Deep Signal Studios Blog

  • ADAT Transfers in 2025 and Beyond: The Challenges
    Many engineers who used ADATs have either retired or don't remember the details since it's no longer necessary to use them multitrack recording. On top of this ADAT transfers to PCs rely on hardware and software that is no longer supported in current operating systems.
  • Deep Signal Studio's Vintage Mac and PC MIDI Sequencer Lab at Vintage Computer Festival SoCal February 15-16, 2025
    Catch us at VCFSoCal where you can compose on two computer based vintage MIDI sequencing stations.
  • Setting up Tidal Cycles with SuperDirt MIDI and a multiport midi interface with channel specific namespaces
    I documented using Tidal Cycles this way since I could not find it anywhere else.
  • Why do you need a midi patch bay?
    If you have more multitimbral synths and sound modules than you have multiport midi outs for, then you might use a midi patch bay. And if inspiration strikes when something is not connected and not easy to connect, you'll want to be prepared.
  • How to transfer Classic Mac Pro Tools files to a modern computer without file corruption
    In order to open old Pro Tools session files (from Mac OS8.x, 9.x, OSX 10.0-10.4, Pro Tools versions 1 to 5 with SD2 files ) in modern Pro Tools you need an old version of Pro Tools and save it, over several PT versions.
  • Video Game Synthesizers and Microtonal Tuning: Super Midi Pak and GenMDM
    Ever since the chiptune music genre became a thing in the mid 2000s many independent developers have been creating software and hardware that either emulate vintage video game sound chips, use old stock sound chip in new synths, or even use the original game system hardware and building out sound chip triggering features. These would essentially turn a video game system into a midi controllable synthesizer in the form of custom carts and/or controller inputs.
  • Microtuning Vintage Hardware Synthesizers
    Microtuning is the name given (by western musicians) to tuning systems outside of 12 equal divisions of the octave (12EDO) using in most western music. There are a handful of vintage synths and samplers that have microtuning and any multitimbral synth or sampler can be used microtonally with the pitch bend method.
  • Buyers Guide: Floppy Drive Emulator for Samplers, Synths, and Sequencers
    A lot of vintage synth, sampler, drum machine, and sequencer owners are discovering that it is possible to replace floppy drives with floppy drive emulators. They come in a few different version, being HxC and Gotek.
  • RTP-MIDI over the Internet
    RTP-MIDI, AppleMIDI or MIDI over Real Time Protocol is a way to send midi over a network in real time. Most of the time it is used to send midi within a local network to either hardware or software instruments but it can also be used to send midi over the internet. However, the timing is not always perfect. In my experiments, connecting to over the internet back to another local computer I experienced occasional lags, which got worse as I visited new web addresses that were data heavy like a YouTube video, but the lag went away a few seconds after the video got started.
  • An Interview with Composer Dan Alvarez
    Dan Alvarez is an Emmy award-winning composer and producer based in the San Francisco Bay Area in California. He was taught music technology by Malcolm Cecil (producer of TONTO's Expanding Head Band, Stevie Wonder, The Isley Brothers, Gil Scott-Heron) and then went on to work with Denny Jaeger Synclavier II, as well as a sound designer for Michael Jackson's Thriller album), guitarist Jason Becker, synth pioneer Pat Gleeson (with Herbie Hancock), and Gary Malkin (Unsolved Mysteries theme and score).
  • Bibio's Studio
    Bibio is Stephen Wilkinson from Wolverhampton in the West Midlands, England. His works from 2005 to 2009 consisted mostly of acoustic guitar and tape manipulation which can be described as tape-warbled, half-remembered, nostalgia-inducing folk. Although it did not contain any obvious synths (the software Super Sollider was used very sparingly as synth and audio processor), it was heavily influenced by the feeling of Boards of Canada. One obvious element that influence Bibio from BoC's music was his use of their tape warble and saturation effect. BoC would then go on to be influenced by Bibio by incorporating acoustic guitar in The Campfire Headphase.
  • Jupiter 8 vs JP-08
    We compared the sound similarities and functions of our Jupiter 8 with the new Roland Boutique series synth the JU-08.
  • Photos and video from the Vintage Synth Recording Workshop 2016
    Deep Signal Studios held their first pop-up studio in Los Angeles (the) Handbag Factory.
  • Vintage Synth Recording Workshop, Los Angeles, Saturday, July 11, presented by Deep Signal Studios
    Deep Signal Studios will hold its first Vintage Synth Recording Workshop in Los Angeles on Saturday, July 11, 2016 from 12:00pm to 6:00pm, at the Handbag Factory in Downtown Los Angeles. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own laptop, headphones, and audio interface to track vintage synthesizer parts for their midi sequences or live keyboard playing. This workshop is a unique opportunity for producers to use highly-sought after vintage hardware synths for their music productions. This is a free event.
  • 5 New Synths Added to the Inventory
  • Aphex Twin's gear list
    Aphex Twin's new release, Syro, includes a list of his gear, which room each song was made in (he has 5) and which pieces were used in each song. In looking up a few of the more unfamiliar pieces you can find some pretty esoteric items such as one of the first standard acoustic plate reverbs, a TR-909 clone kit, moded synths, and various DIY effect kits.
  • Roland Aira
    Just prior to NAMM 2014 Roland announced a series 2 new products with many more on the way: the Aira line. So far they have announced the TR-08.
  • Best of NAMM 2014: JAN 23 2014 Elektron Analog Rytm
    On the heels of Elektron's Analog 4 and Analog Keys is the Analog Rytm: an 8-voice, 6 output analog drum machine with a sample voice layer and din sync. And unlike the Machine Drum or Octatrack the Analog Rytm has both MPC trigger style pads and 808 style step sequencer buttons.
  • Best of NAMM 2014: Nord Lead A1
    Clavia announced the Nord Lead A1, a new take on analog modeling for Clavia compared to the Nord Lead series.
  • Best of NAMM 2014: Moog Sub 37
    Following up on 2013's release of the Moog Sub Fatty is the Sub 37: a Sub Phatty with all of the features available through control, another octave of keys, duophonic, and more patch memory.