Superbooth 2019 Make Pro Audio Networked Controllers

Published on May 10, 2019 sonicstate

Previous posts.

New eurorack module:

"We all love Eurorack for all the infinite possibilities it presents to create new sound machines. However, when you aspire for more voices and more timbres within Eurorack, that usually requires a significant amount of space and budget outlay. That leaves you no viable options, other than to leave your Eurorack and attempt to connect with outboard gear that does not easily integrate. Now – with Dino Park – you gain access to a world of infinite sonic possibilities, while staying within your Eurorack!

Dino Park is not fixed synthesis architecture – it is as flexible as your Eurorack. It can load different “synth models” which feature radically different forms of synthesis – including vintage subtractive, additive, wavetable and FM – providing infinitely expandable and exciting sonic capabilities in every Eurorack.

Now increasing the sonic potential of your Eurorack has never been easier, or more affordable! . For newbies, Dino Park offers an easy, cost effective and gratifying way to start off their rack journey with a big sound foundation. For Eurorack veterans, Dino Park can close a lot of gaps and enrich any Eurorack performance. True “ best of” utility in big analog sound with the recall-reliability of digital.

We offer three Dino Park kits for the Eurorack"

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Creamware / Sonic Core CS 8000 ASB

A mockup via Laurie in The MATRIXSYNTH Lounge

Of course Creamware made the Minimax ASB (poly Minimoog), Prodyssey ASB (poly ARP Odyssey), the Pro 12 ASB (SCE Prophet-5) and the B4000 ASB (Hammond B3).  A CS 8000 ASB based on the Yamaha CS80 would have been a nice addition.  The models in the ASB boxes were based on the models Creamware provided for their initial DSP cards.   I don't believe they ever had a model for the CS80 and I don't believe Sonic Core did either.  You can see the current list of Sonic Core Plug-Ins here.  With Arturia having entered the hardware synth market with the Minibrute and Microbrute, it makes you wonder if porting their software models to hardware boxes similar to the ASB boxes from Creamware would be worthwhile.

Subtractor Meets Creamware ASB

This of course is just a render. I spotted it on Tommy Welsch of Anyware Instruments Facebook feed. What immediately came to mind was a Creamware ASB desktop synth. It's too bad they are gone.  It would have been interesting to see what else they could have come up with.  The Creamware Minimax and Prodyssey ASB boxes are known for sounding incredibly close to the originals and in turn, very, very good.   They also added polyphony, which made them the closest things you could get to a polyphonic Minimoog and ARP Odyssey.

When Creamware folded, Sonic Core and Use Audio were formed. Sonic Core still produces the Scope Platform which features the Minimax and Prodyssey software emulations and well as others. Use Audio released the models in their plugiator desktop hardware synth. Sonic Core also worked with John Bowen Synth Design on the Solaris.


Subtractor of course is part of Propellerhead's Reason.

Creamware PRO-12 ASB w/ Origal Box, CD & Registration Sheet

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via this auction

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It's kind of interesting that Creamware included an instruction sheet on maintaining the wood.

"With its emulation of the classic Prophet 5, this synth delivers rich, analog sound that is sure to impress. Featuring a range of keys and a compact design, this Creamware PRO 12 ASB is perfect for both studio and live performances. Built with high-quality components, this Creamware PRO 12 ASB delivers unrivaled sound quality and reliability. Whether you're a professional musician or just starting out, this desktop synth is the perfect choice for your next project. Don't miss out on the opportunity to add the Creamware PRO 12 ASB to your music collection."

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Creamware Launches Pro-12

Looks like the Pro-12 ASB has been released. The Pro-12 is Creamware's virtual SCI Prophet 5 in a break out box. Via Harmony Central News. Title link takes you there. For more info on the box and demos see the Creamware ASB Page.

This is hardware


Specifications and Prices
Virtual-analog synthesizer (desktop unit),
12 voices, 128 factory presets and 128 user presets,
analog stereo input and outputs, MIDI In/Out/Thru,
USB-to-Host/MIDI interface, external power-supply unit
(12 VAC), plug-in like WindowsTM remote control software

Minimax ASB MRSP 899 USD*
Pro-12 ASB MRSP 999 USD*
*MRSP not including sales tax or VAT

Creamware ASB Samples

Looks like samples are up for the Creamware ASB modules. Title link takes you there. Click on an ASB box on the left to get to their corresponding product page, then click on Audio Examples.

Creamware Minimax ASB

via this auction

"MINIMAX ASB
One may not consider a synthesizer with three Oscillators and noise, a mixer as well as a filter followed by amplifiers and two envelopes, as being spectacular in sound. But we are not just talking about any kind of synthesizer but about "the" synthesizer that started it all. MINIMAX ASB is a perfect emulation of one of the most popular synthesizers ever. Its ease of use and easy to learn sound technique made this instrument a role model for many other synthesizers. Its sound is famous. The oscillators and filters are extremely powerful and the envelopes extremely quick.
Many soft and hardware companies have tried to copy its features but have shattered by doing so. Its hardware duplicate had different built-in components taking away from its original sounding character. Most software programs emulated only parts of the hardware such as the filter. Significant elements like Oscillators and envelopes were for the most part forgotten. MINIMAX ASB is different from anything available before. MINIMAX ASB not only emulates parts of the instrument. We consider it as being "the" synthesizer. Today, where most hardware components are difficult to get and software reached the limits, MINIMAX ASB has managed to go beyond.

Within the MINIMAX, we have remodelled all significant sound elements after the original's circuitry. In addition, a steady cross-check with the Original was made and now offers even identical knob positions as within the original. No reproduction has yet been that precise. Measurements and adjustments were only a part of the work. Beforehand there was another problem to tackle. The original analog model produces frequencies which when copied or emulated would produce aliasing. Those who are familiar with aliasing know how awful it sounds. The MINIMAX ASB's sound generation is based on newly developed algorithms that are free of any aliasing. The MINIMAX ASB handles even the most complex Modulations, filter FM or Oscillator-Modulation. Moreover, the nice thing about this, the MINIMAX will always sound like the original. Thus MINIMAX ASB tops today's digital synthesis technique."

pro-12 twiddling

"Creamware pro-12 twiddling"

Creamware ASB Pro-12 live-tweaking

"Creamware ASB Pro-12 live-tweaking in "manual mode" to demostrate some aspects of the soundpotential in Creamwares "Prophet 5" hardware/software-emulation."

YouTubes via lesingemonotone.

The Meyermoog

Now this is something I bet a lot of us think of doing. Jason and Bob Meyer took a Creamware ASB Minimax, an M-Audio Keystation 49e, some wood, and built their own poly Minimoog, complete with a hinged control panel. I've always wanted to do this with a stack of Waldorf Pulses. Pretty cool. Title link takes you to more shots. The details of the project from Jason are below. Thanks Jason!



"i just thought i'd share with you the fake moog that i built. it's built from the new-ish creamware minimax asb and an m-audio keystation 49e. the keystation was gutted and the lower five keys were removed. both the keystation and the minimax can use the same ac adaptor, so i hard-wired them both to the same ac adaptor which is wired to a PC style power plug port. the ac adaptor and all the power wiring is hidden in one of the small compartments that are connected to the sides of the minimax to make it the correct width for the keyboard. now it uses a standard PC style power cable instead of the cruddy wall-wart. i soldered a midi cable directly to the internals of both units, to not have to bother with a midi-cable. my dad cut all the wood for the case for me (out of oak), from plans i drew up using the original dimensions of the minimoog. i assembled and stained it a dark walnut color. the top panel is hinged just like the original. i'm still working on a left-hand controller with wheels, so there is a temporary controller in it's place with knobs for pitch and modulation. though i definitely plan on replacing them with wheels, having knobs instead is kind of growing on me. the minimax asb was $800, the keystation was something i already had, but can be bought new for $100. the wood and other supplies were about $100, and it took about two weeks of a couple hours every night to build it. so about $1,000 for a polyphonic minimoog that won't ever need adjusting and that i don't have to be afraid to take out of the house.

thanks for a cool blog, i hope you find this interesting!

-jason meyer"

Definitely interesting! Thanks Jason.

PULSAR II CREAMWARE COMPUTER PCI SYNTH

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via this auction

The software emulations that came with the Creamware PULSAR II made their way into the stand alone Creamware ASB Pro-12, Prodessy, Minimax which then made their way to the Use Audio Plugiator.  John Bowen of Sequential Circuits fame and the John Bowen Solaris worked closely with Creamware on the models. The PULSAR II like the KORG OASYS PCI recently listed here, are interesting and significant parts of synth history.

"Pulsar II PCI system integrates mixing, effects, synthesis, sampling and unlimited signal routing into a single ultra powerful and widley-compatible realtime DSP environment.

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Minimax ASB

images via this auction

"I used this synthesizer to create music and sound effects for a Disney multi-media project featuring a mad scientist and his lab. That project has been completed for a while and I hung onto this synth just because it was a lot of fun; rich warm voices that astonishingly faithfully emulate the original Minimoog. Totally, it has around 16 hours or less of use on it, and comes with it's adaptor and a PDF manual on a CD ROM. Here's what Creamware has to say: The Minimoog was a classic for reasons beyond just its sound. Everything was perfectly laid out so you could start playing right away, without having to browse through phonebook-like manuals, and even every accident sounded expressive and inspired. Minimax ASB will give you the same sensation. Quite simply, if you loved the Minimoog, you'll love the ASB. The original made by Moog was the role model for all subsequent synthesizeresizers, so you can experience a part of history through the Minimax ASB. Minimax ASB provides various enhancements, which didn't exist the Minimoog's time: keystroke dynamics, effects, memory for storage, and much more."

Creamware ASB Pro-12

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via this auction

"a very good clone of prophet 5

The design of the PRO-12 ASB is now regarded as classic synthesizer style. Two oscillators with multiple waveforms (which may be played independently or simultaneously) constitute the main sound source. The oscillators are mixed with white noise in the mixer section, then routed through the 24dB lowpass reso¬nating filter and amplifier section. The filter and amplifier each have their own dedicated envelope curve with attack, decay, sustain and release controls. The filter envelope, oscillator B and the LFO (low frequency oscillator) can also be routed to different modulation destinations. One of the major highlights of the PRO-12 is that many interesting combinations of modulation source and destination can be accessed using the mod wheel and the 'poly mod' section. We have added some contemporary features which the original synth lacked: a full effects section comprising chorus, flanging and delay, keyboard aftertouch and MIDI clock synchronisation. In addition, the PRO-12 ASB now has 12 voices - when played in 'unison mode', this produces amazing results."

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Creamware ASB Pro12

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Published on Feb 8, 2013 kconnor555·10 videos


via this auction

"This is a hardware, knob-laden box that is basically a 12-voice Prophet 5 synthesizer. A standalone, hardware VST if you like. If you've found this listing, you're probably familiar with the ASB series (Prophet, Minimoog, Odyssey). These are DSP-based emulations of the originals, in a reduced size format, with reproductions of the original front panels and lots of knobs to tweak in real-time. In addition to the 12-voice polyphony, the Pro-12 contains on-board effects - a delay/chorus/reverb unit. The knobs transmit MIDI, for recording automated filter sweeps, etc. in your DAW.

These are relatively rare, especially in North America. I bought this one on ebay about 2 years ago, after waiting about 6 months before one showed up for sale.

OS is upgraded to the latest v2.0 version, including the much requested "really long glide" behaviour. There is also a software editor for the ASB, that can be used for patch management and unlocking some special parameters. I've never needed to use that -- just played it hands-on through a guitar amp.


The point of the ASBs is that you can just switch it on and play immediately, with hands on control. No need to fire up the computer and mouse around. The knobs also transmit midi, so it's a great match for controlling VSTs like Pro53 or the Arturia ProphetV if you like, It's not as good as a real Prophet5, of course. But it stays in tune, has 12 voices rather than 5, and is suitable for gigging."

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Creamware Prodyssey, rare 12-voice ARP/Moog-inspired synthesizer

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via this auction

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Prodyssey ASB Creamware, using as an old modular synthesizer, with Beatstep Arturia.

Published on Jan 15, 2016 KurtzMindfields

"Demo (1/3) of the great emulation of the ARP Odyssey, the creamware ASB can do many things (polyphonic synth, lead mono synth, with memories and internal effects ...), but at first we are expected to get that particular ARP sound and philosophy approach! lets see as a typical old ARP modular sequenced synth!? Well after working with, i can saying that his doing well the job!"

Kind of interesting when you look at the different sections of the panel as different modules, which essentially they are. A standalone synth is just a bunch of modules patched together. What makes a modular a modular is being modular. :) Meaning... You can swap modules about, in and out, to create different systems. Because you have to patch discrete modules together, all the inputs and outputs for modulation then add to that.

Creamware Minimax ASB

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via this auction

From the Creamware web site:
"From 1970 to 1981, over 13,000 Minimoogs were built: thank you, Dr. Moog! That would seem to be a lot of units, but in hindsight it was not enough. Many more people wanted it, but missed out for whatever reason. If you missed out, no problem—the Minimax ASB Sound Box Synthesizer is yours!

OK, it's not the original. But this is as close as you can get. The Sound: digitally re-mastered down to each detail. A full fat, dynamic Filter, which provides grip, keeps you and your sound warm, whistles like a teapot on a steam oven, and still knows about the truth behind over-modulation.

Also included: Oscillators with wide tires, deep tread, and brute output. Speedy Envelopes. Twelve voices, almost as powerful as two Memorymoogs. BTW: of course Minimax ASB is completely programmable (with memories to boot!).

Best of all: Minimax ASB not only sounds like a Minimoog —you can also really play it like one live. Every pot and every control of the role model is in place. And, via Remote Software, you will find further features, which were previously unavailable.

Features
Synthesizer Type: Virtual analog synthesizer
Technology: Virtual analog Circuit Modelling
Number of Voices: 12
Sampling Rate: 44.1 kHz (internal oversampling)
Resolution: 32 bit Audio Paths
Analog Outputs: 2 x 1/4 inch (6,3mm) unbalanced
Analog Inputs: 2 x 1/4 inch (6,3mm) unbalanced
MIDI: In, Out, Thru
USB: Full Speed USB rev 1.1
Power Input: 12V AC/DC, < 20 W

Dimensions:
480mm wide (448mm without wood panels)
209mm deep (203mm without wood panels)
40/76mm high (front/back)
Weight: 3.4 kg"

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Creamware ASB Site

Missed this in my last post. Creamware has launched a separate ASB site. Title link takes you there.

Creamware Minimax ASB Virtual Analog Synthesizer in Original Box

via this auction


"From 1970 to 1981, over 13,000 Minimoogs were built: thank you, Dr. Moog! That would seem to be a lot of units, but in hindsight it was not enough. Many more people wanted it, but missed out for whatever reason. If you missed out, no problem—the Minimax ASB Sound Box Synthesizer is yours!

OK, it's not the original. But this is as close as you can get. The Sound: digitally re-mastered down to each detail. A full fat, dynamic Filter, which provides grip, keeps you and your sound warm, whistles like a teapot on a steam oven, and still knows about the truth behind over-modulation.

Also included: Oscillators with wide tires, deep tread, and brute output. Speedy Envelopes. Twelve voices, almost as powerful as two Memorymoogs. BTW: of course Minimax ASB is completely programmable (with memories to boot!).

Best of all: Minimax ASB not only sounds like a Minimoog —you can also really play it like one live. Every pot and every control of the role model is in place. And, via Remote Software, you will find further features, which were previously unavailable."

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CREAMWARE KLANGBOX MINIMAX

via this auction

"Hard to find rack version of Creamware's ASB MiniMax, which is the synth without the knobs. All parameters have MIDI ControlChange numbers so you can edit on your own controller, so it doesn't require the computer editor. It can run standalone and be controlled by MIDI. This sounds very close, google it and check out the reviews. Also has a pair of inputs and the unit has several voices of polyphony (only one part). If your looking for MiniMoog sound and the ability to create your own patches, this has to be the most cost effective way to do so."

Creamware ASB Minimax and Pro-12

Title link takes you to more on Failed Muso.

Creamware.