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Vintage Drum Machines with Oli Freke – TDL Synth Chat
🎧 About This Episode
In this week's episode of TDL Synth Chat, I talk with Oli Freke, author of the acclaimed Synth Evolutions book, about his new project — a deep dive into the world of vintage drum machines.
From the Korg Mini Pops and Roland TR-606 to the Boss DR-55 and Yamaha RX17, Oli explores how these classic rhythm boxes shaped the sound of pop, synthwave, and electronic music.
We also hear demos, rare stories, and insights into how drum machines evolved from the 1960s through the 2000s — and how their influence can still be heard in today's music production.
If you're a fan of vintage gear, synth history, or just love the warm, gritty sound of classic analog beats, this episode is not to be missed.
🕒 Chapters / Timestamps00:00 – Introduction 00:37 – Oli Freke returns to TDL Synth Chat 01:02 – New drum machine book project 02:05 – Why drum machines define entire eras of sound 03:06 – Researching over 1,000 drum machines 04:23 – Demonstrating five classic drum machines 05:01 – Korg Mini Pops Junior (1971) 10:01 – Famous uses: R.E.M., Echo & The Bunnymen, Jean-Michel Jarre 12:27 – Boss DR-55 demo 20:07 – Roland TR-606: programming the legend 28:02 – Korg DDM-110 sound demo 34:03 – Yamaha RX17 demo and programming 41:04 – How drum machines shaped music history 42:04 – Where to find Oli's books and posters
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By Ian Dixon🎧 About This Episode
In this week's episode of TDL Synth Chat, I talk with Oli Freke, author of the acclaimed Synth Evolutions book, about his new project — a deep dive into the world of vintage drum machines.
From the Korg Mini Pops and Roland TR-606 to the Boss DR-55 and Yamaha RX17, Oli explores how these classic rhythm boxes shaped the sound of pop, synthwave, and electronic music.
We also hear demos, rare stories, and insights into how drum machines evolved from the 1960s through the 2000s — and how their influence can still be heard in today's music production.
If you're a fan of vintage gear, synth history, or just love the warm, gritty sound of classic analog beats, this episode is not to be missed.
🕒 Chapters / Timestamps00:00 – Introduction 00:37 – Oli Freke returns to TDL Synth Chat 01:02 – New drum machine book project 02:05 – Why drum machines define entire eras of sound 03:06 – Researching over 1,000 drum machines 04:23 – Demonstrating five classic drum machines 05:01 – Korg Mini Pops Junior (1971) 10:01 – Famous uses: R.E.M., Echo & The Bunnymen, Jean-Michel Jarre 12:27 – Boss DR-55 demo 20:07 – Roland TR-606: programming the legend 28:02 – Korg DDM-110 sound demo 34:03 – Yamaha RX17 demo and programming 41:04 – How drum machines shaped music history 42:04 – Where to find Oli's books and posters