MATRIXSYNTH: Thursday, November 9, 2006

Moog Voyager Matrixsynth Edition?

Some readers in the comment of this post voiced interest in a Minimoog Voyager Matrixsynth edition which would have green instead of the current blue or solar illumination. I'm going to contact Moog and possibly Novamusik to see how to go about doing this. If you are seriously interested in picking one of these up, please post a comment in this post. If you commented in the previous post, please comment again here. This will give me a better idea of how many are seriously interested. Note that I cannot afford to front the bill, so that bit would need to be worked out. If there is enough interest, maybe Novamusik or even Analogue Industries would be willing to move forward with the idea? BTW, if they steal the idea and come out with another name, we will of course have to protest. : )

Update: Image via Bee Jay in the comments. WOW! I want it. Thanks Bee Jay!

Update: If you are not interested in one now, but might be at a future date, or if you just think it would be cool to see a green Voyager like this made, feel free to comment as well.

EML Electrocomp 101 Mods and Sample

This one in via cornutt:

"The modifications include adding a patch point to the sample-and-hold signal input (which comes from the factory hard-wired to VCO 4), and jacks to break out the individual lowpass, bandpass, and highpass signals from the multimode filter.

Also, in an earlier thread, someone asked me for a sample of the 101's sample and hold in action. Here is a link to a rather long sample (about 6 minutes).

This patch uses all four VCOs. The S&H is sampling VCO 1, in low range; as the piece proceeds I gradually advance the rates of both VCO 1 and the S&H's trigger oscillator. VCO 2 and 3 are generating the sound, and VCO 4 is being used as the carrier for the ring modulator. The output is fed into a Lexicon MPX 500, set to some rather extreme large-hall settings."

Thanks cornutt!

NED Synclavier

Click here for shots pulled via this auction.

Details (check out the original cost):
"Still the finest composing keyboard and DAW ever devised. Many composers and producers still use and swear by the Syncalvier. Even Pro Tools can't touch this for creativity and composing songs. This originally cost us $180,000.00. Yes, you read that right! We are closing our studio after 20 years. Our loss is your gain. This system has been maintained by CTG of Atlanta, GA. It is is beautiful condition, electroncially and cosmetically. This Synclavier is being sold by us, the original owners, and has been kept in our smoke-free, environmentally controlled studio since we purchased it new. It has been used on one hit album and many motion picture scores. There is no better composing instrument for doing hip-hop, scoring to picture, or composing full sampled or MIDI orchestrations. Nothing on today's market allows you to compose music as fast as a Synclavier. 196 digital tracks-fast access from banks of buttons on front of keyboard or from software. Digital editing and DSP processing of soundfiles onscreen. Runs on any Mac that accepts PCI cards. No need to upgrade because with the PowerPC card, this system runs lightning fast, even on an older G3. Maintained and upgraded; in beautiful condition Upgraded to new mahogany velocity/pressure keyboard! Upgraded to new Power PC card. Synclavier PSMT ?PowerMac PC card Release 5.0 software Medium Blue Tower Model C processor with 15" Apple flat panel monitor 8 MB RAM (plenty for a Synclavier--we never needed more, even for cutting full albums). 32 poly panning voices (PSV style) 32 FM synth voices Stereo sampling STM module Mono sampling (much sought after sound for hip-hop drums) 16 analog outputs Fabulous Frontier D/A converters 2 in 8 out MIDI SMPTE reader card"

via Marc.

Casio CK-10 AM/FM Radio With Keys

Title link takes you to a few shots pulled via this auction. Check out the antenna in the picture of the box.

"Here is one of the rarest Casio keyboards around, I have never found one on Ebay: A Casio CK-10 keyboard and AM-FM radio. Comes with original box, which is in OK condition, the keyboard however is in fine condition, no noticable marks or scratches or discoloration. Great conversation piece, it even comes with a built in stand so you can easily display it. The sounds are typical toy keyboard from the early eighties, but it does feature a nifty step sequencer, although that is not feature rich."

These things always trip me out. I never had one, nor knew anyone that did. One day...

Rhytmicspaceorgan and Koelse.org

flickr via anttia.

"Sound device made from two circuitbended drum machine toys, keyboard and a joystick. Made by Harri Vähänissi from koelse.org"

Via Koelse.org:
"Our basic idea is, that all electronic sounds are just amplification of alternating current, so any device that can be used to produce or modify the current can be used as an electronic instrument. We just take any device, open it, test it, bend it and experiment with it as long as we get it to work in a way we consider interesting.

We work mostly with electronic waste. We do that for two reasons:

1. The stuff we dig from the thrashbins sounds so much better than any pluginshit.
2. Todays digital technology -based lifestyle is not ecologically viable. The lifespan of all devices is getting shorter and shorter, and the amount of consumers wanting all new digital gizmos is rising exponentially. Think about it, how long can this continue?"

via Synthesizer-Magazin

Spectralis Gets More Features

Title link takes you to the video on Sonic State.

Update: I just got around to checking this video out. If you haven't yet, do it, it's a good demo - lot's of interesting bits. One thing that stood out for me is the implementation of the random sound generator. Instead of just randomly setting parameters that can end up with garbage it randomly selects parameters from the 200 onboard sounds. The result? You are most likely get get something useful out of it. Check out some of the random patches he gets out of it. Pretty cool.