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09/05/2026

1990 - Korg Wavestation

An atmospheric synthesizer designed for evolving textures, cinematic pads, ambient soundscapes, and complex motion.

Vector Synthesis combined with Wave Sequencing, allowing samples to change continuously over time.

Introduced Wave Sequencing, enabling sounds to evolve rhythmically and tonally in ways never previously possible. This became highly influential in film scoring and ambient music.

Although not as commercially successful as the M1, it became a cult classic and remains highly respected by film composers, ambient musicians, and sound designers.

We purchased our Wavestation after demoing it at Guitar Center. It sounded awesome, but didn’t quite fit into our music production process at the time. We ended up exchanging it for the next keyboard on my list. I did find the software version of the keyboard (lower pic) on the Korg website and I purchased it as it fits in nicely with my current virtual studio set-up.

08/31/2026

1988 - Korg M1

A complete music workstation combining sampled sounds, multitimbral sequencing, and onboard effects in one keyboard.

AI (Advanced Integrated) PCM sample playback synthesis with digital effects and an integrated sequencer.

Widely considered the world's first successful all-in-one music workstation. Included professional effects and sequencing without requiring external equipment.

One of the best-selling synthesizers of all time. Its famous Piano, Organ 2, Universe, and M1 House Piano sounds became standards in pop, dance, gospel, and house music.

The M1 was the 1st keyboard workstation that I (co)owned with my brother, Roger. This was the keyboard that started my music production career.

I produced my first full songs using its sounds and on-board sequencer. It had the best combination of drum & instrument sounds on the market at that time.

Later keyboards included better, larger screen interfaces that were touch enabled and made entering data much easier & faster.

The Korg website has the software version of the M1 (bottom pic) that I purchased for my virtual studio.

08/29/2026

1987 - Alesis HR-16

An affordable digital drum machine that brought professional-quality sampled drums to home studios and project studios. It offered a wide selection of realistic drum kits and flexible programming.

16-bit digitally sampled drum sounds with pattern/song sequencing and velocity-sensitive dynamics.

Delivered high-quality 16-bit drum samples at a budget-friendly price, making professional drum programming accessible to musicians outside major recording studios.

One of the best-selling drum machines of the late 1980s and early 1990s. It became a favorite among songwriters, churches, home studios, and independent musicians because of its ease of use and realistic sound.

We got our HR-16 for add-on drum sounds to the next keyboard in my studio technology history. It had the most realistic sounds we'd heard to date. Just not much variety.

08/25/2026

1987 - Roland W-30

Roland's first integrated sampling workstation, combining a sampler, sequencer, keyboard, and disk drive into one instrument.12-bit digital sampling with onboard sequencing and editing.

One of the earliest all-in-one sampling workstations, allowing musicians to sample, edit, sequence, and perform without external equipment.

Popular with producers of hip-hop, dance, pop, and industrial music. It helped make sampling more accessible before higher-end samplers became common.

The W-30 was one of the first keyboards that I had full access to. The church I attended and ran sound & media for purchased one for music ministry. Really new and cool technology back then. To be able to record (sample) any sound - percussion, voice, effects and then play them on the keys was so much fun.

They never made a software version because this keyboard had no sound library to speak of. You kind of created your own with it.

08/19/2026

1983 - Roland TR-909

A hybrid drum machine that combined analog punch with digital realism. It became the defining rhythm machine of electronic dance music.

Hybrid analog/digital design featuring analog-generated kick, snare, toms, and sampled cymbals with MIDI and step sequencing.

The first Roland drum machine to include MIDI, allowing synchronization with synthesizers and sequencers. Its driving grooves helped shape house, techno, trance, and electronic dance music for decades.

Although only moderately successful at launch, it later became one of the most sought-after drum machines in history and remains a cornerstone of electronic dance music production.

The Roland TR-909 was one of our first actual home studio purchases. However, it became just a fun drum sequence creation device (like a drum game) as we never actually used it for recording.

08/19/2026

I don't got no money.

08/19/2026

Always the solution.

An easy solution 😉

08/15/2026

1983 - Yamaha DX7

The first affordable, mass-market digital synthesizer. Famous for bright electric pianos, bells, basses, and crystal-clear sounds that defined 1980s pop music.

Six-operator FM (Frequency Modulation) digital synthesis developed by Stanford professor John Chowning and licensed to Yamaha.

Revolutionized synthesizers by replacing analog oscillators with digital FM synthesis. It offered excellent tuning stability, expressive velocity sensitivity, and MIDI connectivity.

One of the best-selling synthesizers ever made, with over 200,000 units sold. It transformed the sound of 1980s music and remains highly influential.

The DX7 was the synth that EVERYONE had to have. They were in every concert venue and recording studio that I visited. Another great software version acquisition for my project studio (bottom pic).

08/12/2026

1981 - Oberheim DMX

A professional drum machine known for its punchy, realistic drum sounds and solid timing. It quickly became a favorite in studios and live performances.

8-bit digitally sampled drum sounds with analog circuitry for playback and processing.

One of the first commercially successful drum machines to use digitally sampled acoustic drum sounds instead of analog synthesis, giving producers a more realistic yet powerful drum sound.
Hugely popular in early hip-hop, new wave, synth-pop, rock, and dance music. Heard on recordings by Run-D.M.C., Prince, Madonna, New Order, and many other artists during the 1980s.

A friend of ours had an Oberheim DMX drum machine in his basement studio in Redondo Beach, CA. This was the first drum machine I actually got to play with regularly as we worked on our projects. It's yet another software version that I found & incorporated into my virtual studio.

08/08/2026

1980 - Roland TR-808

An iconic drum machine famous for its deep bass drum, crisp handclaps, snappy snare, and distinctive cowbell. Initially overlooked, it later became one of the most influential instruments in modern music.

Fully analog drum synthesis with step sequencing. One of the first affordable programmable drum machines with individual instrument sequencing. Its unique analog sounds became a genre-defining signature rather than an attempt to imitate real drums.

Arguably the most influential drum machine ever made. It became the heartbeat of hip-hop, electro, Miami bass, house, techno, trap, R&B, and countless pop productions. Artists from Afrika Bambaataa to Kanye West and countless others have relied on the 808's unmistakable sound.

The TR-808 was the drum machine that started it all. Another electronic instrument that was everywhere we'd go to perform and record. It was especially popular in the South Central LA hip hop & rap music scene where I lived in the 80's. Almost 50 years later, you'll still hear its sounds used in many popular music genres.

I made the software version part of my virtual studio collection. No 2nd pic this time b/c the stock & app images are exactly the same. 😂