MATRIXSYNTH: Search results for Tony Synth

Showing posts sorted by relevance for query Tony Synth. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query Tony Synth. Sort by date Show all posts

Monday, April 09, 2007

Sequential Circuits Prophet 5 Rev 2


Click here for shots via this auction.
Details from isatellite:
"This is the famous Sequential Prophet-5, a rare Rev. 2 version, in near mint collector's quality condition. It is considered by many to be one of the best analog polysynths ever made. This one has been babied, and maintained throughout it's life. It comes with 5 new old stock spare SSM chips (VCOx2, VCF, VCA, ENV) worth over $500 so you can be sure this synth will be running for many years to come.

History: When I bought it I had a Kenton Electronics MIDI kit installed in it. It has been used on pretty much every song I've ever done and was featured as the main lead in the song Automat. I used it live once at the Autobahn show in Ohio back in 2003 and it was a solid performer live. It has been one of my favorite synths and I really hate to see it go. This synth has guts, and nothing sounds like it. I've owned 5 Prophet-5's throughout the years and this one sounds the best. I've owned many Rev. 3's and they have generally been more unreliable than this synth. You'd be hard pressed to find one in better condition at any price.
Version: This is the later version Rev. 2, just before they switched over the CEM chips. It uses the much better sounding SSM chips throughout, and has the rare cassette upgrade. This is how a Prophet-5 was supposed to sound, before it got a complete circuit redesign by Sequential Circuits. Jerry Harrison of Talking Heads said he preferred this version to the other Prophets. OMD swore by their Rev. 2 and were upset when Sequential changed the internals. Some have called this the Rev. 2.2 model, but that numbering has been debated.

Condition: See untouched photos for details. These were taken this morning, straight out of my camera. Based on 15 years of owning literally dozens of vintage synths, I would rate it a 9.9/10. It is in near mint electronic and cosmetic condition. I know the word mint is overused on eBay, but take a look at the photos and judge for yourself. As you can see, the cosmetic condition of this synth is pristine. There is no wear whatsoever on the graphics, knobs, silver switches, or lettering. The logo plates are all original and reflect like a mirror. The large Prophet-5 logo on the back is simply stunning and in pristine shape. Looks much better than the heatsync on the Rev. 3 models. There is no sun damage and all of the parts retain their original coloring. The wood is a gorgeous walnut with only a few small marks here and there on the wood edges that are barely noticeable in the photos. There is one indentation in the wood on the righthand side that is very minor and not noticeable in the photos. Rev. 2 Prophets almost invariably have a crack in the wood at the upper right due to a design defect in the modulation section. This synth has been taken care of and has no cracks in the wood. A couple of the knobs have marks on them, but they are all original, not Wine Country reproductions. Small mark on the top of the modulation wheel...barely noticeable. Small indentation on the right of the Prophet-5 logo on the face of the synth. The underside has some marks and paint scrapes in places. There are still two pieces of velcro stuck to the bottom where I had a controller attached for turning on a bubble machine during the performance of Bubbleboy in 2003. One screw is missing from the bottom of the synth. The red LED screen is bright and clear, and the plastic lens has only extremely light scratches from dusting it...but they would not show up in the photos. A little plastic polish and the lens will shine as new. The keys are highly reflective with only the occasional mark here and there. The internal components are all present and accounted for, and the internals are clean and free of rust and debris. This is the mintest example of a Rev. 2 Prophet-5 that I have ever owned or seen ever in over15 years of collecting synths. If you're picky about the condition of your gear, and you want the very best Prophet-5 ever made in pristine condition, this is the synth for you. I realize I'm asking a lot for this synth and it may not be the synth for your price range. If so, please don't send me threatening e-mails. If you can find another in this shape at any price, then buy it. It would be worth it. I'm the type of person that will pay additional $ for something that is the best of its kind, with no rust, and no issues. And this is the best example I have seen of a Rev. 2 Prophet-5 anywhere, at any price.

Functionality: This synth has been babied and maintained in top functioning condition its entire life. I literally just brought it back this weekend from having my tech go over it in detail and make sure everything was functioning 100%. It tunes up after about 20 minutes of warm up, and then never drifts after that. A few years back Tony Clark of Great Lakes Modular modified the power supply so that it was more stable than typical Rev. 2 Prophets. All of the knobs and buttons function perfectly, with no scratchy pots. I have never had to clean the sliders or pots, and they all work as new. All keys trigger perfectly with no double-triggering. I spent a great deal of money buying and installing completely new bushings about a year ago. The keys play like butter. All inputs and outputs, MIDI, velocity (from MIDI), aftertouch (from MIDI), modulation, pitchbend, keys, buttons, and pitchbender - everything works perfectly. There is nothing functionally wrong with this synth. The Kenton MIDI kit provides MIDI in, out, and thru and is considered to be the best MIDI kit available for the this synth. For more info on everything that the Kenton MIDI kit can do, please check out the Kenton site at kenton.co.uk. In case you are worried about the reliability of this synth, I have only had one SSM chip replaced during the 11 years I've owned it."

Wednesday, October 23, 2024

ARP Quadra

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


via this Vemia listing

Click the auction link on top when you get there for additional listings.

"Rare ARP Quadra in near mint condition.Serviced and working perfectly. Runs on 240V power. Arp Quadras were famously used by Tony Banks Genesis and John Carpenter. Im based in Bristol and arrange delivery to UK and Internationally. Heres some info from about this classic synth on Vintage Synth explorer... The Quadra is pretty much a hybrid version of ARP's Omni II and Solus synths. It's a four-section synthesizer consisting of a Bass synth, Poly synth, Lead synth, and String synth. It is quite good at emulating each of these sounds and can function in any of its four modes at a time with the ability of layering the different sections! Sounds you create in any of the four sections are instantly recalled from memory by the push of a button! There are 16 program patches for storing your sounds. Other major features are the incredible phase shifter, tons of balanced audio outputs for each section, dual portamento controls and a superior arpeggiator...that's pretty good for 1978! On the downside, it has a fragile mylar front panel, very limited programability and a weird feature that autotunes the keys to play weird intervals. The Bass synth section is monophonic and can be programmed to occupy the lower two octaves of the Quadra's 5-octave 61-note keyboard. The bass sounds pretty good and has 16' and 8' presets each for Electric and String Bass sections. The string section is based on the Omni II String synth. It sounds excellent and implements a phase-shift effect that is sort-of like a chorusing effect that thickens its already great string sound. In Polyphonic synth mode there are more effects available such as sample-n-hold and the phase-shifter. String and Poly Synth sections have 8' and 4' Polyphonic Waveform Generators each along with a preset called Hollow Waveform. In Lead synth mode the Quadra becomes a two voice screamer with aftertouch sensitivity in the upper octaves of the keyboard! It's duophonic (like the Odyssey). Get a bass sequence going, switch over to another section and play along! The Quadra is a synthesizer well suited to live performance use and has been used by 808 State, ELO, Genesis, The Human League, Pink Floyd, New Order, Nick Rhodes (Duran Duran), Joe Zawinul, and film-maker John Carpenter."

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

E-mu Emax Emax II Lot of 50 Sound Banks on Floppies


via this auction

"ORIGINAL EMAX LIBRARY:
ZD707: Mixed Chorus (11 Presets, 2 Sequences)
ZD713: Multisynth Combo
ZD714: Woodwind Ensemble
ZD724: Solo Arco Cello/Violin (16 Presets)
ZD726: Male Voices And Synth Orchestra (17 Presets)
ZD750: Circa 1969 Assorted Keyboards
ZD754: Harpsichord And Breathy Flute (35 Presets, 1 Sequence)
ZD767: Gong/Tympani/Voices (10 Presets, 3 Sequences)
ZD777: The Bliss Disk
ZD804: Atmospheres (11 Presets, 1 Sequence)
ZD806: Woodwinds And Brass
ZD807: Female Voice/Bell (14 Presets, 1 Sequence)
ZD810: Harp Gliss Number Three (5 Presets, 1 Sequence)
ZD814: Synth FX Thor III
ZD848: Multi Synth (15 Presets) (Gold)

Monday, December 31, 2012

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone!!!  I hope 2012 treated you well and I wish you the best in 2013!

As I do each year, I thought I'd reflect a little on the past year.  These posts are always difficult to write, and I always wing them, so bear with me.  It's impossible to justify a whole year's worth of synth coverage in a single post.  The following is just a small bit of what comes to mind when looking back.  You'll find a top ten list of posts with the most page views followed by my picks for the year further below.  Apologies if I miss anything, and of course, if you have anything to add, feel free to leave a comment below.  I'm curious what you, the readers of the site, felt stood out in the world of synths this past year.

First, I want to begin this post with a HUGE THANK YOU!!!  If you are reading this it obviously means you have come to this site and some of you have been coming here for years! Thank you for sticking with me. This site is a journey I hope to continue for years to come. Thank you to everyone that has taken the time to showcase their synths, and thank you to those that share what they find! Thank you to those that link to the site and help spread the word on MATRIXSYNTH via Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and your own websites! And of course, THANK YOU to all the sponsors on the right who believe in the site enough to support it!

A nod to previous New Years posts, pictured to the left is the MATRIXSYNTH world domination map. :)  I always think it's worth taking a look at who's watching the site.  Synths are global and you are looking at a map of the readers of MATRIXSYNTH.  Everything you see in green represents a visit from that country.  The darker the green, the higher the number of visits.  This is just for the year, but for the life of the site, we still haven't gotten a single hit from North Korea!   I don't know what they have against synths!  ;)   You'll find the top 10 visits by country further below.

This is the eighth New Year the site has gone through!  The focus for the site this year has been the same as previous years, and I plan to keep it that way.  This site is about showcasing specific synths, not just synths in general, and not just news and press releases.  The focus is on the individual synths that have existed throughout history, the technology behind them, and the lives they lead with their odd owners, myself included.  :)  Yes it is about the gear, their makers, and their players.  It has always been my opinion that synths in general have a tendency to be undervalued. Compared to say collectible guitars, they are often discarded and devalued in favor of next year's model, next year's technology.  It has always been my opinion that every synth has something of value to offer,  something specific and something unique that gives it its character. I built this site to showcase that.  This site is about the history of synths as their history unfolds - videos and images of synths being played and used, by both those that make them and those that play them.  Vintage synths being offered in the second hand market, being exchanged from one sonic explorer to the next. It really is a wondrous thing. Think of the magic synthesizers bring into your world. That is what this site is ultimately about.  Some posts may not seem to make sense now, but they will in time, because they will be a look back in time. A day in the life of a particular synthesizer.  I love analog and I love digital. I love all synths and this site celebrates that.

And now for a little reflection on the year. This year we had a total of 16678 posts including this one.  That comes out to roughly 45.69 posts a day.  Not a single day of the year went without a post.  So what dominated the synth year?  Mobile, modulars and a few dedicated hardware synths.

Friday, July 15, 2022

New Module From Make Noise Event at Perfect Circuit Tonight at 7 PM


video upload by Perfect Circuit

Update: module details and pic added further below.

"On Friday July 15th at 7pm PST, Make Noise founder Tony Rolando will show off his newest Eurorack module design, alongside long-time modular artist Rodent.

Make Noise has a long history of shaking up the modular synth world with fresh, forward-thinking, and downright fun new modules and standalone instruments.

This marks Make Noise's first new release since 2021's Strega, and their first new Eurorack module since 2019's Mimeophon.

The stream will feature a module overview, Q+A, and live examples of the new design."



Initial post/details:

Make Noise will be presenting a new module at Perfect Circuit tonight at 7 PM. It's my understanding tickets for the event are full, however Perfect Circuit will be live streaming the event. I will be sharing the stream on top of the site at 7PM sharp so tune back in for the event.

Details follow:

Live Event: Make Noise First Look to New Eurorack Module
Where: Perfect Circuit Showroom 2405 Empire Ave Burbank, CA 91504
Event date: July 15th, 2022, 7 PM

About the Friday Make Noise Event
Make Noise is heading to Perfect Circuit for an exclusive first look at their latest creation. On Perfect Circuit's YouTube channel at 7 PM PST this Friday, July 15th, Make Noise founder Tony Rolando is showing off their newest Eurorack module design. Long-time modular artist Rodent will join Tony in the announcement. Tune in live for the first look at what Make Noise has cookin'. The stream will feature a module overview, Q+A, and live examples of the new design.

What Will They Reveal?
Make Noise has a long history of shaking up the modular synth world with fresh, forward-thinking, and downright fun new modules and standalone instruments. Be sure to tune in for Make Noise's first release since 2021's Strega and their first new Eurorack module since 2019's Mimeophon. This new module is top secret, so we can't share any details except we know you will love it.

Module details added further below.



Additional details via Make Noise:

"Make Noise is proud to announce our newest module, the XPO!

The XPO, or Stereo Prismatic Oscillator, is a Voltage Controlled Analog Oscillator designed for generating Sine waves, Triangle waves, Sawtooth and Spike waves, Sub-Octaves, Stereo Timbre Modulations (including Pulse Width Modulation and Wavefolding), Oscillator SYNC, Linear FM and more in the analog domain.

The XPO is designed to be the Stereo VCO complement to our Stereo Filter, the QPAS. The two modules share the core idea of complex circuits being controlled in multiple dimensions in the stereo field by a few powerful parameters. The Stereo Prismatic Oscillator also makes a particularly useful patch buddy for the STO, Mimeophon, and X-PAN.

The XPO was announced on Friday, July 15th by Make Noise founder Tony Rolando and our Sales Specialist Eric "Rodent" Cheslak at an event at Perfect Circuit." The XPO or Stereo Prismatic Oscillator is a Voltage Controlled Analog Oscillator designed for generating Sine waves, Triangle waves, Sawtooth and Spike waves, Sub- Octaves, Stereo Timbre Modulations (including Pulse Width Modulation and Wavefolding), Oscillator SYNC, Linear FM and more in the analog domain.

The XPO is designed to be the Stereo VCO complement to our Stereo Filter, the QPAS. The two modules share the core idea of complex circuits being controlled in multiple dimensions in the stereo field by a few powerful parameters. The Stereo Prismatic Oscillator also makes a particularly useful patch buddy for the STO, Mimeophon, and X- PAN.

The Story of the XPO by Tony Rolando

I was lying awake in bed at 3 am thinking about music and synthesizers, on this early morning specifically, the voice panning of the OB8. So simple, so effective. A bank of 8 analog pan-pots is tucked into the side of the instrument to let the musician choose the exact placement of each voice in the stereo field. As you play the instrument, notes may dance around your head. This led me to think about how Oberheim and most other synthesizer designers through the 70s and early 80s primarily used Pulse Width Modulation for waveform animation. Don Buchla's wavefolding techniques had not caught on. PWM has been more or less the same for decades and there is not a whole lot of difference between PWM in one instrument to another. Some allow you to modulate further than others. A few even allow you to go all the way to 0% or 100% Width. PWM was usually generated from a Saw or Triangle core, and while I tend to prefer PWM generated from a Tri-Core, the difference is subtle. The bigger difference is the filter that follows. PWM has a way of tickling the resonance of a filter that can really make the sound come alive.

This led me to think about Stereo filtering. How could a synth sound more stereo? At Make Noise we have voice panning with the XPAN, stereo filtering with the QPAS, and stereo echo verb with the Mimeophon. Surely, this was enough stereo modulation.

Then it occurred to me, why couldn't PWM be stereo? It would be very effective at creating a stereo image since the amplitude of both Left and Right would be almost identical, while still offering dramatic stereo timbral shifts. I thought to myself, surely somebody has done Stereo PWM already. I needed to research this idea. So I wrote about it in the notepad I keep on the nightstand and I eventually fell back asleep.

I woke up the next day and I immediately saw the note, I tried to read it...

Wednesday, January 04, 2006

The Hitchhiker's Synth to the Galaxy

Meet Deep Thought, an Oakley Based Analog Modular currently up for auction. Title link takes you to the shots. More on the synth pulled from the auction below. Via this post on VSE.



"I designed and built this Synthesiser myself, with Oakley Sound System modules and a lot of ear-bending with Tony Allgood (Oakley).

It has taken me an absolute age to build, and the Schaffer Front panel cost me 450 Euros alone. I also designed that. The patch panel uses the same principle as the Synthi AKS patch bay, in that voltages are summed on the rows, with patch pins having resistors in, with summing amplifiers on each row. This means that (say) the outputs of two LFOs can effectively be mixed on the bay and output to one of the pre-routed destinations. The Synth, which I called DEEP THOUGHT, (after Hitch hikers Guide to the Galaxy and took nearly as long to build as finding the ultimate answer- Oh and I was 42 when I started this thing!), was designed to have a fixed internal routing, but I got frustrated by those limitations, so I built a jack-panel into DEEP THOUGHT's top, where the internal routing came out to. This means it is not hard wired on the inside anymore, so you have to route it on the top for the synth to work. This gives much greater flexibility. I think I should have kept the internal hard-wiring and used the jacks as by-pass switches, but anyone with any savvy can do that.

Every module works. I have used screened cable for audio inside too. The power supply is well beefy enough to power the synth without it breaking into a sweat. In fact the supply is bolted to a huge piece of car-panel sheet metal, so you can have DEEP THOUGHT on all day, and it barely gets warm.

The synth is basically configured as a Stereo Pair of twin VCO/ twin LFO synths, but since the wiring is now so open, it can be whatever you like, within the limits of the wiring.

Each of the VCOs (4 of them) are Moog style Oscillators, with Oakleys proprietary tuning stability. Terrifically stable, and you don't need them to warm up for hours before they are useable. Really powerful sound, especially in unison! Wow. The pulse width is continuously variable and I have used a dedicated LFO for each pulse width modulation on each oscillator, which gives this synth a total of 8 LFOs. the PWM LFOs do not output to the patch-panel, though, since they are dedicated. The waveforms are Pulse, Saw, Triangle and Sine.

The two filters on the synth are a juicy Moog style ladder filter (left) and a precise State Variable filter (right). Control voltages for each are accessible from the patch-panel.

The patch panel has an led on each row output to indicate the activity on that row, and it's a great way of keeping tabs on what is going on in a complex patch-and the patches can get preettty complex!

The sample-hold clock is controlled from the patch-panel, as is its' sample signal. The output of it comes back to patch panel, and can be routed to, say, filters cvs etc

There are two PHASERS, one for each output, if you configure the synth in STEREO mode, of you can stack them or put them in serial. They have varible Q and a built in LFO for sweeping, as indicated by a cute bi-colour LED. DEEP THOUGHT is scattered with bi-colour LEDs, actually, and it's great in the dark (but get the patch done first!)

There are four VCA/EG combinations at the bottom of the synth. Two are hard-wired to the outputs, the other two are accessible from the patch panel. Each filter has its' own ADSR type envelope, hard wired internally, and dedicated to each filter.

The midi interface is configured for channel one, and also has the master tune facility, so once your VCOs are where you want them, you can just shift all four to match your others synths, and they keep there relative pitch tracking perfectly. There is also a cool retrigger/glide function.

The Noise unit features White and pink noise and an exceptionally useful INFRA RED output, which is a very low frequency random CV which outputs separately to the patch-panel.

If you use a Sequencer like Logic, you can control DEEP THOUGHT (via the midi interface) by use of HYPERDRAW in LOGIC so you can use modulation sweeps, velocity contours, and CC102, which can be assigned by you in LOGIC (or CUBASE, I'm sure) for any use. In fact, since the outputs of each of those HYPERDRAW curves manifest themselves as variable control voltages at the patch panel, you can assign them to whatever you like! Programmable filter sweeps are the obvious 1st choice!

The patch-pins are new genuine EMS ones, with a few non-resistance pins-just shorting type.

All the boards were built from the ground up by me, using quality components from RS and Rapid. It has cost me thousands of pounds and too many hours to count.

There's such a lot of meat on this synth that it's almost impossible to be sure I've remembered to mention everything, but anyone seriously intending to buy it, will know from the pictures just what it can do. Any (sensible) questions I will attempt to answer.

Mechanically, the big steel backplate just screws off, and it and the power supply just unplugs from the internal wiring (via coded suitable sturdy plugs), so the internal wiring is easily accessible for maintanance or modification.

So, to the niggles-:

1) I didn't wire the LEDs so they all shine red for positive voltages! So they vary from RED to GREEN, on positive (or negative) voltages and a couple of the patch LEDs glow with nothing plugged into the row, (which is the earthing issue I spoke of elsewhere), but those rows DO sum correctly anyway, and the LEDS do reflect what's on those rows when plugged into, so it isn't a serious issue.

2) The bypass switch on the right hand PHASER is wired wrong and doesn't bypass, and I just don't have the time to sort it. Should be a brainless fix, though.

3) The patch-panel had to be mounted so that the end collumn (EXTERNAL OUT) is shorted and doesn't work. This could easily be sorted by finding a different mounting for the patch-panel on the Schaffer panel. The patch-panel on that collumn works in itself-it's just the mounting screw! However, there is a spare socket on the top which could be wired for EXTERNAL OUT if you want.

4) a couple of pots are starting to sound a bit scratchy and could do with spraying, but still perfectly functional.

5) This thing is HEAVEY, 25Kg. The steel backplate is the big culprit, but those lovely FRENCH POLISHED (by me!) side cheeks are REAL solid HARDWOOD MAHOGANY!! So THEY weigh too. "

Thursday, January 01, 2015

Happy New Year From MATRIXSYNTH! - A Look Back at 2014


Happy New Year everyone!

I want to start by thanking everyone that comes to MATRIXSYNTH and helps make it what it is - the readers, the supporters, and of course all the sponsors on the right.

THANK YOU and have a GREAT 2015!!!

This site is a labor of love and a ton of work. This site is ultimately meant to be an testament to everything synth in the making. We have over nine years of daily synth history captured here, 119,983 published posts. I can't wait to see what the future brings us in 2015!

That said, here are a few interesting bits from 2014 in the longest post of the year. ;)

Saturday, May 10, 2025

Discovering Wildwood Soundworks at Superbooth 2025 | Handcrafted Innovation with Tony Stewart


video upload by Jonathan Knightsnare

"At Superbooth 2025, I stumbled upon one of the most refreshing and inspiring booths of the weekend: Wildwood Soundworks.

Created by Tony Stewart—truly one of the nicest, chillest geniuses you'll ever meet—Wildwood Soundworks is a boutique company based in Penn Valley, California, dedicated to making electronic music gear that’s as expressive as it is innovative.

Tony’s gear is built for playability, tactile creativity, and pure musical joy. His instruments feel like something between a synth, a sculpture, and a philosophy on music-making. Every detail has intention, and every interaction feels like a performance.

At the booth, Tony demoed his two latest inventions:

Wildwood Express – a beautifully handcrafted sampler/synth/sequencer with a capacitive touch interface and all-in-one design for real-time creation.

Wildwood Lightning – an equally expressive device that swaps the keyboard for a circular note wheel, bringing intuitive scale-based performance to your fingertips.

Both units are loaded with sample-based and FM synthesis, USB MIDI/audio, sequencing across 16 channels, and a super intuitive display and menu system. Even cooler? They update over the air, and yes—they’re just as fun as they look.

This was one of my favorite finds of the show—not only because of the gear, but because of Tony’s energy and vision."

Monday, February 13, 2012

WASP SPECIAL SYNTHESISER SN 10015

Wasp Special Demo

YouTube Uploaded by 1224Johnmac on Feb 3, 2012

"Here's a little demo of my old Wasp Special vintage mono synth from the 1980's. I'm trying to use all of the knobs to show they are fully functioning. This is a rare model of Wasp with a real wood case. It is serial number 00015 which suggests it was one of the first built. I'm using a modified Epiphone Valve Junior amp to play it through. The sound is being picked up by the built in mic on the Vado camera I'm filming with so the sound reproduction isn't great. I hope you find the video useful. I will be parting company with the Wasp soon."


via this auction

Thursday, November 17, 2016

George Hall Synthesiser Tutorials with the Studiologic Sledge


Published on Oct 30, 2015 David Clements

"George Hall presents a series of videos demonstrating how to get classic synth sounds using his Studio Logic synthesizer."

Playlist:
George Hall Synthesiser Tutorial Part 1 Introduction
George Hall Synthesiser Tutorial Part 2 Super Saw
George Hall Synthesiser Tutorial Part 3 Village Ghetto Land
George Hall Video Tutorial Part 4 Jump
George Hall Synthesiser tutorial part 5, Winwood and Moroder sounds
George Hall Synthesiser tutorial part 6. Brassy sounds.
George Hall Video 7, Synth Bass Sounds

Wednesday, June 21, 2023

Tony Obr: Tearing Apart the Fabric of Space and Time


video upload by synthesizersdotcom

"Welcome to the Synthesizers.com Composition Contest 🎵

Today, we're thrilled to present an inspiring entry by our talented contestant, Tony Obr. Tony has masterfully crafted a breathtaking composition titled "Tearing Apart the Fabric of Space and Time" using modules from Synthesizers.com to innovate and amaze the audience.

This intricate patch is filled with an array of subtle details; Tony has artfully employed one of his favorite tricks: transposing a voltage sequence from a sequencer using an LFO. The result of this clever technique brings life and variation to the pitch sequence in a way that's both harmonious and unexpected.

The following Synthesizers.com modules play a crucial role in creating the spectacular soundscape of this composition:

Wednesday, April 06, 2011

ROCK SCHOOL Series 2

You might want to bookmark this one to come back to as you have time. I have posted videos from the Rock School series in the past, but this is currently the most comprehensive set if not the complete series - eight episodes broken up into twenty four videos. I opted to create eight playlists for the eight episodes so you can read the description for each under each set of three videos. This one in via willy who sent in Series 2 - Episode 5 (part 3 of 3) with Bill Bruford explaining his simmons drums. I figured I'd put the whole series up. Videos below.


YouTube Uploaded by tomstimemachine on Jul 14, 2008

"Taking over from where the first series left off, the second set of ROCKSCHOOL television programs focuses its attention on new technology and its implications for the musicians of the day.

Synthesisers, samplers, sequencers and drum machines are all covered, as are electronic drum systems, computer hardware and software (remember this is 1987 - so this is for retro-heads only) and synthesisers for guitar and bass. There are also tips on how to make the most of the human voice, and on songwriting and arrangement.

This series was shown on TV in the UK during 1987.

EPISODE ONE

KEYBOARDS
THE ACOUSTIC PIANO WITH THE COMMUNARDS ON "BREADLINE BRITAIN" AND HERBIE HANCOCK.

HISTORY OF THE SYNTHESISER
TOUCH SENSITIVITY, MODULAR SYNTHS, MINI MOOG, CLIP OF JAN HAMMER AND THE MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA IN 1972, CLIP OF RICK WAKEMAN, POLYPHONIC SYNTHS, MELLOTRON, TONY BANKS, SYNTHS WITH MEMORY SUCH AS THE PROPHET FIVE, CLIP OF JAPAN ON THE "OLD GREY WHISTLE TEST", RACK-MOUNTED EFFECTS.

HOW DOES A SYNTH WORK ?
WAVEFORMS, OSCILLATORS, HOW TO CREATE A SOUND, WHAT TO PLAY - CLIP OF THOMAS DOLBY."

Wednesday, June 29, 2016

No Coast Synth Drone Sludge Static ORGY OF NOISE via Bill T Miller on Make Noise Music 0-Coast Synth

Published on Jun 29, 2016 Bill T Miller "* BILL T MILLER of ORGY OF NOISE lost in a Drone Coast Static Sludgy Snap Crackle Pop SubSonic Gravel Morse Coded Robot Sensor Pile of Mutant NOISE. Created on a Make Noise Music 0-Coast Synth with custom BTM eurorack controllers. Vid was shot to iPhone 4s with 8mm Super 8 app. All sounds are 100% pure 0-Coast… live direct, no fx, real time improv exploration experiments delving in deep into another zone of NO COAST SYNTHESIS. * more: http://OrgyOfNoise.com Co-anti-Produced by BTM & Ziggy Cat at Headroom Studios in Boston. * "I Luv my 0-COAST synth... the range of pure rich clean tones to full on chaos glitch noise travels beyond any coasts and into another world. Big THANX to Tony Rolando and all of the Make Noise Music crew." - BTM + WARNING: THIS is NOISE and there will be even more extreme noise (and some pretty-ish synth compositions) in future BTM - Orgy Of Noise recordings made with NO COAST. ------ SO, IF you are NOT into NOISE and want to hear the pure sweet clean bell tones drenched in reverb playing a repeating 1234 happy ditty sequence, just pass this up. THIS is NOT for YOU. If you don't get it, please do me a favor and don't give me an anon dis-like or some mean comment. i dig pretty synth tracks as well, but wanted to dig into a bit of noise with 0-Coast and have some FUN. HA.HA.HA. * THANX to all who SHARE & LIKE & COMMENT, I really do appreciate YOU. - Bill T Miller"

Monday, July 05, 2021

Oberheim Matrix 12 Pads | Sample Kit | Loop Kit | by Tony Sway

Note: links to listings are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.
video upload by Tony Sway

Spotted this one in the listing below. The video thumbnail might look familiar. Tony Sway was recently featured in a Sequential Artist profile with his Prophet-10 previously posted here.

"Purchase @ https://tonyswaymusic.infinity.airbit...

This Kit features a combination of 23 different sounds, that include, Melodic Chord Progressions and Custom Layered Sounds. All sounds were created on the Legendary Vintage Oberheim Matrix 12 Analog Synth! (13k Value) All melodies are in Wav Format, for the Highest Quality, no mp3 recycled sounds!!!

All sounds were played live by Tony Sway, to give the most authentic touch!

All melodies are designed, composed and customized by Tony Sway, using the fully Analog Oberheim Matrix 12 and various different Analog Effects Pedals to add Ambience!!!

All melodies are 100% royalty free except for any Major Placements or anything with over (1Million Streams) in such case, the publishing will be split evenly (50/50) (this includes, placements with Major Labels, Top Selling Artists, Radio,Performances,Commercials and Movies)

Each Melody is labeled with BPM for ease of Use
All Sounds are in 16 Bit/44.1kHz format

Oberheim Matrix 12 Pads | Sample Kit | Loop Kit - by Tony Sway is Compatible with all DAW Software & Drum Machines!"



via this auction

Tuesday, October 09, 2018

Moog One's Effects & Eventide's Founder Richard Factor on meeting Bob Moog

Eventide's Founder Richard Factor on meeting Bob Moog

Published on Oct 9, 2018 Eventide Audio

"We are excited to announce that a suite of premium Eventide reverbs is included in the new Moog One analog poly synth from Moog Music Inc. In this excerpt from Gear Club Podcast, Eventide founder Richard Factor talks about his first encounter with Bob Moog."

And the press release from Eventide:

"Eventide Develops Suite of Reverbs for New Flagship Analog Poly Synth — Moog’s First in 30 Years

October 9, 2018 — Eventide announced today that is has provided a suite of premium reverbs for the highly anticipated Moog One analog poly synth from Moog Music, Inc. Long-rumored to be in development, but cloaked in secrecy until just this week, the new flagship instrument is Moog’s first analog poly synth in over 30 years, and has created considerable excitement in the industry.

In addition to its classic subtractive synthesis architecture of analog oscillators, filters, envelopes, and amplifiers, the new instrument incorporates digital effects, with Eventide’s world-class reverbs being a significant and noteworthy part of the package. The five Eventide effects included with the Moog One are: Room, Hall, and Plate, which provide the three most essential and desirable reverb environments, along with Shimmer and Blackhole, which add unique and evocative reverberant effects that are particularly well suited to creative sound design on the synthesizer. Each effect has multiple parameters that can be used to sculpt its characteristics in detail.

Eventide’s Tony Agnello described his excitement at being part of the instrument’s development: “My partner Richard Factor and I have long been admirers of Bob Moog, the man, and Moog Music, the company. For Bob, it was always about the music and the artist. We’re proud to have Eventide effects included as a standard feature in the new flagship, Moog One. Working with Cyril Lance and the Moog development team was a true pleasure. We’re especially heartened to know that Bob’s spirit lives on in the DNA of Moog Music and that a tiny bit of Eventide DNA has now been spliced in.”

Moog Music’s Chief Engineer Cyril Lance added: “The Moog One was developed to explore new possibilities in the design of a polyphonic analog synthesizer. Eventide’s world-class reverb technology was a perfect fit for the Moog One, and a fitting continuation of a relationship started years ago between Eventide Engineer Tony Agnello and Bob Moog. Eventide’s breathtaking Room, Hall, Plate, Shimmer, and Blackhole effects are standards for professional musicians and modern studios, and their inclusion in the Moog One is a wonderful addition to the instrument’s vast sonic potential.”

The Moog One is expected to begin shipping this month and will be available in 8- and 16-voice versions. It features 3 newly-designed analog VCOs, 2 independent analog filters, a dual-source analog noise generator, analog mixer with external audio input, 4 LFOs, and 3 envelopes. The instrument is tri-timbral and can split, layer, and stack voices. In addition to its many front-panel controls, a center-panel LCD allows easy access to additional parameters."

Friday, February 16, 2007

TD Synth P*rn

Title link takes you to more Tangerine Dream synth p*rn on The Archive Plus.

For the archives I'm referring to:

For synth spotters everywhere and
Play it again Tony!

BTW, the shots from Play it again Tony! come from the DVD "Tangerine Dream: Live at Coventry Cathedral 1975." I added it to the Synth Movies section on the right.

Monday, January 11, 2016

RIP David Bowie


Published on Mar 6, 2014 Halloweenjack84

Good advice for life as well. David Bowie lived it, and gave many of us the freedom to live it right alongside him. He is a hero in the truest sense. One of the most famous, yet kindest human beings on earth. His influence is quite literally beyond measure. It isn't just his music. More than anything it is permission to be whoever the hell you want to be and the permission to tell anyone who judges you to f off, all the while being kind about it. No apologies, no time wasted. Think about that a bit. He will continue to give freedom to countless generations to come, simply by being the person he was. I love his music, I cherish what he gave us, and I love how he did it - he made it cool to be yourself while at the same time being kind, tolerant, and compassionate towards others. He was the best of the best, and I love him for that.

Thank you captain. If there is existence after death, I hope you are enjoying it as much as we enjoyed your existence here with us.

---

On the synth side of things, because this is a synth site after all, I was curious how many posts mention David Bowie. I knew there would be a few. It turns out there wasn't just a few, but a whopping 77 posts total. That from a man not known for synths. Many of the posts are repeat references to Bowie's use of the stylophone and other synths, but there are some true gems there. Spend some time looking back on his influence on the synth world. He touched everyone. The following is just a handful of tributes from the synth community. If you have any to add, please feel free to leave a comment below.



via @dsisequential

"Thank you David Bowie, your music will live on forever."


via @moogmusicinc

"Thank you Starman, for inspiring us to trust our curiosity.

RIP David Bowie [1947-2016]"


via @Moogfest

"So long sweet star man. #davidbowie #stylophone"


via @ctrl_mod

"RIP, Maestro."


via @makenoisemusic, via @FACTMag

"No one else made a mug shot look this good."



via @SE_BoomStar aka Studio Electronics

"Riposa in pace Musicman of Earth. #Bowie"


via @malekkoheavy

"Just for one day https://www.instagram.com/p/BAZ9U7xSIQn/"


via Brian Eno, via @dsisynth, via @brandonstosuy


David Bowie - Warszawa Published on Aug 23, 2014

Synth heavy track "From 'Low' (1977)" via @Synth_City

"Warszawa" for Mellotron and Minimoog

Uploaded on Feb 22, 2010

"Educational.

An excerpt from David Bowie's 'Warszawa'. Played on my Wakeman combo."


And the song that started it all for me, Ashes to Ashes, followed by his final two.

David Bowie - Ashes To Ashes

Published on Mar 6, 2009 emimusic

David Bowie - Blackstar


David Bowie - Lazarus

Published on Jan 7, 2016 DavidBowieVEVO

"He always did what he wanted to do. And he wanted to do it his way and he wanted to do it the best way. His death was no different from his life - a work of Art. He made Blackstar for us, his parting gift. I knew for a year this was the way it would be. I wasn't, however, prepared for it. He was an extraordinary man, full of love and life. He will always be with us. For now, it is appropriate to cry." - Tony Visconti (1/11/2016)

Monday, January 04, 2016

Kawai / Teisco S-100P Vintage Monophonic Synth with Aftertouch SN K-3715

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

via this auction

"Highly sought-after and rare analogue performance synth with great sounding built-in flanger and spring reverb. The real strength of this synth is how expressive you can be due to the assignable aftertouch.

The S100P is often likened to the Arp Pro Soloist made famous by Tony Banks of Genesis fame, in fact the S100P aftertouch system was manufactured under license from ARP. The aftertouch can be routed to several destinations simultaneously, including pitch bend up/down, filter, vibrato amount and "growl" and the sensitivity is adjustable to suit your playing style.

This example is in perfect working order and it has just been professionally serviced by James Walker of Synth Repair Services so you can be confident that everything works perfectly. As part of the service James has fitted a brand new all-important aftertouch sensor as these tend to harden with age. The new one means you wont have to press hard to activate it.

Cosmetically the synth is in very nice condition for its age with just a few light scratches and some peeling of the veneer on the wooden end panels..."

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

The Fairlight Qasar

Note this is the Qasar II.  See candor chasma for a pic and additional details on the Qasar 1.

Top: "The Fairlight CMI was based on the architecture of the Qasar M8 (Multimode 8), created by Tony Furse in 1975. In the early 70's, Tony Furse created his first prototype of hybrid analog/digital synthesizer, the Qasar I."

Bottom: "In 1972-1973, Furse created his second prototype, the Qasar II, with the financial help of both the Federal Government of Australia and Don Banks, composer and director of the Canberra School of Electronic Music."

And via the comments of The First Synth To post: "What about the Quasar, (c.1975) predecessor of the Fairlight or the RMI digital keyoboard? (c.1974) Also one of the first additive/wavetable machines was the PPG 340/380 System, around late 70's I think. Wavetable synthesis become famous and widely available by the PPG Wave series starting with the wavecomputer 360 (c.1979) Also don't forget the Crumar CDS.

Also: First sampling keyboard: the Chamberlain and first speech synthesis modeler: the Voder! Also first 16 voice analogue synth would be the EMU Audity if it had be released.
Nick the space_nerd"


via Deviant Synth

Sunday, November 27, 2016

Elka Panther 300 Combo Organ Features Demonstration - Elka Capri

Note: links to listings are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.
Published on Nov 27, 2016 Bell Tone Synth Works

"Here's a features demonstration of the Elka Panther 300 / Elka Capri combo organ. This is a really great, classic organ with three mixable footages (octaves) per note, many filter (tone) options, polyphonic bass, a great vibrato with multiple options, unusual "Mixture" footages you can add in and tone decay. There are some occasional key squeaks that you may hear at the end of the video, but this is just the sound of the physical keys rubbing against each other and would not show up on a direct-in recording or come through an amplifier. This organ is currently for sale from Bell Tony Synth Works on Reverb."


via this auction

"This Elka Panther 300 / Elka Capri combo organ may not have quite the name recognition of a Farfisa or Vox, but it is known by combo organ fans as one of the classic Italian organs of the 1960s, and is unusually richly featured for a single-manual organ. It has a bold yet rich sound, a powerful vibrato and a wide variety of tone filters. This particular organ bears the name Capri, but it is exactly the same as the Elka Panther 300 organ, inside and out. According to the Combo Organ Heaven website, the Elka Panther/Capri was marketed under the two different names depending on the location.

Features include: multiple vibrato options, 3 footages (octaves) per note with level mixer and selectable tone filters for each footage, "Mixture" option for unique harmonics / ring modulator like sound, fully polyphonic bass section with optional extension for two octaves of bass (grey keys), tone decay (subtle envelope applied to the mixture footages).

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