From an Organ to Virtual Singers — How Technology Changed My Music
Cover image note: This cover was created with Google Gemini using photos of my own musical equipment as references, then edited and typeset in Canva.
It all started with an organ
My musical journey started when I was about 5 years old. I was at a trade fair with my parents when I saw a man playing an electronic organ.
I immediately said : “I want to do that!”. And that's how it all began.
My first instrument was a large, furniture-style electronic organ. Later came a portable Elka X109, then a Yamaha DSR 2000, and eventually a Yamaha V50.
But my first steps with the organ were not always easy. My teacher was initially hesitant about teaching me because I was very small and couldn't reach the pedals properly. That didn't stop me. I used little bottle corks between my fingers to help me practice seventh chords. And when I needed to reach the bass notes, I sometimes had to put one leg around the organ bench! Looking back, it was probably quite a funny sight. 😄
One day, my teacher gave me the 45 rpm record Blue Bayou by Linda Ronstadt as a reward for my efforts. I was incredibly proud of it. I remember thinking that perhaps I could reproduce that bass movement on the organ pedals.
From playing to composing
At first, I simply wanted to practice and reproduce the pieces my teacher gave me. But around the age of 15, something changed. I started playing random notes. And sometimes, those random notes suddenly became melodies. That's when I began composing.
At that age, I obviously didn't have today's technology. But I already had something that has never really changed : I wanted to experiment.
The Yamaha V50 changed everything
When I got my Yamaha V50, it was completely different from playing the organ. The V50 had a built-in 8-track sequencer. Suddenly, I could record bass lines, pads, arpeggios, drums and other parts. It was almost like having a whole group of musicians inside the keyboard.
And that was particularly important to me because I had always wanted to play in a band. I tried to form one, but finding people to play with wasn't easy. The sequencer gave me another solution.
Before that, with my organ, I had sometimes recorded a part onto cassette and then played the cassette on my father's hi-fi system while playing along. A sort of duo with myself 😉.
But with the V50, I could actually build the accompaniment inside the instrument. Composition suddenly became much more accessible.
Then came MIDI... and the Atari
The next big revelation was MIDI. Connecting my synthesizer to a computer opened up an entirely new world. My father had bought an Atari 1040 STF mainly for his work as a craftsman — accounting, correspondence and so on — but also for playing games.
Eventually, I took over the computer for music. And that changed the way I composed. With MIDI, I wasn't limited to the 8 tracks of the V50 anymore. I could work with much larger arrangements.
Before the computer, I used to write my music on paper. Sometimes the scores became very long! When I first saw music displayed on a computer screen, I remember being so excited that I immediately wanted to print the score. My first computer-composed piece was an unnamed country-style track.
Technology wasn't perfect
Of course, the technology of the time had its limitations. It wasn't necessarily a lack of sounds. Synthesizers were already capable of producing many different sounds, and additional cards and disks could expand their possibilities. Memory was more of an issue.
The V50 used floppy disks, which was extremely useful, but loading sounds or songs could take a long time. If you were performing several songs, you could end up waiting while something loaded. I sometimes saved two or three songs in the same file to reduce those pauses.
The equipment was also expensive. And computers weren't always reliable. MIDI bugs could sometimes cause the synthesizer to freeze on a note.
And there was another limitation: I couldn't yet put a real spoken or sung voice into my music. That would come much later. One thing the technology did teach me, though, was patience.
Sometimes I had to redo the recording of a track again and again simply because I wanted it to be perfect.
Magix Music Maker: the affordable solution
At one point, I discovered Magix Music Maker. Cubase was simply too expensive for me at the time. Magix wasn't Cubase, but at least I could create music. It had its own virtual synthesizers and an interesting sample library, and it also allowed me to install VST instruments and effects. I used it for several tracks, including Alien Experimentation.
Sometimes I had to find alternative ways of doing things because functions I wanted simply weren't available. For example, even something as simple as changing the tempo could be more complicated than I expected. But once again, limitations forced me to experiment.
I created quite a few tracks with Magix, including: Aube, Rap Animalier, Rap Industriel, Running, and many others.
Then I discovered virtual singers
In the 2000s, I discovered VST instruments. Before that, I had mainly used the sounds provided by basic PC sound cards or hardware synthesizers.
The first VST that really made me think “Wow!” was Synth1 by Daichi Laboratory. Since then, I've become particularly attached to Synth1, SynthMaster and the UJAM instruments. I regularly test free VST instruments too. And honestly, I'm often surprised by how many free synthesizers can compete with much more expensive instruments.
I'm not really a sound designer, though. Most of the time, I use factory sounds or sound banks I find online. I'd actually like to learn more about sound design someday.
And then came the voices
I discovered Synthesizer V almost by accident, after having previously tried Vocaloid. I had composed two Japanese songs with Vocaloid, but I wasn't really satisfied with the robotic quality of the voice.
Then I saw an advertisement for Synthesizer V featuring Solaria. And I remember thinking : “How did they do that?”
There were no obvious breaks between syllables. The phrases didn't sound chopped up. It sounded much more like a real singer. I went to the Dreamtonics website and eventually bought Natalie.
The first time I heard a virtual singer performing one of my own melodies, I was extremely emotional. I almost cried with joy. Because suddenly : I could finally make songs with voices. That opened up an enormous new world for me. I'd had ideas for songs with vocals since high school, but I didn't have a singer to perform them. Virtual singing technology finally gave me a way to explore those ideas.
For lead vocals, I particularly like Liam, because his timbre really speaks to me. With newer versions of Synthesizer V, I can also work on the voice in much more detail. For harmonies, I also really like D-Lin and Ritchy.
And something interesting happened to the way I compose. I can write a melody first, add the voice, and then realize: “No... that's not quite right.” So I change the melody. The voice itself has become part of the composition process.
From the V50 to Cubase 15
Today, I'm working with Cubase 15 Elements, SynthMaster, Synth1, HALion Sonic, UJAM instruments and various other VSTs. And despite having access to so much technology, opening Cubase still gives me that same feeling : “Which synthesizer am I going to open?”. And then : “Which sound?”
I can spend a surprising amount of time just looking for the right sound before I even start composing. Sometimes I find a sound that inspires a melody. Other times I create a melody, then realize the sound doesn't fit and go fishing for another one.
The abundance of sounds isn't really a problem. The problem is time. 😄
I can spend hours searching for the perfect sound for a single melodic line. Some tracks have even started simply because I found a sound that gave me an idea. Alien Experimentation is a good example of that.
What if I had today's technology at 15?
Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I had had Cubase 15, SynthMaster, HALion, UJAM and virtual singers when I was 15. Honestly?
I would probably never have left my computer and synthesizers! 😂
I would have explored composition even more. There would have been so many sounds, instruments and possibilities to experiment with. But perhaps there is also something valuable about having limitations. They forced me to find solutions. They made me experiment. And they made every technological improvement feel like a small revolution.
But one thing never changed
Technology changed enormously. My instruments changed. My way of recording changed. My way of composing changed. But my passion for music never changed.
I still can't imagine my life without music. And I still have the same rule : I don't want to release a track unless I'm satisfied with it 1000%.
When I listen to some of my old tracks today, I sometimes think : “I made this with that equipment?” 😄
They may not be perfect. But they were what I was capable of doing at that time. And I don't have any old track that I completely avoid just because the production sounds dated. One of them, Asian Dream, is actually a track I'm particularly proud of. I made it with the Yamaha V50. The original recording was made on cassette, so it has some tape hiss. I'd like to try updating it one day with modern sounds while keeping the spirit of the original.
The technology changed, but the desire to experiment never did.
Looking back, I realize that every technological step opened a new door. The organ gave me my first instrument. The V50 gave me a virtual band. MIDI and the Atari gave me much more freedom. VST instruments gave me an almost unlimited palette of sounds. And virtual singers finally allowed me to put voices into songs that had been waiting for them for years.
Today, I still get the same feeling when I open a new synthesizer : “What can I create with this?”. And I think that's probably what has remained constant throughout my entire musical journey.
And what about you?
What was the first synthesizer you ever used — hardware or VST?
And more importantly:
What is your favorite synthesizer today?
I'd love to know which instruments have shaped your own musical journey.