Note: the video above and details below are in via megagott.
"MYCELIUM is a free, open-source alternative firmware for the M-VAVE FM-1 by Lars Knacken / Mandalars, built on Felucca and SLOOP. The project focuses on Forest, Psytrance, Goa and Hitech grooves, with original drum assets and icons and four factory songs.
Version 1.0 is available as a public GitHub test release, with the installable .fwsc package and corresponding source archive available without registration. The repository includes an original photograph of MYCELIUM running on a real FM-1, upstream credits, licensing and build information.
The supplied 24-second clip shows the actual project FM-1 with its recorded device audio, short intro/outro and no added music. It is a brief demonstration, not a complete validation of all functions. Installation and reboot are documented; a full physical listening and controls test remains outstanding. Back up your work and read the installation and recovery information before flashing.
Independent project, with no official M-VAVE affiliation. The separate MYCELIUM browser instrument uses a different sound engine and should not be presented as a hardware firmware sound demo."
"Hi everybody this time we bring you this weeks Synth Friday the M-Audio Venom The Synth with a Killer Bite!
The M-Audio Venom 49-key synthesizer combines the character of classic analog synths with modern digital processing to deliver an aggressive, infectious new sound. Whet your appetite with the included presets, then sink your teeth into creating original sounds—from atmospheric and subtle, to angry and downright nasty. Easily tweak parameters from the intuitive top-panel interface, or explore endless sound design and configuration possibilities with the included software editor. Perform bass lines, leads, and more with a full-size keyboard designed to satisfy serious players. You can even use Venom as an audio interface with Pro Tools* and other music software—forming a powerful production machine to take your music in dangerous new directions.
You can find additional M-Audio Venom posts here. It's worth noting the man behind the Vemon, Taiho Yamada, is an industry veteran who was also beind the Alesis Andromeda A6. You can find an exclusive MATRIXSYNTH review and interview with Taiho, including tips and tricks from the man himself, posted back in 2011 here.
"One of the most influential tracks from the 90's, where dream music was ruling together with progressive for a time.
Gear used:
Roland MRS2 Promars
Roland JP8000 (used mainly for backtrack. Triggering a soft synth when playing live)
Kurzweil PC1x
Backtrack previously recorded from scracth on Pro Tools, instrument by instrument, (no original sound was used. Considering a natural piano sound is the main frame of the song, covers of this one are commonly misidentified by YouTube as originals whereas the are not).
Original track composed by Roberto Concina (Robert Miles).
Performed here by DX5 Jose Maria Bara"
NOTE: this is the first demo to feature the MiniMOO on MATRIXSYNTH. The only other post to featuring the MiniMOO dates back to this screenshot in 2007. The site linked there, Church of the 16th bit, is still live!
"Quick look at the Electric Cow Sound Chip Synth (aka MiniMOO) for Atari STE/STFM/TT/Falcon - including it's features and sound demos. This programme lets you access and edit parametes of the Yamaha YM soundchip to create sounds and play them back via MIDI. It's fairly decent synth tbh - the oscillator has various detuning, sub osc / 'stacking' options, capable of some nice chorus-y sounds, a noise source, amplitude modulation and LFO for pitch modulation as well as an envelope that can either be used for pitch or amplitude. The latency is useable with MIDI data that does not have too many notes per bar, and you can play it in real time, but if you throw too many notes at it, it gets a bit latent and/or seems to buffer notes and play them back after a delay. Judging by the name, I guess it was meant to be a MiniMoog emulator if sorts - but that's dubious at best despite that it's a really solid bleep bloop machine!
00:00 - intro 00:39 - overview of the parameters basic fucntions 01:53 - using with midi: lag, latency and other quirks 03:34 - the oscillator 05:39 - VCA (mixer) 06:16 - noise generator 07:36 - Amplitude modulation 08:42 - LFO 09:59 - Envelope Generator 13:19 - saving and loading patches 14:52 - portamento 15:10 - setting MIDI chanel 15:30 - what do I like using it for 16:07 - sound demo 1: bass sound (link to the track in description) 17:26 - sound demo 1: all synth sounds made with the soundchip synth (link to the track in description)
ako - ππππππππ πππππππ, πππππ ππ πππ πππ πππ [vaporwave / hardvapor / horrorvapor / dungeon'n'bass]
video upload by ako
"The Freebase fb383 and the Syntecno teebee were demonstrated on Future Music's March 1997 Demo CD.
I was a subscriber at the time.
I always enjoyed the demos, and I have played some of these riffs demonstrating sounds ever since then.
The demos were recorded from the same MIDI information, more or less, so they were pretty close to each other. Slightly out of time, one demo had an extra loop of one sequence which I chopped of.
Of course, this is best listened to with headphones, as I panned each track hard left and right.
I found a copy of the CD cleaning up recently, and wondered "what if I lined up these two demos against each other?"
Through the power of REAPER, and images stolen from Matrixsynth listings..... Here we are!"
Amy Kelly, wife of Kevin Kelley, wrote in to let me know of her husband Kevin Kelley's passing in 2024. You might remember Kevin Kelley mentioned directly in numerous posts here on MATRIXSYNTH going all the way back to 2007. Kevin ran the Audio Playground aka keyboardmuseum.org which was created back in 2000. (Note keyboardmuseum.org is no longer active, the link takes you to posts referencing the site).
The Audio Playground was a synth museum in Winter Park, Florida. One of the great things I loved about the site was that Kevin hosted samples of the synths featured, including virtual sound sheets, so you could get an idea of what they sounded like. Back then that was actually quite rare.
Included below are some pics of Kevin with his daughters and his cats sent in by his wife Amy.
"He was a wonderful and brilliant man as well as a great dad and husband. His three daughters and I miss him tremendously." - Amy
Amy still has his Technos Acxel and is working on bringing it back to life. I've sent her a few leads, but if anyone out there can help with the following, please feel free to reach out (matrixsynth@gmail.com).
"The system successfully powers on and initializes the Grapher console, but it is currently hanging at the initial splash screen ('Forget Technology, think music'). I suspect the data sectors on the original 3.5" boot floppy have degraded over time. I am looking to write a fresh sector-by-sector image to a healthy 720KB DD disk to isolate the issue.
My hope is that someone out there might have a raw disk image (.img or .hfe format) compatible with this era of the hardware."
Yes, MATRIXSYNTH is now old enough to legally have a drink in the US!
Joking aside, MATRIXSYNTH in its current form started on July 20, 2005 with this post. Since then there has been only a single day without a post, which occured back on that dreadful day of August 6, 2005. I can't link to it because there isn't a post to link to. :) Sorry for the bad humor. That said, since then, I haven't missed a single day posting on the site including holidays, vacations, and two bouts of eye surgery due to a retinal tear and detachement in 2025. It was painless, but scary, and now all is good.
For those of you not in the know, MATRIXSYNTH is a one-man operation, run by your host, me, matrix. Every single post has gone up by hand - there is no automation and definitely no AI. Including this post, there have been at least 260,897 posts to date. There have actually been been more but some have been taken down due to either videos or audio dissapearing over the years, which brings me to a point: please don't remove your videos and audio demos off the web. You might think they are no longer relevant or you might even be embarrased by them as you think things have progressed and they no longer meet your standards, but they are relevant. They are part of history and will always be worth a look-back in context. Who you are today isn't defined by what you put up years ago. Trust me, I am often embarrased when I look back at some of my older posts. I'll likely be embarrased by this one. That said, please keep your old content up! It's a bit of synth history, and it's a look back at what you felt worth sharing back when you posted it. It doesn't define you today. It's like throwing away old family photographs because you are now older. That and there is always something interesting to find in older videos. A timbre from a given synth, an experience relevant in time.
That brings me to something I wanted to clarify for those that may be wondering: in general I prefer to keep myself out of posts for fear of influencing or even ruining the experience for others. I feel it is my job to present content w/o bias, and I prefer to post things as they are presented by the person or entity that created the content to begin with. Not influencing how others might or might not experience what goes up is a conscious decision. I realized over time it's akin to talking through music.
What I love about running MATRIXSYNTH is getting to share what's new to me on a daily basis. I have a policy of only posting specific content once. That means out of 260,897+ posts to date, nearly every single one is unique. It's also great to realize that there have been multiple things to actually feature every single day of the year, shared on the day itself, over the past 21 years!!! That's saying something, not about me or the site, but about the community.
The original MATRIXSYNTH actually started back in 1997. Click to see the monstrocity. That site will be 29 this year! The site was my personal portal into the world of synths. On the left were a list of sites I visited back then that would open in the right window frame when clicked on. Unfortunately that functionality is no longer supported in modern browsers; however you can right-click any link and open it in a new window. It's worth a look back at what synth sites were around back in 1997 - 2005 or so. Remember, YouTube didn't come out until December of 2005. MATRIXSYNTH in its current format, the blog, came out before YouTube. Think about that for a bit. This site has tracked the personal world of synthesis since before YouTube came out! Also, you might notice the old site came out well before The Matrix movies. The alias matrix, and hence MATRIXSYNTH, comes from my first synthesizer, the Oberheim MATRIX-6, which I purchased new in 1986 and still own to this day.
OK, this post is long enough. I want to end it by thanking the supporters of the site, the banner sponsors of the site, and most importantly, you, my readers. This might surprise some people, but I sometimes feel irrelevant, like why am I even doing this? I then remind myself I do it for the sake of doing it. I want to capture a bit of what's out there on a daily basis. I want the site to be a log (a weblog - blog) of synth history. I started back in 2005, and ever since that day I've had something to post, except for that solemn day on August 6, 2005. (P.S. I went on vacation that day and didn't think there would be internet access, let alone that I would be posting every single day after that - imagine not being able to say "I never missed a single day!" for the rest of your life because of one single day! "If it wasn't for that day!..") I think I will be doing this until the day I'm no longer here, and although I know I would be doing this regardless of whether I had an audience or not, knowing I do have an audience makes a world of difference. And thank you to all of you out there sharing your synth content. You are creating SYNTH HISTORY!!!
P.S. I want to give a special shout out to Amanda of CATSYNTH who not only is a supporting member of the site, but was kind enough to remember my anniversary and reach out to me today. Thank you!
You can find posts on MATRIXSYNTH featuring Jack Hotop here for a look back on his influence in the synthesizer community. The first post was a simple pic back in 2006.
Press release from Korg follows:
Over a 40-Year Career, the Influential Synthesist and Accomplished Touring Keyboardist Shaped the Sonic Architecture of More Than 100 Landmark Instruments, Including the Historic M1 Workstation
MELVILLE, N.Y. - Korg USA announces with deep sadness the passing of longtime employee, celebrated sound designer, and musical instrument industry icon Jack Hotop. Joining Korg USA (then Unicord) in 1983, Hotop started as Senior Voicing Manager and spent over four decades driving the development, sound design, programming, voicing, and product demonstrations for more than 100 Korg products. As a pioneering engineer and exceptionally skilled performer, his extensive contributions helped guide the evolution of synthesizers and digital workstations from the early 1980s through the modern era, leaving an indelible imprint on instruments used by musicians around the world and for generations to come.
Hotop’s foundational expertise was anchored in a rigorous musical and technical background. Raised in a musical family, he began piano lessons at age seven, inspired by his father, a musician featured on several Broadway cast recordings, and numerous pianists on his mother’s side. By age 14, he was actively performing in local bands on a Gibson 101 organ. He pursued formal training at the Berklee College of Music, majoring in arranging, composition, and accompaniment, before expanding into emerging music technology at the Boston School of Electronic Music under Roger Powell. It was there that Hotop established his core synthesis fundamentals using early hardware including the ARP Odyssey, 2600, 2500, and EMS Synthi, building a deep understanding of waveforms, envelopes, low-frequency oscillators, and modulators.
I am Thierry Gerardeaux from 16 Music Lab, and I want to announce that my custom MIDI interfaces for the Yamaha CS series (covering everything from the CS-15 up to the legendary CS-80) are currently available.
To maintain the highest standard of quality and ensure these kits end up in the right hands (rather than with speculators), I operate strictly on a small-batch, built-to-order basis. I limit production to a maximum of 5 units per CS model at any given time. This is true boutique hardware designed for purists and demanding technicians.
The CS-80 Flagship Interface & MIDI OUT Capabilities
While I proudly cater to the entire CS line, I want to specifically highlight the interface designed for the Yamaha CS-80. Given the immense complexity and uncompromising architecture of this legendary synthesizer, retrofitting it requires absolute precision.
Crucially, this specific MIDI kit goes beyond basic connectivity by featuring a comprehensive and highly responsive MIDI OUT. It flawlessly transmits all 8 voices of polyphony, including velocity and the CS-80's signature polyphonic aftertouch, alongside real-time data from the iconic ribbon controller. This allows you to harness the CS-80's legendary expressive keyboard to control your modern DAW or other hardware seamlessly.
How it works:
Technical Validation: Before any transaction, I require a few macro photos of your synthesizer’s internals (connectors, board revisions). I personally evaluate these remotely to guarantee 100% compatibility with your specific machine.
Shipping / DIY Install: If you or your trusted local tech are handling the installation, a dedicated and highly trusted partner of mine takes care of the ultra-secure packing and worldwide shipping.
Custom Installation: For those who want absolute peace of mind, I also offer a complete, personalized installation service myself (for an additional fee).
These kits are built with uncompromising attention to detail to respect the original circuitry of these vintage masterpieces.
If you are looking to bring your Yamaha CS into the modern studio environment with a reliable, high-end MIDI retrofit, please feel free to reach out to me directly at: 16musiclab@gmail.com or visit www.16musiclab.fr
AI‑powered neural sampling evolves into a more integrated, performance‑ready hardware concept, debuting at Superbooth Berlin
Berlin, Germany, May 7, 2026 — Roland Future Design Lab (Superbooth B023 & B026), the forward‑looking research division of Roland Corporation, and Tokyo-based AI music technology company Neutone today announced Project LYDIA Phase 2, a refined evolution of their experimental AI‑powered neural sampling pedal concept. Shaped by months of direct feedback from musicians, developers, and live performers, Phase 2 moves the project closer to a fully self‑contained, performance‑ready hardware platform.
Project LYDIA Phase 2 builds on the technology preview first unveiled in November 2025 and will make its public debut at Superbooth Berlin (May 7–9), offering attendees hands‑on access to the latest iteration.
Phase 2: Integrated, Performance‑Ready, and More Expressive
Responding directly to feedback gathered through live demos, industry showcases, and global surveys, Project LYDIA Phase 2 introduces several key hardware enhancements:
Refined hardware design with enhanced flexibility, supporting easier Raspberry Pi 5 installation and standalone USB MIDI controller operation Fully integrated audio I/O, eliminating the need for an external USB audio interface Onboard LCD display for clearer navigation and real‑time parameter feedback User Preset memories for saving control settings and more MIDI connectivity for deeper control, automation, and integration with existing studio and live rigs
A Feedback‑Led Approach to AI Hardware Design
Roland Future Design Lab partnered with Neutone to introduce Project LYDIA as an open, public‑facing experiment: exploring how neural sampling could be embodied in a tactile, musician‑centered hardware format. The initial prototype quickly generated strong interest from many corners, prompting extensive dialogue about workflow, control, and musical expressiveness.
“From the very first demos with professional audio developers through the overwhelming response from musicians worldwide, it was clear that Project LYDIA was resonating,” said Paul McCabe, LA‑based leader of Roland Future Design Lab. “That dialogue directly shaped Phase 2. This version reflects what creators told us they want from AI hardware in real musical contexts, while also bringing forward new ideas from our team.”
Rather than positioning AI as a replacement for musicianship, Project LYDIA emphasizes augmentation and control, allowing performers to interact with neural models in immediate, physical, and musically expressive ways. The familiar pedal format places AI processing into a workflow many musicians already trust, bringing transparency and tactility to technology often associated with screens and abstraction.
This feedback‑driven development aligns with Roland’s broader commitment to responsible AI innovation, as outlined by AI For Music, the initiative co‑founded by Roland and Universal Music Group to establish ethical principles for AI use in music creation.
Debuting at Superbooth and Beyond
Project LYDIA Phase 2 will debut publicly at Superbooth Berlin, followed by appearances at Audio Developers Conference Tokyo in early June and select additional events throughout 2026. RFDL and Neutone will continue gathering insights from creators both in person and online to inform future iterations of the project.
Music creators interested in learning more or contributing feedback can participate in a new survey here.
"In this video, we explore a fascinating piece of Italian musical heritage: a rare hardware clone of the Alpha Syntauri, likely part of the Jen Musipack project.
This specific setup features the (probably) cloned Mountain Computer cards. It’s a rare look at how this technology was adapted and distributed in Italy during the early 80s.
The Hardware Challenge:
I actually own the original Musipack keyboard, but due to its age, several keys are currently non-functional. To make this demonstration possible and play the system properly, I’ve paired the Italian hardware with an original Alpha Syntauri keyboard unit. It’s a perfect example of 80s cross-compatibility!
Same issue with the original Musipack Software which is no working correctly with the keyboard.
The Creative Process:
Sound Engine: Original Alphaplus software (Additive Synthesis).
Hardware: Music System digital oscillator cards (Jen Musipack clone of the original Mountain Computer).
Control: Original Alpha Syntauri Keyboard.
Recording & Sequencing: All sounds were captured and sequenced using the 1010music Blackbox (Bento).
The result is a unique blend of 8-bit grit and modern sequencing. The Alphaplus software allows for deep manipulation of harmonics, creating textures that range from cold, clinical digital tones to surprisingly lush, haunting pads."
Alphaplus made its first and only prior appearance on the site back in 2011 in a post fearturing Audio Damage's Phosphor.
According to Google AI: "AlphaPlus was a pioneering software package for the Apple II-based alphaSyntauri synthesizer system, enabling additive synthesis in the early 1980s. It allowed for polyphonic sound creation by stacking sine waves (harmonics), featuring 10 instruments, and providing deep manipulation of partials to produce distinct,, digital, or, lush, textures, as discussed on MATRIXSYNTH."
"The London Synth & Pedal Expo Returns to Hackney Wick
A Celebratory Gear Showcase for the Community of Music Makers and Sound Explorers
LONDON, UK — Delicious Audio Events, in collaboration with KMR Audio and guitarguitar, proudly unveil the London Synth & Pedal Expo 2026, a weekend-long gathering dedicated to synthesizers, stompboxes, modular systems, and all electric and electronic creative sonic devices.
Taking place March 21–22, 2026, at Number 90, 90–94 Wallis Rd, London E9 5LN, this event invites musicians, producers, and gear aficionados to touch, try, and talk about the latest innovations in sound technology.
What Is the London Synth & Pedal Expo?
More than a typical trade show, the Expo is a gear party where the London community of musicians and tone chasers can explore an expansive, strictly-in-the-headphones playground of synths and pedals. Hosted in a 5,000 sq ft canal-side venue in Hackney marshes, the event blends hands-on demo rooms with a heated terrace featuring workshops, talks, and performances.
Dates + Hours
Saturday, March 21: 12:00–18:00
Sunday, March 22: 10:30–17:00
Tickets
Affordable ticketing tiers starting at £5 + fees, with free entry for attendees under 18.
Why Attend?
Try a massive selection of synths and pedals, all playable with headphones.
Save big with 10–30% off most gear on display.
Dive into DIY soldering workshops and creative talks on the terrace.
Discover new sounds and technologies directly from builders and brands.
Take home gear through giveaways, discounts, and promotions.
Confirmed Participants
The Expo brings together an exciting lineup of exhibitors spanning partner stores like guitarguitar and KMR Audio, top synth and pedal brands including Arturia, Elektron, Erica Synths, BOSS, Chase Bliss Audio, Walrus Audio, Eventide, Source Audio, and many more.
Community + Culture
Hosted by organisers rooted in the global Synth & Pedal Expo family—with events from Brooklyn to Montreal—the London edition continues a tradition of fostering hands-on interaction and creative collaboration within the musical instrument community.
Media + Partnerships
Supported by media outlets such as Syntopia, MATRIXSYNTH, and SonicState, the Expo is poised to be a highlight of the 2026 gear calendar.
Contact
For press inquiries, interviews, or exhibitor information:
Paolo De Gregorio — paolo.dg@thedelimag.com"
"I was skeptical when @melbourneinstruments sent me Roto-Control for Logic Pro. I've owned plenty of MIDI controllers that ended up collecting dust. But after using this for the past month, I actually reach for it.
What makes it different? Eight fully motorized control knobs with haptic feedback that adapt to whatever you're focused on in Logic Pro. You don't just see parameters change on screen - you FEEL them. End stops on a filter cutoff, notches on discrete values, center indents for faders, pans, and more.
In this review, I walk through the Logic Pro integration, the haptic feedback system, and what it's actually like to use day-to-day. I also cover the real limitations - manual plugin mapping and limited storage - that you need to know before buying."
Press release follows:
Melbourne Instruments announces advanced Logic Pro integration for ROTO-CONTROL motorised software and hardware MIDI controller
MELBOURNE, VIC, AUSTRALIA: Melbourne Instruments is proud to announce availability of advanced Logic Pro integration for its ROTO-CONTROL motorised software and hardware MIDI controller — creatively expanding upon its successful integration with Ableton Live and Bitwig Studio, demand for integration with Apple’s popular professional DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) for Mac having been strong since said controller launched to widespread critical acclaim a year ago — as of January 15, 2026…
ROTO-CONTROL readily packs eight touch-sensitive motorised knobs — brushless drone motors with Melbourne Instruments’ patented ultra-high-resolution contactless optical sensors offering a lifetime rating in excess of 50 million cycles that equates to 500 times more than conventional pots, precisely — alongside nine high-resolution IPS (In-Plane Switching) LCDs (Liquid Crystal Displays) and 16 backlit RGB (Red, Green, Blue) LED (Light-Emitting Diode) buttons into its classy, compact — 341mm/13.4” (W) x 112mm/4.4” (D) x 44mm/1.7” (H) — form factor to duly deliver haptic feedback and instant parameter recall, communicating with the outside world via MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) over USB (Universal Serial Bus) and 5-pin MIDI DIN (Deutsches Institut fΓΌr Normung) IN/OUT/THRU connections. Constructed out of ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) and metal, it robustly weighs in at only 715g/1.58lb, making it the perfect portable production partner for encouraging artists to use sound and music in new and exciting ways — wherever their journey might end up taking them, both creatively and geographically. Get this, though: ROTO-CONTROL now introduces a fully-tactile, motorised workflow to Logic Pro, delivering fast, hands-on control of tracks, plug-ins, Smart Controls, and automation — all thanks to a new firmware update.
MIX mode mirrors Logic Pro’s session track names, colours, and order automatically, while providing high-resolution control of volume, pan, sends, and automation alongside instant access to track selection, paging, mute/solo/arm switching, and dedicated TRACK FOCUS.
Fast, powerful plug-in control comes courtesy of PLUGIN mode, allowing users to browse and select Logic Pro instrument and effect plug-ins instantly from ROTO-CONTROL using simple touch-and-learn mapping for any parameter, with up to eight pages of controls per plug-in stored directly on the device ready for any projects, plus bypass/select controls — all mappings being saved on ROTO-CONTROL and usable across all Logic Pro projects on any computer.
Cutting-edge control continues with Logic Pro’s Smart Controls being automatically mapped to ROTO-CONTROL, controlling up to 16 Smart Control parameters instantly — perfect for working with instruments, macros, and MIDI effects, available in both PLUGIN mode and the dedicated SMART mode itself.
And as if all that was not enough to be getting on with, ROTO-CONTROL can be used to customise labels, colours, haptics, and steps for each control, while integrated transport — play, stop, record, cycle, auto-punch, and playhead — controls are all accessible from any mode.
It is fair to say, then, that Logic Pro users owe it to themselves — and, ultimately, their sound and music — to consider making some space in their creative and physical world for ROTO-CONTROL. After all, motorised and morphing controls, instant recall, and intuitive hardware are only the beginning of their journeying.
ROTO-CONTROL is available to buy at its new North American price of $399.00 USD (excluding tax) in the USA and Canada, while its RRP (Recommended Retail Price) in Australia of $619.00 AU (including GST) and MSRP (Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price) in the EU of €372.35 EUR (excluding VAT), MSRP in Japan/Asia of $469.00 USD, and MSRP in the UK of £389.00 GBP remains unchanged — all via Melbourne Instruments’ growing global network of dealers here: https://www.melbourneinstruments.com/dealers [check with dealers on the right here on MATRIXSYNTH]
"Connor Birch on Korg MS1 MicroSampler, Roland Juno-60, Fender Rodes, Moog Moogerfooger, & pedals."
Playlist:
1. Packaging - With My Girl at Easy Street Records Seattle 12/14/25
2. Packaging - Running Through the Airport at Easy Street Records Seattle 12/14/25 w/ Jessica Dobson of Deep Sea Diver
3. Packaging - In Your Pocket at Easy Street Records Seattle 12/14/25 w/ Jessica Dobson of Deep Sea Diver
"Up for sale is an original 1974 EMS Synthi 100 Synthesizer. I am the second owner of this amazing instrument. It is in incredible condition for an item of its age and size. Very few of these were produced in the early 1970s and most of them were sold to institutions, private studios and musicians - these almost never turn up for sale on the open market.
This particular Synthi 100 was one of the last produced by EMS (London) and has all of the standard factory updates including newer scope, sequencer memory display and patchable multimeter. below is a list of what is included with the auction:
This one was spotted and sent in via Ivan Trajkovic aka deejayiwan. Note the video is from 11 years ago so not AI. Could be a render for a soft synth or other though. Could be DIY, but note the touch panel or screen. According to the YouTube comments "Picture is only for cover. Not sure which synth it is. Will try to find out." There was no follow-up that I could find after that aside from mention the album itself mainly features Arturia. You can find a list of hardware synths and some harware synth spotting in this previous post featuring Dreamland. If you know what that blue synth above is, feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of this post, or send email to matrixsynth at gmail.com and I'll update the post with anything definitive. BTW, you can find additonal Mystery Synths via the Mystery Synths label here. There have only been 23 including this one, to date, since 2005. Update: answer in the comments of this post below. That was quick.
You might recall muSonics Lyle featured in previous video posts here on MATRIXSYNTH.
The following are some addtional details and pics of the system in via muSonics.
Lyle is a four voice Vanilla Synthesizer with a polyphonic envelope generator system, four voice mixer, MIDI allocation, and utility modules. It is the first polyphonic modular synthesizer with master control of time and timbre since the Oberheim Four Voice, whose circuits it is based on.
Anyone can throw four voices in a box and call it a polyphonic synthesiser, so what makes Lyle so special?
The Polyphonic Envelopes network has its own set of 8 envelope generators, bringing the system total to 16. Its EGs are normaled to the filters, oscillators, and output amplifiers of the system. The Vanilla Envelopes are still available and can be patched to interrupt the Polyphonic Envelopes.
The Polyphonic Envelopes control module is the only one of 7 in the network which is on the front panel. It gives you attack, decay, and sustain control for the VCF and VCA EGs, amount controls to route the VCF EG to the VCF and VCO modulation inputs, and an offset control for the VCF EG to the VCF modulation input (think global filter cutoff.)
There have been a few stabs at aggregate polyphony since Tom Oberheim built Lyle Mays and Pete Namlook their favourite synthesizer, but no one has done this.
Another nice feature of this instrument is the Vanilla Stereo Mixer, which not only gives you level and pan for each voice but also an additioinal gain stage to overdrive if you wish, bringing the total number of manageable gain stages (and potential distortions) to four per voice.
The instrument can be operated without any patch cables on the front panel. MIDI control and audio output happens on the back of the instrument. Patch points are for timbre authoring beyond the default patch, similar to an ARP 2600.
"DIY Synthi - piano stand test! #synthesizer #electronicmusic #synth #synthi #diysynthi #matrixsynth"
And a playlist in chronological order:
"Currently running the following:
Oscillators 1-4 - started out with the XR2206, schematic, pretty much from the data sheet.
This part is the crazy chaos part. The XR2206 can be amplitude modulated as well as frequency modulated (here with a button) Oscillators 5-6 - Digital (this part will be CV volt-octave controlled)
https://www.alldatasheet.com/datashee...
1. DIY SYNTHI first test all components
2. DIY Synthi longer demonstration….
3. DIY Synthi, stick demonstration
4. DIY Synthi - CV to Matrix test
5. Γlands Norra Udde - the Northern Head of Γland (DIY Synthi jam)
6. Alla vΓ€rldar som finns - (All Worlds That Exist) voice/lyrics Johan Holmlund
7. Synthi - Piano short improv
