Gearwire Crosstalk #016

Dan Agosto of Gearwire sent me the following on a podcast series called Crosstalk. In Crosstalk #16 they compare a 1974 Minimoog with an Electric Blue Voyager as well coverage of the NI Kontrol. The MINI comparison starts at 19:17 into the Quicktime video.

"I wanted to let you know about a podcast some co-workers of mine and I have been working on. It is called Gearwire Crosstalk and is basically a panel conversation about music gear and news. In the latest episode (GW Crosstalk 016) we were able to borrow a 1974 Mini from a friend and compare it with an Electric Blue Voyager. I thought it might interest you and your other readers."

Definitely. Title link takes you there, where you can find a synopsis of episode #16 and various media links to the show. Make sure to check out the rest of the site while there.

Sound Lab Minisynth Video on Sendling

Title link takes you to the post on Sendling.

Analog Soultions TB-X TB-303

Title link takes you there. Note there is not internal sequencer.

"Main spec:
Basically the analogue voice circuit with MIDI and some extra features like noise, LFO etc.



Extra tone controls:
VCO level
External Audio level
Noise level
Squelch - to add more resonance
Cross mod (VCO to Cut-off)
MIDI Mod (MIDI control of Cut-off from Velocity or a Controller)
LFO Mod / LFO Speed (Square and Triangle)
VCA Decay
Overdrive

Other features:
Minikeyboard to audition the sound
Manual Accent and Slide buttons to overide the MIDI sequence
Squelch button - to add instant squelch
Audio input - through filter
Headphone socket
Uses the original 303 voice circuit, and analogue components (where possible - many are discontinued). We tried to get the sound original, and in our opinion it sounds just like a 303 - but of course there will always be to very few who disagree!

NOTE: there is no internal sequencer. Please don't debate with us whether that was the right or wrong thing to do. We did our best with the time and resources we have."

via Joao

The Simpsons vs Star Trek on YouTube

In Captain Kirk style: I.... Must.... Torture..... My..... Read....ers...
Thanks to Tim on this one. Annoying at first, hillarious in the end. Enjoy. Or not.

The Legend of Zelda Theme on YouTube

Title link takes you to more. Tim sent in the theremin video and I spotted the dual manual organ while checking it out. Enjoy. Or not. : )

Wavemakers

I wasn't going to put this up as I've already posted on Wavemakers several times in the past, but the day is actually starting out slow and why not. This is a spectacular shot, and if it's good enough to post on sequencer.de and sendling, then it's good enough to post here. If you haven't been to the Wavemakers site, do check it out. Wavemakers was an amazing range of modular synths that not too many people know about. "The pages you see here are a tribute to the work of Dr. Terry Kincaid and Dr. David S. Bates. This site is dedicated to chronicling and preserving the history of Wavemakers, also known as kb electronic music instrumentation. This line of synthesizers was produced from 1970 to the early 1980s." Title link takes you there.

Jean-Jacques Perrey & Dana Countryman - San Francisco

Click here for shots of the show on Laughing Squid.

Also check out their flickr set for more. Photos via Scott Beale / Laughing Squid

ARP / Aries Mega-2600

Via CMS:

"The information on this massive integrated 2600 style synth is limited. A former ARP engineer told me that this was a side project of a ARP/Aries engineer for the Boston School of Electronic Music. It has 8 VCOs with PWM and sync jacks, 8 multimode VCFs with voltage controlled resonance, 16 VCAs with linear and exp modulation, 4 balanced modulators, 4 preamps, 4 envelope followers, 4 voltage mixers. All the circuitry is precision made on plug in vector cards with gold plated connectors. CTS pots. Spun aluminum knobs, 1/8 inch switchcraft jacks, large lambda power supply, many multiples. Custom silk screened front panel. This machine is presently being restored at CMS and will be for sale soon. Only one in existence."

This is currently on the upcoming auctions page of CMS, along with a Synthi AKS. This one in via Dave.

Update: be sure to check out the comments of this post below.

Update2: You can find the Boston School of Electronic Music website here. Based on the copyright date of 2015 - 2016, I'm guessing it launched in 2015. If anyone knows otherwise, feel free to leave a comment.

Update3: You'll find some additional info on this system and who created it here.

Pianoteq

"Pianoteq is the result of an academic research and results in what we call the fourth piano generation. This is the very first, and only, piano available that belongs to this generation.

First generation: acoustic piano (1698)
Second generation: electro acoustic piano (1929)
Third generation: sampled piano (1984)
Fourth generation: modelled piano (2006)

The first generation of pianos began with Cristofori's pianoforte in 1698 which came to maturity at the end of the 19th century with the acoustic grand pianos. It was followed in the 20th century by the second generation electro-acoustic pianos and the third generation sampled pianos where each note is a recording of how it sounded during a specific moment in time, not taking into account the complexity of the instrument.

Pianoteq is the first and only piano belonging to the fourth generation, developed in order to go beyond the limitations of the third generation and to become a versatile and innovating tool. It is in fact the first virtual piano factory — it can produce new brands as well as copies of historical instruments."

Title link takes you there, including samples.

Korg X5D 10 Years and Running

So I get a zZounds newsletter and in it I see the Korg X5D listed. Scratching my head, I'm thinking, "how old is this friggin synth?" I head over to Sonic State and I find the X5D review page. According to Sonic State, it's been around since 1996. 10 Years! That's crazy! I'm thinking maybe they just have a bunch of old stock to get rid of and I head over to Korg. Sure enough it's listed as a current product. Think of how many synths the X5D has outlived. Bizarre. So... My question to you is, are there any longer running synths out there aside from the Minimoog? Is the X5D actually set to beat the Minimoog's record of 12 years? It's bizarre that out of all synths in the last decade, it's the Korg X5D still out there. I wonder how many were produced.

Update: Make sure to check out the comments for more, but so far we have:

GRONDO 2001: "Yamaha is still making its VL70m- which I think is even older!" Looks like it matches it - also released in 1996 according to Sonic State.

Anonymous: "Alesis is still making the SR-16 drum machine and that is like 15 years!" According to wikipedia (sorry reed : ) ) it was released in 1991.

cornutt: "If memory serves, the EML 101 had a production run of about 12 years. I'll check that tonight."

the world of next tuesday: "I'm surprised no one says EMS VCS-3. Though apparently there were a few years when the company might have been out of business and the waiting time to get one has been several years for years, nothing touches it within a decade or 2 (1969 - beat that Korg!) with the runner up being the EMS Synthi A."