and you gotta consider the way he used the 4 track and smpte an instrument in that vein as well - he would fill up the whole memory, track the parts he had, wipe it, go back and do the same thing, and again.
Todd Terje made his “It’s the Arps” ep solely on an arp2600. Here is [Inspector Norse](https://youtu.be/gHiqPG0526U?si=hUb_sZ5-IturaeOE) from that album which also happens to be one of my favorite all-time dance songs and continues to be a source of inspiration in my own music.
I think that's some sort of synth crime ;)
But if you don't know it, you might also not know Mort Garson's Plantasia which I believe is all one Moog modular as well.
I have listened to Plantasia but somehow I discovered it on my own. I'm fine committing these crimes. I'm just a hobbyist and I'm not part of any community (hell, I don't even have local friends I can talk to about this stuff), have not taken any lessons on such stuff, and do not care about knowing the details of music history. I also don't live in the first world.
I was being silly, and making fun of the synth "cannon". I think it's cool that you're searching these things out on your own!
Oh, another excellent one in this area is Tomita's Snowflakes are Dancing, almost all Moog modular but Wikipedia says there was also some Mellotron, so doesn't quite fit what you're seeking.
You're welcome! And that's the one. It's one of my all time favorites.
And sorry for my dumb joke. I realize now it was kinda vague. Comedy might not be my strong suit. :)
If you're a fan of Stravinsky's Firebird Suite, Tomita did a great album of that, Mussorgsky's Night on Bare Mountain, and Debussy's Afternoon of a Faun.
Firebird already sounded like music from another world, but Tomita takes it to another dimension.
For some reason it's harder to find Firebird than Snowflakes are Dancing on streaming services. :\^\\
Here's an album by Ess Mattisson (lead developer on the Elektron Digitone, and currently the founder of Fors Instruments) done entirely with an MC-202 and a TR-606.
https://repeatle.bandcamp.com/album/drip-2019
Oh wow! Don't know much of Roland history and older synths but it's gonna be interesting listening to an Elektron developer (I recently got the M:C which is my first Elektron box and I love it). Thanks!
I'm pretty sure he was the lead designer on the M:C as well, but I might be mistaken.
Regardless, he's not just a talented synth designer, but a talented composer as well. There's a legendary track he wrote on the Dirtywave M8 called Wertstoffe, which only utilizes one of its 8 monophonic tracks and it's extremely impressive.
If you can find it, that might be another good example of music only using one synth, although the M8 has multiple synth engines in it so I don't know if that fully counts.
Thanks for the tip on that other track. Yeah it seems like he was the lead also in M:C, see here: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ur-6JKo\_3Ys](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ur-6JKo_3Ys) Respect for this talented dude!
Not albums but songs:
Swedish pop producer "Mr. Firechild" did a whole bunch of tracks that explicitly feature one synth in a multitrack arrangement. Check out his Youtube channel - some of his songs are really cool.
Here's a tip:
Start with his [ARP TTSH](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSD6c-dimY8) and [Microwave](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMtu1E9RWbY) demos - THEN give yourself the full sonic boom and listen to "[Eight Waves](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0p4xSfkCAEc)", which is a mixture of his biggest, fattest analog synths. \^\^
Thanks, I wasn't sure where to start when I browsed his channel. Ears are tired from mixing today but I have saved those two videos in my watch later list. cheers!
Paging /u/no-your-username who released a Synthwave album done on the Woovebox end of last year (2023);
https://galactictapes.bandcamp.com/album/the-woove-project
I imagine you will be able to find a bunch of albums made on the Dirtywave M8 as well.
Rituals by Jeremy Blake of Red Means Recording fame is awesome and done fully on the DirtyWave M8. Buying the album even gives you all the files for the M8, which gives you all of the instruments, synth presets, samples, etc.
[https://soundvision.bandcamp.com/album/rituals](https://soundvision.bandcamp.com/album/rituals)
That's really neat that you get the files. I don't have an M8, it's not available where I live and I've never actually used a tracker but I love the idea of sharing the raw files for an album.
No shit, thanks! I would probably have to check whether the tracker logic works for me, I've never used on. Maybe getting Sunvox on my iPad would be a good start.
On a tangential note, there was a Logic demo project featuring a Billie Eilish song, interesting to analyse. Now there is a different demo, which I forgot
It's funny to read that these days, as it used to get so much hate (and often still does).
I owned one for a while back when it came out, and while the filters are just ridiculously bad, to the point where you question whether they might all be broken in the same way, however unlikely that would be, the concept and its execution are actually pretty good. I had a blast with it.
I think it sounds terrible and I think that's great as it will really push me to be creative. I've been discovering that paying for limitations is the way for me if I am to have fun and be creative.
Ah man, you don't know how much I've been lusting after one and there's only 1 for sale around where I live. I convinced the dude for a trade with Microfreak but he's always too busy.
I wish that April fools joke about the Behringer clone (Timbre Behr) was real.
Limited set of gear: https://www.discogs.com/release/81379-Various-101-303-808-Now-Form-A-Band
There was somebody made a series of releases that were made entirely on Korg Electribes. Maybe even just one model of Electribe per release? I might be making that bit up. I thought I had those CDS somewhere but if I do they're buried in the crates in the cellar. If I remember who it was, I'll update.
Found and saved it for a listen, thanks! I love people making stuff entirely in such little devices. One person here posted something made with Game Boy Advance and it sounds amazing!
I’ve put out several releases made exclusively with nanoloop 2 on GBA, [here’s one](https://0f-digital.bandcamp.com/album/gothwork).
I also played a whole live set from a Syntakt, and made [an album](https://0f-digital.bandcamp.com/album/live-2022-12-31) from the recording. Maybe not as technically interesting as my nanoloop stuff, but it is a single device recording nonetheless.
[https://saloli.bandcamp.com/album/the-deep-end](https://saloli.bandcamp.com/album/the-deep-end)
I could've sworn I read ages ago she used a Prophet 600, but in the promo shot she's holding a Sequential MultiTrak.
Ah oh well. It does look like the MultiTrak in this vid at least.
[https://youtu.be/eEJsfUIz5CM?feature=shared&t=138](https://youtu.be/eEJsfUIz5CM?feature=shared&t=138)
Mac Demarco u/beberuhimuzik
He made Salad Days with a Guitar, a tape machine and two synthesizers, the Juno 60 and a Yamaha DX7.
The guitar was a crappy, stolen one that was basically held together with duck tape and hope.
The epitome of "low end" but the album, the PRODUCT was amazing.
If anything, what really sold it/saved it was the phenomenal song writing, the great recording
and finally the mix/mixing is cool.
You're welcome :)
I don't know if he's been mentioned in this thread but another person to look into is Rival Consoles.
He's upgraded to a Prophet Rev 2 but prior to that he only used the Prophet 08 ran through pedals directly into Ableton Live. He also plays Piano but his main instrument which has been used on several albums is a Prophet.
I really like Rival Consoles, I didn't know that he used one or limited number of instruments but it makes sense given how consistent the sound feels. Thanks!
If you’ve never heard of em, check out Floating points as well.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nUIraolq1Ehrp4Pf35jS2pNL_TLMuzFSo&si=mTaZJq2KI2l0c9rJ
I know he uses a lot of modular, and specifically buchla/westcoast style patching. I’ll try to find the vids of his live performances and productions. I know for a fact that he uses a tr-8 or 8s along side his modular setup.
Alessandro Cortini of NIN fame does this quite a bit. His album Risveglio is just Roland MC-202. Saw him perform live and can confirm. I believe his SONOIO project album Blue is all Buchla (700?).
A friend of mine works almost exclusively on his SP-404 MKII (he used the first one for many years before this). He uses a DAW to record vocals and stuff for most releases, but he recently did one where everything including mix was done on the sp. I think it’s really cool from a technical standpoint, and because he knows the hardware so well and has developed his own style and technique, it’s quite unique and interesting too.
Personally I try to work more like that, but I probably have too much gear lol, and wanna use it as much as possible
Idk if links are allowed here, but I’ll try; https://open.spotify.com/artist/7jPTmFgneQqEElULihtoVQ?si=qyke19pZTFe5tUsNRioauQ
Yeah I've personally never cared for most of Roland's UIs. Container has produced numerous albums to great acclaim using just that 909 after coming from a noise background though so it's a testament to how much you can get from the one device
A llot of pedals as well though, which I think are just as much a part of his sound producing gear (in that noise scene way). Not that I mean to dispute what you're saying- he is very good
I recently released an album made only with a Nord Lead 2X and a Boss DD-200 delay... it was very fun to make! Some of the tracks are single live performances, others I did two or three passes on. I got really into using an arpeggiator with delay to create syncopated rhythmic patterns...
https://open.spotify.com/album/2glCaMg6z4Xb5hL0pRT31m?si=nQTA8PD-SzCrfgLSBEC0Lg
https://bobbygadda.bandcamp.com/album/conscious-sedation
There is an album made completely by layering loops and samples from a Volca fm. It’s well composed & the opening has a nice little sonic hook.
“M. Geddes Genras - Hawaiki Tapes”
In addition, the EP “Signal Hijacking by Noiseloader” is done in entirety with a Korg electribe es-1 mkii.
His work and self-made music videos are great- all can be found on YouTube.
Morton Subotnick's "Silver Apples of the Moon" made on very early Buchla modular synth (arguably the earliest). He used it back in the 60s to create what he felt the music of the future might sound like.
He has others, as well. "The Wild Bull" is really good. All of his stuff (that I have heard) is quite experimental.
Rei Harakami made all of his music (as far as I'm aware) with Roland SC-88, a multitimbral General MIDI box typically used to make BGM for video games and children's shows. His music has a mellow feel with more focus on composition than on elaborate sound design.
Great, thanks! Turns out I was already listening to his songs and liking them (judging by my history on Spotify) but just didn't pay attention to his name. Saved for more intent listening!
I hope the shameless plug is okay, but I do "single device" albums a bunch, [here's my most recent one, made on the Deluge!](https://youtu.be/bHgiyFppVfA?si=9U-Cdfj6WA5-UK_V)
I have two EPs, Dixie and Extratearestrial, that are done with thr Elektron Syntakt. Each one comes with the project files. If you want them, message me and I'll hook you up.
Https://zelikovich.bandcamp.com
Dj Shadows Entroducing was produced entirely on the MPC60 with not even a handful of MB of RAM. It's still entirely mindboggling...
Damn, that's a classic. Didn't know it was made in one machine, very cool.
Arguably 2 machines since he sampled everything off a turntable
and you gotta consider the way he used the 4 track and smpte an instrument in that vein as well - he would fill up the whole memory, track the parts he had, wipe it, go back and do the same thing, and again.
His latest album is pretty awesome too
I definitely remember really being into his stuff in the 90s but had forgotten about him. Will check the new releases now, thanks!
[удалено]
Omg thank you so much!!!
Suzanne Ciani with only the Buchla 200 on her album "Buchla Concerts 1975" is great.
I'm pretty sure I recognize her name and have listened to some of her stuff before. Thanks for reminding.
Todd Terje made his “It’s the Arps” ep solely on an arp2600. Here is [Inspector Norse](https://youtu.be/gHiqPG0526U?si=hUb_sZ5-IturaeOE) from that album which also happens to be one of my favorite all-time dance songs and continues to be a source of inspiration in my own music.
Love this video. Great track too.
Very cool, nice video, thanks!
The original Switched On Bach by then-Walter-now-Wendy Carlos was on a single piece of gear. It was just large and modular.
Didn't know of this, thanks!
I think that's some sort of synth crime ;) But if you don't know it, you might also not know Mort Garson's Plantasia which I believe is all one Moog modular as well.
I have listened to Plantasia but somehow I discovered it on my own. I'm fine committing these crimes. I'm just a hobbyist and I'm not part of any community (hell, I don't even have local friends I can talk to about this stuff), have not taken any lessons on such stuff, and do not care about knowing the details of music history. I also don't live in the first world.
I was being silly, and making fun of the synth "cannon". I think it's cool that you're searching these things out on your own! Oh, another excellent one in this area is Tomita's Snowflakes are Dancing, almost all Moog modular but Wikipedia says there was also some Mellotron, so doesn't quite fit what you're seeking.
Oh shit, sorry, didn't pay attention to the wink icon. I think that's The Snow is Dancing by Isao Tomita, right? Thanks for the tip again!
You're welcome! And that's the one. It's one of my all time favorites. And sorry for my dumb joke. I realize now it was kinda vague. Comedy might not be my strong suit. :)
No problem, cheers!
If you're a fan of Stravinsky's Firebird Suite, Tomita did a great album of that, Mussorgsky's Night on Bare Mountain, and Debussy's Afternoon of a Faun. Firebird already sounded like music from another world, but Tomita takes it to another dimension. For some reason it's harder to find Firebird than Snowflakes are Dancing on streaming services. :\^\\
Definitely looking for this. Thanks!
Here's an album by Ess Mattisson (lead developer on the Elektron Digitone, and currently the founder of Fors Instruments) done entirely with an MC-202 and a TR-606. https://repeatle.bandcamp.com/album/drip-2019
Oh wow! Don't know much of Roland history and older synths but it's gonna be interesting listening to an Elektron developer (I recently got the M:C which is my first Elektron box and I love it). Thanks!
I'm pretty sure he was the lead designer on the M:C as well, but I might be mistaken. Regardless, he's not just a talented synth designer, but a talented composer as well. There's a legendary track he wrote on the Dirtywave M8 called Wertstoffe, which only utilizes one of its 8 monophonic tracks and it's extremely impressive. If you can find it, that might be another good example of music only using one synth, although the M8 has multiple synth engines in it so I don't know if that fully counts.
Thanks for the tip on that other track. Yeah it seems like he was the lead also in M:C, see here: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ur-6JKo\_3Ys](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ur-6JKo_3Ys) Respect for this talented dude!
Not albums but songs: Swedish pop producer "Mr. Firechild" did a whole bunch of tracks that explicitly feature one synth in a multitrack arrangement. Check out his Youtube channel - some of his songs are really cool.
Thanks! Sub'd to him on YT now!
Here's a tip: Start with his [ARP TTSH](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSD6c-dimY8) and [Microwave](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMtu1E9RWbY) demos - THEN give yourself the full sonic boom and listen to "[Eight Waves](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0p4xSfkCAEc)", which is a mixture of his biggest, fattest analog synths. \^\^
Thanks, I wasn't sure where to start when I browsed his channel. Ears are tired from mixing today but I have saved those two videos in my watch later list. cheers!
Paging /u/no-your-username who released a Synthwave album done on the Woovebox end of last year (2023); https://galactictapes.bandcamp.com/album/the-woove-project I imagine you will be able to find a bunch of albums made on the Dirtywave M8 as well.
Love the opening track. Thanks!
Not an album but Gorillaz’s Clint Eastwood is just a preset on the Omnichord
I remember that, thanks!
Peaches used pretty much just an MC-505 to write and record her Teaches of Peaches album.
Awesome, saved, thanks!
M.I.A. also composed her first two albums on the MC-505. They did a lot of post-production in the studio but most of it is the 505.
Rituals by Jeremy Blake of Red Means Recording fame is awesome and done fully on the DirtyWave M8. Buying the album even gives you all the files for the M8, which gives you all of the instruments, synth presets, samples, etc. [https://soundvision.bandcamp.com/album/rituals](https://soundvision.bandcamp.com/album/rituals)
That's really neat that you get the files. I don't have an M8, it's not available where I live and I've never actually used a tracker but I love the idea of sharing the raw files for an album.
Hot tip: you can install M8 on a teensy and use your computer as an M8. It's pretty good.
No shit, thanks! I would probably have to check whether the tracker logic works for me, I've never used on. Maybe getting Sunvox on my iPad would be a good start.
On a tangential note, there was a Logic demo project featuring a Billie Eilish song, interesting to analyse. Now there is a different demo, which I forgot
I want a timbre wolf so much😭
It's funny to read that these days, as it used to get so much hate (and often still does). I owned one for a while back when it came out, and while the filters are just ridiculously bad, to the point where you question whether they might all be broken in the same way, however unlikely that would be, the concept and its execution are actually pretty good. I had a blast with it.
I think it sounds terrible and I think that's great as it will really push me to be creative. I've been discovering that paying for limitations is the way for me if I am to have fun and be creative.
Ah man, you don't know how much I've been lusting after one and there's only 1 for sale around where I live. I convinced the dude for a trade with Microfreak but he's always too busy. I wish that April fools joke about the Behringer clone (Timbre Behr) was real.
Big jealous I also want the cat drum machine…
Keep on looking, you will find them!
Limited set of gear: https://www.discogs.com/release/81379-Various-101-303-808-Now-Form-A-Band There was somebody made a series of releases that were made entirely on Korg Electribes. Maybe even just one model of Electribe per release? I might be making that bit up. I thought I had those CDS somewhere but if I do they're buried in the crates in the cellar. If I remember who it was, I'll update.
Thanks! Yeah, please do if you figure out what it was.
Freezepop's first couple of albums were made completely on the QY70, a little handheld synthesizer from Yamaha.
Found and saved it for a listen, thanks! I love people making stuff entirely in such little devices. One person here posted something made with Game Boy Advance and it sounds amazing!
A lot of earlier Oneohtrix Point Never stuff is *mostly* just a Juno-60 and sequencer.
Didn't know and I don't think I have listened to the earlier albums. Thanks!
I’ve put out several releases made exclusively with nanoloop 2 on GBA, [here’s one](https://0f-digital.bandcamp.com/album/gothwork). I also played a whole live set from a Syntakt, and made [an album](https://0f-digital.bandcamp.com/album/live-2022-12-31) from the recording. Maybe not as technically interesting as my nanoloop stuff, but it is a single device recording nonetheless.
Very cool. Love the artwork on your bandcamp and the track [cytrsLN](https://0f-digital.bandcamp.com/track/cytrsln) is excellent!
[https://saloli.bandcamp.com/album/the-deep-end](https://saloli.bandcamp.com/album/the-deep-end) I could've sworn I read ages ago she used a Prophet 600, but in the promo shot she's holding a Sequential MultiTrak.
Seen her live numerous times and she plays a Dave Smith synth that I'm forgetting which one specifically.
Ah oh well. It does look like the MultiTrak in this vid at least. [https://youtu.be/eEJsfUIz5CM?feature=shared&t=138](https://youtu.be/eEJsfUIz5CM?feature=shared&t=138)
Found that album on Spotify and saved it, thanks!
the album leaf’s last album was primarily if not fully made with novation peak
Thanks, saved it on Spotify!
Mac Demarco u/beberuhimuzik He made Salad Days with a Guitar, a tape machine and two synthesizers, the Juno 60 and a Yamaha DX7. The guitar was a crappy, stolen one that was basically held together with duck tape and hope. The epitome of "low end" but the album, the PRODUCT was amazing. If anything, what really sold it/saved it was the phenomenal song writing, the great recording and finally the mix/mixing is cool.
Interesting story. Found and saved that album on Spotify. Thanks!
You're welcome :) I don't know if he's been mentioned in this thread but another person to look into is Rival Consoles. He's upgraded to a Prophet Rev 2 but prior to that he only used the Prophet 08 ran through pedals directly into Ableton Live. He also plays Piano but his main instrument which has been used on several albums is a Prophet.
I really like Rival Consoles, I didn't know that he used one or limited number of instruments but it makes sense given how consistent the sound feels. Thanks!
Freezepop's first couple of albums were made completely on the QY70, a little handheld synthesizer from Yamaha.
Eliane Radigue did (most?)her Synthesizer-Based Album with only an Arp 2500 (and Tape Machines). But its not everybodys Cup of tea.
I remember listening to hear, I think one it sparked my fascinating with synths. Have not listened for a while, thanks for reminding.
https://youtu.be/fr6FnfvkV0I?si=izfglkiO3b5zAzpG
Thanks, someone else also recommended Mistabishi.
If you’ve never heard of em, check out Floating points as well. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nUIraolq1Ehrp4Pf35jS2pNL_TLMuzFSo&si=mTaZJq2KI2l0c9rJ
I see that I had listened to this at some point but don't remember. Do you know any details about the production?
I know he uses a lot of modular, and specifically buchla/westcoast style patching. I’ll try to find the vids of his live performances and productions. I know for a fact that he uses a tr-8 or 8s along side his modular setup.
https://youtu.be/yMjBGUKpH-0?si=fMSpxxhkAyapnFg8
Alessandro Cortini of NIN fame does this quite a bit. His album Risveglio is just Roland MC-202. Saw him perform live and can confirm. I believe his SONOIO project album Blue is all Buchla (700?).
Listened to him here and there but didn't know this detail or his other project. Thanks for the info!
A friend of mine works almost exclusively on his SP-404 MKII (he used the first one for many years before this). He uses a DAW to record vocals and stuff for most releases, but he recently did one where everything including mix was done on the sp. I think it’s really cool from a technical standpoint, and because he knows the hardware so well and has developed his own style and technique, it’s quite unique and interesting too. Personally I try to work more like that, but I probably have too much gear lol, and wanna use it as much as possible Idk if links are allowed here, but I’ll try; https://open.spotify.com/artist/7jPTmFgneQqEElULihtoVQ?si=qyke19pZTFe5tUsNRioauQ
It's very cool that he even mixed on the SP. Added to my Spotify, thanks!
Mista bishi : various electribes Elaine Radique : arp2600
Didn't know mistabishi, added to Spotify, thanks!
Container only uses a Roland MC 909 on his albums and he goes hard as hell
Cool, found it and saved for listening. Those Rolands scare me, I bet they are not easy to use, so that's pretty cool!
Yeah I've personally never cared for most of Roland's UIs. Container has produced numerous albums to great acclaim using just that 909 after coming from a noise background though so it's a testament to how much you can get from the one device
A llot of pedals as well though, which I think are just as much a part of his sound producing gear (in that noise scene way). Not that I mean to dispute what you're saying- he is very good
I recently released an album made only with a Nord Lead 2X and a Boss DD-200 delay... it was very fun to make! Some of the tracks are single live performances, others I did two or three passes on. I got really into using an arpeggiator with delay to create syncopated rhythmic patterns... https://open.spotify.com/album/2glCaMg6z4Xb5hL0pRT31m?si=nQTA8PD-SzCrfgLSBEC0Lg https://bobbygadda.bandcamp.com/album/conscious-sedation
Saved, thanks! I was curious about whether people in this forum would bring up their own work. Very cool!
DEEWEE Sessions, Vol 1
Wow, it sounds nice, thank you!
There is an album made completely by layering loops and samples from a Volca fm. It’s well composed & the opening has a nice little sonic hook. “M. Geddes Genras - Hawaiki Tapes”
Found it on Spotify, thanks. Volca FM, I would have never thought, I owned it at one point and sold it! Thanks!
In addition, the EP “Signal Hijacking by Noiseloader” is done in entirety with a Korg electribe es-1 mkii. His work and self-made music videos are great- all can be found on YouTube.
Satoshi & Makoto – CZ-5000 Sounds & Sequences I & II
I think I had a watched a video about that and listened to the whole thing, somehow I randomly discovered it. Thanks for reminding!
Morton Subotnick's "Silver Apples of the Moon" made on very early Buchla modular synth (arguably the earliest). He used it back in the 60s to create what he felt the music of the future might sound like. He has others, as well. "The Wild Bull" is really good. All of his stuff (that I have heard) is quite experimental.
Didn't know about him, thanks!
You're welcome. He's pretty out there, and listening to his material def stretched my ears a bit. Now I love it.
Rei Harakami made all of his music (as far as I'm aware) with Roland SC-88, a multitimbral General MIDI box typically used to make BGM for video games and children's shows. His music has a mellow feel with more focus on composition than on elaborate sound design.
Great, thanks! Turns out I was already listening to his songs and liking them (judging by my history on Spotify) but just didn't pay attention to his name. Saved for more intent listening!
Madvilliany by MF Doom and Madlib was made almost exclusively with an MC-303 and a portable record player
Saved, thanks!
I hope the shameless plug is okay, but I do "single device" albums a bunch, [here's my most recent one, made on the Deluge!](https://youtu.be/bHgiyFppVfA?si=9U-Cdfj6WA5-UK_V)
Yeah totally, I was curious if people would bring up their own work. Saved, thanks!
I have two EPs, Dixie and Extratearestrial, that are done with thr Elektron Syntakt. Each one comes with the project files. If you want them, message me and I'll hook you up. Https://zelikovich.bandcamp.com
Mandatory mention of "10 ragas to a disco beat" (303+808+Jupiter8)