Waldof Music: Rare Album 3

Waldorf Project 3 - Main Output

Is the Third of Waldorf's Demo CD, featuring the newly released Q and the older Wave, MicrowaveII, MicrowaveXT and Pulse. Which instantly made me got the uQ to join the existing Waldorf's Whales in the studio :O) Again, this wonderful CD is among my all time favorite electronic music album.

Boss DR-880

The DR-880 is nice, but notice that I got it mainly for banging some srx/v-drums style noises at night, with a headphone. Just to have some fun.

And the headphone amp is nice and clean, while could be hotter.

For that, the unit is a wonderful stuff!

The pads are a bit small, but they are playable and react to velocity well. Supporting the multilayered sample.
Not as musical as my RY30 but better than the MC-909 pads. It didn't have an aftertouch as many earlier top of the line Boss unit have.

The unit is light enough to carry, but bigger than earlier Boss DR line. All made of plastic, but looks aesthetically nice and clean.

If you are a fan of older Roland's drums (derived from the R-8mkII to the DR-770 era), may be the unit won't make you happy. To me these older boxex have more aggressive, more in your face quality, just like most of the 90's beat box.
Even the SC-880 engine in my MC-80ex has more punch and dynamic to it sounds compared to the DR-880.
Also forget about the analog drum sounds, my MC-909 got that covered much more better.
The percussion sounds are crisp and clean with some details, but again thinner compared to the MC-909 or older stuff, which could be a better source for current pop music mix.

Sounds like I hate it? NO, I love it!
Because, it covers the type of sounds that I'm looking for.
Nice, clean, with the simple - up front "Boss" style sound and "fun" to play with/listen to.
It cover stuffs that's missing from the MC-909 or my older Roland's drum collection.
Also sounds different from the Bass & Drum board sounds in my JV-1080 which again sounds punchier, has more dynamics and raw. Even may be with the same samples.

For the best source of an acoustic drum kit emulation, may be something like the E-mu protean/beat shop or installing the Dynamic Drums SRX (for more editing power in the MC-909) would do the job better.
Listening to the the DR-880 sound is almost like listening to a V-drum instead of a real acoustic drum, which sounds great on a progressive music and the type of sound that I'm currently looking for. I'm using my trusty audio technica M-40fs phones, and it sounds great (as I like it), even sometime sounds a bit "bossy" (cheesy) which could be because of the simpler/lower end engine compared to the Fantom Class MC-909's engine.

The Kick and Snare are my favorite, followed by the tom. The hi-hat, crash, ride, china sounds good, but thin compare to the older line. But yet, sounds more ready mix too and sounds musical as a whole. Great for one, looking for a typical "current" Roland's drum samples type, V-drum style.

As we both agree, that a drum machine should sound like one. I prefer drum loops for a better
acoustic drum track. And the DR-880 sounds more like a hybrid machine :O) which sounds music to
me. But if there are any E-mu PX-7 for cheap, I'd prolly got it too, just to bang some rythm, because
I like to do finger drumming with a great acoustic drum kits. Plus it has a way deeper engine, and I still can
use the component such as the tom, crash, cymbal and synthesis to enrich the drum loop track.

The filterless engine is simple but effective, just around the pitch and decay. There's no way to layer sample, to make thicker sound. But the DR-880 has 3 separate inserts (eq and comp) which is a bit effective to make it sounds more mix ready. TSC which basically just a total eq and reverb sounds a bit cheesy sometime. But it's better than nothing, since it would add some musical ambiance to the playing and would not to noticable in a mix for a fast demo track.

I haven't make any song with it's sequencer, or using the step editing to make patterns, instead of doing realtime finger drumming. But I did play around a bit with the ez compose beat editing, which is simply a mix and match of drum elements from one pattern to another. The process is easy and fun. This alone, could make the unit as a great practice device. The fill-in library is also nice and effective, but not as instant as the fill-in operation such in the early Boss unit or as in the SR-16.

People said that the video manual is very nice and un-leashed the unit's potential. It featuring the the same person featured on the MC-909 dvd manual.

I haven't tried the GT-6 based fx for the guitar in, but it supposed to be not bad. If you play guitar
then this is going to be another plus point. I hardly wish that those effects can be used with the drum sounds..but no such luck.

Above all the weaknesses, with the right touch, I can see that this unit got a potential to do a finished, slammin hot rhtym tracks. Not to mention a great drum source for a demo track and a jamming/practicing unit.

Hope that this humble review, would give an honest view of this humble device which I really like.

Warta Jazz

The best place to follow about the latest information about Jazz Music in Indonesia, mainly about the mixture with Indonesian Traditional Instrument.

http://www.wartajazz.com/

Also don't forget the visit or e-mail the store to buy directly, at:
http://www.wartajazz.com/store/indonesia.html

Pinball Music Walkstation

This is one of my imagination of a portable pinball music system :O)
Those portable walkstations have some serious noise making power, the battery powered music devices are getting better and better.
Sometime when making music on such device, I feel some excitement from playing a pinball table, which is instant, interactive and addicting.

Mystical Mist - Magical Match

Mystical Mist - Magical Match,
http://www.dwiki.com/discography

Are two of my favorite album of the older form of Krakatau Band. Featuring Dwiki Dharmawan as the Keyboardist and a mixture of Jazz Music and Indonesian Traditional Instruments such as: Rebab, Suling, Kendang, Saron and Bonang.

For the fans of such type of music, these album are now very rare and hard to get. But sometime Warta Jazz might have a copy or two:

http://www.wartajazz.com/store/indonesia.html

Waldorf Music: Rare Album 2

Waldorf Project 2 - Alien Control

This is the Second Waldorf's Demo CD, featuring the Wave, Microwave II, XT and Pulse. Also some Novation Drum Station sounds. This is among my all time favorite electronic music album, which made me bought both the MicrowaveXT (32 voices) and the Pulse+. So happy with the decisions :O)

Music for World's Peace

Enter World Peace Orchestra;http://www.dwiki.com/2007/08/10/dwiki-dharmawan-world-peace-orchestra-recording-tour/Directed by Dwiki Dharmawan as a keyboardist, featured in the July 2008 edition of Keyboard Magazine, USA:http://www.keyboardmag.com/article/global-harmony/jul-08/85829My Highest salute to Dwiki and the whole team that put music in such a glorious way.

Music Walkstation - Duo

The Yamaha QY70 and SU10 pair is my favorite portable workstations combo.
While the QY providing a full sequencing strength with a reasonable XG engine and nice fx, the SU10 providing all the bits and slices of samples and loops to make things even more fun. Those puppies might thrown in some reasonably good material and some punchy samples. I even sometime view the SU10 as a poor's man SP12/1200 :O) Both run on batteries and portable enough to take anywhere.

Even Freezepop, prefer the QY70 over the QY100! haha..
http://www.freezepop.com/gear/index.html

Waldorf Music: Rare Album 1

Waldorf Project - Planet Wave

Is the first of the Waldorf's Rare Music album CD, released for their instruments product demonstration CD. Featuring the Wave and Microwave. They've released an older demos on cassette, but this is their first full track music on CD.

Waldorf Records: Zeitlos

Waldorf Records,

http://www.waldorf-records.com/

Releasing Zeitlos some years ago which is one of my all time favorite Synthesizer driven, Chill out album. Made by a company who made legendary synthesizers such as the Wave, Microwave, Q and Pulse, this album exlusively featuring their instrument as the highlight.

It contains 11 tracks of great recorded materials, which samples can be listened from their web site. The Album, along with more Waldorf Records release can be had from their online shop.

Nuansa

Nuansa (2002) is Dwiki Dharmawan's personal album, which to me considered as a more easy litening compared to the usual Krakatau's masterpieces. Which I really like to listen over and over again, since it is relaxing, musical and fun to listen.

This album featuring some world class musicians such as: Mike Stern Trio(Mike Stern, Lincol Goiness dan Ritchie Morales), Ricky Lawson(drummer for Phil Collins and Michael Jackson Band), Michael Thompson(Celine Dion's guitarist), Neil Stubenhaus(bassist) and Los Angeles Studio Orchestra, which all are from USA. From Australia: Steve Hunter (bass), Glenn Wilson(drum), Guy Strazullo(gitar), David Jones(drum) and Victoria Philharmonic Orchestra.

Off course from fellow Indonesian musicians, such as: Oelle Pattiselano, Budhy Haryono, Bintang Indiarto, Indro Hardjodikoro, Hendry Lamiri, Dian Pramana Putra, Victoria(Warna), and more.

Also taking part is two senior orchestrator, Erwin Gutawa and Singgih Sanjaya.

Rhythm of Reformation

Rhythm of Reformation


This Album is another breakthrough from Krakatau, which is a supreme art work of Indonesian Traditional Percussions, featuring: Genjring, Terbang, Rebana, Kendang, Dog-dog, Ceng-ceng, Kempli, Jengglong, Lodang, Bedug, Taganing, Gondang, Karinding, Bonang, Kempul, Selentem, Gong and Drum Kit.A great taster of the energetic and mystical Indonesia world of music, mainly for those who like to explore the more universal side of percussion based music.

Also available as an i-tunes download:
http://www.musikita.biz/releases-krakatau-rhythm-of-reformation.html

2009 Dream Home Studio

A happy surroundings really supporting the creativity.

I do enjoy the interior aspect and the studio comfort factor and found it rather inspiring.

Lately, I'm thinking, If I were starting up again (or win a lottery )..may be I'd start with just:

- A powerful PC with a single 22" LCD, using a decent PCI express VGA card, running sonar 8 PE, plus:

* a Sonic Core XITE-1 + Solaris 5 and other synth plug-ins

http://www.sonic-core.net/en/products/xite-1.html

http://www.sonic-core.net/en/products/zargmusic.html

* a TC powercore Express + Virus, MD3, Harmony4 plug in (I love vocal harmony)http://www.tcelectronic.com/Default.asp?Id=11861

- Kurzweil PC3x 88 weighted keys and the free editor

http://www.kurzweilmusicsystems.com/Product.php?product=37

- CME UF 70 76 synth action keyboard controller + ASX board

- A Korg Wavedrum + Charlie Labs Digitar which I currently own

- Adam Audio active speaker monitor + sub woofer

- A decent headphone + Some decent mics

- Small Digital/USB2 mixer (+ high quality audio cables) with fx

- an 8 in/out USB midi interface

- A rack for some of my current analogs such as:MKS-70 + PG-800Pulse+, BSR, MED (doubled as analog filter processors)

-Analog pedals such as: Rat's and BOSS Hyperfuzz and SYB-3

- A bunch of plug-ins (including freebies) such as:Korg Legacy collection, Proteus VX, etc

THAT's about it.

Less Cables

Less Hassles

Less Maintenance

And more energy for the creativity and budget for the room's acoustic and other comfort factor :O)