MATRIXSYNTH: Salamander


Showing posts with label Salamander. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Salamander. Show all posts

Friday, July 30, 2021

Salamander Music Systems SMS Voice 400 Synthesizer ultra rare Boards and Panel

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.


This one was spotted and sent in via M Me.

via this auction

"Salamander Music System SMS Voice 400 boards and control panel

This convolute contains

1x Control Panel
2x SMS 400 mother boards with dual VCO , VCF ,dual EG , delay and CV S&H modules
1x SMS 400 mother board with dual VCO , VCF ,dual EG and CV S&H modules
1x SMS 400 mother board with dual VCO ,VCF and CV S&H modules

All parts are untested . Selling it for spares and repair ,
Curtis IC's are not includet .
The MN3005 BBD Chips (2 per Delay as far as i know) are includet"

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Synth Kid with a Salamander Systems Modular


via Damir K Rogina on Emu Systems Modular Synthesizer Facebook.

"I got another modular few days ago... SMS salamander modular system ....

in huge pile of modules I got 4 dual VCOS based on EMU sub modules... KINDA LIKE SUPER EMU VCOS .. and 2 dual UAF modules based on EMU UAF submodules..... KILLER system"

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Salamander Modular Synth Analog Voltage Controlled Filter

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.
via this auction

"Up for auction is a Salamander Modular Synthesizer single analogue voltage controlled filter module-UAF 227. It is in museum quality condition and functions and tunes perfectly. Everything electronically and physically is in perfect condition. It is one of few made in San Francisco, California in the late 70's/early 1980's.

This module includes one voltage controlled analogue filter that is generated from a CEM 3320 VCF IC, the same filter in a Prophet 5! The surrounding circuitry has been greatly expanded and the best possible parts were used in constructing the UAF VCF module by SMS. All of the knobs and switches are military grade (as in literally).

This module comes from the full SMS system that can be seen in the video below. I overtook the modular when I became the sound designer and producer for Asphodel Records/Recombinant Media Labs from Naut Humon. Nothing, and I mean nothing, sounds remotely close to what this module can do.

The bandwidth is so high that I used the SMS to modulate and generate video signals for several installations. From a tuning and musicality standpoint, there is nothing that rivals the absurdly over built quality of the system.

The buyer will have to design their own power supply to run this module. Don't miss a once in a life time opportunity to add one of the rarest synthesizer modules ever made to your modular. All the connectors are standard 1/8" which will interface directly with all Eurorack modulars and similar gear."

"A bit about the studio from which this comes from ... Asphodel Records/Studios and Recombinant Media Labs was San Francisco's cutting edge and award winning production, recording, and performance/research facility. We worked both with artists internal and external to the record label. Some of the clientele has included Academy and Grammy Award nominated M.I.A., members of Nine Inch Nails, Lou Reed, Kode 9, Speedy J, Blixa Bargeld, and many many others. The facility was home to many talented professionals who were the users of the equipment we are selling."

Salamander Modular Synth Analog Voltage Controlled Oscillator & Waveshaper

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.
via this auction

"Up for auction is a Salamander Modular Synthesizer single analogue voltage controlled oscillator and waveshaper. It is in museum quality condition and functions and tunes perfectly. Everything electronically and physically is in perfect condition. It is one of few made in San Francisco, California in the late 70's/early 1980's.

This module includes one voltage controlled analogue oscillator that is generated from an E-MU Modular VCO Sub-block and discrete components. The surrounding circuitry has been greatly expanded and the best possible parts were used in constructing the VCO and Waveshaper module by SMS. All of the knobs and switches are military grade (as in literally).

This module comes from the full SMS system that can be seen in the video below. I overtook the modular when I became the sound designer and producer for Asphodel Records/Recombinant Media Labs from Naut Humon. Nothing, and I mean nothing, sounds remotely close to what this module can do.

The bandwidth is so high that I used the SMS to modulate and generate video signals for several installations. From a tuning and musicality standpoint, there is nothing that rivals the absurdly over built quality of the system.

The buyer will have to design their own power supply to run this module. Don't miss a once in a life time opportunity to add one of the rarest synthesizer modules ever made to your modular. All the connectors are standard 1/8" which will interface directly with all Eurorack modulars and similar gear."

"A bit about the studio from which this comes from ... Asphodel Records/Studios and Recombinant Media Labs was San Francisco's cutting edge and award winning production, recording, and performance/research facility. We worked both with artists internal and external to the record label. Some of the clientele has included Academy and Grammy Award nominated M.I.A., members of Nine Inch Nails, Lou Reed, Kode 9, Speedy J, Blixa Bargeld, and many many others. The facility was home to many talented professionals who were the users of the equipment we are selling."

Salamander Modular Synth Analog Voltage Controllable Delay

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.
via this auction

"Up for auction is a Salamander Modular Synthesizer Analog Delay It is in museum quality condition and functions and tunes perfectly. Everything electronically and physically is in perfect condition. It is one of few made in San Francisco, California in the late 70's/early 1980's.

This module includes one voltage controlled analogue delay that is generated from an E-MU Modular BBD Sub-block and discrete components. The surrounding circuitry has been greatly expanded and the best possible parts were used in constructing the delay module by SMS. All of the knobs and switches are military grade (as in literally).

This module comes from the full SMS system that can be seen in the video below. I overtook the modular when I became the sound designer and producer for Asphodel Records/Recombinant Media Labs from Naut Humon. Nothing, and I mean nothing, sounds remotely close to what this module can do.

The bandwidth is so high that I used the SMS to modulate and generate video signals for several installations. From a tuning and musicality standpoint, there is nothing that rivals the absurdly over built quality of the system.

The buyer will have to design their own power supply to run this module. Don't miss a once in a life time opportunity to add one of the rarest synthesizer modules ever made to your modular. All the connectors are standard 1/8" which will interface directly with all Eurorack modulars and similar gear."

"A bit about the studio from which this comes from ... Asphodel Records/Studios and Recombinant Media Labs was San Francisco's cutting edge and award winning production, recording, and performance/research facility. We worked both with artists internal and external to the record label. Some of the clientele has included Academy and Grammy Award nominated M.I.A., members of Nine Inch Nails, Lou Reed, Kode 9, Speedy J, Blixa Bargeld, and many many others. The facility was home to many talented professionals who were the users of the equipment we are selling."

Salamander Modular Synth Quad Voltage Controlled Amp VCA

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.
via this auction

"Up for auction is a Salamander Modular Synthesizer Quad Voltage Controlled Amp! It is in amazing condition and functions and tunes perfectly. Everything electronically and physically is in perfect condition. The only physical flaw is one missing knob cap that absolutely has no effect on the operation of the unit. It is one of few made in San Francisco, California in the late 70's/early 1980's.

This module includes four voltage controlled analogue amps that are generated from a combination of CA 3080's and other classic parts. The surrounding circuitry has been greatly expanded and the best possible parts were used in constructing the Quad VCA module by SMS. All of the knobs and switches are military grade (as in literally).

This module comes from the full SMS system that can be seen in the video below. I overtook the modular when I became the sound designer and producer for Asphodel Records/Recombinant Media Labs from Naut Humon. Nothing, and I mean nothing, sounds remotely close to what this module can do. The bandwidth is so high that I used the SMS to modulate and generate video signals for several installations. From a tuning and musicality standpoint, there is nothing that rivals the absurdly over built quality of the system.

The buyer will have to design their own power supply to run this module. Don't miss a once in a life time opportunity to add one of the rarest synthesizer modules ever made to your modular. All the connectors are standard 1/8" which will interface directly with all Eurorack modulars and similar gear."

"A bit about the studio from which this comes from ... Asphodel Records/Studios and Recombinant Media Labs was San Francisco's cutting edge and award winning production, recording, and performance/research facility. We worked both with artists internal and external to the record label. Some of the clientele has included Academy and Grammy Award nominated M.I.A., members of Nine Inch Nails, Lou Reed, Kode 9, Speedy J, Blixa Bargeld, and many many others. The facility was home to many talented professionals who were the users of the equipment we are selling."

Monday, March 19, 2012

Salamander Modular Synthesizer Dual Analog Voltage Controlled Filter UAF147

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated. via this auction
See the seller's other items for more.

"Salamander Modular Synthesizer dual analogue voltage controlled filter module-UAF 147. It is in museum quality condition and functions and tunes perfectly. Everything electronically and physically is in perfect condition. It is one of 20 made in San Francisco, California in the late 70's/early 1980's.

This module includes two voltage controlled analogue filters that are generated from an exact E-MU Modular sealed VCF modules. The surrounding circuitry has been greatly expanded and the best possible parts were used in constructing the Dual VCF module by SMS. All of the knobs and switches are military grade (as in literally). This module comes from the full SMS system that can be seen in the video below. I overtook the modular when I became the sound designer and producer for Asphodel Records/Recombinant Media Labs from Naut Humon. Nothing, and I mean nothing, sounds remotely close to what this module can do.

The bandwidth is so high that I used the SMS to modulate and generate video signals for several installations. From a tuning and musicality standpoint, there is nothing that rivals the absurdly over built quality of the system.

The buyer will have to design their own power supply to run this module. Don't miss a once in a life time opportunity to add one of the rarest synthesizer modules ever made to your modular. All the connectors are standard 1/8" which will interface directly with all Eurorack modulars and similar gear."

"A bit about the studio from which this comes from ... Asphodel Records/Studios and Recombinant Media Labs was San Francisco's cutting edge and award winning production, recording, and performance/research facility. We worked both with artists internal and external to the record label. Some of the clientele has included Academy and Grammy Award nominated M.I.A., members of Nine Inch Nails, Lou Reed, Kode 9, Speedy J, Blixa Bargeld, and many many others. The facility was home to many talented professionals who were the users of the equipment we are selling."

Salamander Modular Synthesizer Dual Analog Voltage Controlled Oscillator

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.
via this auction

"SMS Dual Voltage Controlled Oscillator
1 of 20 in the world
Containes E-MU modular sub module blocks
Museum Working and Aesthetic Condition

It is one of 20 made in San Francisco, California in the late 70's/early 1980's. This module includes two voltage controlled analogue oscillators that are generated from an exact E-MU Modular sealed VCO module. The surrounding circuitry has been greatly expanded and the best possible parts were used in constructing the Dual VCO module by SMS. All of the knobs and octave/semitone switchers and joysticks are military grade (as in literally). This module comes from the full SMS system that can be seen in the video below. I overtook the modular when I became the sound designer and producer for Asphodel Records/Recombinant Media Labs from Naut Humon.

Nothing, and I mean nothing, sounds remotely close to what this module can do. The bandwidth is so high that I used the SMS to modulate and generate video signals for several installations. From a tuning and musicality standpoint, there is nothing that rivals the absurdly over built quality of the system. The buyer will have to design their own power supply to run this module.

Don't miss a once in a life time opportunity to add one of the rarest synthesizer modules ever made to your modular. All the connectors are standard 1/8" which will interface directly with all Eurorack modulars and similar gear..."

"A bit about the studio from which this comes from ... Asphodel Records/Studios and Recombinant Media Labs was San Francisco's cutting edge and award winning production, recording, and performance/research facility. We worked both with artists internal and external to the record label. Some of the clientele has included Academy and Grammy Award nominated M.I.A., members of Nine Inch Nails, Lou Reed, Kode 9, Speedy J, Blixa Bargeld, and many many others. The facility was home to many talented professionals who were the users of the equipment we are selling."

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

SMS Salamander Modular & Voice 400


via It's Full of Stars where you'll find more pics.

"As it turns out Chris [Muir] worked on the design and manufacture of the SMS synths back in the day, and this was his personal system. Nowadays it gets a little bit neglected in favour of the Buchla, but it sure looked pretty. SMS's most successful product was the Voice 400, pictured at the bottom."

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Steckmatrix "Studio Synthesizer" Modular Format Analog Synthesizer


via this auction

Googlish translation (note some modules are faulty):
"The construction with the Ghielmetti matrix is similar to the EMS Synthi A / Vostok

The "Studio Synthesizer" (his name in the documents) was built in the early 1980s for a music institute. His then the price was a good 5-digit range. It was built based on the format module system, which were, according to the designer and builder of some of the modules nor modified. This is now due to space and light overhaul of need (and lack of detailed electronic and time budget) as possible to a collector, analog synth lovers and / or music-electronics hobbyist sale. (... Ok to the highest bidder ...)

It consists of three modules ("Keyboard / Matrix", "Links: VCOs / LFOs, Right: VCF / ADSRs" and a solid metal frame with castors.

He is very elegant in the different parts and dismantled the frame, the modules and the frame are visible to Langen "handle" screws (left of the big picture) is connected.

Also inside the synthesizer is very loving, clean and professionally built.

The (most likely) complete the design, modification and construction documents are supplied in a DIN A4 Ordener. For example, there are even invoices, data sheets used chips, many clean-hands design drawings and even films for the exposure time while platinum production.

Left Box (v.l.n.r.):

Thursday, August 27, 2009

THE LM13600/LM13700 STORY

You can find the story here. I did a quick search on LM13600 here just to see what might come up. This one post on the KORG MS20 did. I did a search on LM13700 and this one post on the Salamandar synth came up. I'm curious what else used these chips.

"The LM13600 has designed by Bill Gross and myself in less than 5 minutes. At the time the Consumer Linear IC design group was training a new mask designer. We needed something with a few transistors for her to learn how to arrange them in a optimum circuit arrangement while using minimum silicon area."

Friday, May 29, 2009

Salamander Outputs Demo

Salamander Outputs Demo from BLCLONES on Vimeo.


"I am showing you the various signal outputs"

Salamander Drone and Twerp Demo from BLCLONES on Vimeo.


"Live twerps and noise making"

Salamander Slime Melody from BLCLONES on Vimeo.



Salamander 2 Demo from BLCLONES on Vimeo.



salamander demo 3 from BLCLONES on Vimeo.

Monday, February 23, 2009

WITH MIDI


YouTube via bluelantern320. via this auction
"THIS IS DEMONSTRATING A SALAMANDER PROTOTYPE SYNTH WITH A NEWT 10 STEPPER, AND POLIVOKS VCF."

ALONE SELF REZ

"Demonstration of Polivoks VCF with a 10-step Sequencer (NEWT) based on CD4017 counter chip."

Gate Switch Demo

previously posted

Friday, February 20, 2009

SALAMANDER SYNTHESIZER


Salamander Slime Melody from BLCLONES on Vimeo.


Salamander 2 Demo from BLCLONES on Vimeo.


salamander demo 3 from BLCLONES on Vimeo.

via this auction via the forum.
"The front panel is Lexan.
These are the sections
(2) VCO's: VCO1(RAMP), VCO2(RAMP, PWM)
(1) LM13700 based Filter
(1) LM13700 based VCA
(1) LFO. It can do audible speeds. Square, Saw, Ramp, Triangle shapes. this has an LED indicator also.
(1) Attack, Release Envelope. This has an LED indicator also (indicates when gate signal is inputed)
(1) Portamento, It can do exaggerated portamento.
(1) MIDI-2-CV converter in 1v/oct format. There are outputs(PITCH/GATE) so you could use this as a converter for your other gear.
(1)+/-12v regulated power supply with exaggerated DC power Filter Cleaning for this synth.

There are (17) slide switches to either turn on/off a modulation patch or decide between something like for example white or pink noise.

The PCB was CNC pro Manufactured and has Solder mask to last a very long time. The unit is almost wireless, the only wiring is for the jacks. The pots are directly on the PCB, this results in very accurate and fast response.
The internal power supply is using 11000uF for each rail (+/-12v), that's (10) 2200uf CAPS total. This is really cleaning the POWER!"


Sunday, December 21, 2008

WITH MIDI


YouTube via bluelantern320 via orange_LED on the forum. On Ebay
"THIS IS DEMONSTRATING A SALAMANDER PROTOTYPE SYNTH WITH A NEWT 10 STEPPER, AND POLIVOKS VCF."
"I made 10 step sequencers based on Counter CMOS CHIP CD4017. In this demo, i use the polivoks vcf, a prototype Salamander Modular Synth, and the NEWT (brick red box). The Salamander has a Midi-2-cv converter. That is how i was able to play with a midi keyboard."

Update:

WITH SYNTH

"Polivoks VCF, Newt Sequencer, and Prototype Salamander Synth all together."

ALONE SELF REZ

"Demonstration of Polivoks VCF with a 10-step Sequencer (NEWT) based on CD4017 counter chip."

Friday, February 08, 2008

Asphodel and Recombinant Media Labs


Episode 10 - In the Studio: Asphodel and Recombinant Media Labs

The Synth Room comes in at 2:33 and lasts for about a minute. There's some massive modular goodness in there along with some analog synths.

via Matia:
"It's a video profile of the studio I work for. I designed and curate the synth room (a lot of that stuff is my equipment configured for the purposes of the studio work) as well as being an in-house synthesist and producer (per needs of client)."

Update: some links via Matia:
"No website for the studio itself but there is a myspace for the performance room.

http://www.myspace.com/recombinantmedialabs

we use the facilities and in particular the synth room to create our music:

http://www.myspace.com/redyouth

on that particular song there is quiet a bit of serge and the serge sequencer sequencing the filter and oscillators of the moog.

Update via Wavedeform in the comments (be sure to check out the comments for more):
"Naut has perhaps the largest Salamander (SMS) synthesizer in existence. The black-faced wall to the left of the Serge wall is all SMS.

SMS info:
http://www.xfade.com/gear/Salamander/"

Thursday, September 06, 2007

Salamander Music Systems

via Wavedeform in the comments of this post. I actually posted about the SMS website back on 7/12/2006. You can find all SMS posts I've put up here. Note there are three SMSes: Synthetic Music Systems, makers of the SMS MARS analog synth, Salamander Music Systems, and of course the fake SMS 2000. That said, here is the following via Wavedeform. Be sure to check out the site.

"My rather sparse Salamander site can be found here.

Salamander Music Systems (SMS) was started by Dennis Saputelli, an amazing designer. For its entire history SMS also manufactured lighting consoles, which was a much more lucrative business. Pretty much everyone involved with SMS was into it for synth-geek reasons, though, and saw the lighting stuff as the necessary evil that needed to be done to finance the synth stuff.

I worked at Salamander from roughly 1977-1985. The goal was to build the no-compromise synthesizer we all wanted. This meant that we were somewhat more expensive than a lot of systems of that era. At one point we had some pens made up that read: "SMS - When you don't care _how_ much it costs." There were a handful of (mostly large) modular systems shipped, and somewhere between 30-50 Voice 400s. Quite a lot of custom work was done also. For example, Mike Cotten of "The Tubes" had a bunch of SMS stuff, including a cool custom sequencer.

The modular was really amazing for its time. It used high quality sub-modules for all of its core functions. We started out using EMu sub-modules for the 97 Dual Oscillator, 147 UAF, and maybe one other module (I seem to remember a four pole LPF, too). The EMu modules were really expensive, and hard to get, so early on we designed our own sub-modules, some discrete, some based on SSM and Curtis chips.

The power distribution was perhaps overkill, but it also had significant advantages. Basically, there is a system wide, loosely regulated, +/- 18 VDC, and +9 VDC power supply. Each module has it's own local regulators to bring that down to +/- 15 VDC and +5 VDC. Because a module has its own power supply, it can be swapped around from system to system without the need for re-calibration. It also spread the heat around more evenly. The 1" modules didn't really have room for regulators, so they had their own regulated distribution scheme.

The Voice 400 was also really nice, but came out a little after the Prophet V, and a little before the DX-7; polyphony was the order of the day. A great sounding programmable monosynth, even with a programmable analog delay, was not what people wanted. I had one music store salesman tell me, flat out, that effects in a synthesizer were a bad idea, and that no one would want them. It turns out that they may, in reality, be a bad idea, but everyone wants them, anyway :-).

After SMS had been selling systems for a few years, Serge Systems relocated from Hollywood to San Francisco, just across town. There was a good natured rivalry between Darrell Johansen, Paul Young and the crew from Serge, and the SMS crew. If the respective companies were bigger, and we weren't all pasty-skinned synth-geeks, we would have had rival baseball teams or something. I had been a Serge user, as had Salamander user Naut Humon, currently of Asphodel/Recombinant Media Lab, and his bandmate at that time in "Rhythm & Noise", Rex Probe. Rex was also affiliated with SMS, doing assembly mostly, but a little design, too. Somehow illustrating the cycles of life is the fact that Rex is currently running Serge Modular.

Dennis Saputelli is still doing some lighting stuff, but mostly he does custom design and assembly, on an OEM basis. His company is called Integrated Controls http://integratedcontrolsinc.com/ , and is still in the same warehouse as the Salamander of old. Since I worked there, he has expanded into all the available space on the first floor of the building, and seems to be doing well."

Tuesday, September 04, 2007

SMS - Salamander Music Systems Data Sheets



via John Loffink on AH:

"I have posted data sheets for Salamander Music Systems modular synthesizers, from around 1980. There are 30 pages, scanned at 150 dpi, all in one zipped file. Most of this information is excerpted in the excellent SMS web site.

SMS Data sheets

John Loffink
The Microtonal Synthesis Web Site
The Wavemakers Synthesizer Web Site"

Below: Programmable Envelope Generator 240
PEG-240

Thursday, May 10, 2007

How to play fast on a Microkorg synth


YouTube via hamsterdunce.
"Sure, the keys are smaller than salamander toes. That doesn't mean you can't try and play a squillion notes per second, now does it? Enjoy yet another blistering array of wankadoo note slurrying by Uncle Dave!"

Sunday, June 25, 2006

Synthmaster


Trip. When I had severe GAS (Gear Aquisition Syndrome), I used to have these dreams where I'd walk into a pawn shop and see all these bizarre and obscure synths. Sometimes they were rare models of Oberheims and Rolands, etc, but usually they were obscure synths from manufacturers I've never seen before. Right before I was waking from the dream, I'd think if I only grab one I might be able to take it to the other side. : ) If you ever had dreams like this you probably know what I'm talking about.

Well, when I saw the Synthmaster post on sequencer.de, I had that same feeling, like I just walked into a pawn shop of obscure synths in dream land. There are a ton of bizarre and obscure synths I've never seen or heard of before. Looks like he brought them over from the other side. Click here for more.

Pictured above top down: E-Pro Minisynth, Firstman FS-4V       Polysynth, and Antares 1.

Synths on Synthmaster:
Antares 1
E-Pro Minisynth and Spirit - this looks like the Crumar Spirit to me.
CRB Daimond Vocostrings Ser.1, Ser. 2
Crumar Spirit, Compac Synth
Conn Electrik Band
Elka Accordion Synth Soloist 505
Excelsior Digital Synth, EK 4
Excelsior EK 4
Firstman SQ-01, FS-4V Polysynth
Jen Synx 508
Keytek CTS 5000, 2000, 1000, 400
Paia System 4700
Powertran Transcendent Polysynth, Transcendent 2000, Transcendent Variation
Pulser M 75
Salamander SMS 400
Skyline Orchestra
Steelphon S 900
Stramp Synchanger 2
Welson Syntex
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