NAMM: John Bowen Synth Design Solaris

images sent my way via Carbon111

http://johnbowen.com/

NAMM 2009 -Diabolical Devices TR-707

YouTube via bigcitymusic
"Who would have thought that twenty-some years later the Roland TR-707 would be back at the NAMM show? We're guessing nobody did until they saw the Diabolical Devices circuit mangled TR-707 at our booth. The Diabolical 707 has a pitch control for every sound, various distortion and bit-squashing bends and a patch bay. The 707's patch bay can interact with other things like the Diabolical Devices circuit bent SK-1 or any of your CV-able gear. The great thing is that the original 707 sounds are still intact and can be completely brought back to stock. You can use it as a MIDI module too! Stay tuned for more demos from Sherman, Dirty Boy Pedals, Signal Arts and more. "

waldolf microWAVE XT #02

YouTube via a7soundlab. follow-up to this post over one year ago. :)

NAMM: Arturia Minimoog V2

"TECHNOLOGY MEETS HISTORY...
A Minimoog is a Minimoog. What else can you add to it? That would not deform it, denature it, and take it to a place it does not belong to. In version 2, we made the choice to work in fits and starts, adding enough to inject fresh blood and excitement, while keeping the original DNA. In this version you will find an innovative preset explorer, an exciting new effect called the Vocal Filter, automation over four parameters and a few other additional improvements. The Minimoog is a classic; this is why we have brought you a version that keeps the core emotion intact while fostering the experience to a new level of simplicity and creativity.

Sound MAP: Explore hundreds of sounds using our revolutionary Sound MAP. Locate areas you like and pick a sound that will stimulate your creativity. Morph sounds on the MAP by clicking anywhere you like. Add filters to make your search easier, or get back to the traditional list of presets, by sound-designer or by type. Be creative, be funky, be a sound-traveller.





Vocal Filter: Did you ever think of making a Minimoog talk? Well we thought of it and came with a very exciting solution called the Vocal Filter. Sonic results can be spectacular, similar to those sounds from Kubrick movies.






Circuitry improvements: While we built around the core Minimoog structure, we also added a few options in the circuits. The Keyboard Follow can now be deactivated
on VCO2. In addition, we extended the modulation matrix and added a few sources
and destinations. The Pan and Vocal Filter can now be used as destinations. Two random signals based on a Sample&Hold are added as inputs. We also allowed for using the voice number (from the polyphonic range) as a discreet source, which proved very interesting
to control different parameters.

Automation: What if a Minimoog offered automation - not as a control option but as a sound-design tool? Pick up to four parameters and record realtime changes within the preset. This is an entirely new sound palette that will arise, just by the traditional Minimoog scenery."

http://www.arturia.com/evolution/ [You will also find BRASS V2]

control voltage into the minimoog old school

flickr by Yotsuba&!


full size

"the mini getting some electronic juices from a kenton pro-2000 midi/cv converter."

great shot

Underside of Kawai K5000W

flickr by msmiffy
(click for more)
"My K5000W synthesiser workstation with the bottom cover removed. I really was very impressed by the build quality of this instrument. Pity about the crappy plastic end pieces." inside a Kawai K5000W

L.L.Electronics Rozzbox

flickr set by making_sound
(click for more)

"The Rozzbox is a modern 5 voices polyphonic synthesizer."

Buchla 250e

Two flickr shots via Yotsuba&!
(click for more)

NAMM: Plan B Model Zero and Performance System

I was wondering when these would show up.

Pictured:
Model Zero
Perfomance System

both images via Califaudio where you will find more NAMM coverage.

NAMM: Signal Arts Tetra Maps

image via fdiskc

Midi Analog Performance Step Sequencer

You can find the pdf with details on the Signal Arts home page. Smaller scale JPG below. See the label at the bottom of this post for some prior posts featuring the Tetra Maps.

NAMM: fdiskc.com photo dump

go here. Click on NAMM Shows/Winter and go from there.

Metasonix Eurorack and KV-100 pictured

see bleepology for more.

triggering poly61 arpeggiator

YouTube via nathanielscott
"Here I use a small toy ten step sequncer to trigger aa Korg Poly 61's arpeggiator."

NAMM: Max For Live: Max/MSP in Ableton Live preview

YouTube via musicradartv
"Using the Max/MSP environment from within the Ableton Live means you can make your own Live instruments, effects and other devices."

NAMM: Buchla's mental modular synths

YouTube via musicradartv
"Buchla's modular synths have more dials, knobs, wires and attitude than a CERN control room. We presume. We've never been to CERN."

Roland PG-200

via this auction

Serge Modular Synth with 1st and 2nd Gen Panels

via this auction
"First Generation Panel
-Top Left (Left Half): Oscillator, Oscillator, Oscillator, Comparator
-Top Left (Right Half): Schmitt Trigger, Triple Wave-Shaper, Dual Mixer

Second/Early Third Generation Panel
-Top Right (Left Half): Stepped Function V.C. Generator/Smooth Function, Dual Universal Slope Generator, Variable Q VCF (1978 Era)
-Top Right (Right Half): Positive Slew, Negative Slew, Dual Processor (1973-75 Era; Unlabeled)

Unknown Generation Panel
-Bottom Left (Left Half): Mults, Filter, Filter, Ring, Gate, Gate
-Bottom Left (Right Half): Gate, Dual Mixer, Bi-Directional Router, Send

Unknown Custom Panel
-Bottom Right (Left Half): Unknown Custom
-Bottom Right (Right Half): Unknown Custom"

MFB 503 Drumcomputer

via this auction
"Here is what MFB has to say about this unit.

*3 analogue instruments (kick, snare, tom)
*2 sample-based instruments (cymbal, hi-hat)
*stepsequencer with up to 32 steps per pattern
*26 sound-edit functions (attack, decay, pitch etc.)
*programmable tom tuning (lo, mid, hi)
*90 pattern, 90 songs, 90 kits

Bring fresh sounds to your beats with the MFB-503! The third drum-computer in MFB's 50x series introduces a more powerful sound and a new operational concept. Due to their analogue origin, kick, snare and toms can be edited in various ways. The drumkit is completed by the two sampled instruments cymbals (crash, ride available) and hi-hats (two variations). In addition, the samples of each group can be continuously mixed to create further sound variations. sounds can be saved individually as well as complete drumkits. The instruments are triggered by an internal step-sequencer.

This tr-style sequencer uses the beloved led-per-step method to set the selected instruments. There are 90 memory locations for patterns that can be further combined into 90 songs. Instruments are edited by four master rotary-encoders with corresponding displays."

Sequential Circuits Prophet-10

via this auction. This is the Prophet-10 featured in this video.

Note how it sits in the case.

Crumar Spirit

via this auction

"OK, by now, everyone knows the Crumar Spirit was designed by some of the Moog folks, namely Dr Moog, Tom Rhea, and Jim Scott. What's never been explained is how or why. That's where I come in. This is how it might have happened...

Let's first set the stage.

The year is 1982. The monophonic Prodigy and Rogue were still in production. Moog's attempt at a less-knobby synth (the Source) had been released the year before. The powerful but problematic MemoryMoog had finally started to ship and everyone involved really needed a break because of all the problems. New development had temporarily ground to a halt as all hands came on board to salvage the MemoryMoog effort.

During this time, the Rhodes Chroma had also recently been released.

Three Moog folks - Dr Moog, Tom Rhea, and Jim Scott decided to take a short holiday overseas to unwind and reset. They chose Italy as their destination and set off on their trip.


Meanwhile...
In Italy, Crumar had the DS-2 and Performer synths out there. They had also teamed up with a New York based firm to create the GDS and Synergy but they were having as many problems with them as Moog and ARP did with their recent polysynths.

So, the three Moog employees are in Italy, touring around and checking out the local culture. A chance meeting with Mario Crucianelli kickstarts an idea for a new synth. Moog as a company is stretched too thin and is too worn out to take on any new R&D. Dr. Moog and friends discuss features that they'd like to see. Since this isn't going to be branded as a Moog, there is some more freedom to borrow ideas from other synths and to vary from the traditional Moog designs. They have had good luck with the CEM 3340 and 3360 ICs in the MemoryMoog and the Chroma was using the 3350 VCF to create some unusual routings and new sounds. Rather than worry about licensing a Moog filter for this product, the team decided to go off on a new track and try a pair of 3350's and provide separate control over each filter chip.

The idea for a monosynth that could sound traditional or radically modern was born and the Spirit is the result.

Well, that's how it might have happened...

Let's get back around to the auction now.
I have a Crumar Spirit, serial # 62, that's been cleaned and calibrated. In addition to the synth (110 volts) and power cord, I'm including the owner's manual and schematics. In addition, I sketched out the trimpot locations and names for the VCO board to make future calibrations easier. As an added bonus (I'm all about giving you guys bonuses), I'm including 2 CEM 3340 VCO ICs, 1 CEM 3350 filter IC, and 2 CEM 3360 VCA ICs. So you'll never have to worry about CEMs again."

Double-Pulse Waveform Generator

"Here is a waveshaper circuit that produces unique timbres not available with conventional (sawtooth, triangle, pulse) synthesizer waveshapers. The standard sawtooth and pulse waveforms have strong overtone series including both even and odd harmonics. On the other hand, the standard triangle and square waveforms have just odd harmonics, but at only moderate strength. Waveforms with strong, odd-only harmonics are not available with traditional waveshapers. These "missing" waveforms combine the "buzzyness" of pulse waveforms with the "hollowness" of triangle and square waveforms."

more info here