Instruments
I play a range of different instruments.
When I started this electronic project in 2020, I was using a Prophet XL from Sequential, which got me a place on
Sequential's artist list
I used the Prophet on two albums, in a bunch of home recordings, and at several live performances before I eventually sold it. Along the way, other things found their way in too: Soma instruments, the keyboards in the Yamaha Reface series, and later the XL's smaller sibling, the Prophet X, because I was not quite finished with that sound.
These days I return most often to the Haken ContinuuMini and the Soma Terra.
If you want a closer look, some of the instruments I use most are below.
ContinuuMini from Haken
Expressive synthesizer
One of my absolute favorites. I bring it to almost every concert, and it appears on many of my releases and videos. You play it by moving your fingers across the red surface in 3D, which makes it feel unusually direct and expressive.
The little Haken is the source of all the sounds in
Ataraxia 2
Terra from Soma
Conceptual, digital synthesizer
I got this in 2023, and it quickly became a favorite. Vlad Kreimer designed it, and it can move from very delicate sounds to something much more dramatic in a split second.
Here is a playlist with all my
Terra videos
DFAM from Moog
Analog drum synthesizer
A compact analog drum synthesizer with that very recognisable Moog sound.
It makes the harsh groove in
The Downfall Club
from my album 'Drones...' and plays a duet with the Wing Pinger from Meng Qi in
Music on a snowy day
Lyra-8 from Soma
Drone synthesizer
Another instrument from Soma, built by Vlad Kreimer, who has a very distinct niche of his own and keeps coming up with instruments that feel unlike anything else. This one does drones, noise, and sounds that are a little harder to name.
I used it throughout my low-budget, minimalist short film
The uncanny Thought
where it is the only instrument in the soundtrack.
In this video
all four Soma instruments in my collection at that time play together.
Cosmos from Soma
Drifting memory station
Not exactly an instrument, but a looper that leaves a clear mark on whatever you run through it. Do I need two of them? Probably not. But it is useful!
It plays an important part in
Rite of New Endings
from my album 'Poetic'. It also appears in
the whole Soma family improv
Reface series from Yamaha
New versions of old keyboards
Yamaha's smaller versions of some of their classic keyboards:
CP is an electric piano with a toy piano and a traditional grand as well.
CS is a synthesizer with multiple waveforms and plenty of modulation options.
YC gives me five organ types in a tiny red box, and the Hammond emulation is especially good.
DX (not shown in the photo) is the classic 80s-style FM synth, and it was the last one I added.
The Reface CP can be heard in
Cormorant
, the first track on the album "Music from a Tiny House". So far, the CS, YC and DX mostly sit a bit further back in my recordings.
Wing Pinger from Meng Qi
Analog, filter-based synthesizer
A peculiar instrument by Meng Qi. Two resonant filters interact and modulate each other, which gives it a very distinctive sound.
It pairs really well with the Moog DFAM as in
this video
, and
here
it is on its own.
Waraku from Suzuki
Koto-synth
Originally made as a practice tool for traditional Japanese koto players, the Waraku makes silent practice possible, which is very useful in a small house at night. But it is also just a beautiful instrument in its own right. Mine is around 25-30 years old and still works perfectly.
One of my most watched YouTube videos is
a demonstration of the Waraku
DrumKid from Matt Bradshaw
A straightforward drum machine
I am fond of DrumKid because it is inexpensive and low-fi, but still very good at introducing randomness both when a rhythm starts and while it is running. Matt Bradshaw is developing a more advanced version with hi-fi samples. The Eurorack version is already out, and the standalone version is on the way.
In this
live recording from Berlin
DrumKid plays with the Yamaha Reface CP through the Soma Cosmos.
RC-600 from Boss
Loop station
Six independent loops that can either be synced or left unsynchronised. The RC-300, the smaller sibling of Boss's RC-600, was a crucial tool for shaping the sound sculptures on my album
Ataraxia
and the RC-600 plays the same role on its successor,
Ataraxia 2
The looper itself is not directly audible, but it shapes the structure.
Circuit Rhythm from Novation
Sampler and groovebox
I previously used the original Circuit, which appears on all the groovy tracks on the album
UNMASKED
and because it worked so well, I later bought the more versatile Circuit Rhythm second-hand. It looks modest enough, but it gives me a lot of ways to shape and vary rhythms, and I expect it to turn up on future microhouse releases.
Enner from Soma
Experimental touch-synthesizer
Another instrument from Soma Labs. You play it by touching the metal plates on the surface, which creates noisy textures, strange grooves, and other sounds that tend to go their own way.
You can hear the Enner in this
everyday recording
from my home studio.
Wavestate from Korg
Wave sequencing synthesizer
This is a small synthesizer with an unusually large range. The workflow is fairly complex, but it is worth the trouble for the evolving soundscapes it can create.
The Wavestate is the source of all the sounds in the track
Breathing
from my deep listening album Ataraxia 2.
Sea of Sounds from Tetsuo
Noisebox
A unique instrument made by the Italian artist Tetsuo. There is only one exactly like it. You play it by striking, scraping, or otherwise interacting with the objects placed on its surface. In addition, it features a built-in pair of tunable oscillators and a filter.
You can see it in action in
this video
from my ever-growing series, "Another day in the SoundOkapi studio."
Rumble of Ancient Times from Soma
8-bit noise synthesizer
Another strange creation from Soma Labs. It is inspired by the sound palette of 1980s video games and designed by Kakos Nonos. In reality, it is probably more of a toy than a serious instrument, but I have become quite fond of it and have in fact bought a second one too.
Watch the RoAT in
this video
from the series, "Another day in the SoundOkapi studio."
Prophet X from Sequential
Hybrid synthesizer
In a way, this synth was my first, just in another form. I originally bought the slightly larger Prophet XL, which is the only instrument on the two albums "Time Incantations" and "Bindi". I later sold it, missed it, and eventually bought a second-hand Prophet X.
It combines samples with a high-quality digital synth engine and then runs them through analog filters, which leaves a lot of room to explore.
You can hear the Prophet X(L) on
my first album
And you can read the interview where Sequential featured me as one of their spotlight artists
here
Onde from La Voix du Luthier
Self-powered resonator
I use the Onde for concerts and performances in small, intimate spaces such as village churches, galleries, cafes, homes, and sometimes outdoors. With its built-in amplifier and battery, I can power the Haken mini via USB and play it through the Onde's wooden resonator, which colors the sound in a slightly acoustic way.
Assorted effect pedals
Occasionally, I run instruments through effect pedals. This is my current collection.
Nux Tape Core, Jomox T-Resonator, Walrus Slö, Deepspace Devices Antikythera, Cooper FX Generation Loss, TC Electronic Mimiq, Koma Commander and Dreadbox Kinematic. Since taking the photo, Chase Bliss Lost+Found, Soma Harvezi Hazze, and Fairfield Circuitry Meet Maude and Hors d'Oeuvre? have been added as well.
Studio Live 16.4.2 from Presonus
16-channel mixer
The centre of all my recordings and nearly every concert. I often use the built-in effects section in the 16.4.2 for reverb and delay. I also have a small Yamaha mixer for performances with a very small setup. It is much easier to bring along than the Presonus spaceship.