Lo-fi ambient dub live looping | Loopy Pro + Yamaha PSS-50

This time I use the vintage Yamaha PSS-50, a 1990s "PortaSound" keyboard which was a recent second-hand purchase (obviously), but I was so lucky to get it in mint condition with its original packaging and papers. If my research is correct, this cheap keyboard is actually a real FM synth, with a simple 2-operator design, which explains its thinner, simpler tone. A few sounds (like the drums) are sampled, so it ends up being a hybrid engine overall (if anyone knows more about the internals, please drop a comment). Either way, it has a huge variety of sounds and they all sound fantastic. It has 8 note polyphony (chords!!!), it's less noisy than the tiny Casios and more playable thanks to the slightly larger keys. Instant favorite so far, and the biggest bonus: the speaker can function as a phone holder - perfect for Loopy Pro sessions 😅 With this track I've leaned a bit into an ambient dub vibe using a simple 4-on-the-floor kick (808 🔥). There's a certain melancholic weight at the start of this session that eventually shifts into a brighter, more hopeful lead melody. About the setup: 〰️ I've started with the "Bass clarinet" sound and used it for both the bass line and the subtle ambient pad over it. For this sound I've only used the ShimmerVerb from Eventide 〰️ After that came the third and last loop layer where I've used the free and awesome J_NO chorus and the OtherDesertCities delay. For this part I've used the sound "Crystal" on the Yamaha 〰️ Then switched to the "Glocken & Piano" dual voice to play over the recorded loops 〰️ The drums were done with Hammerhead again. I've only spiced this simple beat up with a synced dual delay (1/4 and 1/8D) at 73 BPM to create a steady, rhythmic pulse (I've used OtherDesertCities for this too) At the very end of the chain there is a subtle reverb effect done with the Eventide Blackhole. Signal chain: 〰️ Yamaha PSS-50 (powered with a power bank and a USB to 9/12V adapter) 〰️ IK Multimedia iRig USB 〰️ iPhone 14 with Loopy Pro Everything was performed live in Loopy Pro with all the natural AI-free imperfections that come with a hands-on session. Recorded with a Sony RX100 mk4 and edited in DaVinci Resolve. #lofi #ambientmusic #loopypro #livelooping #vintagesynths #lofiambient #ambientdub #yamahasynths