Minirig: Retta

Minirig: Retta from CatManDeux on Vimeo.

"Alessandro Cortini’s masterful Retta from Forse 3, loosely adapted from the Music Easel to the 0-Coast. This song reminds me of an ascension to Heaven. Dedicated to my late dad on Father’s Day.

The usual caveats, this is not a note perfect performance but served as a inspiration to learn my instrument better. I get carried away with the dynamics but it’s in keeping with the spirit that pervades Cortini’s works.

Tech notes:

Retta translates to 'straight line'.

Think of the top line of SQ1 buttons as the 5 pitches from the Easel sequencer along with an octave transpose, and the bottom line as the 3 preset voltage pads on the Easel keyboard. I “play” it manually to allow for the musical chaos of imperfections."

Aphex Twin UNIQUE SUPER RARE RSF SD-140 VINTAGE Drum Machine ?

Playlist:
Polygon Window - clissold 101[dat28 otari] 48k
RSF SD140 french sampling drum machine - original demo by urgobenz !
03 DMX Krew - Sppoookey [BREAKIN RECORDS]

via this auction

This one was spotted and sent in via xonox who noticed the following: "No mention is made in the auction but there is AFX scratched on the surface of the machine. According to Ed DMX (DMX Krew), Aphex Twin used one on his early tracks. Interview here. It is not my auction, i have no insider knowledge on anything either. Is it possible it's indeed one of AFX's drum machines or is it some classic AFX prank ?"

The SD140 has only been featured on the site twice before this post.

The following is the full description from the listing saved for the archives:

"Up for sale a unique extremely rare vintage drum machine. impossible to find it in another place. Many years ago I found this diamond and made the service in a professional workshop. Please note - this is an old gear for the collection and synth enthusiasts, this drum machine is in working condition, but I will not accept any returns and no compensation after the sale - please accept it. These are the first innovative electronic music devices and therefore you can see in the pictures the old technology of plastic coatings and touch buttons have traces of use, but all functions and buttons are well work.- It runs on 220 volt AC.The sound of this beast is very unique, the sound structure and flow are capable of creating incredible emotions and creative potency. The sound is incredibly relevant, I give a detailed description below. The package will be sent internationally, I pack the electronics well — a double strong box and a lot of bubble — look at my seller feedback.

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Analogue Renaissance AR3109T Roland IR3109 Chip Replacement

via Syntaur

Product description: "Analogue Renaissance AR3109T voltage-controlled filter chip, for Roland synthesizers. The original Roland IR3109 chip appears in the top photo; these chips have been long out of production, and we now have brand new clone chips just released by Analogue Renaissance (lower photo). These clones sound identical to the originals."

Additional details on the release: "After YEARS of research, and the development of a fascinating design technique, Analogue Renaissance has now released their AR3109T clone of the unobtainable Roland IR3109 VCF chip. These clones are manufactured on a 6-layer PCB, in order to fit everything in the available real estate, and they are easily 'convertible' (via a solder-bridge jumper) from VCF use to other applications. They come with solder jumpers in place, and if you need to install one in a Jupiter 6, for instance, you simply swipe the jumpers with a soldering iron to remove those connections. Jeroen has sunk loads of time and money into this project, and it is a wonderful contribution to the synth community!"

SOUND BLAST FROM THE PAST: THE CASIO RAPMAN

Published on Jun 14, 2019 Audio Wanderer

"A cult music toy keyboard from the master of music toy keyboards, CASIO. The Rapman came out on 1991 in the era of MC Hammer hits and the Fresh Prince TV show. Was the right product in the right moment when every kid want to rock the mic and rap the beat! Check this cool cat NOW!" Vocals are from the Casio mic input and the fantastic voice effector.

via this auction

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Midibox MB6582 Maxed Out w/ Eight SID 8580's

via this auction

"Midibox MB6582 Maxed Out eight SID 8580's C64 MIDI Synthesizer Rare!. Condition is Used.It's maxed out with eight 8580R5 SIDs. Beautiful blue panel from Julian (which has some scuffs) and white LED's though not too bright. A nice illuminated fan on the back with the "overdrive" pots. Loaded with latest firmware. Has the clear custom plexi window to protect the LCD display. Includes original C64 power supply. The encoders do tend to "bounce" but from my understanding it's normal, and totally manageable if you don't twist too quickly. Like I said, there are some blemishes, priced accordingly." $700 at the time of this post.

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Yamaha FS1R Synthesizer

via this auction

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Best Ambient Synth Shootout #71: Korg M1R - Song 1

Published on Jun 15, 2019 Christian's Sonic Spaces

"This is the first song with the M1R. It's a 16 voice 8-part multitimbral synthesizer based on PCM waveforms.

I used for the recording the following FX chain:
M1R - Alesis Ampliton - Alesis Philtre - Pigtronix Echolution 2 Deluxe - GFI System Specular Reverb 2. Depending on the recorded track some FX are deactivated

The signal went through a Presonus StudioLive 16.0.2 into the PC via USB for recording. To create the complete song I created and recorded consecutively several stereo tracks. The final song was then mastered with a bit EQ and compression on some tracks and some limiting on the master track."

volca modular Patch of the Week 11: Drone

Published on Jun 15, 2019 Korg

"How to use function 1 on your volca modular to create an evolving drone using woggle. Check back each week for simple patches that you can follow along on your volca modular at home!"

volca modulars on eBay | volca modulars on Reverb | volca modulars on Amazon
volca modular Patch of the Week videos

Gamechanger Audio Motor Synth Sneak Preview

Published on Jun 15, 2019 Synthtopia

"At the 2019 Brooklyn Synth Expo, Gamechanger Audio’s Ilya Krumins explained the details of the Motor Synth and gave an in-depth demo of how it works.

The Motor Synth is a unique synth design that uses drone engines as oscillators. It's being funded via a crowdfunding project on Indiegogo (https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/mo...), which has already raised 5 times their project goal.

From Synthtopia's coverage of the Brooklyn Synth Expo:

http://www.synthtopia.com/content/tag..."

If you are interested in mechanical based electronic instruments be sure to check out the mechanical instruments label here. Both Gieskes & Bastl have been known to dabble in mechanical based designs. Check out Gieskes Reverse DC Motor (eurorack module), Motor Keys Tape from 2009, and Bastl's servo based modules.

Using MPE With The Sensel Morph & Buchla Thunder Overlay

Published on Jun 15, 2019 Synthtopia

"At the 2019 Brooklyn Synth Expo, Sensel's David Abravanel presented an overview and demo of using the Sensel Morph controller with the Buchla Thunder Overlay as an MPE controller.

The Thunder Overlay is a joint project of Sensel & Buchla USA, and is inspired by Don Buchla's classic Thunder controller.

From Synthtopia's coverage of the Brooklyn Synth Expo:

http://www.synthtopia.com/content/tag..."