MIDERA: October Tears

Published on Nov 25, 2019 MIDERA

Yamaha RS7000, Roland JX-3P, Chroma Polaris.

"Violet"

Published on Nov 25, 2019 SynthMania

"Yamaha CS-5, Sequential Circuits Pro-One, Korg Trident mkII, Linn LinnDrum, Alesis MidiVerb II"

Rossum Electro-Music Trident Multi-Synchronic Oscillator Ensemble Zing Modulation Demo

Published on Nov 25, 2019 Rossum Electro-Music

"The latest brainchild of synth pioneer Dave Rossum, TRIDENT is a 100% analog, triple oscillator module that opens up a universe of dynamic timbral textures.

At its most basic level, TRIDENT is three precision audio VCOs, each sporting a unique variety of control voltage inputs.

The main or “Carrier” oscillator provides its three waveforms simultaneously. The two Modulation Oscillators each have a single output and a waveform selector. The Modulation Oscillators also have a voltage controlled Symmetry parameter which varies the duty cycle of the triangle wave output from sawtooth to triangle back to time reversed sawtooth, and also varies the sawtooth output to have an upward or downward kink in the middle, as well as controlling pulse width when the pulse waveform is selected.

And while each oscillator can be used independently if desired, it’s when they’re combined into a synchronous ensemble that the real sonic magic happens.

That magic is what we call Zing Modulation. Each of the Modulation Oscillators can modulate each of the Carrier outputs in an amount controlled by the Zing parameter. Zing Modulation is mathematically akin to ring modulation, but due to the synchronization of the oscillators (when an oscillator’s Sync button is on), the aharmonic sum and difference sidetones of ring modulation transform into complex but purely harmonic overtone spectra, which vary dynamically and dramatically with the frequency and waveshape modulations of the modulation oscillators. Each change in the Modulation Oscillator parameters – Frequency, Symmetry, Waveshape, Zing, and (in the case of Modulation Oscillator 2) Phase – will have a different effect on the timbre of each of the three Carrier waveshape outputs.

When the modulation oscillators are set to track the carrier oscillator, the waveshape will remain constant as the carrier frequency changes. In this case the overtone structure is determined by the settings and CV modulations of the modulation oscillators. If instead the modulation oscillators do not track the carrier, some of the overtone structure will vary relative to the carrier frequency.

What all this means is that whether you take advantage of Trident’s unique synchronous modulation capabilities (which you, of course, should), or just treat it as three superb, wide-range analog oscillators, TRIDENT offers a vast variety of dramatic sonic textures."

Waldorf Rack Attack Drum Synthesizer SN 110110001977

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Little robot model not included.

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eurorack modular jam at sea with pisttsburgh sv-1

Published on Nov 25, 2019 sector

"A little jam at the wwII bunker, neat the door of europe in Lampedusa"

LoFi Eurorack Module Prototype Part 1: Wow and Flutter

Published on Nov 25, 2019 Reckless Experimentation Audio LLC

"The first part in building a Lo-Fi afication Eurorack Module. I cut out the face-plate, and build out a wow and flutter circuit based around a PT2399 chip."

Introducing Orba by Artiphon – An instrument designed for your hands

Published on Nov 25, 2019 Artiphon

Artiphon brought us the INSTRUMENT 1. The Orba is currently seeking funding on Kickstarter.


"Hold out your hands and meet Orba, a new kind of musical instrument. It’s a tiny synth, looper, and MIDI controller that lets anyone make music immediately. Orba’s minimalist design resembles a cross between a gaming controller and a half a grapefruit, and its feather-touch sensitivity translates gestures from your fingers and hands directly into sound. Orba introduces a new and fun way to make music anywhere, even if you’ve never played an instrument before."

Onboard synth:

"We designed an innovative new synthesizer engine for Orba, with a broad range of synth sounds that work seamlessly with various playing gestures. Orba’s embedded looper means you can layer multiple parts without ever looking at a screen. The built-in speaker lets you make sound immediately (and it’s loud enough for a bit of karaoke). Plug in headphones to play alone or an external amp to play it loud.

The Orba companion app lets you explore even more. Available for Mac, iOS, Windows, and Android, the Orba app will let you access more sounds, presets, loops, and settings. The app is also where you’ll be able to save and edit your loops and songs. And of course, you can share your songs to social media and export to your favorite music-making software to keep building your beats."

No word on how programable the synth engine will be. That will of course determine how much the Orba is more of a controller and performance device vs. full fledged programmable synth.

Features
Eight capacitive-sensing pads for feather-touch control

Accelerometer and gyroscope capture a range of gestures

Center menu button accesses four presets, the looper, and other functions

Onboard synthesizer and built-in speaker offer an immediate playing experience

Connect to the cross-platform Orba app for more sounds, songs, and settings

Use MIDI over Bluetooth or USB to plug into any of your favorite music apps

Use the ⅛” (3.5mm) output to listen on headphones, speakers, and amps

Multicolor LEDs respond to the way you play

Embedded haptics offer vibration feedback

USB Rechargeable battery

33 1/3: Wendy Carlos's Switched-On Bach - Talk By Roshanak Kheshti

Published on Nov 25, 2019 Perfect Circuit

"UCSD Associate Professor of Ethnic Studies Dr. Roshanak Kheshti came to Perfect Circuit to present a short lecture and reading from her new book 33 1/3: Wendy Carlos's Switched-On Bach, combined with examples on her own Moog synthesizers.

Kheshti makes a case that Wendy Carlos is one of the most important electronic musicians of all time: she brought an emerging technology into public visibility and was a strong force behind the popularization of the Moog synthesizer. Switched-On Bach remains one of the most popular "classical" music records of all time...and for a good reason.

33 1/3 Wendy Carlos's Switched-On Bach available here.

#PerfectCircuit #Synthesizer #WendyCarlos"

Animated Graphic Scores Performed on the Novation BassStation II

Rain Published on Nov 16, 2019 John Keston

"Strands is the working title for a series of audiovisual compositions based on the idea of animated, generative, graphic scores. Last year I composed six of these scores written in Javascript for Parking Ramp Project, a performance installation in a seven-level parking ramp with a large cast reflecting on transience, migration, and stability commissioned by Guggenheim fellow, Pramila Vasudevan. While Parking Ramp Project was composed for a trio, Strands is specifically composed for a soloist.

Rain is a new movement in the series and the first that I have produced with video of the animated score. Currently there are five movements in the piece. I performed the first four recently at the ISSTA conference in Cork, Ireland. The visual part of the piece is meant to be read like music but without the use of key or time signatures. Each time the piece is played the visuals are regenerated, so it is never performed the same way twice.

The musician may interpret the visuals in many ways. For example, in Rain lines are animated from the top of the screen to the bottom. Where the line appears horizontally is roughly regarded as pitch and as the line animates the sound is modulated. The lines also vary in weight. Heavier lines are louder and lower in pitch while thinner lines are quieter, generally higher, and sometimes altered with a high-pass filter.

I performed Rain using the Novation Bass Station II, which has a feature (AFX mode overlays) that allows for each note to have entirely different parameters. With this technique I was able to map different timbres to the keybed and use this variety in texture as another way to interpret the score. Keep an eye out for more of these. It is my intent to make videos for all five of the movements and perhaps add one or two more to the series.

https://audiocookbook.org/strands/"

Generator

Premiered Nov 24, 2019 John Keston

"Generator is the next piece in the Strands series. These audiovisual compositions illustrate the interpretation of animated, generative, graphic scores written in Javascript. Generator is made up of connected line segments that that go from left to right, up, or down, but never in reverse. The weight and length of each segment is consistent across the width of the screen and changes once a new set of segments starts again from the left.

I interpret each set of segments as an arpeggio. The tempo of each arpeggio is decided by the segment length. Shorter segments, drawn more quickly, are paired with faster arpeggios. As the line segments wander up and down I generally interpret the Y axis as pitch, but because the direction of each segment is random the pitches are not exact representations of the paths that are displayed; neither is it the intent to exactly follow the visuals. Instead, musicians interpret the score so that human qualities contrast the computer generated visuals.

The aesthetics of the pieces in this series, both visually and sonically, are secondary to the objectives. First that the scores are composed for the purpose of being read by musician(s). Secondly, the artist(s) have space to improvise within their interpretations. Thirdly (in addition to interpretation) aleatoric elements make the pieces significantly different from one performance to the next. Finally, although the performances vary, distinct characteristics identify each piece.

The objectives of these pieces lead to music that is often atonal and/or atemporal. After about a dozen rehearsals, performances, and recordings with a trio and as a soloist it has become apparent that tonality and timing often do emerge. For example, in Generator the tempi of the arpeggios change with each animated progression from left to right. Arbitrary rests are interspersed with random lengths. This amounts to timing without time signatures. And, since the pitches are left up to the artist the notes performed may or may not be in key. In my performance I chose to use a variety of intervals and scales leading up to the chromatic scale at the conclusion.

https://audiocookbook.org/generator/"

Gotharman's LD3: Percussion 2

Published on Nov 25, 2019 gotharman

"Some presets I am working on, for the soon to be released Percussion Synthesizer update.
www.gotharman.dk"

Arturia Microfreak / Korg Volca Modular and Drum - Minijam 2019-11-24

Published on Nov 24, 2019 Oscillator Sink

"Recently I've been enjoying exploring the darker side of some of my synths and in this jam, the Microfreak along with the Volca Modular and Volca Drum are getting dark together.

The Volca Modular is providing a kind of groaning, grinding, industrial drone which is being enhanced by the Zoom MS-CDR70 and its excellent "Mangled Space" reverb algorithm (seriously, it's worth the price just for that). I'll post a photo of the patch on my Facebook page. The Volca Drum is providing various melodic and percussive elements - including a massive bass pulse; the Volca Drum is providing its own Delay via the Wave Guide with the "Tune" control set super low.

The Microfreak is set up as a king hybrid pad/pluck Karplus Strong kinda thing. The patch has an element of "controlled chaos" to it, and applying more pressure to the keys makes the patch get more frantic - almost like you're influencing another player rather than the instrument directly. It's an idea I've really been digging recently and it might form the basis for a patch pack...maybe...we'll see.

http://www.oscillatorsink.com"

Korg NTS-1 Custom Oscillators and Effects

Published on Nov 25, 2019 Molten Music Technology

"Checking out some of the custom oscillators and effects you can load onto the Korg Nutekt NTS-1 digital synthesizer.

Including:
https://www.sinevibes.com/
https://www.soundmangling.com/
https://www.dirtboxsynth.com/
https://github.com/peterall/eurorack-prologue

Index:
Setup - 4:42
Sound Librarian - 8:13
Eurorack Plaits - 10:03
Sinevibes - 15:52
Tim Shoebridge - 27:06
Dirtbox - 35:34
External Input - 51:29
Final Thoughts - 54:46"

Teensy DIY Midi Controller Jam - Model D App, Fugue Machine

Published on Nov 25, 2019 maasijam

"Jamming with my Teensy based Model D App Midi Controller.
Model D sequenced by Fugue Machine.

BOM, Gerbers and Teensy code will follow. I plan to create a website where you can download all the needed files for the controller."

Analog Bass Kick 808 - Handmade with NOS Components + Mods for Trap RnB

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Published on Nov 25, 2019 George Engineer

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"Analog Bass Kick 808

Handmade point to point on prototype PCB with Nos Components

Knobs:
- Master Volume
- Accent
- Decay
- Tune Envelope
- Tone
- Tune Bass

Has Internal Trigger switch or switch for external trigger

Huge Bass kick sound with a lot of harmonics from NOS Components

Only one piece Avaliable!"

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Korg Mono/Poly

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"A true classic of the late pre-MIDI era, the Korg Mono/Poly is a four oscillator monster, which can be used in a variety of voice modes. The spec on paper for the Mono/Poly is pretty amazing: four oscillators, two LFOs, two ADSRs, poly, unison, and chord memory modes, arpeggiator, and the tremendous cross modulation and frequency modulation section. The sound is rich, detailed, and expressive. This synth was just serviced and is in perfect working order!"

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Solina String Ensemble SN 0094517

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Featured in this video.

"Early version Solina String Ensemble for sale with newly re-printed front panel.

Includes original, glass notestand with Solina logo and expression pedal.

Series 26, serial number 94517.

This one's been modded with 3 pin output for audio and expression pedal, cable included.

Just heavenly sounding, see the video of this very machine for sale here, the one on the bottom.

The early Solinas have permament Modulation, hence no on/off button.

It's very clean, the wood is in great shape, a few small dings here and there, please see photos, but overall in impressive condition."

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Waldorf Microwave Rackmount Synth

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Quasimidi Polymorph

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"Legendary Quasimidi POLYMORPH in mint condition.
I didn’t used so much since I bought, always was standing inside of a box
All the knobs feels still brand new.

Comes with original manuals and original adapter"

Sequential Circuits Prophet 600 Synthesizer With GliGli Mod SN 3946

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Roland Integra-7 Synth Module

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"Power house Roland Integra-7.

Put simply this module contains pretty much all of Roland's back catalogue of synths & expansions within one box.
You have multiple output options but the best part of this unit is the ability to comprehensively edit via the Roland Integra-7 App on the ipad. You can hard wire to the ipad or use a USB wifi adaptor (included).
Roland also have midi controlled editing software available for the Integra-7."

See the overview demo here.

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OBERHEIM OB-Xa SN 813501 for Parts

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"2 years ago when I plugged in the keyboard it made one sound that was constant and unalterable. Today there was no sound. The keyboard was unattached to the base but it only needs two screws. The keyboard was also unattached from the rest of the circuitry. I reattached it with no discernible results. The glass over the led light on the left upper corner of the keyboard is broken but the light works. There is no power cord for this keyboard but it is the same type of cord that's used for a computer monitor which is easy and cheap to obtain."

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Polyphonic 1974 Minimoog

Published on Nov 25, 2019

I was thinking, that ain't no "mini" Moog, then I realized the Minimoogs are racked on the right.

"Demo of polyphonic Minimoog model D
Using a MIDI keyboard and a MOTM-650 MIDI to CV converter. The second revision oscillator board has separate CV pitch input modification to allow 3 note polyphonic playing.
Works quite well and retains the original Minimoog voice while allowing the oscillator intervals to be selected via a keyboard."

Pittsburgh Modular Documentary Films Presents: the Voltage Research Laboratory - Season 5 Episode 1

Published on Nov 25, 2019 Pittsburgh Modular Synthesizers

Thought this one was interesting in that it showcases a more melodic track created with the Voltage Research Laboratory.

"Teaser track showcasing the Pittsburgh Modular Voltage Research Laboratory eurorack format synthesizer.
The soundtrack to this video was created using only the Voltage Research Laboratory, Logic drums, and effects. An extended version of the recording is available on Soundcloud through the link below."

The Delta Cep A is so much deeper than you thought

Published on Nov 25, 2019 Ken Flux Pierce Fluxwithit

"exploring the Radikal Technologies Delta Cep A semi modular synth. I has become very apparent that this synth is deceptively deep. hiding modulations and routings, fx and even quantizers inside its seemingly normal skin. take a seat and use some proper monitors."

Does The Korg Prologue Belong In Your Studio? Or Outer Space?

Published on Nov 25, 2019 Learson Peak

Korg Prologues on Amazon

ELTA SOLAR 50 | Big Drone synth | Ambient machine (prototype demo)

Published on Nov 25, 2019 ELTA music

"This is performance oriented analog electronic music instrument! Big ambient machine, drone-accordion, organ and 50 oscillators synthesizer all in one!

Final version will include a new design and additional, yet not showed functions. Estimated price is about 800$.
Pre-orders at sales@eltamusic.com Mark 'SOLAR 50'"

ELTA SOLAR 50


"The instrument is designed for creating atmospheric sounds, background music, microtonal music, super polyphonic electro symphonies, as well as for making sophisticated complexes of extensionally dispensed tones that have random frequencies and tricky intervallic hookups. Inspired by early electronic musical developments of the last century, particularly Leo Theremin's instrument called 'Harmonium'.

Variations of sounds that you can create with «Solar» are really boundless.

Solar synthesizer consists of 10 voices. Each voice, in it’s turn, consists of 5 oscillators (2 low, 2 middle, 1 high) with a pitch controller and a mute button for each oscillator. Each voice is provided with an envelope (attack/release parameters) controlled by a tactile sensor.

Solar 50 has a piezo mic onboard, that let it turn into electro acoustic percussion noise instrument.
In addition, there is a GATE-ON button for every voice, making it sound constantly, and a voice volume controller.

There are two independent LFOs and a bunch of external CV inputs on board and so called PLS connector for connecting a CV source in order to control the pitch of each of 50 oscillators and to start the envelope of any voice. Patching is possible with standard pin wires that are used in Moog Werkstatt, Bastl Instruments and in many other devices. MUTE buttons let you use from 1 up to 5 oscillators per voice, tuning in for chords, thirds, fifths and other intervals or to get a clean single note.

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Behringer Introduces the POLY D - 4 Voice Paraphonic Polyphonic Minimoog Keyboard Synthesizer

Published on Nov 24, 2019 BEHRINGER

Apparently Behringer is on Amazon now.

Update2: Playlist with three user videos (you can skip around on the top right or bottom left):



Sonic Lab: Behringer Poly D! - sonicstate
Behringer Poly D -solo sonidos / only sounds - FutureMusic.es
Behringer POLY D - MrFirechild
Behringer POLY D: Review, Tutorial and Patch Ideas // Auto-damp explained - loopop

Update: post updated with larger pics. Click them for the detail.

Note the POLY D is more like a Mono/Poly in how you stack/route the oscillators. There are 4 VCOs, so you can set them to trigger one at a time for 4 voice paraphonic polyphony. Paraphonic in that they share the same filter, envelopes, etc. You can't have a fully separate voice with independent filters, envelopes, etc like on a truly polyphonic synth. This is not a Memormoog or Moon One. That said, it is a step ahead of a standard Minimoog - 4 vs 3 VCOs with the ability to play paraphonically. If it's light enough, you might even be able to kick back on a couch with it. An original Minimoog on the lap would get heavy fast.

Side note: Apparently Behringer is on Amazon now.

Details from Behringer:

"Analog 4-Voice Polyphonic Synthesizer with 37 Full-Size Keys, 4 VCOs, Classic Ladder Filter, LFO, BBD Stereo Chorus, Distortion, 32-Step Sequencer and Arpeggiator"

The 1970s spawned the first truly portable analog synthesizer, and while it was quickly adopted by lots of renowned musical artists including Jan Hammer, Chick Corea, Rick Wakeman, Jean-Michel Jarre, Isao Tomita and Keith Emerson to name a few, it was somewhat temperamental and very expensive. An ultra-affordable homage to that iconic synthesizer, with all the features of the original and then some, the Behringer POLY D lets you conjure up virtually any monophonic or polyphonic sound imaginable with incredible finesse and ease. The pure analog signal path is based on authentic VCO, VCF, VCA and ladder filter designs in conjunction with a dedicated and fully analog triangle/square wave LFO. Owning a POLY D is like having your own personal time machine, enabling you to freely embrace the past – or shape the future!

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