MAMEWorld Forums - EmuChat - Re: i agree. 909 has NO soul [nt]

> > Soul? To cite Icon of Coil: 'The soul is in the software'.
>
> I think you should get your hands on the equipment and play with it. The 808 and the
> 909 are worlds apart.
>
> There is no "software" on the 808, it's like an analog synthesizer but with less
> knobs on it. And like older synths (and arcade games with discrete sound such as
> Asteroids) the sounds it generates are affected by temperature, humidity and
> component age.
>
> The 909 is purely digital and has MIDI. You can place it outside in a snow storm and
> it will continue to sound exactly the same as it always does. It's a robot.
>
> Almost every sound the 808 can produce has a separate control voltage output on the
> back, when connected to the trigger input on another analog synth you can use this to
> make the hi-hat of the 808 play chords on the synth, for example. Or you could plug
> it in to a vocoder and make the hi-hat "sing"!
>
> I used to hook it up to a Korg Polysix, then put it on 'hold' and use the arpeggiator
> to play a few selected low notes but in random order. Those would then be triggered
> by the 808's bass drum output so that a bass note always would play when the bass
> drum played.
>
> When you connect old analog equipment like this, there is a slight lag on the
> triggered sounds that causes a certain swing or groove that you don't get with
> digital equipment. Then add and tweak some delay effects and the most incredible
> grooves grow out of it like some kind of grotesque funk plant.
>
> It's very cool and fun to play with. unlike the 909, this type of gear has a "living
> and breathing" quality to it. That's what I mean when I say that it has soul.
>
> S

This was pure joking on my part, scusi for getting it the wrong way. Almost everything now can be recreated truthfully in Sw, Arturia's TAE is a good example. And adding quantization / swing / shuffle / od time signatures (the 'soul') in the sequencer of your choice should do it most of the time. The interface and accessibility is another question, though. I was interested in analog sound creation technology during the 90's, so i think my background is not that bad. Ever needed to warm up an old analogue beast to get it into stable tuning...

Btw, owned an TR707, JX-8P, and R70 myself (still have it). Loved the MIDI speed dial and the step sequencer on the 707, it's the closest to the 909. Loved to own an MC-202 and TR-606, but those days are over. My experiences with the 808 come mostly from the Rebirth recreation which is not even virtual analog in the strict sense but 90% sample based, i admit. I'm almost exclusively into VSTi stuff, because it's reliable, doesn't take up space, and besides not having to dust everything off, you cannot damage the physical appearance of your babies with your sweat etc.