunes), your realism about the process has been very helpful. It's like having someone say "nah dude you're on the right track, worry not". I've just started trying to recreate ma wee volca jams into more masterable music and things like this boost my confidence a heap.
I totally get you on the "is this cheating" dilemma, that question has held me back in many ways for many years. i feel like a lot of people (me included) start making music for fun and start getting good enough to want to take it seriously but we forget to have fun. if it's fun and sounds good then it's good. who cares where it comes from. Hiphop in its entirety is sample based, would madlib, DJ premiere or MF DOOM be cheating with this songs? psh, maybe but they kickass so i love them. Music is fun first, professional second.
Inre: feeling like you're cheating. It always feels "too easy" when you thoroughly understand how to get results from your method. It would probably take me hours to properly chop a sample and get it to where you did in 2 minutes. I think this feeling of "cheating" is really what gets people feeling defeated, like they need to be doing something more but don't know what, or why. My advice to most people is to do what you enjoy and are good at and keep refining your method. This is pretty much the definition of that "finding your sound" thing everyone is always talking about.
so very true - i started home recording in the mid 70s and i´m still learning and improving, moving forward like a snail, haha... i like what buffy saint-marie said about creative work: "keep your nose on the joy trail" - and that´s what i always did... :-) check: banyantree (dietrance) (2017 remastered version) it´s a track where you can hear my self developed "harp guitar" for which i worked about three years to develop a playing technique - it´s a 16 min one take recording...
I hear that! I appreciate your input Michael. That's how I felt after making tons of music on the 4000. "I wanted a challenge".. so after switching I spent maybe 2-3 months not knowing anything else and feeling defeated haha. But I like what you say about doing what you enjoy and refining it. I love chopping samples and probably always will lol
@@RickyTinez yes, i think it is important to talk about these things with beginners, also with young persons, to admit that no one is a master right from the start - i went a long way since i began and i know by now, that it´s a normal step in learning something completely new to feel almost like an idiot at some point (pure data it is in my case right now) - if we show this weak point to beginners and young ones it may help to encourage them and that´s a good thing... :-) one of my "teachers" was brian eno - i´m a fan since the mid 70s when i discovered "evening star" and "discreet music" and he often had little "stories" on the backside of the covers in which he explained, how he came to make things like he did - discreet music came from a mistake (for me, my mistakes are the best teachers, haha) - he was ill and suffered from a severe fever - friends brought him a record and he asked them to put the music on so he could listen - when they left, the music, which was in the neighbour room, was too loud - so he managed to crawl there and turned the volume down and then back to bed with his last energy - when he arrived there he was completely exhausted when he realized, tadaaa, he couldn´t hear almost anything - but no way to change it again... then he relaxed and took it as it was: sometimes little parts were audible, sometimes the music vanished for a while a.s.o. that was the moment, when he got the inspiration to make music especially for being listened to at the threshold of audibility... i still like him after all those years: although he had big success he still is a humble man with a good humour and i like that he says: i´m a non-musician.................. :-) "I love chopping samples and probably always will lol" yesss, i can understand this very well, i come from analog work with tape loops and sound snippets, manually managed - for me the dawning of the digital era brought heaven on earth - i think everyone has weak spots for something that will never change, haha.. :-)
I think it takes an incredible amount of skill and creativity to be able to choose and chop samples in a way that makes something new like you do. It's only easy(or feel like cheating) when you know how to do it so well. I think the choice of the sample is the really tricky bit and you always seem to have good foresight to choose samples that'll work and that takes experience.
well. that's me taking my time picking a sample haha. I've wasted a lot of time on samples I THOUGHT would do well that just didn't.. its always random things that make it NOT work as well. too many rhythmic elements. or 3/4 timing throws me off sometimes. but yea, the more time I put in the quicker I get. Thanks for the insight and kind words James
How can I like this video 100 times? Mad respect for covering both ends of the spectrum in terms of cost of gear. You are the man! Be safe. I terms of “cheating”, I look at it this way. No one asks the chef how they prepared the meal if it hits the palette right. No one should question the creator of the tune vibes right on the ear drums.
You say it feels like cheating, it seems so simple. I can't remember the exact quote, but it was you who said something along the lines of "your own music by definition sounds like something you could have done yourself. That doesn't mean it's simple." That was a huge inspiration for me, or even more, it made me accept more of what I do, musically.
You’re doing the opposite of cheating. Years of doing this and instinctively knowing what is going to work from making so many songs in the past has given you this ability. You’ve acquired an amazing taste in music that you’re able to hear ahead of time and then replicate with amazing muscle memory. You’re like a chess grandmaster who can see patterns and you don’t have to calculate to know if your position is “winning”. You’ve failed more times than most of us have even tried and this is the pay off for all those crash and burns in the past. It encourages me to keep ploughing away at this to hopefully learn this craft and eventually have skills like yours. Can’t wait for part two. Would love you to do a full series of these with other simple combos like Okta with takt or tone or both. It’s the one thing you’ve missed in this channel. From idea to full blown, dance floor ready, production. Love it!!
Hey man, one of the main reasons we watch you is because of how effortlessly awesome you're music is. We are all striving for that in our own creative process. I think that's the end task.
These magic beat box’s fascinate me. It’s also fascinating that recording everything separately is a nontraditional method for you. That’s the only way I ever recorded. Coming from a punk rock/indie rock background that’s the way it’s done. Record as a band then make your overdubs and add whatever extra flavor you like. It’s finished when the band agrees it’s done. Basically I got out of this video is push buttons until it sounds good. I’m surprised you didn’t clock it with midi because for most of the video it sounded like there was two different time signatures fighting with each other. I could see you felt it as well and in the end you wrangled it all together and it sounded nice. I’m babbling about nothing sorrysssss! I want a circuit now so I can push buttons. Your groves sound like Tortoise rad indie rock band. Check them out. Much love.
Lovely guidance, thanx! excited for part 2, particularly around arrangement trix of the daw; how arranging audio in the box works compared to arranging tracks/sequences on hardware. How to chop quickly and in flow in the daw, like we can with p-Locks and pattern chains on hardware. Much love
thank you for being one of the only music youtubers who isn’t a complete sellout (bobeats, loopop, andrew huang etc. who blatantly regurgitate the same bullshit with every new gear release) nice to see a genuine youtuber who makes content they want and not just ads
@@sheateeley1 > His reviews are never intended to sell the gear he’s reviewing, something he’s explicit about I'm a fan of loopop (and generally I think promoting gear is fine if you're upfront about it) but his reviews are obviously intended to sell the gear he's reviewing. Often they drop on the release day, coordinated with the companies that hire him and basically act as video manuals for the gear. That obviously falls into "marketing" to me. It's fine that it is marketing but let's not be fooled that we're watching an ad.
@@sheateeley1 agreed I wouldn't call him a sellout either. But he's still obviously part of a marketing strategy and being given a lot of gear in exchange for promotion. I choose to treat videos like these as advertising because they don't materialize out of pure love of music technology, there are connections and industry behind them. But I'm not condemning loopop or anyone else for it... Making a living is hard
The Skulpt and Rhythm is my setup, bought second hand of course, haha. So this was a perfect inspirational video. I was surprised to see that you didn't sync the skulpt with a midi cable to the rhythm, as its capable of clock syncing and using the keyboard mode to send notes. Which is allot better to use than the touch plates imo.
Love your videos. It's like meditation. If a sample just works it just works. No need to overthink it. Its done. The best ideas are the ones that come together quick.
I've always been a fan of your compact creations, they're really inspiring and informative, thanks so much for posting them. I had to sell most of my gear during lockdown but am looking to reinvest. Those new Circuits look really decent!
Awesome! I tried to go dawless for a few years. For me, i found that giving up on this idea and doing about 70 percent out of the box and 30 percent in the box is the sweet spot. I come up with a loose jam and perform it into the daw and then go from there... sometimes it changes little in the daw and sometimes it changes dramatically. I have recently been digging the mc 707 and tr6s because I can record out the individual parts. I still use Mpc and Maschine, but a little less recently. I also give my self a time limit for a song and try to switch a bit of gear between to keep it fresh.
I’ve often felt like I’m hack or lame for my limited music making, but at the end of the day how hard you work doesn’t matter *that* much. I think part of why stuff feels easy is because you’re good at it. I’ve tried flipping samples and I’m straight bad at it. You got good at something, rest on your laurels and make cool shit with no sweat haha
wow that was so eye opening. I've been re-designing my studio in the last week. I swapped the synth table and piano around meaning that my synths are now _next to the computer_ which means it's way easier to work on them. The idea to record every track separately is something I've thought of before but the idea of how boring that would be has always put me off. But the idea of live-playing every instruments to get little glitches out of it to later arrange is just so good.
totally agree regarding sample use. it does feel like it comes too easy sometimes but what you said makes sense, as long as you make sure chopping is done well and with purpose then its probably fine. i find that simple things like editing single chops using pitch transformation, filtering, rhythmic gating etc. can definitely add more depth to that stage of production, even just shifting a sample forward an 8th note relative to the beat for example. at the end of the day its a balance between conserving the processes you like versus selecting new ones, it all depends on the artist.
Great video Ricky. 13:32 I always found long pattern samples or a riff or even a drum loop sample doesn’t really work on the circuits. It seems to only like stabs or just one notes. The timing goes all out. But doing what you did works by sampling the one note and playing it back on the circuit.
You convinced me to get a Sampler with this video. I was deciding to either get a new module for my eurorack or the Polyend Tracker. I think the tracker will really expand my workflow. Thanks for the inspiration.
Thank you, Enrique, for sharing your top notch talent with us mere mortals. You have helped me learn and appreciate music, more than you could ever know. Much gratitude…
What is cool with that setup is if you add in an MPE midi controller to the modal sculpt you could get fretless synth effects and drones sampled in ecven though the circuit doesn't do MPE
I've been drawing comic books professionally for almost 15 years now, and once in a while I still have that feeling of "I did this way too fast for this to look this good. There's gotta be something wrong with it" -- I think sometimes we forget that we are masters (or at the very least veterans) of our craft, and we have that imposter syndrome kick in lol. great jam and vids as always amigo! thnx xoxoxo
sounds super cool. I love how sublime and melancholy that rainy day just lost the love of my life but life is still good and moving on kind of melody. 😂 has that Bruce Lee emotional content.
Thank you for doing this vid Ricky. I’m trying to get into digital music making and I think I have a similar thought process to you about sampling. To me if it’s too easy I’m cheating and if it’s too hard I cant find the motivation to get into it. Leaves me totally paralysed. 😢 Your vid has given me new hope 😊 to continue on my quest to produce an album of music before I move on the to next life. Thank you!
Hey Ricky, thanks for the vid. Love the CHEAP setup! Especially we underground musicians gotta learn how to get the max out of our stuff and stop buying tons of expensive equipment. Wish you all the best.
I’m going to be the noob to respond but isn’t half the fun the happy accidents that we have on the journey to make something. I’m just trying my hand in sampling but to me it’s no different than a key on the piano. All have access to the same note but what you do with it is something only you will decide and put your influences into!
the arpeggio you have to begin with on the skulpt sounds eerily similar to a song i released called "a myth and a hearse". it was a model d vst i'm pretty sure
lovely! could you perhaps show the process of how you actually record a setup like this into Ableton (which settings to use etc.) and how to arrange the different parts in Ableton, so they sync up etc.?
Really awesome stuff... Looking forward to the next part. Currently working on a combo with new and old gear, recording to the PC (MC-101, QY-70, MC-303 and EMX-1) Can totally relate to the "tedious" part of recording each track individually 😵😜
Lol the skulpt is an awesome synth, super fun to play with all the sounds! But the built in touch keyboard is totally unplayable. Slippery plastic, tiny keys, tiny range, weak inputs and no feedback. Some of the keys on mine are really touchy, one will even trigger if I tap the back of the machine?? I like the synth, but you need a midi keyboard to actually play it. I'm not surprised u ended up playing the one note sample instead lol!
Got my OG Circuit last week for 200$(So fun) and my skulpt SE is in the mail. 350$ total for Drum machine and 3 synths. Just need a nice multi effects and maybe a volca something.
Question: What would be the best approach for recording the separate parts of the Model Cycles? Obviously you can do it manually by recording each part then adjusting start/endpoints in a clip. But is there a better way that avoids the risk of altering the "micro-timing" of each part in order to keep it IDENTICAL to the playback direct from the Cycles? Latency issues always leaves the first bit of audio cut off when triggering playback/record with in Ableton. Perhaps a solution is to record a single pass in Arrangement view where you manually solo each part individually until everything is captured , align clip to grid manually, slice out the parts and layer them into separate tracks?
if you can get a model samples under 200$, pick it up, what you can do with it is insane for the price point, dont worry bout its storage you can take songs of all your samples then use loop start for the sample selection then use the sample locks for your details.
Hey Ricky, I have the Circuit Tracks, Roland S-1, Yamaha Reface CP and Roland JP8000 and I love how the Circuit Tracks works with these. Feeling like I’m a midi channel short at the moment, considering the next acquisition… should I mix the Tracks with the Rhythm? Or would something else be more beneficial, such as an Elektron box? Maybe expanding sonic capabilities
I have gotten tooons of mileage out of the circuit rhythm. But what I found is I tend to use it like it's an 8 voice tracker, mostly in terms of composition. Rather than chop beats, I find myself programming in note by note basslines and drum beats, switching samples mid phrase, and making heavy use of parameter locks. It's the same workflow I would use in a tracker, rather than an sp404 or koala, but it's super interesting to see people use it in a more traditional sampler way, with loops and chops.
@@danielmulholland5869 I haven't used the Peak fully yet. Sounds great however its easier to get sounds recorded from the MiniNova or just make similar sounds in Reason Daw.
@@HOLLASOUNDS yeah I don't own one but it looks like an awesome synth. Honestly I don't think I'll be making another synth purchase for quite a while but if I ever do buy another piece of gear, it'll probably be a novation summit
@@danielmulholland5869 I feel bad that I haven't used the Peak properly, not Novations fault they will help Me to set it up in Abalten but I'm just to busy. The Summit would be cool because you turn it on and play vs having to run the Peak through Abalten to get sound out of it because I dont have any midi cables.
As always excellent timing Ricky :D. A couple of weeks ago I downloaded the free trial of Ableton to finally arrange and mix some of the loops and projects I saved on my MPC. Really looking forward to see your approach on that topic as I always learn something new with your Videos. Off topic but since a couple of months your synth setup hasnt changed a lot. You still have/use the gear of your older videos like the deckards or MPC3000?
I don't use the Decker's or the 3000 anymore.. actually not using ANY Mac right now in my studio. I do use the Live ii once in awhile in the living room but rarely haha. Lately its just Ableton Live, Pro 3, some drum machine (Syntakt now) and the Nord Electro 6D
tight little set up and loop. I wasn't a fan of the skulpt, but I recently added the new Liven bass to my circuit tracks and rhythm combo, and it's been amazing. most importantly, I feel like I don't really need or want to add anything else to it, besides maybe some compression hardware; I feel like I have everything I need to make the kinds of music that I want with almost no limits. buying gear is great and all but... so is NOT buying gear. 😅
Yes I agree. When making something good to fas or it comes to easily it feels like cheating or I to doubt my work.This I experienced mostly as a visual artist, but in eurorack to. The thing though, is that some of my best artworks where made rather effortlessly.
Depends if you like sample or synth workflow and what other hardware you have. I have the Rhythm as a standalone (for now) as I'm realistic about my keyboard skills 😂 so samples work better and quicker for me, any extra tones I need I can sample from my DAW. I'd say the Tracks works better if you have other synths etc (with the 2 dedicated midi tracks) and would like to use the 2 synth tracks on it. FWIW I love the Rhythm, it literally makes you spew music 🤮🎶🔥
question in return ... If you were a monster on the keys and could just come up with a sick progression off the cuff every time in 30 seconds ... would that not be "to easy"? My take is doing anything well is hard. No such thing as easy, there is always a difference between doing something well or badly.
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Also what’s your current synth, drum machine, sampler setup? SDS? Did we just create that?!
Korg Modwave/Waldorf Blofeld, no drum machine, PO KO33, saving up for a groovebox/drum machine and hopefully a powerful compact sampler!
I don't use any hardware synths. I prefer VSTs like Arturia V Collection and Korg Collection. Those are great for making music. But I'm sequencer maniac and have Arturia BeatStep Pro (2 units), Presonus Atom SQ, Arturia SpakLE, Nektar Aruba and M-Audio Trigger Finger Pro. Those are great devices and I have a lot of fun when making beats. Thank you for sharing your setup.
For me he is in a way the Bob Ross of electronic music making. He makes it look easy, records all his steps, has likeable charisma and explains everything in very relaxed atmosphere. But his results are much better than what I could achieve especially in such a short span.
Nailed it. I’ve thought the same for months now.
RICKY TINEZ IS MY SPIRIT ANIMAL
I can hear Cuckoo crying himself to sleep...
Facts all day
The thing about Bob I don't think many understand, he wanted you to paint, he wanted you to try, it isn't about doing something perfect or just like him, it's about doing art. Like him, I believe everyone is an artist and I push it on everyone like a mormon pushing jesus.
Personally, I don't view using samples as "cheating" in any way. I think selecting and manipulating samples is just as creative as any other form of musical expression. As I've gotten older (69 this month) my dexterity with traditional musical instruments has declined but fortunately with the aid of modern technology, I can still make a beat. They're all just tools, it's what you do with them that makes the music.
Agree 100%
Using sounds in every possible way, is totally legitimate, in my world too.
This is real world art, not a grade school math test.
Do your thing, enjoy the process, the results speak for themselves.
100% agreed....same with using loops. Presets what ever....its not like anybody would say you should build your own drums and software and come up with music theory on your own...just use Whatever works and keep rocking.
I’m right there with you Bo-Bo. Severe arthritis makes it harder to play guitar for me. Always had a fascination with synths and now diving deep into it at 65. Samples, analog, modular, wavetable, love it all and it’s all viable art. It’s what you do with it.
@@SlavicSon Yeah I was a guitarist back in the day but arthritis got me as well. Still have a 70's SG I bought new. My hands don't work that well anymore but I got interested in synths a few years back so I can still make some music.
@@bo-bodad8253 Yes! We adapt. And a 70’s Sg Is sweet. I have a 20 year old white standard. Love it.
After rewatching this video over and over for the last two months I finally made the leap and grabbed a Model: Cycles & Circuit Rhythm as my first synth + sampler set up. Really looking forward to jumping in and wrapping my head around the workflow. The immediacy of it all in this video really drew me to this combination, although I’ll probably go with a different key-based synth. Thanks for inspiring and doing what you do!
Since you know what you are doing with your external gear, your skill is demonstrated above the sampling. It's not cheating when your talent is magnified
I love the Compact Creations vids!
Really makes you appreciate the gear you already have. Lately I've been obsessed with hooking up as much stuff as possible. However today I decided to keep it simple and used Microfreak, Circuit Tracks and Tr6s. It was more than enough for a session.
I started collecting gear but Stoped at the MiniNova and Peak because though they sound great it's just way easier to make the exact sound I want from a DAW and Soft sythersizor VST's . I got the Physical sythersizors for fun and they dont really ever get used in My music.
yeah i like to just hook up a couple things to see what comes out too
Hey so I've only just started making music with synths and grooveboxes and samplers. I'd just like to say cheers for saying the quiet bit loud whenever you make these videos, apart from yer overall lovely tone (and awesome wee tunes), your realism about the process has been very helpful. It's like having someone say "nah dude you're on the right track, worry not". I've just started trying to recreate ma wee volca jams into more masterable music and things like this boost my confidence a heap.
you can achieve incredible things m8 don't stop
I totally get you on the "is this cheating" dilemma, that question has held me back in many ways for many years. i feel like a lot of people (me included) start making music for fun and start getting good enough to want to take it seriously but we forget to have fun. if it's fun and sounds good then it's good. who cares where it comes from. Hiphop in its entirety is sample based, would madlib, DJ premiere or MF DOOM be cheating with this songs? psh, maybe but they kickass so i love them.
Music is fun first, professional second.
Inre: feeling like you're cheating.
It always feels "too easy" when you thoroughly understand how to get results from your method. It would probably take me hours to properly chop a sample and get it to where you did in 2 minutes.
I think this feeling of "cheating" is really what gets people feeling defeated, like they need to be doing something more but don't know what, or why. My advice to most people is to do what you enjoy and are good at and keep refining your method.
This is pretty much the definition of that "finding your sound" thing everyone is always talking about.
so very true - i started home recording in the mid 70s and i´m still learning and improving, moving forward like a snail, haha...
i like what buffy saint-marie said about creative work: "keep your nose on the joy trail" - and that´s what i always did... :-)
check: banyantree (dietrance) (2017 remastered version)
it´s a track where you can hear my self developed "harp guitar" for which i worked about three years to develop a playing technique - it´s a 16 min one take recording...
I hear that! I appreciate your input Michael. That's how I felt after making tons of music on the 4000. "I wanted a challenge".. so after switching I spent maybe 2-3 months not knowing anything else and feeling defeated haha. But I like what you say about doing what you enjoy and refining it. I love chopping samples and probably always will lol
@@RickyTinez yes, i think it is important to talk about these things with beginners, also with young persons, to admit that no one is a master right from the start - i went a long way since i began and i know by now, that it´s a normal step in learning something completely new to feel almost like an idiot at some point (pure data it is in my case right now) - if we show this weak point to beginners and young ones it may help to encourage them and that´s a good thing... :-)
one of my "teachers" was brian eno - i´m a fan since the mid 70s when i discovered "evening star" and "discreet music" and he often had little "stories" on the backside of the covers in which he explained, how he came to make things like he did - discreet music came from a mistake (for me, my mistakes are the best teachers, haha) - he was ill and suffered from a severe fever - friends brought him a record and he asked them to put the music on so he could listen - when they left, the music, which was in the neighbour room, was too loud - so he managed to crawl there and turned the volume down and then back to bed with his last energy - when he arrived there he was completely exhausted when he realized, tadaaa, he couldn´t hear almost anything - but no way to change it again...
then he relaxed and took it as it was: sometimes little parts were audible, sometimes the music vanished for a while a.s.o. that was the moment, when he got the inspiration to make music especially for being listened to at the threshold of audibility...
i still like him after all those years: although he had big success he still is a humble man with a good humour and i like that he says: i´m a non-musician.................. :-)
"I love chopping samples and probably always will lol" yesss, i can understand this very well, i come from analog work with tape loops and sound snippets, manually managed - for me the dawning of the digital era brought heaven on earth - i think everyone has weak spots for something that will never change, haha.. :-)
I think it takes an incredible amount of skill and creativity to be able to choose and chop samples in a way that makes something new like you do. It's only easy(or feel like cheating) when you know how to do it so well. I think the choice of the sample is the really tricky bit and you always seem to have good foresight to choose samples that'll work and that takes experience.
well. that's me taking my time picking a sample haha. I've wasted a lot of time on samples I THOUGHT would do well that just didn't.. its always random things that make it NOT work as well. too many rhythmic elements. or 3/4 timing throws me off sometimes. but yea, the more time I put in the quicker I get. Thanks for the insight and kind words James
How can I like this video 100 times? Mad respect for covering both ends of the spectrum in terms of cost of gear. You are the man! Be safe.
I terms of “cheating”, I look at it this way. No one asks the chef how they prepared the meal if it hits the palette right. No one should question the creator of the tune vibes right on the ear drums.
Resampling the A section for a B section. Great compositional technique!
I appreciate that the video is about older gear and not the new bad boy from Elektron 🤘
You say it feels like cheating, it seems so simple. I can't remember the exact quote, but it was you who said something along the lines of "your own music by definition sounds like something you could have done yourself. That doesn't mean it's simple." That was a huge inspiration for me, or even more, it made me accept more of what I do, musically.
My favorite minimalist setup is Circuit Tracks, Keystep, Volca FM and Nubass (pached into Tracks), Hologram Microcosm for FX
Can $1.5k worth of gear count as minimal?
@@robinr22 lol half the cost is that pedal tho
You’re doing the opposite of cheating. Years of doing this and instinctively knowing what is going to work from making so many songs in the past has given you this ability. You’ve acquired an amazing taste in music that you’re able to hear ahead of time and then replicate with amazing muscle memory. You’re like a chess grandmaster who can see patterns and you don’t have to calculate to know if your position is “winning”. You’ve failed more times than most of us have even tried and this is the pay off for all those crash and burns in the past. It encourages me to keep ploughing away at this to hopefully learn this craft and eventually have skills like yours. Can’t wait for part two. Would love you to do a full series of these with other simple combos like Okta with takt or tone or both. It’s the one thing you’ve missed in this channel. From idea to full blown, dance floor ready, production. Love it!!
Hey man, one of the main reasons we watch you is because of how effortlessly awesome you're music is. We are all striving for that in our own creative process. I think that's the end task.
These magic beat box’s fascinate me. It’s also fascinating that recording everything separately is a nontraditional method for you. That’s the only way I ever recorded. Coming from a punk rock/indie rock background that’s the way it’s done. Record as a band then make your overdubs and add whatever extra flavor you like. It’s finished when the band agrees it’s done. Basically I got out of this video is push buttons until it sounds good. I’m surprised you didn’t clock it with midi because for most of the video it sounded like there was two different time signatures fighting with each other. I could see you felt it as well and in the end you wrangled it all together and it sounded nice. I’m babbling about nothing sorrysssss! I want a circuit now so I can push buttons. Your groves sound like Tortoise rad indie rock band. Check them out. Much love.
Lovely guidance, thanx! excited for part 2, particularly around arrangement trix of the daw; how arranging audio in the box works compared to arranging tracks/sequences on hardware. How to chop quickly and in flow in the daw, like we can with p-Locks and pattern chains on hardware. Much love
thank you for being one of the only music youtubers who isn’t a complete sellout (bobeats, loopop, andrew huang etc. who blatantly regurgitate the same bullshit with every new gear release) nice to see a genuine youtuber who makes content they want and not just ads
@@sheateeley1 > His reviews are never intended to sell the gear he’s reviewing, something he’s explicit about
I'm a fan of loopop (and generally I think promoting gear is fine if you're upfront about it) but his reviews are obviously intended to sell the gear he's reviewing. Often they drop on the release day, coordinated with the companies that hire him and basically act as video manuals for the gear. That obviously falls into "marketing" to me. It's fine that it is marketing but let's not be fooled that we're watching an ad.
@@sheateeley1 agreed I wouldn't call him a sellout either. But he's still obviously part of a marketing strategy and being given a lot of gear in exchange for promotion. I choose to treat videos like these as advertising because they don't materialize out of pure love of music technology, there are connections and industry behind them. But I'm not condemning loopop or anyone else for it... Making a living is hard
Love it. The rhythm is super quick. I used one for the center of my setup
That chill beat is really Bonobo estque ! Love it, it makes me wanna take my cycles out again!
The Skulpt and Rhythm is my setup, bought second hand of course, haha. So this was a perfect inspirational video. I was surprised to see that you didn't sync the skulpt with a midi cable to the rhythm, as its capable of clock syncing and using the keyboard mode to send notes. Which is allot better to use than the touch plates imo.
Love your videos. It's like meditation. If a sample just works it just works. No need to overthink it. Its done. The best ideas are the ones that come together quick.
Thanks, great stuff! More Circuit Rhythm videos please! :)
I've always been a fan of your compact creations, they're really inspiring and informative, thanks so much for posting them. I had to sell most of my gear during lockdown but am looking to reinvest. Those new Circuits look really decent!
Awesome! I tried to go dawless for a few years. For me, i found that giving up on this idea and doing about 70 percent out of the box and 30 percent in the box is the sweet spot. I come up with a loose jam and perform it into the daw and then go from there... sometimes it changes little in the daw and sometimes it changes dramatically. I have recently been digging the mc 707 and tr6s because I can record out the individual parts. I still use Mpc and Maschine, but a little less recently. I also give my self a time limit for a song and try to switch a bit of gear between to keep it fresh.
Not cheating Ricky, the sample is the seed that you bloom into a song with the rest of the things. Sometimes it grows, sometimes it doesn't.
I’ve often felt like I’m hack or lame for my limited music making, but at the end of the day how hard you work doesn’t matter *that* much.
I think part of why stuff feels easy is because you’re good at it. I’ve tried flipping samples and I’m straight bad at it. You got good at something, rest on your laurels and make cool shit with no sweat haha
you can do it too! believe it
Love this type of content! All about efficiency!
Thanks for sharing your creative process, very groovy.
Have a great day, and best wishes for your continued success.
I like this episode/series idea. A lot of us get a little stuck on turning a solid groove into something finished. Looking forward to next week!
Always comes back to a setup of the essential 3, Sampler, drum machine and Synth!!!
wow that was so eye opening.
I've been re-designing my studio in the last week. I swapped the synth table and piano around meaning that my synths are now _next to the computer_ which means it's way easier to work on them.
The idea to record every track separately is something I've thought of before but the idea of how boring that would be has always put me off.
But the idea of live-playing every instruments to get little glitches out of it to later arrange is just so good.
totally agree regarding sample use. it does feel like it comes too easy sometimes but what you said makes sense, as long as you make sure chopping is done well and with purpose then its probably fine. i find that simple things like editing single chops using pitch transformation, filtering, rhythmic gating etc. can definitely add more depth to that stage of production, even just shifting a sample forward an 8th note relative to the beat for example. at the end of the day its a balance between conserving the processes you like versus selecting new ones, it all depends on the artist.
Getting a "StarDew Valley" vibe on this one :D
Great video Ricky.
13:32 I always found long pattern samples or a riff or even a drum loop sample doesn’t really work on the circuits. It seems to only like stabs or just one notes.
The timing goes all out. But doing what you did works by sampling the one note and playing it back on the circuit.
Forget Folgers the best part of waking up is a new Ricky video.
The most influential & humble music youtube host!
so cool watching you work
This was intriguing. Looking forward to next week's installment, thanks.
You convinced me to get a Sampler with this video. I was deciding to either get a new module for my eurorack or the Polyend Tracker. I think the tracker will really expand my workflow. Thanks for the inspiration.
Thank you, Enrique, for sharing your top notch talent with us mere mortals. You have helped me learn and appreciate music, more than you could ever know. Much gratitude…
Gah every time I watch your video's, I learn something (many) new! what a great idea with the latency issue! Thanks for putting great stuff out there
What is cool with that setup is if you add in an MPE midi controller to the modal sculpt you could get fretless synth effects and drones sampled in ecven though the circuit doesn't do MPE
I've been drawing comic books professionally for almost 15 years now, and once in a while I still have that feeling of "I did this way too fast for this to look this good. There's gotta be something wrong with it" -- I think sometimes we forget that we are masters (or at the very least veterans) of our craft, and we have that imposter syndrome kick in lol. great jam and vids as always amigo! thnx xoxoxo
I get that too. I paint abstract. Oil. And have made music for a long time. It doesn't feel right when it happens so "easily."
Thank you for this show and tell. Had a lot of fun seeing you work. God bless! 🙂🙏🏻❤
sounds super cool. I love how sublime and melancholy that rainy day just lost the love of my life but life is still good and moving on kind of melody. 😂
has that Bruce Lee emotional content.
Really loved this one, awesome tune and a great walkthrough
Thanks man been getting a lot of good info from your vids
‘Affordable’ is a better word than cheap. People tend to relate ‘cheap’ to poor quality / capability. This set-up is still extremely competent. 😁
Thank you for doing this vid Ricky. I’m trying to get into digital music making and I think I have a similar thought process to you about sampling. To me if it’s too easy I’m cheating and if it’s too hard I cant find the motivation to get into it. Leaves me totally paralysed. 😢 Your vid has given me new hope 😊 to continue on my quest to produce an album of music before I move on the to next life. Thank you!
Heh, I like to use the DeEsser around 2437.. the length of the video. Cheers Ricky! Might want to have a compact setup like this in the future
Thanks for sharing Ricky looking forward to next one. Much respect.
Hey Ricky, thanks for the vid. Love the CHEAP setup! Especially we underground musicians gotta learn how to get the max out of our stuff and stop buying tons of expensive equipment. Wish you all the best.
More of these kinds of topic videos!
Thanks for this video. I really love your style as it feels like we are just hanging out and you're sharing some cool thoughts. Cheers Ricky!
Thanks for the video Ricky !!! Your the Man keep it up Bro!!!
really helpful! I'm trying to do a DAW-less setup, but everything can be used midi also
I’m going to be the noob to respond but isn’t half the fun the happy accidents that we have on the journey to make something. I’m just trying my hand in sampling but to me it’s no different than a key on the piano. All have access to the same note but what you do with it is something only you will decide and put your influences into!
Love the vibes!
The compact creation setup: cheap (by comparison)
Your reaction when it suddenly generates lofi downtempo miami bass at 18:52 - priceless ;)
All roads lead to Rome, if using samples shortens the route to the end results you desired, then its a valid method of music production
the arpeggio you have to begin with on the skulpt sounds eerily similar to a song i released called "a myth and a hearse". it was a model d vst i'm pretty sure
New compact creations LETS GOOOOO
I like your statement cabling on the Cycles
Thanks for nice video AND good music played
lovely!
could you perhaps show the process of how you actually record a setup like this into Ableton (which settings to use etc.) and how to arrange the different parts in Ableton, so they sync up etc.?
+1 for a video on the arranging phase. I get many good grooves but few good arrangements into finished songs. Working on this...
Ricky is chill as fvck 🤘 Prolly my fave synth youtuber.
sooooo vibey
Thanks bro! Really appreciate it.
Really awesome stuff... Looking forward to the next part.
Currently working on a combo with new and old gear, recording to the PC
(MC-101, QY-70, MC-303 and EMX-1)
Can totally relate to the "tedious" part of recording each track individually 😵😜
Is this all I need, for both a portable and live show performance?
That was a nice one Ricky.
Lol the skulpt is an awesome synth, super fun to play with all the sounds! But the built in touch keyboard is totally unplayable. Slippery plastic, tiny keys, tiny range, weak inputs and no feedback. Some of the keys on mine are really touchy, one will even trigger if I tap the back of the machine?? I like the synth, but you need a midi keyboard to actually play it. I'm not surprised u ended up playing the one note sample instead lol!
Ricky, we need to know where to get that sample/what that splice name is!! Awesome video, love
Thank you so much👍👍👍👍👍😀🎛🎧🎹🎶
Got my OG Circuit last week for 200$(So fun) and my skulpt SE is in the mail. 350$ total for Drum machine and 3 synths. Just need a nice multi effects and maybe a volca something.
I try to this all the time, my problem is recording with little latency into abelton. abelton makes it diffcult to record each sound on time.
Question: What would be the best approach for recording the separate parts of the Model Cycles? Obviously you can do it manually by recording each part then adjusting start/endpoints in a clip. But is there a better way that avoids the risk of altering the "micro-timing" of each part in order to keep it IDENTICAL to the playback direct from the Cycles? Latency issues always leaves the first bit of audio cut off when triggering playback/record with in Ableton. Perhaps a solution is to record a single pass in Arrangement view where you manually solo each part individually until everything is captured , align clip to grid manually, slice out the parts and layer them into separate tracks?
if you can get a model samples under 200$, pick it up, what you can do with it is insane for the price point, dont worry bout its storage you can take songs of all your samples then use loop start for the sample selection then use the sample locks for your details.
damn, so funny to see you in 19.04 !!" cannot believe that it sounds that cool :D :D same here ... cheers and thx for the cool input
Hey Ricky, I have the Circuit Tracks, Roland S-1, Yamaha Reface CP and Roland JP8000 and I love how the Circuit Tracks works with these. Feeling like I’m a midi channel short at the moment, considering the next acquisition… should I mix the Tracks with the Rhythm? Or would something else be more beneficial, such as an Elektron box? Maybe expanding sonic capabilities
the sound on the skulpt sounds eerily similar to an arpeggio i used on a song called "a myth and a hearse". i want to say it was a model d vst
How you flip and chop samples is the difference. It’s why I rarely use timestretch, samples with BPM I’m creating in, or MIDI sync.
I have gotten tooons of mileage out of the circuit rhythm. But what I found is I tend to use it like it's an 8 voice tracker, mostly in terms of composition. Rather than chop beats, I find myself programming in note by note basslines and drum beats, switching samples mid phrase, and making heavy use of parameter locks. It's the same workflow I would use in a tracker, rather than an sp404 or koala, but it's super interesting to see people use it in a more traditional sampler way, with loops and chops.
This was great, thank you. Do you have a video where you show your sample selection and organization process?
you are the man ricky! thank you for the great content.
great stuff! Model:Cycles for the winnnnn 🔥
My set up is Peak, MiniNova, Arturia keylab essential and 3 effects pedals and a looper.
I rock a digitone, blackbox, and keylab mk2. Absolute powerhouse
@@danielmulholland5869 I haven't used the Peak fully yet. Sounds great however its easier to get sounds recorded from the MiniNova or just make similar sounds in Reason Daw.
@@HOLLASOUNDS yeah I don't own one but it looks like an awesome synth. Honestly I don't think I'll be making another synth purchase for quite a while but if I ever do buy another piece of gear, it'll probably be a novation summit
@@danielmulholland5869 I feel bad that I haven't used the Peak properly, not Novations fault they will help Me to set it up in Abalten but I'm just to busy. The Summit would be cool because you turn it on and play vs having to run the Peak through Abalten to get sound out of it because I dont have any midi cables.
Digitone/Circuit Tracks/Microfreak/Microgranny 2.5/Volca Sample 2/NTS-1 and various effects pedals on my end.
Excellent set up.
Good idea.
As always excellent timing Ricky :D. A couple of weeks ago I downloaded the free trial of Ableton to finally arrange and mix some of the loops and projects I saved on my MPC. Really looking forward to see your approach on that topic as I always learn something new with your Videos.
Off topic but since a couple of months your synth setup hasnt changed a lot. You still have/use the gear of your older videos like the deckards or MPC3000?
I don't use the Decker's or the 3000 anymore.. actually not using ANY Mac right now in my studio. I do use the Live ii once in awhile in the living room but rarely haha.
Lately its just Ableton Live, Pro 3, some drum machine (Syntakt now) and the Nord Electro 6D
I just got my first glasses and I totally get the eye rub.
tight little set up and loop. I wasn't a fan of the skulpt, but I recently added the new Liven bass to my circuit tracks and rhythm combo, and it's been amazing. most importantly, I feel like I don't really need or want to add anything else to it, besides maybe some compression hardware; I feel like I have everything I need to make the kinds of music that I want with almost no limits. buying gear is great and all but... so is NOT buying gear. 😅
Is the sync jack on the backside of the Circuit Rhythm, “sync out” only?
Yes I agree. When making something good to fas or it comes to easily it feels like cheating or I to doubt my work.This I experienced mostly as a visual artist, but in eurorack to. The thing though, is that some of my best artworks where made rather effortlessly.
Would you recommend the circuit rhythm over the model samples for more IDM type music?
curious as well
Depends if you like sample or synth workflow and what other hardware you have. I have the Rhythm as a standalone (for now) as I'm realistic about my keyboard skills 😂 so samples work better and quicker for me, any extra tones I need I can sample from my DAW. I'd say the Tracks works better if you have other synths etc (with the 2 dedicated midi tracks) and would like to use the 2 synth tracks on it. FWIW I love the Rhythm, it literally makes you spew music 🤮🎶🔥
love cycles
Haaay my set aint cheap! Jk it was a relief finding model cycles ngl. Love what you do Ricky and how you do it! 🍻🍻🍻 so thrilling, your workflow!
question in return ... If you were a monster on the keys and could just come up with a sick progression off the cuff every time in 30 seconds ... would that not be "to easy"?
My take is doing anything well is hard. No such thing as easy, there is always a difference between doing something well or badly.