Meet TONTO, the machine behind Stevie Wonder's Superstition

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  • čas přidán 11. 09. 2024
  • The machine behind Stevie Wonder's Superstition is one of the most advanced analog synthesizers of its time, and it happens to call Calgary's National Music Centre home.
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Komentáře • 98

  • @Max16032
    @Max16032 Před 4 lety +54

    Malcom is an unsung synth hero. Stevie got all the credit but Cecil's machine really took his talent to new heights. He deserves more recognition for his efforts.

  • @kiko1935
    @kiko1935 Před 3 lety +46

    Rip Malcolm Cecil. Legend and absolute genius. He will be missed.

  • @RobertMargouleff
    @RobertMargouleff Před 4 lety +25

    Well done Malcolm. Tonto is still on the ride. We have both come a long way since our daze at Media.

    • @LkZjump
      @LkZjump Před rokem

      now the weeknd is using it!

  • @prodigalretrod
    @prodigalretrod Před 5 lety +31

    I think it was used on things like Maybe Your Baby, but Superstition?? Cmon, that's literally the most famous clavinet riff ever.

    • @inkedsights4929
      @inkedsights4929 Před 4 lety +2

      The sound of Stevie Wonder is getting fed through Tonto for superstition. Believe it or not.

    • @jaybreen1010
      @jaybreen1010 Před 4 lety +6

      Right?? Total clickbait. That tune best I know has no synth on it save for the bass which was a Moog.

    • @SjoerdDekker
      @SjoerdDekker Před 3 lety +1

      @@jaybreen1010 It's clav and synth playing the famous riff together, surely you have heard there are two riff's playing together to make up that funky 'clav riff"

    • @jaybreen1010
      @jaybreen1010 Před 3 lety +2

      @@SjoerdDekker There are two clav tracks, not one clav and one Moog on the main riff.

    • @BenSheltonMusic
      @BenSheltonMusic Před 3 lety +1

      The bass on that track is certainly Moog/TONTO.

  • @JadeEyeland
    @JadeEyeland Před 5 lety +48

    I hope i am also that stoked about synthesizers at his age

  • @simonkormendy849
    @simonkormendy849 Před 3 lety +10

    Actually, the Superstition riff was created by Stevie Wonder on an instrument called a Clavinet, not the TONTO Synthesizer, Stevie Wonder did use the TONTO Synthesizer on his 70's albums though.

    • @danielblair2168
      @danielblair2168 Před rokem

      Living for the City most prominently

    • @friendofnexttyres
      @friendofnexttyres Před 22 dny

      there is a rolling stone article claiming "the famous bass line was all TONTO". I had to laugh, bc I can hardly even HEAR a bassline on that song, lest a famous one. yes, it's all clavinet (and brass).

  • @LiveONETV1
    @LiveONETV1 Před měsícem

    Cecil inside Tonto - This is where the fun is in electronic music. Thank you for sharing TONTO's work!..

  • @arthurmcneal6421
    @arthurmcneal6421 Před 3 lety +5

    Awesome synthesizer that I remember on Stevie Wonder and Lenny White's albums in the 70's.Great to see this machine again online.

  • @preuisch8171
    @preuisch8171 Před 3 lety +7

    Rip to mister Cecil, an absolute legend!

  • @bboooobbyy
    @bboooobbyy Před 5 lety +7

    wow that's cool. especially about the randomness of the sound.

  • @wilsonmillerjr9817
    @wilsonmillerjr9817 Před 5 lety +16

    No. Superstition was done on a Clavinet C x's 4 Tracks

    • @PutItAway101
      @PutItAway101 Před 5 lety +5

      And a moog for bass and some real horns and drums, but yeah, pretty sure TONTO had nothing to do with it.

    • @mlm6915841
      @mlm6915841 Před 4 lety +1

      @fooloof true, this implies that TONTO was responsible for the famous Clav riff, which was a real clavinet, the bass was one of the first synth basses (if not the 1st) in a pop song, and was possibly done on the incredible TONTO

    • @inkedsights4929
      @inkedsights4929 Před 4 lety +1

      I pretty sure they know better than you what they did in the studio.

    • @beefy4896
      @beefy4896 Před 4 lety +1

      Wilson Miller Jr nah bro the producer of superstition said they put a clan through tonto

    • @tonyharrisson6823
      @tonyharrisson6823 Před 4 lety +1

      @@inkedsights4929 😂😂😂😂 👏👏👏 so many experts on youtube.

  • @benkleschinsky
    @benkleschinsky Před 3 lety +1

    This needs way more views. Bravo!

  • @RMoribayashi
    @RMoribayashi Před 5 lety +10

    The thing that amazes me is that they got all those incompatible makes of synthesizers to work together (I see at least 6 brands) long before the MIDI interface was invented.

    • @KevinJDildonik
      @KevinJDildonik Před 9 měsíci +1

      "Incompatible makes"? Lots of old synths run on 5v and click tracks. I know some of this equipment is weird but bumping a 5v to a 12v signal is not rocket science.

    • @loreleiofthemist
      @loreleiofthemist Před 9 měsíci

      brand doesnt really have much to do with how synthesizers communicate. before midi, there was cv/gate. you will see many electronic musicians from back in the day with walls of synthesizers, drum machines and gear from a plethora of manufacturers, all synced up and playing together through the manipulation of control voltage. this is the basis of how modular synths work, which are often made up of modules from many different manufacturers.

  • @TheGenreman
    @TheGenreman Před 3 lety +3

    Rip Malcolm Cecil

  • @trainthetopchef
    @trainthetopchef Před 5 lety +1

    Man, his grandkids will some funky motherfuckers having access to the mother of all analog synths.

  • @rhizomorph-music
    @rhizomorph-music Před 3 lety +2

    Wait a minute... are they saying that's TONTO and not a clavinet on the main riff of Superstitious?? If so, I don't see the point, as it sounds exactly like a clavinet. And besides the main riff I don't hear any other synths or keyboards (except maybe the bass lines).

    • @Danilo8208SS
      @Danilo8208SS Před 2 lety +2

      That’s 100% a clavinet. I don’t know what they’re talking about here, and neither do they.

  • @mariag8716
    @mariag8716 Před 4 lety +2

    Billy Preston also used TONTO.

  • @j.dragon651
    @j.dragon651 Před 4 lety +2

    I think Tonto is now in Canada? Not sure. I am pretty sure it was residing last in the states in Saugerties New York, was sold and shipped to Canada?

  • @andrewhaines3259
    @andrewhaines3259 Před 9 měsíci

    I had both of Tonto's albums. I sold them when I needed a bit of spare money. Wish I hadn't to be honest!

  • @drsatchafunkiluss
    @drsatchafunkiluss Před 3 lety +2

    Rest in peace Malcolm

  • @TweedSuit
    @TweedSuit Před 5 lety +9

    Superstition has drums, mini moog bass, clavinet and horns. I don't hear any TONTO...

    • @lawrencegreenwood4002
      @lawrencegreenwood4002 Před 5 lety +4

      I was thinking the same thing. Drums, clavinet, Minimoog bass, drums and horns. Apart from the Moog bass which is not a modular synth, and is hand played with a keyboard.

    • @wilsonmillerjr9817
      @wilsonmillerjr9817 Před 5 lety

      Moog 55

    • @ptose
      @ptose Před 5 lety

      I was thinking the same, and I've always thought that the famous riff was played on clavinet

    • @UMAMIMAMU
      @UMAMIMAMU Před 5 lety +4

      I'm thinking that the possibly the horns are done off of TONTO. I know for a fact that the "horns" in Sir Duke are in fact TONTO, and they have a similar sound on Superstition. I do wish they were a little more in depth as to HOW Stevie used TONTO on Superstition instead of just saying that he did.

    • @basssplayer
      @basssplayer Před 4 lety +5

      @@UMAMIMAMU If you get hold of the multitrack masters of Superstition (available on the internet) you can isolate the horn tracks and hear the players chatting and noodling before they play, so definitely live horns.

  • @thumblister
    @thumblister Před 5 lety +1

    That workstation looked and sounded amazing! Where was this synth designed and built?

  • @BlitzkriegGT
    @BlitzkriegGT Před 5 lety +1

    what a great creation

  • @richardskelly4106
    @richardskelly4106 Před 3 lety +1

    Rest in peace Malcolm Cecil.

  • @keithbarnhart6952
    @keithbarnhart6952 Před 3 lety +2

    "Beyond your control" Why would I want that? It first has to be a musical instrument to obey MY commands, not an experiment in unpredictable happy/unhappy accidents. Secondly; Its not explained how an analog synth determined Stevie Wonders Clavinet parts, which is long known to be 6 different overlying tracks of clav parts, each slightly different from the other. Im not trying to be negative, but I fail to see the point of this very brief video.

  • @rontomasson5080
    @rontomasson5080 Před 5 lety +1

    so tribe called red is using it because it's perfect for hip hop. plus it's called tonto. i wonder if they will pose in front of it for Thomas King's photo series with the masks or if that would be too weird or predictable. hi yo silver.

  • @islandguy9380
    @islandguy9380 Před 5 lety +1

    Epic !!!!!! 👍👍😎😎

  • @briankehew579
    @briankehew579 Před 2 lety +1

    Umm, there's no synthesizer AT ALL on Superstition. It's all Hohner Clavinet.

  • @SharigramaOfficial
    @SharigramaOfficial Před 2 lety

    Wonderful, greetings and hugs °,...,°

  • @MehdiJafri-y5z
    @MehdiJafri-y5z Před 3 měsíci

    Is there a plug in for this? I wanna put it on my DAW.

  • @PirahnaheadDetroit
    @PirahnaheadDetroit Před 5 lety +8

    Nope.....sorry. That’s a Hohnor clavinet you hear on Superstition.

  • @harmonygritz2839
    @harmonygritz2839 Před rokem

    I’m still waiting for the portable version 😮😊😂

  • @drecool6976
    @drecool6976 Před 2 lety

    Joe Zawinul used TONTO on a few Weather Report lp s.

  • @stephenadamsmusicalinterpr4203

    It’s a Natural Thing, don’t you know. RIP.

  • @ljudicovjek6092
    @ljudicovjek6092 Před 4 lety

    This is so insaneeeee

  • @sfvacid
    @sfvacid Před 4 lety +1

    Let me in ther!

  • @jeremythornton433
    @jeremythornton433 Před 3 lety

    What a magnificent instrument! Does anyone know where it's kept?

  • @cruciferousvegetable
    @cruciferousvegetable Před 5 lety +5

    Its bigger on the inside.

  • @guyp3599
    @guyp3599 Před 2 lety

    I thought Superstition was done on a Hohner Clavinet C?

  • @clobbyhops
    @clobbyhops Před rokem

    And Stevie could see all the controls and knobs 🤨😎

  • @martinsaroch3512
    @martinsaroch3512 Před 4 lety +1

    "With a digital it is the same every time, booring". he is such a grandpa :D

  • @iamLexxKelsey
    @iamLexxKelsey Před 2 lety

    That's scary 😨

  • @skirmantasstankevicius458
    @skirmantasstankevicius458 Před 10 měsíci

    Whats the purpose to use this machine if it changes the timbre and key so dramatically. It's like you play one shot - nice I am in a key with a bit of variantion, next time you play - you need to change all song's key? If you cant control creative process, how can you come up with anything?

  • @DXpheus
    @DXpheus Před 5 měsíci +1

    No plug ins for me

  • @Jaggerbush
    @Jaggerbush Před 7 měsíci

    Why not use a clavinet?

  • @ToddMushaw
    @ToddMushaw Před 5 lety

    Am I the only not getting sound on the vid?

    • @PutItAway101
      @PutItAway101 Před 5 lety

      Next we'll hear it was used to play the riff on Iron Man

  • @koronaentertainment5474

    nice

  • @sliccricc1654
    @sliccricc1654 Před 5 lety +2

    Actually TONTO means dumb un spanish but this Is the total opposite

  • @onionhat9141
    @onionhat9141 Před 4 lety

    Wonder what the man is up to right now

  • @stevetatum4169
    @stevetatum4169 Před 3 lety

    Did he use TONTO for "You haven't done nothin' Doo Doo Wop?"

  • @damienoyuade
    @damienoyuade Před 8 měsíci

    J ai le même piano à la maison

  • @steveunderwood3683
    @steveunderwood3683 Před 2 měsíci

    In the early 70s we viewed these guys as scam artists, releasing full priced albums with the absolute minimum run time they could get away with.

  • @michaelbianchi22
    @michaelbianchi22 Před 5 lety

    There is a sort of... I guess organicness about it.

  • @charbokh
    @charbokh Před 3 lety

    Tonto means fool in Spanish.

  • @Nikohere
    @Nikohere Před 5 lety

    Skeletons ✊

  • @ipezmusic
    @ipezmusic Před 2 měsíci

    Tonto means dumb in italian... LOL

  • @cablevamp3163
    @cablevamp3163 Před 3 lety

    Stevie Wonder can see

  • @julianguffogg
    @julianguffogg Před 4 lety

    Ridiculous!

  • @gloriousdelta1430
    @gloriousdelta1430 Před 5 lety

    First #1