3 Modules #22: Maths, Brain Seed, µScale

Published on Sep 7, 2017 Comparative Irrelevance

"We all suspected Maths is evil. Now there's proof.

Patch notes:
I'm using Maths as a dual oscillator drone voice by cycling both functions at audio frequency rate. The "both" inputs are handy for this, as they let you change the rise and fall rates simultaneously, without altering the waveform. Unfortunately they don't track 1V/Oct, so I'm using channel 3 to attenuate the incoming pitch sequence to try to approach some semblance of musical intervals here. As you can see I'm also continuously tuning the oscillators via "the blue knobs"™, looking for interesting beating or harmonic intervals between the oscillators. Changing the rise or fall rate individually has the neat side effect of changing both pitch and harmonics (waveform) at the same time.

To control the drone pitch, I'm using brain seed to generate a stepped sequence. It's receiving a steady external clock to get the patch going. This sequence is then being quantized by the µScale, just to narrow down the random selection a bit (because Maths doesn't track pitch anyways, remember).

Finally, I've cheated in some extra delay and reverb here, to get that proper evil drone ambience going.

Thanks for watching!"

Kurtz Mindfields Live at SynthFest 2017 - teaser - "The Dreaming Void"

Published on Sep 7, 2017 KurtzMindfields

A bit of synth spotting in this one, with Minimoog Model D on leads.

"Extract from the 40 minutes concert: 'The Dreaming Void' album in live at the Synthfest 2017. Berlin School return !
Captation et Réalisation by Guillaume Diard
Sample titles :
- Earth Albedo 0.37
- Mahjong Constellations
- Aletheia Part 2
Thanks to Patch Work Music, Moog France, Christophe Duquesne, Nany Sound, Philippe Brodu (Algam), Olivier Briand, Bertrand Loreau, Alain Parrain, David Perbal, Delphine Cerisier, Jean-Michel Maurin ....
The Dreaming Void coffret (2 Vinyls + CD) available at:
https://asso-pwm.fr/shop/kurtz-mindfi... (october 2017)

Gammastrahlung

Published on Sep 7, 2017 lfoone

"Tweak on great Delay and use extrem Reverb and Sidechain by Synthstrom Deluge!

more news and music on http://www.lfo-one.de"

Quadrophonic Modular Synthesizer Performance

Published on Sep 7, 2017 Hainbach

"For Bauhausfest 2017 I created a quadrophonic modular performance using the Koma Elektronik Poltergeist.
www.hainbachmusik.com"

intellijel Plonk Walkthrough Videos

Published on Sep 7, 2017 intellijel

Playlist:
1. Plonk Walkthrough
2. Managing Plonk Presets With Laser Mammoth
3. Plonk Firmware Update

"Plonk uses a technique known as physical modelling to synthesize, with great realism, the way in which sound is produced by acoustic instruments. The Plonk module is, itself, focused primarily on creating percussive sounds — both pitched and un-pitched; natural and unnatural; acoustic-sounding or totally electronic.

Plonk does this by breaking sound creation into two distinct elements — the exciter and the resonator. The exciter is a mathematical model of the device used to strike a particular surface. Plonk, because it’s percussion oriented, has two types of exciters: one modelled on a mallet, and the other providing a noise source. The resonator is a virtualization of the object being struck, which vibrates, resonates and creates the body of a sound. Plonk offers several types of resonators: beam; marimba; drumhead; membrane; plate; and string.

Plonk provides numerous parameters that let you shape, mold and design both the exciter and the resonator, thus enabling you to synthesize the sound of striking or scraping almost any type of object — real or imagined. In this way, Plonk can accurately model the sounds of kicks, snares, toms, cymbals, claps, tablas, congas and all manner of traditional percussion instruments. It can also model pitched percussive instruments, like vibes, marimbas, and even bass or guitar-like tones. Of course, it additionally excels at modelling instruments that heretofore never existed.

Best of all, the sounds created by Plonk are not static — any sound you design can respond dynamically to velocity, as well as four different modulation inputs. This means the sound of Plonk can change completely from note-to-note (or strike-to-strike). Because of this, Plonk is actually a duophonic (2-voice) module, which lets the sound of one note decay naturally when a second note (possibly employing an entirely different set of modelling values) is struck. Thus, hitting a new note does not choke the sound of the previously struck note (unless you want it to, of course)!

Plonk stores up to 128 patches in its internal memory, and ships with many presets programmed by professional sound designers and composers. You may overwrite these patches if you wish, and banks of patches may be transferred via MIDI System Exclusive over Plonk’s built-in mini-USB port to facilitate offline storage by programs or websites that support this capability.

Plonk was developed in cooperation with Montreal-based Applied Acoustics Systems — physical modelling pioneers, and the creators of Tassman, Lounge Lizard, String Studio, Ultra Analog, Chromaphone and numerous other plugins. It is with great pleasure that Intellijel brings the potential of this physical modelling technology to a hands-on, CV-laden device capable of the sort of dynamic control and sonic exploration that modular synthesists demand.

Features:
Resonator section models strings, beams, marimbas, drumheads, membranes, and plates.
Exciter section comprises a realistic mallet model and flexible noise source.
Two Voice Polyphonic at full resolution (16-bit 44.1Khz).
Pseudo multi-timbrality possible via CV selectable presets recalled on each new trigger/gate.
Full parameter randomization and morphing via CV/trigger.
All synthesis parameters can be assigned to the X, Y and MOD controls.
128 user preset slots with import/export via USB and come filled with factory presets designed Richard Devine and AAS.
Laser Mammoth compatible preset management

Width: 12 hp
Max Depth: 38 mm
Power: 170 mA @ +12V, 6 mA @ -12V
MSRP: $349.00"

intellijel Planar Overview Video

Published on Sep 7, 2017 intellijel

"This has to be one of the most fun modules we have ever played with! With just a few audio and CV sources and some inter dependencies (i.e use the Joystick CV to simultaneously modify the signals being processed by the VCAs) you quickly get highly complex sounds that you can easily control and play with.

Features:

Vector mixing: put up to four sources into inputs A, B, C and D and then use the joystick to create the vector mix. Positioning the joystick in any corner will isolate that particular source. Putting the joystick in the center will create an even blend of all four sources. Resulting mix is taken from the MIX output.
Quad Panning: Plug one source into input A and steer it to outputs A, B, C, D. You can also do stereo panning by just using a pair of outputs.
SENSE gate output. This is a slew detector which means the gate is only active when you are moving the joystick. Excellent for driving envelopes/VCAs to coordinate so that the output mix is only heard/used when the joystick is being moved.
Manual gate output: pushbutton to manually trigger a second gate output
CV outputs: The joystick produces either unipolar (0-5V) or bipolar (-5 to +5V) switchable outputs.
CV Inputs: The module accepts X and Y axis inputs. By using out of phase LFO sources (such as outputs from the Dr. Octature) you can create really interesting swirling/circular patterns.
This input is also very useful when coordinated with a CV recorder. You can record the modulation from the X, Y outputs and then turn the joystick off (see switch at top left) and playback the modulation into the X and Y input.
This will allow you to recreate a complex quad panning or vector mixing jam.

REVERSIBLE! The module ships with a second faceplate that is designed to mounted upside down (so joystick is at the bottom) and there are jumpers on the back of the module so you can coordinate the reversed orientation of the joystick. This is to facilitate use in a skiff. The instructions for reversing the panel are in the 'Demos' tab."

Yamaha DX7 IID E! Grey Matter Demo by DKS SYNTH LAB

Published on Sep 6, 2017 DKS SYNTH LAB

Update:

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Mono Tom Station (Tom Cat thru Circuit Mono Station)

Published on Sep 6, 2017 HardtekStudios

"The Tom Cat's output is going into the Novation Circuit Mono Station for some extra distortions and crazy filtering! For most of the jam, only the audio in is turned up on the Circuit Mono Station. Toward the end I bring in some Ring Mod and Sub oscillator."

Buchla Beat 12

Published on Sep 6, 2017 boobtube356

"Woo hoo!"

Native Instruments Announces New MASCHINE & KOMPLETE KONTROL Hardware

"MASCHINE Mk3 and KOMPLETE KONTROL Mk2 S49 / S61 now available to pre-order

September 7, 2017 – Native Instruments today announces the next generation of MASCHINE and KOMPLETE KONTROL hardware. Unified by an all-new industrial design, both units have been re-engineered to inspire and enable nonstop creativity, boasting more intuitive workflows, optimized layouts, vivid visual feedback, and deeper studio integration.

MASCHINE Mk3 delivers the best ever workflow for quickly sketching and capturing ideas. It adds two high-resolution color screens for easier sound browsing, editing, sample-slicing, and more. The new hardware also features more dedicated function buttons and larger, more responsive pads that retain the same ergonomic layout users know and love. For enhanced convenience and portability, MASCHINE now features a built-in 96kHz / 24-bit audio interface.

KOMPLETE KONTROL Mk2 extends the original keyboard’s workflow with 17 additional function buttons and two high-resolution color screens for browsing, previewing sounds, and more. And now – thanks to enhanced DAW and MASCHINE integration – it’s possible to mix, navigate, and edit projects directly from the hardware. The professional-grade Fatar keybeds and unique Light Guide are joined by new pitch and mod wheels, plus a horizontal touch strip for additional expression.

“We’ve learned from artists and our users that the biggest challenge in creative work isn’t one of getting started, but of keeping going,” explains MASCHINE Product Owner Chris La Pietra. “We developed these new products in tandem to address this problem: Beyond sparking inspiration, they fuel the whole creative process – they help users get in the zone and stay there. They feel great, they integrate with existing setups, and they make music production as fun, intuitive, and hands-on as possible.”
“We set the benchmark for integrated music production software and hardware some years ago, and these latest products signify a major new milestone in our journey,” explains Mate Galic, CTO and President of Native Instruments.
“Holistic, tactile experiences and optimized layouts showcase the most powerful features in a completely intuitive way and support a sustained creative workflow. Sophisticated integration, with an ever-expanding software ecosystem of KOMPLETE, MASCHINE, and NKS plug-ins, make these the most advanced music production hardware units available today.”
Pricing and availability
The new MASCHINE, KOMPLETE KONTROL S49, and KOMPLETE KONTROL S61 will be available at the NI Online Shop and retailers from October 5, 2017. All three units will be available to pre-order from September 7 at the NI Online Shop. Pricing remains the same as the previous versions in all markets.

MASCHINE EUR 599, USD 599, JPY 72800, GBP 479, AUD 899
KOMPLETE KONTROL S49 EUR 599, USD 599, JPY 69800, GBP 479, AUD 899
KOMPLETE KONTROL S61 EUR 699, USD 699, JPY 79800, GBP 559, AUD 1049"

About MASCHINE Mk3
The next generation of MASCHINE hardware lets you effortlessly produce beats, melodies, and harmonies with powerful drum synths, premium sounds, an integrated sampler, and more – cutting-edge software meets intuitive hardware for an ultra-smooth workflow.

Key features
• Integrated hardware/software system includes sampler, arranger, mixer, FX, and more


• 8 GB MASCHINE library with samples, one-shots, sliced loops, sampled instruments, presets, patterns, drum kits, and songs

• Includes 25 GB KOMPLETE 11 SELECT library

• 25 pro-quality studio and creative FX including filter, EQ, delay, reverb, and compressor

• 2 high-resolution RGB color displays for precision sample slicing, sound tweaking, note editing, mixing, browsing, and more

• 16 large, ultra-sensitive pads make two-handed drumming easy

• Pro-grade, 96kHz / 24-bit audio interface with 2 x ¼” TRS line outputs, 2 x ¼” TRS line inputs, ¼” dynamic mic input, stereo headphone output, 1 x MIDI In, 1 x MIDI out, and 1 x Footswitch

• Touch sensitive knobs for parameter tweaking

• Smart Strip for strumming notes, pitch bending sounds, performing with FX, and more

• Four-directional push encoder for browsing, navigating, and adjusting levels and balance

• Powered via USB 2.0 or with the included power supply unit

• Seamless integration with KOMPLETE
• Classic groovebox features including 16 velocity levels, swing, pad link, note repeat, step sequencer, and vintage MPC 60/SP-1200 sampling emulation

• Compatible with all major DAWs (including Ableton Live, Logic Pro, and FL Studio) as a VST or Audio Units plug-in, with full multi-core support


About KOMPLETE KONTROL Mk2
With the latest generation of KOMPLETE KONTROL hardware, music-making becomes a more intuitive, hands-on experience. Perform expressively, browse and preview sounds, tweak parameters, sketch your ideas, and navigate and mix your project – all from one fully integrated centerpiece for studio and stage.

Key features
• Smart keyboard controller for all your virtual instruments

• Pro-grade Fatar keybeds with aftertouch – 49 or 61 semi-weighted keys

• Ergonomic pitch and mod wheels, plus touch strip for expression control

• Pre-mapped control of KOMPLETE instruments and hundreds of Native Kontrol Standard (NKS) instruments from leading manufacturers

• Full VSTi support

• Tag-based preset browsing: Find sounds quickly and hear instant previews

• Two high-res color screens for browsing, tweaking, mixing, and more

• Light Guide: RGB lights above each key highlight drum cells, key switches, chords, scales, and more

• Smart Play: See scales and modes on the Light Guide, play chord progressions and arpeggios with single keys, or map any scale to white keys only

• Deep integration with MASCHINE software / hardware

• Intuitive control over Logic Pro X, Ableton Live, and GarageBand. Cubase and Nuendo integration coming soon after initial release

• 4-directional push encoder for one-handed sound browsing and project navigation

• Two assignable pedal inputs

• MIDI in / out

• USB 2.0 bus powered

• Includes KOMPLETE 11 SELECT
"

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