MiMa's cover of Tim Follin - Chronos

video upload by mima85

"This is my own arrangement of the theme music of Chronos, a video game made for the venerable ZX Spectrum in the early 80ies. This piece is one of the early tunes from the great Tim Follin, and the term "great" is well deserved here because the ZX Spectrum's speaker by itself was capable to do just boring, monophonic buzzes. Tim, with some very clever programming, managed by software mixing to squeeze five, I mean FIVE channels of polyphony from that thing. So yes, 'great' is very appropriate for Tim.

Nonetheless, the original song is still a mosquitoes orchestra, five channels of polyphony but always of buzzing sounds, which many people can rightly find irritating to listen to. But this means that there's ample room of sound and stylistic choices when doing a re-arrangement. And for me, which I usually stick with the original arrangement and style when doing covers because I don't feel creative enough to come with something of my own, this was a cool exercise of creativity. Who knows, perhaps this means that some time in the future I'll be finally able to make some original music by myself :-)

As usual this video is not exactely a live performance, because the audio comes from the fully finished song. For the video I play the various parts like if I would've beein playing them live, paying attention to all the details (sound changes, execution, etc...) for the most realistic effect.

By the way, if you find yourself puzzled watching the pads I play on the OB-8 in the upper right corner, because chords with higher notes are being played in a lower octave, it's because I have a split patch with a version of the pad with slow attack on the keyboard's left side, and another version with fast attack on the right side. And the left side's patch is transposed up an octave so it matches the other one. This made playing those parts easier. That's one of the details I was talking about before.

As I am, like Tim, a big fan of progressive rock, I chose to do my cover in that style. I hope you're gonna enjoy it. As always, feel free to comment :-)"

242T Programmable Pulser | Buchla 200 Series EP.12 | By Tiptop Audio

video upload by Cinematic Laboratory

"I've been wondering how to approach this episode. If this were a module review, the 242 would not be able to stand up against modern 21st century sequencers. It's basically a 12 step sequencer with three rows of pulses so you can't even do a four on the floor. We need to remember we didn't have those in the late 60's, so let's not worry about that too much.

The classic pin-controlled 242 was custom made for CBS and it didn't carry the Buchla name. CBS (California Broadcast Systems) was licensed to build and distribute the 100 series and it eventually stopped because CBS didn't see a future for electronic instruments. I guess you need to have a long term vision, and CBS clearly had a different one. Regardless, the 242 is extremely rare. Fortunately, the 242T is not. Tiptop abandoned the pins and fancy illuminated buttons in favour of small buttons and a LED matrix. The 242t is a Tiptop first, and a CBS/Buchla later.

The 242 is a retro-futuristic trigger sequencer with some weird outputs. The ABC pulses are extremely short, but the alternating outputs are longer. Then, there's this SAW CV output which is tied to the master clock. There are start/stop and reset inputs and a CV controlled Period which is not unlike a frequency when pushed to audio rate. I tried to ping the 296 Spectral Processor with the ABC outputs, but these are barely audible. If you want to ping a rhythm on the 296, you'll need to use 281 envelopes and patch from there. Using them to ping a 292 vactrol is just wonderful.

Stazma and Todd Barton made excellent video manuals, so I am not going to explain the module in this video. Since nearly every Buchla module is either quad or dual, I used two 242 modules. I had to. Imagine it's the early 70's and it's the Dawn of Synthesis. We have no idea what the future will bring."

Bad Gear - The Game Changer

video upload by AudioPilz

"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world’s most-hated audio tools. Back in the day when synth nerds had to walk 10 miles in the snow uphill both ways to get wasted and find a place for music production the term game changer had a completely different meaning.

Today we are going to talk about the very first E-mu Proteus. This 80s synth and dumbed-down offspring of the Emulator sampler range not only made their iconic tones more accessible, its presets also burned themselves into the global pop cultural consciousness.

Bad Gear - The Game Changer
The Gamechanger
Emu Proteus
E-mu Proteus 1
E-mu Proteus/1
meme video

Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
00:52 Overview Emu Proteus 1
01:22 Famous Sounds and Samples
02:14 How does Proteus Work?
02:38 Envelopes and LFOs
02:52 Pseudo-Chorus
03:06 Why Proteus was a Game Changer back in the day
03:32 Modulation Section, Midi Implementation, Studio Integration
04:00 What else??? (Pricing, Proteus Generations,...)
04:45 Hate Screen
05:12 Jam 1 ( Retro Console Game Music )
06:08 Jam 2 ( 90s Jungle , Drum'n'Bass , Whatever... )
07:04 Finale ( Synthwave , 90s TV Show Soundtrack )
07:34 Verdict"

Moogseum Window Install Timelapse After Hurricane Helene

video upload by moogfoundation

"Seven weeks after Hurricane Helene ripped our awning frame and cloth awning off our our building, causing both to crash into our window which broke into several places, we were finally able to get the window replaced. During the interim, the Moogseum has been boarded up, and hasn't looked very inviting. We are thrilled to have made the first step to bringing the Moogseum's exterior back to its original condition, as seen in this time lapse. The awning will be replaced in the next month or two.

Please consider supporting the Moogseum as we continue to navigate the long-term effects of Helene, which have resulted in more than $35,000 in lost income to date, with more expected by the end of the year.

Donate: https://bit.ly/ContributeBMF

Become of member of the Bob Moog Foundation: https://moogfoundation.org/membership/

Purchase something from our newly redesigned online store: https://bit.ly/shopbmf

Many thanks to all of you who have supported us during this time. Your support is helping us remain resilient so that we can continue our important work!

Music: Audio-Visions by Lisa Bella Donna, used with permission"

Mastering Feedback: The Art of Sonic Chaos | Audrey II Synthesizer

video upload by Synthux Academy

"Feedback. Some avoid it at all costs. Others find the most haunting, electrifying sounds hidden within the noise. In this video, we explore how controlled feedback can be transformed from an unwanted screech into a powerful musical tool. Using the Audrey II synthesizer, we’ll show you how to capture, shape, and unleash feedback to create everything from eerie soundscapes to rich, sustained tones. Perfect for musicians and sound designers looking to push the boundaries of their craft—discover how feedback can add a whole new dimension to your music."

via Synthux Academy

"Audrey II is a horrorscape synthesizer designed for fearless exploration of feedback. Unpredictable yet compelling, it transforms chaotic sound into immersive soundscapes. From deep, haunting drones to screeching, otherworldly tones, Audrey II is a sonic beast like no other.

FEEDBACK SYNTHESIS?

What is feedback, really? It’s that magical moment when sound loops on itself, evolving into something wild. With Audrey II, we’re taking feedback to the next level using Karplus-Strong synthesis—a fancy term for turning short bursts of noise into rich, self-sustaining tones. Think digital strings, but way cooler.

DIGITAL WITCHCRAFT

Some say analog is the only way to get that sound… We were surprised too when we heard the first burst of noise coming through our headphones. That warmth, the grit, the unpredictability—it was all there. But here’s the twist: Audrey II is 100% digital, running on the almighty Daisy Seed platform.

Built from the ground up to emulate analog chaos, digital bits power every nuance of Audrey II’s feedback, distortion, and reverb-drenched echoes. It’s pure digital magic that doesn’t just imitate analog—it embraces and amplifies it. What you hear isn’t just a close approximation; it’s a whole new breed of sound that pushes digital synthesis into uncharted territory.

PRISTINE SOUND

Powered by the Daisy Seed microcontroller, Audrey II delivers 96kHz / 24-bit audio with the speed of an ARM Cortex-M7 at 480MHz. Equipped with 64MB of SDRAM, it handles complex feedback, drones, and effects seamlessly, pushing digital synthesis into rich, analog-like territory.

CLICK FOR MORE »

Bagài and 411: Two new Frap Tools modules!

video upload by Frap Tools

"We'll showcase two new modules this week at Superbooth 2024. Bagài is an analog S&H/bitcrusher/downsampler/random voltage and clock. 411 is a quadruple linear VCA, mixer, and multiple for audio and CV. They are ready and we'll ship them to our resellers next week as we'll be back!" 00:00 Introduction
00:23 Bagài
00:35 Sample and hold
00:56 8-bit quantizer
01:16 Random clocks
01:32 Clock bursts
01:51 Fluctuating random voltages
02:11 30 kHz audio downsampler
02:42 Audio bitcrusher
02:56 411 Quadruple VCA
03:13 Fake sequential switch
03:22 Modulating and mixing multiple signals
03:46 Unpatched output
04:23 -6 dB switches
04:36 Outro

BAGÀI
Multipurpose Thingamabob

bagài / baˈgaːi / s.m. [modenese dialect, from a late Latin bagagium ‘baggage’, formed after the late Latin baga, deriving presumably from the Anglo-Saxon bag (see ancient French bague, Provençal bàgua, ‘bundle’), whose root may be traced down to the Indo-European *pac, ‘to tie,’ from which also ‘package,’ ‘pact’] – ‘thing,’ ‘thingamabob.’ A term used when the actual name of a thing or a person does not come to mind.

A module that is at the same time a clock burst, S&H, audio bitcrush, or fluctuating random voltage generator is indeed a bit elusive to describe in a single word. Even if one tries, some aspects will always be missing.

Why bother, then? Let us just call it “that thingamabob,” or better, “that bagài.”

The 411 is a quadruple linear VCA, mixer, and multiple for audio and CV.

It consists of four linear VCAs with semi-normalled inputs and CV inputs, −6 dB attenuation switches, a mixed output, and an unpatched output.

The 411’s architecture allows to use it in many ways, for example:
processing four signals independently;
modulating one signal with four CVS and sending it to four different destinations;
mixing up to four signals and modulating them with the same CV;
mixing two audio signals and modulating them with a modulated CV…

Bad Gear - He might be BIASED

video upload by AudioPilz

"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world’s most-hated audio tools. There are these unfounded rumors that this show is not actually about Bad Gear, that I just pick random stuff I want to make music with and let clueless online trolls do their magic.

This is - of course - a steaming pile of horse dung and I just recently failed to find enough hate on, for example, the Access Virus B, Novation Drumstation and Dreadbox Typhon.

However, today we are going to talk about Digitakt II and as this particular unit was sent over by Elektron as a long term loan even they must be aware of the fact that late 80s polyphony, partial physics workflow and a lack of essential hipster features make for some juicy online controversy.

Bad Gear - I might be BIASED

This Digitakt II was sent over by Elektron as a long term loan.

Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
01:02 Overview Digitakt 2
01:36 More New Stuff (Slicing, Time Stretch,...)
02:09 Kits, Stereo Sampling, Polyphony
02:32 New Filter Models
02:45 Sequencing, Euclidean Sequencer
03:11 Buttons, New Trigger Modes
03:37 Sequence Handling, More Sequencer Stuff
04:07 Prepare Mutes
04:13 FX Page, Bus Compressor, Saturation
04:43 LFO 3, Control All, Glissando,
05:18 Midi Sequencing, Midi Learn, Name CCs
05:27 Overbridge (or lack thereof)
05:34 Pricing
05:45 Hate
06:09 Jam 1 ( Nordic Techno )
07:04 Jam 2 ( Breaks & Stuff )
08:10 Finale ( Best of Bad Gear Sound Library )
08:40 Verdict"

PATCH EXPERIMENT / exploring processing external sounds with DELAY 1

video upload by Joranalogue Audio Design

"Usually 'Karplus Strong' is used as a term for a certain type of synthesis, using ultra short delays to create string like resonators. I've found that when you just run a sound through a processor like that, it adds a wonderful gliss of resonating frequencies. I honestly don't know if this is just the same thing as phasing/flanging but it sounds interesting to me. DELAY 1 is a great tool for this as its short delay times lend itself really well to this type of Karplus Strong processing.

Check out the video if you want to watch a longwinded experiment on this subject.

I hope you find it inspiring.

Simon @briesmodular"

Ludvig Elblaus & Stelios Giannoulakis - EMS Synthi100 at CMRC/ΚΣΥΜΕ

video upload by Schema Musicalis

"Ludvig Elblaus and Stelios Giannoulakis playing the legendary EMS Synthi100 at CMRC/ΚΣΥΜΕ, Athens Conservatoire, 20 December 2023. Improvised performance during Ludvig's residency at ΚΣΥΜΕ. Stelios is using a circuit-bent toy piano as an additional audio and control source for the Synthi100.

https://www.ludvigelblaus.com
https://www.utrumque.com
https://memoromemoro.bandcamp.com

Both an artist and researcher, Ludvig works primarily with computational materials to create acoustic and electronic music, sound art, audiovisual installations, museum exhibits and also makes contributions to larger collaborative works in several traditions (e.g. opera, theatre, and dance). Elblaus holds his PhD in Sound and Music Computing 2018 from the NAVET Center for Art, Technology, and Design, at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology. His latest projects include commissions for the GRM Acousmonium, the Labor Sonor Festival, the Elevate Festival, and performances in Stockholm, Cairo, Vienna, Paris, Zurich and Graz. In 2022 he was composer in residence at the Institute for Electronic Music and Acoustics in Graz. In 2023 he is working in the Moving Loudspeakers Artistic Residency at the Institute for Computer Music and Sound Technology at ZHdK. He also teaches at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm.

In addition to his solo work, he has been involved in several long-term collaborative projects. Some notable examples are the electro-acoustic improvisation ensemble The Schematics (with Erik Calälv, Katt Hernandez, and Daniel M. Karlsson), the networked music project End of Text (ETX) (with Luc Döbereiner), a musical composition collaboration with Rune Rebne, and the musical and artistic research duo Utrumque (with Gerhard Eckel)."

Bad Gear - Play Plus

video upload by AudioPilz

"Become a Patron and get access to music clips from the show, additional content, Bad Gear samples and even more AudioPilz madness

https://www.patreon.com/audiopilz

Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world's most hated audio tools. Today we are going to talk about the Polyend Play Plus. Is this updated version of the original Play groovebox and distant cousin to the Polyend Tracker worth the price of the hardware upgrade (which is $399). Is GearTube toxic AF??? Should you just keep the OG Play and add a few synths instead? Are early adopters of Play disappointed for a reason?

Thanks to Polyend for sending me a demo unit as a long term loan.

Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
00:47 Overview Play Plus
01:35 Chronology of the Controversy
02:53 Back to the Groovebox
03:01 Play Workflow, Pick and Place
03:20 Filter
03:30 Envelopes, FX
03:39 More Parameters
03:48 Sequencer, Microtiming, Ratches, Chance, Random
04:24 Pattern Length, Polymeters, Play Modes
04:43 Midi Tracks, Chords
05:01 Internal Synthesizers, Polyphony
05:23 Limitations of the Synths
05:41 UI, Knobs, Double Tap, Main Encoder
05:52 Master FX
06:00 Real Time Recording
06:15 Performance Mode
06:26 Pattern, Variation, Mute/Solo
06:33 What else???
06:50 Hate
07:11 Jam 1 (House Solo)
08:06 Jam 2 (DnB Setup)
09:05 Finale (Synth Showcase)
09:37 Verdict"

VIVALDI - Summer Part 2 on SIX Arp ODYSSEYS

video upload by Richard Payne

Part 1 here

"Summer Part 2 (side B?) is great. Lovely melody. Nice and slow. There's a musical term for that tempo. Al Dente I think.

Added a little more filth from the Odysseys here. There's a nice fuzzy / crackly sound you can get from sending white noise from the sample & hold section to the filter. I chucked some of that on and a bit more white noise on the noisey bits.

As before. I grabbed hold of the score, whittled it down into 6 tracks for the Odysseys and programmed the MIDI into Ableton. Well, 5 tracks really. The Odyssey FS on it's side is doing the Doof.

Ableton is spitting out MIDI to the six Odysseys here over USB and I'm fidgeting around with them and recording the audio back into Ableton. I added a bit of Reverb and EQ from Ableton and there you have it. Filmed on my iPhone.

Boom! So Part 3 is up next and that's a flippin' doozie! Giddyup!!"

Bad Gear - Tracker Mini

video upload by AudioPilz

"Become a Patron and get access to music clips from the show, additional content, Bad Gear samples and even more AudioPilz madness

https://www.patreon.com/audiopilz

Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world's most hated audio tools. Today we are going to talk about the Polyend Tracker Mini. Does this successor to the original Tracker and compact sampler, sequencer, groovebox and dawless centerpiece with its gameboy controls and compact form factor even make sense or is it another hipster toy with its field recording features? Is it the "Tracker Field" as Teenage Engineering might have called it?

Thanks to Polyend for sending me a demo unit as a long term loan.

Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
01:00 Overview Tracker Mini, Original Tracker vs. Mini
01:31 Built-in Microphone, Internal Battery, Stereo Sampling
01:46 Tracker Workflow #1
02:18 Sequencer Features
02:34 Tracker Workflow #2 (Step Jump, Fill, Scales, Euclidean, Random)
03:23 Synth Features (Filter, Overdrive, Bitcrush, Modulators)
03:44 Sample Playback Modes (Slicing, Wavetable, Granular)
04:08 FX (Reverb, Delay, Master Bus FX)
04:22 Mixer, Performance Mode
04:35 Non-realtime FX (Sample Editor)
04:44 Instruments
04:50 Micro SD Card, Loading Times, Additional Features
05:02 Playing Nintendo NES Games
05:12 What else??? (Connectivitiy, Build Quality, Pricing)
05:34 Hate
05:58 Jam 1 (Walk in the Forest)
06:49 Jam 2 (Bedroom Studio Setup)
07:46 Finale (Foley Artist Techno)
08:16 Verdict"

Bad Gear - 1010music nanobox Fireball

video upload by AudioPilz

"Become a Patron and get access to music clips from the show, additional content, Bad Gear samples and even more AudioPilz madness

https://www.patreon.com/audiopilz

Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world's most hated audio tools. Today we are going to talk about the 1010music nanobox Fireball wavetable synthesizer. Is this ultra-compact digital synthesizer just another lifestyle accessory or can it keep up with its big software counterparts like Serum VST? Is it a better choice than its granular (nanobox lemondrop) and FM drum machine siblings (nanobox razzmatazz). Is it too smol to be a performance synth???

Thanks to Tomeso for sending me this nanobox as a long term loan:
https://www.tomeso.de/

Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
01:04 Overview Nanobox Fireball, Knobs, Touchscreen
01:59 Wavetable Oscillators
02:28 "Normal" Oscillator, PWM, Unison, Visualization
02:46 Envelopes, LFOs, Modulation Sequencer
03:05 Filter Section
03:16 FX Section (Modulation FX, Reverb, Delay, Compressor)
03:31 Card Reader (MicroSD), Wavetable Import, Recording
03:45 Performance Features (Grid Keyboard, X-Y Pad)
04:16 Presets
04:55 Limitations, Pricing, Thanks
05:25 Hate
05:48 Jam 1 (Drum'n'Bass)
06:42 Jam 2 (Electro)
07:39 Finale (Techno)
08:09 Verdict"

Synclavier Digital's Regen Gets Wider Release

video upload by Synclavier Digital

Regen Tutorials


Regen Quickies


You can find additional posts featuring demos of the Regen here.

Press Release follows:

"Synclavier Digital releases regenerated Synclavier® II trailblazer as timeless Regen desktop synthesizer bolstered by present-day DSP developments

NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA: soft-launched late last year to widespread critical acclaim at the Synthplex® synthesizer expo and electronic music festival hosted at the Marriott Convention Center in Burbank, CA, USA with pre-orders opening for fulfilment in 2023, timeless synthesis product manufacturer Synclavier Digital is proud to announce wider availability of Regen — released as a desktop synthesizer that is, in short, a real regeneration of New England Digital’s seminal Synclavier® II digital synthesizer that took the pro audio industry by storm when introduced in its initial incarnation in 1980 (evolving beyond that to blaze more technological trails with polyphonic sampling and, ultimately, DAW — Digital Audio Workstation — capabilities well before that term was invented, even), extended and enhanced to take advantage of the increased computing power available today to make it as compelling in a modern setting as the prohibitively pricey original did during its time (finding favour with top-tier film composers, record producers, and recording artists), while the considerable cost and size reductions associated with Regen’s present-day design criteria conversely position it well within reach of (almost) anyone — as of June 29…

CLICK FOR MORE »

YAMAHA CS60 - COMPILATION VIDEO

video upload by Vintage Audio Institute Italia

"The Italian term to describe this synth would be blasonato:
Someone so noble they have a their own coat of arms.

we give you the Yamaha CS60 :
45 kilos of heavy duty Japanese build quality.
We just couldn't pass this one on although it's not typically the machine of our choice it sounds incredible.
Put on your headphones and you'll get it.
The range of sounds you get out of this synth seems frankly endless and the general interaction with an important instrument always makes us want to sell all our other machines and just keep this one instead.
We have to think about this - meanwhile it's going to a Yamaha CS-series specialised repair man for a new ribbon control and a general calibration since it's never been tuned or serviced in its 45 year old life - also kind of incredible - the build-quality is insane.
We got two drummers in this video: first songs are backed up by the elusive CRB Computer Drums (the drum section from the Computer Band 2000) and the second half of the video the rhythm unit is the EKO Ritmo 20.
Both machines have individual sound options - mute switches on the Computer Drums and volumes on the EKO Ritmo 20.

More videos with these two will go up soon so subscribe if this is your thing and follow us on Instagram for first dibs vintage gear sales and much more."

Synthstrom Audible Deluge Goes Open Source

Details follow. Video of an editor created for the Deluge below.

"TLDR: We're going open-source from June 5th.

Since launching our beloved Deluge, we’ve added a ton of functionality, made it more versatile and packed it full of ground-breaking features. Our arranger, looper, advanced sequencing and MPE implementation are still industry leading.

At Synthstrom, we’re devoted to sustainability and want our Deluge to continue being the centre of our users' musical excursions for many years to come. Late last year we started retrofitting older Deluge variations with the OLED screen featuring in our new units. The next step we're taking has been even longer in development - waiting until we knew we had a community full of talented coders who were as passionate about the Deluge as we are. We know now the time is right - it’s time to take software development into overdrive - we’re going open-source!

What is open-source? Open-source means we're opening our software code to the community; our users who know how to write code can now develop their own Deluge features, make refinements to the existing code and contribute to a Community version for all users.

Before the speculation even starts, this isn't us working on a new model, there are currently no plans for that. We've employed a team to manage the open-source project so we can focus our energies into ramping up the building of new OLED Deluges to meet demand, speeding up the retrofitting and refurbishing off older units, and just maybe, finally getting the Deluge into limited retail - though don't hold your breath on that last part :)

Synthstrom will continue to maintain and update the main “Official” repository, including all official Deluge Firmware releases going forward.

Alongside there will also be a “Community” repository (for both the OLED & non-OLED versions), forked from the Official repository, as a central place for community code contributions to be merged together, so long as they don’t appear to break anything and represent complete features ready for use. And of course all future updates to the Official branch can be merged in, too.

And of course, you can fork either branch and make your own changes and share these with others, irrespective of what’s happening in the Official or Community repository.

Installing Community or other firmware builds is 100% compatible with your Deluge's hardware warranty. However, if you use a non-official community build, we won't be able to provide software support.

Our open-source project manager will initially oversee and maintain the Community repository, though this will probably change in the longer term, particularly if or when open-source development branches in multiple different directions. We’ve created thorough documentation and Rohan will also be on hand at the launch, to offer guidance and assistance to those getting involved - including open video Q&A sessions.

Rohan has always been eager to give back to the global community of makers and tinkerers that helped him as a beginner, we just had to make sure the time was right, we had the right people involved and that we had a system that aided those taking part.

We’re also launching a Patreon to help support those contributing to the 'Community' repository. This will allow the entire community to show their gratitude to those developing, testing and refining code by making a monthly financial contribution, from just $1. Though administered by Synthstrom, 100% of these payments (less Patreon fees and tax) will be distributed only amongst those coders contributing to the Community repository - distributed in accordance with how much each individual contributed.

We have re-opened the epic feature suggestion threads on our forums where coders can find ideas to work on and where users can discuss their desired features: https://forums.synthstrom.com/categories/deluge-suggestions

In special cases, the Official repository may consider submissions from the Community repository*, where features and their UI have proven universal appeal. However, Synthstrom needs to continue to provide our customers with a stable and high-performance official firmware version, so we need to be responsible for every line of code in this branch.

Deluge Firmware will be released under the GPLv3 license. There are no restrictions on personal use and this license allows for code to also be used in commercial projects - however, if even one line of code from this is used in a commercial project, the entire piece of code for that project must also be made open-source under this same license.

The newly open source Deluge Firmware source code will live in GitHub. We will be launching this project in June though you can follow our GitHub now and be alerted when it's live. https://github.com/SynthstromAudible

* If a Community feature is to be accepted into the official repository this will be negotiated and licensed on a case by case basis with its developer(s)

Key dates & details:

Monday, June 5, 7pm EDT - Codebase made available, documentation released and Patreon launched.

Wednesday, June 7, 7pm EDT - Open Group video Q&A session with Rohan. Will be recorded and made available on GitHub following.

Saturday, June 10, 11am, CEST - Open Group Zoom session with Rohan. Will be recorded and made available on the GitHub following.

Following these Q&A sessions. Rohan and/or our Open Source team will be responsive in answering questions on the GitHub. Please try not to flood forums with questions until after these sessions as we anticipate much will be answered therein.

Open-source Project Manager: Jamie Fenton

An experienced games, audio and multimedia production tool engineer, Jamie Fenton is known in the Deluge community for developing the Downrush application. Downrush is used for transferring, viewing and editing of Deluge songs, patches, and media assets using a Wi-Fi SD card and your mobile device."

Deluge Downrush demo - Wireless editor/browser for the Synthstrom Deluge

video upload by Icoustik

"Detailed demonstration of the Downrush editor/browser for the Synthstrom Deluge, by Jamie Fenton.

Downrush download: https://github.com/jamiefaye/downrush
About the Synthstrom Deluge: https://synthstrom.com/

Downrush works via the Toshiba FlashAir SD card, which has built-in WiFi, and allows wireless browsing/ uploading/ downloading.

With this it's possible to access the card without removing it from the Deluge, by connecting to it just like you'd connect to any wifi network, and simply opening it in a web browser (I've used firefox, ecosia and chrome). This means it's also possible to do it with a smartphone or other device with wifi-access!

"Downrush is a simple FlashAir file manager for Synthstrom Deluge. Expect improvements."

---- Things it can do that I've found really useful:

* Browse, upload and download files without removing the card!

* Move and delete files to keep things more organized - f.ex. get rid of failed/ useless samples, unwanted songs etc.

* Rename samples and resamples as soon as you make them and before putting them into a project and saving!
Especially handy with a smartphone when in the zone with the Deluge.

(It's almost like an external screen, just not 100% real-time.)

* XML editing (it has a built-in editor now) - get an overview of KITS/SYNTHS/SONGS, copy tracks between songs (!), copy and multiply kit sounds without having to make the same adjustments from scratch several times, and other such things not currently possible directly on the Deluge.

* Ability to use Downrush on a smartphone/pad as a kind of preview/cue-out with headphones, to preview samples etc. without it coming thru the main outs

Creds to Jamie Fenton !

EDIT:
The browser has now been updated so that when clicking on a kit, song or synth's name, it opens the Downrush main editor (not XML view). Click EDIT to get to the plain text XML viewer."

Meet the Telmatronics Groovetube Tube Based Prototype Plasma Synthesizer

video uploads by Telmatronics

via Telmatronics Kickstarter

Make crazy sounds with fluorescent tubes, that you can control with a magnet

A project to create a plasma instrument About a year ago, we discovered a lot of fun could be had with a fluorescent tube and a magnet... Lit fluorescent tubes are filled with plasma - a low pressure electrified gas that can make oscillations at audible frequencies. With suitable control over the plasma in the tube, we found this instability could sound amazing... and could also be controlled with a magnet! (It is worth listening to the video with headphones, to hear details of the sound).

Playing with sound created in a glowing tube is tactile, surprising and absorbing, and we decided to develop a new kind of electronic instrument.

We are releasing this first-generation machine for people to try out a new way to make noise. It is a sort of proto-instrument - an experimental machine to be experimented with!

Having machines out in the world will help explore what is possible, as there is a lot of unexplored territory here - we don't have much audio equipment, and have tried a dozen or so tubes. By making these machines available now, we hope to not only fund further development but also let collective experimentation inform its direction.

There are pros and cons to using commercial tubes for this. The sound from different fluorescent tubes can vary considerably, so trying out a new tube is an inexpensive bit of fun. It is currently possible to find various types of suitable (T5, 9"/ 225 mm, 6 W) tubes potentially available, new and old stock. On the downside, these tubes are being phased out in the very near future (about 18 months in the UK), and they will become increasingly scarce as production declines - bad timing to find a new use for them! We will keep testing different tubes however, and secure adequate supplies of some good ones before they disappear. In the longer term our objective is to produce custom tubes, which will require further research and development.

We are offering this first on Kickstarter, as a good way to generate awareness of what we are doing and to generate funds to get the project going properly.

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Physical Synthesis Cicada Acoustic Vibration Synthesizer & Nymph Eurorack Module Update

video upload by Physical Synthesis



You might remember the Physical Synthesis Cicada - Acoustic Vibration Synthesizer posted back in April of 2021 - you'll find a playlist of demos there. The initial run was sold out. They are now teaming with USA-based distributor Electro Distro on a new run of Cicadas as well as a Nymph eurorack module.

The press release follows:

NEW YORK, NY, USA: having sold out of its initial production run, unique products-producing hardware startup Physical Synthesis is proud to announce that it is working with San Clemente, CA, USA-based distributor Electro Distro’s growing global network of dealers (https://www.electro-distro.com/dealers) to bring its game-changing Cicada — an ‘acoustic synthesizer’ that transforms electronic signals into physical vibrations that can be fully manipulated before being reconverted back into a new, never-heard-before electronic sound — to a wider audience in advance of Nymph, its upcoming Eurorack module…

It is fair to say that every once in a while, a moment comes along whereby human interaction with sound changes completely. Cicada is effectively one of those moments — one of those new instruments that moves the needle in music technology. Indeed, it is pioneered by unique products-producing hardware startup Physical Synthesis as an ‘acoustic synthesizer’ that transforms electronic signals into physical vibrations that can be fully manipulated before being reconverted back into a new, never-heard-before electronic sound. Says company founder Spencer Topel: “Cicada was the first step in introducing physical synthesis methods to the synth community; it is an award-winning interface that really lets musicians explore microscopic sounds with precise control.” Clearly, Cicada made musical waves when winning the Judge’s Special Award at the Guthman Musical Instrument Competition 2022, hosted by Georgia Tech School of Music — one of the few schools in North America that offers Music Technology as a major in undergraduate, graduate, and Ph.D levels of study — as an annual event dedicated to identifying the newest and greatest ideas in music.

Musical waves notwithstanding, ‘noise' is a subjective term; while electromechanical devices like speakers or headphones try to minimise the distortion inevitably introduced in physical systems, Cicada is designed to precisely exploit these distortion products as the basis of a new kind of synthesis. Cicada converts voltages to vibrations in a mechanical oscillator to create intermodulation — the addition of frequency content in a nonlinear system — in place of typical analogue or digital oscillators. By bringing the signal chain into a physical space, Cicada allows users to shape such content with natural, tactile gestures that truly transcend twiddling with a knob or pushing a slider. “As a violinist and composer, my experience of creating sound is highly physical,” proclaims Spencer Topel, adding: “With Cicada, I wanted to make an instrument that connects these elements, allowing musicians to produce complex, compelling sounds, but through tactile interaction.”

Insofar as actually doing what it does, Cicada receives two Eurorack-level signals that drive oscillation in a cantilevered Bridge positioned atop a Soundboard at an adjustable height. Digging deeper, distortion caused by the Bridge-Soundboard interaction adds frequency content to the input, determined by the specific qualities of the system. Self-explanatory Polycarbonate Soundboard, Foam Soundboard — made of EVA (Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate) foam, and Wood Soundboard — made of Birdseye maple — options each provide a range of resonating/filtering properties that combine uniquely with the likes of the Coral Wing Bridge — tip made of solid oak (resulting in a bright, clear tone), Coral Dual Tip Wing Bridge — tip made of premium rubber (allowing for a hard, precise attack with a balanced low-end), and Grey Wing Bridge — tip made of soft neoprene foam (resulting in a mellow, balanced acoustic effect); each pairing opens up a portal to a distinct sonic universe.

Users can dynamically change the system (and, therefore, how it is transforming signals) by adjusting the Bridge height, changing the region and degree of contact between Bridge and Soundboard, or applying pressure to either — effecting real-time, tactile timbral control, in other words. With that being said, premium vibration damping materials, such as Delrin, and custom circuitry minimise unwanted noise, allowing the intermodulation products to shine, while the output, captured by a pickup microphone positioned beneath the Soundboard, can be monitored directly, processed modularly, or recorded into a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation).

With behaviours akin to those exhibited by a traditional acoustic instrument, Cicada is highly responsive to differences in the excitation mechanism — the input signal, in other words. As an example, striking a snare drum with a stick or using it with brushes produce vastly different-sounding results; driving Cicada with quiet or loud, spectrally simple or complex, or bass- or treble-heavy signals similarly yield very different timbres.

Though Cicada is designed to work with a Eurorack setup out of the box, one of its strengths lies in its inherent flexibility. Indeed, it can just as easily receive signals from a DAW, boosted to the appropriate 5-10Vpp level via an outboard mixer. Moreover, the choice of input is completely left open to the user: an Ableton Live loop run through Cicada acting as a physical filter to provide timbral variety over time, for example; an LFO (Low Frequency Oscillator) from a Eurorack module, generating rich percussive tones on the maple Soundboard as the foundation of a beat; or a harmonically dense signal — similar to the output of a Max/MSP FM patch (which many would, without doubt, prefer to navigate physically rather than digitally) — made by moving the Bridge around the Soundboard to amplify certain harmonics and suppress others, finding a grittier sound with the Bridge barely touching or coaxing a more ethereal tone with it centred and depressed.

Endless exploration possibilities are a given, guaranteeing that any sonically-ambitious Cicada user is likely to while away the hours playing with input signals, system configurations, gestures, modulation combinations, and more.

It is hardly surprising, then, that Physical Synthesis sold out of its initial Cicada production run, really hitting a home run by counting luminaries like renowned electronic music composer and performer Hainbach — citing Cicada as being “The Tesla of electro-acoustic workstations, miles ahead of standard piezo and solenoid boxes...” — and Ableton CEO Gerhard Behles amongst its fan base, and has now turned to working with US-based distributor Electro Distro’s growing global network of dealers to bring its game-changing ‘acoustic synthesizer’ to a wider audience. “I want to bring acoustic synthesis to a wider range of musicians,” maintains Spencer Topel, before ending on a high note: “We are building some really exciting expansions of Cicada to different formats, including a Eurorack module called Nymph, which is coming soon.”

Physical Synthesis’ ‘acoustic synthesizer’ is now available as Cicada Founders Edition Extended — encompassing two dual AMPs, one PRE, one Actuator, five Bridges, three Soundboards, three Meanwell power supplies, three custom SATA Cables, and one custom Nanuk 935 Flight Case — for $2,700.00 USD or as Cicada Pro Series individual modules — starting at $79.00 USD — via San Clemente, CA, USA-based distributor Electro Distro’s growing global network of dealers (https://www.electro-distro.com/dealers) or directly from Physical Synthesis’ online Shop (https://shop.physical-synthesis.com).

For more in-depth information, please visit the dedicated Cicada webpage here: https://www.physical-synthesis.com

ReSynthesizer (Autonomous Synthesizer Installation at MIT's PSFC, Spring/Summer 2018)

video upload by ParadisoModular

"In December of 2017, as part of the 50’th anniversary celebration for MIT’s CAVS (Center for Advanced Visual Studies), I was invited to install my large, custom built-and-designed modular synthesizer system into the experimental hall where Alcator C-Mod was residing, MIT’s most recent tokamak reactor used in plasma fusion research. Known as being a pioneering melting pot for art and technology during the 60s, 70s and 80s, the CAVS was a place where scientific fields like physics would commune with performance and music. Modular synthesizers, as used there by early adopters like Paul Earls, were part of the Center’s original vernacular, and after many decades they are being enthusiastically re-discovered, re-embraced, and in many way re-invented by the current young generation of electronic musicians. Such reflected synergy into the present led to my invitation (as well as this installation’s name), as did the match between the aesthetic and technical grandeur of a large heavily-patched modular synthesizer and the huge mélange of custom, elegantly-kludged electro-mechanical systems that surrounded the tokamak. Similarly, the researchers’ quest to manage the chaotic nature of an energetic plasma (as expressed inside the tokamak’s torus during the peak of plasma confinement) resonated with my efforts to ‘sculpt’ my autonomous and likewise chaotic huge synthesizer patch into a definable aesthetic.

As I have my PhD in high-energy physics (having worked at CERN at various times between the late 70s and early 90s) in addition to having designed, built, and used electronic music systems of various sorts over the last 45 years, I was anticipating having access to actual Alcator data and using it in the patch that I would compose when the installation would go live in late March of 2018. My plasma physics colleagues resonated with this idea, and I was provided with several waveforms coming from various sensors on the tokamak acquired during its record-breaking run from a few years ago, when Alcator C-Mod had attained the largest recorded plasma pressure. Listening to this data as audio, I was immediately transfixed. This didn’t sound like bland digital noise, but instead felt alive – some strange kind of muted rattlesnake here, burbling life forms on a weird water planet there, perhaps other samples evoked the barely scrutable control room of an alien spaceship. These sounds, played at various rates and filtered into audible bands, were strongly otherworldly. This dictated the flavor that I’d strive for in my patched composition. Accordingly, I loaded banks of Alcator’s waveforms into an array of Eurorack samplers that I could control from processes running in my synthesizer. While most of these signals were used as direct audio, some were adopted for modulation envelopes and slow control – the tokamak cycle exhibited a variably noisy build-and-release structure as the magnetic fields were ramped up to concentrate the plasma before it went terminally unstable, which worked well here.

My patch evolved considerably during the installation, which ran from late April through late August of 2018. I worked on it weekly, and it achieved its ultimate balance between form and complexity by the beginning of July. At the end, I used every patch cord that I owned (on the order of 700) and nearly all modules in the synth, in addition to an assortment of outboard effects and commercial Eurorack modules that I coaxed to work with my system. Towards the end, when I was starting to run out of cords and hardware capacity, I resorted to kludging in simple wires and electrical components hanging in the air between modules to attain effects and sounds that I still wanted but didn’t have the modules available to make. This was the most extensive and ambitious synthesizer patch that I’ve yet composed – it pushed me to extremes of being simultaneously a composer, synthesizer musician, engineer, and scientist. Having designed, built or custom-modified nearly everything in my setup creates a special rapport for me that goes deeper than interaction with commercial synthesizer equipment – my system has its own unique capabilities and quirks that reflect my personal audio nuances and what I want to achieve with them.

At various stages during the 4-month run of this installation, I digitally recorded the patch’s stereo mix – in all, I have archived probably on the order of 60 hours of audio. The excerpts provided in this video all came from different sections of this long set of recordings. Aside from cross-fading between different excerpts, there was no manual intervention or overdubbing in these clips – the sound was made entirely from the patch running on its own after I set it on its way, with updates and augmentations I made every week or two based on ideas I got while listening to it stream online. The video also features a brief example of some of the raw plasma data sounds that I used."

And in the studio:

Synth Patch For Chaos Unit, Sitar Pedal, and NightSky'ed Keyboard (August 2021)

video upload by ParadisoModular

"In the summer of 2021, I put in a synth patch to test out my newly-arrived Sitar Pedal as well commemorate the tweaking/repair of my voltage-controlled chaos module. This was a very simple patch compared to my usual - nothing too deep or thought out, and the master sequence is a bit shallow - but it has its vibe. Plus, at 2:30 in, I added a keyboard line over what the patch was doing. This was all live - the synth patch ran autonomously and I just recorded as I played - no preparation, overdubbing, or refinement here - hence it's raw and not even close to what I'd term finished or a 'demo' - but I kinda like its intrinsic 'hopeful' feel.

The basic sequence is running through the sitar pedal, which locks on fine (it can separate the drone sounds and re-synthesized lead into separate channels). I'm running a fixed tone also through my chaos generator, which I move in a complex way into and out of stability - it locks onto subharmonics or devolves totally/partially into noise as it sweeps. This sound goes through several signal processing paths that periodically fade in, involving filters, unstable phase-locked loops, and a Boss guitar synthesizer pedal (which does wonderfully noisy gyrations as it tries to lock onto the chaos signal between stable moments).

At that time, as opposed to collecting Eurorack modules, I was slowly accumulating and modifying pedals - pedals are all about modifying an input sound in interesting ways, and which generally appeals to me (I hack them, of course, to accept voltage control in different ways).

The only keyboard sound here (aside from one chord and arpeggio at the end) is from the little cheezebox Casio 'toy' that the Minskys gave me at a Media Lab event some years ago - I abandoned my more sophisticated synths for this one in this piece, as it fits easily on your lap (that's how I played it in the excerpt here) and it sounds amazing if you feed it through one of the new complex reverb/echo/delay pedals like the NightSky or Micropitch (those pedals can put any sound into an evocative space).

The video is indeed of this patch and me playing atop it (shot while I was holding the phone in my other hand), but it's not the live segment that you hear in the piece, so pardon if things don't line up entirely, but you get the vibe.

OK - I figured I'd let this one get a bit of air in case it hits some resonance... It radiates a bit of melancholic positivity, which is something we all relate to these days."

ARP 2600 Ring Modulator Demo

video upload by O.Z. Hall

"This demo just scratches the surface of what you can do with a "Ring Modulator" (aka Balanced Modulator, aka 4 Quadrant multiplier).

Here is some technical detail ...
The term quadrant used below refers to cartesian coordinates ( e.g. x/y graph with 4 quadrants ).

Regarding two quadrant multipliers (e.g. VCA) versus four quadrant multipliers (e.g. Ring Modulator).
Here's a short definition;
A two quadrant multiplier will multiply two signals together
one (bipolar) input (the carrier) (e.g. VCA signal input - audio or a DC voltage - e.g. +/-5v )
another (unipolar ) input (the modulator) (e.g. a level control input, e.g. an envelope 0-5v ) .
A 4 quadrant multiplier will multiply two signals, both of which are bipolar.

The both multipliers create "sidebands", whose frequencies are the sum and difference of the two inputs. E.G. 100 Hz (carrier) and 25 Hz (modulator). The sideband frequencies are the sum (100+25 = 125 Hz) and the difference (100 - 25 = 75 Hz) .

A 2 quadrant multiplier is an unbalanced modulator while 4 quadrant multiplier is "balanced". This means that.
The VCA (unbalanced) would output the carrier and the sideband frequencies (100 Hz, 125 Hz, 75 Hz).
A ring modulator (balanced) outputs only the sideband frequencies (the carrier is suppressed)."