I found ds-10 dominator on mp3 death and then was contacted by him in the same night on myspace. I accepted him as a friend and interviewed him in the same reply. Here is what he had to say about the ds -10:
m.n. how many korg ds 10s do you use?
dominator 'Cheap Dirt' is made on one Korg DS-10. I haven't explored the multiplayer possibilities yet because I haven't got another DS. Nor have I had the chance to hook up with someone to jam. I have convinced one friend to buy a DS and Korg DS-10 though. I'm looking forward to jam with him. Or with anyone else who thinks he or she can dominate the studio or stage with me.
m.n. how long have you been using the software?
dominator I ordered the Japanese version of the software via play-asia.com when it was still Japan only. I just looked my order history up, I received the cartridge in august 2008. That month I've played a lot with it. The months after that I've only been composing with it when I had spare time, because my new study is keeping me quite busy. Still, each track must have taken me 5 to 25 hours or so.
m.n. do you perform live with korg ds 10?
dominator I'm looking forward to doing so. I have one short performance planned so far (http://www.last.fm/music/DS-10 Dominator/ events), but I'm looking for more gigs. Help me out if you like, thanks. I'll list gig dates on http://www.myspace.com/ds10dominator.
m.n. anything used to change the sound outside the ds?
dominator For 'Cheap Dirt' nothing. I guess I want it live to sound as good, uh the same, as on the album, so I don't have to bring an EQ, compressor or anything with me. Running DS-10 through an EQ and compressor can sound really phat though, check http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23tVQ75zj8I.
m.n. what equipment/programs used to record and convert?
dominator Recorded from DS into my Presonus Firebox. Used Audacity to cut the audio and batch convert to mp3.
m.n. tips/tricks/advice or something to add about ds 10?
dominator I had never worked with the old school concept of 16-steps sequencing prior to using to using Korg DS-10. When I compose dance music (in Ableton Live) I usually work with longer loops, especially because I think a 16-steps (1 x 4/4) loop is a bit too repetitive for a melody. It is very well possible to connect multiple 16-step loops in the song sequencer of DS-10. But in the live performance mode, the pattern screen, you'd constantly have to switch between 2 or more patterns to break out of the 16 steps. This is not completely true though. There are ways to get cool variations lasting longer than 16 steps in DS-10. One of the keys to this is using the Modulation Generator (MG) with BPM sync turned off and the frequency turned low. Also try combing a slow MG signal with recorded Kaoss Pas X and Y automation to get even more interesting (or random) effects. Big delay effect settings also work great in getting variation. Twist those knobs open and get freaky. People are discussing how to get to squeeze more into the 16 steps here: http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=3519308. I think it's cool to see people puzzling how to get more out of this soft machine, triplet notes for example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCVuuXZsIs0. I personally think 32-steps would have been better for melodic composition, but 16 steps is enough for more minimal or dance like music, that's probably why there's a minimalistic character to most of the songs on my album.
m.n. where do you use it the most/any weird public use stories?
dominator Mostly in trains. I haven't really got any very weird stories, but I almost missed a station a couple of times.
m.n. would you consider buying a dsi?
dominator I actually don't know what the new functions are. (...) Two 0.3MP cameras and LESS battery life I read. The cameras could, maybe, open up some possibilities for (homebrew) software. But I'm more interested in audio. Which reminds me of a tracker for DS called Nitrotracker. It can record audio with the DS mic (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8mRn_sMdk0).
dominator Some last words: DS-10 rocks. The sonic possibilities must be endless. Keep exploring! For my next release I think I might be aiming for a bit more experimental minimal/idm. Inspired by for example this great DS-10 track http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gbkdkfq4jGM.
listen here:archive.org
