Festival of Modular 2025 Tokyo Official Digest Video

video upload by Tokyo Festival of Modular

Festival of Modular 2025 Tokyo

NOVEMBER 23 (Sun) & 24 (Mon)
AT ORD. ＆ ZAspace, Daikanyama

Live Acts from China:
tamiX / THESSIAN (Modular Commune)

Live Acts from South Korea:
OYKNI / Lim Yong JU / Noddy Woo

Live Acts from Taiwan:
MADZINE / weiii

Live Acts from Spain:
espinoza / Alpha Decay

Live Acts from Czech Republic:
Václav from BASTL INSTRUMENTS

CLICK FOR MORE »

EAR - Electro Acoustic Research

In via AH:

July 29 2005

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
contact: Steve Rightnour
EAR
323 988 9677
877 300 2228 (US)
steve@steverightnour.net
http://www.ear-group.com

Announcing Electro Acoustic Research

LOS ANGELES -

Electro-Acoustic Research (EAR) is a consortium of modular synth
designers based in southern California.
EAR will be the distributor and customer service arm for modular synth
product manufacturers including Plan B, Livewire and Oakley Sound.

EAR is excited to re-release Legacy modules by Tony Allgood and
Synthasystem designs by Nyle Steiner.
Future plans include releasing all product in both Eurorack and MOTM
format and a full line of cabinets and custom enclosures both live
performance and studio installations.

To mark this occasion, each manufacturer is announcing the release of
the following modules:

Livewire -

Dual Cyclotron
FrequenSteiner (authorized exclusive re-release of the SYNTHASYSTEM
multimode filter)

Oakley Sound -

Wavefolder
ADSR/VCA
Octal Resonator
State Variable Filter

(EAR is the the exclusive licensed manfacturer for Oakley Sound in
Eurorack and MOTM formats)

Plan B -

Model 12 State Variable Vactrol Filter
Model 13 Dual Timbral Gates
Model 17 Event Timer

Estimated availability for the EAR line of products is Fall 2005.

Visit the EAR website for details!
http://www.ear-group.net

*models available in MOTM format with components too large for
adaptation will not be available in Eurorack format

Getting experimental with Ear Modular Hadouken, Trot & Boxing

video upload by Signal Sounds

"The Unperson is back on the channel to explore three cool and affordable new units all the way from the underground modular scene in Beijing. Between them, Ear Modular's devices cover noise/random/S&H (Hadouken); unique, pingable filtering (Trot); and switching/logic-based fun (Boxing).

They're available here:
https://www.signalsounds.com/ear-modu..."

Modular Patch/Performances by Mike Thomas

Published on May 14, 2017 Mike Thomas

Notes for each further below.

Playlist:
Modular Jam : Lords of the West : Rings, Elements, Clouds, Peaks
Modular Melody: Church of Meta Q - Tides (Parasite), Function, Clouds
Modular Jam: SynthTech E350/E355/E440, Mutable Instruments Elements/Clouds, Pittsburgh SV-1/KB-1
Modular Patch/Performance: Slow to Go
Modular Patch/Performance:- The Big Build
Modular Patch/Performance: Sargasso
Modular Patch/Performance: Fair Winds
Modular Patch/Performance - Over the Clouds
Modular Patch/Performance: March of the Shift Register
Modular Etude #1

Notes:

CLICK FOR MORE »

I Dream Of Wires Coming to VOD & Worldwide DVD Release - Berlin Screening with Morton Subotnick

I Dream of Wires is coming to video on demand via iTunes and Vimeo on Demand on August 10. The DVD will be released in Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America on July 31st. To celebrate, there will be a screening in Berlin with a performance and Q&A session with Morton Subotnick.

"To celebrate the August VOD/DVD release of I DREAM OF WIRES, the definitive and acclaimed electronic music documentary about the rise, fall and rebirth of the modular synthesizer, MONODUO FILMS presents a very special screening and electronic music event in Berlin.

On Tuesday July 28, I DREAM OF WIRES will celebrate it’s release premiere in Berlin, followed by a live performance by the legendary Morton Subotnick. Taking place at Babylon Kino Berlin, Morton Subotnick, accompanied by his frequent collaborator, video artist Lillevan, presents FROM SILVER APPLES OF THE MOON TO A SKY OF CLOUDLESS SULFUR REVISITED: VI, marking Subotnick’s first live appearance in Germany since 2011.

Morton Subotnick’s contributions to electronic music cannot be overstated; as a founding member of the seminal San Francisco Tape Music Center, Subotnick played a key role in the conception and development of the influential Buchla modular synthesizer. Armed with his Buchla, Subotnick composed and recorded the landmark 1967 LP, SILVER APPLES OF THE MOON, widely regarded as a modern classic, and the first all-electronic music album to connect with popular music audiences. In 2010 SILVER APPLES was selected for the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress. Long considered one of the essential milestones in electronic music, it continues to have great effect on later generations of artists.

Subotnick’s interview in I DREAM OF WIRES, alongside interviews with influential electronic musicians including Trent Reznor, Gary Numan, Carl Craig, James Holden and Vince Clarke, is pivotal in the film, and provides a revealing insight into this true electronic music visionary.

The film will be introduced by I DREAM OF WIRES' director Robert Fantinatto, who will also join Morton Subotnick for a post-screening Q&A. This July 28 event is more than just a celebration of the modular synthesizer; it’s a rare opportunity to learn and experience the historical roots of electronic music.

I Dream Of Wires is an independent documentary about the history, demise and resurgence of the modular synthesizer - exploring the dreams and obsessions of people who have dedicated part of their lives to this fascinating, esoteric electronic music machine. Over 100 inventors, musicians and enthusiasts are interviewed about their relationship with the modular synthesizer - for many, it’s an all-consuming passion.

Through tracing the history of the modular synthesizer, I Dream Of Wires also outlines the history of electronic music as a whole, from its very beginnings at the dawn of the electric age. The film provides a fascinating look at how technology has shaped the electronic music landscape. Today, the modular synthesizer is no longer an esoteric curiosity or even a mere music instrument - it is an essential tool for radical new sounds and a bona fide subculture.

Interviews include:
- Legendary electronic musicians: Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails), Morton Subotnick, Gary Numan, Vince Clarke (Erasure).
- Contemporary dance & electronica artists: Carl Craig, James Holden, Legowelt.
- Synthesizer manufacturers: Doepfer, Modcan, Make Noise.

Event Details
Babylon Kino
Rosa-Luxemburg-Strasse 30,
10178 Berlin
28.07.2015 | 8PM
20€ Presales
25€ At the Door
+10€ w/DVD

Tickets Available:
Yapsody: https://wires.yapsody.com
Babylon Kino: http://www.babylonberlin.de

RELEASE INFORMATION

VOD and DVD Release of I Dream of Wires in Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America will start as follows:
* DVD available July 31 through Cargo Distribution / Amazon
* VOD available August 10 through ITunes and Vimeo on Demand

CLICK FOR MORE »

Ear Modular Introduces 暮秋 The End of Fall

video uploads by Ear Modular



"The End Of Fall is a feedback-filled effects unit in a 40hp Eurorack format.

By adding two expansion boards and replacing the front panel, it can be reconfigured as a standalone device.

The core of The End Of Fall consists of two ladder filters and two echo effects. The signal chain routes Filter A to Echo 1 and Filter B to Echo 2, with their outputs mixed together for the final output. Each filter features a CV control input for cutoff frequency, while each echo has a CV control input for delay time.

At first glance, this may seem like a basic setup, but The End Of Fall offers much more. It is filled with various feedback pathways:
​
1. Internal feedback within each filter, from output back to input, creates a resonator capable of self-oscillation.
​
2. The internal feedback within each echo is essential for creating the echo effect; excessive feedback results in endlessly decaying echoes.
​
3. The output of Filter A is fed back into the input of Filter B, and vice versa. This design was inspired by experiments during the creation of Solar Card Type VII, where it produced unexpectedly complex and intriguing sounds on the card. This concept has been adapted for The End Of Fall.
​
4. The output of Echo 1 is fed back into the inputs of both Filter A and Filter B, and similarly, the output of Echo 2 is fed back into the inputs of both filters. These two global feedback loops transform The End Of Fall into a circular structure without a clear front or back end, allowing sounds to intertwine within this loop.
​
Additional design features:
​
1. Each filter and each echo has its own dedicated input. When feedback is not utilized, the feedback pathways serve as internal bridges, enabling various signal routing configurations such as echo to filter, filter to echo, echo to echo (for multi-tap delays), or filter to filter (for multi-stage filtering). With expansions, outputs can be taken from the end of any effect, allowing the unit to be used as a stereo effects processor.
​
2. The End Of Fall includes a noise source with two functions: it supplies audio to the inputs of both filters, and it serves as an oscillation source for generating internal CV signals.
​
The unit features four internal CV sources, each assigned to one of the four effects. When no external CV is present, these internal CVs provide randomly varying control voltages. If an external CV is connected, the corresponding internal CV is disconnected. These four internal CV signals are generated by sample-and-hold circuits sampling the noise source. Four knobs in the upper-right corner independently control the sample intervals of these circuits, introducing chaotic and unpredictable modulation. A CLK input can interfere with these four sample-and-hold circuits, partially synchronizing them while maintaining an underlying chaos.

There is a slight background noise from The End Of Fall when there is no output, but it does not affect normal use.​​​​​​​​​​"

CLICK FOR MORE »

Solar Sound Card - ear modular

video upload by Sonic Seed

"A light-sensitive, portable sound generator that extends Ear Modular beyond Eurorack.

Its circuitry responds to ambient light, transforming sunlight, shadows, or small light sources into dynamic sonic textures.

Built for direct interaction with the environment, it invites musicians to listen with their eyes and see with their ears, shaping sound through the shifting presence of light.

Equipped with an integrated speaker and powered by a coin-cell battery, it functions as a self-contained instrument—intimate, mobile, and alive to its surroundings.

Solar Sound Card is a series of light-sensitive sound cards.

Each card reacts to variations in light, transforming brightness and shadow into shifting sound.

Every card includes a built-in speaker, and can also be connected to external speakers via an audio jack.

The audio output provides SP+ (tip) and SP– (ring) signals.

At present, there are seven types of Solar Sound Cards — each with its own character, circuitry, and way of playing.

More info: https://sonic-seed.com/products/solar..."

Upcoming Event: Cables of Love - A Live Modular Party

This is in via Todd Barton.

Full details via https://www.residentadvisor.net...

"This is a 100% modular synthesizer party.
All live sets.

Cables of Love

From subtle minimal and classic Techno, House & Acid, roaring noise and gently massaging subs to laser light shows & live visual projections of sound, Cables Of Love with the Humboldthain bring together a diverse range of local, pan-European and international talent for an extravaganza of ear-pleasing and booty shaking pleasure.

2 Stagess: 1 for Techno / House / Acid Party Dancing, 1 for Experimental, lots of live acts with their various Modular and DIY Synths.

Further additions to the Line Up TBA in due time but for now, here's some of the acts and their bios can be found below:

Laser Bros (AT/CZ)
Laser Bros creates a synesthetic experience of beauty by connecting 2D-laser projections and body shaking electric sound waves generated in real time by an analog modular synthesizer. Changing the visual will modify the audible and vice versa.
Laser Bros is a collaboration of Bernhard Rasinger (a.k.a. BR Laser) and Václav Peloušek (a synthesizer inventor at Bastl Instruments).

http://www.br-laser.com/

CLICK FOR MORE »

Plan B and Livewire Modular

Carbon111 sent me a link to this Flickr shot. I did a little digging and I'm not sure, but this looks like an EAR (Electro-Acoustic Research) modular. Title link takes you to the EAR site. Flickr link takes you to a much bigger shot where you can read the panels. Thanks Carbon111!



"EAR features the work of two established modular synth designers, Mike Brown of Livewire and Peter Grenader of Plan B. EAR has also announced that it will be the exclusive manufacturer of Tony Allgood's Oakley Sound Systems designs in MOTM and Deopfer formats."

XILS-lab breathes virtual life into prototyped EMS VCS4 analogue matrix modular monster

"'XILS 4: a life-changing tool... absolutely 100 percent indispensable modular heaven!'

- Anthony J. Resta (record producer and multi-instrumentalist)

GRENOBLE, FRANCE: music software company XILS-lab is proud to announce availability of XILS 4 — an authentic software emulation of the legendary VCS4, a ‘dual VCS3’ analogue matrix modular synthesizer prototyped by EMS back in 1969, but never commercially released — as of May 19...

EMS (Electronic Music Studios), a British company founded by the pioneering Peter Zinovieff, made musical history in 1969 with its introduction of the VCS3, the first portable synthesizer commercially available anywhere in the world. Its innovative modular matrix-based patchboard dispensed with the telephone exchange-like cabling of other (much larger) modular systems in favour of making connections with (removable) coloured pins, so it could be comfortably housed in a small wooden (solid afrormosia) cabinet.

Needless to say, the (hi)story of the EMS VCS3 is well documented, with XILS-lab later playing its part in resurrecting its still-sought-after sound with its cost-conscious and award-winning XILS 3 software emulation for Mac (OS X 10.4 and above) and PC (Windows 7, Vista, and XP) proving popular with both first-time buyers beginning a wonderfully in-depth journey into the wonderful world of modular synthesis and also seasoned synth explorers, including renowned sound designer Richard Devine and original VCS3 aficionado Tim Blake (Hawkwind), and even Peter Zinovieff himself, who commented kindly: “A great step forward!”

Not so well documented, though, is the stuff of legend: the 1969-vintage VCS4 was EMS designer David Cockerell’s so-called ‘Live Performance Module’, comprising two VCS3s sat side by side, together with a five-octave keyboard, a mixer, and a signal-processing unit, all housed in a single wooden cabinet. Only one prototype was ever produced, its ear-opening sounds lost in the sands of time... until now, that is!

By being based on two intricate and interacting VCS3 (‘Synthi’) cores — following in the fanciful footsteps of its one-off analogue ancestor to a tee, XILS-lab’s XILS 4 favourably emulates EMS’ VCS4. Indeed, those two cores can be set to work side by side or operate in serial (with one feeding the other). Each and every module on one side can be used to modulate or feed anything on the other side with stunning sound possibilities plus weird and wonderful effects readily available in abundance as a direct result. That said, XILS 4 shows its true 21st Century colours by also allowing amount settings to be individually applied to each patch ‘pin’. Providing patchboard power par excellence to an already special soft synth shows that there is clearly so much more to XILS 4 than solely emulating vintage hardware — rare as the vintage hardware in question clearly is. Little wonder, then, that XILS 4 is billed by its creator as being the Ultimate Analog Matrix Modular Synthesizer!

XILS-lab has sought to take things severals steps further still by coupling those cores with the SEQUENCER 256 module, inspired by EMS’ trailblazing Synthi Sequencer 256 namesake. Needless to say, this three-layer sequencer with analogue-to-digital and digital-to-analogue converters to enable digital processing of control voltages to drive multiple analogue synthesizers or multiple parameters with storage of up to 256 ‘events’ was well ahead of its time when released in 1971. Here in the virtual world, XILS-lab has well and truly transported it to the present day with three independent layers, slew rates, and recording modes, together with added abilities like sequencer layers acting as modulation sources in a dedicated SEQ MATRIX — matchless, even by today’s most sophisticated DAW standards!

So is that all? No, not at all! Adding a second ‘pin matrix’, two additional envelopes, an LFO, comprehensive SAMPLE AND HOLD module, and VOLTAGE PROCESSOR, plus several new input modules — including GATE, ENVELOPE FOLLOWER, and PITCH TRACKER — means that there are hundreds of additional connections available to the discerning synthesist set on exploring XILS 4 to the full as a superlative soft synth or as a powerful effects processor plug-in in its own right. The fact that there are over 1,140 possible connections per patch makes for a literal lifetime of programming possibilities that will surely far outlast the host computer concerned, though those in need of a helping hand have easy access to almost 700 professionally-programmed presets from world-renowned sound designers, including the complete XILS 3 factory library and over 350 presets specifically designed for XILS 4. A selection of tutorial-style patches are also available to help users seeking to take their first tentative steps towards scaling the heady heights of this mountainous modular monster of a soft synth!

Simply put, with a whole host of modules and associated far-reaching functionality — for starters, 12 aliasing-free oscillators, grouped in six pairs with wave-shaping and hard sync — yesteryear’s impossibilities have become today’s possibilities with XILS 4... a great step forward, indeed! A giant leap for modular synthesis software, some might say.


XILS 4 is available to purchase as an eLicenser or iLok copy-protected virtual instrument and effects plug-in for an introductory discounted price of €149.00 EUR (rising to €179.00 EUR on June 17, 2014) from the XILS-lab web store here: http://www.xils-lab.com/pages/STORE.html (Note that this time-limited offer also includes the XILISTICS sound bank with 160-plus presets worth €25.00 EUR, plus a free USB-eLicenser copy-protection dongle!)

XILS 3 owners can upgrade to XILS 4 for an introductory price of €29.00 EUR (rising to €49.00 EUR on June 17, 2014). XILS 4 can be directly downloaded as a 32- and 64-bit-compatible virtual instrument and effects plug-in for Mac (AAX, AU, RTAS, VST) and Windows (AAX, RTAS, VST) from here: http://www.xils-lab.com/pages/XILS4_Download.html

Check out several informative XILS 4 tutorial videos here: http://www.xils-lab.com/pages/XILS4_Videos.html"

Introducing Cre8audio NiftyCASE, Chipz, and Cellz

Playlist:
1. NiftyCASE video manual and (mis)information
2. Cellz video manual and (mis)information
3. Chipz video manual and other (mis)information
4. Cyclin' Cellz with Chipz
5. Updating NiftyCASE, Cellz, and Chipz Firmware

via Cre8audio

"October 31st, 2019 - Cre8audio, a company that no one has heard of prior to this press release, proclaimed their existence by releasing the beginnings of an eurorack compatible modular synthesizer system. The system currently consists of a few pieces, that are available separately or together as a big chunky bundle.

CLICK FOR MORE »

Modularism 2 - Noises Off - 30 Tracks Showcasing the Sounds of the Modular Synthesiser

This one is in via supporting MATRIXSYNTH member, Cray of Vicmod Records, who is featured on the release. You can find a video, sample artist tracks and more at https://www.pledgemusic.com.

"Welcome to Noises Off the second in the Modularism series. A collection of tracks devoted to the modular synthesizer and featuring 30 artist new to the collection.
In recent years we have seen a revitalisation and explosion of creativity in this area from both manufacturers and musicians – a return to these endlessly customisable, generative, idiosyncratic voltage controllable machines in order to create and perform music by a new generation, for a new generation.

In this edition we have ensured greater focus on
the use of modular instruments in creating the
music. The continuing journey to uncover more remarkable practitioners has so far involved rocking up a modular meets, countless hours of trawling the web and, social media platforms as well as following up all those priceless recommendations. The quest, from the point of conception, is to showcase the diverse spectrum of modular music and unending creative approaches by users of modular synthesis.

Law & Auder Records 
We are probably best known for our highly themed double CD compilations, “combining an ear for the experimental with a broad-ranging conceptual sweep” and featuring many of the finest electronic music producers. The label that brought you the “groundbreaking" Avantgardism Drum’n’bass, the “tantric-mantric”, East-Westercism collection, “exploring those moments where the mystic vibrations of Eastern scales and instrumental textures fuse with the complexities of digital music”, Minimalism, showcasing the new breed of stripped-down, experimental techno and electronica, the “moody, broody”, low frequency, experimental Female Of The Species featuring women in electronic music, as well as the Luke Vibert and BJ Cole collaborative exotica album, Stop The Panic.

Featured artists:-
Andrew Huang, Angle, Ardisson, Bachelard, Benge, Cray, Designed to Die, D’Voxx, Elizabeth Parker, Fragile Self, Finlay Shakespeare, Ghost Hunter, Hiatusk, Jade Rose, Kams, Ladyphase, Luke Killen, Martin Orman, Metamono, MonoPol, Nina Richards, Norman Phay, Oora, Patrizia Mattioli, Robin Vincent, SunFalls, Supersentient Intelligence Construct, Vile Electrodes, XponentOne, Zoë Blade

Compiled by Phil Dickson-Earle, 
Mastered by Ben
 “DivKid” Wilson, Cover Art & Design by Jonathan Barnbrook
, (p) & © Law & Auder Records 2018"

The Iron Man Modular

No joke. This is Clay Duncan's massive modular used for the film Iron Man. Via Peter Grenader on the Plan B list:

"Go to the EAR home page for a terrific shot of Clay Duncan's massive modular system which includes a hell of a lot of Plan B gear. Scroll down to PLAN B MUSIC section and click on the link in the Ironman posting."

You'll find more details on the EAR (Plan B) link above.

BTW, check out this post for another Iron Man synth tie in.

Update via noisesource in the comments: "Oh sweet, my modular is in this picture too. Although the Oberkorn installed in it at the time is Clay Duncan's unit. Amazing composer that guy."

Mutable Instruments at Modular Square with a Few Surprises

Pics and audio of last Saturday's Modular Square event with Mutable Instruments Olivier Gillet (posted here) are in!

Olivier shared some secrets about his next batch of modules and some surprises.

You will find the full set of pictures here.

Directly below you will find a recording of the talk in French, given by Olivier Gillet and a synth battle between Mooko and Modular Strike Force. Modular Strike Force is Cyril of Modular Square's side project.

The highlights of the talk and the surprises follow further below.  The list is translated from French to Googlish.  You can find the original French on Modular Squares' post here.

"New modules (release expected in december 2013 Could change)
SHADES :

- Utility Module mixing / mitigation / voltage shift (offset) .
- 3 channels is adjustable attenuator in either polarizer (' atténuverteur ') .
- Standardized +5 V or +10 V constant voltage generation (offset ) Hall.
- Outputs strung together in other to use blender.
- High accuracy and transparency Amplifiers .
- 6HP

PEAKS :
- Utility Multifunction Module generating CV or audio signals from triggers: envelope , LFO generator 808 percussion type, all on two channels.
- Two trigger inputs , two outputs.
- Two editing modes : coupled (both channels share the same parameters, but are triggered independently ) or separated ( one control two parameters for each channel ) .
- 8HP

features :
ADSR envelope * / AD
* LFO with sinus shape / square / triangle / slots / with random variations ( duty cycle , slope)
* LFO with tempo setting .
* Generator BD and SD TR- 808, after modeling the original circuits.

YARNS :

- Interface MIDI manager up to 4 channels : either 1, 2 , 3, 4 sections
independent ( each with its own MIDI channel ) is a section
polyphonic 2 or 4 channels .
- Each section has its own arpeggiator and step sequencer
( 64 steps ) , inspired MIDIpal .
- Each CV output may be replaced by a digital oscillator
Simple ( waveform 5 ) assigned to a section .
- 12 HP

The module is equipped with a MIDI output allows controlling
instruments with external sequencer / internal arpeggiator , or
to " spill over" notes exceeding the polyphony to a second
interface or a MIDI synthesizer.

TIDES :
- Function Generator can be used as AD / AR envelope , LFO , or oscillator.
- 3 frequency ranges , the module containing in all 0.001 Hz to 15kHz .
Operating cycle (LFO / oscillator ) in single pass (AD ) or single pass with steady ( AR) . Calibrated V / Oct to be "played" on musical scales .
- Adjust the ratio of rise time and fall ; waveshaper
with various forms of curves uphill and downhill , and wavefolder filter to smooth the curve or dent - all controllable CV .
- CV controlling the output level (and therefore requires no external VCA ) .
- CLOCK input to (in addition to a conventional sync with division / multiplication of frequency) to "learn" the module output in a rhythmic pattern sequencer . The CLOCK input operates as a PLL for audio frequencies.
- Gate -end attack / decay outputs for chaining multiple
shell segments .
- Outputs "unipolar" and "bipolar" - with a positive bump in the attack phase , and a negative bump during the decay phase or loosening .
- At audio frequencies , the module behaves as a synthetic route
digital to very special stamp .
- 14 HP

FRAMES :
- Module morphing . Used in blender, generator CV or router / signal distributor 4 channels (or even combinations mixing these functions). The module allows you to store multiple (up to 64 ) different configurations gains of each of its four channels (or output CV for unconnected inputs ) , and then allows
to interpolate from one to the other - the movement being controlled by the
middle button or a CV.
- 20 HP

Surprises !

Braids Easter Egg : write " 49" in the text editing to ear a morse code. It's an extract of the book Thomas Pynchon's "The Crying of Lot 49"

Braids update ( in 10 days) Will add :
* Adjusted wave tables in memory to minimize
phase difference / amplitude between shapes and textures generate
more uniform.
* New WLIN mode to scan all the forms
wave of wavetable mode on a single dimension using the button
STAMP . The COLOR button selects different modes of interpolation /
resolution.
* New fashion DRUM generating a metal percussion deaf can
be " held " in drone.

CVpal : USB- > CV / Gate dual channel kit - easy to
DIY beginners ! Eurorackable or small independent housing. iPad
/ OS X / Linux.

Shruthi XT version of " one knob per function" of Shruthi , size
compact on a single PCB .

And to finish ... there is more to find easter egg ... will you find 'em ? Olivier Will reveal em When He will come back for the 2nd Release Party ! "

An Interview with Peter Grenader on The ZZYZX Society

The following is an interview with Peter Grenader of Electro-Acoustic Research (formally Plan b). The focus of the interview is mainly on his involvement with The ZZYZX Society, however you will find plenty of insight into gear, including some of what Peter is working on next. I want to give Peter a huge thanks for taking the time out for this.

1. To start, what is the ZZYZX Society?

"The zZyzx Society is a group of like-minded half-crazy avant-garde musicians/composers who at one time or another fell down the same sonic rabbit hole.

Discussions about this began in 2011. Jill Fraser and I tried to get something together, and the circle of people then included Richard Lainhart. Unfortunately, he passed away when we were right in the middle of talking about possibilities. This is actually when I sketched out one of my two pieces that we are currently performing: Organasm. It settled down until Jill and I ran into one another at Mort Subotnick's live performance at Redcat a couple of years ago. We saw a fire in each other's eyes - a need to return to something that we had both evolved from.

Jill and I are ancient friends. We met at CalArts in - God.... 1977. We actually performed together once with composer Gordon Mumma at CalArts and worked extensively together on Mort Subotnick's NEA project, The Game Room, in 1978. Matter of fact, the photo Mort used for the Electronic Works Vol. 1 was taken when we were doing The Game Room - Jill is the blonde and I'm the guy holding the patchord in the foreground.

What really set the wheels in motion though was a recent dinner we had for Thighpaulsandra when he visited Los Angeles a few months ago. Thigh had been speaking about wanting to do another series of performances together since we both did the AnalogLive gig at Redcat in 2007. Jill was already well into the planning stages, although it wasn't clear who would be involved at that time though oddly enough - everyone who will be was there - Jill, Chas Smith, Thighpaulsandra and myself. When Thigh left for his return trip home - the last thing he said to me was a suggestion to get some gigs going - that it will never start unless there's a date, and when you guys get a set under your belt and are comfortable with what it evolves into, that he would come out and gig with us - and that's exactly what we are doing. Well, we'e actually focusing on tracking a CD, but I'll get into that more in a bit."

2. Can you give us a little background on each member? When the world of electronic music started for each and what they've done over the years?

That's where humility sets in - with the notion that musicians of this caliber would consider me a contributor. Why? Let's start with Jill: after earning her masters in composition at CalArts studying with Mort Subotnick and Mel Powell - her first stop was where I landed: Serge's infamous Hollywood synth production facility on Western Ave. She didn't stay there long, however, because she was hired to compose electronic music by Jack Nitzsche for Paul Schrader's film, Hardcore. This began a 25 year career composing both electronic and acoustic scores for hundreds of TV commercials for huge national campaigns: BMW, Honda, Porsche, Nissan, Mitsubishi, HP, NBC, KFC, Carl's Jr., and Apple among others, and in the process won 3 Clios. She also toured with Buffy St. Marie and auditioned for The Sex Pistols - no joke.

Chas will be the only one among us who people will be speaking about in 100 years. He's also from the CalArts electronic music composition master's program and spent his early days with modulars. Until recently he owned a 12 panel serge system he had had for 30+. His legacy will be the remarkable Harry Partch-esque tuned percussion instruments he crafts. He's shifted to metals exclusively which forge these amazing soundscapes, which would take immense work to generate electronically, yet just pour out of these sculptures. Along with collaborations with Harold Budd he's been released many times as a solo artist on Cold Blue Records, MCA, and others, music for Zimmer's Man of Steal score (they actually did a special feature on Chas for that film), as well as the first two Saw films with Charlie Clouser, for Shawshank Redemption, The Horse Whispser... the list goes on.


Man Of Steel Soundtrack - Sculptural Percussion - Hans Zimmer Published on Aug 27, 2013 WaterTower Music

[Behind the Scenes creating the unique sculptural percussion sounds for the MOS Soundtrack
i-Tunes: http://smarturl.it/mos.i
Amazon: http://smarturl.it/MOSdlx_Amazon]

Not sure what planet you'd need to be on not to know where Thighaulsandra's been. Like the rest of us here, his interest in electronic music is lifelong. Stockhausen and Cage were early influences and while you clearly realize his worth in the rock idiom, his experimental roots are unavoidable. Golden Communion - which has garnered stunning reviews in Europe - gives both Gabriel and NIN a run for their money, but you also hear Stockhausen in there and in the string introduction to the title track - Elliot Carter. He began his music career on the other side of the board - as a studio engineer, and this is where he met Julian Cope, who in time introduced him to John Balance - which led to 10 very productive years as a member of Coil - during which TPS began releasing his own solo work. He is a conservatory trained pianist blessed with the birth defect of incredible ability. After Coil he was off to Spritualized for I think three years?

As for me, I am the underachiever. After CalArts and a few small film scores, and a oddly enough a planetarium show for the Griffith Observatory, I put everything down for 25 years. In the early 2000's I found music again and had really good success in the academic electronic music festival circuit. I won the Periodic Festival in Barcelona and was selected for one of the evening performances at the SEAMUS National Conference, which doesn't sound like much, but I was probably the single first-time applicant to land that right. There were 30 or so festivals in the US after that over the next two years including the AnalogLive emsemble performance at Redcat at the Disney Hall in LA with Thighpaulsandra, Chas, Gary Chang, Richard Devine and Alessandro Cortini. The start of Plan B shifted my center to manufacturing, although I was signed, and did a CD for Coda Recordings in 2013 entitled Secret Life.

What I appreciate, especially working with Jill, but it's true of all these guys... our combined experience is such that we finish each other's musical sentences. It's astonishing. Three guys in a garage band and you expect them to vamp off their combined rock tradition, right? But electronic music, are you kidding me? Jill and I started rehearsing with a piece of mine called Benghazi, which is based entirely on a single diatribe of Glenn Beck whining about the attack in Libya. The first day we did what I would call informed noodling. When we started the second day she said she had worked out some other processed bits, and they were phenomenal. It brought the concept into much higher space and with no direct guidance outside of asking for other samples from the source file so not to loose Beck's context narrative. She just got it, completely.

zZyzx Society live in Joshua Tree: BENGHAZI



3. What sort of gear will each member bring to the project? Is there a preference for any?

I can't say for Thigh, dunno yet but he's got an arsenal at his studio in Wales. Jill is primarily using a Push via Ableton and a single Serge panel designed specifically for live performance made for her by Dmitri Sfc. I can name what Chas uses, but it won't mean much as outside of a rack of loopers everything he plays he's made. So for the record it's the Rite, the Replicant and his incredible steel guitar Guitarzilla. I am primarily using my modular - eight rows of it I crammed into two road cases, and then a Roli keyboard using Equator for now, and plans for a proper sampler as the ROli software wreaks Kickstarter deadline. It's fine as a closed synth, but while they say you can import your own samples - you really can't. I had to contact them, and they wrote the code so I could add one specific sample, but are not wiling to help me do more. The keyboard itself however is incredible.

4. What is the collaboration and recording process like? Do you record together or do you pass compositions back and forth for each person to work with separately?

Recording wasn't in the original plan, but that's changed and with Chas moving to Grass Valley - and Thighpaulsandra in Wales it's just like my FB relationship status: complicated. Jill and I are going to lay basic tracks starting in two weeks. So we'll be sending multitrack to both Chas and Thigh, who will be adding to them, then returning the new stack to whomever wrote the piece to do the final mix. The process is identical for Chas and Thighpaulsandra with their works There is talk of a release deal. So... with only one gig under our belts at FUTUREWURLD in Joshua Tree, which was really well received , but still...now we're shifting to recording the four pieces we performed with small gigs during that process, although, all in much more detail than we could manifest live with our hand count. Jill's got one which is actually four individual pieces, I've got Benghazi and Organasm and Chas has Perimeter. Thighpaulsandra is in the middle of one for us now and we're discussing the possibility of rendering Subotnick's Sidewinder.

5. What do you have in your modular system when playing with ZZYZX Society?

At first I brought almost everything. I could basically empty my main cabinet into the two road cases and on top of that I brought the two side cases, but I knew this wouldn't last. After a couple of days of rehearsal when we worked on the two pieces that were modular extensive I identified what was overkill and I limited my modular system to the two road cases (see image). It's eight rows of 88hp.

In the empty space I've now installed an Animodule Midi Gate, which is a brilliant idea and one I was planning on for EAR - but the best man won on that, more power to them for that. With it in that space will be two custom modules consisting of two Sparkfun Wave Trigger boards and a little unity gain mixer. Each of the Wave Triggers will be driven by the Midi Gate. I can use individual keys on my Roli to fire of independent events. Each of these WAVE modules allow for eight polyphonic samples to be played by either the depression of a momentary switch or a gate signal with each group of eight stored on a microSD card which can be loaded on the fly. I see this as an intelligent way of performing with a modular in a live scenario. It's basically what Mort is doing now - assembling the overall sonic contour by playing prerecorded samples as required with a couple of live voices over everything. Very effective and something Mort has been talking since the days I was working with him. It took 30 years for technology to catch up with him. In my instance, I will be playing events I prerecorded on the modular.

6. Does working on music like the ZZYZX Society influence your designs, or do you keep the two worlds separate?

It's had a huge impact on this. Immediately I started thinking about a group of modules called "the live set" which would be a series of devices which would make live performance easier for a modular artist. I don't want to give anything away outside of saying the guy that developed the Wave Trigger for Sparkfun lives a few blocks from me (wink). I've also had a couple of meetings with Vince De Franco, who produces the Mandela Electric Drums whom I met through Danny Carey. If what we're discussing becomes a finished product, it will be a paradigm shift for realization of live electronic music.

7. What's next for you? You were the man behind Plan B, your designs were featured in Subconscious Communications' modules, and you are back with Electro-Acoustic Research. You recently announced the Model 41 Steiner 4P filter. Do you plan to bring back any older designs like the Milton or will you be focusing on new designs only?

The EAR modules will be a combination of new things and legacy re-releases, but none of the old ones will be brought to market now without significant improvements. Not because they were broken before, but because I see no reason to revisit something without making changes. If you go to ear-synth.com the next product up is the Model 12 Mark II. It's two M12's in one package, both fitted with the IFM Sync function found on the M41. There are all manners of interconnection possibilities as well, so that two two can be used independently, or in either serial or parallel operation off all output taps of a single signal. If you sweep to the 'Future' page there's also the Model 24 Heisenberg Mark II, which adds a new quantized output to the stepped random and three new inter-modulation/triggering options. The Model 10 Mark II could not be more different than the original. Now two voltage controllable DASR envelope generators (Delay, Attack, Sustain TIME and Release). I have also mapped out a concept for an upgraded Model 15 Complex VCO which will make it the VERY Complex VCO lol. There are as well three new modules all ready to go.

I have been working on the relaunch for four years - since cEvin and I did the Subcon license on the 15 and 37. I've been working towards it continually. The first three products are completely done with a couple of revisions of hand built SMT prototypes behind them - ready to go - I just need to email the data off to Darkplace when it's time and product will appear a couple of months after that. If you watch Thighpaulsandra's excellent Model 41 demo video - next to the M41 you will see the Model 12 Mark II mounted in his system and that's one thing I did differently this time - I skipped the breadboard stage. I now go directly to SMT PCBs with Metalphoto faceplates. This addresses all sorts of potential calamities. It forces me to concentrate on the design stage and weeds out all manufacturing hiccups before they hit the Darkplace assembly line because if there are problems there - they aren't going to pay for that - I am. As my dad used to say when he was quoting new jobs.... "I don't do this for practice".

This brings me to something I want to close on. My father went through the Plan B collapse with me. He knew how hard I had worked to get where I did and he knew all too well what I forfeited. He was a tough love guy and at times unnecessarily hard on me about it. But in the end, I did it and he knew before he passed away. I was ready for the Model 41 a year and a half ago. Darkplace had already quoted it. It could have launched then and would have had he not died. There were delays from his death that the family needed to settle. But as far dad... I built most of the prototypes on his kitchen table because the light was so much better there than on my bench at home. He saw me working on them. He saw the Darkplace quotes. The last thing he said to me was 'I love you'.  Right before that - he congratulated me on getting the company back on it's feet and that I found a way to do it all on my own, and he told me how proud he was of me. After he said this, I left the hospital for the day and he died that evening at 3 in the morning. Nothing was worth the six years I went through and the problems I caused people, nothing makes my father's death bearable - but that moment came real. real close.

SonalSystem microSD Sample Packs for Eurorack

SonalSystem makes microSD sample packs for eurorack. You can find their full catalog at https://sonalsystem.com They are "Multi Module Compatible" including support for 1010 Music's BitBox and BlackBox, the Make Noise Morphagene, and Erica Synth's Sample Drum.

Above is a playlist of video demos for their Dark Matter vol 3 microSD. Below is a playlist for Dark Matter vol 4, followed by a playlist featuring additional products. Below that you will find some additional information, or you can just go straight to their site: https://sonalsystem.com. :)

Playlist:
Dark Matter vol 3 Morphagene Hands On
Dark Matter vol 3 Bitbox Live Demo
Eurorack microSD Embedded Cue Points Demo

Dark Matter vol 4 microSD for Eurorack


Playlist:
Dark Matter Vol 4 Morphagene Hands On
Dark Matter vol 4 Bitbox Hands On
Eurorack microSD Embedded Cue Points Demo

Eurorack / Hardware Sampler Products


Playlist:
Dark Matter - Tales From The Synth Side Eurorack microSD Card
TranSHIFTED Guitars microSD for Eurorack
Break Beet Roots Hands On #01 Single Hits (No Talking)
Break Beet Roots Hands On #02 Kit Playing (No Talking)
Break Beet Roots Hands On #03 Loop & Cue Point Browsing (No Talking)
BBR Hands On #04 Cue Points In Use (No Talking)
Dark Matter microSD Card Bitbox Audio Demo
Dark Matter microSD Morphagene Audio Demo
TranSHIFTED Guitars Hands On Demo 01 - Eurorack Bitbox Samples

"What kind of 'soundware' could open new channels of inspiration for modular users across diverse genres? It would have to be something unique, adaptable, effortless, and pristine.

With an already impressive resume of sound design for major music software developers (including Steinberg, Ableton, Native Instruments, Yamaha, Output and others), SonalSystem is proud to announce its latest venture into content design for hardware with a Micro SD card packed with stunning sound for modular-based composers.

UNIQUE

Never satisfied with the already-perfect, we found our sounds even more inspiring chopped, looped, morphed, and filtered through various eurorack units. SonalSystem is the industry’s first to supply multi-compatible third party sound on an dedicated SD card for modular users.

ADAPTABLE

This soundware is simpatico with innovative, industry leading modular units like the 1010 Bit Box, Make Noise Morphagene, Qu-Bit Nebulae, and other great SD equipped gear.

EFFORTLESS

Totally plug and play, our cards are formatted and embedded with meticulously pre-sliced sound at intuitive cue points. Most eurorack modules instantly read the content with no editing necessary.*

PRISTINE

Not your average loops and samples, these are high quality recorded audio files, specially edited for use in modular hardware. No need to spend your precious creative time sample editing in a studio－plug in these immaculate, pre-edited, embedded (and in some cases, looped!) tracks and focus your energy creating straight from your eurorack.

This Micro SD Soundware Pack release covers the core spectrum of sound, promising a sublime experience for anyone with an ear to take something morphable and make it into their own irreproducible showpiece.

*Check your hardware for specific details on how to best integrate the SonalSystem soundware.

To ensure compatibility, we recommend installing the latest product firmware update.

Available Now at SonalSystem

and select retailers" including Perfect Circuit.

DMX Krew's Modular 101 Event Synth Patch

Published on Dec 14, 2015 mylarmelodies

"DMX Krew did a little Modular Drum synth and bass patching demo at London Modular's Modular 101 event on 13/12/15. This was in Das Kino in Hackney Wick, and god damn, you can't really appreciate it on video but that system is capable on severe amounts of low end. It sounded ace.

Especially rated his FM cymbal patch which was combined with white noise to make a separate snare patch, but with 'funky' inter-dependencies, which adds to the charm of course.

This is an Analogue Systems modular, with nothing fancy in it, just good modules patched well by a good ear."

Yuyo cmos synth - First try Attiny85 dco with analog cmos shaping and twin t filter

video upload by JIANT

"everything is from the synth to the zoom recorder, twin t drums, xor snare, pt2399, and cmos stuff.

attiny85 reseting the phase of 40106 oscilators, the digital control accepts 1voct from keysetp and go to the 40106 inputs through resistors, a little rc for filtering the pwm, and for this reason when you change the oscillator frequency you can get intervals and crazy stuff. is not orthodox but suits my need for Rich timbres. the dco goes to 40106 buffers , and then 4040 dividers, twin t filters, one for each of the two voices, one goes to env, vca, filter, delay, and the other one to clock divider and filter, to get the sub osc.

firmware super simple only for checking the conversion from filtered frecuency of the attiny85 to my 40106 non exponencial vcos.
currently is tracking 10 octaves really good, the trick is put a voltage divider in the cv in of the attiny because keystep has 0 to 10v and the attiny accepts 0 to 5v tehn the tracking inside the attiny converts o.5v oct to 1 volt oct. i dont know anything about coding but i made it with chat gpt and my design . source code will be in the coments ."

Previous videos:

CLICK FOR MORE »

EAR Modular Videos

Title link takes you there. Click on the images to launch videos when you get there.

"This guy posted the video links to these -- 5 Quicktime videos of Alessandro Cortini's (Nine Inch Nails) combination Livewire/Plan B modular synth. Apparently, the guy who posted this is a pcb stuffer for Livewire and could not reveal the system's owner."

Via cebec.

Update: Looks like new posts are coming in and moving the video posts down the list. Here are the links for the archives: one, two, three, four, five. Do check out the other shots via the main link as well.

AE Modular-Tangible waves & Raumzeitmaschine Tube Reverb-Tegeler Audio Manufaktur crazy tube warmth

Published on Aug 13, 2018 Dziam Bass

"Hi everyone !!!
I have a new movie showing AE Modular from tangible waves a small cheap modular system with a very interesting Raumzeitmaschine tube reverb from Tegeler Audio Manufaktur
This shows how well the sound of AE Modular in a studio environment, despite the fact that it is a small-still developing module project is great.
Tube Reverb is also honey for the ears and developed by the German company Tegeler shows the high level of this equipment that is able to raise the sound a lot to enjoy our ear with the sound of a tube.
Check this setup yourself!!!
For me sound is crazy!!!"