RetroSound

On January 16, 2007 I signed up for YouTube.
I can't believe I've uploaded a video every week for 19 years.
It wasn't planned that way. Back then, YouTube was very small and there were only a few synthesizer demo videos. I missed that. So I started making short films myself. Today there are many synth channels and it keeps growing. Lots of entertainment, very professionally done and successful. My priority has always been different. I gave an insight into my work with synthesizers without putting myself in the foreground. That's why you rarely see me in the videos. The focus is on the synthesizers. It stays that way.
Thank you for your loyalty and for the many nice comments that reach me every week. I try to answer every comment.

The picture is from when it all began.

RetroSound Channel:
youtube.com/user/retrosound72

4 days ago | [YT] | 433

RetroSound

The E-MU Emax SE is a classic 12-bit sampling synthesizer from the mid-1980s made by E-MU Systems. It combines digital sampling with synthesizer-style sound shaping, making it more than just a playback sampler.

The SE (“Synthesis Enhanced”) version adds additive synthesis, allowing users to create sounds using harmonic oscillators in addition to sampled audio. The Emax SE features 8-voice polyphony, analog low-pass filters, envelopes, LFOs, and modulation options that give it a warm, characterful sound.

Its variable sample rate (roughly 10–42 kHz) and 12-bit resolution contribute to a distinctive vintage, slightly gritty tone that is still highly valued today. The instrument was widely used for pads, textures, drums, and experimental sounds.

Overall, the E-MU Emax SE is remembered as a hybrid sampler–synthesizer with a strong sonic identity, combining early digital technology with analog warmth, and remains popular among producers seeking classic 80s sampler character.

The new video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TcRk...

5 days ago | [YT] | 114

RetroSound

Oberheim OB-X, Oberheim OB-Xa and Moog Taurus Countdown
This video features a Rush “Countdown” synthesizer recreation, exploring the vintage analog synth sounds that define the iconic sound of Rush during their early-80s progrock era.

new video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8Qig...

1 week ago | [YT] | 91

RetroSound

A bit provocative, but I'm curious.
Which synthesiser would you save first if your house was on fire? For me, it would be the Juno-60. No, it's not the most valuable, but it's my workhorse.
But life comes before material things, that's obvious.

1 week ago (edited) | [YT] | 99

RetroSound

It's the first Thursday of the new year and there's a new video.
I hope you all had a good New Year's Eve. I wish you happiness and contentment. Believe in your dreams.
Today there's another cover song by Berlin. I really like the style of their first albums. Simple beats and melodies. That's what made New Wave what we like.

>>>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOe2X...

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 149

RetroSound

Almost nine years ago, in 2017, I packed three of my OB synthesizers into the boot of my old Mercedes and drove more than 1,000 kilometers to the center of Paris.
What followed was completely spontaneous. Just a few days earlier, the company UVI had called me and said:
“Marko, we’re coming to Germany with five people and all our equipment to sample the synthesizers. Where can we stay?”
I replied without much hesitation:
“No—wait. I’ll come to you in two days. It’ll be cheaper for UVI, and I’ve never been to Paris.” 😄
I left at around 3:30 in the morning and arrived in Paris at about 6 p.m.—straight into rush hour. I drove around the inner ring road past their office four times before I finally managed to stop briefly in the second lane to hand over the equipment. I had never seen so many mopeds in my life. 😅
Within a week, several sound specialists had carefully analyzed the instruments and transferred them into new music software. The experience must have left an impression, because UVI still tells the story today when announcing the fourth revision of Vintage Vault.
I spent one of the most exciting weeks of my life in that beautiful city. 🍀☀️💝
I still enjoy looking back on it—and with the software recently receiving its latest revision, a part of that journey continues to live on. 💫

www.uvi.net/de/uvi-focus-the-story-of-vintage-vaul…

3 weeks ago (edited) | [YT] | 186

RetroSound

My dear friends, this is the last video of the year. We will continue here in January 2026.

Sometimes I can hardly believe it myself, but I have been here for you for almost 20 years now (since January 2007), with synthesiser demos, demo tracks, and music that has shaped me. This channel is my diary of inspirations from the last 50 years, and I am delighted to be able to share it with you.

I am not an influencer. I work completely independently. I don't have to please everyone and will never chase after subscribers or clicks here. Anyone who loves music and synthesiser history is welcome, regardless of country or religion.

The symbiosis between me and my listeners has always been very important to me, because it is a give-and-take relationship. I wish you all a few peaceful final days of the year.

Peace, happiness, and inner harmony to you all.

Marko
(RetroSound)

Welcome in the Icehouse:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdzp4...

3 weeks ago (edited) | [YT] | 183

RetroSound

Frohe Weihnachten 🌠
Merry Christmas
Joyeux Noël
Buon Natale
Feliz Navidad
Feliz Natal
С Рождеством!
Hyvää joulua
God jul
Glædelig jul
Vrolijk kerstfeest
Wesołych Świąt
Veselé Vánoce
Boldog karácsonyt
Καλά Χριστούγεννα
Mutlu Noeller
メリークリスマス
圣诞快乐....

Marko
(RetroSound)

3 weeks ago (edited) | [YT] | 105

RetroSound

Thank you for the music!
>>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSZQb...

Merry Christmas all my subscribers and musiclovers.

4 weeks ago | [YT] | 76

RetroSound

I’m saddened… I’ve just heard that Chris Rea has passed away. 😞
His music has been the soundtrack of my life. I loved his melodies, I loved his lyrics, and I loved his voice.
Driving Home for Christmas, On the Beach, and Josephine are timeless classics that I always turn up loud whenever I hear them on the radio.

I was fortunate enough to get an Amiga license record in 1988 after queuing for hours at the music shop. Holding one of the few records in my hands brought me so much joy, especially since Western music was only available under the counter in the GDR.
Rest in Peace, Chris. Your music will live on forever. Thank you.🌠

#chrisrea #musiclovers

4 weeks ago (edited) | [YT] | 152