Dave Fredericks - Stinger - The ARP Family of Synthesizers Demo Record

video upload by PJ

"Nice track from an Arp Synthesizer company promo 7"."

Stinger ~ A discussion with Arp Instruments Dave Fredericks.

video upload by David Frederick

"A discussion with Arp Instruments Dave Fredericks on the song Stinger from the 'Red' Arp demo record. This conversation between David Frederick and his father David Frederick Sr. (Dave Fredericks) discusses the origins of this song, recording the iconic song on the Arp "Red" demo record, and using the Arp 2600, Arp Odyssey, and Arp Pro Soloist in the performance. A great conversation on this song, Arp history, synthesizers, and more!

Interview note & correction: "East Meets West" was recollected to being in 5/4 time signature when in fact, it was in 4/4. At the time of recording this interview, East Meets West was recorded 56 years ago!"

David Frederick ~ Stinger Reborn

video upload by David Frederick

"My dad who was one of the original founders of Arp Synthesizer, VP of Global Sales and Marketing, and visionary behind such Arp synths as the Odyssey, Pro Soloist, String Ensemble, Omni, Explorer, Axxe, and Little Brother, wrote this song back in the late sixties around the time I was born. He initially released it on his first album "Mr. Talent - Dave Fredericks" where he played the organ and my uncle Bruce played the drums.

My dad reintroduced Stinger on Arp's "The ARP Family of Synthesizers" record (the red record), using the Eminent Organ, Arp Pro Soloist, Arp Odyssey, and Arp 2600 with Cleve Posar on Drums.

One day I decided for fun and nostalgia to quickly whip up a new 21st-century arrangement of my dad's song and I thought I would share.

Hope you dig it!
David

TRACK NOTES
David Frederick - Keyboards - Arp 2600, Hammond B3, Steinberg Horns, Steinway Grand Piano, Roland Jupiter 8 (pads), Spitfire Audio Drums, and Kontakt Percussion.

Recorded: Direct into Steinberg Cuebase, processed and mastered with Waves Abby Road Mastering Chain."

Dave Fredericks Plays the Amazing ARP Soloist 7" Single

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

via this auction

"ARP Soloist Dave Fredericks Vta 33 RPM Record Synthesizer Vinyl San Antonio Rose"

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The Electronic Sounds of the ARP Synthesizer 2600 & 2500 7" Single

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

via this auction

"Rare ARP Demo 7” 33rpm Record with Picture Sleeve"

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1960s Hohner Pianet Demo Record Side 1 of 2

YouTube via jafafah0ts. Obviously not a synth, but I decided to make the exception on this one.
"A vintage demo record for the classic Hohner Pianet electric piano. The demo has German-language narration, I have added the English translated text to the video. Side 1."

1960s Hohner Pianet Demo Record Side 2 of 2

YouTube via jafafah0ts
flexi disk

Update via in the comments:

"In fact, the clavinet was not invented to become a funky instrument. First it was more a kind of a substitution for a spinett. I have made a video, where you can hear the original sound and also the funky sound with a wahwah.
Look at www.tastronauten.de/hohner-clavinet-d6.html
or at youtube at http://youtu.be/pRbQmwLE5sA"

Sounddemo Hohner Clavinet I - Clavinet 1

Published on Mar 6, 2012 Tastronauten·17 videos

"http://www.tastronauten.de
Sounddemo Hohner Clavinet I - Clavinet 1 - First Clavinet ever built
Copyrights Volker Hein - 2012
Look at our website http://www.tastronauten.de for more synth, organ and keyboard gear like Roland Jupiter 8, Prophet T8, Yamaha GS1, Yamaha EX-1, Crumar Bit One and many, many more."

1970s Godley & Creme Gizmotron Demo Record

YouTube via jafafah0ts. via http://twitter.com/JafafaHots
"A vintage flexidisc promoting a rare and short-lived product, the Godley & Creme Gizmotron (a.k.a. Gizmo), a device that allowed guitarists to play sustained notes and chords on their guitars. Shown is the six-string variation. A bass version was also made."
via wikipedia:
"According to Paul Gambaccini's sleeve notes for Consequences,[1] 10cc were unable to afford an orchestra for their early albums, so Creme and Godley imagined an effects unit that would enable a guitar to produce violin-like sounds (this was some years before the introduction of the polyphonic synthesiser and long before the development of digital sampling).

The resulting device, a small box which was attached to the bridge of the guitar, consisted of six small motor-driven wheels, whose continuous bowing action was activated by pressing one or all of keys located on the top of the unit. Pressing a key would bow the corresponding string, while the other hand remained free to fret single notes or full chords."

also see: Mr Blint's Attic on the Gizmo.
flexi disc

1974 Paia Synthesizers Demo Record

YouTube via jafafah0ts
"Vintage 1974 flexidisc promoting Paia synths."
Update via Phil in the comments: "thats a picture of a 2700 with sound of a 4700."

1960s Stylophone Demo Record Side 1

YouTube via jafafah0ts
"Vintage demo for the Stylophone pocket synthesizer organ gadget doo-dad featuring Rolf Harris, side 1 of 2"

1960s Stylophone Demo Record Side 2

adding flexi disc for searching the archives.

KORG DSS-1, DD-1 Flexi Disc Demo

via adrien:

"demo made only using DSS1 (and maybe DDD1 ?), i got it from a korg tape, with demos of ALL factory disks, DDD1 and SG1D pianos" MP3 here

1978 Crumar Orchestrator Synthesizer Demo Disc

YouTube via jafafah0ts
"A vintage 1978 demo record promoting the Crumar Orchestrator electronic synthesizer."
Click on the flexi disc label below for more.

A Synthesist's Guide to Acoustic Instruments

via Loscha

Side1.mp3
Side2.mp3

Update via Loscha:
"I've re-uploaded the mp3s. The disc is in Mono, so, I've made the mono, and trimmed the tops and tails.

Written my Howard Massey, Alex Noyes and Daniel Shklair. Published in 1987, the book gives it's reader a good insight into how sounds are made up, attacks, spectral components and such. These patch examples in the book are for CZ-101, Dx7, and generic subractive systems. They are presented on the Flexi as, well, realistic. But,
only realistic in terms of that these are the sounds that you, the end user, would end up with if you were to follow their book! The book presents typical ranges, polyphony in use, if the note can slide or trill, etc. A sort of how to guide for people without access to these instruments. It's not just about synthesis, it's about
playing technique, and how that translates into realistically recreating the style of the instrument in Synthr format.

The LP features an Acoustic sound, followed by the result from following the patches and techniques in the book.

The introduction from Dr John Chowning:
One of the most exciting experiences for musicians is in learning about the medium beyond "Playing the notes in a musical way." This book, designed for those who play and program synthesizers, is insightfully written. Here, the nature of the micro-structure of sound is clearly revealed and with it much of the magic of music. - Dr John Chowning, CCRMA, Stanford University."

Dr. Bohm Digital Drums Flexi Disk Online

click here for the Dr. Bohm Digital Drums soundset audio on Keyboardmuseum/ Audio Playground.

via André who provided the soundset to Audio Playground. Below, according to André is the Boehmat, a predecessor from around 1975.

Apple II alphaSyntauri Music System

images via this auction


"Apple ][
Alpha Syntauri
Mountain Computer Music System

Complete Apple //e based setup
Fully working, with lightpen, monitor, disk drive, manuals

This auction is a genuinely rare chance (I hate the phrase, but I haven't seen one of these on auction for a year at least) to obtain a Mountain Computer Music System based AlphaSyntauri. This is a digital synthesizer and sequencer package dating from 1979-1982 in terms of hardware - they went out of production in 1985 or so. It is very similar to the Passport Soundchaser system. The complete setup consists of:

AlphaSyntauri "Pratt & Reed" based 61-key velocity sensitive keyboard, which I have rebuilt and cleaned with new bushes. It would benefit from replacement of the foam damper strip along the base below the keys which has disintegrated with age, but this is largely a cosmetic component. This is the same key mechanism used by many classic synthesizers. There is also an interface card for the keyboard.

AlphaSyntauri's preferred bundle of the "Mountain Computer Music System" voice cards - 8-voice (technically 16 oscillators) stereo sound generator and interface board with lightpen, with wavetable synthesis. This has the original box, in poor condition, and manual (no original disks). The system was also available with three-voice square wave cards from A.L.F, which are very limited.


An Apple //e unenhanced system. To be chronologically correct, this should have a ][+ or //e, this is the nearest I can get to a ][+. Enhanced //e models have timing issues. This is equipped with a duodisk disk drive and interface card, and a Philips monitor of suitable persistence for the lightpen to work. It is also equipped with a higher-output, better cooled AE PSU which should make it rather more reliable despite being 25 years old. In the picture, an 80 column card is visible - this is included in the auction but will not be fitted, as it appears to cause minor timing issues with the synthesizer (I added it to the system to include with the auction then remembered why I removed it!).

Software, including the B3 wavetable generator. This is quite complicated to use, but the results are impressive. To be fully useful, the software needs Apple II paddle controllers - either the later, 9-pin D-sub connector type or earlier ones that connect internally. I no longer have a set of these, but will attempt to locate some before the auction ends. They sell for a few bucks on eBay US when they come up.

It's hard to really fully explain how main "MetaTrak" system works, but it features a sixteen track sequencer, is multi-timbral, and quite flexible. By 1979 standards, it was absolutely stunning. Rather than try and explain what it sounds like, here's a link to a recording of a demo track provided with the system called Galaxy Gap [player above] - this has been played back directly from the system for sale, recorded by myself. It is not multitracked or processed in any way. During playback, the notes are represented on screen in a similar style to the panels on "Close Encounters" - when using other software modules, they are bar-graphs showing velocity.

You can play live over an existing track in MetaTrak. Other software has different features; documentation for the Mountain Computer Music System is included but I had to dig around the internet to find out how to use a lot"

Also see this post.

Sound Pages via Ron

Click here for a number of SoundPage Flexidiscs (flexi disk) sent my way via Ron aka nonbeing. Enjoy. The following is the full track listing:

DISK 1 (One)
1. “Cranes In Their Nest”
Arranged, performed, and produced on synthesizer by Isao Tomita (with Goro Yamasuchi on Shakuhachi)
Soundpage No. 11 (August 1985)
Flip Side: Blank

2. “My Wife with Champagne Shoulders”
Composed, performed, and produced by Mark Isham
Soundpage No. 14 (November 1985)
Flip Side: Blank

3. “Moon Machine”
Jean-Michel Jarre
Soundpage No. 18 (March 1986)

4. Flip Side of 3: “An Introduction to the Kurzweil 250”

5. “Sometimes . . . Not Always”
Ralph Grierson
Soundpage No. 20 (May 1986)

6. Flip Side of 5: “The Kurzweil 250 Rock Block – A Demonstration”
Original music composed and performed by Paul Heckert live to 2-track master using Kurzweil 250 presets only.

7. Synth Sketch for “Varying Lengths”
Lyle Mays
Soundpage No. 22 (July 1986)

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Prophet Flexi Discs

Two via Stephen Jones:

One
Two

Each link will take you to more images and mp3s of recordings of the Prophet 5 and Prophet 10 by John Bowen.
Prophet 5 demo sheet

ARP Avatar Flexi-Disk Demo

In case you missed the update to the ARP Avatar post I previously put up, title link takes you to page on Audio Playground where you can listen to this flexi-disk of the ARP Avatar. BTW, do check out the museum for more. Scroll down when you get there to get to the links. There's a collection of flash based vintage drum machines, tons of images and more flexi-disks.

via Andre.

EMS Flexi Disk MP3

Title link takes you to a link to an EMS flexidisc on sequencer.de.