My approach toward gear is a lot like my approach towards fashion. I have a mixture of nice new things I saved up for, and cheap old things I've stumbled upon. I trust my instincts on what I find expressive with the only additional consideration being build quality. It puts you in the position to explore overlooked quirks in cheap old things, while having the tools to re-contextualize it with nice new things. It's also only rewarded with patience. This video perfectly captures how well that works out.
Completely agree. Knowing where and how to invest when the time is right. But you know we’re secretly always way more excited about the cheapie lil finds!
My Casio collection is immense… do you know what… after years of drooling over buchlas and nords and moog… I’ve realised its effects and outboard that make music kit shine.. put any crud thrift store keyboard through a classy reverb and delay and boom epic loveliness.
I just bought a Casio synth keyboard that came with a bunch of cables a wooden case and was in such perfect condition the styrofoam blocks and plastic were still on it lol. I love the sounds it makes. Once I learned the basics which Is everything mind you lol I instantly realized why all the music on nes and snes games sounds the way it does.
Absolutely gotta do the weekly thrift store runs. I got my Space Echo RE-150 from Salvation Army. Keyboards, speakers, pedals, cameras, lights, tripods... I'm kind of addicted
$24 Crumar Performer. $50 Wurlitzer 200. $60 Teisco tulip. $50 Ibanez 4003 bass. A Silvertone Twin Twelve amp as a gift. Be patient, do what you love. Write and record your heart out. Be kind and appreciative. You too might be blessed like I’ve been. A wise friend one told me “You can get pretty much any musical gear you want for whatever price you want if you’re patient enough.”
I've always had a special place in my heart for cheap Casio keyboards. Especially CTK models from the early 2000s. The kick and snare patches sound huge when you slam the tape when recording analog. Feels so good to me.
this was such an awesome watch man, you inspired me in a way i never felt before as someone whos put music on the back burner and is coming back to it, thank you i appreciate it!
You don't understand what is the point of this video. The creation of sound is not defined by expensive instruments but by creatively using what you have. That CromaConsole binds all sound together in his own lofi universe.
Good observation. A lot of the presets of comtemporary keyboard's costing a lot of money sound good only because of the effects, so using it here shows how you can get a lot of sound for little money by using effects. You don't necessarily need an expensive one either.
Thank you for this! You are on another level when it comes to inspiring people. Been obsessed with collecting and using vintage synths, never knew cheap gear could sound this good.
inspiring stuff, thanks for the video! i love your black hole theory and the openness, research and patience it inspires. i always had a hard time thrifting functioning vintage gear in Italy without breaking the bank, and lately i really felt the urge to splurge. what i did instead was revisiting old gear i bought years ago and forgot about: i have this Digitech "Vocalist Workstation", a cheap sounding harmonizer, which i sang into and through guitar pedals. i had a blast and i got a bunch of samples from it!
the casio sk-1 sounds beautiful! Recently I scored a casio from the 80's and I feel it stands out compare to modern stuff, not because it's better, just because it gives you a different sound, it's quite an experience to hunt for this old beautiful treasures.
Which one? Yes so many forgotten unique sounds stored in these machines. And the hunt is the best part. When turning the corner in a shop and seeing those black and white keys…you get closer and realize it’s not even a midi controller 🙌🏼
You might be onto something with your Black Hole theory. Over the years ive found so much cool stuff on side of the road and rubbish skips. A select few: sitar, volume pedal, various percussion, massive piano keyboard, just the other week i found this massive weird skin drum in the pouring rain, sounds great. Loving your videos and vibe.
@@vvundertone I saw it sticking out of a skip. Had no strings but got it stringed up and it sounded great .few strings broke now and the tuning is a nightmare.
If one truly thinks that the entire universe revolves around their passion then they are either blind to the reality that is before them or just selfish enough to consider such a possibility.
Dude, i just want to thank you for spreading this kind of message out there. It seems like everyone is doing the same things these days, using the same equipment, etc. Ive changed the way I make music because I started finding cheap, random instruments and things that I can use for making music. You have also introduced me to casio keyboards, which I greatly appreciate, beceause I just got a Casio CTK-1000 at a thrift store for 50 dollars today.
Amazing. Yes there are so many of them out there. Varying prices and features. My friend showed me a little tiny casio that actually had a pitch bend wheel. I had never seen a tiny one like that. Blew my mind. You never know whats out there!
Thank you for making me feel better about this truth. I own many a silly keyboard or electronic noisemaker but sometimes around my band mates it can feel like I'm doing it wrong when they have a lot of high quality pedals and amps. I love the way their stuff sounds too! But that feeling isn't always reciprocated. I suppose it would be nice to convince more musicians that a sound that has character is good if not better than the $200+ this or that.
I didn't realize how my love of synths started with an old casio I had in my childhood. I love how they sound running through that pedal. Epic man, thanks for this video, it's inspiring.
I clicked randomly on this video but I grew up with the same black hole theory. Except back in the 90s when it was all vintage fuzz pedals Random analog boss pedals and actual tape echo machines but they werent called vintage (they were called garbage). I found one of the tape echoes sitting outside of an Italian restaurant on a corner of a street I was walking past, and I had the sudden urge to turn and walk down. Nowadays, all that stuff is super expensive, but I had a bunch of it and it was all cheap, so I agree with your black hole theory very much. I used to travel also to find stuff, and I usually did. One morning I woke up and I have the strongest urge to jump on my motorcycle and drive 20 minutes outside of my town and when I arrived at the little tiny store, that sometimes had musical equipment and they had a piece I have been looking for right in the center of the display and it was 20% off and this was 1997. When you focus and make it part of who you are, it appears. That’s not some weird book they want to sell you. That’s just what happens. It happened to me.
Man what a time. I read stories from that era. It’s hard for people to understand at some point people would look at a Fairchild with disgust and then see a dbx 160x and take out their wallets!!
Your videos have been a huge inspiration recently! I’ve been visiting local thrift stores and flea markets and just found an SK-1 in the box! Keep up the good work (:
I can absolutely confirm the Black Hole Theory. The amount of gear friends, acquaintances and random people from Instagram has been giving or lending me over the years has been pretty wild. All from being active and passionate about the subject
I'm really just beginning my journey as a musician, but this is definitely how I started, and how I am continuing to grow. Found a Slammer by Hamer short-scale bass guitar at Good Will for $45. I just really liked it, it called to me. Replaced the strings with tape-wounds, which cost a few bucks more than the bass. I bought a new bass to celebrate completing an online bass course. A Harley-Benton fretless violin bass, brand new was $170. Of course with a case and shipping from Germany, it ended up almost twice that, but still, not a high end instrument. BUT, it is beyond functional. Put tape-wounds on it as well, and I think this is as close as you can get to upright tones on an electric bass. Tone is just exactly what I was looking for.
i just find fascinating how americans bought so much musical equipment in the late nineties. Most of us in other countries live a shortage of this equipments in thrift stores or even in regular music shops (it's almost impossible to buy a Rickenbacker or a Danectro in Brazil for example, let alone a 4 track cassette tape machine) you guys have it easy in the states 😅
Yeah, similar here in central Europe (I can only speak for Germany really), except that we don't even have thrift stores, it's just not a thing. Online second hand prices for the few items that actually are for sale are usually absurd because VINTAGE. Flea markets - which do exist - never have anything to offer except for real junk. Quite a disappointing experience.
No Ricknebacker, no Danelectro, no Reverend and other brands are too expensive. Like, a 500 USD squier is sold here in Brazil for 6000 BRL, which is like 1000 USD. And the minimum wage in Brazil is BRL 1,412.00 PER MONTH for fucks sake. Imagine working four months and saving everything to be able to afford a nice squier.
A regular Rickenbacker is a months wages round here. Dentists hang them on their walls as investments. I still dream about them.mThe dealer doesn't even put them on the floor unless they're used. Any other guitar brand they want you to try. Now if you're serious, you can ask if you know they have it. But it's funny all the others are on the floor. They say most buyers want them sealed for the special editions especially. Wanted to see the 90th anniversary 481. They had 3 according to online. Apparently they designated one to be openable but hadn't. You can see it, but I got the feeling I wasn't supposed to. Definitely didn't have 5k for it. And I'm the one weirdo that would want rickosound. So if I could have one, I'd be drilling a hole and rewiring the harness and adding a dual jack plate. I only play for me and I like splitting signal to amps on either side of me. It would be awesome to skip the aby, sending neck and bridge to separate amps.
Love it! I'm a big fan of the cheap gear route myself. I have a tiny old Yamaha keyboard I've had for over 30 years and I'm 33 lolol I'm certainly not afraid to invest in certain pieces of gear when I know what and why I want something, but I really love pulling the most out of quirky things that are often overlooked.
Back when my friend and I were 19, we jammed on a near-dead battery Yahama Portasound PSS 470. We set it on an ironing board, plugged into a minidisc player and hammered out some pretty wild stuff. I listen back to the recordings now and then and there are parts that still astonish me. At one point, it sounded as though the keyboard was being plunged under water and pulled back out again.
Gotta say absolutely love this philosophy and the videos aesthetic is top notch! Idk if you normally wear suits but i think it really adds to the vibe of this topic, guess you could say it suits you 😝
Yoooooooooooooooo. I’m a cheap keyboard fiend. My current stable is: - Yamaha PSR-12. FM keyboard with the best keyfeel I’ve ever tried. Lives connected to my mixing board so I can doodle out melodies whenever. - Yamaha PSS-140. Lovely sounds- 86 Transistor Organ is to die for. - Roland VA-3. Not cheap but I got it for free from somebody else’s studio downsize. Cool to muck around with.
Yup persistence is the key! Also making some documentation of your chains. Nothing worse than listening to old playback and being like how did I turn this Casio into a 1800s demented pipe organ again?
Great video and you are giving away all the thrifting secrets! Really good point with your black hole theory too :) the cheap equipment of olde is finite and very much worth the hunt now.
I still mourn my Casio SK-1 that I lost ten years ago. Found it at the thrift store for like $5. Now they go for 100+ on reverb. I'll probably have to buy one. The built in mic and the way the chip samples things was just the perfect kind of instant lofi sampler that I have never been able to replicate.
Travelling, yes. Many become musicians as they yearn to leave their boring little town. The gear you find on your journey helps you create your musical travelogue
Just love your approach to how you make music with cheap gear. Great tip about the Salvation army. I collected retro games for a while and visited them daily after work. Got some amazing finds over the years! 😊 Subbed your channel. 😊
There is a little bit of "yeah, no $H*T" to this. But to be honest, I've been looking around at my stuff and realizing I have quite the little setup here. Thank you for showing me what was right in front of my face. Truly inspired by this one. Appreciate ya.
Use what you’ve got! I never got rid of my Fostex 4 track or anything. I use an iPad Pro and I’m about to have a look at your digitising tape. One of my fave channel on UA-cam so I watch in bed. Cheers, mahn
means a lot. thank god for never selling things. a wise man once told me "never sell your tools" sadly I have made that mistake too many times to count.
I LOVE THIS OLD GEAR DISCONTINUED AND OBSOLOTE STUFF I pass all of them into plugins, pedal guitars or rack dso fx processor and the results is amazing
Wow, crazy amount of vintage gear. I once had a Casio SK-1 sampling keyboard. Along with other Casio keyboards like the MT-210 and PT-80. You could get some really interesting tones with the SK-1. Especially running it through a stereo mixer and reverb delay.
Great vid and I hope it inspires kids (who perhaps like me, had no money when my musical interest was rapid fire) to grab some of this gear and get creative. I am convinced that the monetary limitations I had as a teen directly influenced my creativity. In today's world of "Hey Ai, make this song for me", or even the fact that kids today can have an insane 'studio' for free on a cell phone, I think is not helping them develop their creativity, and so, people who have nothing but an RV and a guitar are writing the best stuff. Cuz you can't fake it.
When you prime your mind to be on the lookout for music gear and unique sounds. You’ll recognise and grab every opportunity that you would have otherwise not noticed. The thing is, you’re not aware of the things you don’t notice.
My philosophy is that I want almost a physical snapshot of what gear is available to me, locally, with that gear acting as a filter for my own creativity, hopefully to create a sound that is distinct. This should vary quite a bit from place to place, and hopefully the approach can create the sound of that place. The more you start using things like reviews to find the "best" gear, coupled with using online shopping to summon that to your doorstep, the more you will end up making everyone else's sound. Things like janky guitar pedals found in your uncle's garage are great for this.
lol man, i'm only like 4 mins into this video but i've already heard so much that aligns precisely with my experience. basically all of my gear comes from thrift stores; got a whole rack of like 5 units there, many casios, and even stumbled upon a martin guitar for 15 bucks. black hole theory is real. spending your savings on expensive equipment and knowing exactly what you're getting is no fun.
This is exactly (mostly) the way I do things. I love finding cheap or forgotten gear like the Yamaha Portasounds, Boss mini-rack units, or late 90's / early '00's romplers. I like the fact these things often have zero menu diving involved, which makes them very immediate to use. Bonus points if they have some odd function that can't be replicated elsewhere. The Yamaha PSR-36 is an underrated unit, which sounds richer than it should. FX are the secret to getting the most out of them, so it helps to have some decent pedals, to bring them to life.
I'm not entirely into recording to tape because of the expense and hassle of the media. But I do like the idea of a more analog signal chain and being creative with the sources of the sounds. My preferred instrument is bass. But my wife does have an old Yamaha keyboard I could use. Probably still need a guitar though. Keyboards do a lousy job of mimicking the transients of plucked strings in my experience. Anyhow, I really appreciate what you do and that you take the time to share it. It is inspiring.
It is a hassle. I get it. Lots of headaches and troubles for sure. Keyboards do a lousy job for a lot of sounds but sometimes you can use it to your advantage. Look at Pharrell. Sometimes I imagine what his production would sound like with real guitar instead of that "cheesy" keyboard strat sound and honestly I don't think it would work as well.
@@vvundertone True, you can make things work if you like. But I'm old school. Grew up with AM radio, 8-tracks, and vinyl. I genuinely can't stand the lifeless sound of contemporary music.
Men, amazing content, amazing edit, amazing sounds... I completely agree with you and I'm happy so see more and more conscious people. Creativity is among money and gear. Sometimes limitations is where the inspiration can be found. New sub here.
these people that comment all these negative things.. i wonder if they have actually used the gear they are slating down on, or if they have do they even make any music, i waste money on gear yet i don't even make any music, it's more so external forces like mental state i.e lack of drive and passion etc but back to the gear, every instrument has it's own unique character especially with old gear and anything can be made to sound good , your philosophy is great and i'm glad you shared this with us, lets not forget, how distortion with guitars along with many genres like metal was discovered... a faulty amp... a piece of gear that was unique to itself, had its own character! tbh i feel theres alot i can learn from you
I have had immense luck in finding a perfectly functioning casio sk-1 in a thrift store for 15€ and i love it to pieces, i've done entire songs with almost only the casio and a zoom multi fx. I sometimes play it just to zone out and relax
Sadly here in Oz, thrift stores rarely accept electrical goods due to the risk of liability. Most of my best finds have been on the side of the road within 100m of my house. Keyboards, guitars and drums.
I enjoyed and appreciate your video but I'd like to hear more of what you can do without the Chroma Console. As other's have stated , that pedal can make any random sound generator sound interesting, even spitting into a microphone.
My approach toward gear is a lot like my approach towards fashion. I have a mixture of nice new things I saved up for, and cheap old things I've stumbled upon. I trust my instincts on what I find expressive with the only additional consideration being build quality. It puts you in the position to explore overlooked quirks in cheap old things, while having the tools to re-contextualize it with nice new things. It's also only rewarded with patience. This video perfectly captures how well that works out.
Completely agree. Knowing where and how to invest when the time is right. But you know we’re secretly always way more excited about the cheapie lil finds!
That $400 effects pedal really makes everything sound great!
thank you
🙃
It’s a cool idea … like using old mics through really high end pre amps and compressors
The universe gave it to him
@@pascaljean2333 haha! Bravo!
the tone at 8:57 is perfect dude, great video awesome advice totally subscribed
My Casio collection is immense… do you know what… after years of drooling over buchlas and nords and moog… I’ve realised its effects and outboard that make music kit shine.. put any crud thrift store keyboard through a classy reverb and delay and boom epic loveliness.
That’s right. Dress em up in the right outfit of modulation and its inspiration haven!
To an extent tho it depends how noisy the output is
I just bought a Casio synth keyboard that came with a bunch of cables a wooden case and was in such perfect condition the styrofoam blocks and plastic were still on it lol. I love the sounds it makes. Once I learned the basics which Is everything mind you lol I instantly realized why all the music on nes and snes games sounds the way it does.
Absolutely gotta do the weekly thrift store runs. I got my Space Echo RE-150 from Salvation Army. Keyboards, speakers, pedals, cameras, lights, tripods... I'm kind of addicted
A SPACE ECHO? Ok you beat everyone. You are thrift boss now
$24 Crumar Performer. $50 Wurlitzer 200. $60 Teisco tulip. $50 Ibanez 4003 bass. A Silvertone Twin Twelve amp as a gift. Be patient, do what you love. Write and record your heart out. Be kind and appreciative. You too might be blessed like I’ve been. A wise friend one told me “You can get pretty much any musical gear you want for whatever price you want if you’re patient enough.”
@@reedsutter8485woh
Good shit!
Wait, please tell me more. Salvation army has that kind of stuff!?!? Where else should I look!? Show me the way I'm ready to learn
My best find was a Omni Chord mint for $80 bucks 😅
Love the lighting, color grading and aesthetic, too!
Appreciate your observation to detail 🫡
Yes exactly what I thought. This video looks really quite amazing 🙌
I've always had a special place in my heart for cheap Casio keyboards. Especially CTK models from the early 2000s. The kick and snare patches sound huge when you slam the tape when recording analog. Feels so good to me.
Been looking for that specific era for a minute.
this was such an awesome watch man, you inspired me in a way i never felt before as someone whos put music on the back burner and is coming back to it, thank you i appreciate it!
tbf that pedal is doing a lot of heavy lifting here
good observation
you can just get that effect in the DAW, so it doesn't really matter to me personally
Dude, it's a multi effects pedal. You can easily replace it with free plugins or buy a super cheap one made by a Chinese company.
You don't understand what is the point of this video. The creation of sound is not defined by expensive instruments but by creatively using what you have. That CromaConsole binds all sound together in his own lofi universe.
Good observation. A lot of the presets of comtemporary keyboard's costing a lot of money sound good only because of the effects, so using it here shows how you can get a lot of sound for little money by using effects. You don't necessarily need an expensive one either.
Thank you for this! You are on another level when it comes to inspiring people. Been obsessed with collecting and using vintage synths, never knew cheap gear could sound this good.
one of the best videos of the year!!
inspiring stuff, thanks for the video! i love your black hole theory and the openness, research and patience it inspires.
i always had a hard time thrifting functioning vintage gear in Italy without breaking the bank, and lately i really felt the urge to splurge. what i did instead was revisiting old gear i bought years ago and forgot about: i have this Digitech "Vocalist Workstation", a cheap sounding harmonizer, which i sang into and through guitar pedals. i had a blast and i got a bunch of samples from it!
i’m already addicted to your videos, amazing work
Oh my GOD I FINALLY a Channel that I adore!! Thank you! 🙂
thank YOU!
the casio sk-1 sounds beautiful! Recently I scored a casio from the 80's and I feel it stands out compare to modern stuff, not because it's better, just because it gives you a different sound, it's quite an experience to hunt for this old beautiful treasures.
Which one? Yes so many forgotten unique sounds stored in these machines. And the hunt is the best part. When turning the corner in a shop and seeing those black and white keys…you get closer and realize it’s not even a midi controller 🙌🏼
@@vvundertone true!! The piano that I bought is Casiotone Ct-640 🌐
You might be onto something with your Black Hole theory. Over the years ive found so much cool stuff on side of the road and rubbish skips. A select few: sitar, volume pedal, various percussion, massive piano keyboard, just the other week i found this massive weird skin drum in the pouring rain, sounds great. Loving your videos and vibe.
Now a sitar?! That’s an incredible discovery!
@@vvundertone I saw it sticking out of a skip. Had no strings but got it stringed up and it sounded great .few strings broke now and the tuning is a nightmare.
@JustinSandler-r6c yeah I need to dig it out or at least sample it.
If one truly thinks that the entire universe revolves around their passion then they are either blind to the reality that is before them or just selfish enough to consider such a possibility.
@@Gekiko7167 Who can tell?....
Dude, i just want to thank you for spreading this kind of message out there. It seems like everyone is doing the same things these days, using the same equipment, etc. Ive changed the way I make music because I started finding cheap, random instruments and things that I can use for making music. You have also introduced me to casio keyboards, which I greatly appreciate, beceause I just got a Casio CTK-1000 at a thrift store for 50 dollars today.
Amazing. Yes there are so many of them out there. Varying prices and features. My friend showed me a little tiny casio that actually had a pitch bend wheel. I had never seen a tiny one like that. Blew my mind. You never know whats out there!
I freaking love the aesthetic of your studio
Thank you for making me feel better about this truth. I own many a silly keyboard or electronic noisemaker but sometimes around my band mates it can feel like I'm doing it wrong when they have a lot of high quality pedals and amps. I love the way their stuff sounds too! But that feeling isn't always reciprocated. I suppose it would be nice to convince more musicians that a sound that has character is good if not better than the $200+ this or that.
Keep doing your thing mate. Your bringing a beautiful contrast your bands sound i'm sure!
I didn't realize how my love of synths started with an old casio I had in my childhood. I love how they sound running through that pedal. Epic man, thanks for this video, it's inspiring.
What a nice creative philosophy. Thanks for the inspiration.
‘If you keep using the same equipment that everybody else is using you’re not going to have a signature sonic fingerprint’
so freaking true…
Excellent and well thought out video. Love the aesthetic and the economics. Thank you.
I clicked randomly on this video but I grew up with the same black hole theory. Except back in the 90s when it was all vintage fuzz pedals Random analog boss pedals and actual tape echo machines but they werent called vintage (they were called garbage). I found one of the tape echoes sitting outside of an Italian restaurant on a corner of a street I was walking past, and I had the sudden urge to turn and walk down. Nowadays, all that stuff is super expensive, but I had a bunch of it and it was all cheap, so I agree with your black hole theory very much. I used to travel also to find stuff, and I usually did. One morning I woke up and I have the strongest urge to jump on my motorcycle and drive 20 minutes outside of my town and when I arrived at the little tiny store, that sometimes had musical equipment and they had a piece I have been looking for right in the center of the display and it was 20% off and this was 1997. When you focus and make it part of who you are, it appears. That’s not some weird book they want to sell you. That’s just what happens. It happened to me.
Man what a time. I read stories from that era. It’s hard for people to understand at some point people would look at a Fairchild with disgust and then see a dbx 160x and take out their wallets!!
“And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”
✨🕳️
…*Abraham Hicks”…
@@uselessvideo Paulo Coelho
@@Kyle_Noonan Yep, that mofo too.
@@Kyle_Noonan From "Bridas", right? or "O alquemista"? I really don't remember anymore, read those books when I was 16
Your videos have been a huge inspiration recently! I’ve been visiting local thrift stores and flea markets and just found an SK-1 in the box! Keep up the good work (:
Favorite youtuber right now! You rock :)
Ahh that makes me 🌞
love how you play and let us listen to the instruments many times in the video
I'm glad you enjoyed the format!
great video. i prefer VSTs honestly, just in terms of productivity. but id love to come vibe in ur studio hahha
"When those batteries die, they (the keyboards) start sounding really, really sick!" @ ~8:12 = coolest sound I ever heard. =)
I can absolutely confirm the Black Hole Theory. The amount of gear friends, acquaintances and random people from Instagram has been giving or lending me over the years has been pretty wild. All from being active and passionate about the subject
It’s the truth! ✨🕳️🫡
I'm really just beginning my journey as a musician, but this is definitely how I started, and how I am continuing to grow.
Found a Slammer by Hamer short-scale bass guitar at Good Will for $45. I just really liked it, it called to me.
Replaced the strings with tape-wounds, which cost a few bucks more than the bass.
I bought a new bass to celebrate completing an online bass course. A Harley-Benton fretless violin bass, brand new was $170. Of course with a case and shipping from Germany, it ended up almost twice that, but still, not a high end instrument.
BUT, it is beyond functional. Put tape-wounds on it as well, and I think this is as close as you can get to upright tones on an electric bass. Tone is just exactly what I was looking for.
I love that Casiotone. Borrowed one from a friend years ago and truly didn't want to give it back.
i just find fascinating how americans bought so much musical equipment in the late nineties. Most of us in other countries live a shortage of this equipments in thrift stores or even in regular music shops (it's almost impossible to buy a Rickenbacker or a Danectro in Brazil for example, let alone a 4 track cassette tape machine) you guys have it easy in the states 😅
Yeah, similar here in central Europe (I can only speak for Germany really), except that we don't even have thrift stores, it's just not a thing. Online second hand prices for the few items that actually are for sale are usually absurd because VINTAGE. Flea markets - which do exist - never have anything to offer except for real junk. Quite a disappointing experience.
No Ricknebacker, no Danelectro, no Reverend and other brands are too expensive. Like, a 500 USD squier is sold here in Brazil for 6000 BRL, which is like 1000 USD. And the minimum wage in Brazil is BRL 1,412.00 PER MONTH for fucks sake. Imagine working four months and saving everything to be able to afford a nice squier.
A regular Rickenbacker is a months wages round here. Dentists hang them on their walls as investments. I still dream about them.mThe dealer doesn't even put them on the floor unless they're used. Any other guitar brand they want you to try. Now if you're serious, you can ask if you know they have it. But it's funny all the others are on the floor. They say most buyers want them sealed for the special editions especially. Wanted to see the 90th anniversary 481. They had 3 according to online. Apparently they designated one to be openable but hadn't. You can see it, but I got the feeling I wasn't supposed to. Definitely didn't have 5k for it. And I'm the one weirdo that would want rickosound. So if I could have one, I'd be drilling a hole and rewiring the harness and adding a dual jack plate. I only play for me and I like splitting signal to amps on either side of me. It would be awesome to skip the aby, sending neck and bridge to separate amps.
@@freestyleshaver Yup it's pretty much the situation here in France too
Love it! I'm a big fan of the cheap gear route myself. I have a tiny old Yamaha keyboard I've had for over 30 years and I'm 33 lolol I'm certainly not afraid to invest in certain pieces of gear when I know what and why I want something, but I really love pulling the most out of quirky things that are often overlooked.
Back when my friend and I were 19, we jammed on a near-dead battery Yahama Portasound PSS 470. We set it on an ironing board, plugged into a minidisc player and hammered out some pretty wild stuff. I listen back to the recordings now and then and there are parts that still astonish me. At one point, it sounded as though the keyboard was being plunged under water and pulled back out again.
Gotta say absolutely love this philosophy and the videos aesthetic is top notch! Idk if you normally wear suits but i think it really adds to the vibe of this topic, guess you could say it suits you 😝
Yoooooooooooooooo. I’m a cheap keyboard fiend. My current stable is:
- Yamaha PSR-12. FM keyboard with the best keyfeel I’ve ever tried. Lives connected to my mixing board so I can doodle out melodies whenever.
- Yamaha PSS-140. Lovely sounds- 86 Transistor Organ is to die for.
- Roland VA-3. Not cheap but I got it for free from somebody else’s studio downsize. Cool to muck around with.
That TEAC 2A mixer is bomb. It is the coolest mixer I’ve ever owned, by far
You have the style. It's priceless. Whatever a price of gear is
Love this. It’s a really great philosophy. I am going to dig out my old Casio keyboard from my parents basement asap.
amen brother! and peace from Ireland!
I have a good friend that successfully lives by this philosophy. Very interesting perspective.
I am in the same boat with the cheap keyboards. The key (that i've found anyway) is experimenting with different effects chains and some persistance!
Yup persistence is the key! Also making some documentation of your chains. Nothing worse than listening to old playback and being like how did I turn this Casio into a 1800s demented pipe organ again?
Great video! The background music was so good I had to pick up my cheap guitar and practice along with it!
Thats the best way to practice IMO!
Great video and you are giving away all the thrifting secrets! Really good point with your black hole theory too :) the cheap equipment of olde is finite and very much worth the hunt now.
Open source all day long. No secrets here!
man you should do a video with gregory scott from kush audio and talk about analog gear for hours
I’d be down!
what’s he up to these days? i keep thinking i haven’t seen any videos or updates in a long time
This is mindblowing. Thank you for the inspiration, mate.
Thank you!!
Forget the haters, I bought myself a $20 casiotone off of market place and I'm so happy you encouraged me to.
Subscribed in the first minute, I'm a sound engineer/musician of 20/30 yrs. Great content!
Why thank you, and thank you for your service 🫡
Casiotone MT70 guy, here! Really cool.
Even the drums are slappers!
me too! my old room mate gave me one 10 years ago and I've had it ever since.
Wild how much the Casio sounds like the infamous vox organ!
thats exactly what I was thinking. Now if I had them side by side, might be a different story haha who knows.
YOU and your videos bring joy and happiness to ME!
Hey! That means ALOT!! 🤝🏼🙌🏼
Had me at Black Hole theory, that shit hits
Your titles and graphics are fantastic, would love a peak into your process
@3:50 I love that little beginning melody
I still mourn my Casio SK-1 that I lost ten years ago. Found it at the thrift store for like $5. Now they go for 100+ on reverb. I'll probably have to buy one.
The built in mic and the way the chip samples things was just the perfect kind of instant lofi sampler that I have never been able to replicate.
I do the same! I use my casiotone MT-240 for some crazy warped sounds. Magic Sounds full of character!
The bells especially on this one are out of this world
@@vvundertone there’s a great Tape-Flute sounding preset! Budget mellotron!
Travelling, yes. Many become musicians as they yearn to leave their boring little town. The gear you find on your journey helps you create your musical travelogue
indeed. I'm happy I escaped my boring little town :)
Crazy I found this video. I literally just blacholed a Casio CTK-2090 😂🤝🏾
blackhole strikes again. I been wanting a sick early 2000s keyboard like that! have fun creating bangers!
You found that Chroma Console on the street - wow!
Just love your approach to how you make music with cheap gear. Great tip about the Salvation army. I collected retro games for a while and visited them daily after work. Got some amazing finds over the years! 😊 Subbed your channel. 😊
Just got the Casio mt-240 for $40 off eBay actually, I’m so pumped
There is a little bit of "yeah, no $H*T" to this. But to be honest, I've been looking around at my stuff and realizing I have quite the little setup here. Thank you for showing me what was right in front of my face. Truly inspired by this one. Appreciate ya.
Great content and very well delivered. I'm so glad I found your channel! Keep up the great work and great music!!!
appreciate that. more coming soon :)
Use what you’ve got! I never got rid of my Fostex 4 track or anything. I use an iPad Pro and I’m about to have a look at your digitising tape. One of my fave channel on UA-cam so I watch in bed. Cheers, mahn
means a lot. thank god for never selling things. a wise man once told me "never sell your tools" sadly I have made that mistake too many times to count.
@ Wise man! ….I could never have parted with it. Love your channel. You’ve been really helpful in me finishing my recording room at home.
Madlib does the exact same using cheap gear. Super dope beats in the background💥
Madlib is a big inspo for me. Thank you!
I LOVE THIS OLD GEAR DISCONTINUED AND OBSOLOTE STUFF I pass all of them into plugins, pedal guitars or rack dso fx processor and the results is amazing
great video! - you've got something very cool going on with those Casios
Thank you! ☺️
Wow, crazy amount of vintage gear. I once had a Casio SK-1 sampling keyboard. Along with other Casio keyboards like the MT-210 and PT-80. You could get some really interesting tones with the SK-1. Especially running it through a stereo mixer and reverb delay.
The SK-1 inspires me everyday. Such a incredible sound! Warm and gritty. I want to sample other casios with it 😅
This video was so cool and so well done I loved it
Great vid and I hope it inspires kids (who perhaps like me, had no money when my musical interest was rapid fire) to grab some of this gear and get creative. I am convinced that the monetary limitations I had as a teen directly influenced my creativity. In today's world of "Hey Ai, make this song for me", or even the fact that kids today can have an insane 'studio' for free on a cell phone, I think is not helping them develop their creativity, and so, people who have nothing but an RV and a guitar are writing the best stuff. Cuz you can't fake it.
Yup. The early stuff is almost always best. The drive, the limited resources. It’s just recipe for the most innovative and pure work.
When you prime your mind to be on the lookout for music gear and unique sounds. You’ll recognise and grab every opportunity that you would have otherwise not noticed.
The thing is, you’re not aware of the things you don’t notice.
My mind is primed for sure
My philosophy is that I want almost a physical snapshot of what gear is available to me, locally, with that gear acting as a filter for my own creativity, hopefully to create a sound that is distinct. This should vary quite a bit from place to place, and hopefully the approach can create the sound of that place. The more you start using things like reviews to find the "best" gear, coupled with using online shopping to summon that to your doorstep, the more you will end up making everyone else's sound. Things like janky guitar pedals found in your uncle's garage are great for this.
Agree mate! My uncle had a lot of janky stuff in his shed but no pedals.
lol man, i'm only like 4 mins into this video but i've already heard so much that aligns precisely with my experience. basically all of my gear comes from thrift stores; got a whole rack of like 5 units there, many casios, and even stumbled upon a martin guitar for 15 bucks. black hole theory is real. spending your savings on expensive equipment and knowing exactly what you're getting is no fun.
This is exactly (mostly) the way I do things. I love finding cheap or forgotten gear like the Yamaha Portasounds, Boss mini-rack units, or late 90's / early '00's romplers. I like the fact these things often have zero menu diving involved, which makes them very immediate to use. Bonus points if they have some odd function that can't be replicated elsewhere. The Yamaha PSR-36 is an underrated unit, which sounds richer than it should. FX are the secret to getting the most out of them, so it helps to have some decent pedals, to bring them to life.
PSR37 was one I found in the (clean)trash and it had good weirdo sounds
Romplers would be a cheap option-no one wants them- IF you can program them or at least stick them thru unusual effects
Very useful video! Thank you!
Thanks Keanu!
Love your vid man😎
I'm not entirely into recording to tape because of the expense and hassle of the media. But I do like the idea of a more analog signal chain and being creative with the sources of the sounds. My preferred instrument is bass. But my wife does have an old Yamaha keyboard I could use. Probably still need a guitar though. Keyboards do a lousy job of mimicking the transients of plucked strings in my experience.
Anyhow, I really appreciate what you do and that you take the time to share it. It is inspiring.
It is a hassle. I get it. Lots of headaches and troubles for sure. Keyboards do a lousy job for a lot of sounds but sometimes you can use it to your advantage. Look at Pharrell. Sometimes I imagine what his production would sound like with real guitar instead of that "cheesy" keyboard strat sound and honestly I don't think it would work as well.
@@vvundertone True, you can make things work if you like. But I'm old school. Grew up with AM radio, 8-tracks, and vinyl. I genuinely can't stand the lifeless sound of contemporary music.
you're doing it right man... bless you and your creative life... sub'd!
Ty so much!!
Men, amazing content, amazing edit, amazing sounds... I completely agree with you and I'm happy so see more and more conscious people. Creativity is among money and gear. Sometimes limitations is where the inspiration can be found. New sub here.
Thank you very much 🙏🏼🫡
Incredible video dude, hopefully you never run out of space for more gear haha🙏
Too late 😔. I have a storage unit with so many neglected babies. But the distance makes the heart grow fonder.
@@vvundertone maybe you should pay it forward - keep the energy flowing... lend to a friend - gear karma is real 🕉
Love the reel to reel - i am on the lookout for one
they are a pure joy to use. I know you will be finding one soon!!
love the philosophy - more please!! it allows us who choose to be totally software based to relate more to you and your awesome channel - thank you
Thank you for this insight. I enjoy that aspect of it as well so I will continue!
very nice point on one spesific weird sound of particular instrument that you can't find anywhere else.
Yup. Ice Block preset I can never live without now!
these people that comment all these negative things.. i wonder if they have actually used the gear they are slating down on, or if they have do they even make any music, i waste money on gear yet i don't even make any music, it's more so external forces like mental state i.e lack of drive and passion etc but back to the gear, every instrument has it's own unique character especially with old gear and anything can be made to sound good , your philosophy is great and i'm glad you shared this with us, lets not forget, how distortion with guitars along with many genres like metal was discovered... a faulty amp... a piece of gear that was unique to itself, had its own character! tbh i feel theres alot i can learn from you
I have had immense luck in finding a perfectly functioning casio sk-1 in a thrift store for 15€ and i love it to pieces, i've done entire songs with almost only the casio and a zoom multi fx. I sometimes play it just to zone out and relax
Is your sk-1 song anywhere I can listen to it?
Dang I wanna hear too
Sadly here in Oz, thrift stores rarely accept electrical goods due to the risk of liability.
Most of my best finds have been on the side of the road within 100m of my house.
Keyboards, guitars and drums.
That 5% gave me 90% 🔥🔥🔥😊
🤌🏼✨☺️
@@vvundertone thanks to this video I just scored a Yamaha psr-6 for $25 🔥
Thank you for inspiring me to look around my area 🙏🏽
Just happened upon your channel man, great stuff! Subscribed!
Casiotones are the undeclared champions of synth
You are undeniably inspiring.
That brings me much joy! Lets go forth and CREATE!
Awesome video and great advice! I bought a Casio SK-1 new in 1986...that's how old i am :-)
What a beautiful experience that must of been! How much if I may ask?
@@vvundertone Yeah, it was great. I think it was about $50.
I like how that Nikon FM (FE?) is just hanging out there in the background, looking absolutely awesome.
Love your stuff man
FM all day! My absolute fav 35mm. Appreciate you!
I love that TEAC mixer. Got the same one years ago, and I think it sounds great 🙂
My favorite way to color a recording, especially drums!
sk1 guitar sample sounded amazing
Ty! That lil sk1 keeps blowing me away!
I enjoyed and appreciate your video but I'd like to hear more of what you can do without the Chroma Console. As other's have stated , that pedal can make any random sound generator sound interesting, even spitting into a microphone.
That SK1 is sick yo
You've inspired me to hoard more gear, Im headed to the thrift stores!
Hoard, but USE!
great video