Demo and comparisons of gear and synths I own or used to own

CoolColJ's Demos

Korg Wavestation SR vs the Korg Legacy VSTi

Hardware wins again..... I made the VSTi clip 1 db louder and it stills sounds weak, where's the bottom and "warmth"?

Some patches sound totally different. I was going to sell my Wavestation SR, now I'm not so sure.... I also have a Wavestation keyboard that I bought brand new.


WavestationSR vs LegacyVSTi 2

Showing the joys of Polyphonic or Key Aftetouch on the Ensoniq SQ-80 synth. 
It really does make it so much better

Gotta love them analog filters :)

Ensoniq SQ-80 poly aftertouch demo

Just trying this free VST out on my Roland MKS-80 rev 5.
Mutine is apparently modelled on a Mutronics Mutator
http://mokafix.chez-alice.fr/vst/Mutine_gb.html

Even though it only has 2 filters and 2 LFOs, it sounds quite a bit like the vactrol triple resonator on the old Korg PS 3100

MKS-80 processed by Mutine1 VST

A Roland SH2 sequenced via CV/Gate from a modified x0xb0x TB-303 clone, and then run through it's filters and VCA

Roland acid squelch 70s style  :)

Roland SH-2 x0x'ed

I haven't tried the dual/split modes on  the Jupiter 8 much in the 10 years I've owned it! :)
So I decided to try it out today, and man does it sound silky, rich and lush!

Hard to believe it's vintage analog sometimes, it's so refined sounding.

I'm guessing this is what Roland is going for in the Jupiter 80....

Jupiter 8 Dual mode layer noodling

Dual brass patch run through a Roland SRE-555 analog effects unit - tape delay and spring reverb 

Yamaha VL1 - Dual Brass through SRE-555

Using a BC3 breath controller to modulate and trigger the sounds. Adds a lot of expression and realism

Yamaha VL1 - breath Controller

Yamaha VL1 - Combo

Yamaha VL1 - Guitar

A virtual physical modelled sound that is a cross between a bowed string and wind blown instrument

Yamaha VL1 -  BreathBow

A live demo of my Roland MKS-80 (rev 5 version) and MPG-80 programmer, for editing and tweaking the sounds in real time.

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Lead sounds - kinda Mini Moog'ish in flavour

High pass filter was set at 50%
Solo legato mode, with some glide here and there
Saw, dual saw octave apart, then unison

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MKS-80 went through my Speck Xtramix line mixer and then into my audio interface - no processing 

Leads live demo - Roland MKS-80 rev5 + MPG-80 programmer

I currently don't have a CV/midi interface

Anyway I came across Silent Way VST CV/Gate/modulation thingie, and decided to give it a shot with my modded Roland SH2.
I had a tech add in VCA and VCF CV inputs 10 years ago, but I never got around to testing it :)

The Silent Way site doesn't list the Focusrite Saffire Pro 24 DSP as DC coupled audio interface that will work with it, but from a quick try with the LFO module into my SH2's VCA and VCF CV inputs, it sure works!

Sweet!!! :D

It also just adds onto the SH2's existing modulation, or subtract I guess, if I use negative polarity.
Ahhh 24 bit 96khz modulation smoothness......

Roland SH2 and Silent Way VST LFO

Ever since I heard those swirling sounds from on a Korg PS3100 and Orb songs, I've wanted to get that sound.

Today I received my REZ-30 - vactoral triple resonantor filter analog magic!
I don't think anything else can allow you to hold done a steady set of notes
and still enjoy it :)


Roland MKS80 (rev 5) getting the triple resonator treatment

Not bad for a digital filter, sure sounds better than most software ones I've tried. Probably on par with the Roland efforts in their older digital gear.
Yamaha calls em Time variant IIR (infinite impulse response) digital filters

I'm using the two 12db low pass filters together to form  24db filter. When used like this filter will self oscillate at above 85% resonance. Sounddiver allows you to link both together so one controls the other.

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A single Sawtooth "oscillator" created by 3 FM operators in series. 
Operator 1 modulated by OP2 with level 100 and feedback 7, which is modulated by OP3 with level 100 and feedback 7
Phase sync off for all operators

I also have random pitch at 2 - so every new key press is slightly different


Yamaha TG77 Filter demo

Just a quick rough test, proof of concept

Minimoog, SH-2 and Andromeda tracked live into Presonus Studio one.
The Minimoog and SH-2 went through the Speck Xtramix first, while the Andromeda went directly into the audio interface

And then "mixed" in the box with a reverb on the Andromeda, and delay on the SH2. Minimoog is dry.
64 bit mode. No EQ or compression. Off line render to wav file 
I've never worked like this before. I used to be all midi, fired live.

Andromeda sits pretty well with these other two 70s vintage monosynths.
I used one of the "Yamaha CS" type patches I did a few weeks back.

Although having all three at once gobbles up all the mix space! :)

CCJ Minimoog SH-2 Andromeda

First dual normal saws, and then I activate the "Hidden Waves" on the 3rd oscillator,
After that i play a few of the other Hidden Waves

I got hold of a ROM from Ebay that allows access to extra "Hidden Waves" in the SQ80.
Not sure if they are extra hidden waves as such, but more like glitched areas in the waveform memory area

They change sounds every octave and some sound identical to the normal waves, and there are duplicates. Still it does add something interesting, and has that extra warmth of the SQ80 analog bits

Ensoniq SQ-80 HiddenWaves

Pretty warm for a digital synth :)

Has an interesting character once you start programming your own sounds.

Roland D550 impression

Man that sounds gorgeous through the SRE-555!
I fired it up to test it one more time before I sell the SRE-555, but now I'm not so sure :)

My Yamaha TG-77 happened to be on a new patch I made with Sounddiver that has 3 FM operators routed back into istelf via the RCM feature on the TG77. I did it by accident and got this nice brass sound!

SRE-555 chorus and spring reverb on the left, tape echo and sound on sound on the right
I turn the features on in stages

Dry --> chorus/Spring reverb, +echo, +sound on sound

TG77 MelloBrass SRE-555

Just trying something out. To see if a soft synth can be made to sound better with some analog processing :)

REZ-30 vactrol triple resonator working on the raw PWM waves of Arturia JP8V, and then the SRE-555 provides some spring reverb and tape echo



JP8V Rez-30 SRE-555

Here is an A6 and JP8 duet that just happened straight after I turned them on one day, and started playing - happy accident :)

A6 does the sequenced thing, JP8 the weird lead


Alesis Andromeda Jupiter 8 Weird Duet

My YouTube channel

http://www.youtube.com/user/CoolColJ