Midlife Synthesist – Crisis & Confessynth

1. Favourite knob or fader or switch on a piece of gear and why?

Octatrack scene fader

My absolute favorite is the Octatrack scene fader. It ́s the heart and soul of the performance aspect of the machine. What’s mind blowing is how sensitive it is, how smooth the transitions are between the scenes and how it can really take a lot of punishment when in the heat of the moment and (after about 5 years of owning one) it ́s never given me any issues. It ́s just one of a kind to me.

2. Do you have an ‘almost’ perfect bit of kit? What would you change?

Arturia Polybrute

The Polybrute is pretty much my idea of a perfect synth. Absolutely stunning sound combined with one of the most user friendly interfaces out there that make for easy sound design as well as innovative performance controls. The only thing I wish it had was a stereo audio input for processing external audio through it ́s filters and audio fx. Aside from that, being able to expand it ́s voice count like on the Sequential Rev2 would be awesome.

3. What setup do you bring on holiday or tour or commute etc.?

Dirtywave M8 Tracker

I always sneak in a little musical mischief into my everyday backpack. The OP-1 and M8 practically live in there and there’s always a third piece that rotates. Sometimes it is the Polyend Play, others the Octatrack. Nothing too big. Lately I ́ve been experimenting with a more hybrid setup and my Macbook with the Erae Touch have found their way into portable setup quite nicely.

4. What software do you wish was hardware and vice versa?

 I wish there was a hardware version of Arturia Pigments. It ́s just such a beautiful sounding synth with so much depth to it. I can’t even imagine what it would look like in hardware form though lol. I’d imagine something huge, with loads of buttons and a massive screen like on the Waldorf Iridium.

Chase Bliss Blooper and Habit with Make Noise 0-Coast

As for hardware that I wish was software, pretty much all of my FX pedals. In particular, it would be a dream to have multiple instances of the Chase Bliss Habit pedal to mess around with in VST format, though I have to admit that half the appeal is the looks and feel of the knobs on that thing.

5. Is there anything you regret selling… or regret buying?

Ouch, this hit home haha. My biggest regret is selling the Synthstrom Deluge. I sold it a few months back because even though I loved it, I was pretty sure a version 2.0 was bound to show up in 2023. Probably with an updated screen. Well, I was right about the screen haha. However, I was wrong in assuming that all companies are out to get your money. Turns out Synthstrom did come up with a new screen, but it is compatible with the original Deluge, so you can send your unit to them and they will fit in the new screen for a small fee. Mindblowing.
Anyway, now I just have to hope I can grab a new one in 2023. As for gear I regret buying, I don’t really regret buying anything, especially since I’m constantly flipping my setup and selling off the gear that I don’t use. Everything I ́ve experimented on has given me some new insight into sound design or music. Though I don’t gel with everything or even understand everything I buy, I try to learn as much as I can and if it just doesn’t click after a considerable amount of effort, I sell it. I think of my gear addiction as more of a “catch and release” thing than hanging on to everything I ever buy. The world is full of amazing things to try out, so why not let go of the things you don’t need and keep moving forward?

6. What gear has inspired you to produce the most music?

Ironically, I think I ́ve made most of my music on a wooden guitar and a piano haha. As for gear that changed the way I make music and really got me doing new things, there are four that come to mind. First is the OP-1. Sounds great, doesn’t give you overwhelming options so you can really focus on writing music and you can take it anywhere with you. Also the tape recorder forces you to make very deliberate choices when editing, and I found that limitation helped me avoid getting stuck in unimportant details that I can waste hours on in a DAW. Second, the M8. Just as with the OP-1, it ́s portable and battery powered, which means you get a ton of more access and play time on a day to day basis. A huge plus is that you can use it standing up like a gameboy and don’t need to set it up on a surface (say hi to subway beatmaking). Absolutely different feel and experience than the OP-1. Sounds absolutely amazing, the FX are out of this world and it gives you surgical precision to make your melodies and sounds as intricate as you want them to be. It ́s workflow is very particular and it makes using it a bit more cerebral, which I appreciate because it has made me produce music I would have never thought of if I was just playing stuff on keys or pads. Third place, the Octatrack. To me it is the quintessential performance sampler. The way you can mangle and slice and morph your sounds is inspired, and it was the first machine that really made me want to use my FX as part of songwriting and performance and not just set and forget like in traditional guitar pedal boards.

Moog Subsequent 37

Finally, the Subsequent 37. It is to this day one of my favorite synths, just because the sound alone is enough to bring the house down. Whether it’s leads or bass, it cuts through a mix like a hot knife through butter. It has inspired me to let loose with improvisation, not only musically, but to use sound design as part of the performance, tweaking the patch as a play for great effect.

7. If you had to start over, what would you get first?

If I was just starting, I think I ́d pick a lane and try to get really good at it. Doesn’t matter what piece of gear or instrument, but really double down on getting as good as I can before moving on

Roland Fantom 6

 to something new. If I could only keep one thing, it would probably be either my Roland Fantom 6 or the OP-1, just because both of them have everything I need to make music till the cows come home and have a blast while doing so.

8. What’s the most annoying piece of gear you have, that you just can’t live without?

Octatrack MKii

Once again, the Octatrack. Most of the time it ́s awesome to make music and party with it, except when you need it to do something more speciific that you know it can do, but you either don’t know or can’t remember how to get it to do the thing. Then it’s either diving into the incomprehensible elektron manual or even worse, having to go online and search for the answer among thousands of forums posts with similar questions and ever more solutions. As I said, it ́s one of my favorite devices, but when you hit a wall, it can be really frustrating. (Big Shoutout to Synthdawg for making user friendly Octatrack Manual that’s actually fun to read!)

9. Most surprising tip or trick or technique that you’ve discovered about a bit of kit?

I recently learned how to use the Vocoder on my Roland Fantom 6. I’m still learning but playing around with the frequency response and trying out different synths with it has been an absolute joy. To be honest I didn’t even know it had a Vocoder when I bought it, so it has been a very pleasant “bonus”.


Artist or Band name?

Midlife Synthesist

Genre?

I really wish I knew, I suck at classifying music. Somewhere along the lines of Depeche Mode and Pearl Jam if I had to guess.

Selfie?

Midlife Synthesist

 Where are you from?

I was born in Chile, grew up living in the USA, Brazil, Lebanon, South Korea and now I live in Chile again.

How did you get into music?

My older brother had an acoustic guitar and he would often play songs to me. As soon as I could wrap my fingers around the neck (of the guitar btw, I didn’t strangle my brother) I started noodling and never stopped.

What still drives you to make music?

I ́m a very anxious person and music is the closest thing to meditating that I can manage to do. When I let myself really sink into the music, my mind goes blank and I’m not worrying about the future, global warming, ChatGPT becoming Skynet etc. I make music to relax and calm myself down.

How do you most often start a new track?

I try to vary as much as I can, cause I tend get stuck in ruts quite easily. My most common way to start a track is noodling with a chord progression and singing a melody and then I just start adding on to it. I try to change it up by starting with a bassline or drums every so often.

How do you know when a track is finished?

A famous filmmaker once said “A movie is never finished, only abandoned”. I feel the same way about music. You can always add something else, put a little more work in. That doesn’t mean you always should. I used to spend months fussing over a track, and then I realized that when the idea or emotion you where trying to transmit is there, it ́s enough. All the rest is optional. I ́d rather spend my time experimenting with a new track than worrying about my hi hats not being properly compressed.

Show us your current studio

Midlife Synthesist studio

Best creative advice that you’ve ever heard?

“All art is derivative. If you think it ́s original, it ́s only because you don’t know the references”. I think I spent way too much time trying to be “unique” or “original” in my music, when in reality, everything you make is a mixture of the things you’ve heard and seen through the course of your life that have left an impact. I ́m not saying you can’t make something new or exciting, but your creations will always have influences, references of things that have moved you in the past. And I find that quite liberating because I used to get really stressed when someone would say things like “hey, your song sounds like this other song”.
I would take it as a sign that I was not being original enough, when really it was just my influences shining through in a piece of music that was completely mine. After all, there are only 12 notes. Whatever you make now is most likely going to sound a little similar to something someone else out there has already written in the last couple of hundred years, and that’s fine. Just stay true to yourself and your particular blend of music. That’s as original as you need to be.

Promote your latest thing… Go ahead, throw us a link.

I ́m just trying to figure out this whole digital artist thing and it ́s been a hell of a ride. Though I have a few “traditional” tracks under the name the Midlife Synthesist on Spotify, I have much more music and fun jams on my Youtube channel. I also have a Patreon community with the nicest people you’ve ever seen on a discord server, huge shout out to them for their friendship and support.


[Editor: There are affiliate links to the relevant gear throughout the articles. It helps to support this blog. In fact, should you be needing some patch cables or guitar strings. Then clicking on one of the above links and buying any product that you prefer, will help the blog… doesn’t even have to be the ones in the link. Thx]


Paul Talos – Signal Soundlabs

1. Favourite knob/fader/switch on a piece of gear and why?

Make Noise Morphagene

Lately, it’s been the Vari-Speed knob on the Morphagene. It’s really incredible how something as simple as changing the speed and pitch of a sound can turn it into something completely unrecognizable. Things get even more interesting when you start reversing things too. You really end up discovering all kinds of sounds within sounds that you never really would have thought were there, especially when slowing samples down. Gotta love the wonderful world of microsound.

2. Do you have an ‘almost’ perfect bit of kit? What would you change?

Moog Subsequent 37

The closest thing for me would be my Moog Subsequent 37. It just puts so much sound design power at your fingertips, you almost don’t need anything else. Between having one of my favorite filters, two different kinds of distortion, and plenty of modulation options, there’s enough in there to make a lifetime’s worth of music. It may not be as infinitely versatile as my eurorack setup, but there’s a certain immediacy about it that allows me to get what I need out of it very quickly. The only thing that could possibly make it even better is if it had voltage control over more of the parameters. I actually really regret not jumping on the CV version while they were still making those, as that would have been as close to perfect as you can get.

3. What setup do you bring on holiday/tour/commute etc.?

Moog Mother-32

I can’t say I do much traveling with my gear, as my setup wasn’t exactly designed with mobility in mind. But I guess if I were to bring anything, it would be my Moog Mother-32. Not only is it one of my more compact instruments, but I find its limitations to be pretty inspiring. It’s a surprisingly deep instrument and can yield some very unexpected results with a bit of clever patching. I often feel like I’m just scratching the surface of what it can do, so I suppose traveling with it would really force me to get everything I can out of it.

4. What software do you wish was hardware and vice versa?

Spectrasonics Omnisphere

I really wish there was some kind of hardware version of Spectrasonics Omnisphere. It’s such a useful instrument when scoring for a film, especially for creating cinematic soundscapes. It’s one of the few VST instruments I find myself going back to time and time again. If they made a hardware version with some CV control over the parameters, I’d buy one in a heartbeat. Of course, with the size of the library being what it is, I’m sure it would be incredibly impractical to actually implement in hardware form, much less in eurorack format.

Walrus Audio Descent

On the flip side, I’d love a plugin version of my Walrus Audio Descent reverb pedal. I use the shimmer mode on that pedal quite a bit to add an almost choir-like quality to synths, and would love to have multiple software instances to use throughout a mix. Sure, there are ways of creating a similar sound using other software (the Descent is digital after all) but the pitch shifting on this pedal has a very particular, kind of unnatural sound to it. Hard to describe, but it definitely has a tone and I haven’t really come across anything else that sounds quite like it.

5. Is there anything you regret selling… or regret buying?

Korg MS-20 mini

I sold my Korg MS-20 mini when I first started diving into eurorack. At the time, I figured it didn’t make sense to have a semi-modular synth that didn’t speak Volt per Octave and was looking to get some cash to finance the beginnings of my modular (I believe I ended up buying a Maths with the money I made). But over time I realized just how much I missed those oscillators and filters. It’s such a unique instrument, and much like the Mother-32, it just has a very inspiring set of limitations. So last year, I actually ended up buying it again and will never repeat the mistake of selling it.

Arturia Minibrute 2S

As far as buyer’s remorse on a piece of gear, I bought an Arturia Minibrute 2S when they first came out and had some regrets on that one. The synth voice itself is phenomenal, and the ability to integrate it with eurorack really enhanced the functionality of my existing modular system. But I never got into a good flow with the sequencer. As someone with a background in music theory, I found it really difficult to visualize musical intervals due to its lack of a traditional keyboard. So I eventually ended up selling it and getting the keyboard version instead. Been loving it ever since.

6. What gear has inspired you to produce the most music?

Signal SoundLabs Eurorack

Lately, my eurorack rig has been the most consistent source of inspiration. I made some upgrades to it recently, and after about three years of buying and selling modules, I finally feel like I have most of the puzzle pieces in place. Modular synthesis definitely has an element of unpredictability, feels like these modules have a will of their own sometimes and I’m just along for the ride.
It really is a happy accident machine. The downside is it can be a bit difficult to tame, especially when working on music that is synced to visuals. But lately I’ve managed to find a workflow that has been very effective for film music. The key was to start recording everything I did on the modular and then spending some time editing to pick out all the best parts. The editing can be time consuming, but I find myself getting faster and faster with patching so it all evens out. Overall, I just find it more inspiring to capture a bunch of audio from the modular and then work by subtraction rather than addition.

7. If you had to start over, what would you get first?

If I had to start again, I’d probably get the most powerful computer I could afford, along with a copy of Cubase, a Universal Audio Apollo Twin, and some kind of semi-modular synth like the Minibrute 2. A basic rig like this would cover pretty much all the essentials, while combining a tactile hardware workflow with plenty of digital flexibility.

8. What’s the most annoying piece of gear you have, that you just can’t live without?

Mutable Instruments Clouds

Hard to say, but I guess I kind of have a love/hate relationship with my Mutable Instruments Clouds module. I rely on it pretty heavily when it comes to making any kind of ambient drone patch, but I find it rather annoying having to remember what all the controls do in its various different modes. Having installed the Parasite firmware really didn’t help with that either. That said, I came across an iOS app called Modes that acts as a nice cheat sheet for some multi-function modules, so I’m definitely not pulling my hair out as much as before. As much as I have a few gripes with Clouds, it really brings a lot to the table and has become pretty much irreplaceable in my rack.

9. Most surprising tip/trick/technique that you’ve discovered about a bit of kit?

Chase Bliss MOOD

I’ve recently been getting more and more into processing audio from Cubase using effects pedals. Plug-ins can be great, particularly for utility functions like EQ, but nowadays there are so many unique pedals out there, it feels like a shame not to use them to process in-the-box sounds as well. I’ve been doing this a lot with my Chase Bliss MOOD pedal in particular, which lets me grab a short slice of audio from the DAW and transform it in all kinds of quirky and interesting ways. Lately, whenever I get stuck on a track, I’ll start feeding random audio into MOOD (unused takes from the modular work particularly well) just to see what happens. It’s a great way to get myself out of a creative rut.


Artist or Band name?

Paul Talos

Genre?

Cinematic Electronica. I’ve never been sure how to categorize my music exactly, so eventually I just made something up. I think it sums things up pretty nicely.

Selfie?

Paul Talos

Where are you from?

Born in Germany, grew up in Boston, MA. Currently living in Philadelphia, PA.

How did you get into music?

I started playing electric guitar around the age of ten and started experimenting with home recording on a laptop when I was a teenager. After high school, I spent some time at Berklee College of Music studying guitar and discovered a love of synthesis and all things electronic music shortly after that.

What still drives you to make music?

Music’s become my job over the last few years, so a paycheck is definitely one thing that drives me. But more importantly, I constantly find myself inspired by just listening to other people’s music and trying to deconstruct what I’m hearing. I’ve come across some very interesting synthesis and production techniques just by trying (and usually failing) to emulate something I heard somewhere else.

How do you most often start a new track?

As a film composer, the answer to that question really varies from project to project. Production timelines and deadlines can be vastly different from one film to the next, so sometimes it might be starting a new track every day, other times I’ll write two or three a week. I do try to spend some time every day just to make some kind of noise though, usually on the modular. I find that synthesis is a skill that really needs to be maintained, otherwise it just gets harder the longer you are away from it. So regardless of what I’m working on, I try to squeeze in some synth time at least once a day, so I don’t get too rusty.

How do you know when a track is finished?

It really never is, but once the deadline hits it’s usually good enough. Honestly, if I didn’t have deadlines of some sort, I’m not sure I would ever finish anything. 

Show us your current studio

Signal SoundLabs studio

Best creative advice that you’ve ever heard?

This one kind of relates to one of the other questions about finishing tracks. I took this music production class in college, and the professor said something one day that really stuck with me. I’m paraphrasing, but it was something along the lines of this: A mix is never done, you just stop working on it eventually. To hear that from a professional in the industry was incredibly reassuring at the time. I think it’s something that applies not only to a mix, but to music making in general. Nothing is ever truly finished and that’s okay.

Promote your latest thing… Go ahead, throw us a link.

Back in July, I released my score for a short thriller film called ‘Just Like You.’ The score is available on all streaming platforms. Links below.

Just Like You (Spotify)

https://music.apple.com/us/album/just-like-you-original-score-ep/1521324795

https://paultalos.bandcamp.com/releases


[Editor: Do you have a favorite tip, trick or way of working with any of the gear from this interview?
Then throw us a comment below…
]


Matt Lowery – Cinematique Tones

1. Favourite knob/fader/switch on a piece of gear and why?

Easy- the filter cutoff knob on my Moog Subsequent 25. It’s huge, feels great, and what is does sonically is even better.

Moog Subsequent 25 Filter Knob

2. Do you have an ‘almost’ perfect bit of kit? What would you change?

The Vermona PerFOURMer is 99% perfect. I do sometimes wish I could store presets, but I understand why they kept everything completely manual. It’s inspiring to explore and dial in new sounds, but it would also be fantastic to be able to quickly find my way back to a sound I’ve already incorporated in a song (say, if I’m doing pickups in studio

Vermona PerFOURmer

3. What setup do you bring on holiday/tour/commute etc.?

My most fun, expressive mobile music tool is the norns. It can almost fit in your back pocket, but its scope is pretty limitless.

Monome Norns

4. What software do you wish was hardware and vice versa?

I’d sell a kidney to get Sean Costello’s Valhalla Vintage Verb into pedal form. I’d love to see some of Tom Majeski of Cooper FX’s code (particularly the Generation Loss) make its way to plugin land.

Cooper FX Generatioin Loss

5. Is there anything you regret selling… or regret buying?

Oof. This one hurts. When I was 17, I found an old keyboard looking thing in a closet at the local church my family attended. I messed around with it and dismissed it as some kind of work out garbage, and gave it to a friend. It was a Juno 60. That one pains me to this day.

[Editor: Damn!]

6. What gear has inspired you to produce the most music?

There are about 100 answers to this question, and the most honest answer I can give is “go check out my instagram”, because that’s where I document my adventures with inspiring gear. Lately, the most inspiring thing I’ve played is the Instruo Arbhar, which is this incredible musical granular processor. It’s really wonderful.

Instruo Arbhar

7. If you had to start over, what would you get first?

Wouldn’t change a thing! So the official answer is a Squier Stratocaster.

8. What’s the most annoying piece of gear you have, that you just can’t live without?

My tape decks. There’s always something to clean, maintain, or fix. But working with magnetic tape is something I don’t ever want to give up. The process itself helps me generate better ideas.

Tape Decks

9. Most surprising tip/trick/technique that you’ve discovered about a bit of kit?

Recently I found out I could trigger the gate on my Vongon Paragraphs pedal with midi note data, which lets me set up these super tight rhythmic filter opening sequences. Super cool.

Vongon Paragraphs

Artist or Band name?

Matt Lowery

Genre?

Ambient/Electronic

Where are you from?

Oklahoma City, OK, USA.

How did you get into music?

I picked up guitar when I was 12, and have been at it ever since!

What still drives you to make music?

Music and art are the ways that I process the world. I have to be making something meaningful all the time. When I stop making things, I start having trouble in every area of my life.

How do you most often start a new track?

I try to spend time with music every day. So I’ll usually stumble upon a sound, a vibe, or a progression by accident, and that will be the seed for a track. Sometimes it works out, often it doesn’t. That’s the fun!

How do you know when a track is finished?

When I enjoy it as much as I enjoy other people’s music, I try to just walk away. There’s always more you can do, so it’s more that I put it down, rather than saying it’s done.

Show us your current studio

That would require me to clean my current studio 😀

Best creative advice that you’ve ever heard?

Here’s the best advice I’ve ever read, period:

https://sivers.org/balance

[Editor: Spectacularly good advice! If you feel it applies to you? TLDR: Find a balance between income and art by separating the two]

Promote your latest thing… Go ahead, throw us a link.

You can hear my latest LP “Voyager” as well as my newest single “Nearer Now” at my Bandcamp page (mattlowery.bandcamp.com), as well as on all major streaming platforms.


[Editor: Do you have a favorite tip, trick or way of working with any of the gear from this interview?
Then throw a comment below…
]