MATRIXSYNTH

Somatic Circuits VC-303 (TB-303) Modular BassSynth

via Somatic Circuits
"Worlds first and only tb-303 synth module. 100% clone of the classic bassline synth in a modern
modular format. just like a 303 only modular.

all on board controls and in/out. high grade spring loaded jacks -3.5mm pcb mounted jacks to last a lifetime. low profile 2 board design for use within a mobile system. original n.o.s. transistors used. all transistors matched for a pure sound.

connections are:
VCO - 1v/oct Keyboard in , Frequency Modulation CV in and Glide 0-5v in.
VCF - Frequency Control CV in.
ENV- Envelope CV out , Gate 0-5v in.
VCA - Accent 0-5v in and Audio out.

controls are the 303 standard:
Waveform Select - Saw / Square (303 type).
VCO Tune.
VCF Cut-off , Resonance and ENV MOD.
ENV Decay.
VCA Accent and Volume.

Frac size:
3mm black shielded FR4 faceplate with gold plated writing.

euro size soon to come.

15v+/- and 12v+/- power supplies.
banana jack compatible pcb
(banana hybrid - accent and kbt must be switched with jack)"

Roland TR-808 Synth Cake

via @dyLABs

Be sure to see the Synth Cake label below for more.

Carbon111 - Stealing The Sun

A new release by Carbon111 (click for more info on the release). Note this also went up on MATRIXSYNTH-C. Posting here for the synths. See this post for what goes up where and why.

Update: Worth noting is Steve Turnidge of SYNTHWERKS mastered the release.

"Silver Thread - Ensoniq Fizmo and Waldorf Q provide backing pads, Korg Oasys is bass and string sounds while Digidesign's Boom provides percussion.

Breathing Machinery - Korg Oasys does Piano and Wave Sequencing, Weird Pads are NI's Absynth and, except for some clickety bits from Digidesign's "Boom", all the Drum Sounds and Rhythm Beds were done in NI's Absynth as well.

Subterranean Bathers - Ensoniq VFX is the voxy pad, Korg Oasys is piano, drums and everything else.

The Initiation - Lead Drones are from the SCI Prophet 600, Piano is Nord Stage, Pads are provided by Nord Wave, and Metallic Stabs and Drums are Korg Oasys.

Luna - The Nord Stage is on "distorted lead", Nord Wave on "grungy Santur" and Oasys on drums and "ambiance".

Walden - Waldorf Microwave XT is synth lead, Nord Stage is all pianos, Absynth4 and Alchemy provide ambient beds and Korg Electribe ES-1 is drums.

Stealing The Sun - All pianos and synth sounds are Nord Stage, drums are Korg Electribe ES-1.

The Big Room - Sync lead is Nord Wave, Grungy synth organ is Nord Stage, Pads are Korg Oasys and Drums are Digidesign's Boom.

Strangeness - Drums are provided by Korg Electribe ES-1, everything else is Waldorf Q.

No Time - All sounds provided by the Korg Oasys."

Thicket 2.0 demo

YouTube via intervalstudios | November 08, 2010 | 9 likes, 0 dislikes

"This video shows off Thicket v2.0, available now on the app store for iOS devices:"

iPads on eBay
iPads on Amazon

iPod Touch on eBay
iPod Touch on Amazon

Making Textures With An Arp Explorer I Monosynth

Making Textures With An Arp Explorer I Monosynth from Nick Franglen on Vimeo.

"This is a my eye view of a live improvised session, playing an Arp Explorer I analog monosynth through a Line 6 Echo pedal. I did this mainly as a 'texture-gathering' exercise, but I find this piece interesting on its own so here it is.

I like the idea of only using one instrument to make a whole bunch of sounds, the restriction pushes you to be more creative. The Explorer is a deceptively versatile synth; despite looking plasticky and cheap it can make some really varied, often aggressive sounds with a bit of application. I planned to use the textures as building blocks to be used in more structured pieces of music, and I will probably still do that.

I hadn't turned the Explorer on for several years so I couldn't remember how to use it at first. Quite a few keys triggered strangely or sometimes not at all, playing odd notes on release, and most of the sliders played up a bit, the filter and resonance sliders most obviously. You'll see the smallest movements I make with the filter slider (slider panel top right, one in from the end) having a big effect on the sound, but only in the very top of its range. You'll also see me drowning the controls with contact cleaner to see if that would help.

This shaky, hand held film takes quite a while to get going which makes for slightly dull viewing, but I've left all that in because people have asked me how I build up my textures and this shows the process from start to finish. The film making was very much secondary to the music making, so there are bits where I didn't pay attention to the picture while I was concentrating on a button or a slider. You'll see quite a lot of the floor. The ending didn't quite pan out as I would have liked. The signal just failed - I don't know why - so that was the end. That's live for you.

I played the Explorer into the Loop Recorder bit of the Line 6 Echo, activating the record button from time to time to build up some textures to play over. This is a mono recording with no overdubs. I've edited out a couple of sections where the signal collapsed or got REALLY LOUD for some unknown reason, but this is effectively a live performance with no computer jiggery pokery.

This film drifts out of sync, I don't know why. It seems to improve if you click on the time line somewhere near to where you are. Anyone got any ideas how to sort that?"