Francis Preve

Sound designer. Producer. Professor. Journalist. Author.

Filtering by Category: Pro Tip,Ableton Live

Programming the Oberheim OB-X8

After programming it for a month (and comparing it to other analog gear in my rig), I can confirm that the Oberheim OB-X8 is a truly fantastic beast with an incredibly specific sound, much like last year’s spot-on reissue of the original Prophets 5 and 10.

When I first fired it up, I was startled by how much it instantly evoked the sound of artists who relied on it for multiple hits. Sure, Van Halen’s “Jump” brass sound is a trademark of the OB series, but it’s also the sound of Prince and Jam & Lewis (aka The Minneapolis Sound), as well as a striking number of UK synthwave artists from the early 80s. The Thompson Twins, Depeche Mode, Simple Minds, along with art-wave pioneers Japan and Ultravox, all used Oberheims in crafting their early records—and it’s astonishing how much these instruments influenced the sound of vintage synthwave. Familiar sounds practically fall out of the unit with minimal effort.

And thanks to Tom Oberheim, Marcus Ryle, and Dave Smith, the sound is… huge.

More here: https://cdm.link/2022/05/hands-on-tour-of-the-oberheim-ob-x8-architecture-feature-by-feature-with-francis-preve/

Ultimate Guide to Ultimate Guides

After 20 years of writing tutorials and masterclasses for Electronic Musician, Keyboard, and Music Radar, I’ve posted a lot of instructional content since I redid this site in 2017. To make the blog easier to navigate for new visitors, I’ve collected all of my Music Radar and Electronic Musician guides into a single directory post.

Below are direct links to each of the masterclasses on my blog, some of which include downloadable presets and examples. Have at it!

Roland System-8 Tips (2021)

It’s rare that a digital synth will steadily remain in production for over five years, but the Roland System-8 hit that anniversary this year. It may seem strange to sing the praises of a synth that’s not old enough to be vintage and not new enough to be trendy, but having had it in my studio since its release, it’s clear why the System-8 has such longevity.

Here are eight tips for this evergreen synth – some applying to both hardware and software. The software version is available on Roland Cloud, so you can easily test drive it there to check out the features that keep it one of the primary go-to’s in my studio.

Continue reading on CDM...

Disquiet Junto Project 0471

Today is my first contribution to the Disquiet Junto initiative.

This is a link to the specifics for Disquiet Junto Project 0471.

https://disquiet.com/2021/01/07/disquiet-junto-project-0471-phase-transition/

Here’s the original recording. A single ice cube in a lead crystal tumbler (they ring!)

Here’s the finished experiment.

Here’s the downloadable Ableton Live 10 Project file.

Disquiet_Junto_0471_Ableton.zip

Have fun with it :)

Watch+Learn: Index 1 (2020.05.22)

Watch + Learn: House Bass 1 (Multiple)

House bass created using Operator and Phase Plant

Level: Intermediate

Platform: Ableton Operator, Kilohearts Phase Plant

Description: The “knocking” House bass sound that’s often used in Tech House, Future House, and Classic House.

Download Link to Preset:
Watch+Learn_AbletonPreset_HouseBass1

Download Link to Preset:
Watch+Learn_PhasePlant_HouseBass1

Watch + Learn: 808 Kick Bass (Universal)

808 Kick Bass starting points on three different softsynths: Serum, Phase Plant, and Operator.
[Note: Very low frequency content. Headphones or monitors required.]

Level: Beginner

Platforms: Ableton Operator, Xfer Serum, Kilohearts Phase Plant

Description: Recreation of the Roland TR-808 Kick Bass sound using multiple platforms. Additional customization with overdrive and distortion should be added by the user.

Download Ableton Operator 808 Kick Bass:
Watch+Learn_AbletonPreset_808KickBass

Download Xfer Serum 808 Kick Bass:
Watch+Learn_SerumPreset_808KickBass

Download Kilohearts Phase Plant 808 Kick Bass:
Watch+Learn_PhasePlant_808KickBass

Watch + Learn: Supersaw (Universal)

Supersaw starting points on four different softsynths: Serum, Phase Plant, Operator, and Wavetable.

Level: Beginner

Platform: Xfer Serum, Ableton Operator, Kilohearts Phase Plant, Ableton Wavetable

Description: The starting point for creating Supersaw chord stabs. Filter and effects are areas for customization.

Download Serum Supersaw: Watch+Learn_SerumPreset_Supersaw

Download Operator and Wavetable Supersaw: Watch+Learn_AbletonPresets_Supersaw

Download Phase Plant Supersaw: Watch+Learn_PP_Supersaw