MATRIXSYNTH: Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Tuesday, September 07, 2010

The Bit-52's The World's Greatest Parts Band playing The B-52's - Rock Lobster

YouTube via bd594 | September 07, 2010

From the man who brought us Bohemian Rhapsody and Funkytown.
"What do you get when you combine retro computer parts and an up and coming robot band?

The Bit-52's

This is dedicated to all fans of The B-52's who are also known as the "Worlds Greatest Party Band". It just so happens they currently on tour so go out and buy some tickets. This idea has been simmering in my mind for the last couple of years and after many months of procrastinating it is finally complete. I was also motivated to finish my robot band after seeing a YouTube Video from "The Trons" from New Zealand.

The Bit-52's consist of:

Fred's Vocals - TI99/4a computer, speech synthesizer and terminal emulator ii module
Kate and Cindy's Vocals - Two HP Scanjet 3C scanners, UBunto and sjetplay written by GanjaTron
The Guitar, Keyboard, Cow Bell, Cymbal and Tambourine are all controlled by various types of push/pull solenoinds for a total of 23. The Solenoids are powered by four ULN2803 darlington drivers and everything is controlled by two PIC16F84A microcontrollers."

Tegan & Sara @ Moog Sound Lab

flickr By Moog Music Inc

"Tegan & Sara in the Moog Sound Lab"

So cool. I would have loved to hear that. Hopefully they captured some video.

http://teganandsara.com/

EDP Wasp

via this auction

ROLAND SYNTHESIZER SH-2

via this auction

yellow/gold knobs

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VINTAGE SYNERGY DK SYNTHESIZER w/ KAYPRO 4 COMPUTER

via this auction

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Eurorack format Cynthia Saw Animator

via this auction

Korgator Studio Pics up a Synth for Free

Follow-up to this video post. In case you missed it, Jens, aka korgator won the Gotharman from SchneidersBuero for ordering what turned out to be their 10000th delivery. What did he order? Some cables.

via Stromkult here

"Thanks a lot to all of you btw for nearly 11 years as Schneidersbuero in between. I had a very nice time mostly with nice clients, manufacturers and friends, with all your analogue synthesizers and modular systems, we all hope, you did enjoy it, too"

PART 1 saw wave comparison roland gaia sh01 blofeld nanozwerg

YouTube via cresshead | September 07, 2010

"side by side comparison on basic waves from 3 synths"

PART 2 square wave comparison roland gaia sh01 blofeld nanozwerg

"another side by side comparison on basic waves from 3 synths...the nanozwerg, gaia sh01 and the blofeld.. this time we're looking at the square wave option and see how they compare."

PART 3 triangle wave comparison roland gaia sh01 blofeld nanozwerg

Roland TR-505 - jas_justareview010

Roland TR-505 - jas_justareview010 from Kaare Bøje on Vimeo.

"Recently bought this little machine for an outdoor project (it runs on batteries).
It's plastic and very limited, but I like it and especially if you add some wah, distortion and delay. This video was made only to give you a glimpse of the Roland TR-505 in action and to give you some sort of impression on how it sounds. This is the pure sound of a Roland TR-505 (nothing added).

Live sequencing - Roland TR-505
Recorded using Lexicon Alpha
Camera1 - Canon IXY
Camera2 - Nokia E71

Bonus:
The distorted/delay drums are made live with the TR-505:

robot gymnastics (puha edit) by unklekarma

Visit us at:
justastudio.net

(where is number 9?)

Please use some sort of search engine for further information on this product :)"

Industrial Acid Tune - FL8 Studio -

YouTube via SlaughterClub | September 07, 2010

"FL8 Studio - Industrial Acid Tune"

Innerclock Systems Sync-Split 2

via Innerclock Systems

"Sync to the Power of More

* Midi Clock Input to 5 x Midi Clock Outputs.
* Din Sync Input to 5 x Din Sync Outputs.
* Internal Switchable Midi Clock to Din Sync Conversion.
* Internal Switchable Din Sync to Midi Clock Conversion.

Shipping Q4 2010"

Innerclock Systems Sync-Lock GT

via Innerclock Systems

"The Ultimate Combination-Lock to your DAWters External Happiness

* Proven original Sync-Lock DAW external Tempo-Sync precision conversion engine.
* Phase Synchronous Midi Clock Outputs x 4.
* Phase Synchronous Din Sync Outputs x 4.
* TRS Analogue Arp Trigger Output with Reset.
* Brand new ICS Sync-Gen V2 Software included.

Our Sync-Gen V2 is a custom-designed and meticulously over-engineered audio sample and tempo-grid accurate external Sync and Transport Sequencer Software Plugin with rock solid support for all DAW Host Applications across all major Platforms.

AU/VST/RTAS/TDM

The Sync-Lock GT/Sync-Gen V2 Combination works with any existing multichannel soundcard and requires absolutely no modification to your existing hardware. It is a genuine Plug-and-Play system that lets you get 'out of the box' and allows you to concentrate on making, recording and enjoying music with external hardware again. Give your beautiful toys the external sync they really deserve.

Zero Sync Latency: The Sync-Lock generates phase-synchronous Din-Sync, Midi Clock and Analogue Pulse Triggers within 20 microseconds which in real terms means your external hardware and your DAW recorded audio line up perfectly in real-time every time. Your DAW audio and your external hardware playing together sounds like one machine not a jumbled mess.

Zero Sync Jitter: Unlike software generated Midi Clock which is notoriously prone to slop and jitter the Sync-Gen V2 software feeds sample accurate and tempo-grid locked pulses from your DAW to the Sync-Lock which in turn generates ultra-precise and phase-synchronous Midi Clock, Din Sync and Voltage Triggers to feed all your external hardware. They now sound they way they were designed to and tracking audio back into the DAW with zero sync jitter means the recorded audio lines up perfectly with your grid. No editing or re-quantizing of audio required!

Two Cables. One Box. Total Sync.

Shipping Q4 2010" Word is December ship.

Computer controlled bayan playing organ music

YouTube via lexademin | April 04, 2010
Audio on left channel only. via engadget, via Henrik
"Computer playing bayan with two blocks of solenoid and one Professor :). All(except bayan) made by hands in 1988."
Software driven solenoid hardware accordion sequencer.

Just for fun: JP8000 emulating a Casiotone

YouTube via DX5 | September 07, 2010

"*** New covers coming soon... Stay tuned ***

This is a kind of entertaiment I did while working in a project that will be released at the end of the year (news coming soon).

A Roland JP8000 sounding like a "piano" casiotone sound :) By the way, the song is the infamous VL TONE rom sound, responsible of my interest on synthesizers."

Filth/Dubstep Siren/Synth

YouTube via iowanchef | August 21, 2010

"Inspired by the classic Crackle Box (or "Kraakdoo") and Dub Siren circuits, these synths are based on a 4093 Quad NAND chip with metal foil tape creating the "keys." An interpretation of the example given in the book Handmade Electronic Music, I find the sounds created in this fashion match up quite well with some of the rougher, uglier dubstep varietals; filth, gore, etc."
more vids here

Missing Link Wireless MIDI Device - Wireless MIDI for the iPad and iPhone

YouTube via minhternet | September 05, 2010

No wires. No PC. This is huge when you think about it. This will allow you to control your synths wirelessly and directly via your mobile device.

"This is the Missing Link.

It is a wireless device that receives OSC and outputs MIDI.

When I open my settings in my phone it shows up as a network that I can connect to.

When I go to my OSC app, and press a button, an OSC message will be sent wirelessly from my phone.

This message will get received by the Missing Link, which converts it to MIDI and sends it to the instrument.

I can now use my phone to play a keyboard or control my mixer or MIDI LED lights."

via ARMATRONIX:
"This is just a prototype, we have custom circuitry in the works. Right now, we have OSC > MIDI working, and we'll be adding the reverse MIDI > OSC functionality soon, as well as a USB MIDI connection in case you do want to use it with a computer."

iPads on Ebay
iPod Touch on Ebay

Nyle Steiner - Interview 2010 / Bach Toccata

YouTube via northblip | May 30, 2010

"Nyle Steiner is the inventor of the Electronic Valve Instrument (EVI) and the Electronic Wind Instrument (EWI). As well as being an amazing musician, he is one of the kindest most humble people I've ever met. This is a clip from the Park City TV "Mountain Morning Show" with host, Jen Hardman. This was done live at 7am, May 12th, 2010.
For more information on Nyle, please visit his home page.
http://www.patchmanmusic.com/NyleStei...
http://parkcity.tv/"

via spunkytoofers in the comments of this post.

"notice the custom sequencer/chord voicers built directly into the controller. this is a one-of-a-kind slickness for wind controller players. i had read articles about nyle talking about these kind of problems with chord voicing, etc in the past and to see him still at it and ironing it all out is inspirational.."

Nyle Steiner / Richard Souther - Shenandoah

northblip | May 20, 2010

"This is a total improv for Nyle and me from PCTV "Mountain Morning Show" with host, Jen Hardman. We did this live at 7am, May 12th, 2010. Please excuse some of the sound distortion and the sudden cutoff at the end."

Nyle Steiner / Richard Souther - Greensleeves

Nyle Steiner / Richard Souther - Waltzing Matilda

Waldorf Zarenbourg Coming September 13?

via this auction

Serge and Flower Electronics Lady Boy Blue

via mono-poly's modular blog

Be sure to see the site for more.

LBB + SSG + VCFQ + LFO + DUSG + VCA by mono-poly

SERGELBB by mono-poly

Spunkytoofers circuit bent yamaha pss790 vector synth

via this auction

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Korg VC10 Vocoder

via this auction

Kurzweil K2600 [KDFX]

YouTube via allanyamaha | September 07, 2010

"Kurzweil K2600

® September 7th, 2010"

This Second Sleep - Quadrant Field

YouTube via arthurpainter | September 07, 2010

"http://thissecondsleep.blogspot.com/
Here's an improv utilizing my Sequential Circuits Pro One, a Chimera bC16 patchable synth, and a Critter and Guitari Pocket Piano. No external effects were added."

Macbeth M5 synthesizer

YouTube via jenamu6 | September 07, 2010

"MacBeth M5 modular synthesizer demonstration.
Just a simple arp and a nice beat. The beat is run through the lowpass filter of the M5.

No track, just a demo.

Hope you like, rate and subscribe."

touchAble : how to - clip menu guide

YouTube via touchAbleapp | September 07, 2010

"touchAble offers advanced clip functionalities access, learn how to use them.

touchAble - dedicated multitouch controller for iPad and Ableton Live, available on itunes app store

http://www.touch-able.com"

iPads on Ebay

Cosmic Blooper FM synth sequencer

YouTube via Borismill | August 19, 2007

"This is a demo of my Cosmic Blooper FM synth/sequencer"

via this auction

"Custom built COSMIC BLOOPER FM SYNTH SEQUENCER built by the mad genius at www.cosmicblooper.com! A very rare and unique instrument. You can make some chip tunes type music in the vein of SEGA GENESIS 16bit. I held onto it for years but alas I want someone else to enjoy and make some great music with it. The screen is NOT included because it is so heavy, that is unless you really want it and wanna pay an extra $50 for shipping."

Oberheim DX with Electrongate MIDI Upgrade

via this auction
"Details on the midi:
'This upgrade adds MIDI input and output capability and additional clocking options to your DX. When installed, your DX will send and receive MIDI note-on/note-off messages, system exclusive sequence dump messages and MIDI clock, song select, start and stop messages. MIDI input and output jacks are added to the right side panel of the DX and a circuit board is installed inside. (The MIDI upgrade can be mounted on top of the sync-to-tape circuit board, if your machine has that option).This interface will make your DX functionally equivalent to the Oberheim DXa'

The DX has 18 sounds, all tuneable, and separate outs for each voice. Can be heard all over classic 80s hip hop and early New Order records."

NOMAD RHYTHM MAKER 12

via this auction

"HARD TO FIND- Nomad Rhythm Maker 12 from the early 1970's. Has 12 built in rhythms.... march, cha-cha, sambo, rhumba, tango, swing, foxtrot, bosa nova, slow rock, rock-n-roll and waltz...."

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MXR DRUM COMPUTER SN 000969

via this auction

"The MXR Drum Computer is a professional quality signal generating device capable of providing an extremely wide range of real individual drum sounds, patterns and complete songs, all in a single, compact unit (or so the book says).
You can buy a computer program which can simulate the sound of the MXR, but to my ears you can hear the fuller thicker sounds that the real machine with all its discreet components will give you. It will give your next hit song that bigger drum sound that only an analog output can deliver.

Specifications;
Number of Sounds: 12
Kick, Snare, Rim Shot, 3 toms, Bell, Open/Closed Hi-Hat, Crash Cymbal, Claps, Block

Storage Capacity: Up to 100 Patterns of up to 99 Beats
Pattern Length: Up to 99 Beats
Song Length: Up to 99 Steps
Song Capacity: Up to 100 Songs
Memory Capacity: 2,000 Events

Accuracy Levels - Selectable 1/8 note, 1/4 triplet, 1/16 note, 1/8 triplet, 1/32 note, 1/16 triplet, 1/32 triplet

Tempo Range - 40 - 250 Beats per minute
Sync Rate - 24 Cycles per Quarter Note

What do you get?
* The MXR Drum Computer, Model: 185
* The owner’s manual"

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Rare Vintage Baldwin Tempo-Matic Drum Machine

via this auction

WURLITZER ANALOG DRUM MACHINE

via this auction

Sold For: US $125.99

"VINTAGE WURLITZER ELECTRONIC SWINGIN' RHYTHM ANALOG DRUM MACHINE MODEL 5020.

WALTZ, LATIN ,FOXTROT, TEEN, MARCH. DRUM, BRUSH, SNARE, BLOCK, SYMBAL.

HAS TEMPO

ALL CONTROLS WORK SMOOTHLY, NOTHING BROKEN, LOOKS REAL NICE , IN SUPERB CONDITION.

LIGHTS WORK GOOD.

WOOD IN PRESTINE CONDITION ALSO."

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Custom Racked Oberheim Four Voice

via this auction

CRUMAR < BIT 01 > Rack - Synthesizer

via this auction

Serial: EX / 00554

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JEN Synthetone SX 2000

via this auction

ELKA ONE MAN BAND OMB-5 KEYBOARD SYNTHESIZER

via this auction

"ELKA OMB 5 , THE ONE MAN BAND HAS MIDI IN, OUT AND THRU

DESIGNED FOR MUSICIANS THAT NEED ACCOMPANIMENT. THE OMB 5 HAS; RHYTHM, BASS, PRESETS 1 AND PRESETS 2, OF MANY CHOICES OF BACKUP INSTRUMENTS.

ELKA PROFESSIONAL INSTRUMENTS, WAS WAY AHEAD OF THE MARKET AND DEVELOPED THIS INSTRUMENT IN THE LATE 1980s...

THE OMB 5 HAS PROGRAMMABILITY AS WELL, PLEASE REFER THE FLYER ATTACHED."

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Voice to Spirit : Synth Session 01

YouTube via voicetospirit | September 07, 2010

"Having some fun in the studio. Running a sequence into the modular via MIDI as well as running the drums and bass. Playing the pad lead by hand. Everything's in real time.
The modular is passing through a Lexicon MX200 and a Behringer Bass V-amp Pro.

Modular: Synthesizers.com
Pad lead: Access Virus C
Bass Drone: Alesis Qs6.1
Drum: Casio RZ-1 Circuit Bent"

DK SYNERGY II+ SYNTHESIZER, KAYPRO II & SYNHCS SOFTWARE

synergyII timbres Uploaded on Sep 5, 2010 xenmaster0

s 2 demo 1 441 final 320x240stream Uploaded on Sep 5, 2010 xenmaster0

Warning: this is a long post and can't be paged with the "click for more" link otherwise the videos will not load. Also, no time to parse the entire listing, so everything captured below for the archives.

via this auction

"DIGITAL KEYBOARDS SYNERGY II+

WITH KAYPRO II & SYNHCS 3.182 PROGRAMMING SOFTWARE, 14 FLOPPY DISCS OF SYNERGY TIMBRES, and 3 SYNERGY ROM CARTRIDGES

This is the legendary Synergy synthesizer. It comes with the Kaypro II CP/M computer I bought with the Synergy and the SYNHCS software used to program the Synergy. Three Synergy ROM cartridges are included, WC-1 and WC-2, the Wendy Carlos Voice cartridges 1 and 2, and the VCART 4 cartrdige, along with a null modem cable that you use to connect the Synergy synthesizer with the Kaypro II computer.

Using the Kaypro II computer running the Synergy Host Control System software (SYNHCS), you gain access to the full capabilities of the Synergy synthesizer. With the Kaypro II computer + SYNHCS software, you can program the Synergy synthesizer to generate any kind of sound you can imagine. Then you can save the timbres you create on floppy disk and organize those timbres into banks of sounds, and send them to the Synergy synthesizer. (Originally the Synergy was sold with ROM cartridges but with the Kaypro you don't need 'em because you can send new timbres to the Synergy from the Kaypro. I am, however, also including one original Synergy ROM cartridge.)

You will also get the complete set of 13 Synergy voice library banks on floppy disk, L1 through L13 (on 7 floppy discs) as well as the 6 Synergy VCart voices banks 1 through 6 (6 floppy discs). You also get the WC-1 and WC-2 voice banks on floppy disc. Each synergy ROM cartridge or CRT file holds 24 timbres. So you get the complete set of 20 x 24 voices, or 480 Synergy voice library timbres. This is the complete set of timbres that were offered for the Synergy II+. You also get the Wendy Carlos WC-1 and WC-2 voice cartridges (these are duplicates of the WC-1 and WC-1 voice banks on floppy disc) plus the VCART4 cartridge. The VCART4 cartridge has been disassembled so that you can resolder the socket to use a ZIF (zero insertion force) socket if you prefer, and burn your own ROMs and swap them out in the ZIF socket. I'll include information on how to do that. As a practical matter, the Kaypro II computer can transfer voice files to the Synergy II as fast as swapping out EPROMS, but it's nice to have the ability.

The SYNHCS control program included with this Kaypro is the latest version, from October 11 1985, version 3.182. You can see the version number in one of the photographs of the Kaypro II screen. It's later than the version 3.15 SYNHCS that sold with most Synergy/Kaupro II combos. SYNHCS V 3.182 fromOctober 1985 is the final version of SYNHCS, and includes menu options the earlier SYNHCS didn't have -- the earlier version 3.15 dates from September 1983. This later version October 1985 version 3.182 of SYNHCS has features the earlier SYNHCS didn't have, and it's not generally available. I got it from Stony Stockell. I'm pretty sure that only a handful of other people have this latest final version of SYNHCS from 10/11/85.

There are 18 floppy discs all told: 7 discs containing Synergy voice banks 1 through 13 (2 banks per disc, so 7 discs there total) and Vcarts 1 through 6 (6 discs there) and the Wendy Carlos 1 and 2 Vcarts on a single floppy disc. along with the Kaypro CP/M 2.2 boot disk to boot up the Kaypro II computer and a disc of CP/M utilities, like UNERASE and some other very useful utilities. That makes 16 floppy discs. I've also included a CP/M 2.2G boot disc in case you want to use another model of Kaypro II. The boot discs differed depending on whether your Kaypro II had ROM 81-149C, ROM 81-232, or ROM 81-292. All that is spelled out in detail in one of the information sheets I'm including with this Synergy II+. I'm also including SYNHCS V 3.12, the earliest versionof SYNHCS, in case you pick up another Synergy II with older ROMS.

Some of these Synergy voice banks were designed by Wendy Carlos, and all of 'em sound gorgeous.

The Synergy synthesizer boasts a unique sound, unlike that of any other synthesizer. It can caress your ears with silken delicacy or hammer you with brutal rancor. The Synergy can sound raucous or subtle, and it can change from one to the other as you hit the keyboard harder. There's a reason for this: it has arguably the most complex and sophisticated synthesizer architecture ever created, unparallelled evern today. The Synergy's amplitude envelopes are more complex, its oscillators are arranged in a more sophisticated way, and its advanced features like digital noise source, quasiperiodic vibrato and digital formant filter still have not been fully duplicated by any other digital synthesizer -- even today."

"THE BELL LABS DIGITAL SYNTHESIZER AND THE SYNERGY II+

The Synergy is based on the Bell Labs Digital Synthesizer designed by Hall Alles. The Bell Labs Digital Synthesizer used a remote computer to program the synth, with access by a different kind of port (RS-488 serial port, then common for programming lab equipment over a serial link). The remote computer at Bell Labs had to use software written by the composer (Laurie Spiegel, for example, whowrote programs on a DEC minicomputer in the then-new C programming language to control the Bell Labs Digital Synthesizer) to program the synth. When Digital Keyboards licensed the design of the Bell Labs Digital Synthesizer, they also built an 8-bit microcomputer that could program a version of the Synergy called the GDS.

About 700 Synergy I synths were sold all told, but less than 100 are still working today. A small handful of (I believe no more than 6) GDS systems were built in addition to the originl non-programmable Synergy I synths: GDS stands for "General Development System." These were versions of the Synergy with 16 front-panel digital sliders to control parameters of the synthesizers that hooked up to an associated CP/M computer thta used 8-inch floppy discs. With the GDS, you could program the Synergy and store voices on 8" disk via an S-100 buss CP/M computer based on the Ohio Scientific Challenger. Wendy Carlos bought a Synergy General Development System, Stockell kept one in his basement, Klaus Schulz had one, and someone else reportedly bought one (I don't know who).

When Kaypro started producing the Kaypro II CP/M computer in the early 1980s, Stony Stockell, the lead engineer on the Synergy synthesizer, saw an opportunity to replace the cumbersome General Development System with a cheaper setup for programming timbres on the Synergy, so he hired someone to write the Synergy Host Control Program in Z80 assembly language to program the Synergy using the Kaypro II instead of the S-100 buss IEEE 696 CP/M computer used with the GDS.

The new SYNHCS software was much more straightforward and didn't require any programming on the user's part. The Kaypro II was a standalone computer running CP/M, once again easy to use (unlike the Bell Labs minicomputers, which the user had to program to get anything out of 'em, even to send a note to the synthesizer!) and the Kaypro used a simple null modem cable linked to the RS-232 serial port in the back of the Synergy to program timbres, download and upload voice banks, and control the synthesizer's many subtle functions from the Kaypro.

The general method of programming involves pressing a specific button on the front of the Synergy to access a given function, then typing in a value in the Kaypro II to adjust the synthesizer parameter. Once you get the sound you want, you save it on the Kaypro floppy disk as a single .VCE file. Then you can load the VCE file off the Kaypro floppy disk and send it to the Synergy to recreate that timbre whenever you want. The SYNHCS program lets you arrange timbres defined by VCE files into banks which get saved as a single large files called a .CRT files, so SYNHCS combines the functions of synth programming and a synth librarian (and remember that this was back in 1981-1982!).

There was no such thing as the MIDI protocol when Hal Alles designed the Bell Labs Digital Synthesizer in 1974-1975, and no such thing as a finalized MIDI spec when Stoney Stockell adapted Alles' design into the Synergy in 1978-1980 for Crumar's Digital Keyboards subsidiary.

MIDI became a big deal between 1981 and 1984, so Stockell retrofitted the Synergy synthesizer with an add-on circuit board that added full MIDI in and out capabilities. This was the Serial I/O board, which Crumar sold for owners of the original Synergy I synth to upgrade to a fully programmable Synergy II+ along with the SYNHCS software and the voice library discs and the Kaypro II. These new modified versions of the Synergy were called the Synergy II+. This Synergy II+ of course includes a MIDI IN and OUT port, along with the RS-232 serial port for programming the timbres via the Kaypro computer.

The last and most sophisticated version of the SYNHCS software was version 3.182, which is the version I'm including with this Synergy II+ synthesizer. To quote from the manual PRELIMINARY OPERATION OF THE SYNERGY II WITH COMPUTER, "The SYNHCS version 3.xx significantly extends the capabilities of the Synergy II+ synthesizer even beyond the original General Development System." Yes, this combination of the Kaypro II plus null modem cable plus Synergy II+ plus the final SYNHCS version from 1985 gives you more abilities than Wendy Carlos had when she programmed the Synergy voices for her albums Digital Moonscapes and Beauty In the Beast.

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Tuesday, September 07, 2010

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