Some of the different forms of tape that are studied in Generation Loss MKII include VCRs, camcorders, and cassette decks. Generation Loss MKII is the first stereo pedal in our classic format. Stereo in and out, mono in stereo out, and a unique Spread option that uses the Failure knob to create a malfunctioning stereo […]
In this video, I explore the strange toy that is the Magical Musical Thing (Mattel 1979). I speak to Franklin Eventoff, the toy’s inventor, and learn about the other instruments he created as well. I also learn the secret to tuning these darn things. You can download the sample library of the Magical Musical Thing […]
I was browsing through a thrift store when I came across a vintage reel-to-reel tape recorder. I was curious to try it out, so I bought it and took it home. When I plugged it in, I was surprised to find that it still worked! I decided to use it to make a “tape piano” […]
Last weekend, I went to NAMM and hung out with a bunch of Youtubers (@Christian Henson Music @Jon Meyer Music @Venus Theory @Dan Keen Music), but this video isn’t about that. This video is about the day after NAMM–a day I spent walking around the Santa Monica beach with a field recorder. The Santa Monica […]
In this video, I check out the new Habit pedal by Chase Bliss. It’s an experimental delay pedal that allows you to randomly re-introduce audio from the last three minutes into your current music.
In this video, I compare the “Pro” version of the Keystep with the original Keystep, and discover the Keystep Pro is not just one of the best MIDI controllers in its price range, it’s actually a full-fledged sequencer with a focus on hardware integration.
In this video, I combine a children’s science kit with a bicycle wheel, resulting in a makeshift music sequencer.
I checked out the brand new Donner B1 Bass Synthesizer: Donner B1 analog bass synthesizer has made unprecedented innovation in the operation interface, provide simpler and more intuitive interface for all music lovers
I love chord machines. In this video, I want to talk about my love of the Omnichord OM-84 and the long history of fretless zithers. The Omnichord was first released in 1981 and was a huge hit. It was one of the first portable chord machines on the market, and its popularity led to several […]
A modular synthesizer is a type of synthesizer that consists of several independent modules, usually housed in a single case. Modular synthesizers are often designed to be able to be customized, by adding or removing modules, to better suit the needs of the performer. How I Sampled my Modular Synth How I sampled my modular […]
I Built a Violin with a Reverb Tank Inside of it Taking the reverb tank violin out for a spin…
I built a reverb tank out of an old lamp + FREE SAMPLE LIBRARY. In this video, I delve into the creative possibilities of traditional desk lamps. Four tension springs make this metal desk lamp a natural reverb chamber in addition to a light. Metal Desk Lamp – FREE [Decent Sampler, Ableton Live, Kontakt] Percussion […]
Presenting the Violin Ensemble Sample Library for Decent Sampler & Kontakt Four violins from four different nations collaborate to make a lush, highly cinematic ensemble. A lush, highly cinematic ensemble is created when four violins from four different nations – each with its own distinct sound – come together. The Decent Sampler player is available […]
How to make a template for sampling MY TEMPLATE Dropbox link A Google Sheets version of the markers and regions stuff can be found here You’ll notice that the spreadsheet template I included in the link above is for sampling pizzicato. This is a better version of the same template. After I filmed this video, […]
How I Organize my Studio (Sort of) Someone recently asked me how my studio is organized, a question which caused me to make this video in which I talk for six minutes about plastic storage containers.
![Sonic Toothbrush – FREE [Decent Sampler]](https://www.strongmocha.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/maxresdefault-5.jpg "Sonic Toothbrush – FREE [Decent Sampler] 16")
This toothbrush is a synthesizer! (also: FREE SAMPLE LIBRARY) The clear, synth-like tone of a Sonic Toothbrush processed through a variety of effects. Available in Decent Sampler format. The clear, synth-like tone of a Sonic Toothbrush recorded through a guitar pickup. This instrument library comes with six presets: Sonic Toothbrush DryThe dry sound of the […]
Apple just announced two new Macbook Pro models featuring two new CPUs, the M1 Pro and the M! Max. With the new M1 chips from Apple, you can now enjoy up to 200GB/s memory bandwidth with support for 32GB of unified storage. But that’s not all! The Max model offers even higher speeds.
650 FREE SAMPLE LIBRARIES: Pianobook relaunch + What’s new with Decent Sampler! Decent Sampler Libraries Check out the new @PIANOBOOK site here (https://www.pianobook.co.uk/) When you join Pianobook, you’re joining a global community of samplists who believe that music is everywhere. Whether it’s the sound of a passing car or the noise of a busy street, […]
My favorite FREE synth plugins I just bought a new Windows machine, so I had to reinstall all my audio software. Here are the FREE synth plugins I installed first.
Ableton Live Tips 11 Ableton Live tips for AUDIO EDITING everyone should know
Box Harp – Free Sample Library Free Sample Library: Box Harp (DecentSampler, Ableton Live, Kontakt, SFZ, EXS)
10 Ableton Live Tips 10 Ableton Live tips everyone should know, let’s learn together.
M1 Mac for Music Production I’ve been using my M1 MacBook Pro for music production for the past 7 months. In this video, I talk about how that’s going, and I give my recommendations about whether it’s worth the upgrade!
How To Record Violins In this video, I talk about how to record violins on a budget. The track from this video can be found here. The microphones I mentioned in this video are: Rode M5 (Cheap but still decent) Rode NT5 (Medium + slightly better) Coles 4038 (Best, but most expensive)
13 tips for promoting your music! This is it: everything I know about how to promote music in one video. My DistroKid promo code http://distrokid.com/vip/dhmusic (Affiliate Link)
TRUE legato sample libraries for DECENT SAMPLER Decent Sampler now has support for legato! In this video, I show off how to script TRUE legato samples for DS. The super basic demo library I created in this video can be downloaded here.
How to make TRUE legato sample libraries in SFZ In this video, I show off how to script TRUE legato samples in SFZ. The super basic demo library I created in this video can be downloaded here: SFZ Viola True Legato Demo D Smolken’s great SFZ tutorial can be found here. A Decent Sampler version […]
What Does A $37 Viola Sound Like? There are a ton of super cheap violins and violas on eBay. I’ve always been really curious about them: what you can expect for those kind of bargain basement prices? To find out, I ordered a couple of violas–one of them was just 37 bucks! Today we’re going […]
LFOs and Envelope Generators In this video, I add LFOs and envelope generators to my eurorack rig. I also show how to modulate parameters using MIDI (Modwheel CC).
In this video, I tackle my most ambitious electronics project to date: building a mic preamp. My vocal processing chain for this song was as follows: Rode M5 (matched pair) into 2 DIYRE CP5 Preamps with the CTX Colour module. On the software side, I used Waves CLA Vocals (mostly to add some reverb).
Building a DIY Eurorack case In this video, I build a DIY Eurorack case and take my first synth module (Plaits) for a spin.
2 inexpensive ways to shoot from above Two ways to mount your camera for clean, top-down footage. First, I show off the super simple way I’ve been shooting for the past two years, and then I take things a step further by building my own rig.
Decent Sampler on iOS Did you ever wish you could use professional quality sample libraries on your mobile device? Now you can! The Decent Samples plugin is a sample player that allows you to use your favorite Decent Samples sample libraries on the go. Many of the most popular Decent Samples releases are available through […]
![How to get 103 sample libraries for FREE! [Pianobook / DecentSampler]](https://www.strongmocha.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/maxresdefault-10.jpg "How to get 103 sample libraries for FREE! [Pianobook / DecentSampler] 34")
How to get 103 sample libraries for FREE into DecentSampler Last week, @Frédéric Poirier released Decent Sampler versions for 103 instruments on @PIANOBOOK. Now you can download them for FREE and use them in your music. Check out composer Fred Poirier’s video Decent Sampler is a free plugin for Mac, Windows, and iOS. You can […]
How I Record Hardware Synths In this video, I go through my entire workflow for recording hardware synths. I use Ableton Live in the video, but all of these concepts should carry over pretty easily into other DAWs.
Arturia Microfreak: Are we living in a golden age for standalone synths? In this video, I talk about the Arturia MicroFreak – a hybrid synth that takes some of its DNA from the modular synth world. See also StrongMocha’s MicroFreak Review – an Extraordinary Experimental Hybrid Freak Hardware Synthesizer by Arturia
A Weird, Long Violin I combined the body of a mountain dulcimer with a violin/viola neck. Strange results! Sorry about the weird on-camera audio. I’ll switch back to the condenser mic for the next video. 😉 The Etsy soundbox kit I bought
Getting Started with Ableton Sampler In this video, I explore the power and simplicity of Ableton Live’s built-in Sampler instrument. In the process, I take the Box Violin sample I released two weeks ago and create an Ableton Sampler version of it. Download the sampler instrument here
How I make Sample Libraries In this video, I go through the entire process of creating a sample library from start to finish. I do my recording and chopping in REAPER. I then make a Kontakt instrument, a Decent Sampler instrument, and an SFZ. MY REAPER SCRIPTS here COMMERCIAL REAPER SCRIPTS The REAPER Aubio pitch […]
The Ukelin Sample Library Experience the strange, otherworldly sound of this all-but-forgotten piece of Americana. Now in three convenient formats: Kontakt, SFZ, and Decent Sampler. NOTE: The Kontakt version requires the full version of Kontakt (not Kontakt Player): Ukelin [Kontakt, SFZ, Decent Sampler] In the mid 1920s, the US went through the first of several Hawaii […]
How I Organize My Song Ideas In this video, I go over the spreadsheet that I use to organize my song ideas. It’s super basic. You can find the template here
Decent Sampler Tutorial The Decent Samples plugin is a FREE sample player plugin that allows you to play sample libraries in the DecentSampler format (files with extensions: dspreset and dslibrary). It is available in the following formats: Windows: 64-bit VST, 64-bit VST3, 64-bit Standalone Mac: 64-bit VST, VST3, AU, AUv3, Standalone With just a basic piano sample, it […]
How to Lay Out Piano Samples In this Kontakt scripting tutorial, I show how to work with piano samples. Topics covered: distinct samples for sustain and non-sustain, release triggers, and pedal up/down sounds. The SCHIMMEL PIANO featured in this video (Andrew Finch Schimmel) can be downloaded for free on Pianobook
AUM + Fugue Machine + Decent Sampler The iOS music ecosystem has yielded a number of cool, nonstandard ways of writing music. Central to many of them is an app called AUM, which acts as an essential thread to get all of your different apps talking to eachother. In this video, I use AUM along […]
Plugins To Add Movement To Your Music In this video, I use three FREE plugins to add movement to an otherwise lifeless chord progression. Valhalla Supermassive Alex Hilton A1TriggerGate Audiomodern filterstep
Apple has a new sampling plugin called Sampler; it comes as part of Logic 10.5. In this quick video, I give the new plugin a spin, and use it to create an EXS version of my Box Violins Sample Library. This week, Apple launched version 10.5 of Logic. Along with a host of other features, […]
How to Write Film Music I normally write film music in either Logic or REAPER, but the feature I just finished scoring was written completely in Ableton Live. In this video, I go over everything you need to know about how to write film cues in Ableton Live: how to import video, how to sync […]
I got a pocket operator and I made a song I finally got my hands on a PO-33 Pocket Operator, a tiny 8-bit sampler that fits in your pocket. In this video, I use it to make a beat, which somehow turns into a vocal song?
Thing On My Wall About 6 months ago, I attached a bunch of synths to my wall. This video talks about how and why I did that – and I make some quick music. Synths Korg Electribe ER-1 Launchpad Pro Launchpad Pro Custom Sequencer Firmware Korg Volca Keys Teenage Engineering Pocket Operator PO-33 K.O! FIFINE […]
How to Automatically Map Your Samples in Kontakt 6 In this video, I explore how you can use Kontakt 6’s Creator Tools to automatically map samples based on their pitch and volume.
Spotify Playlists Tutorial In this video, I go over how to pitch to official Spotify playlists. Getting your music on Spotify playlists is a great way to pick up listeners. I’ve had it happen a couple times, and each time I’ve seen a huge boost in my numbers.
Make cover art for my tracks aka Dave’s Photoshop Every couple of weeks, I release a new track, which means I also have to create cover art. In this video, I go over my quick-and-dirty graphic design process.
Granular Synthesis Tutorial In this video, I show how I use granular synthesis to create unique sounds. In the process, I end up creating a full electronic track. All of my obsession with granular synthesis is owing to Granulator II, a fantastic Max4Live patch by Robert Henke (Monolake). In order to use Granulator II, you […]
How to upload synced lyrics to Apple Music, Instagram (using DistroKid) In this video, I explore how to upload synced lyrics to the various streaming platforms (most notably Apple Music). “Synced Lyrics” is an Apple Music feature that allows listeners to see lyrics for the specific part of a song that a listener is hearing […]
How I record rock songs quickly in Ableton Live Can you take a piano piece and turn it into a rock song? Let’s find out! Also: I walk through how I record a rock song from start to finish using Ableton Live & REAPER.
Tutorial – How does the Kontakt 6 GUI Designer work? In this video, I take a quick look at the Kontakt 6 GUI Designer–a tool that comes bundled with Kontakt 6. The GUI Designer allows instrument creators to predefine their UI control layouts in advance so that they don’t need to set them up manually […]
How to Write Music in a Pandemic When the quarantine first started, I had a lot of trouble motivating myself to write music. Gradually, I’ve been writing more and more, so I thought I would share the composing routine that’s worked for me. My lockdown situation is pretty common in that I have a kid […]
What’s new in iZotope RX 8? A new version of iZotope RX is out, so I figured I would take it out for a spin and see what new features got added. RX is, of course, the industry-standard noise reduction suite for samplists everywhere.
