Molten Music Monthly - April 2020 - Superbooth Special

Published on Apr 30, 2020 Molten Music Technology

"It's been Superbooth 2020 Home Edition and there's too much stuff. Not all of it was new but we had unprecedented detail in awesome live streams about a load of modules and synth. Including my own live stream interviews with synth related people who fascinate me. There are lots to get through and this is just the stuff that I liked in particular - there are loads of things I didn't have space for.

Erica Synths goes nuclear, ST Modular releases 1000 DIY modules, Ritual Modular gets into 1U, 1010music gives us a mini sampler, Befaco does a mini VCMC, Expert Sleepers gives us double the trouble, Bastl loops MIDI, Liquid Foam is a very cool box, Tangible Waves lets us all build modules, Strokes 2 is a mad software groove machine, TiNRS has a Covid kick drum module, Future Sound Systems has a complex VCO, Noodlebox is a thing, Critter and Guitaris does video, There's a whole synth in KOSMO format, Elk Audio OS does something interesting, and there's a shed load of stereo filters. But first, Distrokid.

Intro - 0:14
Distokid - 2:25
Erica Synths Fusion II - 6:11
ST Modular - 9.51
Ritual Electronics - 11:51
1010music - 13:15
Befaco CV Thing - 15:18
Expert Sleepers Disting EX - 17:46
Bastl Instruments MIDI Looper - 20:07
Herbs and Stones Liquid Foam - 22:31
Tangible Waves DIY - 24:01
Strokes 2.0 - 25:58
TiNRS Circular Thing - 27:17
Future Sound Systems Recombination Engine - 29:04
64 Pixels Noodlebox - 30:23
Critter & Guitari - 31:42
ELK Audio OS Blackboard - 33:25
Look Mum No Computer Kosmo - 37:44
Stereo Filter Bonanza - 40:07
Finishing off and coming soon - 44:40"

Touellskouarn's Superbooth20 Home Edition : Girts Ozolins from Erica Synths. Full Length

Published on Apr 30, 2020 TouellSkouarn

"Girts Ozolins// Erica Synth s// Riga (LV) // Sonveskañ"

Touellskouarn Superbooth20 Home Edition : Émilie Tiersen

Published on Apr 29, 2020 TouellSkouarn

"Émilie Tiersen, Musician // Ushant Island (FR) - Strakal Brulu ! {taol evezh}, Ar Merch’et Brao"

Touellskouarn's Superbooth20 Home Edition : Matthias Puech. Full Version

Published on Apr 27, 2020 TouellSkouarn

"Matthias is the creator of the 4MS Tapographic Delay, 4MS Ensemble Oscillator and the Parasite Firmwares for Mutable Instruments. He's using the Touellskouarn Skorn da Bask (Drone generator)."

Touellskouarn's Superbooth20 Home Edition : François Joncour

Published on Apr 27, 2020 TouellSkouarn

"White Sands Ghosts by François Joncour (Poing feat Mirabelle Gilis)"

Superbooth 20HE: New Kodamo EssenseFM Rackmount Desktop Synthesizer

Published on Apr 26, 2020 sonicstate

"Kodamo EssenseFM is a sound module with an interesting and modern touch screen interface. At the heart of the synthesizer is a 6 operator synthesizer, each voice has its own low pass resonant filter and an extensive list of fx and modulation options.

You can easily create your own fm algorithms and patches by using the touch screen, you can also draw your own waveforms with the touch screen and import wav files. You can create complex envelopes, create layers and splits with advanced options like round robin,

exclusion groups and an arpeggiator. You can create your own scales, temperaments and microtuning scales and much much more.

In terms of connections you get: eight balanced audio outputs and multiple MIDI inputs (DIN, USB & Ethernet)"

Kodamo EssenceFM Demo Videos


Kodamo EssenceFM Demo Video
"ChillOut" ~ EssenceFM Composition
Kodamo EssenceFM ~ Improvisations (Classic FM & Acoustic sounds)

via Kodamo

"The EssenceFM is a very powerful FM synthesizer combined with a modern and easy to use interface, offering studio-quality specs. Creating FM sounds has never been so fun and easy!

Touch screen controlled: connect the operators together as you like, draw the envelopes and waveforms directly on screen
Use the pots to fine-tune parameters and control sounds in real-time
Enjoy the huge polyphony (300 voices) to create rich layered sounds or play way too many notes!
Enjoy the built-in effects processor, the multitimbrality and the 3328 internal sound slots to create whole tracks with the EssenceFM

Eight balanced audio outputs and multiple MIDI inputs (DIN, USB & Ethernet) provide flexibility to your setup
Use the EssenceFM racked or laid on your desktop, tilted via the included support bars
We built it with quality in mind ! 24-bit DAC, fully isolated analog circuitry, steel and aluminium case, ALPS pots, Bourns rotary encoders, Kailh backlit mechanical switches...

The EssenceFM contains approximately 500 voices and 400 patch presets out of the box.
But we strongly encourage creating your owns!

CLICK FOR MORE »

Superbooth 20HE: Supercritical Synthesizers Neutron Flux Filter

Published on Apr 26, 2020 sonicstate

"Supercritical Synthesizers released their Demon Core Oscillator last year at Superbooth, so we were keen to catch up with them at this years Superbooth Home Edition to see their new stereo filter the Neutron Flux Filter.

The Neutron Flux Filter is an analog, stereo, digitally controlled filter. It does not model but is can be adjusted to have the character of various vintage filters. In the future it will have user banks in which some more exotic filter responses can be uploaded to via audio files. The unit has a stereo in stereo out and or you can connect them in series and have a mono 8 pole filter.

This is the first working prototype. Some visual and feature changes might happen still. All sound that is heard is directly from the Demon Core Oscillator through the Neutron Flux Filter raw."

Superbooth 20HE: At Home With Ken MacBeth

Published on Apr 26, 2020 sonicstate

"Ken Mcbeth is always a regular feature at Superbooth, in fact for the past 3 years Ken has actually performed at the show. In this impromptu interview we took the time to catch up with Ken and see what he has been working on before the lockdown and discuss what life is like on lockdown for a synth designer.

Unfortunately as this was an impromptu interview on a Sunday morning recorded from home, Nick’s mic was recorded on his ear buds microphone so as a consequence the audio was not quite up to our usual caliber. However we still felt that this was worth the upload."

Superbooth 20HE: Blipblox Afterdark Edition

Published on Apr 26, 2020 sonicstate

"We first saw the original Blipblox a couple of years ago at NAMM. We also caught up with Troy at NAMM this year where he was announcing the BlipBlox Afterdark. Billed as the toy synthesizer you’d want to play with once the kids have gone to bed…

With a completely re-engineered hardware and software, the BlipBlox Afterdark features; A new multimode resonant filter, multi-tap stereo delay, new oscillator section with 256 custom wavetables, 100 new kick and snare samples."

Superbooth 20HE: AVPSynth ADS mk2 - Analog drums from Russia

Published on Apr 26, 2020 sonicstate

"AVP Synth have been making analog drum synthesizers for a number of years now the ADS MK2 is the latest addition to their unique analog drum machine line up. With a complete through hole design the ADS mk2 features 7 drum sounds 4 of which are designed with specific drum sounds in mind; Bass Drum, Clap, Closed Hihat and Open Hihat. The other 3 are designed to give you a wide ranging drum synthesizer that can cover everything else you might need from snare drums to drone synths.

The sequencer is a 16 part sequencer which has record mode, step programming and pattern chaining of up to 16 parts. Patterns can be up to 256 steps. The extra tracks can be used to sequence external gear via MIDI or trigger outputs. Each individual drum synth can also be triggered via external triggers.

The ADS MK2 has been manufactured for the past year or so and AVP Synth are now coming up to their second batch. You can order directly from AVP Synth or from suppliers around Europe."

AVP Synth ADS-7 mk2

Superbooth 20HE: Softube Introduce Vermona Random Rhythm

Published on Apr 26, 2020 sonicstate

"Softtube Modular has introduced a new module from renowned modular manufacturer Vermona. Nick reviewed Softtube Modular a while back and was impressed with the resolution of the software.

Vermona Random Rhythm is an 8 channel random gate/trigger generator for your modular synth, in this case Softtube Modular. You have two different sides to the unit, real time randomness and Dice mode. Realtime means that the module is continuously generating new random values for each note value whereas in dice-mode it generates them for a complete 3/4- or 4/4-bar. In both modes, even if a bar has been diced, the sliders still influence the resulting sequence.

Softtube Modular makes these modules much more accessible to the wider world. We caught up with Tod to take a look."

Superbooth 20HE: 4ms Ensemble Oscillator and Percussion Interface

Published on Apr 26, 2020 sonicstate

"We actually gave the Ensemble Oscillator from 4ms an award at NAMM this year so we were happy to hook up with Dan Green to take another look at it and see how things were progressing with production. We also took a look at their new Percussion Interface module.

The Ensemble Oscillator is a unique Eurorack oscillator cluster, it blurs the lines between waveshaping and polyphony in some very interesting ways. You can quantize the oscillators to scales or a series of harmonics to get crazy and interesting combinations."

Superbooth 20HE: WMD Axxent, Time Warp and Sl3kt

Published on Apr 26, 2020 sonicstate

"In this video we hooked up with WMD’s Alex to check out their new modules for 2020. First of all we looked at Axxent which is an expander for WMD’s Metron trigger sequencer. Axxent gives you 16 extra accent tracks for the Metron sequencer. Taking the trigger count of Metron up to 32!!

Time warp is a two channel gated slew module. When a trigger is present the module will slew a cv signal, it can also be switched so that instead of slewing when a gate is present it can slew all the time and not slew when the gate is present. It also has a host of other features, let Alex walk you through it all…

We also took a look at WMD’s new 3 channel switch module S3lekt. All three modules are below $200. For more information check out WMD."

Superbooth 20HE: ALM System Coupe - Complete Eurorack System

Published on Apr 26, 2020 sonicstate

"ALM Busy Circuits System Coupe is ALM’s first foray into a complete modular system. The System Coupe ships with an arrangement of some of ALM’s most popular modules including; Pamela’s New Workout, Squid Salmple, MCO, Tangle Quartet and more. It also features a couple of unique modules to the system including a simple Mult and utility module called Milton.

The idea of the system is designed to create a full palette of modules for music making. The Squid Salmpler can be used in a variety of different ways from simple drum sampler triggering to a weird sampling delay and much more.

The System Coupe comes in a unique colour scheme, grey background with white writing and magenta and blue knobs. It is housed in ALM’s own case design and comes with their own power supply. The system should be available imminently and will cost £1899."

Superbooth 20HE: DBS Music and Omsonic Introduce New Eurorack Module

Published on Apr 26, 2020 sonicstate

"DBs Music and Omsonic have collaborated on a new module that takes the idea of probabilistic voltage control and puts it into a eurorack module. It is part sequencer, part random voltage source. Drawing from the John Cage idea that the job of the composer is to create the situation where complexity can occur.

The idea is that every aspect of a note; pitch, duration, portamento, envelope etc is under probabilistic control. So the idea is that instead of programming it like a sequencer or playing it like an instrument you set up the constraints for it to make music and then let it do its thing. As it is creating sequences you can interact with it and loop certain phrases.

For a deeper understanding of the module Phin gives us a demo of how you would build a sequence."

Superbooth 20HE: Future Sound Systems Recombination Engine

Published on Apr 26, 2020 sonicstate

"Just down the road in Bristol we managed to catch up with Mr Finlay Shakespeare at Future Sound Systems. Having just released his sophomore album Finlay has also found the time to release his second VCO the Recombination Engine.

The Recombination Engine is a triple oscillator design that has some very unique features for creating waveforms. Built around a new generation of CEM3340 VCO chips the Recombination Engine uses a novel novel wave-splicing technique to create waveforms.

In this video gives us a full rundown of the Recombination Engine. If you’d like to know more then head on over to Future Sound Systems"

WORNG Electronics Superbooth Home Edition 2020 - Parallax and Vertex

Published on Apr 24, 2020 WORNG Electronics

"Announcement and demos of the new WORNG Parallax stereo filter and Vertex stereo VCA
Jump to 4:45 to hear them in action, 6:20 for demos without talking"

"Parallax Stereo Low Pass Filter
Parallax is a stereo filter designed with a classic sound, a simple friendly interface, lots of modulation options and two flavours of output. Designed to bring your modular system into a stereo world, Parallax is a pair of filters for your left and right signals which are controlled with common stereo controls, as well as controls to skew the cutoff and resonance in the stereo field. Parallax is perfect for making synth patches from stereo sources, or for taking a mono signal and making it stereo.

A stereo signal (or mono to the left input) passes through filters based on the design of the classic Pro-One but with a number of tweaks to update the filter for modern use. in addition to the -24dB/oct outputs there are -12db/oct outputs added for a brighter, smoother sound in addition to the powerful sound four-pole sound you would expect. All outputs are available simultaneously, giving you more patching options."

"Vertex Stereo VCA
Vertex is a stereo VCA with some clever tricks up its sleeve to give you more control over the stereo domain. Vertex contains four analogue VCAs configured in such a way as to give you voltage control of the amplitude of a stereo signal (or make a mono signal stereo) as well as having control of the balance or panning of the signal.

Easily patch up a stereo signal path with a single envelope generator, skew your stereo image or pan a mono signal with CV. Vertex also takes advantage of the VCAs used to be able to saturate at unity gain without distorting your audio signal. This means that you can waveshape an AD envelope into an AHD using the Skew control to add punch to your patch, and use the Skew CV to dynamically alter the envelope timing to change the relative loudness between the Left and Right signals while still keeping the peak signal levels the same.

Vertex is also a great tool for controlling the dynamics of an XY signal for oscilloscope or vector laser patches."

Superbooth 20HE: Polyend Tracker With The Designers

Published on Apr 25, 2020 sonicstate

"Polyend made a splash with Tracker a few weeks back, we have seen it all over the internet but haven’t actually spoken to the Polyend guys about the development of the unit. We were keen to get Piotr on the end of a skype call to discuss the instrument.

Piotr gave us a walkthrough of a demo that was prepared ahead of time to demonstrate some of the capabilities of Tracker. Tracker is an 8 track sequencer, sampler and synthesizer. Originally trackers were the love child of early software samplers. As they were dealing with such small memory they used lots of sequencing tricks to get around the lack of memory."

Superbooth 20HE: Roland MC707 OS Update and Roland Cloud Academy

Published on Apr 25, 2020 sonicstate

"The Roland MC707 has been out for several months now and as such it has had an OS update we spoke to Peter Brown about the updates to the MC707 and also about the new Roland Cloud Academy which is an excellent resource for learning about all Roland products with Product Specialists.

The Roland MC707 newest firmware update has added such thing as; Clip Chaining, audio mixer mode, gui improvements such as step lfo editor and much more."

Superbooth 20HE: Isotonik Studios - Hybrid DJ Setup Using Live And Serato

Published on Apr 25, 2020 sonicstate

"Isotonik Studios for those of you who don’t know make useful tools and Scripts for Ableton Live, MaxForLive Devices and an array of MIDI controllers. In this video we spoke to Darren at Isotonik studios who has been creating a hybrid DJ/live set up for streaming to his friends over the weekend.

We took a look at Cross Fire Euclidean Mode which is a MaxForLive device that originally used the Fire Akai controller, however which some nifty scripts from Isotonik you are able to use this device with both Ableton’s Push and Akai’s Force controllers.

Darren also walked us through the rest of his hybrid DJ set up which showcases a number of different Isotonik Ableton Live Tools."