Perth’s electro favourite Lower Spectrum (aka Ned Beckley) recently took time out for some show & tell, exclusively sharing with us five of his favourite synths, and explaining his affinity for each.
Proxima is the first single from Lower Spectrum’s highly anticipated New Haze EP – with its dark ominous signals seamlessly dancing between uplifting drum patterns, clicks and claps, and euphoric vocal hooks. Always one to challenge his own limitations, Beckley expresses himself best through his music, which is unsurprising, as he masterfully weaves together discarded vinyl samples, analog synth textures and splintering drums.
He’s travelled the country playing sets at St Jerome’s Laneway Festival, BIGSOUND in Brisbane and Melbourne Music Week, also supporting such international luminaries as Jon Hopkins, Pantha Du Prince, Andy Stott, Flako, Onra and Nightmares On Wax.
Before we begin, you should listen to and watch the ‘Proxima’ video below:
LOWER SPECTRUM – PROXIMA (OFFICIAL VIDEO) from LOWER SPECTRUM on Vimeo.
So, how does one make such incredible soundscapes? This is how Lower Spectrum does it. NOTE: TGW professes not to possess a working knowledge of synths. This was all written by the artist (we thank you).
Five Synths in Five Minutes with Lower Spectrum
One/ MINI-MOOG VOYAGER
This guy is new to the studio and already making a big impression. The thing I love the most about the Voyager is the expansive sound you can endlessly explore within it. Its sound is so classic, warm and unforgettable.
Two/ KORG MONOPOLY
The Monopoly has found its way into a lot of my productions, unintentionally. Prior to passing it onto a friend, I did a lot of recording, exploring the variety of oscillators and effects it was capable of emitting and manipulating. It’s a very powerful tool that takes lots of patience and curiosity. I tend to use a lot of arpeggiator rhythms in my arrangements and this synth is really good at delivering that.
Three/ DSI PRO2
This synth is the go-to work horse in my studio. It’s a very powerful mono synth that is based on the Prophet 12, but has a sound like nothing else. It’s a fusion of classic analog synthesizer design and cutting edge digital technology. I use it for a lot of leads, saws, the amazing capabilities with feedback, and it’s dual filters.
Four/ KORG MS2000B
I scored this synth off a farmer from the wheatbelt region on Gumtree… strange. I love the simple and unassuming sound this can make. I always run this through a space echo effect and get nice thick, creamy sounds. It features heavily in my productions, from soft pads to fluctuating bass lines.
Five/ ARTURIA MINI BRUTE
A French designed analog synth, the Brute is predominantly bass oriented and can get some really wild low-frequency sounds. It’s capable of lots of warbling, overdrive, screeching and rumbling, but also nice warm, wide bass lines. I write a lot of my bass lines with this and love its hands on capabilities.
Now… any questions?
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