MATRIXSYNTH: Tuesday, May 22, 2007

WHAT THE FUTURE SOUNDED LIKE

YouTube via VCS3DOCO.
"Film teaser for the documentary What The Future Sounded Like - the story of the Electronic Music Studios and their impact on music history." More info and shots
Upate: link to the official site.

The Qasar II

This is actually part two of the article posted below on the EMS VCS1. I'm putting up a separate post so there is not confusion with EMS.

"The Qasar II & M8 - towards the Fairlight CMI
Around 1965, Tony Furse became interested in the digital synthesis of sound. His early experiments in this field were small flip-flop circuits. These experiments soon advanced and by the early 1970s Tony had completed a prototype digital/analog hybrid synthesiser - the Qasar. Unfortunately the completion of this prototype coincided with the release of the minimoog synthesiser, a cheaper analog synthesiser. Because the Qasar relied upon expensive microprocessor technology, any ideas for a production model of the Qasar were effectively squashed."

The EMS VCS1

"In 1983 the Powerhouse museum purchased the music and recording instruments that comprised the Australian composer Don Banks' electronic music studio. The contents of this studio include the EMS VCS 1 (Electronic Music Studios Voltage Controlled Synthesiser attempt #1), a prototype for the VCS 3 - the first portable synthesiser."

Title link takes you to the full article.

New Electrix Products Coming 2008

Top down:
Filter Factory 2.o
Repeater 2.0
MoFX 2.0

Warp Factory 2.0
Title link takes you to more info. You can get OS 2.0 for your existing repeater as

well. You can see the previous Repeater in use here.
via brian comnes

Happy Knobbing Modular Meeting

Title link takes you to more info on Sequencer.de.

FSOL - Equinox Interview

YouTube via splatterheezy. Via CDM.

Monodeck II

YouTube via roberthenke. Via awakened yeti.

"a video byAndrius Rugys /pb8 showing Robert Henke jamin`with the Monodeck II."

TR-606 Modifications

Title link takes you to the list of mods on Analog Solutions.

Update: BTW, if you have an opinion on the mods vs. leaving the 606 as is feel free to comment. I'm a bit of a purist myself however if a mod can leave the original in tact and add on top of it, I'd probably be for it. If you add MIDI, why not add other things.

Roland TR-808 Videos by Soundwave

Just the 808

TR-808

YouTubes via SoundwaveXX. via Sonic State.

3d Synthesizer

flickr by neiLnormaN.

Anyone know what that is? If it's a custom case, that's a pretty impressive job. Title link takes you to the bigger shot where you can see some of the buttons and the display.

Digital Sampling for The Masses on RetroThing

Title link takes you to the post on one of my favorite blogs, Retro Thing.

Serge Modular

Serge Modular
Side view, showing the radius of the module placement.

Title link takes you to more.

via Edmund Egan's sig in the previous post. This is why it's worth checking out sigs.

Haken Audio Continuum Site updates

Via Edmund Eagan on AH:
"Hey gang, just thought I'd mention that the Haken Audio site has been updated with some new interesting analog info:
More detailed info on how the Continuum Voltage Converter works can be found at: link
Complimentary comments from Lippold Haken about analog and the analog mindset: link
And two new cool demos performed by list member Mark Smart: link
As well, there is a new page which compares controlling a Moog Voyager via Midi and via the CVC: link [previously posted here]
Thanks for the bandwidth!
Edmund Eagan
www.twelfthroot.com"

New Knobs for Your Synth

"Good vibrations, Bad vibrations it’s all about vibrations!! RAM would like to introduce a new signature level knob developed for the mighty Silver Rock potentiometer. The standard bakelite knob is certainly the best sounding compromise... but now Audio Consulting has taken this aspect of the Silver Rock much further. The new knobs are custom made with beech wood and bronze where the bronze is used as the insert to mount to the stem of the volume pot. The beech wood is coated several times with C37 lacquer for best sound as pointed out by Dieter Ennemoser. How can this make a difference??? Well, hearing is believing as we always say. The sound becomes much more open and free flowing with a nice improvement in resolution. Dynamics are better and overall naturalness is improved. Here is a test for all you Silver Rock owners. Try removing the bakelite knobs and listen. You will be shocked by this! The signature knobs will have an even greater effect…really amazing! The point here is the micro vibrations created by the volume pots and knobs find their way into the delicate signal path and cause degradation (Bad vibrations equal bad sound). With the signature knobs micro vibrations from the C37 concept of wood, bronze and the lacquer itself compensate for the volume pots and provide (Good Vibrations) our ear/brain combination like to hear…way better sound!!"

$485 knobs
In the same vein:
$159 cable elevators
$1180 Power cord

Do I really have to warn you on this one? What do you all think?

TEST VID

YouTube via weatherkop.

Sequential Circuits Pro-One

Title link takes you to shots via this auction.

Synthesizer von gestern vol.1

via this auction.

Details:
"Synthesizer von gestern vol.1
Matthias Becker, 1990. 122 pages, A4, high quality full colour pictures by Dieter Stork.

Matthias Becker started in September 1987, writing an articleserie in the german magazine KEYBOARDS. Later on this was put together into a book "Synthesizer von gestern". With photos from Dieter Stork have Matthias Becker set a very high standard presenting historical synthesizers in word and picture. The wonderful photos (at least 100 in each volume ) make up the fact that it's in German. Everyone interested in classical synthesizer will find very interesting details, including information which maybe the manufacturer didn't think of."

EMS Putney VCS3 pictured.