Hold Your Phone Up - homage to sound pioneer Maryanne Amacher

follow-up to this post

"UPCOMING: HOLD YOUR PHONE UP (2010)

As part of the Baltimore Contemporary Museum's PROJECT 20 series, celebrating their 20th Anniversary, Neighborhood Public Radio will host a coast-to-coast audio-project for broadcast.

In homage to sound pioneer Maryanne Amacher, who died in October, NPR will re-imagine her seminal radio-locative sound project CITY LINKS (1967) as a community remix project to be aired locally in Baltimore, and streamed to Portable Radio Instruments for broadcast in San Diego, Chicago, and Albuquerque.

Broadcasts will occur every Sunday night at 9pm (EST).

We will collect these recordings every week and remix and process them for broadcast. We will also post the files on our website, inviting anyone to remix and reuse the recordings.

If you remix these sounds, send them to: nprphoneup@gmail.com
and we'll put them on the air."

Be sure to see this post. Comments disabled here to keep them there.

Max For Live Devices via Robert Henke of monolake

via monolake where you'll find the full list and downloads.

"This page hosts a selection of MaxForLive devices. MaxForLive is a flavor of the Max programing language that only works in conjunction with Ableton Live and allows users to create their own devices and to share those. In order to use these effects, one needs to own Ableton Live Version 8.1 or higher and the MaxForLive extension. More info about MaxForLive can be found on the websites of Ableton and Cycling74."


Wikipedia actually has a decent write-up on Robert Henke if you are not familiar with his work. He is actually the man behind the Monodeck (see here for prior posts). "Henke is a software engineer who develops custom software and hardware for live performances. As well as working as an engineer for Ableton, Henke designed the Atlantic Waves software for performing live with other producers in different countries simultaneously[2].

In 2003, Henke designed the Monodeck, a midi-controller interface for spontaneous editing and effects work during live performances, even without having to look at the computer screen[3]. The Monodeck and its successor, Monodeck II, control Ableton through patches designed with Max/MSP."

Mr. Braska Visits Apollo Studio

more pics and a write-up of his adventures on Synth.nl.

"Here is mr. Braska approving the drum module I build from the Thomas Henry Electronics Drums Cookbook on Breadboard."

NAMM Synth Booth List Update

OK, I went through the complete list of exhibitors at the NAMM website. You can find the updated list for all synth related manufactureres in this post. NOTE there are HALL location changes! If you captured the prior list, update your records! The list is now grouped by hall and in booth order.

If there are any missing or if you are being shown in one of the existing booths like Noisebug, Big City Music or Analogue Haven, let me know and I will add you.

You can find an excel spreadsheet of all exhibitors here.
You can find a pdf of the floorplan here.
And for $1.99 you can pick up the nifty NAMM iPhone app here.

I haven't downloaded it yet, so I have no idea if it is any good. If you have, feel free to comment.

NAMM: John Bowen Synth Design

Hall B Booth 5912

See the complete Synth Booth List here

NAMM: Something New from Dave Smith To be Shown at NAMM!

Posted with permission. This is legit...
Our new booth location is in Hall B, booth #5900.

http://davesmithinstruments.com/

NOT NAMM: Health Club Music boomin

"Health Club Music's new analog bass drum box.

Boomin is based on the classic Roland TR-808 BassDrum with a twist. Now you can play massive bass kick drums with a drumstick, audio input signal or trigger in from a drum machine.

This Sample - "Boominvalley!" - is recorded with a Boomin triggered by a Roland TR-606 with a Juno 60 as accompaniment. Watch your speakers! You can't hear this bass with laptop speakers y'all. Health Club Music requires you to be responsible for your own bass health plan. Enjoy!

The features roll:
Sound In Jack (connect any audio signal or a trigger from a drum machine)
Tune In Jack (funky strange tune control for use with an expression pedal or volts in, NOT V/OCT)
Sound Out Jack
Sens. Knob (adjust the trigger in level)
Decay Knob (from a quick click to very long booooooms)
Tune Knob (from ultra sub-bass to high pitched pings)
Punch Knob (works together with tune knob to get some extra oomph)
Tone Knob (adjust the initial click from crackin to thumpin)
Volume Knob (Silent to Quiet to Loud to Distorted)"

See Health Club Music for more pics and audio.

Boomin606juno60.mov

YouTube via healthclubmusic
"Boomin Analog Bass Drum Box by Health Club Music triggered by Roland TR-606 and synced with Roland Juno-60. This is some BASS that you cannot hear with laptop speakers folks! Watch your speakers! Boom!"

follow-up to this post. Update: also on Ebay

T. White Buchla 292c clone #1

flickr by parasitk

"Finally finished the first PCB."

NOT NAMM: Quick Cirklon test video

YouTube via sequentix
"A few patterns thrown in to see if I can capture the pretty lights accurately on video. Green looks a bit washed out.
Beat position sweep fades from bright green thru orange to red then off, on tri-colour LEDs.
LEDs below each track pulse with note output velocities controlling colour - green for max, and fading thru red again."
Some previous posts

Emu SP12 turbo, MultiMoog, Akai s612

YouTube via zaphid

"I just got this sp12 turbo back from repairs and wanted to hook it up for the first time, syncing it to my Triton. I made some samples with my s612 and the Multimoog and a little track was born.

copyright by David Brans."

Korg Wavestation A/D - Replacement Battery by Morpheus2027

YouTube via morpheus2027
"Replacement Battery by Morpheus2027

http://digilander.libero.it...
http://digilander.libero.it..."

Korg Wavestation A/D - Replacing Backlight by Morpheus2027

Live Techno Series #3 - MC-909 & Virus - Simon Stokes

YouTube via siedgey

"Hi ho folks!

At last, it is time once again for another live techno video! I've bought myself a shiny new digital camera, and today I set up my old setup, keeping it all hardware for sound mangling. The MC-909 is sequencing everything, with parts 1-8 playing from the Virus TI2 and parts 9-16 playing off the 909 itself. All of that is then running into the Behringer Tweakalizer for some more knob twiddling fun, then into the Alesis 3630 compressor to be squashed. Finally, it is recorded in Ableton Live.

It's a bit rough around the edges - a combination of too many sounds to tweak / mute and too few hands to do it with...so you'll have to excuse the arrangement. All comments are warmly appreciated..

Things have been going well recently - I was Djing with Matthias Tanzmann at New Year in Glasgow, which was excellent; Carl Cox has become my number one fan(!!), dropping tracks from the Rekluse EP all over the place including on his radio show twice; and I am in the process of signing up a load more tracks with some rather awesome labels...watch this space!

Thanks for all the support, it means a whole lot to me. For any bookings, please get in touch with me through the links below.

Cheers!

Simon

www.myspace.com/mrsimonstokes
www.beatport.com/artist/simon%20stokes
Join me on Facebook - Simon Stokes (Glasgow)"

"CROSSING SQUARES" using mlr Monome with Launchpad

YouTube via gattobus
"Little improvvisation (Eno-style) played with Novation Launchpad running mlr monome application.
I used a drum loop and 3 piano loops (one for each chord) playing simultaneously straight and reverse."

Metasonix TM-5

via this auction

"This is for a Metasonix TM-5 guitar preamplifier. I received this directly from Eric Barbour. It has the words "The Evil Maker" written on it in sharpie."

oberheim ob 12 and yamaha cs5

flickr by NTRSN
(click for more)

There are some great black and white shots in this set.

NOT NAMM: Impressionist Drum Scape III

via the Folktek Arts blog where you'll find more shots.

"A drum scape by Arius Blaze created on co-mission. Sweet drone, huge drum loops and bizarre sounds."

Folktek on Ebay

NOT NAMM!

Hi everyone. As we all know, not everyone goes to NAMM. Some are too busy, some too far away to travel, and some are just not interested enough to justify the cost of the trip, or the booth. However, there are new and exciting products coming out that none of us want to miss. When you click on the NAMM label on the top right you expect see all posts announcing new products around this time. At the same time you probably don't want to be mislead into thinking something will show at NAMM when it will not. So, what should we do? I will have NOT NAMM: in front of these posts instead of NAMM: and I'll keep the NAMM label. When you click on the label, you'll be able to see what was announced at NAMM and what wasn't, although in some cases it's more like shown in NAMM vs. not. Regardless, this is interesting in itself. After this post I will go back and update older posts followed by new ones of course.

Yamaha Custom FB-01 FM Synth With Built-in Foot Pedals

available at Paul's Boutique for $399 Canadian.

saved here for posterity in all it's glory.

via Gord

Huba & Silica y Grant en JazzCafé Escazú

flickr set by hubasilica
(click for more)

05 de enero 2010.

Technics SL1200
KORG MicroKORG
KORG Electribe ER-1
M-Audio Oxigen

OBERHEIM OB-1 analog vintage synthesizer

via this auction

* Polyphony - Monophonic
* Oscillators - 2 VCOs
* LFO - LFO (Square, Sine, Sample+Hold) w/ delay, rate control
* Filter - 2-pole or 4-pole w/ Cutoff, resonance, key track and cutoff can be driven by LFO or ADSR envelope
* VCA - Standard ADSR envelope
* Keyboard - 32 keys
* Arpeg/Seq - NO
* Control - CV / Gate

PLAN B Model 13 - Dual Timbral Gate

via this auction
"The Model 13 is an enhanced derivative of the infamous Buchla 292 Low Pass Gate.

Like all Lowpass gates, at the heart of the Dual Timbral Gate is a device known as a Vactrol -- a small electro-optical coupler which opens the filter with it's characteristic ringing qualitiy. As sonically compelling as they are, Vactrols however are not perfect. While some of their anomalies are desirable (ringing for instance), others are not. Long story short - Vactrols leak. Not vactrol juice, but sound passed through them, even when you're telling them to be quiet. While it can't be eliminated without jeopardizing the ring, it can be improved upon and the Model 13 does just that, decreasing the nominal leakage associated with other LPGs by a factor of 10, from 3mv to just a under one third of a mv...barely audible even in at very high volumes.

Each gate is fitted with an offset knob which serves two functions: If no VC is applied, they act as manual level controls. Once a VC is patched they act as low threshold offsets, as the gate will not close below the level set on the pot. A three position switch selects the modes of operation: Amplitude only (no filtering), LowPass (high filtering) or Both (a combination of Amplitude and Lowpass settings). The M13 has been further enhanced by a dedicated crossfading sum output, allowing for a sonic mixtures of the information passed through both. One application for this output being when both gates are set to amplitude mode, your DTG becomes a handy 2 in, 1 out mixer!"

Doepfer A-100 Modular Synth Acid house noodle

YouTube via darenager
"I recently expanded my small Doepfer system, so I set up the A-106-6 filter to do some acid noodlings. I ran out of patch leads so wasn't able to use all the modules that I wanted to - more cables and more videos soon :)

Everything you hear is coming from the Doepfer, no midi sequencing or fx/eq etc. Not a track just me having fun experimenting."

NAMM: Bubblesound at NAMM

Modules at Hall E Booth 1859

All NAMM Synth Booth Locations

http://www.bubblesound-instruments.com/

better synthacon demo

YouTube via squeakyfromme69. follow-up to this post.
"a little acid bassline. skip to the last 20 seconds or so for some nice self-oscillation"

NOT NAMM: Audio Damage Tattoo Coming Soon

more details at
Audio Damage

via Analog Industries

Virus TI Snow In the Snow

flickr set by Nova Musik

"**None of the gear was harmed in this photo shoot! We took special precautions in making sure nothing got damaged. Besides, Wisconsin's weather is way too cold for snow to melt!"

http://novamusik.com/

Crumar Bit 01

Great shot of the inside via Cafe 80

NAMM: BugBrand CLK2A - Divisions

YouTube via BugBrand
"Here's the new CLK2A Clock Divider with integer divsions from 2 to 9. Check the Modular pages at www.bugbrand.co.uk for full info!"

AELITA demo by syntezatory.prv.pl

YouTube via Jexus

"Demo of Aelita, the soviet analog synth. All melodies & sounds by WC Olo Garb. Video editing by WC Olo Garb. ||| Syntezatory.prv.pl Videos: showing you not what a synthesizer can do, but what a man can do with a synthesizer."

astat and volfram diy synths demo

astat and volfram diy synths demo from ::vtol:: on Vimeo.

astat from ::vtol:: on Vimeo.

astat + tr-626 from ::vtol:: on Vimeo.

more info and demos- http://samoletuvvp.narod.ru/vto/diy/astat.html

Custom Yamaha KX-5 Keytar

via this craigslist post

via Kerry

Steampunk?

NAMM: Teenage Engineering

Visit us in Hall A, Booth: 6409

via Teenage Engineering

NAMM Booths

NAMM: Doepfer Surprise

via Doepfer

No details, just the image and "visit our booth for details"

link to booth locations

NAMM: Doepfer A-100TKB

via Doepfer

"New version of the Touch Sensor Keyboard (non-keyboard layout)"

NAMM: Doepfer A-157-1 16x8 Miniature Trigger Sequence

via Doepfer

No additional info at the time of this post.

NAMM: Doepfer A-132-4 Quad exponential VCA / Mixer

via Doepfer
"Module A-132-4 contains four identical voltage controlled amplifiers (VCA) with exponential control scales. Each VCA has two control voltage inputs (C1, C2), a signal input (In) and a signal output (Out). The control voltage inputs C1 and the signal inputs are normalled, i.e. the corresponding input signals of unit #1 are connected to switching contacts of unit #2. Those of unit #2 are normalled to unit #3 and so on. In addition the sum of all four outputs is available (bottom left socket with the sum sign). Therefore unit #4 has only one control voltage input (only C1, no C2). If desired this socket can be jumpered as control voltage input 2. But then the sum signal is no longer available as a socket (only as an internal pin). For each VCA output a jumper is available that determines if the output signal of the corresponding VCA is added to the sum signal. From the factory all four jumpers are set (i.e. all four VCA output signals are added). By removing of one or more of the jumpers one can choose which VCA output is added to the sum. The jumpers can be replaced by switches too.

Technical details:

The control scale for each VCA is about 12dB/V (i.e. 1 V CV decrease corresponds to 12dB level decrease and 1 V CV inrease corresponds to 12dB level increase). 0V CV corresponds to about -60dB (i.e. about attenuation by 1000). +5V CV corresponds to about 0dB (i.e. no attenuation or amplification = 1). The full attenuation/amplification range is about -90dB ... + 20dB. Attenuations below -60dB require a negative control voltage, amplifications beyond 0dB require a control voltage more than +5V.
DIY remark: the control scales and the 0dB point can be modified by changing resistor values. We will publish the corresponding resistor positions and values.

This is a preliminary information about the planned module. The features are still subject to change and all specifications are still preliminary without any obligation ! We will probably add some jumpers to enable different normalling options (e.g. serial connection of VCAs)."

NAMM: A-143-4 Quad VCLFO/VCO

via Doepfer
"Module A-143-4 is a fourfold voltage controlled low frequency oscillator (LFO). As the frequency range includes moderate audio frequencies it can be used as a four-fold VCO too.

* four independent VCLFOs/VCOs with triangle core
* two frequency control CV inputs for each unit: CV1 without attenuator (~ 1V/oct), CV2 with attenuator
* manual frequency control
* frequency range switch
* LED display (useful only for LFO range)
* triangle and rectangle outputs for each unit
* common control section with two CV inputs and manual control (these inputs and controls affect the frequency of all four units)
* sum outputs for triangle and rectangle (with internal jumpers that define which outputs are summed)

This is a preliminary information about the planned module. The features are still subject to change and all specifications are still preliminary without any obligation !

Current state (as of November 2009): We are about to add a temperature compensation and to improve the 1V/Oct tracking so that the module may be used as four "real" VCOs too. We also have to find out if there are locking problems if the frequencies of two or more oscillators are nearly the same. Details will follow as soon as the corresponding measurements have been finished."

Prototyp 2 above, Prototype 1 below

NAMM: Doepfer A-187-1 Voltage Controlled DSP Effects

via Doepfer
"Module A-187-1 is a DSP based effects module with voltage control of four parameters of the selected digital effect (with manual control and CV input with attenuator for each parameter). The effect (e.g. reverb, delay, pitch-shifter, distortion, equalizer) is selected by a 16-position rotary switch.

A detailed list with all effects and the voltage controlled parameters is shown below. The list is valid for the prototype we will show at the Frankfurt Musikmesse 2009. The effects and parameters of the final version of the module may be different !

A ready made DSP board is used inside the A-187-1 module. Consequently only these effects and parameters are available that are supported by the DSP module. Some parameters can be changed only in steps or with audible artefacts. The first audio examples can be found below.

The final version of the module may be equipped with two audio inputs and two audio outputs because the DSP board used in the module features stereo audio processing. In this case there is no more room for the audio input attenuator. If necessary external attenuators (e.g.. A-183-1) or VCAs could be used. The final decision will be made after the Frankfurt Musikmesse 2009."

NAMM Booth Updates

See this post. I will add more in time. If you want to send anything in, feel free to. Also I created a NAMM link on the top right menu. You can click on it and only get NAMM posts. Speaking of... some NAMM posts coming up now!

MFOS Soundlab Plus Semi Modular Synthesizer

Sound Lab does Pink Floyd - On the Run
video upload by YpsiSynth

previously posted "Sound Lab does Pink Floyd - On the Run www.planetsynth.com"

via this auction


"The build quality is excellent with the pots bolted to the chasis giving it an excellent feel. The semi-modular design allows you a lot more modulation possibilities and it can still be used stand alone. I would describe the sound as somewhere between the Korg MS-20 and a VCS-3. The best example I've seen of it's tonal range is on this video"

CLICK FOR MORE »

Oberheim OB-MX Analog Synth 8 voice

via this auction
* Polyphony - 2 voice (expandable to 12)
* Oscillators - 2 per voice; Triangle, Sawtooth, Pulse Width waveforms
* LFO - 3 LFOs (triangle, sawtooth, sample/hold)
* Filter - 2 filters per voice; Resonant 12 dB/oct Oberheim type filter with low, band, hi pass and a 24 dB/oct Minimoog low-pass filter section
* VCA - 4 multistage envelopes per voice
* Keyboard - None
* Memory - 256 patches, 256 performances
* Control - MIDI (12 parts)
* Date Produced - 1994
* Est. Value - $1,000 - $3,000