Italo Disco - Deconstructed with 80s hardware

[elkanah77]

Episode 2 in my series old-school synth-pop tutorials. I discuss and dissect what's essential for the 80s genre Italo Disco. Using only sequencers, synths, samplers and drum machines from around the time.

If you have any comments to what type of sounds and synths a classic Italo Disco track should have, please chip in!

[Mark76]

Never heard a 626 sounding so good...

[Z]

Never heard a 626 sounding so good...

Custom samples TRIGGERED by the 626. You're not hearing the 626's actual sounds, but a sampler. Most of the sounds sound like LM-2.

[Yekuku]

I am no Italo disco expert, but I am hearing lately that a lot of people are using the roland d110 in order to get that cheap quality sounds that were used in italo disco, back in the days.

[gcoudert]

If you like Italo disco, check out this guy. Filthy rich kid (but talented nonetheless) with Roland gear. He used to play free concerts in my home town back in the 80s. He had a JP8, Juno 60s, JX3Ps and lots of other Roland gear and effects but no sequencer. He later added a Yamaha DX100 to his arsenal.




I started a thread about him a few years ago:

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=39621&p=443358&hili ... az#p443358

[elkanah77]

Never heard a 626 sounding so good...

Custom samples TRIGGERED by the 626. You're not hearing the 626's actual sounds, but a sampler. Most of the sounds sound like LM-2.

Truth be told, all the snares with reverb on them are originally from the 626 snare, but there's been layers of them and processed individually. The toms are off a Simmons SD8 module, also heavily processed of course. A couple of the dry claps/snares are the Linn correct.
It's all coming from the EM-U as I say in the video, but it's programmed on the 626. I never use any other drum machine than the 626 for the main programming of a track.

[elkanah77]

I am no Italo disco expert, but I am hearing lately that a lot of people are using the roland d110 in order to get that cheap quality sounds that were used in italo disco, back in the days.

I had the D110 for a couple of years back then, great for its time and money. I love the Poly-800 for that earlier cheap sound and lots of Italo acts used that as well in the early 80s.

[kulten]

I spent my childhood dancing on Italo hits in the '80s. Brillant demonstration. I think there is lot of good songs in thoses old singles (I love Den Harrow's "Future Brain").