OZNI Music Synthesizer Systems

I was checking out Technorati to see if anyone was linking back to this site. I found a blog called BloggieWoogie. Cool name, BTW. : ) I was checking it out and ran into the following picture. Title link takes you to the post. Anyone know what this is?



Update: I checked the AH archives and didn't find much other than the following (sounds like the ad above - also felt compelled to share the the comment regarding the dual VCOs. Yep... : )

"To add to the list of modular synths, I also have literature on the
OZNI modular synth from Process Electronics of Centerville, PA.
It touts "Distinctive Quality at a Sensible Price".
The front sheet shows a fairly large system, about 20 modules,
being displayed by a model with fairly nice dual VCOs of her own.
Also about 15 modules available, ranging in price from $75 to
$275, dated 1976. Actually, pretty nice looking stuff (the modules too!),
especially considering the prices."

Update via CAndres in the comments:
"I am to blame for the sexist marketing literature. I was only 22 at the time; seemed like a way to get our product known. The modules were actually of excellent quality, but we completely underestimated what it would cost to produce them in quantity. We actually built 3 synthesizers like this -- I still have one that still works 30+ years later -we built these in 1975 except I hacked in a digital keyboard about 1984."

"Oscillator range .05 - 50Khz;
envelope generator up to 5 minute envelopes, VCOs with sine, square, pulse, sawtooth, VCFs were hi low band pass. We thought we were so cool with 741 op amps; the power supply was completely overdesigned. But the case was not really roady ready -- thin vinyl over foam. We probably should have sold these for $10K to cover what it really cost to build, but at that price, you could get a Moog."

VCS 2 Segmentwave Synth

Update: Via Moogulator this came from AUDIO-LIGHT-STUDIOTECHNIK.

Update: Link to site via Moogulator: http://www.synthesizerarchiv.de/html/segment.html. Another shot from the site as well:



Update: Intersting. Looks like it was more than a Sage; not meant to be a fake but an actual idea according to Moogulator: http://maschinensound.de/blog/?p=197

"It has never went into production, it's an idea by some guys in germany.. there is a site in german&english discribing the synth.. it will not show up.. so no "sage" but some sort of "mephisto" ;)"

Another via Steveo on Sonic State's the-gas-station. Title link takes you to the post. Yeah, I don't think it's real either. Click image for a bigger shot. Another Sage perhaps?

Site Updates - Let me know...

I'm finding that I'm posting anywhere from five to about ten posts a day on average, sometimes more, but rarely less. I want to keep it between five and ten as more than that starts to seem like too much, but if there's content to put up, I'm gonna put it up. The bar just kind of changes depending on how much is out there. Also, I try to keep posts short and to the point to make them easy to parse, but some simply warrant more verbiage. Let me know if you think I'm putting up too much.

Also, I originally had the home page set to show 15 posts. On busy days this can be annoying if posts you haven't seen yet get rolled into the archives. To remedy this I just set the homepage to show three days worth of pages, so hopefully this will be better.

What I'm interested in hearing is if three days is too much or too little. Would four days be better considering the weekends? How does the site download on your end after upping the setting to three days (is it any slower)? I haven't noticed a difference so my plan is to keep it.

Let me know...

The Tiracon

Update: According to Lutz in the comment section, "This is a prototyp made in 1989 from AAC (Automatisierungs- und Anlagenbau Cottbus). It is a keyboard with presetsounds, some effects and a rhytm-machine inside. Its not a Synth !!!"

Update: Via Moogulator of seqencer.de. The Tiracon was not a by Vermona but actually a prototype that never went into production by an east german company. He didn't state the name. If I get it I'll include it. Would be an interesting bit of synth history to know.

Via Steveo on Sonic State's the-gas-station. Title link takes you to the post. Nothing on the Vermona site yet. Click image for a slightly bigger shot.

Update: Another synth, the Tiracon 6 is on the Vermona site.

Mini Wakeman Set

Music Thing is on a roll. Where did these all come from?! It's a mini doll synth invasion. I definitely need to get some of these for my daughter. Check out this mini Wakeman set-up. Amazing. Title link takes you to the source site with more shots.

Barbie and a Modular

Looks like Tom of Music Thing is on a doll roll. Title link takes you his Barbie post (I never knew he was into Barbies ; ). Also check out the GI Joe on a theremin while there. Too damn funny! : ) Tom, set up a Flickr set already!

Han Zimmer's Polyfusion Modular

First Brian Eno's gear on Vemia, now Han Zimmer's Polyfusion Modular is up on the *bay. Well a little different in that this was formerly owned by Hans Zimmer, but... Who cares?! It's a Polyfusion Modular! Title link takes you to two large shots saved for posterity.



Details from the auction:
Amazing analog system, formerly owned by Hans Zimmer . This is the main part of the monster synth that I received from Media Ventures Studios, the 2 wings having been sold recently . This particular system had been quoted in many books: Mark Vail / Vintage synths., Keyboard marg april 99, Martin Newcomb / Museum of synth. technology, and the A-Z of analog synths.

The sound is very close to the Moog modulars, Polyfusion having been founded by 2 ex-Moog employees. The modulation possibilities are endless.

MODULES LIST : includes a large number of standard modules produced by Polyfusion, and some very rare factory custom ones. All modules are fitted in a trail, and are easily moved and removed.

>3 VCO. 1 factory custom with waveform select ,from a single output

>1 VCF. Freq AND resonnance are volt. controlled.

>1 HPF with resonnance. Freq AND resonnance are volt. controlled.

>4 VCA ( 2 dual)

>4 DADSR (2 dual) : 1 standard dual, 1 dual factory custom :the upper with 2 gate selector , the lower with 2 outputs selector and attenuator.

>5 mixers .each with 4 ins and + - outputs.

>1 LFO. 5 waveforms, control over PW and freq.

>1 rare quadrature oscillator. 4 outs, for surround panning or other complex modulations.

>1 octave divider. for waveforms or impulses.

>1 dual Sample and Hold.

>1 dual ring modulation.

>1 (spring) reverb.

>1 enveloppe folower.

>1 phase shifter.

>1 voltage quantizer

>3 multiples .

>1 5 bands Parametric EQ. 5 X frequency / Q /Level.+cut / boost.

>1 bipolar attenuators. X 3.

>1 variableDC source. X 3.

>1 keyboard output controller, with pressure, dynamics, X/Y controls >corresponding to the polyfusion keyboards wide possibilities,or to be connected to a Kenton

>2 power supplies.

This system is located in Paris. Sold as is due to his age. Buyer is responsible for shipping and insurance fees. NO "0" feedbacks ebayers please. Good luck bidding !

Lemur and a Continuum - Video

Title link takes you to a great video of a Lemur and a Continuum fingerboard. Note how you can set an end point on the lemur and have it gradually move to it while you move on. Look for the scene towards the begining below; that little white dot in the purple circle will slowly move back when he lets go, modulating the sound on the way back. Pretty sweet. Via Edmund Eagan on AH.

Lemur Workshop

You've probably heard of the Lemur by now. If you haven't it's a tablet type device that you can use as a midi controller. It's pretty impressive to say the least. Check out http://www.jazzmutant.com/lemur_overview.php for more. The site's been updated since I was last there and they now have a few workshops including one on using the Lemur to control complex granular synthesis and one as a fantastic midi sequencer. Title link takes you there.

The Amen Break - The Winstons & 6 Seconds from 1969

Interesting documentory of the Amen Break, sampling, and a hit on Zero G. If you don't know what the Amen Break is off the top of your head, check it out, you will recognize it. Remember the history of the TB-303 documentary? This is from the same guy, Nate Harrison; you'll recognize the monotone voice. This is a really good documentary. Better than the 303 one in my opinion. Do take the time to check it out. Via humanoidalert on this Sonic State the-gas-station post. The Winstons and the Amen Break are also on Wikipedia.



The Winstons

Synth Orgy Video

Another via Michael Weeks. A Metasonix TM-1, Moog CP251, MF104 and Roland SH101s going nuts. Hmm... I wonder what they are saying to each other... Right click title link and save - it always seems to go faster that way on my end. Also saves bandwidth if you want to see it again later. Enjoy.

More Metasonix Shots

Two shots sent my way via schism of Analogue Haven. Title link takes you to bigger shots. Thanks Schism!

Metasonix Wretch


Metasonix TM6 Multimode Filter

A Moog Modular for every studio

Well, sort of. : ) Now this is kind of cool. See the modular in the picture below? Click on this PDF. Get it? I think I'm going to print out a ton of these and build my own paper modular over time. : ) Via Music Thing, via Till Kopper. Title link takes you to there. There's also a Klaus Schulz version. Very nice. Next time someone comes to my studio, I'll be like, "Dude, check out my modular. Bitchen, huh?"