SCD Live

Video of Boele of Something Completely Different composing a track from scratch. Boele sent me the video and I asked him if I could put it up. As you know, I'm looking forward to Boele's SCD DVD (I have my pre-order in). He let me know the DVD will contain videos similar to this one. I can't wait.

Oberheim DS-2

No title link just the two shots and details pulled via this auction.

"The unit I have is the DS-2 , the DS-2a came out later and just added memory. This is for the DS-2 only. The unit is in great shape but has one switch broken on it, it still can be switched but the plastic toggle has broken off. other than that it looks great. You may nave never seen one for sale on ebay before. here is your chance to own some history with this rare unit. DS-2 & DS-2a The DS-2A Digital Sequencer stores melodici rhythmic sequences. which are played on the synthesizer keyboard, in its memory and plays them back automatically Sequences as long as 144 notes can be recorded and then played back at tempos up to 16 times faster or slower than load tempo. The moment you finish loading playback is instantaneous. The DS-2A provides for different combinations of number of different sequences which can be stored and length of each sequence. You can load: One sequence of up to 144 notes; or one sequence of up to 96 notes. and one sequence of up to 48 notes; or three sequences with up to 48 notes each. Each note in a sequence can have a duration of about l/20 of a second up to eight seconds. Keyboards with up to 61 notes can be accommodated. In addition, a digital display is supplied which tells you the sequence number and note number at all times. You can transpose with the DS-2A as well. Three separate transposition altetnatives. in addition to the original load key, are available, using potentiometers which you can set and forget. or change during play, over a four octave range. The DS-2A has a single step feature which increases its flexibility. In the single step mode one note in a sequence can be loaded or played back at a time. The unit is compatible with Oberheim, Arp, or Moog synthesizers. Dimensions are: 17" wide, 11" high, 11" deep. Weight is 6 Ibs."

via Dave.

Access Virus b

YouTube via jacobinorlando.

Title link takes you to shots pulled via this auction.

Access Virus Indigo

YouTube via jacobinorlando.

Title link takes you to shots pulled via this auction.

MOOG Memorymoog

Title link takes you to shots pulled via this auction.

Details (and no, it was not six Minimoogs in a box. The Memorymoog used Curtis chips. I hear it sounds amazing and massive):

"Basically (as much as the Memorymoog can be considered basic) this instrument is 6 Minimoogs in one box that will store 100 programmed patches. Its chief designers were Rich Walborn and Ray Caster of the Norlin-acquired, "Bob Moog"-less Moog Music. Each voice has 3 VCOs, with tuning controls for VCO2 and VCO3. Unlike the Minimoog, the Memorymoog used Curtis 3340 chips as opposed to the Moog oscillators. Each oscillator can be set on pulse, saw, or triangle (or any combination of the three). And, like the Minimoog, the VCO3 can be used as an LFO to modulate the pitch of VCO1 and VCO2. But unlike the Minimoog, VCO2 can be synced to VCO1. Also, unlike the Minimoog, you have a separate LFO that controlls all of the voices. The LFO is switchable between triangle, pulse, positive and negative sine wave, square wave, and sample-and-hold. Each voice also has its own 24dB/octave filter which has variable keyboard tracking, switchable between 1, 1/3, and 2/3. The Memorymoog can also be set on unison mode which makes it a mono synth using all 18 oscillators for one note! In this mode you can switch between lowest, highest and last note priority as well as single or multiple triggering."

Yamaha AN1x

Title link takes you to shots pulled via this auction.


I just realized Yamaha has been sorely lacking in the VA market the last couple of years compared to the two other biggies, Roland and Korg. I wonder if they have anything cooking... The AN1X was one of the better sounding VAs. The knobs stepped like a train off it's tracks, but it did sound good. It's the only VA that sounds like a CS50/CS60/CS80 to me.

Fizmo Rack

Title link takes you to shots pulled via this auction.

Be sure to read this if you ever go for a Fizmo. The auction mentions it comes with the "recommended Radio Shack 9v 1300ma power supply." If this is like the keyboard, the power supply will not take care of the problem. You will have to take care of the voltage regulator.

via Rick.

Casio MT-70 with Bar Code Reader

Casiotone MT-70. Not technically a synth, but check out the bar code reader and bar code music sheets. Title link takes you to more shot pulled via this auction.

via loscha

Update via Loscha:
"Here is an article from "Your SPectrum" magazine which has info about interfacing a VL-5 to a ZX Spectrum computer via the barcode port. Like MIDI, well, only just sort of."

Update via .alex in the comments:
"It's sorta like my yamaha portasound pc-100 playcard system... but it reads cards with a magnetic stripe!!! i took some shots for you matrix. [link]"

Jeffrey Koepper

Title link takes you to Jeffrey Koepper's site. Be sure to check out the gallery.

DX7IIFD Controller?

Anyone know what this is? Title link takes you to the source image.

via woggler in the comments of this post.

Update via woggler in the comments. More info via this electro-music.com thread (I pulled the info below in case the thread expires like other forums).

Via Rylos, the creator of this device:
"Since the TouchRam controller outputs midi, which is software-driven, it could be made to operate about any midi-controlled device. The native inherent resolution is about 20 times higher than the DX7 can use, so it had to be scaled back in the software to match the synth. It uses a patent-pending electrical noise rejection design, which enables it to respond with no perceptible delay, and gives it a snappy, responsive "look & feel".

The limiting factor in using it with the DX7 series synth is that the DX7II will suffer buffer overload if you try to cram midi data into it at anywhere near the maximum data rate, so the software had to be crippled enough to slow down the data rate. Tried it first with an original DX7, but that unit would stutter & fart whenever you changed parameter data while playing a note. The DX7II lets you change parameter values while playing. Multiple control strips can be operated at the same time. It operates by touch, not pressure, so it won't wear out.

When you call up a patch from memory, the display bargraphs immediately show the values of the parameter settings. To tweak any parameter you simply touch on the display where you want the value to be. Couldn't be any simpler. Makes it easy & fun to learn & use FM. After you use it a while it gets pretty intuitive to operate, so you get used to playing the sound parameters as well as playing notes. Instead of a multi-step procedure to tweak sounds, you can do it without having to think about how to do it. Much more efficient way to play than having to mentally task-switch to menu dive!

Here are some samples of the real-time sound morphing a lowly DX7 can do. This is just a bit of noodling around (not any real songs) using only the touch control panel. Anyone who has played a DX7 will appreciate the difference from the usual lack of real-time sound dynamics.

http://www.rentaltechnologies.com/audio/noodle-1.mp3
http://www.rentaltechnologies.com/audio/metabass_mutate-1.mp3
http://www.rentaltechnologies.com/audio/epiano1_morph-1.mp3

It's home-made, and the technology is available for licensing. So as soon as some synth producers can be persuaded to build it into their products synths will suddenly become much more expressive. And cooler-looking!"

One more image:

I mirrored the mp3s here.

C.U.E. Studio

Title link takes you there.

via Jupiter8

Studio Synthavoice

"Beside a gifted pianist, Guido is also an audio engineer, a software designer and a computer specialist. He started a studio for electronic music in the late seventies. With a room full of analogue synthesizer, with among others ARP 2500 studio Cabinet - Roland 700 system. During years he made with this system all kinds of music for the Japanese Recording industry. He also took part in the realization of many Belgian hits among others “DISCO TRAIN”. All sound samples are made with this system"

Title link takes you there. What's cool about the page is every image is a link to an mp3. Be sure to check out the rest of the site while there.

via Jupiter8.

Real Music Media - Fizmo and Wavestation Samples

"Synthetic Vortices represent the cutting edge of modern sound design. The work of Sound Designer/Musician Brent Reiland, employing a selection of classic synths, recorded through a pristinely quiet signal chain, including the finest of modern preamps, these loops are ideal for musicians and sound designers in search of fresh sounds to work with."

Kit List
Ensoniq Fizmo
Korg Wavestation
Great River Electronics MP-2NV Preamp
Pro Tools HD 1 System

Title link takes you there. On the right you will find a demo download currently featuring the Ensoniq Fizmo and KORG Wavestation.

via SIGHUP

Nord Lead 2 Demo playing

YouTube via nige87.

Kraftwerk: Autobahn

YouTube via cecibeans. Sent my way via Gregory.

Previous Kraftwerk posts

Updates to Olivier Grall's Synth Site

Rhodes pianos
EMS Polysynth
RMI KEYBOARD COMPUTER
Polyfusion modular
Roland 700 modular
Olivier's collection through years
and a new fun page

via Yves Usson

Update: Just in case the girl didn't do it for you, I updated the post with a picture of the polyfusion. The girl is below in case you wonder where she went. Also check out the patch punch cards for the RMI Keyboard Computer.

BoomChik on Dave Smith Instruments and Roger Linn Design

The following is up on the Dave Smith Instruments site:

"Yes, it's been a long time since I've updated the site. The Evolver synths continue to grow in popularity and get great reviews. Also, we announced a new gem in the works at the NAMM show last month, a new drum machine tentatively called BoomChik. I am designing this with Roger Linn, the undisputed king of drum machines, who not only invented them back in the late 70s/80s (LM-1, Linndrum, Linn 9000), but also designed the MPCs that just about everyone uses now.

We're about a year away from production, so it's currently in the vaporware, uh, I mean, computer simulation stage. Below is the current vision, though it will likely go through a number of changes over the year. We will update the website every few months with the latest status, so in the meanwhile please don't ask about features or specifics on the design - it's all subject to change anyway! As far as price, best guess is $1000 - $1500 range. We're shooting for the lower, but we all know how that can go.

Basically, it is meant to be a drum machine, not an MPC. It will have both real analog percussion and normal sample playback, plus a bunch of novel processing. The idea is to produce sounds with some real, unique personality, different from everything else out there. Those of you with Evolvers can likely imagine what sounds will be possible, but it should go beyond that also."

The following is on the Roger Linn Design site:

"Dave and I annouced this work-in-progress at his booth at the January NAMM show. In our weekly meetings of the Dead Presidents Society), we've been discussing for a while the idea of doing a product together and figured a drum machine with both analog & sampled sounds would be fun. This picture is only a 3D rendering I made up, but it shows the direction we're going in our development. This design will no doubt change and we're still probably a year off until release, but we decided to put this up on our sites to get feedback and start spreading the word. Click on it to see a high-res picture and learn more about the details.

The basic idea at this point is that it will have 4 analog voices similar to Dave's Evolver, using either the analog oscillators or samples as sound sources, plus a number of digital voices that model the analog ones. If you have any realistic suggestions for this product, we'd welcome them at support[at]rogerlinndesign.com. (Replace [at] with @.)"