Happy New Year From MATRIXSYNTH!

Happy New Year everyone!

First I want to thank everyone who takes the time out of their busy schedules to come visit the site. I want to give an extra thanks to everyone who supports this site, including the sponsors you see above and on the right. Without them this site would not be possible.

As many of you know, running MATRIXSYNTH is a labor of love. The site has been running for over 13 years and hopefully will continue on for many years to come. Every single post goes up by hand, seven days a week, including holidays and "vacations." Some of you may not know this, but MATRIXSYNTH is a one man shop by me, matrix. I have not missed a single day of posting since back on August 6 of 2005 when I first launched this format of the site. I say "this format of the site" because I actually registered matrixsynth.com back in October of 1997. You can still see the old site here. On the left were links to sites I visited back in the day. It's actually a pretty neat snapshot of what was around on the web back then before the days of YouTube and social media. I launched this version of the site back on July 20 of 2005. As of this post there have been 175,117 posts on the site. We had 13,302 posts in 2018. Every single one went up by hand. I am extremely humbled and grateful of those who choose to support the site. Thank you so much!!!

Now, for some numbers. I haven't shared them in a while as they started to feel a little redundant year after year, but I figured why not? The image above is a map of visitors to the site in 2018. We had 540,712 users visit for a total of 3,418,064 pageviews. We finally have a visitor from North Korea this year! The numbers are from Google Analytics and should filter out bots. BTW if you look at this all time map, the only country to not have visited MATRIXSYNTH to date is the Central African Republic. It's pretty amazing to think someone from every single other country in the world has visited the site.

The following are the top 10 countries to visit by traffic:

1 United States 4,564(35.30%)
2 United Kingdom 1,070(8.28%)
3 Germany 866(6.70%)
4 France 653(5.05%)
5 Canada 544(4.21%)
6 Italy 512(3.96%)
7 Japan 464(3.59%)
8 Netherlands 357(2.76%)
9 Poland 331(2.56%)
10 Norway 314

(Update: I originally had the list by language which duplicated DE and FR. The list has been updated for country only).

A couple of years ago I started tracking new gear for the year with "new gear" labels. For 2018 we had the following:

695 new items never featured before on the site. This includes 49 posts on older gear never featured before.
111 new makers
92 new synths
63 new soft synths
67 new sound/noise machines
36 new synth effects
266 new modules
42 new mobile apps
11 new drum machines
111 new DIY projects
26 new controllers
40 new tools
7 new cases

And finally we had 52 posts to get the exclusive label for the year. These are the rarest of the rare featured on the site.

Note there is some overlap and the primary focus of MATRIXSYNTH is hardware synthesis. Rather than go into a top 10 list (which I never was into because all gear has its use imo), click through any of the links above to see what came in by category.

On the mega synth front, we saw the release of the Sequential Prophet X and XL (DSI changed names to Sequential as well), the Moog One and Grandmother, Yamaha MODX, Korg Prologue, and the Waldorf Quantum finally made it to release. You can also recap what was featured at NAMM 2018, SUPERBOOTH18, Knobcon, and SoundMit and other events.

This year we lost the following in the synth world. Note this does not include discontinued gear, although with Erthenvar being featured as a company, I may include gear in the the future.

Erthenvar Closes Shop
RIP John Leimseider
RIP Shirleigh Moog
The Candlelight Vigil: A Synth Cover in Memory of Jóhann Jóhannsson (From Prisoners)
David Van Koevering Has Passed Away

-----

And that's it for 2018. Happy New Year and onto 2019! Thank you to everyone that enjoys, contributes, and supports the site! I started MATRIXSYNTH to track everything synth. It's rewarding to know people out there still enjoy the site. MATRIXSYNTH is my gift to you.

Behringer Buys Tears for Fears Synths for R&D - A Peek at What's To Come?

Some pics and notes Behringer shared on what they picked up from the recent Tears For Fears auction. Note the Eventide H3000.

"Day 2 of our amazing treasure hunt story. Tom and Jordan just picked up some massive and rusty flight cases. What do you think is inside?"

"Oh and one more thing :-)
We also acquired one of most sought after and rare flagship synths of the '80s, which was on tour with Tears for Fears.
The Yamaha DX1. Only 140 units were ever made and when the product was launched in 1982, the price of the synth was a staggering US$ 14,000."

"Here is the rest of the 40 year old iconic products which we bought from the "Tears fro Fears" auction.

PPG Wave 2.2, EMU Emulator II, Prophet 5, Hammond C3 with 2 Leslies plus 2 LinnDrums.

Right now we're bringing them to our Kidderminster Care center so we can give them a lot of love so they'll shine again.

Our people are super excited and they can't wait to fire them up. We'll keep you posted."

"Here comes jewel number 1 we bought from the auction:

The Eventide Ultra Harmonizer H3000 which is one of the most iconic harmonizers of all times.

These are all original units from the famous British band “Tears for Fears” who toured with these instruments for decades.

Best of all they come with original patches and presets and of course the road-proven flight cases:-)"

CLICK FOR MORE »

Vintage Sequential Circuits Prophet T8 Polyphonic Synthesizer SN 000363

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

via this auction

Unfortunately this one is partially work/for parts. It was partially working back in May of last year as well. Hopefully we'll see it back fully working one day. Details from the listing on what does and doesn't currently work:

"Pieces that are missing/ not functioning :

5 screws in the back
22 knobs
The original pot on the frequency knob on the Lfo - mod section
The switch on the freq A on the Lfo - mod section doesn't turn on.
You cannot split the keyboard at the moment

Keys:

Two keys on the lowest octave are warped and stuck together.
53 out 76 keys work
When you plug in a midi keyboard all the keys work great

What works:

The sequencer
The presets have been currently installed
All the keys work via midi
The after touch
All eight voices are working
all of the knobs and switches work except for the frequency A switch on the Lfo mod
The tuning button works"

CLICK FOR MORE »

Oberheim DMX Completely Overhauled, Linn LM1 EPROM, Mods

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

via this auction

"No other DMX is like this. None. It’s a one of a kind, future proofed beast of a drum machine that has been refurbished and modified FULLY for professional studio work. I know the asking price is high, but by the time you read how much work has gone into it you’ll understand why. First of all here is a bullet point breakdown of every enhancement this machine has been bestowed with by a former Oberheim tech:

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XILS-lab PolyM Polymoog Soft Synth Released

You can find a few videos previously posted here on the XILS-lab label (scroll down to previous posts).

via XILS-lab


"XILS-lab literally creates plug-in pleasure principal when recreating revolutionary polysynth

GRENOBLE, FRANCE: audio software company XILS-lab is proud to announce availability of PolyM — an authentic recreation of the pioneering Polymoog polysynth, dreamed up by American designer Dave Luce and produced by Moog Music between 1975-1980, but benefitting from finest French software skills to truly create a plug-in pleasure principal as arguably the best ‘virtual’ divide-down oscillator technology-toting soft synth available anywhere and teaching the old dog some new tricks in the process — as of July 3...

That’s today. Putting PolyM in its present-day context involves initially looking back. But back in the early-Seventies, setting out to create an analogue, functional voltage-controlled synthesizer that was polyphonic against a backdrop of monophonic mainstays proved problematic for many. Moog’s musical solution came quicker than most, making an appearance in 1975 in its extremely expensive ($5,295 USD), nine-preset original form as the Polymoog keyboard (model 203a). It included a front panel packed with an almost continuous row of slider pots (permitting presets to be fully modified into more individualised analogue sounds via various subtractive synthesis parameters, including a 24dB Moog ladder filter section — allowing modulation modulated from its own envelopes and low frequency oscillation — alongside a unique and flexible three-band resonant filter section with lowpass/bandpass/high-pass filter modes) before being joined in 1978 by a marginally more economically-viable ($3,995 USD), 14-preset stripped back version (with editing reduced to volume, tuning, high-pass filtering, and basic LFO — Low Frequency Oscillator — features), which was also (confusingly) called the Polymoog keyboard (model 280a), though the original fully-variable version was then rebadged, admittedly, as the Polymoog Synthesizer.

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MOOGFEST 2017 UNVEILS FULL SCHEDULE OF 100 WORKSHOPS & MASTERCLASSES

via Moogfest

"- Moogfest attendees engage in an ecosystem of ideas, experiments, and specialized skills

Durham, North Carolina (April 5, 2017) – Today Moogfest unveils the full schedule for the expansive four-day festival. Exploring the future of technology, art, and music, the festival includes more than 300 musical performances, daytime workshops, conversations, masterclasses, film screenings, live scores, durational sound installations, and interactive art experiences.

The full schedule can be found online at http://moogfest2017.sched.com

*Please note, the full schedule can be viewed on Sched; however, registration and adding sessions to your personal schedule won't be available until sign-up opens Friday, April 7, at 12:00 noon ET for Engineer ticket holders; Tuesday, April 11, at 12:00 noon ET for VIP ticket holders; and Tuesday, April 18, at 12:00 noon ET for all ticket holders.

Moogfest celebrates the legacy of Bob Moog, a visionary engineer who pioneered the analog synthesizer and other technology tools used by artists like Stevie Wonder, David Bowie, and Kraftwerk. This year’s program will feature over 260 innovators in music, art, and technology -- from Flying Lotus, Animal Collective, Suzanne Ciani, Gotye and Princess Nokia to Dr. Kate Shaw, an experimental particle physicist working on the ATLAS Experiment at the Large Hadron Collider, and Joe Davis, a pioneer in creating art with genes and bacteria at MIT Media Lab. Moogfest takes place in Durham, North Carolina, a fast-growing capital of technology, culture and entrepreneurship.

Happening Thursday, May 18 - Sunday, May 21, with hundreds of artists, speakers, and sessions across downtown Durham, Moogfest contains a vast galaxy of discovery. Workshops are an essential part of the Moogfest program, as the platform prioritizes intimate spaces for collaboration and creativity. In these open learning environments, participants interact with technology tools that allow humans to creatively express themselves in new ways, so that we can design the future we want to see and hear.

CLICK FOR MORE »

Latest News from Behringer & A Response From The Curtis Family

The next chapter in Behringer synth development is in. We already know Uli Behringer announced plans to re-create classic synths. Behringer will be making new innovative synths as well, and we now have some numbers:

“We have 4 synthesizer development teams simultaneously working on 20 synths, drum machines etc..

We’ll be creating both innovative new synths as well as reviving classics.

We’re all in and the teams are on fire.'"

On reproducing vintage chips for the classics:

"We just received the first batch of our 3340 VCO chip.

It is a 100% exact replica of the Curtis CEM3340 which even includes the 40 year old, 8 micron manufacturing process. It was a difficult and expensive undertaking but we are very pleased with the result as this VCO is considered one of the best sounding oscillators.

We are continuing to invest in reviving other legacy Curtis and SSM semiconductors which will allow us to bring back classic synths - all in the most authentic way. We have also reissued the 3320 filter chip which should be arriving in a few months.

Uli"

It's worth noting the Curtis CEM 3340 has already been re-introduced by OnChip Systems, formerly Curtis Electromusic, and is currently available for makers. Behringer's 3340 appears to bypass Curtis Electromusic and is being manufactured by Behringer (via Coolaudio) directly. SSM chips and the CEM 3320, however, are not yet available. Although the chips will obviously be re-issued for use in Behringer synths, it does appear that some if not all may become available to the Synth DIY community as well. More info on that further below, but first a response on the re-creation of Curtis chips from the Curtis family:

"Many of you who are active on synth forums have recently contacted us regarding another company's claim of producing VCO chips that are the equivalent to the CEM3340 that was used in many legendary synthesizers.

To avoid any confusion, please know that there is only one manufacturer of the authentic CEM3340 designed by my late husband, Doug Curtis. Any claims, use of this product designation, and use of the name Curtis Electromusic by other companies are made without permission from OnChip Systems (our current company name) or the Curtis Family.

As much as Doug would be humbled and so very happy about the legacy his products enjoy, we can assure you that as a person of the highest integrity he would be deeply saddened by the attempt of others to trade on his name and to make unsubstantiated claims of equivalency to his original inventions.

In his loving memory and gratitude for the community of musicians and synthesizer enthusiasts, Doug's family is committed to making his authentic designs available as demand presents itself. Thank you for your continued support of Doug's analog synthesizer legacy.

Mary Curtis and our daughters, Ashley and Julia"

It's worth noting that many Dave Smith Instruments synths use Curtis chips and do so with permission from the Curtis family. Dave Smith was friends with Doug Curtis and has been buying parts from OnChip for over 15 years. OnChip was Doug Curtis' company and is now his wife Mary Curtis's company. These chips were used in the Evolver line, the Prophet '08, MoPho line, and the Prophet 12. The Pro 2, Prophet-6, and OB-6 use discrete designs.

The following is from another thread from Uli in German, translated into Googlish:

"Something clearer. Patent rights are generally 20 years, whereby the technology is freely available for everyone. This allows the inventor, on the one hand, to harvest the fruits of his invention, but also to ensure that no monopoly arises and, after the expiry of the protection, everyone has free access to the technology - without a bad conscience.

In the case of the Curtis or SSM chips, the patent rights of these 40-year-old components have run out for a long time and everyone can reproduce them today. Why this no longer companies do is simply because the mask costs are very high (6-digit USD range per chip) and on the other hand the minimum edition is about 300,000 - 500,000 pieces.

Curtis has registered the name rights for Curtis and CEM, but on the number 3340 etc. there is no protection. Therefore, there are other vendors who have revived these old chips:

Http://ericasynths.lv/en/shop/diy/diy-a ... er-as3320 /

Or look at how many manufacturers. The 074 Opamp.

Why are these 40 year old chips being rebuilt? Anyone who once belonged to an old Oberheim OB-Xa or a Prophet 5 will agree with me that the sounds of these Curtis and SSM chips are absolutely unsurpassed in their sound qualities. This specific sound is not easy to replicate with discrete technology and since we have an immense passion for analog synthesizers and believe that customers will appreciate these components, we are taking the financial risk of reviving these chips. Coolaudio has just produced the 3340 VCO successfully and the 3320 filter chip is now also under development - further building blocks will follow.

For more than ten years, the company http://www.coolaudio.com, which is affiliated with us, has specialized in restoring expired components. On the one hand the company produces the coveted BBD chips from the Panasonic times, but also VCA's, OTA's, Optocoupler, etc.

Our intention is to focus on the old Curtis and SSM chips, as we want to use them in our future synthesizers. At the same time, Coolaudio will also offer them for sale, which allows other competitors to build analog instruments as well as help people repair old synths. Many of the Coolaudio chips are already used today by our competitors and we are happy if we can make a contribution to the fact that these analogue components are made of music.

I personally consider VA for eyewash because this is ultimately digital technology. No digital synthesizer will ever be able to reproduce the 'unpredictability' and 'inaccuracy' of an analog synthesizer - no matter how much marketing is operated. Anyone who listens to analogue and digital synthesizers in comparison can easily find out. That is exactly why we will be specializing in analogue synths.

Perhaps our desire for analogue technology is simply that we humans are knitted by themselves analogously and the emotions associated with it determine our existence.

Greeting

Uli"

This one spotted and sent in via Soviet Space Child.

Update: And another update just in via Soviet Space Child:

Originally Posted by Uli Behringer:

"Allow me to share a thought.

Dave Smith Instruments (DSI) is using our SSM clones (V2164).
homemade polysynth — A quick tour of the Prophet 6 voice card

Elektron are using Coolaudio parts as well.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/psychl...7632621387322/

Many other leading manufacturers are using Coolaudio chips and by using these parts obviously have no concerns with cloning in general and with using our chips in their products.

If our competitors are not concerned then why should customers be?

Uli'"

The difference of course is currently available vs. not currently available.  The CEM3340 is currently available from Curtis Electromusic, and the Minimoog Model D is currently available from Moog Music.   You be the judge for yourself.

VGM #65: N. Sanity Beach (Crash Bandicoot)

Published on Feb 5, 2016 Ace Waters

"This year marks the 20th anniversary of the release of Crash Bandicoot, one of the early stars of the PS1 era platformers. It was also one of my favorite series of games as a kid. Enjoy!"

GEAR LIST:

EURO RACK - Chromatic scales and solo
TE OP-1 - Synth Strings
DSI PROPHET 08 - Pads
ROLAND JU-06 - Lead
NES W/CHIP MAESTRO - Lead
MOOG LP - Bass
DSI TEMPEST - Drums
KURZWEIL PC3X - Organ

Happy New Year From MATRIXSYNTH! - A Look Back at 2015

Happy New Year everyone!  I want to thank you all for a great 2015 and I wish you all the best in 2016!

The following is my yearly round up for the year.  Feel free to dig into this post as much you like, or skip it and leave a comment at the bottom of the post. I'd be curious to hear what stood out for you in 2015. Do you like the direction the synthesizer world is headed in, or would you rather see more or less of any type of product?

CLICK FOR MORE »

XILS-lab Releases miniSyn’X

"XILS-lab launches low-cost luscious soft synth emulation of Eighties polysynth par excellence!

'I’ve just got miniSyn’X and am so excited, because the Synthex is a fantastic rarity. Thanks to XILS-lab for giving everyone the opportunity to play with it.'

- Jean-Michel Jarre (April 2015)

GRENOBLE, FRANCE: music software company XILS-lab is proud to announce availability of miniSyn’X — an authentic, cost-conscious soft synth emulation of a much-loved Eighties-vintage analogue polysynth of Italian origin that helped define the sound of an era — as of April 8...

miniSyn’X is a multi-format (AAX, AU, RTAS, VST), 32- and 64-bit polyphonic, duo-timbral virtual analogue synthesizer plug-in for Mac (OS X 10.5 and later) Windows (XP, Vista, and 7/8) that faithfully emulates the still-sought-after sound of the Synthex, a luscious, 1982-vintage, eight-voice programmable analogue polysynth independently designed by Mario Maggi and built by Italian home organ manufacturer Elka. Indeed, it was much loved by synth luminaries of the day — not least French synth wizard Jean-Michel Jarre, whose well-known Laser Harp performances still emanate exclusively from an amazing-sounding Synthex patch produced by one-time UK demonstrator/ programmer Paul Wiffen and audible in isolation in ‘Second Rendez-Vous’ on Jarre’s multi-million-copy-selling Rendez-Vouz album of 1986. Pity, then, that the Synthex did not sell in such Jarre-like quantities during a four-year, three-stage (50-, 800-, and 1,000-unit) production run, with one last post-production unit being built especially for Stevie Wonder, such was the legendary American singer-songwriter/multi- instrumentalist/record producer’s love for the future-classic instrument that initially failed to fly in the face of the-then ‘art nouveau’ digital age of dominating desirable FM synthesis from Yamaha’s considerably cheaper, MIDI-equipped DX7, and subsequent super-selling, all- singing, all-dancing digital designs from the likes of Roland (D50) and Korg (M1).

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Arturia Introduces V Collection Classics

Published on Apr 1, 2015 Arturia Web

"Arturia launches legendary soft synth classics collection to lead into musical temptation

GRENOBLE, FRANCE: following in the footsteps of its super-successful V Collection 4 premium software collection, launched to critical acclaim late last year, music software and hardware developer and manufacturer Arturia is proud to announce availability of V Collection Classics — conveniently rounding up five of its most sought-after Analog Classics soft synth emulations of five legendary analogue synthesizers from five legendary brands into a musically tempting, competitively-priced package — as of April 2...

ARP, Moog, Oberheim, Roland, and Sequential Circuits... classic analogue synthesizer-manufacturing names all. And all of those classic companies — past and present — have produced at least one legendary instrument that truly impacted the music industry throughout the Seventies and into the Eighties and beyond. Indeed, the sought-after sounds of these instruments still resonate today. Think ARP 2600 (1970-81), MinimoogTM (1970-81), Synthesizer Expander Module® (1974-79), Jupiter-8 (1981-84), and Prophet-5 (1978-82). And Arturia has played a not inconsiderable part in bringing these still- sought-after sounds into today’s computer-centric recording and performance workflow thanks to TAE® (True Analog Emulation), an advanced proprietary technology allowing accurate modelling of analogue circuitry behaviour on personal computers. Conveniently, all five of Arturia’s award-winning Analog Classics soft synth emulations of those analogue classics are available to musically tempt as a must-have, competitively-priced package... please welcome, V Collection Classics! Come join us, then, as we make the musical introductions...

Arturia’s ARP 2600 V is a truly versatile sound creation tool with a massive musical bite; indeed, its raw and dirty character is perfectly suited to creating massive drum ’n’ bass stabs to growlin’, funky bass lines and spaced-out drones, with much in-between. From the starship funk lead lines of the Seventies to the gangsta whine of mid-Nineties hip-hop, the ever- present MinimoogTM has been making its phat presence felt for four-plus decades; Arturia’s award-winning Mini V even offers polyphony and additional modulation options, effectively turning it into an authentic-sounding Memorymoog emulation... well, sort of. Oberheim’s Synthesizer Expander Module® (SEM) started life as an add-on synthesizer module for fattening up Minimoogs before becoming a sought-after sound in its own right, with up to eight embedded in Oberheim’s groundbreaking Seventies-vintage polysynths; still sought-after today for its stunning-sounding multimode filter, Arturia offers all this and more in its outstanding Oberheim SEM V emulation. The runaway success of Roland’s then-flagship Jupiter-8 programmable analogue polysynth took the synth world by storm upon its 1981 release, boosting its already superlative sonic capabilities by adding an arpeggiator that helped make many mega hit singles shine forth musically — think Duran Duran (‘Save A Prayer’) and Howard Jones (‘New Song’); similarly, Arturia’s Jupiter-8 V is a real musical workhorse, capable of creating a very versatile range of sounds — stretching from fat to ‘crystalline’ — while going above and beyond the capabilities of the original instrument, thanks to its additional modulation possibilities and inbuilt effects. Last but not least, the Prophet-5 is truly a legend in its own lifetime as the world’s first fully-programmable polyphonic synthesizer; again, Arturia’s Prophet V faithfully brings back to life those historic and superlative sounds, together with those of the 1986-vintage, California-created classic Prophet VS Digital Vector Synthesizer, Sequential’s first digital design (and, alas, the final synth, sadly, from the iconic innovative instrument manufacturer). Must we say more?

Maybe just one more thing, then: thanks to V Collection Classics"

korg prophecy virtual analog synthesizer

Published on Feb 7, 2015 bulishearth

KORG Prophecy's on eBay

The video description comes from Sound on Sound

"It's not a new synth -- it's seven! Korg's amazing new Prophecy offers analogue and FM synthesis, and physical modelling, and still costs under £1000. Unsurprisingly, SOS staff have been dying to review one ever since it was unveiled at this year's Frankfurt Musik Messe. Lucky man GORDON REID won the toss...

This is the story as it was told to me... In 1987, the former Sequential Circuits design team (responsible for classics such as the Prophet 5 and Prophet VS) began working for Korg. The company immediately bundled them out of sight, locked them in a room full of computers and said "design something for us". Locks were locked, bolts were bolted, and most people forgot that they had ever existed.

Years passed. Every day somebody from Korg would shove some food and water through a hole in the door. Then, one day, there was a timorous knock from inside. Locks were unlocked and bolts were drawn. When the door was opened, a pasty-faced individual peeked out, blinked in the light, and said, "We've designed something. It's called a Wavestation". "What does it do?" asked the guys from Korg. "Well, it's sort of a wavetable synthesizer, with vector synthesis, and wave sequencing". "Not bad" said the guys from Korg. "Now get back inside and design something else".

Years passed. Every day somebody from Korg would shove some food and water through a hole in the door. Then, one day, there was another timorous knock from inside. The door was opened, and an even pastier-faced individual peeked out, blinked in the light, and said "We've designed something else". "What does it do this time?" asked the guys from Korg. "Well, it does analogue synthesis" said the pasty-faced one. "And FM. Oh yes... and physical modelling of plucked strings. And brass. And reeds. And it can be programmed to handle any new synthesis techniques that may come along in the future... and it does them all simultaneously. We've called it the Open Architecture Synthesis System, or OASYS for short."

The executives at Korg were delighted, and instead of shoving the team back into their room, bought them dinner at an expensive Japanese restaurant. But there was a problem. At £10,000, the OASYS was expensive. Very expensive. So Korg turned to the developers and said, "Sorry guys, we've got to put you back in your room. We need something cheaper, something that will appeal to the average musician. Something, to be blunt, that we can sell in the mass markets."

Months passed. Every day somebody from Korg would shove some food and water through the hole in the door. Then, quite recently, there was a knock from inside. An extremely pasty-faced individual peeked out and said, "We've done what you asked". "What does it do?" asked the guys from Korg. "Well, it does analogue synthesis" said the pasty-faced one. "And FM. Oh yes... and physical modelling of plucked strings. And brass. And reeds. And, before you shove us back in the room... it does all that for less than £1,000." Thus did the Prophecy, as they say, come to pass.

OUTSIDE AND IN

Externally, the Korg Prophecy is a light but robust 37-note monosynth with a velocity- and aftertouch-sensitive keyboard. The styling is, to my eyes, new and refreshing, although a few people have commented on its similarities to the Yamaha VL1... A 2 x 40-character backlit LCD dominates the control panel, and is surrounded by buttons to the left and right, and knobs underneath. Conventional modulation and pitch-bend wheels, plus the 'log' (a combined mod-wheel and pressure-sensitive ribbon controller), round off the package. Most people will either love it or hate it. I love it...

Round the back, you'll find the inevitable MIDI In, Out and Thru, alongside inputs for an expression pedal, an on/off (sustain) foot-switch, and a socket for an EC5 MIDI controller. This can be used for patch selection when your hands are otherwise occupied. There's also a socket for a RAM card that will store arpeggiator patterns as well as patches. And, finally, there are the stereo audio outputs.

Internally, the Prophecy is just a computer, although it boasts no fewer than five processors. Three of these are the Texas Instruments TMS57002 DSPs used in the Korg G-series effects. The other two are for housekeeping: an NEC V55 looks after the user interface, key-scanning, and display, and a Toshiba H8 (which I've never heard of) looks after the three DSPs."

New Synth Gear and Makers in January 2015

After this year's massive New Years post, I thought it might be interesting to see how many new makers and new gear announcements we received in a single month.

This may or may not become a monthly theme on the site depending on interest.  If you think it's worth while, leave a comment.

At a high level we had 12 new makers, one new old maker previously never featured on the site, and a whopping 193 new synth related products. Check out the module list below.  The list is a combination of what was either announced or released this month.

The list in order of appearance:

CLICK FOR MORE »

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. ;)

CLICK FOR MORE »

Prophet ’08 polysynth continues to be bestseller for DSI

A DSI press release just sent my way. Note it's pre-NAMM. Saving it for the archives.

"SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, USA: In 2013, sales of Dave Smith Instruments’ award-winning Prophet ’08 eight-voice analog synthesizer was greater than all previous years, with the exception of its inaugural year.

'The Prophet ’08 has been a remarkably consistent seller for us since 2007,' confirms company founder and renowned designer Dave Smith. 'Part of that is due to lack of competition in the analog polysynth market, but it’s also attributable to our general design philosophy. In an age where electronic devices are largely disposable — and that includes some musical instruments, we don’t develop our instruments to be supplanted by ‘next year’s model.’ Though we always strive to improve in some way with each new product, the goal is always excellence. An instrument should be intuitive and inspiring in two, five, ten, or twenty years, and not obsolete. And it should sound great, regardless of age or cost. There shouldn’t be a different standard for electronic instruments than there is for acoustic instruments in that regard.'

As an eight-voice synthesizer keyboard with a 100% analog signal path; four-on-four splits and layers; 16 x 4 gated step sequencer; and a full-size, 61-note, semi-weighted keyboard, the Prophet ’08 marked a turning point for Dave Smith Instruments in more ways than one — not least that its introduction coincided with Smith hiring his first two employees to help move the company and its increasing line of illustrious instruments forward. And anyone with an appreciation of synthesizer history could hardly help but notice that the innovative individual responsible for the pre-eminent Prophet-5, the world’s first programmable polyphonic synthesizer back in 1978, as well as playing a pivotal part as the driving force behind MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface), had transported the prestigious Prophet name to the present day.

As a direct descendant of the Prophet-5, the Prophet ’08 keyboard and its 2008-launched space-saving tabletop (and rack-mountable) module counterpart (that can be used as an expander to increase the polyphony of another Prophet ’08 keyboard or module to 16 voices) are both capable of reproducing the still-sought-after sounds of their legendary ancestor. But both boast more modern features like a greatly expanded modulation matrix and additional modulation sources — such as three envelopes and four LFOs per voice — that take them way beyond vintage instruments as equally worthy and unique additions to the Prophet family tree.

Says Smith: 'In 1978, I never envisioned people playing my instruments 35 years later. I just wanted to make great synths. But the reality is, if an instrument sounds good and invites interaction with the player, it will continue to inspire creativity and be useful.'

Creativity is surely priceless, yet six years after its inauguration, and showing no signs of slowing down, the Prophet ’08 still represents remarkable value and continues to make musical waves worldwide.

Dave Smith Instruments’ present-day Prophet range will be being demoed and displayed in Hall B, Booth 5400 at the 2014 NAMM Show, January 23-26 in Anaheim, California.


The Prophet ’08 keyboard and Prophet ’08 module have an MAP of $2,309.00 USD and $1,699.00 USD, respectively, and can both be purchased from any authorized DSI dealer."

New MOOG SUB 37 Paraphonic Polyphonic Synth Coming to NAMM?

Click the pic for the full size shot.

Some discussion on The MATRIXSYNTH Lounge and MATRIXSYNTH Facebook.

Update: [see Update4 below] for those not familiar with Paraphonic synths, a definition via wikipedia followed by a couple of notes:

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Happy New Year! The Year in Synths 2013

Happy New Year Everyone!

What a busy year it has been in the world of synths.

This is going to be one doozy of a post, so bear with me. This post is a review of the year in synths for 2013. We begin with Tributes to Those We Lost This Year, followed by New Manufacturers & Makers, Older Manufacturers Added to the Site, New Gear Announcements, Top 10 Posts by Traffic,  My Standout Posts for the Year, and finally This Years' Synth Events. I did my best to keep things as short and concise as possible.

Let's begin with the hardest part of the post.

Tributes to Those We Lost This Year

RIP Bernard Parmegiani - Electronic & Acoustic Composer
Lou Reed RIP
RIP Dick Raaymakers aka Kid Baltan
RIP George Duke - DreamWeaver
RIP Ralph Dyck, Sept 28, 1941 – May 20, 2013
RIP Ray Manzarek

All missed and never to be forgotten. Take a moment to remember them.

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New Manufacturers & Makers

Starting last January, I decided to keep a running list of every new manufacturer and maker introduced to the site during the year.  This is something I haven't done before and I thought it would be interesting to see how many there were in the year.   It's easy to focus on the big synth announcements throughout the year, but what about all the new makers and brands? I shouln't have to go considerably into the significance of new designers on the scene, so I'll just say two things regarding them.  One, the number of new makers is a direct reflection on the interest in our scene, and two, these are the creators of new gear which directly translate into new designs not previously available to us.  Think about that for a moment.  These are makers and designs that did not exist before.  They are part of our synth history.  So what is the total count of new synth designers for the year? A whopping 113. Think about that a bit. One hundred and thirteen new synth designers and brands this year alone.

Here they are (note a handful date back to 2012, but 2013 marked their momentum and availability):

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Moogfest 2014 Presenters Include Makers Roger Linn, Dave Smith, Tom Oberheim, Don Buchla, Forest Mims & More

"Moogfest 2014 Announces Daytime Presenters Including Futurists, Musicians, Scientists, Authors, Filmmakers, and Pioneers of Electronic Music Instrument Design

Phase 1 tickets start at $199 for 5-Day General Admission, and $499 for 5-Day VIP Admission while supplies last through December 19 when Phase 2 GA tickets go up to $299. All prices exclusive of applicable fees.

ASHEVILLE, NC – November 14, 2013 – Moogfest is a five-day festival dedicated to the synthesis of technology, art and music. Since its inception in 2004, Moogfest has been a magnet for artists, engineers, and enthusiasts of Bob Moog. With an experimental lineup of daytime conference programming featuring cultural, artistic and technological luminaries and punctuated by a diverse line up of landmark nightly performances, Moogfest honors the creativity and inventiveness of Dr. Robert Moog and pays tribute to the legacy of the analog synthesizer. This is no ordinary festival.

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Synamiitti 2013

Published on Nov 2, 2013

"Synth meet 'Synamiitti' 21.9.2013 at Bar Dynamo in Turku, Finland, Europe.

Synths in order of appearance:

Konekonekone & Regenbot eurorack modulars, Elektron Analog Four, Metasonix S-2000, various euromodules, Arturia Minibrute, Anushri, Mirror-face pimp Mutable Instruments Shruthi, Preen FM, DIY stripboard TR-808, Olegtron 4060, Olegtron modular banana prototypes, Korg monotron, Simmons SDS 8, Kawai R-50, Jen Sk100, Bent Technics something, Verde Audio tube Synths and Sequencers candystore, Prophet-5, Prophet 08, Doepfer Dark Time and Dark Energy, Yamaha 40M, Memotron (we also had an Mellotron but I forgot to shoot it!), Euro modular, Roland SH-101, JP-80x0 Editor and Kirnu Cream, Roland-8080, Modcans and euro goodies, a beautiful Easel-like DIY Electronic music box (listen to Sigma - Sleep of Shadow), Korg Synthe-Bass, Korg M500, Electrix rack collection, Zyklus MPS, Yamaha EX5R, Noise zoo, 5U DIY goodness (owner had to leave early, hope to catch more next year!), Moog Minimoog, E-mu Emulator II courtesy of Jori Hulkkonen, Olegtron 4060 closeup (you want one, trust me! Buy!), Simmons in action, JP-8000 and 8080, Vermona PerFourmer, Prophet-8, the talented Mr. Regenbot wiggling live, Yours truly jamming out on the 4060 and euro with Olegtron.

Please join us next year!
http://synamiitti.com

Filmed and edited by Jesse Juup. Post production by Jesse Juup."

Jomox Sunsyn Mk1 SN 0168

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

"Jomox Sunsyn Mk1 eight voice analog synthesizer. This synth is very rare, less than 200 made and you don't see them come up for sale more than a couple times a year. There is a reason for that: they sound incredible! My favorite analog synthesizer, amazing analog sound that's very unique. NOTHING sounds like a Sunsyn. The routing and modulation capabilities are great and it's all very easy to use and hands on with minimal menu diving. The RCO's are fantastic and the variable four pole filter is one of the best I've used. It can do classic analog synth sounds but with the RCO and routing it reaches into new territory. This synth is in excellent shape and fully functional. This is a V1, very late SN 016x. Being a later SN it is a bit more stable than some of the earlier ones... I would take this over other modern synths like the Andromeda and older stuff like Memorymoog or Prophet 5. It seriously sounds that good, a king for pads and modulation effects."

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