More Steiner Parker Synthacon via Vgermuse

Another shot of the Synthacon sent my way via vgermuse. Click here for some samples. See these posts for more.

Waldorf Q-stick Mod

Title link takes you to the source page in German. For English here is a Google translated version.

Waldorf Microwave Editors for Mac

"With the great revival of the user-forum inside the waldorf universe, I am so free to take the chance to announce an update of my Microwave Editor programs for the Macintosh.

4.1a0 can be downloaded at: link

This new version is an Universal Binary, which means that it runs natively on one of these super-dupa fast Intel Macs. It was compiled using Apple's wonderful XCode Development Tools and requires at least MacOS X 10.4 (Tiger).

Though this still an alpha release, it is very stable since all these sexy big/little endian issues have been fixed. One thing to beware of, is the fact that the preferences are now stored in a plist file. This means that if you have already a registration code, it has to be re-entered. I am sorry for any inconvenience this may cause."

Title link takes you there.

Wiard Wogglebug

YouTube prototek

Trig Live @ Malmöfestivalen Malmö 060824

"Simon Brunndahl and Marco Manieri is trig. The setup consists of partly DIY analogue equipment (6 ch 16 step trig sequencer) and rare vintage electronics and modular synths (Roland System 100). Everything is improvised."

YouTube via discooocsid.

Synthi A Clone

Title link takes you to more shots. Kris sent the following into AH. I asked him if it would be ok for me to grab it for a post and he gave me the thumbs up. Thanks Kris!

"Thought I'd show some pics of my synthi A clone in dotcom format. It is not yet finished, but in the next months I won't have much time to work on it so I'll show you what I've got so far:

2 x VCO1
4 x VCO2
1 x Filter
1x dual ringmodulator
1x envelope shaper.

What I still need to finish:
2 envelope shapers
1 joystick module.

All the vco's switch between low and audio range so VCO2 can act also as VCO3 in the original synthi. I've also added a shape CV in and and sync in.

When everything is finished, I'll try to find a camera and I'll post a video on youtube.

Last but not least I would like to thank Yves Usson and Jürgen Haible for their help. I couldn't have done it without them!

regards, Kris"

Nice! Can't wait for the video. : )

Update: here's an MP3 from Kris.

"It's a basic patch: VCO1 and VCO2 are both in audiorange and go to the ringmodulator. From the ringmodulator it goes to the filter. Another VCO2 in low frequency range goes to the frequency input of VCO1. I manually change the shape and frequencies of the vco's and the filter."

Midibox Controllers

I realized I put up a ton of Midibox C64 posts, but none of the Midibox 64 and other controllers. Title link takes you there.

Rare Vintage Analog Synth

No title link, just shots taken from this craigslist post. Anyone know what it is? I swear I've seen it before and might even have put a post up on it. If I knew what it was, I'd search for it. : )

Details (and no I'm not the one selling it. Grab it while you can. ; )

"I'm selling an old analog keyboard, I think from the 60s or 70s. I'm pretty sure it was originally a diy kit synth. It has analog oscillators and filters with push buttons to let you change the sounds. The synth comes in a wooden case with cover, the electronics are a little shakey and work best with the cover off. The synth itself works completely, although it is shakey as mentioned and could use a little work. I've never seen anyone else selling this synth before, so I'm asking $100 or best offer."

via Brad
Update: It's a Hammond Monosynth.

Roland MC-202 with Modular Upgrade by Analog Solutions

Title link takes you to a few more shots via this auction.

Details (Note the comment on Fad Gadget):
"Totally amazing box. As if the 202 wasnt interesting and versatile enough already, this one had an early Analog Solutions mod added for all sorts of options. I've photographed the box close up so you can see. I bought this from Fad Gadget, he had the upgrade added. The condition is as to be expected, its been used, but cared for really well. the sound is unique and it comes with an original leaflet all about it, a sort of user guide, a full user guide (photocopied, though) and a power supply. pay me quickly with paypal and I'll ship it anywhere in the world as you are paying. From Synthmuseum: he MC202 is a sequencer and simple monophonic synth with 32 buttons arranged like a small keyboard (F-C). The monosynth is similar to the SH-101. The VCO is based around the ever-so-popular Curtis 3340 chip and features a slider switch for octave (2', 4', 8', 16'), a slider for pulse width, and one for modulation (LFO) amount. The VCO outputs a square/pulse wave, a sawtooth wave, and a sub-oscillator which are mixed together in the "Source Mixer" section. The sub-oscillator is switchable between a square wave 1 octave down, a square wave 2 octaves down, and a pulse wave 3 octaves down. There are knobs which control fine tune and portamento. The VCF section has a slider for cutoff frequency and resonance. There is a slider for each of its control sources: envelope, LFO, and keyboard. The VCA can be controlled by a simple gate or the Envelope. The envelope is an ADSR with a slider for each stage. The sequencer is quite powerful for its time. The MC-202 features a large (for the time) LCD display, upon which all the sequencing editing is displayed. The two available sequences can be played simultaneously using the CV/gate outputs to control another sequencer. The sequences can have a combined total of 2729 events. Sequences can be entered in real time via the pushbutton keyboard or via another keyboard using the CV/gate inputs. This feature has a negative side, though. Since all incoming CV/gate signals are routed through the microprocessor, there is a bit of a lag when the MC-202 is played by a another keyboard or a MIDI-to-CV device. The Sequences can also be programmed using step-time, setting a separate pitch and duration for each note. Also programmable in a sequence is accent and portamento. Accent works the same as in the TB-303, with an accent amount knob that can be adjusted in real time as the sequence is playing. The speed of the sequence is also controlled by a knob. The back panel has a sync input and two sync outputs, a tape interface for saving and loading sequences, CV/gate inputs and two CV/gate outputs (one for each sequence), a headphone jack, and a main output jack. The MC-202 came out at a time when the synthesizer market was just starting to impliment MIDI. After MIDI became an accepted standard, sequencers such as the MC-202, using the old-style CV/gate interface, quickly lost popularity and died away."

Future Retro FR-777

Title link takes you to shots pulled via this auction.

via Ax.

Nothing Studios Rack of Metasonix

Shot of the Nothing Studios (Nine Inch Nails and Trent Reznor) Metasonix rack via the Metasonix FAQ page.

via Michael of endmusik.

Korg OASYS PCI

The OASYS before the OASYS. Title link takes you to shots via this auction.

Now that's a nice looking box. Click the image for the full effect. I remember when these were being blown out at Guitar Center for $199.

Customize Sampled and Synthesized Keyboard Sounds

"Korg USA sound-design wizard Jack Hotop teaches you how to customize sampled and synthesized keyboard sounds"

Title link takes you to to the video.

Roland MC-202

Title link takes you to shots pulled via this auction.

This is what a synth typically looks like to me while I'm actually playing music. Sharper shots after the hop.

Stylophone Demonstrations via Loscha

This one via Loscha

"I was cleaning up yesterday, I found my Stylophone 7" demonstration record. Recorded it as 96k mp3s and slapped it up on a very very basic page. A friend has a stylophone for me, but, I haven't gotten it from him yet. When I do, I'll attempt to make a schematic - because I haven't seen one online.

Jaycar Electronics - an Australian electronics company has a Stylophone-like kit you can built - as does Dick Smith Electronics. None of them are as good as the Dr Bohm Hobbytron. The Dr Bohm isn't the same as a real stylophone, though. A real stylophone has a BJT based oscillator, where as the Dr Bohm (and the Jaycar and DSE kits) are all 555 based.

Rolf Harris was quite famous in Australia, and more so, I think, in the UK. He was from Bassendean - a pretty dreary suburb in Perth (where the sadly defunct Casio featuring band Turnstyle were from). He had a kids TV Show in the 70s. He recently painted the most up to date official portrait of Queen Elizabeth II.

An inside picture of one here.

My LP recording is here.

The "Vibrato" on a Stylophone actually lengthens one side of the rectangle wave, not both sides, so, it is Vibrato, but, it is also Pulse Width Modulation. My friend Robin Whittle found this out when he hooked his stylophone up to his oscilloscope.

--
www.loscha.com"

Image via Nick Law via Flickr, via Creative Commons.

Morgana

"Morgana is an authentic representation of a vintage digital sampler, designed to be musical rather than accurate. Morgana doesn't try to boast the most impressive spec sheet, or the most transparent sound. By returning to a simpler architecture, Morgana actually transcends the limitations of typical software samplers, creating an experience that sounds and feels like an actual instrument--one that is inspiring and with a sound all its own."

Looks like the Mirage to me. Title link takes you to the product page, but check out this post on SIGHUP for an excellent review. This reminds me, I need to add SIGHUP to my blogroll.

"It isn't a specific emulation, mind you, as they've decided to make it functionally less limited, while remaining functionally similar. And it sounds dirty, dirty, dirty. It hasn't hit a feature freeze yet, so stuff will inevitably change, but here's a quick run down of some of its greatness:"