The Casio MT-68 (plus Ableton Live)

In this video series, I’m highlighting some cool synths from the 60’s-90’s, as detailed by the excellent YouTube channel 8-bit keys. This video features:

• Hooking up the Casio MT-80 into Ableton Live, and adding effects.

• Building up a complete song using different sounds from this instrument.

Using a Casio MT-68 synth to build a song with Ableton Live.

I picked this video to highlight because it combines old and new: we’ve got vintage analog instrument sounds, being combined with modern digital recording and effects techniques.

I think the hybrid result is better than the sum of its parts. This instrument sounds much better than the built-in digital synths that Ableton comes bundled with. And, the ability to record, sequence, and digitally edit these analog sounds once they’re inside the software lets you do a whole lot more with this instrument than what it was originally designed to do.

The composition in this video intentionally tries to use only sounds from this one instrument, and I think you’ll agree the resulting piece sounds a bit one-dimensional as a result. But, if you combine these same technical and compositional techniques using a few different instruments instead of just a single instrument, now you’re getting somewhere!