Medic Modules Defribillator

Medic Modules Defribillator from Oliver Chesler on Vimeo.

"The Medic Modules are from Tom Carpenter who also does the Analogue Solutions hardware. I've become friends with Tom and also own his Telemark. I've only been playing with the Medic Module Defibrillator for a few days but it's really nice. It's a dual VCF and VCA based on the Korg MS-20. As you can hear in the video above the VCA adds some sick power to my Wiard Oscillator. The Q or resonance is really sweet and musical sounding. Besides the sound source (the Wiard) sometimes I send an LFO in the CV to create the pulses and use a Pressure Points as a little keyboard. Consider this just a part one video. I am looking for suggestions on some possible crazy patches. There's definetly going to be some nice stereo stuff to discover. Tom is an artists and like most of his stuff this is a very pretty module. The sliders with LEDs are oh so nice and well just look at the back of the unit! You can also order a version of the module covered in blood."


Medic Module - Defribillator (Part Two) from Oliver Chesler on Vimeo.
I wanted to show off what the new Medic Modules Defibrillator Eurorack dual VCF/VCA sounds like. If you just want to jump to some instant awesome go to 1:04 in the video. When I increase the Q (resonance) the sound breaks apart in a wonderfully musical way. It really reminds of some of the sound on Front 242's first album Geography. I needed to hands for this video and I remembered I had a GoPro sports camera so I used it's head strap. Surely this is more interesting than footage of me jumping out of an airplane right? So what else is going on in this patch? It all starts with a Wiard Oscillator with a Tiptop Audio Z4000 ASDR. It is being sequenced by a Doepfer Dark Time and that line is being Quantized and beautifully modified by a custom key range I created on a Flame Tame Machine. The Tame Machine is also playing back a recorded sequence pattern. Everything is kept in tempo with Ableton using an Innerclock Sync-Gen II including a Tiptop Audio 808 Kick, Snare and 16th note hi-hat. There is a white noise crash from a Hexinverter vcNOIZ. At first it's a solid blast then I break it apart using an LFO from a Synthesis Technology E355 Morphing Dual LFO. That LFO is also in sync with the Innerclock and is also providing CV to the Medic Modules Defibrillator at times. While it may seem like a long explaination once you understand how a modular works it's very easy, fast and fun to put together a patch like this and play. I can see adding some more parts and vocals and turning this into a finished song.

Alesis iO Dock Requires Separate Adapter for iPad 2?

via Ryan:
"I've pre-ordered the Alesis Studio Dock for my ipad 2, so it's encouraging to see some retailers now shipping. One is Sweetwater.

Now, alarming to me, is the 1st review at that retail site from someone who claims to have received one of these already...and finds it is not compatible with ipad 2 out of the box:

'The box is huge, and the dock is well packed. Includes power supply, a really skimpy manual...basically a quickstart guide that briefly explains the buttons, knobs, ins and outs, and so on, the I/O dock itself, and sadly enough, for you iPad 2 owners, a slip of paper telling you how to contact Alesis to order an adapter. Luckily for me, I have the iPad 1!'

WTF. Nowhere on the Alesis site does it say there is an adaptor required...or even available!

Consider my pre-order cancelled until I know more about this adaptor and its availability."

Quick note: remember to support the shops that support this site. See the DEALERS section on the right. Sweetwater gets a free ride on this one.

The full review:
"Alesis I/O dock arrived on my doorstep today! Sweetwater shipped yesterday. Thanks Matt, you guys rock!

CLICK FOR MORE »

'Freeze & Pass' weird sample & hold from the Joranalogue Select 2

Published on Jun 11, 2018 DivKidVideo

"Here's an odd, weird, quirky (whatever you want to call it) sample and hold style affect that I'm calling 'Freeze & Pass' with the Joranalogue Select 2. I'm using the gated hold input to freeze/hold audio (at audio rates). This gives a downsampler style effect but when it's not held it lets the signal pass. Rather than just sample one thing and step to another held sample like a sample and hold. Select 2 can do a tonne of stuff, so check out the full demo above."

Full video demo:

CLICK FOR MORE »

Folktek Mescaline - Hybrid V2 Channel , V1 Motion , V1 Mental, frame and PS

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

via this auction

"One complete Folktek Mescaline with frame power supply and collection of duPont patch cables.
This is a hybrid of V2 Channel and V1 Motion and V1 Mental.

This unit is in great shape. The only blemish of note is 1 patch point that shows some wear but is fully functional. See pics for detail.

The power supply has a 3 part pigtail that powers all three modules from a single wallwart rated at 1500ma.

Includes original manual and some other info.

Mescaline is one of the finest times you'll have. It might seem intimidating at first but ultimately once you dive in, you realize there was nothing to fear and it's only here to help open you to extreme possibilities. It's capable of creating entire compositions and the possibilities are vast. -

Each of the 3 boards are eurorack compatible and can be installed in a eurorack system individually or all together. Each has its own eurorack power plug on the back. Each module is 44HP
Each of these boards is capable of being powered on a standard 12v adapter. Each has a 2.1mm jack on the back.
When used together, all power can be jumped to power all three boards off the same 12v power source or eurorack power source.
A 12VDC power supply and 3 way jumper is included in this sale.

CHANNEL
A 10 note polyphonic synthesizer with a sweet, warm sound and a huge custom designed reverb which also has an audio input and can be used to process external sound. Channel becomes a powerful effects processor with some very nice DSP designs we've been working on for the past year.
-A touch-based synth which provides a sweet sounding 10 key oscillation based 10 filtered and reshaped analog square wave oscillators, each with a decay on the amp.
-Each key is tuned individually and can be tuned to specific notes on the back via tuning trim pots so you can create intervals or pitch arrangements as you like.
-Master pitch control (with control voltage) lets you change the tuning of all notes simultaneously.
-10 note polyphony and all notes can be triggered.
-Synthesis passes through any of 4 selectable custom DSP effects - reverb which is huge and near infinite, notated tight delay, pitch shifter delay and palindrome reverse delay. Each effect has mix, two controls over effect changes and a low pass filter or damping.

V2 has Gain stage adjustments on Channel
V2 Noise filtering on Channel
V2 pitch range trim pot added to allow for great control of the master frequency

-3.5mm jacks represent audio in, audio out (x2 = right and left), cv in.
-Jumpable headers for all functions as well as power.

MOTION
Motion is made up of two sequencers with simple but fully-capable function and some added function that other things don't/can't perform that help Mental to really shine. Both sequencers have clock division to break the rhythm but perhaps most important is how the trigger sequencer works - using opto-couplers (switches) to trigger parts within Mental to create sounds, textures and rhythms that voltage sources simply can't. It does this by directly connecting multiple parts within Mental. The CV does a great job of synching Channel.

Motion also has sine modulation (vactrol or cv), gate triggers, resets for the sequencers to determine sequence length, and can got into chaotic territory but jumping voltages into the clock inputs.
-8 part CV Sequencer
-8 part trigger sequencer with multi-add functionality
-5 part clock division for each sequencer
-vactrol-based sine modulation
-3.5mm jacks represent clock in, cv sequencer clock out, cv sequencer cv out, modulation out, trigger sequencer clock out.
-Jumpable headers for all functions as well as power.

MENTAL
Capable of so many things. It's an incredibly unique drum synth that will create odd and beautiful beats for days. It's a Drone synth that's generates some incredibly rich drone with multi-oscillation and in-circuit filtering. It's an audio processor that can take any incoming audio and chop it into place, filter it, distort it and screw it in ways that nothing else does.
-Based on the root synthesis of other Folktek instruments Materia, Mentalis and Matter.
-17 input points to control synthesis and filtering via the sequencer trigger or cv points as well as the clock division points.
-removable breadboard to allow for development and experimentation.
-4 patchable pots to attenuate signals and gain more control *and/or* create direct patches to create drone scapes or use Mental as an audio processor.
-volume control
-3.5mm jacks represent audio out and two vacant with representative headers to input voltage or audio signals from external modules or audio sources.
-send Mental to the input of Channel to add reverb to the signal.
-Jumpable headers for all functions as well as power."

CLICK FOR MORE »

Technosaurus Selector Literature and a Selector "Review".

This one in via Mike Peake on AH:

"This may exist in other spots on the web. Good, the more the better. Not enough attention is paid to this machine, regardless of any complaints regarding no new modules etc. It's excellent as it is, as the Minimoog is, for those who can make music without the latest bells and whistles. Remembering that the VCF, with resonance at minimum, cuts very nearly as well as the Moog 904a.

VCO
VCF2
TRES
LFO/Noise
VCA
Cabinet
Technosaurus

This was just submitted to Harmony-Central but here it is for you.

Ease of Use:
This is a very easy to use synthesizer owing to clear descriptions and individual module delineation. It's rather more of an East Coast machine along the lines of the Moog Modular, being more of a keyboard player's instrument for jamming than the Buchla-style machines. If you know the Moog and Moog-based systems such as the Synthesizers.com, you'll have no trouble using the Selector.

Perhaps the only suprise is that some CV modulation values are bipolar, requiring a voltage that can swing to the negative, to access certain parameter ranges (very low oscillator frequencies and PW). This works well with the LFOs, which are bipolar, but the envelopes are unipolar (although they can be switched to negative-going, this is still unipolar but in the opposite direction).

I suggest using a Frostwave MIDI to CV converter to drive it, or of course the Technosaurus MIDI/CV module. This is because the oscillators and filters have an impedance that doesn't match the Encore Expressionist I'd planned to use it with.

Features:
Features are limited to the amount of available modules, which does not include a "control module" with manual voltage outs, offsets, etc. Don't worry about the lack of bells and whistles, there is plenty here to keep synthesists and musicians busy owing to the wonderful sonic character and ease of use.

Good features include the fastest (D)ADSRs on the planet (70uS minimum rise time on the Attack). The VCA is built to withstand such speed, and does not click and thump. Reference: The Minimoog will start to click with rise times faster then around 750uS, and the Mini and Modular envs are around 1ms as a result. Due to this, the Selector obviously allows for extreme percussion sounds. The ADSRs can also be switched to AD types as well. Very thoughtful, very handy. The VCA has extreme dynamic range and is very quiet, so you'll end up with powerful percussion and firm, quiet, very dark bass sounds.

The oscillators are very stable, perhaps too much for my ultra-sloppy vintage Moog pinings, but stand at attention when you switch octaves, etc. The hard synch is good-sounding, and there is a thoughtful output on each oscillator for driving others in HS, so that you don't have to mult out an audio waveform to attain it. The pulse waveforms are very stable, even at the extreme values.

The oscillators are similar to the Moog in that they are not incredibly loud, and as such, don't do extremely deep FM. I haven't using a VCA to try boosting the gain on one yet... The LFOs have high output levels, and go up to around 2KHz, so it's easy to use them for nice FM effects. They are also very wide-range, so you can cross-modulate their CVs from nearly standing still, up into the audio ranges. Very nice. I despise LFOs with "range" switching, which always seems to be right in the middle of a place I wish to modulate through, so these are very pleasing.

The Sample and Hold is extremely stable; I know that Jurg is very happy with it, if he'll pardon me for saying so. It features external and internal clock and sampling source. You can drive it with the LFOs and sample the LFO module based Noise source, and produce modulations that will vary across the entire audible range (very wide CV swings). You do not have to be polite here if you do not wish to be. The S/H module has a smooth random source which is nice to use as the sample input as well. It's not the Buchla SOU, but it's musical and useful (which is how I'd characterize this entire synth).

The envelopes may be driven from the LFOs. A varying trigger voltage produces varying envelope output levels (I used the SH output into the triggers for the amplitude-varying drum sounds in my track "Seance". Search Soundclick.com for that if you're intersted.).

The TRES is an excellent module, both sonically and functionally. Although each band is only variable from 32Hz through 8KHz, each is individually controlled by CV, has individual resonance up to and including self-oscillation, and individual volume. Then the overall volume may be modulated by CV if you wish. There is a handy On/Off switch if you want to tune your oscillators to intervals etc. in the midst of a complicated patch, then switch the RES back in.

The TRES is very musical. I love the way it sounds. I applaud Cwejman and others for their new multiple CV resonator modules, but I prefer the resonant character of the TRES over the MP3s that I've heard. It can sound woody, phasey, whispery, and outright nasty as well. It's the key to the male choral sound I like so much, which requires different CV modulation to two of the bands, as well as each band sitting right at the edge of self-oscillation (that magic place that the digital gear has yet to master).

Very nice are the mults on each module where there is space, such as the TRES. Also nice are the multiple inputs on the Filter and TRES, meant to use as unity-gain intput mixing (the oscillators waveforms have individual volumes!). Multiple outs on the TRES etc. are nice too, for easily patching to multiple destinations, ala' the Buchla!

Sound:
The sounds are very good, although the envelopes or the VCA slopes have their own character, a touch off of what I'm used to on the Moog. It's a very interesting instrument to play, and to find new characters in the filter and TRES. Note: The 12dB Filter 2, with the resonance down, cuts very nearly as well as the Moog 904a, which is my standard for happiness. The filter sounds great, and does very interesting audio-rate FM that sound like no other filter I've used (in a good way, of course).

It's a very responsive instrument. You'll need a CV converter with a built-in LFO, however, as it has no DC-capable VCA.

I am very happy with how easily musical it sounds, and knowing that there is much more there waiting to be found.

Reliability:
The envelopes had a mod, a small daughter board, to ease the load on the power supply. This is because they drain the power supplies... I chose a supply with plenty more amps than the system would require, being a believer in headroom anyway.

My fifth envelope has burned up two chips twice now. You cannot fire all five at once. To be very fair, Jurg has sent out replacement parts in no time flat when I've asked. I have full faith in him and the company in support of the product.

This is the only ugly aspect of this beautiful synth. However, I would not turn down a date with that supermodel, the one with the mole, whose name I can't remember, the smart one who was on Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher, just for the fact that she has a mole...

I bought the system knowing about this, and it's not a big problem. It's disappointing to not be able to fire all five envelopes at once, but I'll survive by creating two individual sounds on the one instrument, that fire individually. And I know that Jurg is there if the need should arise.

Otherwise, the machine has been absolutely brilliant. No bad jacks, no bad pots, no dirty pots after several years of use, etc. The Zebra patch cords I bought from him with the system have never worn out either.

There is an overall cage for the modules inside the case; each module slides in on guides and a socket seats at the rear; machining of the front panels is akin to the System 700, in that it's really good. Very tight. In comparison, the original Moog modules were sometimes as sloppy as their pitches. I don't worry that the PCBs would suffer injury unless the entire case were to be somehow crushed.

Customer support:
Jurg is one of the good guys and deserves your attention and respect. I'm happy to have chosen his synth, and having had contact with him.

Conclusion:
The TRES and filter self-oscillate but only if there is an audio input going on. This is a bit unusual, and limits certain things, however, that is very very minor. It would be nice if the TRES had additional 1V/8va inputs, to ease situations where you want instant keyboard tracking.

I'd certainly buy another, and would add to my current system given the chance. I recommend it to anyone who is into modular synthesis, as the filters and TRES are still unlike other systems.

Looking for a slightly different sonic character???
It's been here since 1996.

A note: System C and D owners know that the empty space in the middle rack can be filled with Eurack-compatible modules. Analogue Systems make a nice LFO/DC VCA keyboard module that would be quite nice in there. Also, a "control" module."

Anachronistic

video by Mike Olson

"This is an electronic music composition which was created in 2018 using a vintage Polyfusion analog modular synthesizer. It is the first piece I’ve created using this particular instrument and I chose to restrict myself to using it exclusively as my only sound source for the piece. The title is in reference to the fact that I am choosing to use “antiquated” technology in this piece, (and all of my other recent electronic music compositions for that matter). I guess you could say that at this time in my life, I feel like I myself am something of an anachronism, in as much as I have spent years developing a set of skills that are no longer needed or valued, (except by special people who have an appreciation for them). Likewise, this Polyfusion synthesizer would be considered anachronistic by the vast majority of sensible electronic music composers. Perhaps that is part of what makes it attractive to me.

Aesthetically, this piece is a little on the dark side, (though not particularly lugubrious). It exhibits characteristics that could fall under such headings as “experimental drone” and “pattern-based minimalism”, over which sometimes ecstatic gestural outbursts emerge. Like much of my recent work, I am striving for a sense of restraint, which I am only partially successful in achieving. This ties in with the idea of limitations, which I am also very interested in. I begin every new composition by establishing meaningful limitations to work within. For this piece my limitations were that the piece must be all electronic and use only the Polyfusion as it’s sound source. This has resulted in a finished piece which unabashedly celebrates the sound of electronics and the sound of the Polyfusion modular synthesizer in particular. There is nothing in this piece which is trying to sound like an acoustic instrument of any kind. It is electronic and it sounds electronic. The only acoustic sound is the sound of the switch at the very beginning of the piece. This is literally the power switch for the Polyfusion being thrown. The hum which follows is the actual hum of the Polyfusion’s power supply. I mic-ed it and recorded the sound of that hum. Though this is not an audio signal being produced by the instrument, it is an audible hum which is in fact being generated by it. So it could be said that the piece starts with the physical sounds of the electronics, and then transforms into a sonic world that those electronic components produce as audio signals.

As is evident in the previous paragraph, the aesthetics of this piece tend to get tied up with the technology employed. So, let’s get into it. Without getting into the specifics of the modular synthesizer patching, the audio signal flow goes as follows: audio out from a VCA (voltage-controlled amplifier) on the Polyfusion, to a rehoused Big Muff distortion box, then to a standalone Moog ring modulator, then to a Vox wah pedal, and then finally on to a mixing console, through which the audio is recorded to a computer. Additional signal processing was freely added in the computer as the piece was being constructed. The Polyfusion was triggered (or played) through the use of a Future Retro pressure plate keyboard for the human performance gestures and a Dot Com Q960 sequencer and Doepfer A-155 sequencer for the quick-tempo patterns.

In addition to the keyboard and sequencers, there is another notable performance interface that is heavily featured in this piece: Knobs. As I listen to the piece, I can really hear the sounds being shaped in real time by the physical manipulation of knobs. These are of course, actual hardware knobs on the various devices, not automated software knobs. I didn’t really set out to make this a significant feature of the piece, but now that it’s done, I can clearly hear the knob-centricity of it. I find this interesting and very much in keeping with the hardware-based electronic character of the piece.

I feel I must now confess that there is also one audio signal sound in this piece that is not being generated by the Polyfusion, but which I chose to allow, even though I was breaking my limitation rule. This would be the ground hum sound of the Big Muff when it’s sustain knob is turned all the way up and no audio signal is coming into the device. I recorded a nice big chunk of this sound while very gradually adjusting the tone knob on the device. It is one layer in the complex of drones used in the first section of the piece. I see this sound as a kind of bridging sound between the acoustical buzzing sound of the Polyfusion power supply and buzzy analog synthesizer sounds that exist as audio signals within the wires."

WVR : modern, open source, embedded audio for $25

Currently on Kickstarter here.

Quick details via WVR:

"WVR is an ESP32 with a nice DAC and 8GB of fast eMMC memory. 18 stereo voices of simultaneous playback (at CD quality), which I think is something really needed in this space, in an open source project, at this price point.

The project also includes
a USB MIDI HOST add-on board,
a neat JavaScript library called RC.JS designed to help Arduino folks build GUI's, using React Native and Expo
the ability to store multiple firmware binaries in the eMMC, with the ability to boot from any of them
some tools to make building multi-sampled instruments a snap
2 dev boards
a stompbox version
etc, etc."

via the Kickstarter campaign:

"WVR is an open-source embedded solution for audio, with surprising capabilities. It includes everything you need to get started with embedded audio, with no soldering, and no coding necessary. WVR arrives ready to operate.

WVR is also a highly versatile device, capable of powering a new generation of embedded audio design, thanks in part to its wifi and bluetooth radio, providing all the power of a versatile and extensible Graphical User Interface ( GUI ), without the need for a screen or other interface. Users can upload samples, manage firmware, set configurations, build sequences, or control any other data imaginable, both wirelessly, and intuitively, using their laptop, or mobile device, inside a web browser, or even on a native mobile app on Android or iOS.

Capabilities:

Playback up to 18 stereo wav files simultaneously, with ~1ms latency

Accepts virtually every audio file format, at any resolution, and any size, including wav, mp3, ogg, acc, flac, pcm, aiff, and many more

Upload audio, map samples to MIDI notes, configure pin functionality, apply FX, manage files, etc, all over WIFI, with the default firmware that WVR ships with, and without writing any code

Holds over 12 hours (8 GB) of stereo audio, at 16bit 44.1kHz resolution

Can buffer over 1.5 minutes (16 MB) of stereo audio in RAM alone, at 16bit 44.1kHz resolution
Optically isolated MIDI input, provides to-spec MIDI input implementation without any additional circuitry

14 GPIO pins, 8 of which can be analog inputs, and 4 of which can be capacitive touch inputs, plus the many peripherals available on the ESP32 .

WVR's Wifi can function either as a Station or Access Point (it can login to an existing wifi network, or can create its own network and accept connections directly from devices in range, without a router or local network of any kind)

write firmware in Arduino, and upload over wifi. Stores multiple firmwares onboard, selectable via the UI. Fully compatible with the extensive, and battle-tested ESP Arduino library, and the exceptionally powerful ESP-IDF framework.

use RC.js JavaScript framework to modify, or custom build, the User Interface that WVR serves to users, without prior knowledge of CSS, HTML, Babel, Node, etc. Even build and deploy native mobile apps for iOS or Android from the same code base. You can play with RC.js in this REPL, try modifying the existing code, to see how it's intuitive, and highly portable, component-based syntax works, and check out the README.md file to learn more.

onboard Ultra Low Power (ULP) co-processor means WVR consumes only ~10uA in sleep mode

Roberson Audio RA Mowg, Oddy-Free and Prophanity

via Roberson Audio

"RA Mowg

The Roberson Audio Synthesizers interpretation of the MiniMoog Model D synthesizer."

From the ReadMe file:
“This synth is meant to be a model of the Minimoog Model D synthesizer, and a lot of time was invested to get it the way it sounds, including oscillator and filter character as well as modulation struction and response.

A few notes to keep in mind before you get to playing with it:
-The synth was built with 48khz sample rate in mind, so it may not sound the same in other sample rates (generally though, higher will not have negative effects)

-Even though a mod wheel is not present in the graphical portion of the synth, using the mod wheel on your keyboard still has the same effect as the real synth

-There is a switch on the synth for an external input. In a real Minimoog, this could receive any audio input, but for this plug-in it has been hardwired as a feedback loop from the audio output of the synth. Be careful pushing the volume of it too high!

-The synth is completely monophonic, with priority given to last note played. Realism has been sacrificed for playability, but I believe it is a good trade-off in this instance.

-Update Version 1.2 *IMPORTANT*

-Made a few modifications, basic playability is largely unchanged. Most mods came in the form of filter modifications, it is BIG sounding now. Also, can resonate itself into oblivion, which itself can be dependent on what sample rate you are using, so BE CAREFUL. You’ve been warned. Some patches from prior versions may then have problems or may cause unwanted side-effects, so load them with caution.

Any updates will be reflected in this document with the corresponding update packs. If you have any questions or comments about the synth, you may refer them to blu_gruv@lycos.com, or contact me on KVR Audio under the screen name “Chris Roberson”.

Artwork for the instrument was provided by Modeler of KVR Audio forums. Truly brilliant work if I do say so myself.

I hope you enjoy using the synth, and look forward to hearing what you have to say about it.

Cheers,
Chris Roberson
Roberson Audio Synthesizers”



From the Readme file:

'The absolutely fantastic artwork and GUI were done by androidlove and Modeler of KVR, many many
thanks to him as the synth just wouldn’t be the same without it.

Now onto business…

The Oddy-Free is quite apparently a emu of an Arp Odyssey Mk.II, and much attention
to detail was given in the layout of the signal path to have it behave as accurately
as possible. Granted it does have just a touch more umph than most originals would,
this particular emulation was based on the “illegal” filter versions based on Moog’s
-24dB Low-Pass filter, so it sounds quite a bit smoother and richer but at the same
it can produce the harsh metallic tones known from the Odyssey.

I really hope you enjoy the synth, I know that I enjoyed making it. It brings me joy to
release free models of synth emulations that otherwise one may have to pay out the nose
to get.

If you liked the synth and/or were able to find good use of it, please vote for me
and it as the number one entry in the KVR Developer Competition ’07.
——————————————————————————————

Update Version 1.1
Changes:
–new face panel, a little bit of a more realistic touch.
–fixed spelling issues on face panel
–fixed masking problem with slider cap graphics, so there is no longer the black box
around the caps (rather nice fix)
–added “analog” features, including oscillator and filter instability, along with a few
minor affects on related components, also a very subtle power supply bleed-over to
related components.
–added a slight filtering to the final output to reduce the unrealistic high end of the Oddy
just a slight amount for accuracy purposes.
–added voltage and amplification mods to waveforms to enhance edginess of waveforms
and certain modulations (you may need to correct previously made patches.)
–added user-made patch banks and individual FXP files for the Oddy, hopefully you’ll enjoy. :)
–and probably some other things I forgot at 2 in the morning. :D

Updated Version 1.2
Changes:
–numerous internal changes to oscillator structure, including totally different oscillators to begin with
–modified filter to behave differently and a little more “analog”.
–removed much pre-EQ in the signal path, making it a much easier to mix instrument
–removed older user patch banks from pack, they became incompatible with new oscillators and filter.”

-Update Version 1.4 *IMPORTANT*

-Made a few modifications, basic playability is largely unchanged. Most mods came in the form of filter modifications, it is BIG sounding now. Also, can resonate itself into oblivion, which itself can be dependent on what sample rate you are using, so BE CAREFUL. You’ve been warned. Some patches from prior versions may then have problems or may cause unwanted side-effects, so load them with caution.

Cheers,
Chris Roberson
Roberson Audio Synthesizers"



From the ReadMe file:

“Hi and thanks for downloading Prophanity, the Prophet 5 clone.

I know it’s been a long time coming, so I hope you enjoy.

There isn’t a terrible lot to say for the synth, it’s a model of the Sequential Circuits Prophet 5. Much time was given for attention to detail in nearly every aspect of the instrument, and most every subtlety has been accounted for.

The excellent artwork was done courtesy of Modeler of KVR audio.

If you have any comments or requests or problems/questions with the synth, my email is blu_gruv@lycos.com, and can also be found at www.myspace.com/mrblugruv.

Hope you enjoy the synth.

UPDATE VERSION 1.1:

-Added unison mode

-implemented new oscillators, which behave more accurately in poly-mod section

-modified filter design to sound more pleasing

-changed envelope response to exponential, no more linear envelopes

-added per-voice instability, to simulate the multiple signal path architecture of the original

UPDATE VERSION 1.2:

-fixed some oscillator distortion problems

-massively overhauled filter/preEQ to make it more pleasing and technically correct

-many small adjustments to hone behavior to that which is closer to original

-Update Version 1.4 *IMPORTANT*

-Made a few modifications, basic playability is largely unchanged. Most mods came in the form of filter modifications, it is BIG sounding now. Also, can resonate itself into oblivion, which itself can be dependent on what sample rate you are using, so BE CAREFUL. You’ve been warned. Some patches from prior versions may then have problems or may cause unwanted side-effects, so load them with caution.”

The end result of all this is a (hopefully) more true-to-life representation of the original. As mentioned above, direct any questions to blu_gruv@lycos.com, www.myspace.com/mrblugruv, or find me on KVR under the user name “Chris Roberson”.

Sincerely,
Chris Roberson."

Roland SH-101 With NOVA MODS + EXTRAS

via this auction

"Here Are Some Features for The Nova Mods...

* VCF FM : Amazing new sounds are now added through this feature. Six FM sources are available
* LFO Clock Input : Syncing Arpeggiator and LFO to external drum modules and sequencers is now possible. As well, interesting feedback loops can be created.
* PW Modulation Source Selection : Now you can choose a pulse width source. It is independent from the LFO's waveform setting. OSC sources are included.
* Pulse width to near 0% : Pulse width effects are now made more extreme and powerful
* External audio input : the ability to do FM of VCF by an external audio source or to simply route a signal into the audio path is now provided.
* VCF CV input : Just plug in a foot pedal or a CV from a midi converter and your sh-101 will sing!
* LFO rate Scalar : Ever hear a bell sound out of sh-101? Try this on Hi! Want a really slow sweep...you got it too.
* Overdrive Knob : Filter Cleaning

Nova Mod Details :
Pulse width to near 0% - By closing the pulse-width to a spike, new sounds can be attained by the sh-101. This "spike" wave source is very useful for brightening a bass patch. (A bass patch, with only the sub OSC waveform assigned, can be brightened, but not raise in pitch, by adding a little pulse width signal with a manual setting of less than 1% duty cycle.) In another application, in which only full ramp waveform is assigned, manually raising and lowering the spike waveform's amplitude has been compared to sounding like a wavetable sweep. As well, LFO mudulation of the pulsewidth is made more dramatic because of the closer approach to 0%.

Pulsewidth Modulation Source Selection - A six-way rotary switch enables you to choose the pulsewidth modulation sources independently of the LFO's waveform setting. This modulation source makes many new and interesting sounds. A randomly modulated pulsewidth is especially unique and pleasant. The PW modulation sources are LFO Triangle / LFO Square / LFO Random / Sub Osc -1 Octave Square* / Sub Osc -2 Octave Pulse* / LFO Noise *The sub Osc Mod sources creates a unique bass enhancement because of their higher frequency and keytracking. The result is a richer and deeper sound. As well, although there are only two sub Osc sources, changing the sub Osc switch -1/-2/-2 results in even further modulation effects.

LFO Rate Scalar - A three-way toggle switch scales the overall range of the SH-101's internal LFO Clk (the existing lfo rate slider still functions normally). The scalar setting are Normal/Low/High. In the Low setting, a cycle of 40 seconds can be attained. This is great for mild changes in "trance" type music. In the High Mode, up to 1200Hz can be used to create interesting cross-mod bell like sounds. Perfect for "industrial" music and clanging metallic sounds. High mode works especially well when creating synthetic kick drum patch or short-wave radio sounds.

LFO Clock Input - A 1/4" jack allows the insertion of an external clock signal to drive the 101's LFO. This injected signal triggers the LFO but does not change it's waveform. By applying a clock, LFO and Arpeggiator are both synced to the external source. This makes for very moving and groovy patterns with only a drum box and Nova-Modded 101. A particularly nice application is to modulate the VCF Cutoff with a Random LFO while playing the sequencer. Of course you can, at the same time, inject a separate clock into the arpeggiator via the 101's Ext Clk jack. This will enable you to run the arpeggiator and LFO at different speeds. As a bonus, audio can be injected to drive the LFO. A simple trick is to patch the headphone output into the Ext' LFO input. This feedback loop makes for sounds that can be mildly distorted to heavily distorted by simply adjusting the VCF's mod amount.(No need for an external distortion processor!) This effect is great for slow sweeps with a resonating filter setting.

External Audio Input - A 1/4" jack and toggle switch allows external audio to be injected. A rotary pot controls the amplitude of the injected signal. It can be routed to one or two sources. 1./ directly into the filter along with the OSC's waveforms. External processing of audio through the VCF and ENV is . 2./ into the VCF's cutoff modulation point. (An external FM source.)

VCF CV Input - An external CV can be applied to the 101 via this 1/4" jack. This feature is typical on a Juno-60, Jupiter 4 and Pro-One. A MIDI controller converted to a cv or an "expression" foot pedal are typically connected one.

VCF FM - VCF Fm is the most powerful NOVA-MOD feature. It can be used in moderation to simply add bringtness to a bass patch with low frequencies (due to subtractive synthesis). Or it can be used to create powerful cross-mod sounds that are difficult to explain....they must be heard. These sounds are somewhat aggressive, distorted, bell like but most importantly, not attainable on a regular SH-101. One example : Dial a patch with only ramp waveform assigned but at the same time, modulate the VCF Cutoff with the Pulsewidth. Manually change the pulsewidth to vary the FM effect. It is quite unique. You can then switch in Sub Osc -2 Oct. Pulse as the Fm source then adjust the -1oct/-2oct/-2oct switch to change the sound further. Finally swing the Pulsewidth waveform as the Fm source but switch from Manual to LFo modulation and then play with the PW Mod's waveform. A rotary pot controls the amount of modulation. A six way rotary switch selects the FM sounce : Pulse / Ramp / -1 Octave Sqr / -2 Octave Sqr / -2 Octave Pulse / Noise Waveform"

Richard Lainhart - Bellingham Electronic Arts Festival Lecture & Performance

Slideshow of Richard Lainhart's lecture at the Bellingham Electronic Arts Festival (BEAF), Friday, May 6, 2:PM PST, 2011 (mentioned in this post). Below is a video of the Buchla and Haken Continuum portion of the lecture followed by a performance of Olivier Messiaen's Oraison written for the ondes Martenot at the 48:00 mark (see this post for the original version and this post for another performance by Richard). You will notice Richard makes references to earlier parts of the lecture. These included his training on the CEMS modular synthesizer system and the ondes Martenot (don't miss this post and this post on the CEMS). See the labels at the bottom of this post for more info on each. I will upload those videos at a later date. They were background to Richard's experience with early modular synthesizers and controllers that eventually lead him to the Buchla and Haken Continuum. It was a great lecture and I hope you enjoy it. Be sure to bookmark this one. I also want to thank Richard Lainhart for doing lectures like these. They are a rare treat.


YouTube Uploaded by matrixsynth on May 19, 2011

The following is a full transcript. BTW, if anyone is interested in transcription services, let me know.

"RICHARD LAINHART: BUCHLA AND HAKEN CONTINUUM LECTURE

Speaker: Richard Lainhart
Lecture Date: May 6, 2011
Lecture Time: 2:00 p.m. PST
Location: Western Washington University
Event: Bellingham Electronic Arts Festival 2011 (BEAF)
Length: Digital AVI recording; 57 minutes 32 seconds

[Beginning of recorded material]

Richard Lainhart: Okay. What I want to do now is actually talk a little bit about the system itself here and about the design of the system and explain what's actually happening here and why it's designed this way, and again, my focus on, on expression. So this is, as I mentioned, this is the Buchla 200E. This is a current electronic music instrument that is still being made now by Buchla. Don Buchla again was a contemporary, or is a contemporary of Bob Moog, and he took a very different path than Moog did. And one of the reasons I think that Moog's instruments became so popular, of course the Mini Moog was like the first real break-out electronic music synthesizer, was that Moog's instruments had keyboards on them. They had black and white keyboards. And you could use them to play, you could use them to play rock and roll with them basically because you could plug them into a really loud amplifier and it could be louder than a guitar. And it could be a bass, you know, it could be louder than a bass and all that sort of stuff. And of course a lot of, you know, a lot of wonderful music was made with that instrument.

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Introducing Beetlecrab.audio - Makers of Vector and Tempera

via Beetlecrab.audio

Dear friends,

as hot summer months are slowly passing by, our Prague workshop has been pretty busy working on all axes. Since there's now two products to care for, there's more things to do, more PCB wiring and more code to siphon through, but there's a silver lining in that when we're too deep in one thing and need some respite, there's always something to do on the other :)

We are Beetlecrab.audio

Another thing we're slowly dealing with is the inscrutable situation about our branding, which we have gotten ourselves into. Vector, VectorSynth Tempera, TemperaSynth Vector, Vectora Synth Temper. It's a mess. To get out of all this confusion we decided to adopt an umbrella for both existing and new upcoming projects: beetlecrab.audio. We couldn't quite figure out a suitable name but many of you started using this, so let's go with it. For now the website is a simple crossroad and will be improved over time. Both Vector and Tempera newsletters will be merged into one at some point, so if you're subscribed to both you may have received this email twice. Please ignore the other.

Now to the actual news. There's two parts here -- an update about how Tempera production is going, and announcement of the new Vector v2.9.1 firmware update. Let's start with -

Tempera Production Update

New upgrades

There's a few changes made to the hardware that we're comfortable sharing, now that they are verified. First, a great quality of life improvement: the TRS MIDI sockets are compatible both with Type A and Type B wiring ! This means that you don't have to worry and fiddle with unmarked adapters -- both types will work.

Next, we were still a bit unhappy with the powder coat finish of the metal case. It's difficult to get right: each attempt at different color and paint structure takes a lot of time to test and verify because at least a piece of metal needs to be painted and sent to us for examination, and it takes even longer because of course the metal case manufacturer doesn't have all the paints in stock, and sometimes they have to buy a whole bottle just to use a few drops. A sample palette exists but as we already learned with Vector, these give some idea but in the end look nothing like what you think on the actual metal, on the bends, crevices and so on.

Having said all that, I think we found and verified a finish that we're really happy with . It's less glossy and has a finer and more granular (hah) structure. It's very nice to the touch and I think looks much better. See for yourself, how the light interacts with the old vs new powder coat on top. Noticeable are also the beautifully laser etched graphics. (Tempera in old finish, plate on top in new finish. The light is angled in such a way to highlight the grain, the new finish is in fact even blacker than the old.)

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Roland SH-101 Reverse Keys, Modded

images via this auction

Details:
NOVA-MOD UPGRADED NEW FEATURES
* VCF FM : Amazing new sounds are now added through this feature. Six FM sources are available.
* LFO Clock Input : Syncing the Arpeggiator and LFO to external drum modules and sequencers is now possible. As well, intersting feedback loops can be created.
* PW Modulation Source Selection : Now you can choose a pulse width source. It is independant from LFO's waveform setting. OSC source are included.
* Pulse width to near 0% : Pulse width effects are now made more extreme and powerful.
* External Audio Input : The ability to do FM of the VCF by an external audio source or to simply route a signal into the audio path is now provided. Don't forget feedback loops!!
* VCF CV Input : Just plug in a foot pedal or a CV from a midi convertor and your SH-101 will sing!
* LFO Rate Scalar : Ever hear a bell sound out of a 101? Try this on Hi!! Want a really slow weep...you got it too.
* Filter Overdrive : Filter cleaning knob as the filter is ovedriven at it's minimum setting and clean at max.

NOVA Mod Upgarded details :
Pulse width to near 0%
By closing the pulsewidth to a spike, new sounds can be attained by the SH-101. This spike wave source is very useful for brightening a bass patch. (A bass patch, with only the sub OSC waveform assigned, can be brightened, but not raised in pitch, by adding a little pulsewidth signal with a manual setting of less than 1% duty cycle.) In another application, in which only full ramp waveform is assigned, manually raising and lowering the spike waveform's amplitude has been compared to sounding like a wavetable sweep. As well, LFO mudulation of the pulse width is made dramatic because of the closer approach to 0%.

Pulse width Modulation Source Selection
A six way rotary switch enable you to chose the pulsewidth modulation sources independantly of the LFo waveform setting. This modulation source makes many new and interesting sounds. A randomly modulated pulsewidth is especially unique and pleasant. The PW modulation sources are : LFO Triangle / LFO Square / LFO Random / Sub OSC -1 Octave Square / Sub OSC -2 Octave Pulse / LFO Noise. The SUN OSC Mod sources creates a unique bass enhancement because of their higher frequency and keytracking. The result is a richer and deeper sound. As well, although there are only two sub OSC sources, changing the sub OSC swithce -1/-2/-2 results in even further modulation effects.

LFO Rate Scalar
A three way toggle switch scales the overall range of the sh-101's internal LFO Clk (the existing LFO rate slider still functions normally). The scalar settings are Normal/Low/High. In the Low setting, a cycle of 30 seconds can be attained. This is great for mild changes in TRANCE type music. In the High mode, up to 1200Hz can be used to create interesting cross-mod bell like sounds. Perfect for Industrial music and clanging metalic sounds. High mode works especially well when creating a synthetic kick drum patch or short-wave radio sounds.

LFO Clock Input
A 1/4" jack allows the insertion of an external clock signal to drive the 101's LFO. This injected signal trigger the LFO but does not change it's waveform. By applying clock, LFO AND arpeggiator are both synced to the external source. This makes for very moving and groovy patterns with only a drum box and NOVA MODED 101. A particularly nice application is to modulate the VCF Cutoff with a random LFO while playing the sequencer. Of course you can, at the same time, inject a seperate clock into the arpeggiator via the 101's Ext CLK in Jack. This will enable you to run the arpeggiator and LFO at different speeds. As a bonus, audio can be injected to drive the LFO. A simple trick is to patch the headphone output into the EXT. LFO Input. This feedback loop makes for sounds that can be mildly distorted be simply adjusting the VCF's Mod amount ( No need for an external distortion processor!!!) This effect is great for slow sweep with a resonating filter setting. Very minimoog-ish.

External Audio Input
A 1/4" jack and toggle switch allows external audio to be injected. A rotary pot controls the amplitude of the injected signal. It can be routed to one of two source. 1./ directly into the filter along with the OSC 's waveforms. External processing of audio through the VCF and ENV is a typical feature on some synths however a seperate trigger can be applied to fire the SH-101's envelope. 2./ intot he VCF's cutoff modulation point ( An external FM source).

VCF CV Input
An external CV can be applied to the 101 via this 1/4" jack. This feature is typical on a Juno-60, Jupiter 4 and Pro One. A midi converted to a CV or an "expression" foor pedal are typically connected here.

VCF FM
VCF FM is the most powerful NOVA-MOD feature. It can be used in moderation to simply add brightness to a bass patch with low frequencies (due to subtractive synthesis). Or it can be used to creat powerfull cross-mod sounds that are difficult to explain... they must be heard. These sounds are somewhat aggressive, distorted, bell like but most importantly, not attainable on a regular SH-101. There sounds are similar to those heard on a MiniMoog with its third LFO assigned. One example : Dial a patch with only a ramp waveform assigned but at the same time, modulate the VCF Cutoff with the Pulsewidth. Manually change the pulsewidth to vary the FM effect. It is quite unique. You can then switch in Sub OSC -2 OCT. Pulse as the FM source then adjsut the -1oct/-2oct/-2/oct switch to change the sound futher. Finally swing the Pulsewidth waveform as the FM source but switch from Manual to LFO modulation and then play with the PW Mod's waveform. A rotary pot controls the amount of modulation. A six way rotary switch selects the FM source : Pulse waveform / Ramp waveform / -1 Octave Sqr waveform / -2 Octave Sqr waveform / -2 Octave Pulse waveform / Noise waveform. As well, although there are only two sub OSC sources, the sub OSC switche -1/-2/-2 changes the sound, giving even more variety.

Filter Cleaning
Filter cleaning knob as the filter is ovedriven at it's minimum setting and clean at max. This gives a far better response curve."

Sonic Detours

Published on Jul 15, 2016 Sonic Detours

Playlist (full descriptions for each further below):
1. Mr. Fingers - Can You Feel It (Sonic Detours Cover)
2. Korg Volca Bass, Keys, Sample and Beats + Waldorf Rocket - Detour #1
3. Korg Volca Jam - Detour #2
4. Korg Volca + Waldorf Rocket Jam - Detour #3
5. Korg Electribe Ambient/Downtempo/Chill Without Beat - Detour #4
6. Jam with Push 2, Waldorf Rocket, Roland JU-06, Korg Volca Bass and Keys - Detour #5
7. Detour #6 - Push 2, Roland JU-06, MicroBrute, Korg Volca Bass, Keys, Beats and Sample
8. Jam with Korg Minilogue, Roland JU-06, MicroBrute, Korg Volca, Ableton Live, Push 2 - Detour #7


1. Mr. Fingers - Can You Feel It (Sonic Detours Cover)

"I bought a Roland JU-06 today and decided to celebrate with a cover of a house music classic.

Gear used:
- Roland JU-06
- Korg Volca Bass
- Korg Volca Keys
- Korg Volca Sample
- Ableton Live 9
- Ableton Push 2
- Novation Launch Control

Ableton live was used for sequencing and mixing only - all synth and drum parts were played on the hardware units."

2. Korg Volca Bass, Keys, Sample and Beats + Waldorf Rocket - Detour #1

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Buchla 200e and Serge talk nicely to each other

via Bakis of Parallel Worlds. BTW, Ian Boddy & Parallel Worlds - Exit Strategy [announced here] comes out on May 31st. You can check it out here [Facebook here].

"hi all,

started working on some scapes for a new collab of mine recently and finally patched the Buchla 200e with the Serge.
my findings:

as a cv-source and for cv attenuation/mixing/offseting, Serge works really nice with the Buchla. i have lots of attenuators and cv processors in my Serge, so i use them with Buchla patches as well. they work fine!

Serge gates and triggers work fine triggering Buchla 281e, but you need to mult a serge gate/trigger into 2 inputs of a cv-processor (or 'dual processor' or 'Mix pro' or 'scale processor') AND add a little bit of voltage offset to the total. i guess that means that the serge gate/trigger then has a voltage level of around 12 volts. but that is the only way for the 281e to be triggered. but it works!

still have not tried audio between the two beasts, as the audio level in Buchla, being around 1 volt pp, is much lower than the Serge audio levels... when i have new findings regarding that issue will let you know.

so, for now, the verdict is that Serge and Buchla 200e talk really fine in terms of cv/gate/trigger's!"

Audio to Synth converter & SR12 Voltage Controlled Filter

YouTube Uploaded by hesed23 on Oct 28, 2011

"http://shop.atm23.net/HARDWARE/Filters/Audio-to-Synth-converter.html

Audio IN/OUT -- Pulse Width Modulation -- Output Gain -- LFO rate -- LFO depth

A really crunchy filter, doesn't matter if Guitar, Voice or Drum Machine the converter
create a really special distortion with possibilities to adjust pulse width and thanks to the
LFO is possible to create from sweep to tremolo effect.

http://discrete-audio-solutions.com
http://shraegerunde.blogspot.com
http://shop.atm23.net (for purchase)"

SR12 Voltage Controlled Filter (DEMO)

Uploaded by hesed23 on Oct 28, 2011

"http://shop.atm23.net/HARDWARE/Filters/SR12-Voltage-Controlled-Filter.html

Audio IN/OUT -- CV in -- Cut Off -- Resonance (up to self oscillation!) - Low Pass & Band Pass.
Nice clean 12db/Oct vcf suitable for dj or producer, for live and studio.
With resonance fully clockwise has VCO (sine wave) function and the Cut Off become a pitch.

http://discrete-audio-solutions.com
http://shraegerunde.blogspot.com
http://shop.atm23.net (for purchase)"

ROLAND SYSTEM 100 MODEL 101 TUTORIAL & OVERVIEW

Published on Sep 13, 2017 once upon a synth

"This is a tutorial and overview of the Roland System 100 Model 101. The Model 101 is the keyboard synth part of the system. The system also included speakers, a synth expander, a mixer and a sequencer. This was a system of synths made by Roland in the 70s. It sounds really smooth and fat and has that classic vintage Roland sound which can also be found on the bigger brothers SH-5 and SH-7. In this video I go over each component, knob, button and jack on the front panel of the synth.

This is a fairly simple and standard synth on spec. It has a single oscillator, a single ADSR envelope generator, a single LFO and a combo low pass and high pass filter. What sets it apart is that it's semi-modular so you get to patch in and out the different components. It also has a really nice basic tone. It's one of those synths that has a large sweet spot and sounds good in almost all settings.

Here's that synthesis 101 video I was referring to in the video (if you're new to synthesizers):"

SUBTRACTIVE SYNTHESIS AND MODULAR TUTORIAL FOR BEGINNERS ~ Featuring the Kilpatrick Audio Phenol

Published on Apr 5, 2017 once upon a synth

"In this video I explain the basics of subtractive synthesis with an emphasis on modular synths. This is intended for complete beginners to synthesizers. We cover concepts like timbre, synthesis, harmonic content, the fundamental, control voltage, gate, trigger, audio vs control signals. The video starts off with theory and we end the second half with a practical demo using the Kilpatrick Audio Phenol semi-modular synth. This tutorial is not gear specific and the concept should apply to any subtractive synth."

Datach'i - Grain de Folie

Datach'i - Grain de Folie from Joseph Fraioli on Vimeo.

"No external computers or hardware were used in this performance.

A patch built around the new 'Grain de Folie' ZDSP card by TipTop Audio.
www.tiptopaudio.com/zdspcart.php?cart=gdf

The melody starting at :40 seconds is the TipTop Audio ZDSP running the "Grain de Folie" card which is processing Mutable Instruments Elements thats being sequenced by the Circadian Rhythms and z8000 with voltage quantization by the Intellijel µscale. The program used is #6 "Six Grains Stereo". Modulation to grain sizes 1 and 2 coming from the Modcan Quad LFO.

///// from the manual /////

Granular Synthesis uses small slices of sounds (‘grains’) to compose new sounds from existing material. By combining multiple grains of differing lengths, amplitude, pitch and speed creates very characteristic sounds of modern music.

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Crazy Synth Dreams and a Real Waldorf Blofeld Keyboard (Review)

I had another synth dream last night. This time I was out in LA making a trip to Noisebug with my wife. When I get there it turned into me just happening to drive by and noticing it was there. Hey, there's Noisebug, can I check it out!? Followed by a reluctant yes from my wife. :) Odd how dreams work that way. Note I've never actually been to Noisebug, so this was just my imagination. When we get there a guy comes out to our car and while I'm sitting there, I ask him what he has that might be interesting. Drive-up service! He says he has a Waldorf Pulse for $249 and some other things. I ask about the Pulse and he brings it out to me. I decide I must have it even though I already have a Pulse Plus. You can chain them for polyphony. I then convince my wife that I should go in and have a look around. I do and the place is probably a 4500 square foot warehouse, high ceilings like Costco, filled with synths and other electronics. Kind of like a massive or rather mini JRR World in New York but in an industrial flea market type setting. There are a number of shops in the open space. Tons of used synths. I start walking the aisles and see a few Oberheim DXs, OB-Xas and a few interesting Waldorfs. There's an orange XT with custom writing on it and coloring. If I remember correctly there's some 80s digital and DCO based analogs, a DX7, KORG DW8000 and some other random synths. I go to buy my Pulse Plus at one of the counters closest to the entrance and I notice a Yellow Waldorf Q with some red writing on it. It says something about Waldorf and it's in Spanish. Apparently Waldorf made it for one of the hispanic guys in the shop. The guy behind the counter points at him and rolls his eyes. Anyway, I pay for the Pulse Plus and I ask him if he has anything else for such a good deal. He says he has a Roland D50 for $150. I always wanted one so I ask him if I could check it out. I do and it's in fantastic shape. It has a green led type display with operator algorithms. Note the D50 isn't an FM synth. In my dream I wonder what that might be. The pitch benders on it are actually long thin pull tabs but you don't pull them, you press down on them. Kind of like the proportional pitch control on some of the ARP Odysseys but more like thin extended keys that you press down. It was actually pretty nice feeling but somewhat cheap. I tell him I'll take it and he takes it away to prep it for me. I head to another section and there's a Prophet-5 hiding under a card table for $554! My wife is going to kill me. I turn it on and all voices are working but they are out of tune and the keys have graffiti on them from Sharpies. It's also physically shorter than a full size Prophet-5 - about three octaves. I debate on whether I should get it and I think I could really use Stephen of Synthwood.com's help as he definitely knows his Prophets (in real life too!). He says probably not since I have one already. I ask him if he plans to pick it up. :) He says nooooo. The sales guy lets me know the D50 is ready, so I leave Stephen playing the Prophet-5. When I'm walking over to the counter to purchase the D50 the guy says with the additional $50 off, the D50 will come out to $100 and the Pulse is $200. Both are pristine! What a deal! While I'm purchasing them I realize my wife is still in the car!!! She's going to kill me!!! But if I explain the good deal I got, I'm sure she'll understand even though I've been in there for a good 30 to 40 minutes. :)

And that's it! I haven't had a good synth dream in a while. What caused it and why Noisebug? Well... I'm sure it has something to do with that Waldorf Blofeld Keyboard you see here. It just arrived yesterday from Noisebug! My initial impressions? Absolutely fantastic synth. Note, I've only had a little over a few hours with it, so the following impressions are initial. I'm still in the honeymoon phase, but I have spent time with quite a few synths, analog and digital. I'm a bit of a Waldorf fanboy, but not because it's Waldorf. They just make fantastic sounding synths with impeccable design. I do love most if not all synths though. I have a tendancy to look for the good in synths and what each individual synth has to offer vs. looking for what's wrong and/or negatively comparing a given synth to another with obviously more power. That said, here are my initial impressions:

On the physical design:
Extremely classy looking, superb keyboard and knobs. Solid metal construction. The mod and pitch wheels are light, thin and have little pointers poking out at the mid points. At first I thought they might be a little flimsy, and I wasn't sure how the I'd like them, but so far they feel good. I like them.

On the interface:
Extremely well laid out. I wasn't sure if it would be difficult to navigate, as if you look at the top right you will see that the matrix there only has the most common parameters you might want to edit for each section. How do you dig deeper? Well, with any section selected (indicated by the led on the left of the matrix), you turn the top left knob (photo above) by the display to get to deeper settings. You then use the two knobs under the display to edit. The display BTW, is pretty nice. Anything you edit shows up graphically and changes in real time. Overall the synth is super easy to navigate. The endless knobs are smooth and solid.

On the sound:
Definitely Waldorf but more. Like I said above, I have an XT, Q and Pulse Plus. The XT is a wavetable synth, which means you select a wavetable as a sound source. Think of a wavetable as a spreadsheet holding a single cycle waveform in each cell. Once a wavetable is selected you can then set the cell reference point for each oscillator. You can then apply modulation to that reference point to sweep through the wavetable. You can do this with an LFO, Envelops, aftertouch, the mod wheel, etc. With the XT note that all oscillators share the same wavetable, so there is only one shared across oscillators in a single patch. With the Blofeld you can have a different wavetable for each OSC 1 and OSC 2. With the XT however, if you change wavetables while holding a note down, you will hear the wavetable change. You can get some really cool effects going this way. With the Blofeld the wavetable does not change until the next note is played. Note if you have an arpeggio going on the Blofeld the sound will change. OSC 3 is your standard virtual analog oscillator. Note OSCs 1 and 2 do have virtual analog waveshapes. The Blofeld has the XT wavetables and the Alt 1 and Alt 2 wavetables from the Q. In addition to wavetable and virtual analog synthesis, the Blofeld also has sample based synthesis! The samples act as oscillators to be used as sound sources in the synth engine - think synthesis as the focus vs. sampling. What it does is bring a whole new sound palette to the Waldorf line of synthesis. When I think Waldorf, I think wavetables and VA, now sample based oscillators have been added to the mix. How does it sound? Fantastic! There are some nice organic samples on board including a really nice Nylon guitar patch A014. I did notice a small quirk with this patch though. If you hold down C2 or a couple of notes around it the loop repeats at the end point much like old samplers. It doesn't do this for the rest of the keyboard range and I didn't notice it on other patches. Update: this problem went away after updating the OS. I went from 1.10 incrementally up to 1.13.

As for audio quality, presence and hi fidelity, the synth sounds absolutely amazing. One of my biggest gripes with some virtual analog synths out there is that they can sound somewhat muffled and weak. They are missing that certain boldness and presence you find in many analogs. A bit watered down so to speak. I was curious how the Blofeld would sound in this regard. To my ears it is very, very bold. Possibly more so than the Q rack - almost more "analog" sounding. It's on par with the Pulse and either as bold if not bolder than the XTk. It really has presence.

Summary
Overall, I am in love with this synth. For the price, $999 from Noisebug, it is an absolute steel. It is super compact, more so than the Nord Lead, it's built like a tank, has a fantastic interface and the sound is bold and broad. You have virtual analog, wavetable and now sample based synthesis. If this synth came out at the same time as the original Q I could see it going for twice as much. I'd recommend this synth to anyone. It is a great starter synth to learn the basics of subtractive synthesis and you can dig real deep. The interface is a breeze to navigate and the synth engine is extremely powerful in spite of it's price. Highly, highly recommended. Note there have been some bugs reported on the Waldorf list. Waldorf is working on updates, however the current bugs may or may not matter to you.

And.. that's all for now. Synth dreams and a real synth dream come true for me. I love my Blofeld!

I want to give a special thanks to Antonio at Noisebug. He was a pleasure to deal with. I ordered my Blofeld on Tuesday, it was shipped that day, and it arrived on schedule Friday. I was given a tracking number on Tuesday without having to ask and I was able to plan accordingly. I had absolutely fantastic service from Noisebug and can highly recommend them. Note they currently have the Blofeld Keyboard on sale from now until the end of July for $999 which is what I paid for mine. It's one heck of a birthday present. :)

You can find more pics including box shots here.

Update: soon after I wrote this mini review, I later hooked up the MIDI out on my Blofeld Keyboard and to my dismay it was not working. I had OS 1.10 loaded. Upgrading to 1.11 fixed the problem. I then upgraded to 1.12 followed by 1.13 and the fix stayed in tack. MIDI out is working. I just wanted to note this in the post in case anyone else ran into the problem. You can find the latest updates here. Note, one other person on the Waldorf user forum also had the problem on 1.10 and upgrading took care of it.

Roland SH-101 Nova Mod

via this auction

"New features from Nova Mod
* VCF FM : Amazing new sounds are now added through this feature. Six FM sources are available
* LFO Clock Input : Syncing Arpeggiator and LFO to external drum modules and sequencers is now possible. As well, interesting feedback loops can be created.
* PW Modulation Source Selection : Now you can choose a pulse width source. It is independent from the LFO's waveform setting. OSC sources are included.
* Pulse width to near 0% : Pulse width effects are now made more extreme and powerfull
* External audio input : the ability to do FM of VCF by an externalaudio source or to simply route a signal into the audio path is now provided.
* VCF CV input : Just plug in a foot pedal or a CV from a midi convertor and your sh-101 will sing!
* LFO rate Scalar : Ever hear a bell sound out of sh-101? Try this on Hi! Want a really slow sweep...you got it too.
* Overdrive Knob : Filter cleaning

Nova Mod Details :
Pulse width to near 0% - By closing the pulsewidth to a spike, new sounds can be attained by the sh-101. This "spike" wave source is very useful for brightening a bass patch. (A bass patch, with only the sub OSC waveform assigned, can be brightened, but not raise in pitch, by adding a little pulse width signal with a manual setting of less than 1% duty cycle.) In another other application, in which only full ramp waveform is assigned, manually raising and lowering the spike waveform's amplitude has been compared to sounding like a wavetable sweep. As well, LFO mudulation of the pulsewidth is made more dramatic because of the closer approach to 0%.

Pulsewidth Modulation Source Selection - A six-way rotary switch enables you to choose the pulsewidth modulation sources independently of the LFO's waveform setting. This modulation source makes many new and interesting sounds. A randomly modulated pulsewidth is especially unique and pleasant. The PW modulation sources are LFO Triangle / LFO Square / LFO Random / Sub Osc -1 Octave Square* / Sub Osc -2 Octave Pulse* / LFO Noise *The sub Osc Mod sources creates a unique bass enhancement because of their higher frequency and keytracking. The result is a richer and deeper sound. As well, although there are only two sub Osc sources, changing the sub Osc switch -1/-2/-2 results in even further modulation effects.

LFO Rate Scalar - A three-way toggle switch scales the overall range of the SH-101's internal LFO Clk (the existing lfo rate slider still functions normally). The scalar setting are Normal/Low/High. In the Low setting, a cycle of 40 seconds can be attained. This is great for mild changes in "trance" type music. In the High Mode, up to 1200Hz can be used to create interesting cross-mod bell like sounds. Perfect for "industrial" music and clanging metalic sounds. High mode works especially well when creating synthetic kick drum patch or short-wave radio sounds.

LFO Clock Input - A 1/4" jack allows the insertion of an external clock signal to drive the 101's LFO. This injected signal triggers the LFO but does not change it's waveform. By applying a clock, LFO and Arpeggiator are both synced to the external source. This makes for very moving and groovy patterns with only a drum box and Mova-modded 101. A particularly nice application is to modulate the VCF cutoff with a Random LFO while playing the sequencer. Of course you can, at the same time, inject a seperate clock intot he arpeggiator via the 101's Ext Clk jack. This will enable you to run the arpeggiator and LFO at different speeds. As a bonus, audio can be injected to drive the LFO. A simple trick is to patch the headphone output into the Ext' LFO input. This feedback loop makes for sounds that can be mildly distorted to heavily distorted by simply adjusting the VCF's mod amount.(No need for an external distortion processor!) This effect is great for slow sweeps with a resonating filter setting.

External Audio Input - A 1/4" jack and toggle switch allows external audio to be injected. A rotary pot controls the amplitude of the injected signal. It can be routed to one or two sources. 1./ directly into the filter along with the OSC's waveforms. External processing of audio through the VCF and ENV is . 2./ into the VCF's cutoff modulation point. (An external FM source.)

VCF CV Input - An external CV can be applied to the 101 via this 1/4" jack. This feature is typical on a Juno-60, Jupiter 4 and Pro-One. A MIDI controller converted to a cv or an "expression" foot pedal are typically connected one.

VCF FM - VCF Fm is the most powerful NOVA-MOD feature. It can be used in moderation to simply add bringtness to a bass patch with low frequencies (due to subtractive synthesis). Or it can be used to create powerful cross-mod sounds that are difficult to explain....they must be heard. These sounds are somewhat aggressive, distorted, bell like but most importantly, not attainable on a regular SH-101. One example : Dial a patch with only ramp waveform assigned but at the same time, modulate the VCF Cutoff with the Pulsewidth. Manually change the pulsewidth to vary the FM effect. It is quite unique. You can then switch in Sub Osc -2 Oct. Pulse as the Fm source then adjust the -1oct/-2oct/-2oct switch to change the sound further. Finally swing the Pulsewidth waveform as the Fm source but switch from Manual to LFo modulation and then play with the PW Mod's waveform. A rotary pot controls the amount of modulation. A six way rotary switch selects the FM sounce : Pulse / Ramp / -1 Octave Sqr / -2 Octave Sqr / -2 Octave Pulse / Noise Waveform"

Tasty Chips Electronics GR-1 -- preliminary noodlings

Published on Feb 12, 2018 Nice and Synths

"Hello! Thanks for watching this video, or at least considering watching. This is yet another noodling video with a new toy. The Tasty Chips GR-1 granular synthesizer. A granular synthesizer breaks an audio file into tiny pieces of wheat, or on occasion barley. All audio is direct from the GR-1 into a Focusrite Scarlett 18i6 with no additional processing (other than normalization.) My GR-1 was on firmware version 1.1.8 for this video.

I thought it might be useful to hear the original sample before the GR-1 patch that uses it, so I included them in the video. Hope its not too annoying.

The GR-1 *can* process live audio, but I need to get a suitable USB audio interface to try it. Another feature of the GR-1 I have yet to try are the two CV inputs. This could open up some fun control possibilities with modular gear.

A nice thing is that every parameter on the GR-1 is controllable via MIDI CC. This is shown at 7:15 where the sample position and filter cutoff are controlled with the Casio XW-P1's step sequencer control tracks. Not that you can really tell, it's not a good example of MIDI control really with the arpeggiator happening. I should've made a clearer example of that.

Apologies if the audio and video don't align exactly, I tried my best to line them up. :)"