From M1 to Modwave: Peter ‘Ski’ Schwartz on Crafting Iconic Synth Sounds

The Digital Lifestyle Show

TDL Show #964

Welcome to this week’s show, and it’s a bit of a classic! I’m joined by musician and sound designer Peter “Ski” Schwartz, who shares insights from his extensive career in sound design. He discusses working on the prototype of the Korg M1 synth, describing how he influenced its design process and the samples it used. He also recalls creating the iconic Ski Jam patch on the Korg Wavestation, which was once labelled the “worst sound ever programmed on a synth.”

We also dive into his work on the filter for the Korg 01/W and his contributions to physical modeling synths like the Korg Prophecy, including his work on the ModLog controller for it. Peter talks about what separates a good virtual analog sound from a great one, and we bring things up to date with his recent projects on the Korg Modwave, Wavestate, and ARP 2600 plugin. Finally, we wrap up with a chat about the new Korg Multi Poly synth.

Links from this week’s show:

• ART-Z ARP 2600 Power Pack – PluginGuru.com
• Introducing Words of Nonsense my new electronic music album
• Channelling Vox Humana: My New Track Inspired by Gary Numan’s Iconic Sound
• How to Sample Your Synths & Plugins for Korg Modwave & Wavestate | Free Tools Guide
• Korg Collection 5 – What’s included?
• multi/poly – ANALOG MODELING SYNTHESIZER | KORG (U.K.)

Listen Here (download mp3)

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