Heritage Audio Introduces SYNTH BUDDY - World’s First Desktop 10 to 1 Reversible Passive Stereo Switch

video upload by Heritage Audio

Press release follows:


Heritage Audio announces availability of SYNTH BUDDY as world’s first desktop 10 to 1 reversible and fully passive stereo switch

MADRID, SPAIN: European pro audio manufacturer Heritage Audio is proud to announce availability of SYNTH BUDDY — billed as being the world’s first desktop 10 to 1 reversible and fully passive stereo switch as a cost-effective, essential studio solution for seamlessly connecting up to 10 stereo (or 20 mono) line level sources, such as synths, drum machines, or samplers, and toggling between them with the twist of a knob — as of January 15, 2025…

It is fair to say that anyone who has ever dreamed about an inexpensive solution to help have multiple synths, drum machines, samplers, and other line level instruments connected and available with the twist of a knob can wake up and smell the coffee, courtesy of Heritage Audio’s SYNTH BUDDY. Indeed, its top panel-positioned 10 x1 STEREO PASSIVE SELECTOR wording gives the game away as it is possible to seamlessly connect 10 stereo (or 20 mono) line level sources to its 10 stereo/20 mono TS jack inputs and toggle between them with the twist of a knob (outputting via one stereo/two mono TS jacks) — simple as that! Talk about a dream becoming reality. And an all-passive design ensures crystal-clear line level signals with no added colouration — straight from the user’s musical mind to the song with no power source needed.

Needless to say, when creativity hits, there is no time for plugging in cables and switching gear. After all, many have experienced the creativity-killing scenario of having a great musical idea seemingly arrive out of nowhere, only for it to disappear by the time everything is set up and ready to record; no such worries when working with SYNTH BUDDY, of course, since everything is connected and available at the twist of a knob.

It is even possible to use SYNTH BUDDY ‘backwards’ by turning it into a one-input/10-output selector, so users can, for example, easily run one guitar or bass into several amps or effects — applications are (almost) endless! Either way, SYNTH BUDDY is built like a tank with an elegant desktop design — measuring merely 190mm (W) x 105mm (D) x 80mm (H) while weighing in at only 988g — that lends itself to studio or stage usage... and all without breaking the bank!

SYNTH BUDDY is shipping and available via Heritage Audio’s growing global network of dealers (https://heritageaudio.com/where-to-buy-international/) with an SSP (Standalone Selling Price) of €199.00 EUR (including VAT) in the EU and a MAP (Minimum Advertised Price) of $199.00 USD, US distribution being handled via RAD Distribution (https://raddist.com/en/brands/heritage-audio).

For more in-depth information, please visit the dedicated SYNTH BUDDY webpage here: https://heritageaudio.com/synth-buddy/

"A World of Heritage" (Heritage Modular Synthesizers) - 8 Voice Digital Modular Synth

video upload by KurtzMindfields

"Présentation of the prototype 'HERITAGE SYNTHESIZERS' from Frédéric Rible.
Digital modular 8 voices synthesizer with complete legacy analog interface & analog like sound!
All sounds and effects are made by the Heritage Synthesizers in 6 lives sessions.
Sounds created by Frederic & kurtz.
Up left camera : Heritage Modular main stéréo sequence live work / Keystep pro Arturia.
Down left camera : Mister M across Heritage modular filter, "PPG like" pads & effects & Bigbass end line
Up Right Camera : Heritage Modular second stéréo sequence rythm noises, strings like pad, bass line.
Down Right camera : 'Inside' the Heritage, first Triangle solo , second Formant solo and big analog end pad.
Track by Jean-Luc Briançon.
Links :
https://www.heritagesynthesizers.fr/
https://kurtzmindfields.bandcamp.com/
Title will be availble on Bandcamp april 2024 on new EP."



"The Heritage Modular synthesizer has been designed to mimic the typical look and feel of an early 1970s modular synthesizer but with full polyphonic capabilities. The feasibility is tightly linked to the usage of digital technologies available in 2020 to DIY enthusiasts.

From a musician perspective, the system should provide the illusion of using a classical analog modular synthesizer with knobs, switches and patch cables.

The core of the synthesizer is based on Pure Data: a powerful sound engine for the generation and processing of audio signal. The underlying algorithms has been chosen for faithful emulation of analog circuitry characteristics. As the goal is to provide with hardware user experience, the Pure Data GUI is only used during the software development phase.

A dedicated set of hardware modules has been designed to act as controllers for Pure Data. These modules are populated with knobs, switches, lights and jack sockets, as for any other classical modular synthesizer. The communication between Pure Data and these hardware modules is done via an I2C bus implemented over a standard 16-pin Eurorack connector.

This project has started in July 2020 as a DIY effort, with a first version up and running in July 2022."

Spitfire Signature Library via The Human League's and Heaven 17's Martyn Ware

Spitfire presents: MARTYN WARE - NIC library

Published on May 29, 2014 Spitfire Audio·114 videos

"A look at our new signature library from the synth pioneer Martyn Ware - founder member of The Human League and Heaven 17
http://www.spitfireaudio.com/martyn-w..."

And the press release:

"Spitfire swells Signature Range with synthpop production pioneer Martyn Ware

LONDON, UK: compositional tools creator Spitfire Audio is proud to announce availability of MARTYN WARE - NO ILLEGAL CONNECTIONS — the latest addition to its swelling Signature Range of sample libraries (where legendary composers, producers, and sound-smiths curate award-winning sonic DNA for future music-makers) for Native Instruments’ KONTAKT 4 or 5 (Mac OS X 10.7 or higher and Windows 7 or later) — as of May 30...

A distinctive pattern, product, or characteristic by which someone or something can be identified. So reads a typical dictionary definition of the word signature. Spitfire Audio’s Signature Range sample library luminaries certainly have a signature sound, hence the apt appellation. As one of the most successful, influential, and prolific film composers of his generation, Hans Zimmer — with whom Spitfire Audio previously collaborated on the HZ PERCUSSION - LONDON library, a definitive collection of hybrid cinematic widescreen percussion ensemble excellence — surely needs little in the way of introduction, for example.

Today it is with great pride that Spitfire Audio welcomes another trailblazer to its legendary Signature Range sample library lineup with MARTYN WARE - NO ILLEGAL CONNECTIONS. This time namesake legendary synthpop production pioneer Martyn Ware — founding member of electronic trailblazers The Human League and synth-funksters Heaven 17, and also a revered record producer in his own right with a sizeable number of super-successful credits to his sought- after name with over 50-million sales worldwide for the likes of ‘Queen of Rock ’n’ Roll’ Tina Turner, American singer-songwriter Terence Trent D’Arby, and eternal electro-poppers Erasure — offers up an exclusive collection of favourite analogue synth and drum sounds from his prized collection of rarefied electronic delights. These include Korg’s mid-Seventies-vintage Mini-KORG 700 ‘simple’ analogue monosynth and the Roland System 100 semi-modular monophonic synth with which Martyn made his name on early Human League classics like ‘Being Boiled’ — though the examples used on MARTYN WARE - NO ILLEGAL CONNECTIONS were actually gifted to Martyn by Erasure synth Svengali Vince Clarke (who openly admitted to being influenced by those early electronic recordings) upon discovering that Martyn had long since sold his originals — and the early-Eighties-vintage Jupiter-8, Roland’s first truly professional programmable analogue polysynth that formed the backbone of Heaven 17 hits like ‘Temptation’. Before making their own distinctive mark on the hit parade, prior to owning a drum machine, Martyn and his Human League (and Heaven 17) synth-playing partner Ian Craig-Marsh’s make do and mend modus operandi involved rhythmically riding faders on the aforesaid System 100 and its associated Model 104 Sequencer to create bass and snare drums on the fly! Little wonder, then, that the then-young Vince Clarke sat up and took note during his fledgling Depeche Mode days.

Having joined forces with Vince Clarke to form The Illustrious Company, combining their talent to exploit the creative and commercial possibilities of their unique three-dimensional sound technology in collaboration with fine artists, the performing arts, and corporate clients worldwide, Martyn extensively lectures on music production, technology, and creativity at universities and colleges around the world when not working in his studio space at London’s Tileyard Studios complex — coincidentally, also home to Spitfire Audio!

By way of further background to the welcome MARTYN WARE - NO ILLEGAL CONNECTIONS release, Spitfire Audio co-founder Paul Thomson tellingly pays tribute to the accomplished individual in question before going on to introduce the latest Signature Range sample library itself: “Martyn’s a legend in the electronic music field. He’s a founder member of The Human League; his first massive hit was ‘Being Boiled’. And then he left to form Heaven 17 with Ian Craig-Marsh; they had another massive hit with ‘Temptation’, although American audiences may be more familiar with the hit ‘Let Me Go’, which was played hugely on KROQ and MTV over there. He went on to produce with huge success; he helped relaunch Tina Turner’s career with ‘Let’s Stay Together’ and ‘Private Dancer’. He produced Terence Trent D’Arby, Marc Almond, Erasure, and many others. His early albums were direct precursors, in many ways, to the directions that hip-hop took Stateside when it went electro in the early Eighties. We believe that the key to sampling synths is not just good signal chain, but it’s also the curatorship of the sounds, and this is a rare opportunity to share in Martyn’s sonic approach — the buttons and dials that he tweaks to suit his taste and his heritage. So we get to see what he can come up with on these machines — fantastic synths like the Roland System 100, Jupiter-8, and the Korg 700. We’ve also got a warped collection, which is kind of sound designed from this original material. We’ve got some modern interpretations, but it’s largely curated to be in the spirit of Martyn’s style — how the young electronic acts in the UK inspired the likes of Afrika Bambaataa with the burgeoning electro and hip-hop scene Stateside in New York and the South Bronx.”

It goes without saying, therefore, that Martyn Ware and his creative cohorts proved inspirational back in the day while MARTYN WARE - NO ILLEGAL CONNECTIONS clearly is inspirational today to anyone looking to make musical use of a broad selection of pads, leads, drums, effects, tempo-locked sequences, and all manner of curios created by the man himself, with additional sympathetic sound design by award-winning composers and producers — all presented in ‘Super Mono’ to provide a selection of channels processed via vintage Class-A analogue outboard. With over 270 piquant presets — some with up to five distinctly-different mixable signal paths — providing a total library size of 13.5 GB in compressed downloadable data from 25.1 GB of WAV files totalling 11,016 samples, such musical inspiration from a true trailblazer is unlikely to dry up anytime soon. Just ask the now-not-so-young Vince Clarke — all set to release his 16th studio album with Erasure, his third successful group since first hearing Martyn Ware’s time-honoured Human League tones 30-plus years ago!


MARTYN WARE - NO ILLEGAL CONNECTIONS can be purchased and downloaded directly from Spitfire Audio for an introductory promotional price of £75.00 GBP (subject to VAT within the EU) until June 12, 2014 (rising to £99.00 GBP thereafter) from here: http://www.spitfireaudio.com/products-page (Note that this will require a full version of Native Instruments KONTAKT 4 or 5 to run.)

For more detailed info and individual demos from Spitfire Audio co-founders Christian Henson and Paul Thomson skilfully showcasing MARTYN WARE - NO ILLEGAL CONNECTIONS’ creative sound design visit the dedicated webpage here: http://www.spitfireaudio.com/martyn-ware-no-illegal-connections

Watch Spitfire Audio co-founder Paul Thomson’s telling MARTYN WARE - NO ILLEGAL CONNECTIONS video walkthrough here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdmFXFj7GQw"

NAMM & NOT NAMM - New Products on the Synth Front

Well, it's that time of year again. Keep an eye out on the NAMM label (added to top right menu) for everything NAMM and more. More in that anything new will get the label whether it's shown at NAMM or not. It's about new gear. Updates in this post will be preceded in red. Some already in below. See "The NAMM List!" link under the Twitter, Facebook, and RSS labels on top of the right to get back to this post later.

(A note on the top site menus: I removed the iPhone and iPad labels as they go up in posts every day now so you can find them there. eBay links are on the right, so I removed it as well.)

That said, the following are some of the things to look out for. If you have any NAMM info feel free to comment and/or send it in. If I missed anything, let me know! If you are going to NAMM, feel free to send pics and video in.

On the list:

CLICK FOR MORE »

HAINBACH & JORANALOGUE Introduce COLLIDE 4 - The Sonic Power Of Nuclear Test Equipment

video upload by HAINBACH

"I teamed up with Belgian Eurorack module manufacturer Joranalogue to solve one of the biggest problem I had with my wall of test equipment: I could use it in the studio, but not play it live. It is just too heavy and fragile, being about 50 years. So that part of my music remained unperformed. With our new module Collide 4 I and everyone else can now take the wonderful textures and sonic possibilities of nuclear research equipment on the road.

It is based on a lock-in amplifier, a tool made to sniff out tiny fluctuations of a frequency in vast amount of noise. But Joran took the concept further and added a frequency shifter. It is module with vast possibilities, and I can only give you a small overview and intro in this video. Check out Collide 4 at your trusted modular dealer in person now."

User videos:



Playlist:
1. FANTASTIC FILTH from COLLIDE 4 (Joranalogue & Hainbach) // my first patch + your questions! - DivKid
2. Joranalogue Audio Design X HAINBACH / COLLIDE 4 / first experiments / a lot of 'aha' moments - BRiES
3. Joranalogue Audio Design x Hainbach / COLLIDE 4 / dissonance and drones / JUST SOUND SERIES (1/4)
4. Joranalogue Audio Design x Hainbach / COLLIDE 4 / music and melodies / JUST SOUND SERIES (2/4)
5. Joranalogue Audio Design x Hainbach / COLLIDE 4 / slew, ringmod, cv / JUST SOUND SERIES (3/4)
6. Joranalogue Audio Design x Hainbach / COLLIDE 4 / audio processing / JUST SOUND SERIES (4/4)



The origins of electronic music are found within the early works of a small group of forward-thinking mid-century composers, harnessing electronic test gear to create strange new sounds. Building upon this heritage, today everything comes full circle again through Collide 4.

The first hardware release to be co-developed by acclaimed musician and YouTube sensation Hainbach, Collide 4 builds upon the lock-in amplifier concept, and brings it into the Eurorack world. These atomic age physics research instruments are known for their raw power when used in musical applications. Now, any synthesist can experience this for themselves, at a fraction of the size and weight of a vintage unit, and with full voltage control.

The result is a wholly new kind of analogue synth voice and audio processor, with capabilities far beyond what the avant-garde pioneers could have imagined. Collide 4 is an expression of Hainbach's extensive experience in exploring the deepest musical realms contained within vintage test equipment, and the Joranalogue philosophy of electronic instrument design.

Honouring its innovative dual-phase architecture, this new kind of musical generator and processor has been christened the ‘quadrature spectral computer’. The sound? Quite simply: it's smashing!

Modern, fully analogue Eurorack format re-imagining of the lock-in amplifier concept, expanded to new heights.
Pingable variable bandwidth filter with self-oscillation capability.
Pre- and post-filter gain stages, for a total of up to 130 dB of amplification!
Through-zero sine/cosine quadrature oscillator.
Hilbert transform network for frequency shifter use.
Dual ring modulators with output lowpass filters.
Extensive output section, including magnitude and phase analogue computing outputs.
Unique X/Y quadrature topology, ideal for stereo use.
Handsome (and useful) signal level/overload LED indicator.
CV control over everything, with temperature compensation and excellent volt/octave pitch tracking.
20 HP, 30 mm deep. Over 600 components, yet a fraction of the weight and size of a vintage Model 124A lock-in amplifier unit.
Impedance-compensated outputs with dual-colour LEDs.
Trim potentiometers accessible from the front panel.
Precision-milled 2 mm anodised aluminium front panel with high-resolution, non-erasable graphics.
Bullet-proof design: polarised power header and MOSFET protection circuit.
Includes 16-to-10-pin Eurorack power ribbon cable.
Premium mounting hardware: black screws, black nylon washers and matching hex key.
Supplied with fold-out signal flow and front panel diagram.
High-quality components and assembly; designed and made in Belgium.

Check with dealers on the right for availability.

Reason Complex-1 // MEGA TUTORIAL

Published on Jan 24, 2019 DivKidVideo

"TIMING INDEX / SECTIONS BELOW - My index is so long (aka so much in the video) I have no room to write anything else! So here's Complex-1 which is a rack extension for Reason. I worked with them making some patches (bonus free patches to come) and there's a few videos coming too. Here's the first! Enjoy, grab a drink and skip around below.

00:00 introduction

00:28 Complex-1 overview

SOUND GENERATORS

Complex Osc

01:00 Buchla 259 heritage and features

01:40 Waveforms and waveshaping

02:28 Mod bus - FM / frequency modulation and modulating FM depth

CLICK FOR MORE »

Cherry Audio Releases Rackmode Modules for Voltage Modular

via Cherry Audio

"Cherry Audio and MRB are delighted to announce the release of Rackmode Modules for Voltage Modular, a set of effects, oscillators, and filters inspired by a classic line of analog rack-mounted signal processors from the 1970s and ‘80s. Rackmode Modules are nine new modules exclusively for the Voltage Modular platform based on Cherry Audio's acclaimed Rackmode Signal Processors plugins released earlier this year.

The Rackmode components have been expertly adapted to the modular workflow and maintain the elegant look and heritage of the rack-mounted enclosures. Award-winning synth designer Mark Barton's (MRB) proprietary DSP coding reproduces every sonic nuance with circuit-precise emulations based on the original rack-mounted hardware.

Redesigned for Voltage Modular, these new modules extend the capabilities of Cherry Audio's Rackmode Signal Processors. Most modules are available individually or as the Rackmode Modules Collection for a special introductory price of $69 for the complete bundle (regularly $99). A 50% discount is available for customers who previously purchased the Rackmode Signal Processors VST bundle.

The modules include:
Rackmode 16 Channel Vocoder
Rackmode Vocal Source Oscillator
Rackmode Poly Vocal Source Oscillator
Rackmode Phaser
Rackmode Ring Modulator
Rackmode String Filter
Rackmode Frequency Shifter
Rackmode Ten Band Graphic EQ
Rackmode Three Band Parametric EQ

At an introductory price of $69, the complete Rackmode Modules Collection for Voltage Modular is the latest "must-have" bundle of modules for aficionados of vintage analog synthesis and audio processing. It's fully compatible with all versions of Voltage Modular, including our FREE Voltage Modular Nucleus Edition, with no operational limitations. The modules may be demoed with the full Rackmode Module Collection demo for up to seven days."

Waldorf to Introduce New KYRA - All FPGA VA Synthesizer Based on the Exodus Valkyrie at NAMM 2019

Yes, this is real. Waldorf is teaming up with Exodus Digital on their recently announced Valkyrie FPGA synthesizer. It's worth noting the Novation Peak is also FPGA based, however not fully, as it utilizes analog filters. There are also some DIY FPGA synths. A fun side note is that this is the earliest NAMM post to go up for a single year's event. :)

Here's the press release:

Waldorf Music makes world’s first fully FPGA powered synth fit to fly for full production launch at The 2019 NAMM Show

REMAGEN, GERMANY: hot on the heels of having turned heads and opened ears with its innovative flagship, Quantum, a high-class hybrid synthesizer showcased to widespread critical acclaim at The 2018 NAMM Show in Anaheim, California earlier this year, high-quality synthesizer developer Waldorf Music is proud to announce a full production launch and general availability of Kyra — the world’s first fully FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) powered synthesizer featuring 128 voices (regardless of settings and effects), each with 10 oscillators per voice, and eight-part multitimbrality (with each part having its own dedicated nine-module effects unit) — at The 2019 NAMM Show, January 24-27, in Anaheim, California…

As an extremely powerful VA (Virtual Analogue) synthesizer literally like nothing else out there — thanks to leveraging the latest FPGA technology to significantly outperform legacy DSP (Digital Signal Processing) powered competition, Kyra’s crowning glory comes courtesy of its state-of-the-art audio quality: think 32x oversampled hardware with dual wavetables providing over 4,000 waveshapes! With 10 oscillators — that can be doubled to 20 by using two voices — each offering a wide range of features, including true stereo operation, hard sync, FM (Frequency Modulation), and ring modulation, Kyra starts shaping up as a serious sonic force to be reckoned with... without even factoring filtering into an already seriously impressive-sounding instrument! Indeed, Kyra’s resonant filters are accurate oversampled emulations of classic analogue ladder filters with 2- and 4-pole configurations (offering -12dB/oct and -24dB/oct of magnitude decrease, respectively). Saying that, two linked or independent filters can be used in Dual Voice mode, making for even more creative options. On top of that, there are three envelope generators, three stereo LFOs (Low Frequency Oscillators) with 64 shapes and MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) clock sync, an arpeggiator, full keyboard microtuning, and true polyphonic portamento, as well as a comprehensive 18-channel modulation matrix to Kyra’s notable name.

Notably, Kyra comes highly specified for effects, each of its eight parts featuring a three-band EQ with sweepable mid, dual tube limiters, formant filter, distortion, six-stage phaser, stereo digital delay, comb/flanger/chorus/doubler unit, and a programmable reverb. All effects units on all parts can be used simultaneously and run at Kyra’s native 96kHz sample rate.

Kyra clearly delivers when it comes to connectivity by boasting four assignable, balanced 32-bit/96kHz stereo outputs, a headphone output, low-latency DIN MIDI, a fully class-compliant USB2 implementation for MIDI, and a stereo 24-bit/96kHz audio stream for each of its eight parts. Production-wise, there is also a USB (Universal Serial Bus) audio return feature, so Kyra can render final DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) audio under ASIO (Audio Stream Input/Output). An ASIO driver is provided for Windows users while Mac support is out of the box.

But if any aspects of this impressive instrument already have a ring of familiarity about them then Musikmesse 2018 in Frankfurt am Main may have played its part. Put it this way: Waldorf Music CEO Joachim Flor found himself transfixed there. “It was more of a coincidence to have discovered Valkyrie during a tour of this year’s Frankfurt Music Fair, but I was immediately aware of the fact that this was probably one of the most exciting synthesizers of recent years,” he admirably admits. “I got into conversation with its independent UK developer, Manuel Caballero, and I’m now looking forward to working with this talented, innovative individual, who is also a great guy! Under the direction of Waldorf Music, Valkyrie flies forth into a joint production project called Kyra, which will be shown and delivered at NAMM in 2019.”

Fortunately for Manuel Caballero, the feeling was clearly mutual — Musikmesse mission accomplished. “After nearly four years in the making, I went to Musikmesse with the intention of finding an established partner for Valkyrie,” he reveals. “There's little doubt that Valkyrie's reveal at Musikmesse caused quite a stir in the synthesizer world and I had set the bar high for potential partners to bring the instrument to market. As a result of this, I'm pleased to announce a partnership with Waldorf Music. Few companies can match their track record of innovation and delivery spanning several decades. Working with Joachim Flor and his technical and design team to achieve this is an exciting and efficient partnership as we work together to launch the instrument at NAMM in 2019. Waldorf's proven heritage in product design, manufacturing, and distribution leaves me to do what I do best, which is applying the most advanced technologies to the art of music, and I look forward to a continued deep working relationship with the Waldorf team.”

Kyra is initially scheduled for full production launch at The 2019 NAMM Show, January 24-27, in Anaheim, California, competitively priced at €1,899.00 EUR as a desktop/rackmount model (with a keyboard version to follow later in 2019).

PPG WaveGenerator by Wolfgang Palm Now Available!

It has arrived: WaveGenerator - PPG - Wolfgang Palm (iTunes)

Wolfgang Palm's latest synth comes to the iPad.

"PPG WaveGenerator is the latest development from the inventor of wavetable synthesis, Wolfgang Palm. It is a next generation synthesizer, building on the heritage of the PPG Wave keyboards.

The PPG WaveGenerator comes with a multitude of wavetables. The sound material contains the typical sounds from the original PPG wave models, as well as many new sounds generated by versatile analysis tools and also hand edited waves.

This app enables the user, to create his own wavetables in a playful way, and to hear the result immediately. Also you can construct the waves by adding harmonics very precise.

Another way is to transform a picture into a wavetable. You can load photos from your album or even shoot a picture with the camera.

The waves are collected in a grid of 256 fields, to which the 3 oscillators of the synthesizer have arbitrary and independent access.

In a 3D display you get a visual impression on how the sound evolves. You can turn around the 3D object and zoom in and out,

The Parameters of the synthesizer are divided into modules, which allows easy, yet powerful editing.

It contains 3 oscillators with independent control of pitch and waveform. Each oscillator has its own glide, which gives a very dynamic sound.

With a sophisticated routing system, the diverse modulation sources can be connected to all important control points.

The keyboard is configurable totally freely, so you can setup all well-known musical scales, but also all imaginable custom scales that best fit into your music.

PPG WaveGenerator benefits all advantages of the iPad, like X/Y control after the key on event, or two finder gestures for spectrum control. After a key is hit, the tone may be modified and modulated in various ways, just by moving your finger.

A comfortable browser lets you sort the sound programs; you can categorize and rate them. Also complete custom sound banks may be created.

All significant parameters are controllable via MIDI.

There is a built in context specific help for all pages and modules.

Key Features:

•Creation of your own waves and wavetables.
•Playful sound creation simply by drawing or picking harmonics
•3D page, visualization of the wavetables, transformation from photos into wavetables.
•256 waves assembled within a wave grid
•3 Audio Oscillators
•3 Noise generators, for audio and modulations
•Classic 24 dB Lowpass Filter, combined with an overdrive simulation.
•Dual amplifier, for versatile control of 2 audio signals as well as panning.
•13 Envelopes, for independent control of pitch, waveform, filter and noise gain and panning
•4 LFOs
•Arpeggiator
•Delay/Reverb effect
•Audio engine with 2 synthesis modes, and variable wave blending quality.
•Directly accessible context help inside the app
•Use a camera, to shoot a picture and then transform it into a sound!
•Using state of the art technologies, but still the versatile and efficient synthesis system.
•Build your own keyboard, with the keys you prefer for your music."

WaveGenerator - PPG - Wolfgang Palm
iPads on eBay

See the PPG label below for previous posts including video, audio demos and pics.
Don't miss the overview videos by Wolfgang Palm himself here.

via Danny O'Malley on The MATRIXSYNTH Lounge

Superbooth 2023: This Is Not Rocket Science - Bopp And Steve

video upload by sonicstate

"We spoke to Stijn from This Is Not Rocket Science at Superbooth 2023, who showed us their new flagship module called Bopp and Steve Deconstructed Spatial Effect. The module is a combination of a reverb, delay, pitch shifter, and diffuser, all mixable and matchable to create a customized reverb. The signal input hits a diffuser for early reflections, a delay for pre-delay, and a reverb tail for a glossy reverb with a shimmer effect. There's also a chord pitch shifter which can be controlled with polyphonic MIDI pitch shifting for playing chords with reverb tails.

Although it is still currently in development, Bopp and Steve is already festooned with 16 knobs, a bunch of CVs, and promises more effects to come, including more reverb tail types.

Available: Winter 2023. Price: around 440 Euros"

"Bopp & Steve Space Effect

With this module every sound is bigger on the inside and we can finally know how many angels fit on a pin-header. Between the input and the output your soundwave is shot through space and changes occur. BOPP & STEVE let you in at different points to tweak and trim their spatial effects until you find the exact place in the universe you were looking for. BOPP & STEVE reverberates, diffuses, delays and shifts pitch of whatever you send into it. Based on a deconstructed audio path and intricate DSP these fabulous sounds come alive. We connected the virtual with physical reality. Making an instrument by giving you tangible parameters, connecting your fingers to bits floating in space.

PITCH
Pitch modes let you shift pitch chromatically (regular) three notes at time (chord) or detuned and unquantized (free). The chord mode is unique as far as we can tell. All modes are CV and Midi controllable. This is where we stuck all the angels on the pin-header. Following the note of your input a choir of harmonious notes will start sounding. Instant etherealness. With Pitch Point you select a point in the audio path where the pitch gets shifted. Pressing the Pitch Point LED button you will see little LEDs turn on (and off) at the wet input point, the diffuse point, the delay point, the tail point, wet output and dry output point or even on the feedback of the delay point. Transpose lets you set how far you transpose from -2 octaves to +2 octaves. Control gives you control over something else for every pitch mode. In Regular mode it lets you control inertia, in Chord mode it lets you control chord type and in Free mode it controls detune.

AUDIO PATH
The audio path in BOPP & STEVE is input – diffuse – delay – tail – output. Diffuse smears your sound over time which seems to change the shape of the space you are in – and has its own Flavour setting you can tweak. Delay holds your sound over time which seems to make the space you are in bigger. In the Tail the diffuse and delay of your sound merge together and travels into infinity. A Main knob lets you set the wet/dry mix of all these spatial effects on your output. The Envelope of the dry audio path has its own tracker output that you can invert with the knob besides it. For the Delay effect you can choose between bouncing between left/right (pingpong), a supershort Karplus-Strong physical model (waveguide) or staccato repetition (multitap). You can tweak the Length, Feedback and Pattern of these delay modes. The tail can be smoothly tapering off (dense), coming and going (float) or choppy and granular with space in between (sparse). You can tweak the Length, Chorality and Temprature of the different tails. Freeze holds the sound in the Delay and the Tail so they become infinite.

ORIGIN
The heritage of BOPP & STEVE starts with a reverb that Stijn has been working on since the 2000s. A version of it is in the Fenix IV Dual Delay as the Reverb mode with a “chunky shimmer and a phat detune”. Stijn has further deconstructed their Early Reflections into two parts (Delay and Diffuse) and created three types of Tail (Dense, Sparse, Float). At Superbooth23 we are presenting a prototype. The hardware is 99% settled, the software is mostly functional but not yet feature-complete and not all glooped together yet. We expect to produce modules before the end of the year so everyone can have BOPP & STEVE for Christmas.

Sales price will be 440 EUR inc tax."

via http://www2.thisisnotrocketscience.nl/eurorack/bopp_n_steve/#

Meet the New Moog Grandmother

Update: official announcement with videos here.

This one in via MATRIXSYNTH reader, mario.

Update: Two new stock pics, and one in the box via JMP in the comments.

$899.00 List $999.00

"Limited-edition design created exclusively for Moogfest 2018.

To celebrate Grandmother’s debut at Moogfest 2018, the first 500 units have been marked with a limited-edition Moogfest 2018 badge and include a custom denim jacket from Moog. Get your Grandmother Moogfest 2018 Edition before they're gone!

Retro looks, cool vibe and a sound that's all Moog. Grandmother is a direct reflection of Moog's modular heritage, where the journey to creating sound is as much fun as the end result. There are no presets, so you'll have to rely on creative exploration and a basic understanding of synthesis to achieve any desired results, but nothing can compare to the joy and satisfaction of creating your own custom sounds. Just like its vintage predecessors, Grandmother's sound engine, modulation engine and onboard spring reverb tank are 100% analog. Want proof? Just give the desk a bump and listen to its springs rattle inside. With Grandmother, what you see is what you get. No menu diving, no recall, nothing to get in the way of you and your sound.

The Grandmother is a semi-modular synth, which means you can start playing it right out of the box without any patching. But if you want to experience the full creative potential of Grandmother, just use any of its 41 patch points to override its internal circuitry and create your own complex signal routing. Choose from 21 inputs, 16 outputs and a parallel-wired 4-jack mult. The options are only limited by your imagination, and with the ability to integrate Grandmother into other modular synths like the Mother-32 or DFAM, or even into larger Eurorack systems, the possibilities are infinite.

Analog Architecture
All the basic building blocks of a modular synth are included in the Grandmother's design, and even some welcomed extras. There are two analog oscillators each with their own selectable waveforms including triangle, sawtooth, square and pulse, with a hard sync button to align them appropriately. The analog LFO is perfect for adding some movement to your sound and with its audio-rate capability, it can act as a third oscillator for bigger, more aggressive sounds. There's also a classic Moog 4-pole 10Hz-20kHz Ladder filter, patchable 1-pole high-pass filter, and an analog ADSR envelope generator ready to sculpt your sound.

Beyond The Basics
The Grandmother would be an excellent machine with only the essentials, but Moog innovates further by adding in an analog hardware spring reverb tank that can add a subtle shine, while taming any harsh frequencies. The reverb tank can also be used to process external sources as a standalone effect. Grandmother also has a built-in arpeggiator that's easy to use and an onboard sequencer that can store up to 3 sequences with up to 256 notes each.

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Behringer Edge & Crave Combo Patches + Samples. No Talk Demo

video upload by Anton Anru

"Welcome to the soundset for the semi-modular synthesizers Behringer EDGE + CRAVE. It is a collection of 50 presets (+50 CRAVE patterns) that include basses, drums/percussion, leads, plucks, textures, FXs.
There is a wide range of sound colors inside the pack: massive and gentle, aggressive and soft, bright and dull, melodic and inharmonic tones, straight and polymetric patterns.

📚 Get the soundset: https://antonanru.sellfy.store/p/behr...

The main point of the soundset is the high level of interconnection, not just syncing the two synths with independent timbres (individual patches for EDGE and CRAVE are also available on my website).
In this patchbook, the timbres of the synths are soldered and can’t exist separately:
🔸 they modulate each other with LFO and Envelopes
🔸 a sequence from one synth change parameters on the other one
🔸 gates and triggers interaction breaks predictable patterns
🔸 audio signals from OSCs may be used as modulation sources to create harmonies/intervals or crazy experimental inharmonic tones
🔸 or they may be used just as audio sources that go to the other synth to be processed with its (different) filter and envelope and get the «second life».

At the same time, they play different and distinct roles; it’s not a sonic mess, but two synths working in close cooperation.

📝 Each page contains notes explaining how the patch works, which parameters are worth tweaking during playback, and how to develop the timbre during a performance. By making these settings consciously and trying the things mentioned in the notes, you will learn a lot about the synths and discover their true depth.

To recreate these patches, you will need up to 12 patch cords.
There are audio examples of all patches inside the folder with the soundset.

💽 Each patch has audio examples presented in three variants: EDGE only, CRAVE only, and both together.
💽 Additionally, there's a separate folder containing WAV samples with the same timbres, along with Scale and BPM information. These samples can be used inside a sampler or DAW to achieve the exact sound heard in the examples. Feel free to slice them for one-shots or loops; they serve as excellent material for further editing and processing.

I added delays/reverbs and pads to create a musical context.
They are not included in the soundset."

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Synthenoxe Part 1.0 - an Elka Synthex impression

YouTube Uploaded by wavebox2011 on Feb 27, 2011

"Just a quick impression of the Synthex synthesizer in the project studio. The fun-title "Synthenoxe" is a reminiscence of J.M. Jarre's early studio recordings like Oxygene and Equinoxe. His magnificent sound has inspired my noodling in this video, too.

All the sounds (except for the drums) have been recorded with the Synthex; including the ocean waves and animals in the intro. :-)

While experimenting around with the Synthex, I started recording some audio tracks to the DAW. And I ended up with well over 50 tracks and this demo-video. :-) This synthesizer is such an inspiring machine!

About the synthesizer:

The Synthex is clearly underrated! Maybe because it is not coming from one of the large synth plants in Japan or the U.S.A., but rather surprisingly from an organ manufacturer, the italian company Elka.
Despite this "lack of heritage" the Synthex has an amazing sound and deserves to be named alongside other classic power-synths such as the Jupiter-8 or the Prophet 5.

Sure, Jean-Michel Jarre based his famous laser harp sound on the Synthex - but it's by far not limited to that cliché.

I looked for an easy way to sync up the Synthex's internal sequencer to MIDI Clock. The most straightforward way was to hook up a Korg Electribe (ER-1 mkII) to MIDI and have a percussive instrument do the audio triggering of the Synthex. Simple, quite robust and even "programmable" to a certain degree.

Some Synthexes have no MIDI-interface (like the one in the video). But they all have one of the most intuitive sequencers I've come across in a classic synth: 4 independant monophonic sequences, easily and quickly recordable in step- or real-time-mode, syncable to an audio trigger.
And if you're a preset freak, you can even store your sequences along with your sounds as data beeping to a tape-recorder (or another recording device), thanks to the tape-interface. Old school high-tech. :-)

[ to the youngsters: "tapes", often used in the form of "cassettes", is an ancient technology for audio recording, quite popular before digital recording and youtube existed. yes, there was such a time, way way back, right after the dinos and the stone age. believe me, i was there. not with the dinos, but in the tape age. :-) ]

keep on sounding!"

PPG MiniMapper Now Available

"PPG MiniMapper is the latest development from the inventor of wavetable synthesis, Wolfgang Palm. It is a next generation synthesizer, building on the heritage of the PPG Wave keyboards.

PPG MiniMapper is an easy to use performance synthesizer with a wide range of sounds for iPhone and iPod Touch.

Compatibility And Hardware Requirements:
iPhone 4, 4S or iPod Touch 4 minimum, iPad users can run it as an iPhone App.

PPG MiniMapper comes with 10 pages:

• Sound Map - Manual Mode
• Sound Map - Accelerator Mode
• Sound Map - Magic Mode


• Arptor - Start/Stop/Record, Range, Up/Down/Random
• Audio Recorder / Keyboard Editor
• Modifiers Page - two X/Y controller with selectable routing

• System Setup - Number of Voices, Sample Rate, other constants
• MIDI Setup - In / Out and controller

• Preset Browser -
• Bank Manager - copy presets between banks

Key Features:
• New Sound map concept - create new sounds playful and experimental
• Map Recorder generates new programs on the fly
• Features the same audio engine that powers the highly popular PPG WaveMapper
• Arptor - a flexible Step Sequencer / Arpeggiator combination
• Schematic touch keyboard - zoom and scrollable
• Build your own keyboard, with the keys you prefer for your music.
• Powerful sound browser - sorting by category, bank management
• Virtual and Hard-MIDI in/out - sending/receiving keys and polypressure
• Sending/receiving the Icon positions and X/Y performers
• Audiobus support
• 10 min Audio recorder and Audio Copy
• Context specific help for all pages
• Easy data exchange between MiniMapper and WaveMapper"

CLICK FOR MORE »

Modal Electronics Introduces New 5 Octave Argon8X & Argon8M Desktop Synths

via Modal Electronics

Introducing ARGON8M and ARGON8X Polyphonic Synthesisers

Modal Electronics are proud to announce the latest products in its line of innovative Machines For Musicians - the Modal ARGON8M and ARGON8X synthesisers. ARGON8M and ARGON8X join the growing Modal Electronics family of SKULPTsynthesiser, CRAFTsynth 2.0, and the original ARGON8 (37 key version).

Based around its revolutionary new wavetable synthesiser engine, ARGON8 products derive much of their heritage and DNA from the highly acclaimed Modal 002.

The Modal 002, first introduced in June 2014 at $4,495, is still used and loved by top artists, film and television producers across the globe.

The two new models are welcome extensions to the line, allowing consumers two new exciting options:

1) ARGON8M - A compact desktop module version that can also be mounted into a 19" 3U rack with the included end cheeks, for those players with limited space.

2) ARGON8X - An elongated 61 key version using the same FATAR TP/9S mechanism with aftertouch, for those players who want an extended octave range.

Both models share an identical sound engine as the original ARGON8 (37 key version), with 8 voices of true polyphonic flexibility (8 independent signal paths comprising oscillators, filter, envelopes and modulation).
Modal are also excited to also announce the development of ARGON8 Polychaining, which will enable any two ARGON8’s to be in a master/slave configuration over DIN MIDI giving the user 16 note polyphony and the ability to control two ARGON8's from one. Estimated to be introduced in a software update c. March / April.

ARGON family members bring eight voices of true polyphony in professional quality packages with features previously never seen at these price points.

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ANTODOTE 625 LIMITED OFF! COLLABORATION

video upload by trogotronic

"WE CELEBRATE SOME OF OUR "HEAROS" WHILE ANNOUNCING THE ANTIDOTE (VERY) LIMITED RELEASE MINI-SYNTH COLLABORATION with OFF! @offofficial

A SONIC PORTAL to the ANALOG DIMENSION of FULL POTENTIAL SENSATIONALLY CHRONICLED in the FREE LSD LP & MOTION PICTURE
AVALABLE NOW FOR A LIMITED TIME AT THE TROGOTRONIC WEBSHOP"

via Trogotronic

"Clandestine Projects go by many strange names. Projects which changed the course of history for better or worse. Manhattan, Bluebook, MK Ultra— hell—even Alan Parsons…

PROJECT ANTIDOTE (codename THE MACHINE) is the latest of such world-changing endeavors. But rather than another top-down government control-scheme funded by covert appropriation, the Military, Moonies, the Heritage Foundation or Rand Corp— PROJECT ANTIDOTE is conducted by a grassroots coalition of outsiders far from the eyes & ears of the surveillance-state.

Miles down a random dirt road a working group was assembled from the ranks of OFF!—the Hardcore Punk Supergroup—& Trogotronic’s Subhuman Resistor-Wranglers. Their mission: Design the ANTI-SYSTEM.

While silicon valley oligarchs were squandering unimaginable sums to develop “brain-enhancement implants” at zillion-dollar vivisection labs, PROJECT ANTIDOTE relentlessly refined THE MACHINE at a secret forest shanty dubbed “THE PUNK WORKS”. Success was soon realized when the pathway for organic audio-to-mental frequency-coupling was established, whereby minds are FREED rather than controlled. What’s more THE MACHINE viscerally resonates with only the MOST radical free-radicals to achieve a critical mass of illuminated population no longer subject to THE SYSTEM.

THE MACHINE includes a holistic tuning array of

11 Parameter Knobs
10 Element Light Emitting Array
All-Analog Audio Circuitry
Right vs. Left Hemispherical Design
Endless Audio-to-Brain Setting Possibilities
12v Worldwide Power Supply
Plug & Play for rapid deployment at blistering amplitudes, its immediate effects are clearly notable when the uninitiated strike a peculiar pose with each fore-finger inserted deep into the ear canal. Congratulations: IT’S WORKING!

As a redundant precaution, plans are being subliminally disseminated via unlimited multimedia release. Hidden diagrams are embedded in LP sleeves, Sportswear & Midnight Movie plots only visible in complete darkness. This way if all our efforts fail, the intrepid underground technicians among us can independently construct THE MACHINE in shanties the world over."

Heritage Modular with 4 simultaneous timbres.

video upload by f1oat3d

"Testing Heritage Modular with 4 simultaneous timbres.
Single take track, raw audio output, only Gullfoss external mastering.
https://www.heritagesynthesizers.fr/"

See the Heritage label below for more.

Superbooth 20HE: Tiptop Audio - Z5000, ZVERB and ECHOZ

Published on Apr 25, 2020 sonicstate

"At Superbooth this year Tiptop Audio would have been presenting their latest line of effects modules. Z5000 Multi-Effects, ZVerb and EchoZ. All of these modules are 8HP in size and offer a mono input to stereo output. Each module also contains 24 different effects algorithms that cover a range of different effects. We missed them last year at Superbooth so we are happy to showcase them here in our SB at home edition…

Z5000 - The original Z5000 was released all the way back in 2008, oh how things have changed in the last 12 years… Eurorack is currently awash with different effects module, but with Tiptop Audio’s heritage developing algorithms for their ZDSP platform the new Z5000 has some good legs to stand on; giving you a bunch of TTA’s favourite reverbs, delays, modulation, harmonization and pitch modulated effects.

ZVERB - is a collection of all new algorithms developed by Tiptop, these range from typical reverbs to more complex effects combining delay and pitch shifting too. All the effects are grouped by decades, so if you’re into gated reverbs you’ll find them in the 80s bank…

ECHOZ - covers a whole range of different delay effects, from dirty tape saturated delays to pristine digital delays and modulated delay madness….

All of the effects have CV control over 3 of the parameters."

Endangered Audio Research AD4096

"Endangered Audio's latest project, the AD4096, is a hand-built analog delay with features that elevate it beyond your garden-variety 3-knob delays. With the flick of a switch, you can choose between true bypass or spillover, allowing you to stop your delays dead (in true bypass) or let them carry over into your next phrase (with spillover). Engaging the infinity switch is like turning the Depth knob all the way up instantaneously. Once you lift your foot off the momentary switch, the depth knob takes over again and the signal is subdued to its original setting. The LED, normally red, turns green when you step on the switch to indicate that you have just engaged infinity.

With the Time knob, you can take your sound from boxy, bathroom-like reverb at 20ms all the way up to a full 300ms of delay. The Depth, Delay, and Echo knobs are all very interactive with one another. Turning up the Delay knob, you'll notice a familiar smooth and creamy analog delay sound. Set the Delay knob relatively low and the Echo knob much higher, you'll find the character has changed to resemble darker, tape-based delays, with harmonic "glitter" or "sparkle" added to the delayed signal. Subtle blending of the Echo and Delay knob gives you a large tonal palette with lots of flexibility - so much that it's like having two delays in one!

Set the Delay and Echo knob up together, and you'll realize that the "Echoed" delay comes back just a fraction of a second later than the first, so that what you're really hearing is a lo-fi "echo" of the delay. The effect is subtle, but totally unique to the AD4096. Also, unlike many delays, both analog and digital, it is very easy to set the AD4096 so that is sounds like it is constantly self-oscillating with feedback without the signal getting carried away and blowing up your amp. This allows you to play lines over a swirling, churning background of delayed signals.

In addition to all of those features, the AD4096 also has an always-on buffered direct out. This allows you to send your dry signal to a seperate pedal chain without any loading.

The AD4096 owes its heritage to the Boss DM-3, though we cannot stress enough that it is NOT a clone! The AD4096 sounds very different and it has expanded tonal possibilities. The Coolaudio chips we use for the BBD and clock are clones of the Panasonic chipsets used in the DM-3 (and, to our ears, sound very "cool" indeed - so much for the N.O.S. voodoo!).

If you've been looking for the most tonally versatile analog delay out there, then you've just found it: the AD4096 by Endangered Audio Research.

The AD4096 features 100% analog circuitry and is hand-built and assembled right here in our shop. We use only through-hole components, and we make an effort to source environmentally-friendly components whenever possible. Our knobs are all high quality custom-made in the USA. We also have all of our boxes powdercoated locally here in Asheville, NC.

Features:
* 20-300ms of analog delay
* Direct out
* Switch for True Bypass or Spillover
* Momentary "Infinity" switch that shoots the Depth to 100% and also turns the normally red LED to green
* Two different delay controls - "Delay" and "Echo" each with their own distinct characteristics
* High quality plate-through-hole circuitboard that is made to last
* Durable Metalphoto control faceplate - will withstand years of abuse
* Large, custom-made knobs that invite tweaking
* Locally powdercoated aluminum enclosure
* Hand-built and assembled in our shop to assure total quality control
* Footprint: 5.3" by 4.3"

Projected Price:
$375
(Available for preorder in 2 weeks)."
http://smashingguitarsasheville.com/products/ad4096-analog-delay

Via Smashing Guitars. Note this is a stompbox. A synth module with expanded control will follow.

Demo :: Jupiter 8 + Alesis Quadraverb

Published on Sep 15, 2018 SOLON Music

"Demo of the Jupiter 8's Random LFO modulating the filter. Reverb from the Alesis Quadraverb. The synth is recorded through Heritage Audio's DMA73 preamp."