This week on the Synth Chat Podcast, Ian catches up with Scottish sound designer and musician Marc Barnes.
Marc returns to talk about his latest Korg Multi/Poly and Wavestate sound packs, programming tips, and his thoughts on the creative process. We dive deep into sampling workflows, vintage synths, and even the challenges of producing other artists’ music.
From the underrated DW-8000 to the TX7, from SampleRobot tips to full album mastering, this is a wide-ranging discussion packed with useful insights for musicians, producers, and synth enthusiasts.
Listen Now:
Listen Here (download mp3)
In This Episode
Marc’s new sound packs for Korg Multi/Poly & Wavestate
Multi/Poly vs. Wavestate – how programming differs
Vintage synth chat: DW-8000, TX7, string machines & more
Sampling workflows and looping techniques
Producing & mastering Graeme Sloan’s guitar instrumental album
Sharon’s trance track hitting 1 million streams
What synth Korg should release next
Timestamps
00:00 – Marc Barnes returns
01:33 – New sound packs for Multi/Poly & Wavestate
03:33 – Multi/Poly vs Wavestate – which is better to program?
07:44 – Why the ARP 2600 software is a favourite
10:18 – Modular hardware vs software workflow
11:13 – How Multi/Poly nails Virus, Moog & JP-8000 sounds
12:57 – Wavestate wave sequencing for instant inspiration
15:04 – Should Korg bring back physical modelling?
18:37 – Vintage string machines & Behringer Solina
22:00 – DW-8000 – underrated vintage gem
26:42 – Using DW-8000 wavetables in modern synths
27:54 – Sampling hardware into Wavestate
31:31 – Sample looping secrets with SampleRobot
36:41 – Sampling unusual sources
37:44 – Producing Graeme Sloan’s guitar album
40:02 – Producing for others – what’s different?
44:23 – Inside Take a Picture – a multi-genre guitar album
47:49 – Sharon’s trance track hits 1M streams
49:56 – The toughest part of mixing trance
50:16 – Wrapping up & dream Korg synths
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