Portabellabz 208 Toolbox

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via this auction

"Built by a friend and works fine but does not have any of the top left corner options that are available"

You can find demos of the Portabellabz 208 Toolbox in archives here.

SUPER RARE EMS PATCH PANEL LOGIC SYNTHESIZER FOR SYNTHI 100 AKS VCS

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via this auction

See the seller's other items for more. As always, go through eBay for the buyer protection. If you make a deal outside of eBay, you are on your own.

Another super rare custom EMS item from the seller that listed the THE 'ANALOGIC' SEQUENCER.

"This is a unique THE PATCH PANEL LOGIC.

HERE IS A LINK TO AUTHOR WEBSITE (Portabellabz)

The DIY Units where built by Sam for use with the SYNTHI!
uses a modified EMS PRESTO PATCH TO INTERCONNECT WITH THE SYNTHI.
Then there's another modified prestopatch with a cable on it.
This is a very cool innovative device for that time. it has historical and museum item. the author took a long time and big work and love to create this complex device.
Please note - since this is an old device, I don't give any guarantees for parts and labor - please = only synthesizer enthusiasts and synth-maniacs, synth-collectors welcome."

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SUPER RARE EMS THE 'ANALOGIC' SEQUENCER

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Here's something you definitely do not see every day.

via this auction
. As always, go through eBay for the buyer protection. If you make a deal outside of eBay, you are on your own.

"This is a modified vintage EMS TKS sequencer built into a hand-made transformed wooden case. The device has a lot of modifications, which are unique features that serial sequencers did not have. I will also sell the rest of Sam's system, a unique Randrum and THE PATCH PANEL LOGIC This device was in a smoking studio so there is a smell of tobacco. This is a very cool innovative device for that time. it has historical and museum item. the author took a long time and big work and love to create this complex device."

As featured on http://www.portabellabz.be


Update: also see the SUPER RARE EMS PATCH PANEL LOGIC SYNTHESIZER.

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Easel with VCS3-card - Sound-Experiments

Published on Apr 14, 2019 verstaerker

"Buchla Music Easel with Portabellabz EMS VCS Card
first Soundimprovisations
http://www.portabellabz.be/vcs3.html"

EMS VCS3 Trapezoid Modification Demo

Published on Mar 13, 2019 Scot Solida

"A quick demonstration of the Trapezoid polarity modification from http://www.portabellabz.be. Well worth installing into any EMS synth."

Portabellabz Synthi Card Modulation fun

Published on Feb 7, 2019 Todd Barton

"4th installment of exploring the Portabellabz Synthi Card for the Buchla Music Easel by http://www.portabellabz.be Be sure to checkout these audio files for best sound http://www.portabellabz.be/SYNTHI_Car... Great to have this onboard.! Wonderful sounds and timbres."

Todd Barton Portabellabz Synthi Card videos

Portabellabz Synthi Card Mixer Mod

Published on Feb 6, 2019 Todd Barton

"Today I explore the Mixer Modulation Output going to Pitch & Timbre of the Easel's Complex Oscillator."

Portabellabz Synthi Card videos by Todd Barton

Portabellabz Synthi Card Random

Published on Feb 5, 2019 Todd Barton

"here's my second installment of exploring the noise and random voltage features of the new EMS Synthi (licensed) Card by http://www.portabellabz.be
Be sure to checkout these audio files for best sound http://www.portabellabz.be/SYNTHI_Car... Great to have this onboard.! Wonderful sounds and timbres."

First installment here

Portabellabz Synthi Card for Buchla 208

Published on Feb 4, 2019 Todd Barton

"The new EMS Synthi (licensed) Card by http://www.portabellabz.be
be sure to checkout these audio files for best sound http://www.portabellabz.be/SYNTHI_Car...
Great to have this onboard.! Wonderful sounds and timbres. I will be making more videos -- hope you enjoy this teaser."

And via Brian Comnes, spotted on Muffs:

"I'm happy to announce the release of a new Portbellabz card for Music Easel and 208 under EMS Cornwall license.

This card expands the Music Easel or 208 with original EMS Synthi A and VCS3 circuits : an oscillator that produces simultaneous square and triangle waveshapes with wide range and features useful modifications (synchronization, shape CV, hi/lo range) and a noise generator with variable colour, together with my acclaimed Random Voltage Generator modification module that expands many original EMS Synthi A, AKS and VCS3, unlike the 208's one, it's true random.
The inputs and outputs voltages are adapted to match the ones used in the 208.


It will be available in late February / early March, pre-built (€460 + shipping, Rogans and rear edge connector in option) or as a DIY PCB set (€130 shipped) like the 208 ToolBox.

The prices include a commission for Robin Wood at EMS, that is the same for each pre-built unit or PCB set sold.

It works with 208p, 208r (not rev1) and BEMI / Buchla USA Easels. The tracking can be set to 1V/oct, 1.2V/oct or 2V/oct (or other, but who wants that ? :lol: ).

A very few privileged persons were lucky enough to already test a prototype and enjoyed it. Thanks to them for keeping the secret.

Hopefully a demo video of the great Todd Barton should pop up soon, thanks in advance Todd.

In the meantime, here are some (very basic) demo of the card with my own 208.
All sounds are coming from the card except the CO modulation track (208's CO modulated by the card). A 218r was used to demonstrate tracking. It's a bit high in the lowest notes but this is fixed.

http://www.portabellabz.be/SYNTHI_Card_demos_mp3.zip

[b]Oscillator[/b]
- 100% analogue discrete components
- square and triangle outputs, blue bananas are full range outputs for modulation, red knobs are outputs to the mixer
- wide range from very slow LFO to ultrasonic, switchable hi/lo range with fine tuning
- tracking good on about 5 octaves via the 208's keyboard CV in
- variable frequency CV input with attenuverter via black banana
- variable shape CV input with attenuator via black banana
- variable sync input with attenuator via black banana

[b]Noise[/b]
- 100% analogue discrete components
- white banana is full range output for modulation
- red knob is output to the mixer
- variable colour

[b]Mixer[/b]
- tinijax out to feed the 208's preamp
- banana out for mixed modulation

[b]Random voltage generator[/b]
- available on the white banana - a mini slide switch behind the panel selects noise or random, this affects the white banana only, the noise is still available in the mixer when random is used
- clock input via the 208's inverter "to card" socket
- noise colour changes the random voltage

Bill Sequeira kindly did this nice overview. Thank you Bill.
The pictured card is a prototype, the production one will look very similar.

[img]http://www.portabellabz.be/images/PortabellabzSynthiCard.jpeg[/img]

Thanks for your interest and more soon."

Synthi Noise #2

Published on Feb 3, 2019 d4nnyp

"Synthi noise session. Synthi is controlled from its own joystick and Y/Z (pressure/position) from a Haken Continuum

The only post production of the audio was gain and stereo widening.

The Synthi is a Mk2 (Approx 1973?) Tastefully modified by Portabellabz.be"

d4nnyp Synthi videos

Buchla 208p Music Easel Sketch "It Never Gets Any Easier"

Published on Aug 6, 2018 Heath Aldrich

"After spending almost 4 hours on the phone trying to figure out why my insurance denied my claim and how to fix it, I needed a Buchla break.

Simple patch, that gets sort of weird, but overall pretty. Sort of like life."

Portabellabz Buchla Easel Hub V

Published on Jul 13, 2018 Todd Barton

"Spinning on a dime . . ."

You can find previous Portabellabz Buchla videos by Todd Barton here.

Portabellabz Buchla Easel Hub IV

Published on Jul 12, 2018 Todd Barton

"Using the ipgrogram card in 'both' mode to get more control among Toolbox and Aux Card"

Portabellabz Buchla Easel Hub III

Published on Jul 5, 2018 Todd Barton

"Continuing my explorations of the Portabellabz Buchla Music Easel Hub. This time with a very simple patch from scratch to try and demystify what I've been doing :-) Enjoy!"

Portabellabz Buchla Easel videos by Todd Barton

Portabellabz Buchla Easel Hub II

Published on Jun 30, 2018 Todd Barton

"Continued explorations with the Portabellabz Easel Hub. This is a bit more intense than my last one. It is amazing how many layers are available with 3 cards in play. Enjoy the amazingly different evolving timbres half way through."

Part 1 here.

Portabellabz Buchla Easel Hub

Published on Jun 27, 2018 Todd Barton

"beginning to go down the wonderful rabbit hole provided by the Portabellabz Buchla Music Easel Hub which allows there cards to be powered and "in play" simultaneously. New worlds to explore."

Arturia Buchla Easel V Comparison with Buchla 208P

Published on Jun 4, 2018 Tritone Guitars

"Heath Aldrich and Dave Anderson compare and discuss the Arturia Buchla Easel V with Heath's physical Buchla 208P. Video production by Jesse Bader"

I'm familiar with Roman Filippov's 208r clone, but not the 208p. I did a quick search and found the following: (Update: turns out the 208p is essentially a clone of the clone. Some info added further below)

Buchla 208p Music Easel First Sketches

Published on Mar 19, 2018 Heath Aldrich

Update regarding the 208p: "Papz put his version out earlier this year, and it has all the fixes implemented from Roman's 208. http://www.portabellabz.be/208pcb.html. I recommend this version of you want to build one."
You can find a few posts featuring Portabellabz in the archives here.

Playlist:

1. Buchla 208p Music Easel First Sketch

This is DIY Buchla 208 Music Easel that I built. It took me over 50 hours, and it still isn't perfect, but it is perfect for me. This synth has such a rich sound, and is so easy to change the voice of the patch, that it is hard to not be inspired by playing with it. I have always wanted one, and am so happy I had the chance to build one.

This is a idea that I have been working with since I started calibrating this beast. It is far from complete, but I like where it is going. All sounds were recorded direct from the 208p, no external processing, no external effects. Just a boy and his toy.

CLICK FOR MORE »

Fairy House

"test run with new Portabellabz 208 TOOLBOX"

"The shrill trill is a BitRanger being gated in by the tool box switching the source fed into the Easel's 2nd gate, and an Eventide H9 adds that long reverb"

208 ToolBox 10 CV Switching

Published on May 22, 2017 Todd Barton

"continuing exploration of Portabellabz' ToolBox and, this time, the BOB (Break Out Box) for the Buchla Music Easel"

All parts here.

208 ToolBox 09 Figure 21

Published on May 18, 2017 Todd Barton

"Continuing explorations of the Portabellabz' ToolBox card for the Buchla Music Easel. This time looking at the Allen Strange patch Figure 21 from his Easel Manual replicated using the Toolbox"

All parts here.