5 hand-crafted Boomstars built, sitting pretty in the shop… One longish walk later with terrier Teddy, brother Greg and I labored over two Boomstar 8106 basslines, which ultimately were only salvaged for parts: a 2 bar phrase played back at the wrong tempo caught our ear and inspired us properly. The ideology was to steer clear of chords, but I was drawn to Harry Connick Jr’s gorgeous CODE "revelations" (I was insane enough to speak over), which really spoke to me from our incredible and indelible July '24 SE Shop meeting of the minds.

Our 70's Childhood heirloom piano reached in deep too.

Point is, THESE BOOMSTARS ARE HEAVY DUTY! Every flavor is… startling and supremely satisfying. Remarkably warm AND snappy... such a pretty exotic hardwood wrap too.

#whatdidwhat
Main Bass (& most others) 8106
3E-3X Sizzler (Bar 2)
MSR Heirloom Piano Needle Drop
Nasty HCJ CODE Cuts: Pitcairn Faith/Etevian Patches
1 Time HB 4th Hits
GSR Test Lid Rim Shot
SE-80 Kicks
G B Yeah 100 Loop
SEM/SE-80 Claps
SE-80 Hats
SE-80 Latin Percussion
5089 Drone
SE-80 Bass Phaser
SE-80 Perc. Phaser
SE-02 Pitch Bend Bass (last bar)
8106 Repeating Dual Flutey Lead
SEM Jackson Jr Pickin’
SEMchordian Lead
Ascending Triple Lead 5089
4072 “Saxer” Lead (hard panned)
SEM 70s TV Cop Show Leads
SE-80 Funky GSR Filter Sweep Bass/Lead
SEM Noir Lead
---
Enjoy,
MSR 10-17-24

Boomstar Crooner

CODE Luxe maiden voyage with periodic bassline & lead support from SE-02 and Tonestar 8106. 32 hardware filters: Mini 24dB, Obie 12dB, 8106 24dB/6dB, CS-80 holding court.

The initial horn blast benefits from a touch of our new Wavefolding circuitry as does that crisp and retro electric Harpsichord (think Elke String Machine).

Salvation Pads' borrowed "Melotron" patch (now in ROM) manages to survive persistent '02 bass and Tonestar punctuation.

A more subtle and musical "DRIVE" (formerly "fuzz") brings the warmth/grunge—you can hear it on the cheeky combo/YC-45-ish organ break.

Flutey, Fluttery, Dmaj7, is accented by the lone and lovely surviving reed patch, in our new feature reworked ROM banks.

Brassy/stringy lushness feeds the Wavefolded, Big Ben chiming and descending melody accenting.

Not sure which one of the discrete filter banks sweeps and lashes out in the culmination... but it is glorious, especially when complemented by Tonestar sub-bassing and operatic SE-02 leading.

Our new folding certainly mirrors hybrid synth tones, with its digital-esque shimmer and clang.

Same discrete SE Analog warmth and heft underneath it all.

Retiring the Ext Inputs freed up 4 CVs to control Feedback, Wavefolding, HPR (hipass resonance) and HPF (hipass cutoff) internally and via MIDI.

Enjoy—repeated listenings I hope,

MSR 3-1-25

Rhapsody In Luxe

Kudos to St. Regis eternal bandmate & friend Nick Tumler for never letting me forget this song (Love Transition) and its driving, determined changes, that Johnny Caswell (The Crystal Mansion) and I crafted into what should have become an R 'n B classic, one fine day in the QC booth at SIR's Gower Studios. "Is it me? "Is it you?" "Could it be it's really true...?"

CODE Luxe: Main chords & more chords—gorgeous in reverse per usual—(:28 "Hopesichord too"), subs, :14 cymbals, lead bass/bass leads, whistle closure.

Boomstar 8106: Kick-matched bass, multitracked chordal support, processed "guitar" leads, "When we were new" leads... plentiful and fanciful lead 'n bass cluster ensembles... poignant plucks, "Strairway" flutes, David Frank inspired "System" basses.

Boomstar SE80: Assorted Boomstar Brotherhood Drums.

Tonestar8106: Horns, New Wave-y Boomstar Bass octave double.

SE-02: Tabla Dudes

SE-3X: Hi hats

Not an exhaustive SE rundown, but close.

Enjoy,
MSR 8-27-25

New tracks tagged #gregstregis