NAMM 2013: 4ms' Eurorack Modules & LZX Industries

NAMM 2013: 4ms' Eurorack Modules & LZX Industries' Video Synthesizer Demonstration (20130126) from ICON on Vimeo.

NAMM 2013: 4ms' Eurorack Modules & LZX Industries' Video Synthesizer Demonstration (20130126)

MODULUXXX - Modular Synthesizer Mini-Festival

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

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

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

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

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LZX Industries MONOLITH 1 of 5

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

via this auction - learn how to sell on eBay here

These were based on the MFOS Sounlab. See this post for details. There was a keyboard MONOLITH as well. See this post for video and pics.

Via the seller for the listing above: "Ok.. so here's the scoop. I bought this very rare LZX Industries MONOLITH analog synth from a music shop in Austin Texas early last year. They had it set up with a large modular system. I played it for hours and fell in love with the filter. I bought it and took it home where i have been using it as a filter processor for my guitars, vocals, other synths and drums. the filter is BEAST! It is unlike ANY filter I have heard. It can be creamy and smooth or it can SCREAM and overdrive into complete sonic bliss. I have never used it as a synthesizer so i am selling it as is and untested in that regard. I do not know what all these patch points do ro how to set them up so i cant test fully. I would assume they work fine, just cant say. I know they did work fine at the music store when i bought it as they had it hooked up to a keyboard, but it has not been used in that way since then.

Now... as i have researched... LZX Industries only made about 4 or 5 of these. The developer went on to make Video Synthesizers... which he still makes. So this is VERY VERY VERY rare chance to get a synth that you will never find or see or hear of again.

I ran vocals through it again last night and told myself not to sell it, due to ot's uniquie sound and rarity, but alas, i am short of cash these days and could really use the money. I hope it finds a great home where someone can utilize ALL its features..."

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LZX Industries MONOLITH analog synth MFOS Soundlab

LZX Monolith Synthesizer Demo


'The LZX Industries Monolith is a performance monosynth based on the MFOS (Music From Outer Space) Soundlab Plus, featuring a 37 key 1V/Oct keyboard, as well as extensive modulation controls.

This video demonstrates control via an external sequencer. Our Midibox SEQ3 controls both oscillators and gates the envelope generator.

More information will be available soon. For now, find out more about the Soundlab at www.musicfromouterspace.com."

via this auction.

Note this is the one in this video as well.
"List of Features:
- 3 Octave Analog Keyboard with Glide Amount control. Switch controls for Glide On/Off, VCO1 Control On/Off, VCO2 Control On/Off and Envelope Gate Control On/Off.
- Low Frequency Oscillator with four selectable waveforms: Square, Saw, Triangle, and Ramp. High/Low Range Switch.
- Envelope Generator with Attack & Release time controls. Gate/Trigger mode switch. Cycle On/Off switch.
- Voltage Controlled Oscillator 1 with Coarse & Fine tune controls. Saw output. VCO2 Sync On/Off switch.
- Voltage Controlled Oscillator 2 with Coarse & Fine tune and Pulse Width controls. Square & Saw outputs
- Audio Source Mixer with level controls for VCO1 Saw, VCO2 Saw, VCO2 Square, White Noise, and the 1/4" Jack Auxiliary Input.
- State Variable Filter with Cutoff & Resonance controls. Lowpass/Bandpass switch.
- Voltage Controlled Amplifier with Gain Control.
- Master Output Level control.
- 11 Total Modulation Level Controls! LFO>VCO1, LFO>VCO2, LFO>VCO2 PWM, LFO>VCF, LFO>VCA, EG>VCO1, EG>VCO2, EG>VCO2 PWM, EG>VCF, EG>VCA, VCO2>VCO1 FM.
- 1/4" CV Outputs for 1V/Octave, 1V/Octave with Glide, Gate, and Trigger.
- 1/4" CV Inputs for VCO1, VCO2, VCF and EG.
- 1/4" Output & Auxillary Input
- 12VAC 300mA Power Adapter Included."

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LZX Featured in Neon Indian's "Mind, Drips" Video

Neon Indian "Mind, Drips" Official Video

YouTube Uploaded by neonindianband on Dec 6, 2010

I thought this was pretty cool. The following is the actual video description from the the band on YouTube. It's great to see successful bands directly support the makers like this. Neon Indian also worked with Bleep Labs on the PAL198X (links below).

"Lars Larsen is an electronics designer and multimedia artist in Austin, Texas. Larsen's work focuses on synergistic relationships between technology and subject, and the resurrection of forgotten pre-Computer Age technologies. Over the past few years, he and partner Edward Leckie of Sydney, Australia have been developing an analogue video synthesizer called the LZX Visionary in the tradition of esoteric video art tools used in the 1970's. The LZX Visionary manipulates and creates images in the same way a normal synthesizer does for sounds. Mind Drips is the first music video to utilize this unique synthesizer, and all of its visual effects are recorded in real-time using techniques such as abstract pattern synthesis, video feedback, and analog compositing. For more information on the LZX Visionary video synthesizer, visit http://www.lzxindustries.net or e-mail lars@lzxindustries.net

An LZX Industries / Blackmagic Rollercoaster Production
Directed by Lars Larsen
Videography by Blackmagic Rollercoaster
Physical Effects & Construction by Jonah Lange
Starring Kaylan Drake Burnette
Special thanks to Scott Gelber, Malcolm Welbourne, Ben Aqua, Christine Aprile, Juan Cisneros, Katie Graham, Chad Allen, Tommy Blackburn, Michael Stein, Nick Smith, Scott Whiteman, Wiley Wiggins and many others"

Also see:
Neon Indian - Step Into the World With Your PAL198X
PAL198X playing with Modular Synth
Bleep Labs Neon Indian - PAL198X
Bleep Labs Neon Indian PAL198X Featured on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

The above spotted on Computer Music Guide

Mantle Sound Core Synth Pics & New Videos Featuring LZX Video Synthesis

Three pics and two new videos featuring some LZX modular video synthesis processing below, in via Mantle Sound Core. Click the pics for some super size wallpaper shots and enjoy the tracks. Be sure to read the descriptions for each for the gear used.





Ghetto House Music (featuring Anastasia Gera)

YouTube Published on Aug 14, 2012 by MantleSoundCore

"Ghetto House Music - This song is all analog and was created live using a Roland TR-808, TR-606, two SH-101s and a few effects, running into an old Tascam mixer, tracked straight through with no edits. Anastasia Gera's vocals were overdubbed a few months later. The video is also all analog, using an Atari C240 Video Music modded by Switched on Austin and an LZX Industries Visionary for the visual effects, running into old boomboxes and TVs over UHF broadcast channels.
Download the single for free here:
http://mantlesoundcore.bandcamp.com/album/ghetto-house-music"

How I Invented Modesty (featuring Former Friends of Young Americans)

YouTube Published on Aug 13, 2012 by MantleSoundCore

"How I Invented Modesty - A slice of poetry meets acid glitch. This song was recorded last week in one day, spontaneously capturing some vocals and faces of guests FFOYA while they were passing through on tour. The video was completed two days later with 40 hours of straight work. Korg MS-20 and Roland SH-101 contribute to the bass and leads, with the LZX Visionary supplying some of the visual effects and Mic Pistol acting as the awesome detective.

Thanks for watching!

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL
http://www.youtube.com/user/MantleSoundCore/videos

LIKE US ON FACEBOOK
http://www.facebook.com/MantleSoundCore
http://www.facebook.com/AnastasiaGeraMusic
http://www.facebook.com/formerfriendsofyoungamericans
http://micpistol.tumblr.com/"

LZX Audio Escher Sketch Eurorack Stylus Pad Controller Module

LZX Audio Escher Sketch Quick Start Published on Jan 14, 2019 LZX Industries

"A quick informal overview of using the LZX Escher Sketch stylus pad controller."

"Touch/stylus pen controller interface for video synthesis, featuring a high resolution 5.7 inch drawing surface. Provides XY positioning voltage outputs as well as pressure and directional velocity sensing. Stylus pen included.

Width, 36HP
Mounting Depth, 50mm
Power +12V @ 180mA
Power -12V @ 30mA"

LZX Monolith analog modular synth

via this auction

"This is the last Monolith I will have for sale. Only five were produced. This is the only one with 1/8" jacks.

The LZX Monolith is based on a modified version of the Music From Outer Space Soundlab synthesizer. LZX Industries improved upon the original design by adding features, fine-tuning parts values for maximum performance, and offering the result in an elegant package. This Monolith is fully modular, with nothing hardwired or pre-patched. It features two independent oscillators (with hard sync), an audio mixer, a filter that offers low pass and band pass, a VCA, a voltage mixer with an inverter, an envelope generator that is capable of cycling like an LFO, a very flexible low frequency oscillator, and three sets of multiples. The sound (to my ear) sits somewhere between a Korg MS-20 and a Sequential Circuits Pro One.

The Monolith accepts V/Oct CV and standard trig/gate signals (like most modern modulars, or Roland, Arp, etc.). It draws its power through 12v AC adapter, so it can be used in any country. An AC adapter for US voltage is included, along with three 1/8" patch cables."

You can see two videos of the LZX at the auction or in this prior post.

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Atari Video Music C-240 with Lars Larsen (LZX Switched On) Mods

via this auction

"The original Atari C-240 Video Music device is rare, and here is an even rarer unit with modifications by Lars Larsen from LZX Industries! Switched On, the synthesizer store in Austin had Larsen modding c240s for a brief time in 2010 and 2011 before Larsen moved on and started LZX.

The some modifications that make this unit 1000x more handy than an original:
Replaced the terrible flimsy wall wart power supply with a new standard 3 prong
Replaced the coaxial output that required RF demodulation to be usable with a standard component (yellow rca) out
Replaced the rca audio input with standard 1/4" input
The other modifications are a bit more esoteric:
Extra Inputs
Atari Fuzz Chip output
Knobs and switches to control video grids
Someone else wrote all this stuff up and provided a youtube link, and the description is proper:
'This is a limited edition video music modified by Switched On Music Electronics in Austin Texas. Switched On modified 10 of these last year, adding a composite video output (NTSC), 1/4" audio inputs and outputs, a fuzz output (audio from the Atari's built-in distortion circuit=insane FUZZ), and waveform mixer controls for the comparator. With the mods, the Video Music can function as a video synthesizer with no audio input at all--this gives you quite a bit of control over color and shape. It is difficult to achieve this sort of functionality without spending thousands on new LZX system.'"

Demo video at the auction and previously posted here.

LZX Monolith analog modular synth

via this auction

"The LZX Monolith is based on a modified version of the Music From Outer Space Soundlab synthesizer. LZX Industries improved upon the original design by adding features, fine-tuning parts values for maximum performance, and offering the result in an elegant package. This Monolith is fully modular, with nothing hardwired or pre-patched. It features two independent oscillators (with hard sync), an audio mixer, a filter that offers low pass and band pass, a VCA, a voltage mixer with an inverter, an envelope generator that is capable of cycling like an LFO, a very flexible low frequency oscillator, and three sets of multiples. The sound (to my ear) sits somewhere between a Korg MS-20 and a Sequential Circuits Pro One.

The Monolith accepts V/Oct CV and standard trig/gate signals (like most modern modulars, or Roland, Arp, etc.). It draws its power through 12v AC adapter, so it can be used in any country. An AC adapter for US voltage is included."

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LZX Orion Video Memory Modules Teaser #1

Published on Jan 25, 2018 LZX Industries

"Coming Summer 2018: Orion Video Memory Modules, frame buffers and digital video effects running on our new video hardware platforms. Memory Palace, 26HP, 32-bit ARGB Framestore & DVE. Diver, 16HP, Audio-to-2D Visualization Sampler. Bell Chamber, 16HP, Dual Frame Synchronizer & Video Decoder. Stylus, 20HP, Stylus/Touch Drawing Interface."

For those new to LZX, they make eurorack modules for video, not audio.

Synth Rorschach #84

What is it?

See the video below.

Note the patch points appear to be mini pins in to banana plug type sockets.

P.S. Akai gets a label for this one.

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LZX Video Waveform Generator

LZX Industries
"What your ear may hear as a subtle difference, your eye may see as a huge one. Since the end results in video synthesis are visual: texture, pattern, and shape instead of audio, there are a number of features and controls in this VCO design that take into consideration this unique application.
Features
* Wide range VCO with 6 selectable frequency ranges from LFO to 750KHz, coarse and fine tuning controls.
* Expanded hard sync circuit designed for accurate synchronization to video sync signals. Selection switch allows normalization to sync bus signals distributed through the power header from the LZX Visionary Video Sync Generator module.
* Precision video op-amps used in all circuitry for accurate high speed frequency and waveshape modulation.
* Five simultaneous waveform outputs: Triangle, Sawtooth, Square, Pulse (Rectangle) & Shaped Sine.
* Two independent waveshapers with CV inputs, CV attenuverters and bias controls: Pulsewidth Modulator & Sine Shaper. Control pulsewidth and sine shape from 0% to 100%.
* Two exponential frequency CV inputs with CV attenuverters.
* Attenuversion controls on all signal inputs allow attenuation and inversion of any input signal.
* Frequency notification LED."
click here for more

LZX Industries Monolith Modular Synthesizer

YouTube via Zolophile.

follow-up to this auction post.

"Quick demo of the LZX Monolith, sequenced by an SCI Pro One. The Monolith is patched in typical monosynth fashion: oscillators -- mixer -- filter -- vca. Only the bandpass output from the filter is heard. The envelope generator is sending voltage to the vca, filter, and oscillator (which I bring up only when switching on the oscillator sync)."



"Another quick demo of the LZX Monolith, sequenced by an SCI Pro One. The Monolith is patched in typical monosynth fashion: oscillators -- mixer -- filter -- vca. Only the low-pass output from the filter is heard. The envelope generator is sending voltage to the vca, filter, and oscillator teo. The lfo is sending a slow triangle wave to the pulse width modulation input."

LZX Industries: Now Available!

flickr By Analogue Haven

"We just received our first set of Eurorack modules from LZX. Every module they make now ships from stock: www.analoguehaven.com/lzxindustries/.

LINK to further discussion on video synthesis, including within the Eurorack realm: muffwiggler.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=48."

Vintage Atari Video Music C-240 Heavily Modified Video Synt

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated. via this auction

"Up for sale is a heavily modified Atari Video Music video synthesizer.
It was modified by Lars of LZX Industries.

It can still operate as an Atari Video Music would normally work, but with added mods on the top of the machine, it can go into wild new territories!

Check out this video demo of a similarly modded unit by LZX: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cm6RtftTZNw [video below]

It's hard to explain what exactly the mods do, and there's no manual online or any website info that I can post.
All I can say is this is more for the experimental video enthusiast and if you decide to buy this you should expect to mess with this thing quite a while before understanding what all it can do."

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BRIZBOMB-120513T1737 May 2012 Hardware Video Synthesis Challenge

YouTube Published on May 13, 2012 by BRIZBOMB

"Video Synth Pictionary - enter a comment and guess what it is.

For the LZX May 2012 Hardware Video Synthesis Challenge. Audio & Visuals recorded live @ Westside Welding and Machine 2012 Feb 27th. http://brizbomb.com/

General Rules: Video recordings must be live (no editing or reprocessing). No software manipulation during or after recording. No pre-recorded content or sources. Camera feedback off of a monitor is acceptable, but otherwise no live cameras. If you don't have a video synthesizer, pure feedback pieces are accepted as long as they fit the theme. Soundtrack can be nonsynchronous or whatever desired, but won't factor into the judging criteria. Submissions can be any length up to 10 minutes. Provide full list of equipment used when making submission.

May 2012 Challenge Theme: Household objects/textures pictionary. Using synthesis and feedback methods, create a pattern or shape reminiscent of a household object or texture that is recognizable as such. Examples include lamp, comb, persian rug, curtain, chair, food items, etc. Bonus points for related animation element (for example, a lamp that turns on and off, or a toaster that produces toast.)

The Prize: Sandin IP Function Generator module kit or Sandin IP Differentiator module kit from LZX Industries ($99 value)"

LZX Monolith Synthesizer Demo

YouTube via creatorlars.

via Nusonica.
"The LZX Industries Monolith is a performance monosynth based on the MFOS (Music From Outer Space) Soundlab Plus, featuring a 37 key 1V/Oct keyboard, as well as extensive modulation controls.

This video demonstrates control via an external sequencer. Our Midibox SEQ3 controls both oscillators and gates the envelope generator.

More information will be available soon. For now, find out more about the Soundlab at www.musicfromouterspace.com."

LZX Industries: Coming Soon! to Analogue Haven

flickr By Analogue Haven

"We just got word that LZX will be shipping their video processing and synthesis modules to us within the next week. We are very excited to welcome this unique new Eurorack manufacturer and we look forward to shipping them to our current customers as well as new ones who normally wouldn't purchase Eurorack gear.

LINK to our website with pricing and more info: link.


LINK to manufacturer's website for additional details: www.lzxindustries.net/."

Nice Mercedes.

Modular Wild Presents 12 days of Modular 2013

Modular Wild Presents 12 days of Modular 2013-Day 1-Wavetables
Published on Dec 1, 2013 Modular Wild·77 videos

"First in a series of 12 videos during the month of December. Each video's music started with a different foundation of Modular Sounds. This video began as an exploration of wavetables. Sound and Video by Raul Pena."

Modular Wild Presents 12 days of Modular 2013-Day 2-VCOs
Published on Dec 2, 2013 Modular Wild·80 videos

"Second in a series of 12 videos during the month of December. Each video's music started with a different foundation of Modular Sounds. This video began as an exploration of VCOs. Sound and Video by Raul Pena."

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