Soothing Strat

It has been too long since I did a good old Strat song. I just put new strings on it the other day and figured it was time to play some guitar again. The rhythm track was doubled and the lead track has a nice tremolo on it. The bass track was created with my trusty Rickenbacker 4003 bass. Drums were created with a Digitech Trio pedal. It originally created a bass track, too, but I didn’t like it, so I replaced it with my own.
Two analog synth sequencers “covalently bonded” (via midi) and living in perfect symbiosis with a BeatBuddy funk drum track and a Fender Strat drenched in an Oceans 12 dual reverb. Everything was recorded direct into a Behringer mixer.

Covalent Symbiosis

Two analog synth sequencers “covalently bonded” (via midi) and living in perfect symbiosis with a BeatBuddy funk drum track and a Fender Strat drenched in an Oceans 12 dual reverb. Everything was recorded direct into a Behringer mixer.
Unchain My Moog

Another instrumental song idea based on a sequenced Moog Spectravox and Moog Mavis with a bass lead provided by the Minimoog. I was testing the preset from the manual called, “Sawyer Bass.” Notice the Overload lamp coming on as the output signal is being routed back in via the External Input (it is internally wired that way when the Ext. Input rocker switch in on and there is nothing plugged into the Ext. Input jack. It is a form of overdrive distortion that folks discovered back in the day and Moog added the feature to the newer Model D’s.
Stillness at Sunup

A very chill piece, considering it has a Samba drum track. It features a Martin DC Aura on rhythm with a Moog Mavis analog synth providing an ethereal lead. A Rickenbacker 4003 provides the bass. Composed and recorded in one evening. Drums by BeatBuddy.
American Outside Woman Impromptu

The title of this song comes from the fact that I used a tone on my Les Paul that was reminiscent of something between “American Woman” and “Outside Woman Blues.” Impromptu was added because, well, it isn’t a blues song and the leads were pretty much ad-lib.
Strats and Vibes

A “feel good” instrumental with a driving bass line and several layers of Stratocaster, including a simulated vibraphone track. What’s not to like?

Nobody Cares About Oscar

April 13, 2025 by Joe

Well, I included an excerpt of this song on my Spring 2025 YouTube trailer, so I figured I ought to upload the song. I never uploaded it before because I thought I might take another shot at it, but just never got around to it. This is something I recorded the night the Oscars were being presented on TV, which explains the title.

Note: at the beginning of the video, I am playing the top keyboard (the Behringer Poly D), but you are also hearing the bottom keyboard (the Moog Mavis and Spectravox modules mounted in the NiftyKEYZ keyboard enclosure), which were being controlled via midi and being blended with the Poly D through the mixer. At one point, I turn the volume down on the Poly D and kick in the mod wheel. The bottom keyboard is soloing at that point, even though I am still playing the top keyboard. Later, you can see me turn the Poly D volume back up and switch on all of its oscillators, which adds some bass to the mix. I’m also tapping the BeatBuddy pedal (on the floor) during all of this to add drum fills and switch to different sections of the drum track. The BeatBuddy was also connected to the midi chain in order to keep it in sync with the synths.

Opalescence (visualization version)

March 23, 2025 by Joe

This song was created with a Behringer Poly D analog synth running on its sequencer. For the lead, I played the Minimoog in real-time while also adding fills and changing song sections on the BeatBuddy using its foot pedal.

Opalescence

March 22, 2025 by Joe

A Behringer Poly D is running on its sequencer. Lead is provided by the Minimoog. You can hear the Moog Mavis and Spectravox at the end of the song as they were also being driven by the Behringer’s sequencer via midi.