Moog Memorymoog Plus with the imfamous LAMM upgrade (Linntronics Advanced Memorymoog Modification - priced 7500euro, with a 20 month waitinglist)
The synth is in amazing condition, more 'mint' then 'excellent', as you can see on the pictures. Well cared for, serviced (incl recapped PSU, etc) and ships in a heavy duty pro flightcase (not pictured yet).
Sold with invoice.
Make sure to check out our other stuff!
ABOUT LINTRONICS ADVANCED MEMORYMOOG MODIFICATION (LAMM)
Designed more than twenty years ago and built by Moog Music before 1984, the Memorymoog has earned a reputation for the highest quality analog sound of any polyphonic synthesizer. However, the Memorymoog has been plagued with hardware instabilities and operating system shortcomings that have compromised its reliability and frustrated the players who have used it. Furthermore, current standards of operating system flexibility include a level of MIDI implementation that goes far beyond the feature set that has heretofore been available on the Memorymoog.
"Waldorf is proud to announce a new chapter in their tradition of designing high-end ground breaking synthesisers. Starting with Waldorf’s famous wavetable technology developed decades ago, it was always a challenge to give our instruments a powerful flexible beating heart. Our digital oscillators coupled to the enormous power and efficient simplicity of our analog filters started the digital revolution back in the 80’s.
Quantum combines the raw power of a classic digital & analog hybrid synthesiser, with futuristic sounds that are only possible with today’s software synthesisers.
Its 3 Oscillators offer four synthesis algorithms each:
Waldorf-style Wavetables with the latest additions from Nave, including speech synthesis and wavetable generation from audio
Classic Synthesizer Waveforms with multiple waves for an ultra fat sounds right out of the oscillators
Granular Sampler with multi sampling plus traditional sampling mode
Resonator for virtual sound sculpting
The flexibility emanating from Quantum’s powerful oscillators and their interaction with one another is simply breath-taking. Never before has it ever been possible to create such a wide sonic bandwidth with one synthesizer. Stretching from classic analog, with precise sample playback, through to harsh or animated digital sounds, escalating all the way up to sound and sequence clusters, that can only be achieved with a modular synthesiser system.
Quantum’s beautiful ergonomic and intuitive user panel supports an artist’s workflow with a previously unknown elegance. The carefully crafted array of aluminium knobs and encoders surround an ultra hi-resolution multi touch display. Waldorf engineers spent many long hours perfecting the interaction between the display and the physical control elements. The stunning display is a highly flexible extension of the tactile experience, and is light-years ahead of any synthesiser currently on the market today.
To help understand functional correlations between one knob and another, each control knob is individually illuminated by a multi colour LED. This makes it instantly obvious when viewing complex settings and modulation settings, where related parameters can be adjusted quickly and efficiently. With the help once again of the gorgeous central display, precise settings can be handled with ease, much the same as the experience when using your cutting edge computer tablet.
When the Waldorf engineers decided to develop Quantum, little did they realise it would take several years of painstaking work. There were areas of Quantum that our years of experience with sound generation were bought to the fore. But Quantum is so powerful it took our team into uncharted territory, involving both sound and the way it was felt the musician would interact with it.
Quantum was designed and developed by our dedicated team in Germany. All essential components have been designed, manufactured and assembled here in Germany. This has allowed us to manufacture Quantum with an unparalleled build quality. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank a world class array of sound designers that have contributed to a multi-facetted factory sound set.
Soviet Space Child wrote in to let us know he spotted an update on the Waldorf website. The Waldorf Quantum pages are live! As usual, I captured some of the info for the archives. Believe it or not a lot of this information does get lost otherwise over time. But of course, click through to the Waldorf site to see the details in proper format.
This one was spotted and sent in via Soviet Space Child. 8 hr live stream further below.
"🌐 https://links.fornaxvoid.com ✨ 𝗕𝗢𝗥𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗢 𝗟𝗢𝗢𝗠 🧙♂️ 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸! Three years after it’s initial release, I made a music video for this track, containing the final album audio master. ℹ️ ❯❯❯
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This video was recorded 2021-JAN-23 and 2021-JAN-27. I fed the MIDI data (or what was left of it) of my 2018 track BORLANDO LOOM into Cubase Lite - a free version of Cubase 1.0.
Cubase Lite (running on the Atari 1040STE) sends the MIDI data to three Roland JV-2080 synthesizer modules in stack mode. Obviously one JV-2080 would be enough to play back this track. But since I currently got three of those things in the studio, I thought more blinking lights and more screens look cooler in a video.
The JV units then send the MIDI into an Akai S1000, which again is only in the video because the MIDI monitor modes on that thing look interesting. The S1000 sends the MIDI to my old MacBook running Snoize MIDI Monitor, which is displayed on the EIZO CRT screen.
The Amiga 1081 CRT monitor shows either a VHS version of the original 2018 Borlando Loom Blender animation or NesFX (the MIDI visualizer on the Wayfar MidiNES). Audio in the video is not live, but from the album master.
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BORLANDO LOOM is a cyberpunk ambient soundscape recorded between 2018-APR-12 and 2018-APR-14, using a Roland JV-2080 synthesizer module. Mastered in 2019 and released in it’s final form on 02/02/2020 as part of Cyberspace Database 1.0.
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Cyberspace Database is the result of a 5 years long exploration of Cyberpunk Ambient themes. A journey through the timbres of classic digital and analog synthesizers and samplers with focus on defining the pillars of the SemiconductorWave genre.
Cyberspace Database is available as big box physical release and 24 bit download on Bandcamp as well as on most streaming services."
The following is a fascinating look at the man behind ERRORINSTRUMENTS, Paul Tas. Note the questions are not mine, but were sent in with the full interview by inmar lsbtv grtz sleep good.
So how did all start? What was your life before "error instruments"?
- my life before error instruments can be described as a life of an artist in making sculptures and paintings. I was making sculptures from robots, called "the beeb" collection. It is a wooden robot with the concept that in the 50's, we have thought that robots will replace our jobs. However, with the influence of the media, and the medicines we take against emotions, figuratively we can say that we are the robot, and we get programmed by commercials and news. This robot has been a big succes due to the fact that it has been bought by numerous art collectors from different countries such as Japan and the United States. Furthermore, the collections had been sold also at auctions houses Christie's. Later on, I have started to work more in fashion and art and making moveable sculptures with electronics, I made also a traditional Dutch blue sculptures, big horse heads with the intention of giving a controversial thoughts and ideas. Moreover, sculptures about religion, which was a mix between Jesus and the corporate companies in the world with the meaning behind it, that they use the same propaganda to control people's mindset. I was also threatened by religious groups from Germany and Belgium during the time of exposition, not only me, but also the other people in the gallery. This situation has got to a point where i had to go to the court, but in the end I was free to go. Later i have done a project for Damian Hurst and made some installations together with BitMove for the "Love of God" exposition in the "RijksMuseum Amsterdam". As a result, more and more technical and electrical equipments got involved.
When did you have the idea for error instruments and what did the first steps look like?
- First of all, it is important that you know that as a child, i was not able to read, thus it was difficult to go to a normal school, and i have attended a special school, which allowed me to use my creativity, furthermore my writing was always full of mistakes and because in the 80's we used "Commodore 64", and every time i was writing something, a text appeared " Syntax ERROR". Therefore, the kids at my school, gave a nickname to me , called "Error". As a result, i got a fascination about the things that go wrong with machines, such as glitches or accidentally algoritmes and of course the sound of noises. By exploring the art of circuit bending and hardware hacking, i have found out that many people miss this, because the commercial products were created as a mainstream products, with a result for mainstream music. Thus, with the money that i have earned from art, I have started the shop, "ERROR INSTRUMENTS".
Do you have artistic projects beside error instruments?
- Yes, I perform under the name "ERROR EMPIRE", on several festivals. I have also some conceptional sound projects, called "Pink data". The idea of "Pink Data" is that is not controlled by humans, thus all the music is created by accidental algoritmes. I also make sculptures, with acoustic and electronic purposes. Furthermore, I am busy working on the modelar synthesizer and exploring control voltage. design eurorack modules for and special audience
It appears to be a desktop version of the Quantum minus analog filters.
"Waldorf Iridium has made the impossible possible. The mighty synth engine from Quantum is now available in a compact form. Tracing the footsteps of its bigger brother, Iridium features all the synthesis elements of Quantum as well in a rack-compatible format. The combination of the powerful engine, incredible flexibility and detailed sound shaping facilities creates sheer endless possibilities of sound. Yet, the comprehensive layout and easy-to-understand structure lets you design your own sounds in no time. Sporting a solid metal casing and the same high level of craftsmanship like Quantum, Iridium is now ready to take over studios and stages throughout the world.
Contributing another entry in Waldorf's rich history, Iridium joins the family as a direct descendant of the PPG Wave. Though, Iridium offers much more than its ancestor. Five different synthesis models are provided by Iridum for each of the three oscillators:
Hi everyone! As you know Barry Schrader will be giving his farewell concert at CalArts on September 26. The following is the beginning of my interview with him. I opted to post the questions and answers as they come in. New QAs will get a new post so you do not miss them and they will be added to this post so we have one central post for the full interview. This should make it easier for all of us to consume in our busy lives, and it will allow you to send in any questions that may come to mind during the interview process. If you have anything you'd like to ask Barry, feel free to send it in to matrixsynth@gmail.com. This is a rare opportunity for us to get insight on a significant bit of synthesizer history, specifically with early Buchla systems, and I'd like to thank Barry for this opportunity. Thank you Barry!
"The new NYZ - NTE GDN tape on Conditional is just out [limited edition of 50 copies]! Matrix heard on the synth grapevine that it heavily featured the Yamaha FB-01 operating in a secret sysex mode, so he asked me if I'd write a little about how it was used. You can check the album out on the Conditional Bandcamp page here, release date July 6th =>
Boomkat review => "Blinding new batch of synth and computer music chaos from Dave Burraston’s cultishly regarded NYZ. With such a wild variation to his purist approach it’s perhaps silly to draw comparisons or contrasts, but these are patently some of NYZ’s sweeter treats, such as the curdled harmonics of ‘ARTOFNYZbitcompander’ and the funky lil’ vamps of ‘RLD syncs’ for more insatiable and curious listeners. In other words it’s fucking ace!"
Norman Records review => "9/10 Conditional unleash this beautifully wild and playful tape from David Burraston aka NYZ. Here he harnesses the spectrum splitting potential of John Chowning’s FM synthesis to birth and animate ludicrously cute and cuddly synthetic creatures that come to life before our very ears. What even are these little mutant alien lifeforms? Where is this strange place in which they dwell?
The overall experience of imbibing these sounds is a lot like an experience I once had watching Teletubbies on acid, where I thought the little blighters were actually communicating directly to me. This world NYZ has created and its inhabitants are clearly fantasy, but it’s so brilliantly, vividly realised and skillfully executed that if you just let go of the shackles of reality and submit yourself, it can be an authentic place where these things live and breathe, eat and sleep and go through their life cycle. We get to hang out with them as they speak, sing, laugh and cry. I’d much rather hang out with these chirpy little fellows because humans are the absolute worst. For music to get a miserable, misanthropic, curmudgeon bastard like me to grin like a child holding a cookie the size of its head is quite an achievement.
This tape is just so much fun - it's like a little utopia for the most part, but there are occasional darker moments - at times it feels like the big bad wolf or some kind of predator is lurking with intent to gobble up our little friends. Burraston’s custom-built MANIAC Cellular Automata Sequencer is instrumental in giving life to these sounds - a tool that gives this work a unique voice and an unpredictable energy that seems to organically flow through his machines. This music is most certainly unconventional even by avant-garde standards, and although on the surface is definitely weird and kinda eccentric, it taps into something deeper. Like Victor Frankenstein’s unorthodox scientific experiment in Mary Shelley's novel where scientist becomes an architect of life. This place, it's lifeforms and their language seems bewilderingly genuine - a sonic virtual reality -- a hybrid analogue/digital world where what is “real” and synthetic is blurred."
So why am I interested in the strange and esoteric Yamaha FB-01, and what are these secret sysex codes? Well, first up its a nice little 8 voice FM synth, and I'm well known for being a bit obsessed with FM [see the NYZ - DRN4 Declassified article]. Secondly, its a kind of in-between synth, arriving after the first 4 operator synths, such the DX21, but before the TX81Z which featured a full microtonal tuning table. Its this inbetweeness that really interested me, and its really the only first gen sine wave only 4op that can be micro-tuned, albeit in a very roundabout way via some secret sysex codes.
We want to present you the new surprise…. the Antonus 2600 original size
edition. Since long time many users were asking for it, and now the moment
arrived. Here is an original scale replica of the ARP 2600, grey face version.
This is the first announce, we are preparing the related page at the web with
sound and video samples. Meanwhile is possible to know how will be:
Worked and shaped with more detailed cabinet using the same wood cuts and
original metal hardware. Handmade like the original, the sensation and feeling
is a true experience if you know how the classic unit is. Also this Original
Size version includes exclusive knobs, shaped from the original ARP 2600 knobs
but with special window that allow the pass of light. The user can adjust the
light level for use like the classic non illuminated ARP2600 or enjoy with the
illuminated slider light of the Antonus version.
Using the same classic thru-hole components, with matched and selected parts for
ensure the classic sound and behaviour of the original units. We don’t want to
improve or update nothing about this classic essence soul, we love the ARP2600
original personality and want to preserve it. Is a true challenge looking for
the parts and the design path for reach it and we want to work in that
direction. The commitment is so strong that for this edition we used the same
original submodule building technique. The original ARP2600 used submodules as
many users may know. We are so sure of the close replica work of the circuits
that we can use the same technique allowing a retro compatibility between
Antonus 2600 OS and the classic ARP 2600. For example you can use original
submodules in Antonus 2600 OS, or you can use Antonus 2600 OS submodules in
classic ARP2600, if you want or need to repair a classic unit using the Antonus
submodules. The submodules can be sold individually for this kind of restoration
process.
Today using this classic technology and working techniques implies lot of work
and effort compared with the current modern mass production process like SMT
devices. We are far from this manufacture process with this instrument, because
for this special work this deserves this kind of special dedication, love and of
course taking the care for the sound and behaviour of some special components
that brings us the famous personality of the classic 2600.
Also we added something demanded for our previous customers, the balanced output
interface. Located at the right side and using the XLR/Jack dual connector you
can use this lines for connect to the mixers and audio interfaces using balanced
lines and also keeps the traditional front panel mini jacks outputs like the
original ARP2600. With this you can connect the main outputs using mini jack
3,5mm (non balanced) , Jack 6,3mm (balanced) and XLR connectors (balanced)
With all of this we want to offer this special work, living the manufacture
process like the early years, mostly done by hand and done with love with people
how loves what they do.
The amount of work and requirements doesn’t allow big production, this means
that the production will be limited to 20 units per year.
The customer price will be 4125 euro TAX excluded. Shipping not included.
Reserve your unit directly with Antonus or using any Antonus dealer for ensure
your unit availability."
These in via Soviet Space Child. Note the custom knobs and end panels.
Playlist:
1) Bourrée n. 1 - dalla Suite inglese n. 2 in La min. Googlish description below. "Tanti anni fa, un mio prozio conosceva un bravo organista della chiesa di San Bonifacio, ad Arnstadt in Germania; lo chiamavano tutti Giova' (Giovanni)... c'era anche chi lo chiamava "Sebastianoooo!!!!! O Sebastiaanoooo!!!", ma a quel nome non rispondeva quasi mai. Era un tedesco in tutti i sensi, serio e preciso. Un giorno questo mio prozio e l'organista si ritrovarono a parlare di un bravo costruttore di clavicembali (uno strumento musicale adorato dallo stesso Giova') che abitava a qualche centinaio di chilometri, precisamente a Waldorf. Si diceva che era in grado di costruire clavicembali con possibilità "sonore" mai sentite e di qualità eccelsa. Il Giovanni necessitava in quel periodo di un nuovo strumento per il suo diletto, quindi colse l'occasione per contattare questo costruttore a Waldorf e per farsi costruire un clavicembalo nuovo di zecca, con tutte le caratteristiche timbriche di cui si faceva vanto. Il costruttore disse subito al buon Giovanni che ci sarebbero voluti molti giorni per costruire uno strumento del genere, ma egli aveva una grande pazienza e poteva comunque sollazzarsi nel frattempo con gli altri strumenti che possedeva. Passarono gli anni, il buon Giovanni morì, il mio prozio ereditò da lui la commissione di ritirare questo clavicembalo una volta pronto... la commissione passò di padre in figlio nella mia famiglia. Finché alcune settimane fa sono stato contattato direttamente da un discendente del "vecchio" costruttore di clavicembali di Waldorf: il clavicembalo era pronto!!! Come si dice, meglio tardi che mai... In questi giorni mi metterò in contatto coi familiari del buon Giova' per sentire se qualcuno di loro vorrà reclamare la proprietà del clavicembalo. Nel caso mi sono premunito e ho pensato bene di registrare (per ricordo) una esecuzione allo strumento in questione di un pezzo composto dallo stesso Giovanni: dalla Suite inglese n. 2 in La minore, la Bourrée 1 eseguita sul clavicembalo Waldorf. Buon ascolto."
Googlish: "Many years ago, my uncle knew a good organist of the church of St. Boniface, in Arnstadt in Germany, is worth all called him '(John) ... there were those who called him "O !!!!! Sebastianoooo Sebastiaanoooo !!!", but that name is almost never answered. He was a German in every sense, serious and precise. One day my great-uncle and the organist found themselves talking to a good builder of harpsichords (a musical instrument is worth adored by the same ') who lived a few hundred kilometers, more precisely in Waldorf. It was said that he was able to build harpsichords with possibility "sound" and never heard of excellent quality. The John needed at that time a new tool for his pleasure, then took the opportunity to contact the manufacturer to get in Waldorf and build a brand new harpsichord, with all the tonal characteristics of which did boast. The manufacturer immediately said to John that good it would take many days to build such an instrument, but he had great patience in the meantime and could still amuse others with the tools he had. Years passed, the good John died, my great-uncle inherited from him the commission to withdraw this harpsichord once ready ... The Committee passed on from father to son in my family. Until a few weeks ago I was directly contacted by a descendant of the "old" builder of harpsichords of Waldorf: the harpsichord was ready! As they say, better late than never ... In these days I'll get in touch with family is worth the good 'to hear if any of them will claim ownership of the harpsichord. If I were in possession and I thought it best to record (to remember) a matter of running the instrument in a piece composed by John himself: from the English Suite No 2 in A minor, performed on the harpsichord Waldorf Bourrée 1. Happy listening."
2) Domenico Scarlatti - sonata in La maggiore K 212 "Non avendo più avuto notizie dalla famiglia del Giovanni Sebastiano, mi accingo a proporvi una personale "revisione" della sonata in oggetto, opera del partenopeo Domenico Scarlatti (contemporaneo dell'organista di Arnstadt), rigorosamente eseguita al clavicembalo Waldorf. Un po' di storia: Scarlatti nasce nel 1685, figlio di un noto compositore napoletano ne eredita le influenze della scuola omonima, diventata famosa per le particolari soluzioni armoniche, e che si protrae fino ai giorni nostri vantando esponenti di spicco quali Nino D'Angelo, Gigi D'Alessio, Mario Merola ecc. La sua predisposizione musicale è evidente anche in tenera età, tuttavia l'animo mediterraneo prende spesso il sopravvento portandolo a frequentare personaggi poco raccomandabili e luoghi di dubbia moralità. La passione per il gentil sesso poi lo rende tristemente "famoso": taluni narrano che abbia avuto più di 500 amanti, altri dicono addirittura 600, anche se personalmente ritengo che la ragione stia nel mezzo. Indubbiamente amatore di fama internazionale, soleva comporre dei brani per omaggiare le fanciulle che conquistava; nel giro di pochi anni si ritrovò sommerso di spartiti musicali, senza ricordarsi a chi erano dedicate le composizioni. Di certo non nutriva stima nei confronti delle donzelle, spesso le maltrattava e di norma le chiamava tutte con l'appellativo "oh sonataaaa!!!". Da qui nacque l'idea di catalogare queste composizioni e recarvi sopra un numero preceduto dall'appellativo e talvolta dall'iniziale del nome della donna cui era dedicata la composizione. Il resto è storia nota. Morì a Madrid nel 1757, in seguito a un regolamento di conti, per mano del marito di una delle sue molte amanti. Buon ascolto.
P.S.: i puristi perdoneranno l'armonizzazione con progressioni per quinte e ottave."
Googlish: "Not having heard from the family of John Sebastian, I am going to offer you a personal "review" of the sonata in question, by the Neapolitan Domenico Scarlatti (contemporary organist at Arnstadt), performed strictly at the harpsichord Waldorf. A little 'history: Scarlatti was born in 1685, the son of a famous Neapolitan composer inherits the influences of the school of the same name, became famous for the unique harmonic solutions, and that continues to this day boast of leading figures such as D'Angelo, Gigi D'Alessio Mario Merola etc.. His musical arrangement is also evident at an early age, but the heart often takes over the Mediterranean bringing unsavory characters to attend and places of dubious morality. The passion for the fairer sex, then sadly makes it "famous" tell us that some have had more than 500 fans, some say even 600, even though I personally think that the reason lies somewhere in between. Undoubtedly, a lover of international fame, he used to compose songs pay homage to girls who conquered; within a few years he found himself inundated with musical scores, without remembering those who were dedicated to the compositions. Certainly did not hold high regard of the maidens, often mistreated and called them all under the title "Oh sonataaaa !!!". What emerged was the idea of cataloging these compositions and go over a number preceded by the appeal from the initial and sometimes the name of the woman who was dedicated to the composition. The rest is history. He died in Madrid in 1757, following a settling of scores, by her husband of one of his many mistresses. Happy listening.
PS: the purists will forgive the harmonization with progressions by fifths and octaves."
3) Allegro - dalla VI sonata per gravicembalo di Pier Domenico Paradies
"Eccomi di nuovo qui! Dopo un periodo di intensa quotidianità ho sentito la necessità di appropriarmi di qualche minuto di relax... di uno stacco... un intervallo... Quale miglior occasione per riproporre l'Allegro della sesta Sonata - nota anche come Toccata, data la forma musicale - adeguatamente (spero) trascritta per il mio gravicembalo Waldorf? I molti perdoneranno le consuete progressioni, in disaccordo con la "rigidità" dell'Armonia pre-romantica, causate dalle 3 voci più percussioni a sostegno della melodia originaria, ma la necessità di sfruttare a pieno le potenzialità dello strumento in questione richiede alcune licenze. Taluni perdoneranno altresì l'eccessiva velocità nell'esecuzione; l'intento era quello di abbreviare i tempi d'esecuzione dato che trattasi di Toccata e com'è ben noto a tutti, toccate eccessivamente lunghe possono provocare seri danni alla salute, dalla miopia all'assoluta cecità! E io già ci vedo maluccio...
Alcune note biografiche sull'autore della composizione: Pier Domenico Paradisi nasce a Napoli nel 1707. Noto criminale appartenente alla famiglia dei Paradisi, dopo una vita di eccessi e crimini nel 1746 fu costretto a trasferirsi a Londra a causa delle continue rivalità tra i clan camorristici cui faceva parte, ove si spacciò per insegnante di clavicembalo e canto sotto il nome di Paradies, in modo da celare le sue origini malavitose. Nel 1770 ritornò in Italia e quivi morì nel 1791 nella sua casa a Venezia dopo un terribile agguato tesogli dal clan degli Scarlatti. Buon ascolto."
Googlish: "Here I am again! After a period of intense daily life I felt the need to take a few minutes of relaxation ... of an ex ... a range ... What better opportunity to present the Allegro of the Sixth Sonata - known as the Toccata, given the musical form - properly (I hope) I transcribed for harpsichord Waldorf? I forgive a lot of the usual progressions, disagree with the "aggressive" pre-Romantic Harmony, 3 caused by percussion voices in support of the original melody, but the need to fully exploit the potential of the instrument in question requires some licenses. Some also forgive the excessive speed in execution, the intent was to shorten lead times, and Toccata in question because it is well known to all, touch too long can cause serious damage to health, from myopia to 'absolute blindness! And I see we have this lily ...
Some biographical notes about the author of the composition: Pier Domenico Paradisi was born in Naples in 1707. Belonging to the family of known criminal havens, after a life of excesses and crimes in 1746 was forced to move to London because of the continuous rivalry between Camorra clans which he belonged, where he posed as a teacher of harpsichord and singing under the name of Paradise , so as to hide its origins underworld. In 1770 he returned to Italy and there he died in 1791 at his home in Venice after a terrifying ambush by the clan of tesogli Scarlatti. Happy listening."
You might remember Drew from a number of posts here on MATRIXSYNTH. He has a new release out called CRUDBUMP. Considering how much he has contributed to the site I asked him to send me a shot of some of his gear for a post. This in turn resulted in the following interview. Enjoy.
1. So, for those not familiar with your work, give us a little background on some of what you do?
"I write and illustrate two daily comics, Toothpaste For Dinner and Married To The Sea, which are free to view online. Musically speaking, I wrote & recorded four comedy-industrial albums as Kompressor from 2000-04 and released some miscellaneous music under the Dog Traders name from 2000-08. I occasionally make short Youtube videos, with my music as the soundtrack."
2. How did you get into synths?
"Took classical piano lessons for eight years as a child, started playing guitar, and while in college (1998) I started poking around and realized synthesizers were pretty inexpensive. I'd read music magazines here and there as a kid and always assumed they were thousands of dollars, but once I got on eBay, I found people getting rid of old Rolands, multitrack tape machines, etc. and jumped right in.
Since the market for analog synths hadn't blown up yet, I assembled a small studio of an Ensoniq SQ-80, Roland JX-8p / SH-09 / 707, some guitar pedals, and a Tascam Porta-01 for hardly anything, and started recording music.
Once I had a couple synths, I started to scour local thrift stores/music stores/garage sales for neglected, broken, cheap gear which I'd clean/fix up and either keep or resell. By the time I started Kompressor in 2000, I'd added an Optigan, Rheem Kee bass, Akai S612, Tascam 238 and a gang of cheap midi synths / fx boxes."
3. When you first started picking up synths, what did you look for in them?
"I figured out pretty quickly that I liked synths with a lot of knobs and inputs/outputs way more than synths with one data wheel and a bunch of menus. You can get a huge range of sounds out of the SH-09 by patching feedback out of the headphone jack through guitar pedals and back into the input, and using the envelope follower + filter to process drums and bass/guitar."
4. What was your first synth and what is currently your favorite?
"My first actual synth (not counting a Casiotone) was a Roland JX-8p... if the modular doesn't count as my favorite I'd have to go with the SH-2/SH-09. Owned both of them, currenly just have the SH-2, but it makes its way onto everything. I've always wanted to check out an SH-5 or SH-7 but they've gotten so crazy expensive over the years that I don't think I'll ever get the chance. If I trip over one in the trash while I'm taking a walk some day I'll let you know what I think."
5. When playing your synths, do you focus on composing music, exploring sound, both, or other?
"Probably a mixture of both. The MPC has been instrumental in letting me control the modular + effects - I record a lot of sounds from the modular and cut them up/re-sequence them in the MPC. Most of the time I don't have a keyboard hooked up to the modular, but I do use a Futureretro Orb that's clocked by the MPC for sequencing.
A lot of the melodic stuff is from the Roland SH-2 and Waldorf Q+, which I usually play live instead of sequencing. There's something about the bender and key action on the SH-2 which I love and wish Roland would make again."
6. What interests you now in the world of synths?
"The 5U format of modular synths, which includes Modcan, MOTM, Synthesizers.com, and a few small manufacturers, has a great form factor and is built extremely well. The manufacturers in this format seem to concentrate on sound quality and build quality rather than making little Nintendo Fart-Monster modules with cheap components, which seems to dominate the Eurorack format. I know that Euro users love their Eurorack, and I actually have a Doepfer "beauty box" for some modules I can't get in 5U - but I built up about 15U of Euro in 08/09 and was really disappointed in the sound + physical aspects. Probably spoiled from the 5U stuff I'd been using for years! I sold it off and got some Modcan/MOTM stuff instead.
The newer Modcan modules are novel and I'm going to pick up some of those as they become available. I just got the 65B Dual Frequency Shifter last fall as I was finishing up the CRUDBUMP album and it wound up on half the tracks, since it sounds good on almost anything. Frequency shifter modules are touchy since you need either great DSP or precisely-calibrated analog multipliers to eliminate bleed, but this one was very well-designed. It responds well to CV and even sounds good if you overdrive it a little bit."
7. What are your thoughts on the iPad and upcoming slate devices in relation to synthesis?
"I have no idea (sorry!) [matrix: enough said. :)]"
8. Finally, can you tell us a little bit about your latest release?
"It's a spoken-word/rap album called CRUDBUMP:NA$TYJAM$ and it's stuffed completely full of analog-synth sounds and vocoder. The songs are about subprime lending, a fictional city called Horsetown, leaving voicemail for the governor of Ohio, traveling to England, and bare feet. It has a lot of bass so it bumps if you play it in your car. That's where I imagine you would want to listen to the album. It's a good album to play if you're trying to get yourself pumped up to go to work."
"Synthrotek Atari Junk kit built and custom enclosed by me.
Alphabet Soup Deluxe is a circuit bent creation of my own experimentation with some junk electronics from the trash.
The Atari junk is being fed to the modular and multed (split) through several paths and effects. Some paths return to the mixer and get reverb added and one passes through the Korg KP3 returning to a mixer channel with no effects.
The Alphabet Soup Deluxe (first one I built is named Alphabet Soup) is a circuit bent creation housed in a data disc box which is a circuit that came from a child's play mat. This unit expands on the bends I found with the first unit by adding all available samples to the controls of the device.
I like the Atari junk kit from Synthrotek and look forward to them making that circuit into a module for eurorack. It is capable of all of those sweet 8 bit sounds and more, I just haven't found the best way to gate it for recording. The case was a donation from a friend and was looking really sweet until the clearcoat finish lifted my paint and started to eat my press type text. I wasn't about to do it all over so it is what it is and I am happy with it.
"For sale is an ultra rare 32 voice 76 key Waldorf Wave Shadow! You won't ever see another one like this for sale again. There were only 300~ made and probably less than 100 have these options!"
"Ultra rare 32 voice 76 key Waldorf Wave Shadow! You won't ever see another one like this for sale again. There were only 300~ made and probably less than 100 have these options!
This Wave was formerly owned by Drew Neumann and he took very good care of it. His friend's signatures can be seen on the back panel under the face plate.
There are almost no issues with this synth. There are 3 LEDs out and the display is dim - that's it. I purchased some replacement LEDs but would need to modify the circuit board to match the intensity of the originals. The owner and I decided it was not in our best interest to change them, so they have been left alone. The LEDs that are out are the -1 OCT footing for OSC 1, the -2 OCT footing for OSC1, and the HOLD LED in the manager panel. I can include the replacement leds in the sale. Unfortunately, there are no replacement options available for the back light on the display. The ELP can be replaced, but it is very very risky. Again, we decided to leave it alone.
The hydrolics that hold up the back panel fail all of the time. I just replaced them last week. Also, a new pair is included in the sale.
The original disk drive has been replaced with a 16GB USB drive.
The internal battery was replaced last week and the operating system was updated to OS 1.910. More info can be found here about the new OS:
I went through the entire self test menu. All buttons, sliders, and potentiometers are working perfectly without glitches or data skips. All potentiometers move smoothly and feel fresh. You can see from the pictures that all of the self tests came back OK. You can also see that 32 voices have been installed and are working perfectly."
Note the last image of the display below shows Board 3 not installed and a Failed message. I'm guessing that's one of the slave boards that would bring it up to 48 voices, referenced here.
"The AMS RMX16 was the world’s first microprocessor-controlled, full-bandwidth digital reverberator and characterised enormous numbers of seminal recordings from the 1980s onwards. It has remained an essential piece for any self-respecting studio ever since, and it's now available in 500 series format.
An 18kHz bandwidth, allowing it to also be used as a high quality digital delay line.
90dB dynamic range and 0.03% distortion in delay mode.
Adjustable input and output levels for optimum signal to noise performance.
Low power consumption (and therefore cool running).
Independent control of each program’s fundamental reverberant parameters.
Nudge Buttons to increment or decrement data for all selectable reverberation functions.
Alphanumeric program descriptions for ease of use when storing or recalling information for the unit’s memory.
New rotary push encoder enabling all parameters and settings to be adjusted by ear.
New wet/dry mix blend function.
New save/recall feature with 100 user-defined memory slots."
Saga - Jim Gilmour Demo - Musikmesse Frankfurt 1993 1992 Published on May 12, 2013 MadSevenFilms
"Jim Gilmour ( Saga keyboardist) in a demo at the Waldorf stand during the musikmesse in Germany.
Humble Stance, Wind Him up, Don't be late, Careful where you step, On the loose,etc ...."
Update: according the swissdoc, these videos are actually from 1992. That would make the appearance of the prototype Wave in 1992, not 1993. This post has been updated to reflect that. Note swissdoc's write-ups are from 1993 as you can see in the datestamps for the links, and I believe the production model Wave was indeed released in 1993.
Here's a blast from the past featuring a bit of Waldorf history in via swissdoc. This may very well be the only Waldorf footage from the event. Check out the non-working prototype of the Waldorf Wave in the background. 1992 was the year it made its first appearance to be released in 1993. Note the Microwave rack was released earlier in 1989. Further below you will find some notes on Musikmesse 1993 (the following year after these videos) from swissdoc, followed by a transcription of the Wave flyer. This is a fascinating look back on synth history. But first, one more video from the 1992 Musikmesse.
Update2 via swissdoc: "In addition, for those who can read and understand German, there is a big series of three articles available for download (email has to be provided) from the German Keyboards magazine. Inside Wave. Amazing level of detail plus in part three an interview with developers and users plus additional interviews with the people behind the Wave.
Update3: The following scans have been added to the bottom of this post:
Messe.1992.TSI.Messeinformation
Messe.1992.Preliminary.Wave.Info
Messe.1993.TSI.Show.Information
Messe.1993.Wave.Flyer
Saga - Jim Gilmour Scratching the surface - Musikmesse Frankfurt 1993 1992
Published on May 13, 2013 MadSevenFilms
"Jim Gilmour ( Saga keyboardist) in a demo at the Waldorf stand during the musikmesse in Germany.
Scratching the surface"
---
The following is a Musikmesse 1993 recap via swissdoc aka George Mueller, who attended, from way back in 1993 (you'll find a transcript of the Waldorf Wave flyer text further below). P.S. for a quick look at the gear released at the 1993 Musikmesse see here and here, both from swissdoc.
"Before I go into this Wave stuff, I'd like to tell you a little about the Frankfurt Musik Messe. Those restless gear junkies, skip the next 24 lines.
The Frankfurt International Music Fair was held for the 14th time and was attended by a record number of exhibitors: 1194 from 40 contries. So it's the leading event for the music business.
The Messe Frankfurt has 10 halls of different sizes, three of them are used by the Musik Messe. Hall 9.0 is the most interesting, it's for electronic instruments, 9.1 is for guitars and amps, 9.2 is for stage light, sound and mixers. These halls are middle in size, rows range from A to F, with booth numbers up to 90 each. Hall 8 is for acoustic instruments and publishers; it's funny, all that noise from test-playing violins, flutes and so on. This is the biggest hall, rows from A to P. The monster booth of Yamaha is in the back of this hall with all their synths, FXs and personal keyboards. So it's a long walk to Yamaha. It's a bit risky in this hall, if you enter one booth, browse thru the pages of some book, after talking to the salesman you probably lost your orientation. Hall 10.1 is reserved for grand pianos and uprights. No elctricity allowed there.
It's funny, when you change from 9.0 to 9.1, all those long haired heavy metal guys. One amp or guitar company has a Hard Rock Cafe at their booth, evertime overcrowded with guys drinking cocktails or beer.
So, here we are, the promised report on the TSI shows WAVE MUSIC DEMO and INSIDE THE WAVE.
Note the video and project is not directly focused on synthesis, however the application (like the iPad as a synthesis platform) should be obvious. The following is a write-up on that potential in via reader cheater:
"I'm in no way affiliated with those guys, but this thing opens so many possibilities for the synthesis aficionado that I have to let you know what's in store. Why is this cool? Simply put, it's a Kickstarter for an open platform which could enable synthesis methods that are currently not possible, unless you lug around an expensive workstation, and put them in a desktop-module style case. For those intents and purposes it's a self-contained system with a 45 GHz CPU, the size of a DVD box.
Below are some examples of synthesis methods that could work out thanks to the radically different way this thing works. Each of those is slow on current PCs and because of the parallel nature of the chip in question are tons faster to execute on it:
1. granular synthesis. Ever try to run one of those in VST? They sound better the more parts you can have. Current PCs can only run so many parts, and you need thousands per voice. This thing could easily run a polyphonic synthesizer.
See how Alchemy only allows 10 grains per voice? You could have an order of magnitude more, with each grain bank (Alchemy has 10) modulated separately.
