Vintage Bentley Rhythm Ace Drum Machine FR-6

via this auction
"Vintage 1970's Bentley Rhythm Ace FR-6 drum machine, for the classic retro analogue Sounds

Rarer than the common Long organ top ones with the music rest, this would fit in much better in a studio set up.

Beats 2-beat selectable by rotory knob, Bass drum, Base drum and snare, Fox trot one, Swing one, March, Hara Nara
Beats 4 beat selectable by rotory knob, Bass drum, Bass drum and snare, Fox trot two, Swing two, Swing three, Tango.
Plus Bossa Nova, Samba, Mambo, Cha-Cha, Beguine, Rock N Roll, Ballard, Slow Rock and Waltz.

Large on/off switch
Volume,
Tempo,
Ballance."

Moby's Drum Machines For Sale

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

You can find them on Reverb here.

Don't miss the video here.

Update: some pics and details captured. I made the mistake of trying to capture them all and then realized how many were listed. :) I ended up switching to the more esoteric models. Quite a few have never been featured here on MATRIXSYNTH before. What's a little bit interesting, is only two new labels were needed, one for Domino and one for Side-Kick-Er. All other brands have been featured before. See the labels at the bottom of this post. Side note: Blogger limits the number of characters to 200 for labels, so I wasn't able to capture them all for this post. You can always search for the brand names featured for more. I assume most do this anyway. The labels are more for maintenance and for finding posts that may not feature brand names in descriptions.

Pictured:

Realistic Concertmate Electronic Accompanist-Metronome

"Fully analog rhythmic companion utilizing 5 beat buttons to combine how you wish. Features metronome, speaker and line out, and tempo control.

Serial: 42-2103. Works with no issue."

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Vintage Roland Rhythm 77 Rare Analog Drum Machine

via this auction
Some of the description appears to be from the dubsounds.com sample pack page. "The Rhythm-77 (TR-77) was the product that launched the Roland Corp. in 1972 and was the flagship of the Rhythm trio, which included the R-33 and R-55. Its place in history is secured as the first Roland drum machine ever made. It was Ikutaro Kakehashi's baby which he used to introduce the world to ROLAND after he sold off Ace Tone and moved on to bigger things. The Rhythm-77 (TR-77) came in two versions, the more common organ style wooden case with built in music stand and a black tolex "roadie protected" (TR-77V). Incidentally, if you don't already know TR stood for Transistor Rhythm. It had separate faders for the Kick, Snare, Guiro and Hi-Hat/Cymbal/Maracas, making it a very flexible machine in the studio. As with many early drum machines you could get more out of them by selecting multiple rhythms and layering them over each other.

Sonically, the 77 is probably the warmest sounding of all Roland's analogue beat boxes (before or since). The kick does lack punch but more than made up for that in bass content and the percussion sounds are very nice indeed. The standout sound has to be the guiro pattern which you can fade in over the top of the Cha-Cha and Mambo rhythms. Unashamedly "lounge" and instantly recognizable.

You can spot the TR-77 on quite a few tracks from the late '70s. It was quite popular for a few years until the CompuRhythm range took over. Gary Numan used it briefly on the "Replicas" album before moving on to the CR-78. Ultravox (with John Foxx) also used a 77 first before Foxx immortalized the CR-78 on his seminal "Metamatic" album. The 77 is also heard quite prominently in the intro to Squeeze's "Take Me I'm Yours" and "Girls On Film" by Duran Duran.

Rhythms:
Latin: Rhumba, Beguine, Cha-Cha, Mambo, Samba 1&2, Bossa Nova, Baion, Bolero, Tango
Rock: Rock'n'Roll 1&2, Slow Rock, Ballad, Western, March, Jazz Waltz, Waltz, Cancel (quiet)
2beat & 4beat: Bass Drum, Snare, Fox Trot, Swing, Parade, Shuffle

Drum Sounds:
Bass Drum, Snare Drum, Low Conga, Low Bongo, High Bongo, Rim Shot, Maracas, High Hat, Cymbal, Tambourine, Guiro, Cowbell."

Darkglass Electronics Axioma: Monophonic Synthesizer

video upload by Darkglass Electronics

"An axiom needs no proof and a voice needs no permission to change history. Both are driven by conviction. Axioma, our long awaited mono synth plugin for the Anagram platform, is made of it.

More on Axioma: https://www.darkglass.com/en-eu/pages...
More on Anagram: https://www.darkglass.com/en-eu/produ...

Track:
Composed, interpreted, and produced by Sebastian Pinilla:
Soundcloud: / kylo-rec
Instagram: / kylorec

Co-writer: Jesse Mäläskä
Instagram: / jessemalaska
Youtube: / @jessemalaska"
Anagram´s AXIOMA Synth! Deep dive

video upload by Bass Fox aka Quincas Moreira

"Everything you need to know about the long awaited, highly anticipated new SYNTH block for the Darkglass Anagram!"

"Inspired by vintage synthesizers, our monophonic synthetizer plugin for Anagram lets you explore the sound of blending different wave shapes, mixing two oscillators, sub oscillator, shape the overall response with multiple filters, and turn notes into repeating patterns with the arpeggiator."

Roland TR77 Rhythm Machine

via this auction
"Roland TR77 Rhythm synth.
The Roland Rhythm 77 drum machine was Roland's first product (formerly Ace electronics) - released in 1972. It is actually an updated and relabelled Rhythm Ace FR-8L.

It was one of a trio of drum machines released by Roland that year, offering features intermediate between those of Rhythm 33 (TR-33) and Rhythm 55 (TR-55).

It comes in a flat wooden case with a metal base and has a holding for scorebooks - was dedicated to put at top of an organ for rhythm accompaniment.

General Product Information:
Contents
* 1 Rhythms:
* 2 Instruments:
* 3 Some technical inside:
* 4 External Sync

Rhythms:
· Latin: rhumba, beguine, cha-cha, mambo, samba 1&2, bossa nova, baion, bolero, tango
· Rock: rock'n'roll 1&2, slow rock, ballad, western, march, jazz waltz, waltz, cancel
· 2beat & 4beat: bass drum, snare, fox trot, swing, parade, shuffle

Instruments:
Bass drum, snare drum, lo conga, low bongo, high bongo, rim shot, maracas, high hat, cymbal, tambourine, guiro, cow bell. Rim are used for metronome, too.
has a little mixer for: bass drum, snare drum, guiro, high hats.
has a tempo & volume fader; and a fade-out option : for start there's no button, it's a finger-sensitive touch-bar, supports double tempo.
the power switch is not a primary AC-switch.

Some technical inside:
There's no IC inside - only one VCA...
Left: transformer, rectifier, softstart.
Mid: master clock, 5 dividers, reloop & down-beat LED, diode matrix.
The 1st divider is connected to the tempo-up switsch for a 1:1 or 1:2 ratio, the 2nd ones for switching between the 4/4 and 3/4 clock - 1:2 or 1:3 ratio.
Right: the voice board, mixer & output stage. BD, LC, LB, HB, rim are passive circuits.
Bottom: the rhythm switches...
External Sync
There's a little possibility to use din-sync on this device.
Logic board: leftest transistor, on its right the base resistor, solder on lower pin the clock line. For start/stop - its like a pedal switch - just put a transistor serial into the male connector: gnd=emitter, top=collector, base=start/stop line.

Works best at 8 ppm clock, up-tempo off for best results. On up-tempo on the guiro & tambourine it sounds bad as they have a 2nd trigger input which they get from the 1st divider."

MODULUXXX - Modular Synthesizer Mini-Festival

"Moduluxxx is a 2 day thermo voltaic burn out celebrating and exploring modular synthesis. Somewhere between a museum, a LAN party and a pet show, Moduluxxx will be an space for vicarious enjoyment, learning, rubber necking, starting a dangerous new hobby (fiscally speaking), kicking tires or brushing shoulders with your peeps.

Around the world modular synthesis is experiencing a renaissance of interest and experimentation, with new developments from high bandwidth video synthesis systems through to reinventions of granular synthesis in an analog context. In a creative audio world that is dominated by software, saved files and presets, modular synthesis offers no recall, each patch is unique and perhaps unrepeatable. The equipment itself is constructed in small manufacturing runs, often by hand, designed by dedicated enthusiasts operating out of their lounge rooms.

So what is modular synthesis anyway? It is a style of synthesiser design where the architecture is left open. Each element, whether it be a sound generator, filter, controller, modulator or effect can be reconfigured in an infinite variety of arrangements.

What is so great about it? Your mind can go wild with the possibilities! You might never finish a song or track again!!

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The Talking Booms of Mario Capretta

Published on Dec 20, 2014

"Copy from https://soundcloud.com/studio-electro...

(Band in a Boom* Box, the Final Chapter)

Raw files for supreme, artifact-free, listening joy:
http://studioelectronics.com/assets/A...
http://studioelectronics.com/assets/A...

The foundation for this distinctly Analogian adventure is the Boomstar 3003 crunch 'n chunk sound, warmed-up nicely by Slate Digital's "Virtual Tape Machine." I intended to accent it merely with the ATC-1-ish cross-mod vocal sound lead work (way back in early Sept.), which re-interprets my uber-talented friend Grecco Burrato's rich and rootsy guitar solo at 2:29 in my CODE-filtered Theriot offering (http://studioelectronics.com/assets/A...), but I kept getting pulled back into the power and poetry of the B*s circuits and smashing performance-centered feature set.

The jazzy polyphony heard at the beginning after my Uncle Mario's chuckles (more from him later, much more), is all Boomstar 5089, arranged on piano and tracked one note at a time—credit DP8's split notes feature; patience and persistence make pretty, and we are off to the races: the twin herculean pillars of 3003 rhythm and lead making friends along the way with slidey, glidey, echoey, multi-tracked B* 5089 / 1970's slippery, synthy goodness, B* 4075's punchy percolated arpeggiations, square-waved octaved finger bass, B* SE-80's rim shots, tablas, claps, 70's and 80's session snares, tuned "Tubaleans" kicks-basses, major toms, SEM hi hats and crashes, all of which thins out dramatically at 3:06 for the 5089/SE80/4075/SEM bass and beats break—picked up by those 5089 faux muted guitars—commencing the beginning of the culmination, or so it seems. Really, the show is just getting started with the 5089 holding court with its sweet and foxy leads on the run—love that "The Sweet" joint, a radio rediscovery one schoolday morning which revitalized and repurposed the back nine of “The Talking Booms,” called again upon the ARP-peggiations, Glam Synth drive, and clearing the mind for the late 99 year Oracle at Cleveland, Uncle M.

What are we learning? What are we storing up inside?

Thanks for the listening and read,
Marc A. Theriot St. Regis - Thanksgiving-ish 2014

p.s. Apart from DP and various audio plugins—my DAW was my friend—everything is Boomstar, apart from a backwards piano snippet from a rejected short film score of mine, and the snappy kick drum, hit by our Fox mic pre, and wrapped with several 4075 and SE80 kicks, when things get Marley. Oh yes, and brilliant cousin Eve (Capretta) Rouveral does the marvelous Mario mining."

The Day The Earth Stood Still 1951 - Theremin studio session.

Uploaded on Oct 17, 2010 lostinthetimes's channel

via Brett Hoyle on The MATRIXSYNTH Lounge via The Playlist where you'll find a post on the piece.

Video description:
"The soundtrack was composed in August 1951 and was Bernard Herrmann's first soundtrack after he moved to Hollywood. Herrmann chose unusual instrumentation for the film: violins, cellos, and basses (all three electric), two theremin electronic instruments (played by Dr. Samuel Hoffman and Paul Shure), two Hammond organs, a large studio electric organ, three vibraphones, two glockenspiels, marimba, tam-tam, 2 bass drums, 3 sets of timpani, two pianos, celesta, two harps, 1 horn, three trumpets, three trombones, and four tubas. Unusual overdubbing and tape-reversal techniques were used, as well. 20th Century Fox later reused the Herrmann title theme in the original pilot episode for Irwin Allen's 1965 TV series Lost in Space. Danny Elfman noted The Day the Earth Stood Still's score inspired his interest in film composing, and made him a fan of Herrmann.

The Day the Earth Stood Still is a 1951 American science fiction film that tells the story of a humanoid alien visitor who comes to visit the Earth with a warning, accompanied by his powerful robot, "Gort". Robert Wise directed this film, and its leading actors and actresses were Michael Rennie, Patricia Neal, Sam Jaffe, and Hugh Marlowe. "Gort" is also a primary character in this motion picture, but he is portrayed as a completely mechanical man. The writer of The Day the Earth Stood Still, Edmund H. North, based his screenplay on Harry Bates's short story "Farewell to the Master" (1940).

Julian Blaustein produced this film for 20th Century Fox, and its cinematography was executed by Leo Tover. Nearly all of the action takes place in Washington, D.C., where the alien spacecraft lands, and then remains without moving for almost the entire motion picture."

Hohner Rhythm 80 SN 800012

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

via this listing

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Wersi KF1 Rack Fox

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

via this auction

This appears to be the first one featured on the site.

"CONDITIONS: The unit is fully working in very excellent cosmetical conditions. The only electronic minor “flaw” is that it can’t be turned off with its on/off button. But the turn on/off button works perfectly for turning it on, so it does not interfere in the use. For this reason we include in the sale a special white adapter with ON/OFF switch, through which it is possible to turn off the instrument without problems (please check all photos).

DESCRIPTION: This rare Wersi Rack Fox KF1 turns every electronic keyboard (synthesizer, piano etc.) into an instrument with a professional sound. It includes countless rhythms, and many different instruments! See the pictures for the available options and sounds.

Sounds can be combined in some of the modes. Within the rhythms, you can build your sound with drums, bass, chords etc. Of course, volume, tempo and other variables are adjustable.

This is a great machine for a trip in the 80s productions! We tested it with a midi pedal board that allowed us to change the midi channels and listen to the sounds and other functions. MIDI IN/THRU/OUT available. The information on the midi mapping is shown on the surface.

This is your chance to get your hands on a truly legendary expander synth. Very hard to let this one go, but it's not getting enough use and it's just time to move on."

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Baldwin Fun Machine 1974 Brown Chicken Brown Cow

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

via this auction

You can find demos of the Baldwin Fun Machine in previous posts here. Note, I don't believe this is the one in the latest demo just posted here as only this older video is included in the listing.

"Vintage Baldwin. Funkiest of the funky... 'Fun Machine' Personally owned by Johnny Moeller of the Fabulous Thunderbirds.

This Timeless Electric Organ By Baldwin Sure Does Live Up To Its Name Because Boy Isn’t It FUN! Lot's Of Vintage Rhythm's Like Fox Trot, Dixieland, Swing, Ragtime Very Cool! One Finger Auto Bass Licks With Jammin Drumbeats Like Polka, Rhumba, Bossa Nova, Latin III. What More Can You Ask For! It's A Fun Machine! I Personally Could Not Stop Playing This Organ. It’s Built In Speaker System Sounds Great And Displays Amazing Clarity Making It A True Blast From The Past! The Piece Itself Is In Great Operable Condition And Cosmetically Consistent With It’s Age. It’s Original Bench Is Also Included. Dimensions: 43.25" W x 37.5" H x 14.75" D"

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Univox Rhythm Box

images and video via this auction

"Univox vintage drum machine with 20 beats. You can adjust the tempo, volume, and even bass, drum, and snare variations for the "fox Trot" beat/ Works Perfectly."

Univox Drum Machine

YouTube via thesuperrockfunshow.
"univox drum machine with various beats"

Nomad Rhythm Maker 16

images via this auction
"RARE Hard-to-Find NOMAD RHYTHM MAKER 16 in working condition! I have seen some Nomad RM 12s but not a 16 - this is a great little sound and beat analog sound machine made in Japan and available in the 1970s - The unit has volume and tempo pods, cymbal - claves - cow bell and bass drum black rocker switches - march - shuffle - cha-cha - mambo - samba - rhumba - beguine - tango - swing - fox trot - bosa-nova - slow rock - rock n roll - western - dixieland and waltz

This instrument is in beautiful condition, there is some discoloration on the silver face plate that should clean up nicely - there are 4 small holes in the top of the unit as it was mounted under a keyboard shelf - very solid and well-made with a warm wood finish"

Vulcan Harp & Theremin (1929 RCA Theremin)

YouTube via copperleaves | January 18, 2011 |

"This is called THE KATRIC ARK and it is one of a series of 12 compositions for Vulcan harp and theremin. Since the Vulcan harp was introduced by artist and visionary Wah Ming Chang more than 40 years ago, it has evolved considerably, along with the technology involved with its manufacture. It is acoustic, electroacoustic and electronic (it is the electronic component that permits such things as the playing of complex harmonies, glide pitch shifts, etc.).

As a sculptor, Chang molded the instrument to fit the human body, and it is great to hold because it is so wonderfully ergonomic. This particular harp has 26 strings (copper, brass and silver) and is played with finger picks. There are no steel strings and the instrument does not use magnetic pickups like electric guitars. It also does not need to be plugged into anything so there are no annoying cables to get in the way. It transmits directly to its amplifier and speakers by means of an antenna integrated into the pin column (the extended curved vertical arm that holds the tuning pins). The two speakers you see in the video are JBL JRX-125 monitors.

As a concept, the characteristics of "Vulcan music" are determined by the remarkable capabilities of the Vulcan harp which include many of the possibilities of the classical instruments of India. The sound of the Vulcan harp has been described as a combination of harp, lute, violin and sitar. If you add to this everything that is possible with the use of the shift disc and the harmonic valves (the seven button controls - one for each note of the diatonic scale - riding above the brass plate) you have an extraordinary number of combinations that can be explored. The harmonic valves are all level-sensitive (each responds to three degrees of left hand finger pressure applied to them: touch, half, and full) and this determines the harmony applied to the vibrating strings. Octave displacement is played by multiple valve configurations depending on the register in which the harpist wants to play.

There is also a "tapper control" incorporated into the Vulcan harp for generating complex polyrhythms but it is not used in this particular composition. The "tapper" is the knob that sits just behind the lowest bass strings on the upper edge of the instrument facing the harpist. It can be silently programmed just before a piece is played by drumming the fingers of the left hand on the knob in the exact rhythm combination you want to hear applied to your sound once you begin to play. The instrument will loop the rhythm continuously throughout the piece (or until you squelch it).

The theremin in this video is the 1929 RCA that once belonged to Hollywood thereminist Dr. Samuel Hoffman. It was used by Dr. Hoffman on the soundtracks of many classic science fiction films of the 1950's, so I thought it would be appropriate to use it here. If you are curious about this 1929 theremin, I am featured in the 20TH CENTURY FOX 2-disc DVD "special edition" of the re-issue of the original 1951 science fiction masterpiece, THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL. There are already several videos on YouTube of me playing this instrument (and some from the 1950's of Dr. Hoffman as well) so after the solo theremin section at the beginning of the composition, I concentrated entirely on showing the Vulcan harp. There are very few Vulcan harps in the world and even fewer musicians who can actually play them, so I thought people might might like to see it.

PLEASE NOTE: the recording of this composition was done directly to a Roland VS-2400CD. There were no FX added to the instruments other than the usual EQ and a small amount of reverb. No peripherals, no MIDI modules, overdubs or computers were used at any time in the recording process."

Suzanne Ciani to Mentor Emerging Electronic Producers as Master in Residence at Studio Bell

via the National Music Centre

"Synth legend Suzanne Ciani to mentor emerging electronic producers as next Master in Residence at Studio Bell

Four artists from across Canada to be mentored by electronic music pioneer

(Calgary, AB — October 17, 2019) The National Music Centre (NMC) is pleased to announce electronic music pioneer Suzanne Ciani as the next Master in Residence at Studio Bell in Calgary.

Dubbed the 'Diva of the Diode,' Suzanne Ciani is a five-time Grammy award-nominated composer, electronic music pioneer, and neo-classical recording artist whose work has been featured in countless commercials, video games, and feature films. Over the course of her 40-plus year career, Ciani has released 16 solo albums, including Seven Waves, The Velocity of Love, and most recently, her comeback quadraphonic Buchla modular synth performance recording LIVE Quadraphonic.

Alongside NMC ON and AEMCON events, Ciani will offer her expertise on electronic music composition, including analog modular live performance and sound design techniques, with four emerging Canadian electronic artists during an intensive one-day session. Participants include Calgary producer and bass music advocate Homesick, Winnipeg-by-way-of-Toronto electronic artist Joanne Pollock, experimental music-maker YlangYlang from Montreal, and Toronto-based experimental electronic performer Korea Town Acid, who will also appear as part of NMC ON: After Hours on November 15. Tickets for After Hours are on sale now at studiobell.ca/whats-on.

The public will also have a chance to see Ciani lead a public Buchla Masterclass on November 16. Tickets for that event are available at studiobell.ca/whats-on.

'I’m thrilled to share my history and expertise in my favorite music medium, analog modular, with young emerging Canadian artists,' said Suzanne Ciani. 'I’m looking forward to our exchange of ideas.'

The Master in Residence program invites emerging artists to work under the leadership of a Master in Residence chosen to inspire creativity, encourage innovation, share expertise and provide mentorship. Previous masters have included acclaimed country icon Terri Clark, singer-songwriter Steven Page, Canadian techno ambassador, Richie Hawtin, and Our Lady Peace founder, Raine Maida. Internationally-acclaimed artist and producer, Daniel Lanois led NMC’s first ever Master in Residence event in 2015 with an interactive master session in collaboration with Sled Island Music and Arts Festival.

'As a pioneering, Grammy-nominated composer and performer of electronic music, Suzanne Ciani is a master with international pedigree,' said Adam Fox, NMC’s Director of Programs. 'Connecting emerging Canadian artists with career-altering mentorship opportunities is something that the National Music Centre takes great pride in. This is going to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for this year’s selected participants.'

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Univox SR-55 Drum Machine SN 700504

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

via this auction

"The Univox SR-55 Super Rhythmer aka Korg Mini-Pops 3 is a fully analog drum machine featuring 20 different presets rhythms to choose from with 15 different drum voices total.

Volume, Tone, and Tempo are all adjustable and the different rhythms are arranged in 2 layers that you toggle between using the switches directly beneath the beat buttons.

The rhythm patterns are standard for the era but it does have a unique section for combining 6 types of kick & snare and 6 hi-hat patterns for the Fox Trot and Swing Rhythms (making 72 possible combinations!) and like most other machines of this type, the patterns can be combined by selecting multiple rhythms.

Also has Bass-Snare balance and Brush-Cymbal balance.
These machines were very popular in the 70's and the only competition was the Gibson Maestro MRQ-1!

The SR-55 is a very rare rhythm machine made by Keio Electronics of Japan as Korg Mini-Pops 3, marketed in the USA by UNIVOX (Shin-ei).

It plays great vintage beats (especially Latin rhythms), great for blues, reggae and rock.
SR-55 was used by Kraftwerk early on.


What's cool about this box is you can 'trick' it to vary a preset beat by depressing 2 of the style buttons together, some might latch and you'll have a hybrid pattern."

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MAESTRO RHYTHM KING

via this auction
"THIS IS AN AWESOME MAESTRO RHYTHM KING ELECTRONIC DRUMMING MACHINE WITH A COLLAPSIBLE STAND.

ITS RHYTHMS ARE:

LATIN –
Bossa Nova
Samba
Bolero
Rhumba
ChaCha
Mambo
Tango

AMERICAN –
Slow Fox
Slow Rock
Swing
Dixie
Shuffle
GoGo
Swing Waltz
And one I cannot read

TRADITIONAL-
Waltz
March Polka
Western

IT COMES WITH A FOOT PEDDLE AND CORDS TO HOOK INTO ANY AMPLIFIER.

IT ALSO HAS FEATURES FOR DOWN BEAT, VOLUME CONTROL, BALANCE, METRONONE WITH SPEED CONTROL AND ON-OFF-PILOT.

THE BLACK BUTTONS ARE: BASS DRUM, SNARE DRUM, HI-HAT CYMBAL, CYMBAL, TOM TOM, BONGO, BLOCKS AND CLAVE.

IT’S COVERED WITH BLACK VINYL INCLUDING A CARRYING STRAP ON TOP. WITH OR WITHOUT THE STRAP IT’S VERY PORTABLE TO ANY GIG.

IT’S APPROXIMATELY 19-1/2” LONG, 8-1/2” HIGH AND 6-1/2” DEEP. ON THE STAND, IT IS APPROXIMATELY 33” TO THE TOP AND THE FACE IS TIPPED TO FACILITATE EASY READABILITY."

Guild Melodic Rhythmer Vintage Analog Drum Machine

via this auction

"The Melodic Rhythmer features 16 different drum patterns, including: March, Shuffle, Rhumba, Tango, Fox Trot, Western and more. For further control of patterns, this unit enables the user to toggle Cymbal, Claves, Cowbell and Bass Drum, as well as, Tempo and Volume. Judging by the complete lack of any information on the Melodic Rhythmer, it seems to be quite a rare bird!"

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Ekko From Mars - Legendary Eko Computerhythm Sample Pack

video upload by Samples From Mars

"The rarest drum machine we've ever sampled!

https://samplesfrommars.com/products/...

Ekko From Mars contains 275 loops and 240 round robin one-hits, with clean and processed versions for both. You'll get full-beat loops and stems for bass drums, tops and more - ranging from classic rhythm box patterns to more modern genres. This is the most extensive sample pack available of the beloved early 70's Italian made Eko Computerhythm."

Samples From Mars · Ekko From Mars

"Released in 1972, the Italian-made Eko Computerhythm (which we're lovingly referring to as the 'Ekko') was the first programmable drum machine, shaping the sound of electronic music forever after. With only around 50 ever made and less than 15 in circulation today, it's taken us years to find one - but finally, we have, and our high expectations have been exceeded- nothing could fully prepare us for how cool this thing is to look at, play and hear!

Of course, we wanted to share this joy with you by creating the most extensive Eko sample pack in existence. Capturing round robin one-hits, loops and stems, we preserved the natural sound of this pioneering rhythm box, and further processed it to extend the possibilities of this analog powerhouse for years to come.

The First Programmable Drum Machine

Rhythm boxes were first created out of necessity, to provide pre-made beats to accompany an organ player, for example. As such, they were hardly considered instruments in their own right.

We aren't sure exactly why Eko, an Italian company making guitars and organs during the psychedelic revolution of the 60's, had the foresight to create the first ever user programmable step sequencer (possibly some mind-expanding substances?). But what we do know is that this step sequencer would change the face of music and music technology forever after, (after all, we're still using it today!)

Sporting a space-age user interface with 16 steps per track for user input, a punch card reader to load sequences, 12 voices and individual outs, musicians were no longer reliant on using pre-programmed factory Waltz and Fox Trot presets, and could finally program their own custom patterns and perform live with an analog drum machine. The Computerhythm quickly garnered favor with innovative musicians and groundbreaking composers like Jean-Michel Jarre, Lee Scratch Perry and Tangerine Dream.

Preserving the Original Sound
The Eko features 12 classic rhythm box sounds (ok, one is a 'rolling drum' which is quite odd) and upon first listen, it is warm, punchy and full of life- somehow more defined and pro sounding than any other rhythm box we've used - likely due to its robust internal electronics (this thing is huge!) and direct outs."

New Studio Electronics Boomstar Eurorack Modules - 3003, 4075 & 5089 Filters & AMP / VCA Overdrive

The new Studio Electronics & Pittsburgh Modular Boomstar eurorack modules are now shipping. The filters retail for $269 each and the AMP retails for $209. See the sponsors on the right for availability. Details via Studio Electronics:

"Our 5089 ('Moog') filter has the roundest, slickest tone of all the Boomstar’s filters. Go easy on it, and round, creamy buttery flavors wrap the oscillators in earthy warmth; smash it and a meaty, satisfying overdrive, and a maximum harvest of vintage 1960s and 1970s organic‑sounding, second‑order harmonic distortion fill the plate. Every setting is balanced and bountiful. Looking for traditional R ’n B baselines and leads? Focus here on the rich saturation of this benchmark filter and its symmetrical cascades of generation-stretching timbres. All Boomstar Modular filters are hand-built in the U. S. Pick-and-Place all the way!

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Our 3003 ('Roland Tb-303') filter has the most gentle sonic touch of its partners in the Boomstar fold, but nevertheless is quite capable of shaping precise, very dynamic tone. Whether or not this STUDIO ELECTRONICS filter is filling its traditional baseline boxing niche, driving a harsh, liquid, acid-like tone, a softer more rubber-bandy SH-101-ish presence, or out of the bass range altogether, leading the way, all is within easy reach of this surprisingly warm and versatile VCF. The 3003 can be distinctly vocal at times, especially when one is willing to put grittier, more distorted desires aside.

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Our 4075 ('ARP') filter is the most requested of the Boomstar filter models, perhaps owing to its uniqueness. Has there ever been a better match for a square wave? It weaves dreams with “glidey,” 70s basslines, is a natural in the lead department, and feels as if a temper tantrum simmers a mere micron beneath its veneer of faux respectability. Aggressive and articulate, this fresh ARP can snap punishing kick drum sounds out as well as color with bright, edgy, stringy tones for essential arpeggiations.

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From Designer Tim Caswell’s own hand:

The amplifier (AMP) is a 2 stage Class A discrete design using 3 pairs of hand matched transistors. Envelope is usually applied to ST1/1. ST1/2 goes thru an attenuverter and can be used for envelope or modulation. ST2/1 goes to the 2nd stage, and is typically used for volume control. ST2/2 goes thru an attenuverter and is typically used for modulation.

The AMP, the 5089, and the 3003 are Class A circuits. They draw more current from the +12 rail than from the -12 volt rail. If the system power supply is under-sized, hum or buzz may be heard. In that case, larger filter capacitors and/or a larger power transformer will be needed. The 4075 draws equally from both rails, and is more immune to hum.

Like our filters Boomstar Modular AMP modules are hand-built entirely in the U. S. of A

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BOOMSTAR IN GENERAL

THE BOOMSTAR MODULAR SYSTEM realizes the seemingly inevitable eurorack sprawl of our semi-modular Boomstar desktop synth, consisting of 11 modules that dramatically open up the root level programming and sound sculpting of that lush and potent, and already flexible Boomstar sound.

What makes it tick: Let’s tick ‘em off: Class A 5089, 3003 and AMP *, rugged through-hole construction, discrete circuitry, hand-matched transistors in the filters and amplifier, multi-filtered, hand-crafted, Premium Quality Analog sound. We’d like to think we’ve learned a few things bringing the MIDIMINI, SE1-X, ATC-X, polyphonic CODE Omega synths, ModMax pedals, C2s, Pre 2, and Slate Pro Audio Dragon and Fox to market, and the air waves worldwide.

Our Boomstar Modular System’s 5089 circuit mirrors faithfully the filter design from the Minimoog—it is not a style; it’s not a type, not reminiscent of, not vintage inspired—it is the analog sound standard manufactured anew, and how we love it so. Apply the same thinking to our 4075, 3003, and SE80 filters vis-à-vis their originals, and you’ve caught our drift; the Oscillation and AMP modules also resonate with the Mini’s timeless designs, functionality, and gorgeous, gleaming sound—modernized and reimagined by the maestro Tim Caswell himself, but we’re just getting started here…"

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