The Digital Lifestyle.com

In this episode of the Synthworks by Ian Dixon podcast, I talk to Sönke Prigge of Curfew Music about his journey from Germany to London, his early experiences with piano and synthesizers, and a career spanning music education, BBC sound design, composition, studio production and electronic music.

Sönke explains how he moved into music production and MIDI programming, the hardware and software behind his work, and why vintage instruments such as the Roland D-50, Yamaha SY99, Korg instruments, Moog Prodigy and E-mu samplers still have a place in his studio. We also discuss Logic Pro, the Yamaha DM2000, working with sound for television and film, the restored Bechstein grand piano, Curfew as a band and studio project, and his plans for new music.

Chapters: 00:00 Introduction and welcome 01:00 Sönke's move from Germany to London 02:30 Growing up with piano and music 06:30 Early synth influences and favourite keyboard sounds 14:00 Teaching music and moving into professional work 16:00 Working with the BBC and creating sound for television 19:00 Early studio setup and MIDI programming 20:30 Logic Pro, sequencing and composing for picture 27:45 Curfew's studio: hardware, software and workflow 34:00 Why vintage synths still matter 43:30 Modern instruments, software and the Behringer debate 47:00 The Bechstein grand piano and making time to play 49:50 Curfew, live shows and current projects 52:00 New music, publishing and future plans 55:00 Closing thoughts

Featured topics: - Sönke Prigge and Curfew Music - Moving from Germany to London to work in music - Piano, progressive rock and early synthesizer influences - BBC sound design, composition and television work - MIDI programming, Logic Pro and hardware production - Vintage Korg, Roland, Yamaha, Moog and E-mu instruments - The restored 1890s Bechstein grand piano - Curfew's live and recording projects

Which part of Sönke's studio and production journey would you like to hear more about? Let me know in the comments.

http://www.strangeaddiction.co.uk http://curfewmusic.com/curfew https://soundcloud.com/sonke-prigge https://www.rotaryheadrecords.co.uk

If you enjoyed the conversation, please like the video and subscribe to Synthworks by Ian Dixon for more synthesizers, sound design, music technology and interviews.

Robert Schindler—known as Robeone—joins me to talk about a life in keyboards, progressive rock, studio work and live performance. From discovering the piano and progressive music in New York to playing a Yamaha CS-80, managing Electric Lady Studios and opening for Hall & Oates, Robert's story connects vintage synthesizers with decades of music-making.

We also discuss his work with the Bob Moog Foundation, performing at Progstock and ROSfest, touring with Lifesigns, building a large hands-on keyboard rig, recording without a computer, and his current projects with Red32, Platypus Planet and musicians around the world.

Robert explains why the CS-80 remains his favourite synthesizer, how he approaches live performance with multiple keyboards, and what aspiring musicians need to understand about connections, publishing, music attorneys and the modern music industry.

Listen Now: Listen Here (download mp3)

Chapters: 00:00 Introducing Robert Schindler / Robeone 02:00 Piano, family and early musical influences 04:00 Progressive rock, Genesis, Yes and Brian Auger 08:00 The ARP Odyssey and first synthesizers 10:00 Original bands and the first record deal 12:00 Electric Lady Studios and early studio work 14:00 Vintage keyboard rigs and touring 16:00 Opening for Hall & Oates 18:00 The Yamaha CS-80 20:00 Managing Electric Lady Studios 24:00 Returning to music and discovering Progstock 26:00 The Bob Moog Foundation connection 30:00 Touring keyboards and live performance 34:00 Robert's studio keyboard collection 36:00 Recording without a computer 38:00 Red32, Platypus Planet and current projects 40:00 Live performance, visas and keeping music alive 42:00 Advice for musicians starting today 46:00 Favourite keyboards and the Yamaha CS-80 48:00 Music, links and supporting the Bob Moog Foundation 50:00 Closing thoughts

Featured Topics: • Yamaha CS-80 and ARP Odyssey • Electric Lady Studios • Hall & Oates touring • Progstock and ROSfest • The Bob Moog Foundation • Hands-on hardware recording • Progressive rock and keyboard performance • Red32 and Platypus Planet

Find Robert's music and projects at https://robeone.com/.

Ken Evans joins me from Australia to talk about recreating classic synthesizer parts for artists including Peter Hook and the Light, and about the sounds and instruments behind New Order's music.

We discuss how Ken first got into electronic music through Blue Monday and The Human League, his early experiences with instruments including the Roland Jupiter-4, Korg MS-20 and Juno-106, and how his work developed into sound design and programming for other artists.

Ken explains how he approaches rebuilding classic synth parts by ear, including Bizarre Love Triangle, the practical differences between hardware and software, live touring setups, vintage drum machines and the challenges of maintaining older instruments. He also talks about the synths he would save first.

Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 01:00 Ken Evans and the New Order connection 05:15 Early synth influences: Blue Monday and the Jupiter-4 09:36 From Tycho Brahe to Tycho Sound Design 12:46 Recreating Bizarre Love Triangle 16:08 Working with Peter Hook and the Light 21:39 Recreating New Order's synth parts 26:49 Juno-106s and live hardware 32:15 Drum machines, samplers and touring rigs 39:26 The synths Ken would save first 43:32 Why the Jupiter-4 is so distinctive 45:16 Hardware versus software 47:55 Tycho Sound Design and where to find Ken

Find out more about Ken's music and sound-design work through Tycho Brahe website and social channels. https://tycho.com.au/

Subscribe to The Digital Lifestyle for synth tutorials, sound design, vintage gear and electronic-music interviews.

#Synthesizers #NewOrder #PeterHook

Ian Dixon and Garry Whittaker return for a TDL Show catch-up covering rescued smart displays, Home Assistant dashboards, local voice control, the E-mu Emax II sampler, Korg Radias videos, synth editors, studio tools and recent music projects. Garry shows how low-cost display hardware and old Meta Portal devices can be repurposed for Home Assistant, while Ian talks about the Emax II, GoTek floppy emulation, new Web MIDI editors and writing tracks around specific synths.

Chapters: 00:00 Coming up: Emax II, Radias and Home Assistant displays 01:00 Garry returns for a catch-up show 02:00 Cheap ESP display as a bedside Home Assistant clock 04:00 Reusing old hardware for Home Assistant dashboards 06:00 NSPanel Pro, kiosk mode and garage controls 08:00 Meta Portal as a repurposed smart display 10:00 Local voice control, Home Assistant voices and wake words 12:00 Intercom and voice call experiments 14:00 OpenPortal, APK installs and kiosk satellite 16:00 Fleet management, DNLA and Music Assistant 18:00 Mounting, USB access and hardware limitations 20:00 Cheap Meta Portal devices and useful display ideas 22:00 App stores, browsers and unlocking extra features 24:00 Music Assistant, Sonos-style control and gestures 26:00 Ian's E-mu Emax II rack sampler 28:00 GoTek floppy emulation and USB libraries 30:00 Classic Emax sounds, sampling and memory limits 32:00 Emax repairs and Korg NX5R editor 34:00 Browser-based synth editors and studio search ideas 36:00 Writing tracks around specific synths 38:00 Sampling workflows and creative constraints 40:00 SCSI, Raspberry Pi emulation and old sampler storage 42:00 Keeping vintage technology alive 44:00 Music playback, Spotify and canvas artwork 46:00 Garry's socials and Home Assistant video plans 48:00 Wrap-up and next catch-up

Featured Topics: Home Assistant dashboards and wall displays Meta Portal repurposing with OpenPortal Local voice control and wake words Music Assistant and smart home audio E-mu Emax II rack sampler GoTek floppy drive emulation Korg Radias videos and sound design Web MIDI synth editors and studio search tools DX100, DX7 and synth-specific track writing Vintage sampler storage and SCSI emulation

If you enjoy smart home projects, retro tech, music technology and synth chat, please like the video, subscribe to the channel and tell us in the comments which old device you would repurpose for Home Assistant or studio use.

Watch more videos on the channel: https://www.youtube.com/@IanDixonTDL

Peter James Stevens from the ProSynth Network joins me for a vintage Yamaha synth chat, focusing on the Yamaha CS and SK analogue instrument range. We talk about the famous CS-80 and the wider CS family that often gets overlooked: CS-5, CS-10, CS-15, CS-30, CS-15D, CS-20M, CS-40M, CS-50, CS-60, CS-70M and the SK string/synth/organ instruments.

Peter has a collection of Yamaha analogue synths and brings real hands-on context to the discussion: how the smaller mono synths compare with the big polyphonic machines, how the SK range links back to Yamaha organ technology, why the CS instruments have such a distinctive build and sound, what they are like to service, and why these instruments still matter for players and collectors.

We also talk about Synthfest, the ProSynth Network, restoring and maintaining vintage Yamaha gear, the move from CS analogue synths into DX digital FM instruments, and what makes these old Yamaha instruments worth hearing and playing in person.

Chapters: 00:00 Intro and Yamaha CS/SK teaser 00:46 Peter James Stevens joins the show 01:08 From emulators to vintage Yamaha 01:40 Why the smaller CS synths get overlooked 02:16 CS-5, CS-10, CS-15, CS-30 and CS-30L 02:59 CS-15D, CS-20M, CS-40M and memories 03:37 CS-80, CS-40M and CS-70M context 04:36 Yamaha SK range and organ/synth crossover 05:23 Professional stage instruments and Yamaha design 06:03 CS-15, Human League and classic synth references 07:27 Yamaha gear in music college memories 12:15 Servicing, restoration and repairability 12:44 Exploring the mono synths 18:04 Synthfest and playing the instruments in person 20:57 Peter's Yamaha collecting story 21:07 CS-50, CS-30 and favourite instruments 25:10 The shift from CS analogue to DX digital 25:37 DX1, DX7 and Yamaha's next era 30:10 Playing vintage Yamaha synths today 31:56 ProSynth Network and where to find Peter

Featured Topics: Yamaha CS-80 and the flagship CS poly synths Yamaha CS-5, CS-10, CS-15 and CS-30 mono synths CS-15D, CS-20M, CS-40M and CS-70M Yamaha SK string, organ and synth instruments Vintage Yamaha servicing and restoration Synthfest and hands-on synth events The move from analogue CS synths to DX FM synthesis

If you enjoy vintage synth history and hands-on synth chat, please like the video, subscribe to the channel, and leave a comment with the Yamaha CS or SK instrument you would most like to try.

Simone Owen from Future Perfect joins me for TDL Synth Chat 1048 to talk about songwriting, electronic music, synthpop influences, production workflow, live performance and the next Future Perfect album, Faultline.

We cover Simone's early musical memories, including David Bowie and 70s/80s influences, how Future Perfect began, the difference between retro inspiration and modern electronic songwriting, and how artists like Depeche Mode, Pet Shop Boys, OMD, Jean-Michel Jarre and dance music helped shape her sound.

Simone also talks about self-taught production, working with software synths and hardware, live electronic gigs, the synth scene, Bandcamp and streaming, and how she keeps the focus on finishing music rather than collecting gear.

Timestamps 00:00 Intro 00:20 Meet Simone Owen from Future Perfect 01:06 Future Perfect and early Bowie memories 02:42 Self-taught music and learning by doing 05:09 Depeche Mode and early synth influences 08:19 Synthpop, Pet Shop Boys, Genesis and storytelling 10:39 First albums and production roles 12:07 Pre-Future Perfect projects and production workflow 15:01 Early Future Perfect tracks and OMD-style experimentation 18:20 Live performance and electronic gigs 23:55 Synth scene, dance, goth and synthwave crossover 25:09 Songwriting and production today 29:02 Favourite synths and early gear 31:17 Software synths and working in the box 34:37 Keeping the setup focused 35:54 Faultline and future Future Perfect projects 37:02 Where to find Simone and Future Perfect

Future Perfect - YouTube

Future Perfect - UK EBM/Futurepop/Electronica

If you enjoy TDL Synth Chat, please like the video, subscribe to the channel, and leave a comment with your favourite Future Perfect track or the electronic artist who first pulled you into synth music.

Ian Dixon is joined by Jimi Uno / James Hancox from Jimi Uno's Pound Store Synth Emporium for a TDL Synth Chat about budget synths, overlooked classics and the joy of getting big sounds from unfashionable gear. The conversation covers how Jimi got into music, early encounters with DX7-era synths in music shops, the Kawai K1, Ensoniq and E-MU samplers, Alpha Junos, ROMplers, live rigs, effects, hardware versus plugins and the dream synths that still sit on the wish list.

This episode is all about the instruments that do not always get the headline treatment: bargain vintage synths, samplers, ROMplers, older workstation keyboards and the effects that can make them come alive. If you enjoy classic digital synths, budget music tech and stories from the era of real music shops, this is a great chat with plenty of gear memories and practical recommendations.

Chapters 00:00 Coming up: Jimi Uno and Pound Store Synth Emporium 01:08 Welcome to Jimi Uno / James Hancox 01:51 Getting into music and early synth fascination 03:29 DX7-era records, music shops and learning by listening 05:00 First affordable keyboards and trying synths in shops 08:00 Early music jobs, organs and being around instruments 09:35 Wanting a DX7 and learning to program the DX100 11:00 Modal Argon 8 and recreating classic FM-style sounds 13:26 Live playing, gigging and changing setups 15:35 The Pound Store synth idea and overlooked bargains 17:12 Mirage memories, sampling limits and E-MU samplers 20:00 Synths owned over the years and music shop stories 23:05 Effects pedals, tape echo and gigging workflows 24:29 Juno-106, DX11 and discovering the Kawai K1 26:13 Why the Kawai K1 still matters 28:54 Samples, TG33-style sounds and 90s digital character 32:00 Alpha Juno and affordable Roland classics 33:34 ROMplers, workstation sounds and why they are coming back 36:13 E-MU Emulator libraries and sample-disk formats 40:51 JV-1080, Ensoniq gear and gear that got away 44:05 Current gigging setup and synth choices 47:39 Budget effects, Lexicon and widening synth sounds 52:30 Hardware versus software synths and plugins 57:04 Plugin workflows, limitations and creative choices 59:00 Dream synths, creativity and final gear thoughts 01:00:19 Where to find Jimi Uno 01:02:00 Wrap-up and final recommendations

https://www.youtube.com/@UCtCmty534OccwdWcLJnShIw

https://open.spotify.com/artist/7HUcGPmrhV3nfNHPQr7luW?si=I4eD-r2HRl-T49cYKZ1TZA&nd=1&dlsi=f42694178f144e27

If you enjoyed this TDL Synth Chat, please like the video, subscribe to the channel and leave a comment with your favourite overlooked synth, sampler or effects unit. I would also love to know which budget classic you think deserves more attention.

🎧 Listen to Each Machine a Voice:

https://open.spotify.com/album/695pmN5dQXZqEAVyDrgmDJ

https://music.apple.com/us/album/each-machine-a-voice/6809510892?uo=4&app=apple+music

https://music.apple.com/us/album/each-machine-a-voice/6809510892?uo=4&app=itunes

https://amazon.co.uk/music/player/albums/B0HJ53934H?marketplaceId=A1F83G8C2ARO7P&musicTerritory=GB&ref=dm_sh_t0f4NnY2RNOvqYTXmAZqXo7Ch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gg7j67485GU&list=OLAK5uy_msD5-KeWGm4k0tvYC2mVBswhtbyCmOQHc

If you enjoyed this TDL Synth Chat, please like the video, subscribe to the channel and leave a comment with your favourite overlooked synth, sampler or effects unit. I would also love to know which budget classic you think deserves more attention.

#TDLSynthChat #JimiUno #PoundStoreSynthEmporium #BudgetSynths #VintageSynth #KawaiK1 #YamahaDX7 #EmuSampler #RolandJuno #Synthesizer #MusicProduction

Watch the video on YouTube.

Ian and Garry catch up for The Digital Lifestyle Show, covering EV road trips, smart home upgrades, Home Assistant, retro tech projects and the latest synth work from Ian's studio. Garry talks about a 2,000 mile trip to Denmark in the VW ID. Buzz and what European charging infrastructure looks like in practice, while Ian shares updates on the new album Each Machine a Voice, TX7 and Korg KARMA editor projects, Keyfax 3, old synths and a few future ideas.

This episode moves between practical connected-home discussion and music technology: thread and Zigbee changes, mini PC upgrades, USB UPS power, ESPHome voice devices, OpenClaw voice experiments, Yamaha and Korg editor/librarian tools, MOSS physical modelling, retro synth books, album production and Music Assistant.

Chapters: 00:00 Coming up: catch-up show, EVs, gadgets and synth projects 00:35 Garry returns and the 2,000 mile Denmark EV road trip 01:43 Denmark charging infrastructure and motorway charging 03:00 ID. Buzz sightings, Legoland and real-world EV range 05:05 Home Assistant and smart home revamp 06:12 Thread routing, Zigbee and removing older smart-home layers 07:00 Moving Home Assistant to a mini PC 08:13 USB UPS power for the Home Assistant box 09:33 ESPHome voice hardware and Nabu voice assistant experiments 13:11 Controlling lights and custom voice responses 16:51 Ian's new album Each Machine a Voice 19:30 YouTube videos, Boss ME-25 synth guitar effects and synth demos 20:51 Modern editor/librarian tools for old synths 21:33 TX7 editor, MS2000 editor and patch management 22:01 Korg KARMA, MOSS physical modelling and editor work 24:00 Korg DW-6000 editor and building the editor collection 24:40 Keyfax 3, late-80s synths and vintage adverts 26:25 Album release, voice quality and OpenClaw voice control 29:00 More retro gear, E-MU samplers and project backlog 29:29 Running Home Assistant on older hardware 31:34 Future guests and tidying Home Assistant automations 32:03 Water leak sensors, alerts and spoken notifications 32:54 Kitchen lighting, daylight sensing and smart switches 34:14 Music Assistant, multi-room audio and old touch devices 35:59 Twinkly lighting, upcoming videos and wrap-up

This week I chat with Alonzo from Synthwave Dojo about making 80s-inspired synthwave, from the roots of the sound through to practical ways of building bass lines, drums, pads, leads and full arrangements.

Alonzo shares how he moved from playing drums in rock bands to producing electronic music, what defines synthwave, why the Drive soundtrack helped introduce a new audience to the genre, and how producers can start with simple tools, free synths and classic drum machine sounds.

Timestamps: 00:00 Intro and meeting Alonzo 02:15 From rock drums to electronic music production 05:35 Making music solo with synths and a laptop 08:10 What is synthwave? 11:50 Kavinsky, College and the Drive soundtrack 16:20 80s influences, nostalgia and the synthwave sound 23:20 The quick synthwave recipe: drums, bass, pads and leads 27:45 Turning an 8-bar loop into a full track 33:15 Free VSTs, drum samples and getting started 36:30 Affordable hardware for synthwave sounds 39:30 Synthwave Dojo tutorials, courses and live builds 42:00 Sound design, sound banks and FM synthesis 45:00 Building 40-bar and 80-bar arrangements

Check out Synthwave Dojo: https://synthwavedojo.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@SynthwaveDojo

If you enjoy music technology, synths and electronic music production, please like the video, subscribe to The Digital Lifestyle and leave a comment with the synthwave sound or artist you would like us to talk about next.

#Synthwave #SynthwaveDojo #MusicProduction #80sSynth #ElectronicMusic #Synthesizer #TheDigitalLifestyle

Watch the video on YouTube.

Gary Whittaker is back for a smart home catch-up, with new gadgets, Home Assistant updates, Zigbee and Thread talk, presence sensors, AI automations and a few workflow updates from the studio.

In this episode we talk about cleaning up thousands of old Alexa devices, moving away from SmartThings, using a multi-radio smart home hub for Zigbee and Thread, LinknLink presence sensors, local AI image recognition, LED panel notifications, OpenClaw automation, new microphones and the Kawai K1m.

Chapters: 00:00 Intro and Gary returns 01:04 Cleaning up old Alexa and smart home devices 04:49 Kawai K1m, one-synth tracks and synth librarian tools 08:47 Vibe coding, AI workflows and token costs 12:06 Multi-radio smart home hub for Zigbee and Thread 18:35 Home Assistant integration and range improvements 19:23 LinknLink presence sensor setup 23:35 Using sensors with lights, Hue and OpenClaw 28:08 New wireless microphone kit 29:28 Recent videos, SynthFest and one-synth tracks 30:42 LED panel notifications with AI recognition 33:38 OpenClaw automations for podcasts and video workflows 36:08 Local AI models for smart home image recognition 38:44 Night lighting and bedroom automations 40:12 Wrap-up and Gary's channels

If you enjoy smart home tech, Home Assistant, music technology and practical AI automation, please like the video, subscribe to the channel and let us know in the comments what smart home gadget has made the biggest difference in your setup.

https://riddix.github.io/home-assistant-matter-hub/guides/alexa-bulk-delete-devices https://alexa.amazon.co.uk/api/behaviors/entities?skillId=amzn1.ask.1p.smarthome