RIP Isao Tomita

Isao Tomita When you wish upon a Star

Published on Jan 12, 2015 SEVILLA ANDALUCIA ESPAÑA

This is a tough one to post (ALL RIP posts are tough to post). It has come to my attention that Isao Tomita passed away last Thursday, May 5. He was 84 years old. His music was pure magic as you can see above. That video, and that performance, however brief as it was, is probably my favorite synth performance of all time. It is absolute magic.  I've posted it several times in the past but it always appears to get pulled down, so enjoy this while you can. Hopefully this one will stay up.

Tomita has been featured and referenced in countless posts here on MATRIXSYNTH. He was active in the synth world until the end.  To say he will be missed is an understatement.

You all know who he is and what he meant to the synth community.  I am so going to miss this man. Where you are Tomita-san, thank you for the magic.

http://www.isaotomita.net

Isao Tomita on Wikipedia:

"Isao Tomita (冨田 勲 Tomita Isao?, 22 April 1932 – 5 May 2016)[1], often known simply as Tomita, was a Japanese music composer, regarded as one of the pioneers of electronic music[2][3] and space music,[4] and as one of the most famous producers of analog synthesizer arrangements.[5] In addition to creating note-by-note realizations, Tomita made extensive use of the sound design capabilities of his instrument, using synthesizers to create new sounds to accompany and enhance his electronic realizations of acoustic instruments.[5] He also made effective use of analog music sequencers[2] and the Mellotron and featured futuristic science fiction themes,[3] while laying the foundations for synth-pop music[6] and trance-like rhythms.[7] Many of his albums are electronic versions and adaptations of famous classical music pieces and he received four Grammy Award nominations for his 1974 album Snowflakes Are Dancing.[3]"

Isao Tomita & Hideki Matsutake of YMO Interview on RA

via Resident Advisor where you will find the full interview. A couple of excerpts:

Isao Tomita on picking up the Moog synthesizer:

"How did you come to buy one?

Isao Tomita: At first, I had no idea where to buy it. Back in 1970, when we didn't even have a fax machine, I used a telex machine to contact people in Hong Kong. I found out that the Moog company was located in Buffalo, New York. I flew over there, and was shocked to see that the main office of a cutting-edge company like Moog was located in a simple, storage-shed-type building, in the middle of nowhere. I said to myself, "They make intricate machinery in a place like this!?"

So you went there and asked to buy the Moog III P directly. How much did it cost?

Isao Tomita: Back then, one dollar was 360 yen, and the Moog synthesizer was considered a luxury item, such as a foreign car, so the tariff rate was over 200%. It cost somewhere around 10 million yen (roughly $125,000) in today's value. Also, in those days we didn't have customs brokers like we do now, and if goods had problems clearing customs, the person importing the goods had to actually be there. So at customs, they asked me what this machine was. I told them that it was an instrument, and they didn't believe me. They said, "Then, play it." [laughs]..."

On Isao Tomita meeting Hideki Matsutake:

"And around that time you met Hideki Matsutake?

Isao Tomita: Yes. I was becoming increasingly busy around then, so I had Matsutake manage me at a music production company he was working for back then. When I started to understand which cords to connect to create the right sounds I decided I'd let some younger guys try it, so I invited Matsutake. With Moog, you have to keep the power on all day for it to work properly, so when I wasn't using it, I'd let others use it. I would use it from 8 PM to 4 AM, and then there would be a group using it from 4 AM to noon, and then another group would come in and play around with it until 8 PM.

Hideki Matsutake: I worked during the day, so I would come in and play the Moog at night, and I remember falling asleep under it. Tomita never taught us how to use the thing, so I had to learn it on my own. I've always liked playing with machines since I was a kid, so I understood the functions of the device fairly quickly, but knowing where to connect the cords to render sounds that are listenable was a completely different story..."

Full interview on RA here. via I Dream of Wires on Facebook

Day 136 / How To Patch: Tomita-Style Bells

Day 136 / How To Patch: Tomita-Style Bells from Charlie Visnic on Vimeo.

"This is a modular synth patch video that I did for my creative thing a day blog at: theb-roll.com

It's from a patch I wrote down in my composition book a long time ago. It's a pretty realistic bell sound but I patch it to sound similar to those falling bell sounds that you can hear on Isao Tomita's Debussy album.

Yes, I am a nerd.

I hope you like it."

More details here.

And I think it's time for some vintage Isao Tomita on Moog. BTW, I couldn't find any good examples of the bell patch although I know I've heard it before. If anyone knows of any good examples from Isao on YouTube let me know.

Isao Tomita - Love Me Tender (Sound Only)

omysah | February 08, 2009

"1972"

Isao Tomita- Ballet of the Chicks in their Shells

marlucan | April 19, 2010

"Movimiento que pertenece a "Cuadros de una exhibición" de Moussorgsky."

And of course, don't miss Isao Tomita - When you wish upon a Star

moog in Tokyo

flickr By lorenzog.

Not 100% sure, but based on the tags in the flickr shot, this one appears to be a Moog modular in Tokyo. Isao Tomita in the background. If anyone can verify where this is at feel free to comment or shoot me an email.

And one of my favorite YouTube videos (don't miss it): Isao Tomita - When you wish upon a Star

Update via the world of next tuesday in the comments: "Yes, this is Tomita's first of two Moog systems, the System IIIP along with a rare Moog Scale Programmer in front (As I understand it the regular Moog keyboard has fixed resistors for the notes, this either replaces or augments them with pots). I believe he is still actively using his augmented System 55. As far as I know this one is on display at a University. Tomita has taught master classes many years and set up a program called The Tomita Method. You can see his other Moog set up for use http://www.tomitamethod.com/index.htm I see that site seems to have stopped being updated in 2009. It is (or perhaps was) a graduate program at Shobi University near Tokyo. I would think he's still teaching there at minimum since Shobi's website continues to mention his 2011 albums under 'what's new'"

followed by: "Oh, while I've been unable to confirm it, I would assume Tomita bought this system since its more or less the one seen on the cover of Switched On Bach. A slight bit of irony because that was not Carlos' actual system for the cover photo shoot. Tomita still tells the story about how Japanese customs impounded his newly bought Moog for a lengthy time as they could not determine what it was."

星に願いを

YouTube via moog3p. isao tomita

Update: found it again:
Isao Tomita - When you wish upon a Star

YouTube via 5488773
"aca isao tomita tocando su MOOG III . hermosa cancion =)"

Video of Michael Jackson and Isao Tomita with Moog Modular & Synclavier

Michael JACKSON Play Keybord VERY RARE Bad era

YouTube Uploaded by MyAudreySony on Mar 19, 2011

A search on the right for Isao Tomita will bring up a ton of posts worth checking out again. Don't miss this one: Isao Tomita - When you wish upon a Star

Debussy - Danse in an Isao Tomita Style

YouTube via paulshillitomusic.

via the forum

"Electronically created version of Debussy's Dance or Danse as it is also known as in a Isao Tomita style. Another one of the pieces I created about 10 years ago, the video is a bit more abstract, again playing around with After Effects CS3, no meaning to the video just something show :-)

Synths used making this include Roland JV1080, Korg Prophecy, Waldorf wave, Yamaha AN1x , Waldorf Pulse and sequenced on Cubase."

Debussy's Arabesque No 2


"An original Electronic version of Debussy's Arabesque No.2 created in an Isao Tomita style. I created this piece about 10 years ago but after deciding to start recording again, I brought it out storage to show the world. The video was created in AE to avoid have just a slide show of photos."

In the Studio with Isao Tomita

『未知へのサウンド冨田勲』 600こちら情報部

Published on Nov 25, 2012 senmojib·33 videos

"NHK 600こちら情報部 特集『これがシンセサイザーだ』 より

アルバム『バミューダトライアングル』が発表された頃の冨田勲氏の"アトリエ"でのイ­ンタビュー。MOOGモジュラーの他に、ROLAND MC-8、POLYMOOG、KORGボコーダー、YAMAHAのコンボオルガン等が­見えます。神戸大学附属明石中学校に入学したかったなぁ。

以下、エンディングの字幕を、転載します。

冨田勲（46歳） 『 生まれて初めて手にした楽器は笛、少年時代 家の周りの竹を切ってきては笛を作った。かなり不完全なものだったけれど、自分の手で­作った音なんだなぁ、という喜びがった。個々の音そのものに自分の心が存在してはじめ­て一つの音楽が感じられると思う。シンセサイザーはパレットであって、色を作り出し、­絵を描き上げるのは自分自身。 』"

Googlish: "This is a synthesizer" from "NHK 600 More Information section feature

Interview in "Atelier" of Tomita Isao time of the album "Bermuda Triangle" was announced. In addition to the MOOG modular, combo organ, such as ROLAND MC-8, POLYMOOG, KORG vocoder, the YAMAHA is visible. I wonder I wanted to enroll in Kobe University Akashi junior high school.

Following, I will reprint, the subtitle of ending.

Isao Tomita (46 years old) made ​​a whistle to come off the bamboo flute around, the boyhood home instrument when I had it in my hand for the first time in my life ". It was quite incomplete, but I wanted that joy, So there a sound which I made with their own hands. I think that it is felt music of one the first time my heart is present in the sound itself of the individual. Synthesizer is a palette, creating a color, raise painting myself. ""

Isao TOMITA

YouTube via moog3p
"Isao Tomita (冨田 勲, Tomita Isao), is a renowned Japanese electronic music composer."

Isao Tomita Checking out Eurorack

via Isao Tomita on Facebook

"TOMITA met the latest-model modular synthesizer."

The TOMITA Memorial Museum : Isao Tomita tribute exhibition at Gakki Fair 2016

Published on Nov 5, 2016 karenevil

"I had a chance to see his Moog modular and other his belongings.
Although I could not see the show because it was so crowded ;-p"

That would be magical to see. I'm curious who currently owns the gear.

Quicco Sound, dot red, and Clavia / Nord got primo spots by the exhibit.

Update: some pics via ishibashi.co.jp


Update2: some info from the AH list: "Notice Tomita's CS80 has a CV and Gate ("T" for Trig?) mod for each voice. I also see he signed some of his instruments presumably to prove they were his in the future.

Tomita's main use of the CS80 was on the album "Daphnis et Chloe" (called "Bolero" in the US and "The Ravel Album" in parts of Europe) he also used it on "Grand Canyon" though not as obviously. I've not heard mention of his using the CS-80 as a controller for presumably his modulars. He definitely was always into looking into techniques in speeding up his painstaking multitracking process.

One of the more unusual items is what looks like a small trade show display of high quality synthesizer pots that I guess at some point Tomita was involved in the re-manufacture of. The other, more of digital fans is the Casio Cosmo prototype system. My understanding is Casio wanted to do a high end sampler and Tomita was hired as a consultant and endorser. They eventually did put out the prosumer level FZ-1 but by then other companies had carved up the sampler market."

And: "The CS80 was also used on the 1984 "Dawn Chorus" album (also known as "Canon of the three Stars"), in one of the renditions of the Villa-Lobos pieces (some brass patch)."

CLICK FOR MORE »

Isao Tomita MOOG Seminar

Click here for more info (in Japanese) and shots of a Tomita MOOG Seminar. Here is a Google translated link.

"冨 rice field teacher crossing many ten years, MOOG which is pursued. There are also circumstances of time, as for the part where this time you talked is just portion in the midst of experience of the enormous quantity which 冨 rice field teacher has, but it is possible to mention the possibility MOOG where various new expressions become possible with device circumstance having you could point to the very much good experience. Everyone of the staff, and the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music student participating to the latest seminar lastly the mark souvenir picture was photographed, but it seemed that has the deep reflection in music of everyone MOOG and 冨 rice field teacher."

Gotta love Google translation. The point of this post is there is a seminar on synths in Japan with non other than legendary synth artist Isao Tomita. I wonder if there are any in other countries. If you know feel free to comment.

Isao Tomita - When you wish upon a Star

Re-
Uploaded on Dec 23, 2011 CharmedOrc·212 videos
YouTube via 5488773.  previously posted, but taken down.

"aca isao tomita tocando su MOOG III . hermosa cancion =)"

Pure magic.

Stravinsky The Rite of Spring - Introduction - Isao Tomita style

YouTube via paulshillitomusic

"Stravinsky - The Rite of Spring - Introduction.

Done in my Classitronic style, Classitronic is what I call electronic classical music with my style being heavily influenced by Isao Tomita.

This is the first part of the classic Stravinsky opera The Rite of Spring which caused a near riot when it was premiered in Paris on May 29th 1913.

The rest of this work is to follow, so watch this space :-)

Soft syths used on this included the Arturia Minimoog V2, Arturia Moog Modular, Arturia Jupiter 8V, Arturia Yamaha CS80V and soundtoys effects."

via paulshillito on the forum
"So far its been pretty much an Arturia based project with the Minimoog V2, Moog Modular, Jupiter 8V and CS80V being the main synths. I have also added the Soundtoys Native effects to my collection which sound pretty damn good , the Phase Mistress, Crystalizer and Echo boy where used on this piece and I think these and the others will feature heavily on the rest too."

Kip Kubin: Patch for One Oscillator

video upload by synthesizersdotcom

"The Innovative World of Synthesizer Sounds: Kip Kubin's Patch for One Oscillator

Get ready for a fascinating journey into the captivating world of synthesizer sound creations!

Esteemed contestant, Kip Kubin, brings a remarkable entry to the celebrated DotCompetition 2023 with his awe-inspiring composition, "Patch for One Oscillator". Taking inspiration from Isao Tomita's iconic bell sound in his renditions of "Snowflakes Are Dancing", Kip Kubin's magnum opus is a testament to the boundless possibilities of synthesizer sound experimentation.

Expertly combining a curated selection of synthesizers.com modules, including the Q106 Oscillator (triple stack!), Q112 Mixer, Q109 Envelope Generator (double pack!), Q124 Multiples, and Q108 VCA and Q150 Filter from Corsynth, Kip Kubin skillfully constructs an immersive and exhilarating sonic landscape that transports listeners to a world of electrifying soundscapes.

Demonstrating an unwavering commitment to exploration and pushing the boundaries, Kip not only recreates Isao Tomita's famous sound but also introduces a fresh and innovative patch, solidifying his status as an avant-garde synth composer. This groundbreaking entry surged ahead in the competition, ultimately landing Kip Kubin with an impressive third place win!
As you immerse yourself in Kip Kubin's transcendent "Patch for One Oscillator", let yourself be transported into a realm of groundbreaking sound engineering, capturing the essence of both technical prowess and sheer creative genius."

Happy New Year From MATRIXSYNTH! - A Quick Look Back at 2016

Happy New Year Everyone!

This post is a little late going up, but better late than never! :)

I'm going to keep this one a little shorter than usual as I am aware I have a tendency to get a little too wordy at times.

First of all, I want to thank you all for taking a little bit of your day out to visit the site. I want to thank those that contribute to the synthesizer scene and actually give me something to post! Finally, I want to give a HUGE THANK YOU to all the individual supporters of the site, and the sponsors you see on the right and above! Your support literally makes the site as it is possible!

---

And a look back at 2016...

Update: I forgot to mention, we had a total of 13,679 posts in 2016!
Update2: also, as always take a look back at the exclusive label for the most interesting bits of synth history.

First a look back at some of the people (and companions) we lost last in 2016.

2016 was rough. On the maker front we lost Don Buchla, who along with Bob Moog, was undoubtably the creator of the synthesizer as we know it today. We lost Ray Wilson of Music From Outer Space, arguably one of the greatest, if not the greatest, influencers in synth DIY. Many makers out there started with his projects.

On the musician front we lost some of synths' greats including Keith Emerson, Isao Tomita, Bernie Worrell and Jean-Jacques Perrey. We lost a couple of pioneers of electronic music as well, namely Jean-Claude Risset and Pauline Oliveros.

The following is the list:

David Bowie - January 10, 2016
Else Marie Pade - January 18, 2016
Stanley Lunetta - March 3, 2016
Keith Emerson - March 11, 2016
Isao Tomita - May 5, 2016
Bernie Worrell - June 24, 2016
Ray Wilson - July 21, 2016
Don Buchla - September 14, 2016
DJ Spank-Spank - September 21, 2016
Jean-Jacques Perrey - November 4, 2016
Jean-Claude Risset - November 21, 2016
Pauline Oliveros - November 24, 2016

And never to be excluded, a couple of the companions we lost:

nonlinear circuit's Bill - March, 2016
CatSynth's Luna - October 31, 2016

Note the above are only those I could tie in with synths. Two artists you might notice missing are Prince and George Michael. Both deserve a mention. Prince I could have tied in with an Oberheim connection. I still remember lusting after an OB-8 after seeing his videos in the 80s.

RIP posts are the hardest to write. Not only because you are mourning the loss of someone great, but because you know your post will never be good enough.


As for new gear in 2016, you might have noticed all of the "New in 2016" labels that have gone up in posts throughout the year. I created the labels back in 2015 as a means to keep track of all the new gear coming in. I also thought it would be a quick, easy, and interesting way to get total counts of everything at the end of the year. Here are the numbers (links will take you to posts for each):

New in 2016 (753)
New Cases in 2016 (18)
New Controllers in 2016 (38)
New DIY in 2016 (108)
New Makers in 2016 (101)
New Mobile Apps in 2016 (65)
New Modules in 2016 (299)
New Old in 2016 (21)
New Soft Synths in 2016 (55)
New Sound Machines in 2016 (34)
New Sound Packs in 2016 (24)
New Synth Effects in 2016 (9)
New Synths in 2016 (112)
New Tools in 2016 (51)

Note, as with anything, labels can be a little tricky. Sometimes there will be overlap, sometimes items will be announced one year, but released in another if at all, and of course, if I'm not made aware of an item it gets missed. You'll likely see a few items from 2015 in the 2016 list for that reason. I also found it can be difficult to categorize certain items. Drum machines for example get bucketed under synths, but I think for 2017 I will create a new label for them and just use both.

All that said, if you look at the numbers above we had 753 new products/items appear on the site last year. Always of notable interest were the items from vintage synth history that were never featured on the site before. Last year there were 21. An interesting side note is that matches the 21 we had the year prior in 2015. I won't go into any in detail as you can take a look at the label yourself and as I mentioned above I'm going to try and keep this post short. You can check out any of the categories above.  Also worth noting is there were 101 new makers to the site in 2016!  Check them out via the link above.

I was never one for top 10 lists, as although they can be fun, I'm a firm believer that all gear has something to offer. It's up to us to use the gear and find out. That said I do think it's worth mentioning some of the major synth releases this year. Not only does it gives us a quick look at what the major players released but it also lets us see when they were released in the year.  The following is a quick list:

1. Korg Minilogue - January 8
2. Yamaha Montage AWM2 & FM-X - January 11
3. Clavia Nord Piano 3 - January 18 & January 21
4. Roland A-01 - January 19
5. Korg Limited Edition Kronos Platinum
6. Make Noise 0-Coast - January 20
7. Artuia MatrixBrute - January 21
8. Dave Smith Instruments OB-6 - January 21
9. Teenage Engineering Pocket Operators - January 21
10. MFB Tanzamus & Tanzbar Lite - January 22
11. Mellotron Micro - January 22
12. Modal 008 Rack - January 25
13. Anyware Instruments Modulator - March 23
14. Nord Drum 3/3P - April 4
15. New Minimoog Model D - May 18
16. Moog Brother From Another Mother - May 18
17. Audiothingies Micromonster - May 27
18. Mini GRP A2 - May 28
19. DSI OB-6 Desktop - June 22 & June 23
20. Mode Machines ADX1 - June 28
21. New Black Oberheim TVS - June 28
22. Ninstrument SynthBoy+ July 2
23. Behringer Deepmind 12 - July 7
24. New Red & Blue Korg Electribes v2 - July 20
25. Yamaha FM Synth for iOS - July 21
26. Jomox Alpha Base - July 23
27. Korg Desktop Odysseys - August 28
28. Percussa Remote - August 29
29. KORG MicroKORG-S - August 31
30. Korg Volca Kick - August 31
31. KORG Odyssey Desktop Modules - August 31
32. Roland System-8 - September 3 and September 9
33. Roland TR-09 & TB-03 - September 3
34. Roland VP-03 - September 3
35. Synthstrom Audio Deluge - September 8
36. CMS 2607 - September 23
37. Dreadbox Murmox V2 - September 25
38. Arturia Drumbrute - October 7
39. Bastl Instruments Kastle - October 7
40. Korg Monologue - November 1
41. Full Size Korg Arp Odyssey Keboards - November 4
42. Cyclone Analogic TR-606 Clone - November 16
43. Tangible Waves AE Modular - November 16
44. Modal Electronics CRAFTSynth - November 18
45. Cyclone Analogic TT-78 - November 23
46. The White Schmidt Synthesizer - November 25
47. Plankton Electronics Ants! - December 9
48. Dreadbox NYX - December 15
49. Cyclone Analogic TT-303 MK2 - December 15

Note this is only 49 of the 112 items in the new synths in 2016 category. I'd recommend checking them all out.

What stood out for you in 2016? What are you looking forward to in 2017? Leave a comment or two below.

I want to end this with a humble thank you to everyone that makes this site what it is!

Thank you and Happy New Year!!!  On to 2017!

ISAO TOMITA Moog Synthesizer Operation

YouTube via 645sh505 — June 18, 2010 — no description available
Unfortunately no audio in this one. Click here for all posts mentioning Isao Tomita including some video, and do not miss this one for a rare magical moment.

Patch of the Week: Whistle Lead (Tomita/Tangerine Dream) Using self-oscillating Filter/VCF as a VCO

video upload by AJH Synth Official

"This sound is inspired by lead sounds of the 70's/80's from Isao Tomita and Tangerine Dream (Remote Viewing), but will also be reminiscent of Kate Bush's 'All we ever wanted', and even Jeff Wayne's 'War of The Worlds' musical. It uses a filter/VCF in self-oscillation as a VCO, controlling it melodically, with envelopes and noise to help recreate the sounds. No VCO/oscillator is needed in the patch, and white or pink noise is optional, but necessary to get a Tomita-like whistle sound. Tomita originally used a Moog modular system for these sounds, so given that the AJH Synth MiniMod system and it's Transistor Ladder Filter are directly based on the early R.A.Moog version of the Minimoog, it's possible to get very close to such sounds. However, I've not tried to emulate it exactly, but you can see that the basis for this patch is very easily customisable, so it's a very useful synth patch to understand for a variety of musical applications. Patch sheet PDF can be downloaded here: https://kvisit.com/8AE/rv4G

Check out the AJH Synth playlists for module 'User Guides', and 'Patch of The Week' videos, which will be either performances or 'how to' guides, detailing functions/methods, and a range of sounds, some familiar, some less so, containing a patch sheet at the end, with notes below, to show you how to construct it for yourself.

Video by DreamsOfWires

Index:
00:00 Intro
00:29 Performance Example & Overview
02:22 Assembling the patch
03:14 Importance of envelope
03:42 Delayed LFO/Vibrato
05:25 Adding Glide
06:12 Adding Noise
06:56 Mod wheel control of LFO
07:36 Noise as Filter Mod source
08:16 Patch Diagram

Patch Notes:
Green dots show approximate pot and switch positions. Pots and switches that do not have green dots are not used in this patch, and should be left at their zero or off positions.
This is based on the version in the video with noise mixed in as audio, and glide applied to the keyboard CV. For variations without noise or glide, and usage with a mod controller, see the appropriate part of the video (check Index). Only a couple of connections need to be changed for these purposes.
V-Scale: Used here as a simple multiple, but since it's handling Gate signals any passive multiple could be used.
DH-ADSR: Another Contour Generators could be used instead, but the advantage with the DH-ADSR is independent control of both Decay and Release, meaning greater control. It serves as a great companion to the Contour Generators for this reason.
Dual LFO: The Tap Tempo VC-LFO module could also be used here in the same way, as it also has a built-in VCA (level control).
Ladder Filter: The Gemini 2412 would also work well here, it's tracking in self-oscillation is actually better overall. It would just need to have high resonance/self-oscillation enabled by the rear jumpers (see online manual or video user guide). The Ladder Filter struggles to track at lower frequencies, this is an authentic characteristic of the original Minimoog filter, but it's fine for the pitch/note ranges used in this video. The Sonic XV will also self-oscillate, but it's ability to track 1V/Oct is not as tight as the Gemini.
Modules used from left to right: Glide + Noise (Mk I or Mk II), V-Scale, DH-ADSR Envelope, Dual LFO + VCA, Contour Generators, Transistor Ladder Filter, Discrete Cascaded VCA."

Isao Tomita Synth Shots

Title link takes you to a funny thread debating who's in the shot below. Isao Tomita or Riyuici Sakamoto. Why did I post this? : ) More synth shots well worth seeing after the hop of course.

Jupiter-8 Split Example 1

YouTube via SynthManiaDotCom

"Roland Jupiter-8 sync'd to Roland TR-808. Split mode and arpeggiator are used. A quick version of Smalltown Boy and some other classic 1980s synth lines."

Jupiter-8 Split Example 2


"Roland Jupiter-8 sync'd to Roland TR-808. Split mode and arpeggiator are used. I'm playing a typical early-mid 1980s Italo-Dance style, with the powerful JP Brass sound."

Jupiter-8 Split Example 3

YouTube via SynthManiaDotCom

"Roland Jupiter-8 in Split mode. The Lower part features the beautiful JP Strings, and the Upper part a characteristic "Tomita" synth sound. Vaguely in the style of Isao Tomita's "Snowflakes are dancing" record."

Reminds me of Tomita's When You Wish Upon a Star on the Moog Modular.