"It took me 6 weeks to develop the editor because I had to reverse engineer 3729 Program SYSEX bytes with no specifications; and implement 701 NRPN commands with partial specifications. It is the most complex MIDI implementation I’ve ever seen.
"Step inside the legendary garage workshop of Tom Oberheim—the birthplace of some of the most iconic sounds in music history. In this rare behind-the-scenes tour, Tom shares his latest creation: a custom-built computer he’s designing entirely from scratch—just because he loves the way it sounds.
Along the way, Tom opens up his treasure chest of innovations, showing us priceless prototypes from his storied career, including the original Maestro Phase Shifter prototype and circuit boards that paved the way for his groundbreaking synthesizers.
I’m joined by Rob Rosen (Rosen Sound) and Marcus Ryle (Alesis, Line 6) as we hear directly from Tom himself, walking through this sacred space filled with history, innovation, and pure sonic imagination.
👉 Don’t miss this intimate glimpse into the genius of a true pioneer."
"A two part piece. Both are pitch voltage quantization controlled from the ACL Sinfonion. I switch presets through the first part from preset 1 - 4 and in the second half I leave it on preset 5.
The Sinfonion chord section is sending pitch quantization to the Doepfer A-111-4 quad VCO and A-105-4 quad SSI filter. The mixer is the Corsynth T-Mixer. The Empress reverb in Ambient Swell green mode is used.
The opening voice is Channel 2 of the Sinfonion and is sent to the Dotcom Q206 with the Dove D502 in BP mode P1, then an SSL Serge Resonant EQ and finally the Strymon Blue Sky.
A counter voice is the Channel 3 quantizer to a pair of Synthetic Sound Labs TZ-VC Oscillators to the Oakley VC-SVF in BP mode. The audio is routed through a Moon 517S high pass filter to roll of the lower mid tones. I used an instance of Relab Development's LX480 classic Lexicon reverb. This same voice is used for the main melodic part in the second section.
The Channel 1 of the Sinfonion is to the bass voice which is the Dotcom Q169 Oscillator++ and Grove Audio G294A ladder filter.
The Sinfonion arpeggiator part is to the STG oscillator duet and the Dove D501 2069 filter. The signal is sent through the Modcan 73B dual delay. In the first section this voice is solo, but in the second section I added in a duplicated run of the MosLab 901/904A through a different envelope which is timed a bit more sparse and sent through the second section of the 73B delay.
Most of my time was spent mixing levels and changing the timing of the SSL Hagiwo Geo-Gruvn euclidean sequencer. The clock timing was controlled by row 3 of the Moon 563 trigger seq. I used two different memory presets on the Geo-Gruvn for each section. These timings were used for the gate controls to the SSL Octal VCA, CV-8 Breakout and AD/AR Expander. The eight channel vca handled four of the voices. Very cool array of modules.
I also sent and effort to control the timing of the STG Voltage Mini Store's timing with row 2 of the 563. The right VMS is used for the Root control to the Sinfonion. The faster moving left VMS is to the arpeggiator of the Sinfonion.
The Sinfonion is using various cv's from the Q960 step sequencers to affect the chord spread and note selections. Also an LFO is used to affect the pre-transpose of the chord section.
A convoluted patch using the Lower West Side Studios CGS88 triple switch, the Dove D900 sequencer and three voltage sources to send control voltage to the transpose on the Sinfonion. I used the Moon 564 trigger stage 1 to turn this on and off by hand when needed.
The final clangorous opening and ending patch voice was the Mutable Instruments Rings through the Behringer Bode Frequency Shifter clone and the Encore Frequency Shifter, and on through the Tip Top Z-DSP signal processor running Halls of Valhalla reverb (Niflheim preset). It was also the midway noise rush background sound where the sections changed. These were added later in Cubase and triggered by hand.
The sections were performed at once live to Cubase and video edited in Final Cut Pro."
"A piece created with YAMAHA CP-88, @MoogSynthesizers Grandmother, and @SequentialLLC Prophet-10. A track built as a beat and keyboard session.
The CP-88 is used to play piano, while the Prophet-10 performs synth pads with reverb applied through @strymon blueSky.
The Grandmother provides the bassline.
"We play a set of improvised music on the Novation Summit and Eurorack modular synthesizer, following the creative impulse from moment to moment, connected in a flowing river of sound, with energy and note reflecting back and forth like light in a prism.
This set was played entirely in the quarter comma meantone tuning system, with 3 sharps and 2 flats."
"On May 25th 2025 I did a audiovisual dance performance with Yoko Higashi (JPN/F) and Lionel Marchetti (F) at the Papiripar Festival, Hamburg. Yoko was the first human that danced inside the audio wave form, technically executed by the Silhouette Eins Synthesizer.
Here´s a shortened version.
Yoko Higashi: Butoh Dance and Vocals
Lionel Marchetti: Synthesizer, FX, Dramaturgy
Pit Przygodda: audiovisual Silhouette Eins Synthesizer
"Here are 4 short film-tunes of the audiovisual synthesizer SILHOUETTE SPORT generating timbres and sequences from motives in the garden.
The pictures filmed by its integrarted camera (in the back) serves the visual material - the synthesizer selects certain areas to transform greysacle data into timbre, at the same time 4 spots serve data for the sequencer.
"I keep to this routine every day without variation. The repetition itself becomes the important thing; it's a form of mesmerism. I mesmerize myself to reach a deeper state of mind.
(H. Murakami, The Art of Fiction No. 182)"
WORM is delighted to welcome Dutch Modular Fest to Rotterdam! This hugely successful and forward-looking festival normally takes place in Utrecht. This will be a day full of surprises, showcasing the incredibly and enlightening world of modular synths!
Music DMF have created a wide-ranging music programme to enjoy. Every artist is carefully selected and presents a certain genre, or aspect of modular synth music. And we are delighted to present: Julian Edwardes, Skander Jaïbi & Ines Kooli, Chebedahja, Maj Rachel, Cinematic Laboratory, and, returning to WORM, Animistic Beliefs. You can watch the gigs in WORM’s main concert space.
"WORKING CONDITION: Fair - All keys and cassettes are sounding and operational, except for both "B" Keys. You can hear some light hiss when pressing the keys but no sound. The output volume knob does not adjust, so presently the volume is fixed, but fortunately, it is at high volume. About 4 of the tuning knobs don't change the pitch but the rest are adjustable to varying degrees. When the drum track is turned off, you can still hear it bleed through the output faintly. We can say that it is mostly working and usable for some creative inspiration, but it could probably use some cleaning and perhaps some servicing by a tech.
The pack includes an instruction manual and what appears to be schematics, so it is serviceable. Also includes instructions on how to swap out the Walkmans, so you can keep this thing going for a long time!
PHYSICAL CONDITION: Good - This is a 1-of-1 custom-built "Mellotron Style" keyboard that runs off of 14 Memorex "Walkman" cassette players. The lid is hinged at the back and when closed does not fix to the front by design, so you can access the cassettes conveniently. The keys are a little uneven but that is all part of the charm of this unicorn. All the keys are stable otherwise and so is the rest of the unit.
See and hear the video of this very unit at the end of the photos.
INVENTORY #55795
BRAND: Mike Walters
MODEL: The Melloman
FUNCTION: Mellotron Style Keyboard
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: This listing is for a Mystery Circuits by Mike Walters, The "New" Melloman Mellotron Style Keyboard.
You can swap out cassettes with your own recording samples on them to get that warbly aged Mellotron style sound with any tone. Currently, the cassettes have a Polymoog Vox Humana on one side, and female vocal on the other.
From the Mystery Circuits Website:
"This is the new Melloman, built eight years after its predecessor. It was commissioned by Justin Vernon (Bon Iver, Volcano Choir), and took me a little over a year to complete. Like the original Melloman, this is my DIY design of the classic Mellotron. There are 14 Walkmans inside the Melloman, running tapes of continuous notes. Each tape has two octaves of a looping sound, and those sounds are routed to the output when a key is pressed on the keyboard. The new Melloman is a complete redesign of the original Melloman I built in 2005"- Mike Walters
The website and page for this item is still active for those who want to do more research. Simply search Mystery Circuits and find 'The New Melloman 2013'."
"This particular Q has 32 voices. Pictured with it are the brass endblocks I put on it, but I will include (or reinstall if you like) the original wood ones. The knobs and power supply were replaced by a previous owner. Feel free to ask me any questions!"
"Exploring the Elektron SidStation, running it in polyphonic mode with 3 voices of PWM waveform. The focus here is on the filter section, which is well-known for its gritty, distorted character.
The SidStation is a synthesizer powered by the MOS 6581 SID chip from the Commodore 64.
I’ve added some tape delay from a Fulltone Tube Tape Echo and a bit of room reverb from a Chase Bliss Audio & Meris CXM 1978, to give the sound some "air" and stereo width."
"This is a unique project with an all-tube audio path using obsolete Soviet rod tubes.
A detailed demonstration of Electroserf's latest vacuum tube design is shown, featuring a focus on each module and video of the synthesizer creating music.
Designed to maximise rich vacuum tube sound, there are no semiconductors whatsoever in the audio sections of these unique creations. All of the sounds in this video are composed using only this new Electroserf synthesizer prototype."
Electroserf all-tube audio path synthesizer modules - short demo
"A Joe-Blog Composer (@Joe-blogcomposer) runs through four of his favorite NKS-ready instruments available on a discount during The Big Partner Sale. Whatever you’re cooking up in the studio this fall, there'll be something for you. Save up to 80% on over 400 instruments and effects from over 40 developers – all ready to go on your hardware thanks to NKS technology.
Chapters:
00:00 - Ocean Swift – Porphyra Hybrid
01:48 - Cinematic Tools – Tommee Profitt Percussion
03:03 - Fallout Music – Desecrator
04:54 - Keepforest – Evolution: Devastator Breakout Pro
NKS (Native Kontrol Standard) technology powers the deep connection between your sounds and your hardware. Say goodbye to wasted set up time and interruptions and discover a huge choice of sounds – ready to go on your favorite controller.
Whatever you’re cooking up in the studio this fall, we’ve got something for you. Save up to 80% on over 400 instruments and effects from over 40 developers – all ready to go on your hardware thanks to NKS technology.
"Firmware v1.4 now available - tighter external sync, track mix control, gain LFO & save/load parameter locks! Short demo and explanation of the new features.
0:00 Intro
0:28 Set individual track mix volume
0:58 Assign LFOs to track volume
1:41 New parameter locking mode
2:25 Parameter locks now saved with the patch"
"I know this ones kind of boring. Just sending a simple sequence to the UDO Super 6. Some basic drums from the Dave Smith Tempest, bass from the Moog Mother 32, and some reverb from the Strymon Bigsky Mx."
"This is a self-contained exploration of the Hikari Monos CV. The noise-based sound generator has harmonic sliders, a self-resonating filter, and internal square-wave modulation.
Monos CV creates tones from filtered sine pulses to chaotic clusters of layered noise. The six pitch-divided sliders (/1 to /32) shape rich harmonic structures, while internal modulation and filter feedback push it further."
"Join us at KnobCon 2025 in Chicago IL on September 6th and 7th. Meet Cameron Warner Jones, famed co-inventor of the Synclavier Digital Synthesizer. Cameron will be Keynote Speaker at Saturday's Gala and there will be a Q&A Session on Sunday where you can learn more about Cameron's history and perhaps pick up some hints about what we are working on."
"WORKING CONDITION: Fair - All keys and cassettes are sounding and operational, except for both "B" Keys. You can hear some light hiss when pressing the keys but no sound. The output volume knob does not adjust, so presently the volume is fixed, but fortunately, it is at high volume. About 4 of the tuning knobs don't change the pitch but the rest are adjustable to varying degrees. When the drum track is turned off, you can still hear it bleed through the output faintly. We can say that it is mostly working and usable for some creative inspiration, but it could probably use some cleaning and perhaps some servicing by a tech. 
