MATRIXSYNTH: Tuesday, February 19, 2008


Tuesday, February 19, 2008

JX3P and robots

flickr by webbox
(click for more)

full size

Roland JX-3P

The New Look of the Mattson Mini Modular


You are looking at Production Prototype 1 of the Mattson Mini Modular, owned by none other than me. It is not in my possession yet, but it is coming soon. Be sure to click on the image for a full size shot.

The base system is on the left. I opted for a few extra modules you see on the right. The M panels are blank panels, so the base system would normally have all blanks on the right. The whole thing folds into a very nice carrying case. Note you do get the full case with the base model. You can interlock multiple cases with the latches. If you blow up the picture and look closely you can see how the two are connected; you can just keep connecting and stacking.

I was going to hold off on putting up the new design for a bit, but it looks like Stretta beat me to it. Click here for another system and a good post on the relative price of modulars.

The back of the case will have the very sharp Mattson M as a reflective logo. This is actually the back of serial number 1. There are two Production Prototypes followed by the main production line starting with of course, 1. Mine was done before the reflective design so it will be flat. It looks like I'll have to get an additional one now... That sneaky Mattson...

Update: The problem with the images not loading should be fixed. If you still can't see the images, post a comment. Also note the missing knobs and leds in the Prototype 1 image above as it is not yet complete. George also let me know that the back pictured here is a custom wood back. The standard systems will be hardboard with the M. I forgot about that. I've seen them and the contrast between the logo and the solid dark back looks really nice.

Crumar Rediscovering Sound

It looks like Crumar is going back in business: link. I wonder if any of the original people are behind this and what will be shown.

casper modular synth


YouTube via bubagoo
"In this video I'm testing my newly completed modular synth and modular drum sequencer.
The drum sequencer is a very simple home brewed design. You can find details and schematics here:
http://www.casperelectronics.com/fini...
The synth is based mostly on circuits from Paiaand Ray Wilson's site Music From Outer Space. For a detailed description of the individual modules go to http://www.casperelectronics.com/fini...
Here is a list of the modules:
1x 16 step CV sequencer
4x VCO
2x noise source
2x VCF
3x VCA
2x LFO
2x AR envelope
1x ADSR envelope
2x ring mod
1x Attenuated mixer
4x CV mixer/inverter"

JH on the Yamaha CS80



Via JH:
"A ring modulator thread over at synth-diy last night inspired me to sit down at my CS-80 a little. No great music - just showing of the instrument's capabilities (and played thru a bunch of FX). (click the "Free Download" button for mp3 file)"

BTW, you might remember JH by his own label on MATRIXSYNTH. You can find his website here.

MFOS Videos Are Now Up

For those of you that saw my note regarding the MFOS videos being pulled to be updated later in the posts below, they are now up. I opted to update the original posts as the videos came in sooner than expected. Click here for all the videos including an older set I put up a while back.

Sequential Circuits Six-Trak Recording a Sequence


YouTube via djthomaswhite
"This is a cheap demonstration of what the Sequential Circuits Six-Trak analog keyboard can do with it's on board sequencer. The sequencer has 6 tracks and allows you to have multiple patches arranged in a fashion dependent on how many keys (polyphony) you want to hold per sequence. You can have 6 mono sounds, or three mono sounds and a three note chord for example. There is a second video on how the level of these tracks are controlled once the sequence is recorded. Thanks for stopping by!"

Hands-on, Interview: Stribe Multi-Touch Controller

Remember the Stribe? CDM has a great interview up with creator Josh Boughey. Click here to check it out.

Intro:
"Once the domain of the few, creating and customizing sophisticated DIY controllers is now more accessible than ever. That means, if you can’t find what you want, and you’re ambitious and knowledgeable enough, you go make your own. Josh Boughey was impressed by the Monome enough to buy one — but the Monome, a grid of on/off buttons, doesn’t provide any kind of variable control. So Josh built his own, combining a series of parallel touch strips with LED indicators. (The lights are the tricky part, requiring an obscene number of connections.)"

Carl Stone and Peter Grenader at LA Sonic Odyssey, March 28-29

"Carl Stone's Al-Noor and Peter Grenader's Secret Life of Semiconductors will be presented among other studio electronic works at the 2008 LA Sonic Odyssey Festival in Pasadena, CA, March 28 and 29 at 8:00 P.M. For more information, go here."
Pictured: "the analog synthesizer used to create The Secret Life of Semiconductors."

Serge M-Class Prices Are Up

Via Egres, The Unofficial Serge Synthesizer Website.

Gator - $1499.00 USD (pictured)
Creature - $1499.00 USD
Sequencer-A $1650.00 USD
SQP Sequencer - $1200 USD
Triple Oscillator - $1650.00 USD

Follow up to this post (comment there)

Update: be sure to check out the comments of the prior post. There's some good info from Carbon111 who will be creating some pages for the new Serge systems as well. If that doesn't get you excited just check out http://carbon111.com/. He has some of the best pages on individual synthesizers out there including Serge.

Ileana Grams-Moog on Bob Moog

Ileana Grams-Moog wrote a touching post on Caring Bridge. The following is only a short excerpt, so do take the time out to read the full post.

"It has been almost exactly two and a half years since Bob's death, and over a year since my last entry. I had no idea that people were still visiting this site and posting tributes to Bob until my stepdaughter Michelle, the director of the Bob Moog Foundation, told me so. My chronic fatigue generally keeps me from using the internet.

I am so touched and grateful to know how much Bob meant and continues to mean to so many people. For my daughter Miranda and me he was as close to perfect a (step)father and husband as is humanly possible. Those qualities that we loved clearly affected the thousands of you who had only a brief encounter with him, but that made such a deep impression on you that the memory of it is still alive. It is traditional in Judaism to say, after mentioning the name of someone who is no longer alive, 'May his (or her) memory be for a blessing.' Bob's memory is a blessing for all of us who knew him, whether for a few moments or for years."

via Cikira

ROBOTERWERKE Drum Machine - Update

I updated this post with a little more info via Hajo including a scan I found on the web.

KID 606

This one via Ross.

"OSCar playing the TR606 and Korg Mini Pad."

Roland CR-8000 Switching Board

via this auction.

via Justin who is selling this to fund his "tr-404 (cr-8000/tr-505 drum machine hybrid) project which details can be found here"

edie versus the voyager

Two shots via trey

"we ended up having a moog voyager that needed a home for a couple of days. it was a lot of fun getting to really get deep into it in my own studio, but the real joy came when my one year old daughter, edrye, discovered the large, knobed behemoth make crazy sounds in daddy's studio. i sat her down, and showed her around a little, all the while snapping as many photos as i could."

MFOS Stereo Panner (Leslie Cabinet Simulator)


YouTube via djthomaswhite
"This is my MOTM format build of the MFOS Music From Outer Space Analog Stereo Panner circuit. This is not your typical stereo panner or tremelo! There is a "rotor" function which ramps the speed of the panning from A to B. A is a slower pan rate and B is a faster pan rate. The distance between the slow and fast rates is decided by an on board trimmer on the PCB. Ray really made an awesome circuit here and I really recommend you build one for yourself in your format of choice. Find more information and PCB's for sale at www.musicfromouterspace.com. You can find more information on my builds at www.naturalrhythmmusic dot com. Thanks for stopping by!"

Catgirl CGS Analog Gate Sequencer 1 of 2


YouTube via djthomaswhite
"Catgirl Synth Analog Gate Sequencer built by Thomas White (www.naturalrhythmmusic dot com) from pcb's designed by Ken Stone."

Catgirl CGS Analog Gate Sequencer 2 of 2

MFOS Dual State Variable Filter


YouTube via djthomaswhite
"This is my customized design based on the Ray Wilson Music From Outer Space State Variable (Multimode) Filter. This combines two separate filters in one panel, normalized together with the addition of a reversing attenuator for some modular fun. I call this the "Multimode Frequency Modulator". The video showcases the sound with a highpass of filter section A into a lowpass on filter section B. The normalization can be broken so this can operate as two separate filters in one panel. Both sections together can have a response of 24db Like a Moog or Sequential Circuits filter. Interesting combinations can be found by combining various settings (freq/resonance/mode) on each of the two 12db filter sections. This fits into any format... but that is up to you. The pcb is what you order from MFOS and then you have to source the other parts. Luckily the parts are ALL easy to come by. Thanks goes out to Ray Wilson for making such a cool pcb project available to the DIY community!"

Recording Pilfershire Lane - Polymoog & Mars...


YouTube via tarabusch. There's some video of the inside of the Polymoog.
"http://analogsuicide.com
http://tarabusch.com
http://mysterycircuits.com
http://moogmusic.com
Filmed and created by Maf Lewis, Spring of 2006....Tara recording Mike Walters on the Polymoog for the closing song on Tara's debut album, Pilfershire Lane."

Richard Devine - Odd & Wonderful Synth Effects using a NeKo


YouTube via OpenLabsInc
"Richard Devine is an Atlanta-based electronic musician. He is recognised for producing a layered and heavily processed sound, combining influences from old and modern electronic music. Devine largely records for the Miami-based Schematic Records.

For more information on Richard Devine, please visit our site at www.openlabs.com"

Korg MS 10 VC 10 MonoPoly Juno 6 Rhodes 73 Moog Drumtraks


YouTube via angelometz
"Another groove. The drumtraks triggers the juno and the Monopoly. Monopoly tirggers MS 10."

Maestro USS-1 Universal Synthesizer System

images via this auction

Roland SH-32 with Wood Sides

images via this auction

"# Make/Model:Roland SH-32 Synth
# Serial Number:ZP74907
# Location of Manufacture:Japan
# Features: Powerful desktop synthesizer with massive realtime control New Wave Acceleration synthesis creates a variety of synth waves-67 total Includes standard synth waves plus new waveforms like Spectrum and Noise Up to 32-note/4-part multitimbral operation 2 main oscillators and 2 suboscillators with ultra-thick Subsonic mode Pulse width modulation and oscillator “hard” sync capability* Insert and Loop effects processors with 10 types of reverb/delay and 35 multi-effects Programmable arpeggiator for creating synth lines or drum patterns"

Anyone know if the wood panels were an option or where they custom made?

Quasimidi Rave-o-lution 309

images via this auction

"# Make/Model: QuasiMidi Rave-O-Lution 309
# Serial Number:42288
# Location of Manufacture:Germany
# Features:• Synthesis system: Analog Emulation Synthesis, a combination of samples and modelled subtractive synthesis. • Polyphony: 17 voices. • Sound Storage: 128 synth sound memories, 64 memories each for Kick, Snare, Hi-hat, Percussion Set. • Sequencer: 5-track sequencer, plus Master Track. • Song & Pattern capacity: 16 Songs (up to 99 steps of up to 64 bars each), 100 User Patterns (up to eight bars per Pattern), 100 ROM Patterns. • Effects: Reverb, Modulation/Delay, 2-band parametric EQ, Overblast. • Display: 2-line x 16-character backlit LCD. • Connections: 2 quarter-inch jacks for L/R stereo out, MIDI In, Out & Thru, quarter-inch footswitch jack."

Akai AX60

images via this auction

Note the Sampler Input. There was a proprietary cable that you could use to connect the AX60 with the S610 sampler.

"# Make/Model:Akai AX60
# Serial #:01120-03195
# Features 1 part MultTimbral Polyphony: 6, VCO 1-2 Voice/Ocsillators 2 chourses MIDI: 2 Threw, 1 out, 1 input 61 key 5 octave 64 patches, 8 Performances 3 Audio Outputs, 6 Inputs bitimbral...2 zones (split) LFO select (vco,vcf,vca) LFO section, waveform select, depth, speed, delay VCO section, octave, waveform, pulse width, speed, eg, noise VCF section, cuttoff freq, resonance, key follow, vco mod, hpf, fg polarity:EG section ADSR, depth, destination (vcf,vca,vca gate) autotune, mastertune, split, split mode, split balance, chorus arpeggiator section unison control (stacks all voices on 1 key) arpeggiator external sync 1/4" 20 Levers, 25 Buttons"

Yamaha CS80

images via this auction. Check out the BIN on this one.

Baldwin Syntha Sound

images via this auction

"SYNTHA SOUND analog mono synth from the 1970s. I know BALDWIN made these but someone has put a VOX badge on the front. Hmmm? I don't know about a VOX version, but maybe? This one (last I heard) was not functioning. I don't know how much or how little - but not right. So understand and bid accordingly. This is fairly heavy but will be packed well. It has a nice sturdy wood outside, so it is strong. Some slider tips missing - see photos for details. These are great COOL synths very few people have ever seen!"

If anyone knows more about these, feel free to comment.

Update via an anonymous reader:
"The Baldwin Syntha Sound:
Yes, although limited in function, these are cool, and generally pretty good/unique sounding monosynths. Most definately Baldwin - the Vox badge on this particular unit was probably stuck on later on. I really don't think Vox had anything to do with these.
Baldwin's schematics for these units are dated April 1973. This is the model they called the portable syntha sound, and this version does seem to be quite rare. I have seen only two of these in person - one of which I own and another which was in my shop for repairs. They were purchased in two different parts of the country, yet had sequential serial numbers (very low). However, the same basic unit was included in some of their mid-70's home organ models and these are slightly more common.
The portable model SS has a built in 12 watt amp (common to many other Baldwin products), speakers, and a great sounding reverb. It has preset sections (Trumpet, Trombone, Saxophone, Cello)- labled "pre-set" and "Flutes" of various footages, and then also the synth section: which they labled: "spectrum shaper" - with 8', 16', and 32' octaves- producing square, pulse or sawtooth (either alone or in combo). Other functions include a noise generator, high, mid, and low pass filters (used either,alone, in pairs, or "all-pass") - the filter can feedback and squeal. There is portamento too.... Modulation, however, is a bit limited: vibrato "standard" or adjustable with "rate" and "extent" sliders (sine or repeat).
The two big chunks of wood on the control panel are unusual - they are temporary switches. One shuts off the tremelo (which feels counter-intuitive) and the other triggers the "spectrum shaper" CV (which is only slightly more useful). The thing that the owner of this unit should know, is that the slider pots are of pretty poor quality and are easily broken - and also, that they used two different versions of these - which mount differently, of course - and the earlier versions are hard to find - a partial 3rd unit was used to restore the two I have had here. -Hope that clears up some of your questions.

I forgot to mention that it has an external input jack which goes though the filter.
You might want to ad a link to this older post"

MOOG Prodigy

images via this auction

Monophonic Synthesizer Expander Module

via this auction

"Monophonic Synthesizer Expander Module. It has approximately 4o outlets/jacks with l & R controls, approx: 24 ¼ x 9 ½ x 8"
Anyone know more about this one? Unfortunately the images aren't that big. Filing this one under DIY for now.

Electrocomp EML 200

images via this auction

Second one in two days. Note the red knobs on this one.

"Electro Comp 2 Voc Monophonic Synthesizer Expander Module, model EML 200. Featured/spec., is: output for sine~~triangle~~pulse waves-forms~~noise…reverb~~high & low pass filters~~envelope generator~~mic amp~~ring modulator~~dual 3 channel stereo mixer~~and in a large removable cover case, approx: 25 x 14 ¾ x 15 ½."

Studio Electroncs SE-1

images via this auction

ARP OMNI

images via this auction

"Here is the worlds ugliest Arp Omni..."
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