Elka Synthex - original Laser Harp sound

YouTube Uploaded by wavebox2011 on Feb 28, 2011

""C'est le sound que fait la musique". Mister Jarre's Laser Harp has written history, even if it's just a controller and the real Laser Harp sound comes from an Elka Synthex, which is doing its job in the background.

Some say that Jean-Michel Jarre used the Synthex's factory preset, while others claim he modified or even recreated it for his music. Never mind who's right or wrong - it's a classic and really good synthesizer sound. Let's have a listen, directly at the source..."

Can the laser harp be topped...?

YouTube via shobley | January 23, 2011 |

"http://www.stephenhobley.com/store/0111/

I get asked about once a month if I can make a MIDI interface for the Theremin. So after completing the vacuum tube Theremin I thought it was about time I built one.

This device accurately matches Theremin Pitch to MIDI note, along with volume data - using a cunning blend of microprocessor, signal-processing hardware and some clever embedded software.

So far I've tested it with a PAIA Theremax, a Moog Etherwave Plus and my own Keppinger VT Theremin.

Not only does it produce pitch information, it can provide controller data, and realtime arpeggiation using simplified or complex chords - read from a MIDI keyboard connected to the input.

It even blends subtle pitch bend control into the MIDI stream to allow user controlled vibrato to be added. Just like a real Theremin.

Since enough people asked about it - I've put together a complete package here :
http://www.stephenhobley.com/store/0111/"

Пятый Канал интервью с Deftaudio

YouTube via DeftAudio | December 05, 2010 | 0 likes, 0 dislikes

"Разговор о лазерной арфе и интерактивном инструменте ReActive (авторская версия Reactable)"

Googlish:
"Talking about the laser harp, and interactive tools ReActive (author's version of Reactable)"

Tetris Theme on Laser Harp

YouTube via conquerearth | November 29, 2010 | 55 likes, 1 dislikes
Theremin Hero LIVE! Finale - Gamecity 5 Nottingham
"Tetris theme (my own remix) on Laser Harp.
The final part of my gig at GameCity 5, 28/10/10. More highlights in this video: (video upload pending)

www.thereminhero.com"

Ensoniq ESQ-1 TEANEGRO PATCHES

Update: NO LONGER AVAILABLE and link removed.

"Faithful emulations of classic vintage synth sounds and many more. Funky Moog basses, Oberheim strings, PE2000, PPG Wave, JX-8P, JUNO, SID, Elka Synthex (Laser Harp), TB-303, Polymoog (Vox Humana), deep pads, synth brasses, leads, DX7'ish basses, classic analogue dance basses, 90's rave buzzes, Rhodes, Clavinet, dusty string ensembles including Eminent 310 Unique...

Total 80 carefully programmed patches in two banks (SysEx). Compatible with Ensoniq ESQ-1, ESQ-M, SQ80 and Siegfried Kullmann's SQ8L. You need a computer with MIDI Interface and SysEx librarian to dump these patches into your Ensoniq."

via pascal in the comments of this video post for the soundset.

Moog Rogue Demo

YouTube via Dovinia | October 23, 2010

"Just fooling around with this versatile little synth. I'm using a Roland RS-09 string synth in the background in some places, and yes I know those are not the correct chords for that laser harp tune by Jarre."

"Dark Signals" by Mark Mosher (Live Rehearsal Video)

"Dark Signals" by Mark Mosher (Live Rehearsal Video) from Mark Mosher on Vimeo.

"'Dark Signals' is a song from my album I Hear Your Signals. This video is in HD and I captured the audio full fidelity right from my sound card in real-time and made note edits. It's one of my favorite songs off the album and is becoming a crowd favorite at live shows. A dark original electronica song with driving big beats, bit-crushed high-hats, a dash of ambient texture, and tasty distorted synth leads. Checkout the rippin' synth solo at the 1:42 mark performed live from a Tenori-On matrix controller sending notes to a virtual synth running in Ableton Live. The Moog Etherwave Theremin signal is being converted from analog back to digital and is driving virtual synths as well.

You can buy the album name your prices ($0 for Free) over at markmosher.bandcamp.com.

Mark Mosher
MarkMosherMusic.com"

"Alone" by Mark Mosher played on AudioCubes (Rehearsal) from Mark Mosher on Vimeo.

"In this video I'm playing my original instrumental electronic music song "Alone" from my album REBOOT markmosher.bandcamp.com/​album/​... .

I'm about half way through arranging and programming the synthesizers and controllers so I can add this song to my live set. I'm making great progress so I thought I'd share a rehearsal video.

It's such an organic piece, I decided to play the entire song from Percussa AudioCubes using only spatial hand movement. Ableton Live is playing back the pulsing drone, but almost all other elements are being played live via the AudioCubes. The AudioCubes are in "sensor" mode so placing my hand in front of a cube face plays a note on a virtual synthesizer hosted out of Live - almost like a Laser harp.

I only use the Novation Launchpad to change which tracks are armed thereby allowing me to switch which synths I'm playing on-the-fly throughout the song.

At the 2:00 minute mark I start playing chords by using multiple faces simultaneously.

Mark Mosher
MarkMosherMusic.com"

Yamaha Tenori-Ons on Ebay

"Alone" by Mark Mosher played on AudioCubes (Rehearsal)

YouTube via newechoproductions | September 23, 2010

"In this video I'm playing my original instrumental electronic music song "Alone" from my album REBOOT http://markmosher.bandcamp.com/album/... .

I'm about half way through arranging and programming the synthesizers and controllers so I can add this song to my live set. I'm making great progress so I thought I'd share a rehearsal video.

It's such an organic piece, I decided to play the entire song from Percussa AudioCubes using only spatial hand movement. Ableton Live is playing back the pulsing drone, but almost all other elements are being played live via the AudioCubes. The AudioCubes are in "sensor" mode so placing my hand in front of a cube face plays a note on a virtual synthesizer hosted out of Live - almost like a Laser harp.

I only use the Novation Launchpad to change which tracks are armed thereby allowing me to switch which synths I'm playing on-the-fly throughout the song.

At the 2:00 minute mark I start playing chords by using multiple faces simultaneously.

Mark Mosher
www.MarkMosherMusic.com"

Deftaudio Laserharp интервью с разработчиком (RUS), Infox

YouTube via DeftAudio — April 09, 2010 — "Интервью от 16 Марта 2009г агентству Infox где разработчик рассказывает о создании лазерной арфы. Полная версия доступна по ссылке: http://infox.ru/science/tech/2009/03/..."
"Interview on 16 March 2009, the agency Infox where a developer talks about creating a laser harp. Full version is available at: [link]"

Third Rendez vous Laser Harp

YouTube via rfoshaug

Laser Harp gets stuck, has problems, goes crazy!! Jean Michel Jarre unique footage!

YouTube via jdkhzn. Gotta love technical problems. For those that were in doubt, this does shows laser harp is a functional controller (when working properly of course).
"Jean-Michel Jarre performed on May 26 2009 in the Heineken Music Hall in Amsterdam.
During Rendez-Vous 2 the laser harp part, the laser harp got stuck and he had to reset the midi to eventually finish the songs... This showed the laser harp is REAL!!! Enjoy this unique footage!! :)"

Boots builds a Laser Harp: Trailer

YouTube via littlebootsvideos

"Here's a trailer for the Little Boots documentary of Little Boots on her quest to build a Laser Harp to use on tour.

Watch parts 1 and 2 in the Members section of http://www.littlebootsmusic.co.uk

Sign up here: http://www.littlebootsmusic.co.uk/use..."

Rendezvous 3

YouTube via blackknight2545
"'Rendezvous 3' (Laser Harp)
Main Theme: KORG 'Radias' Background: Jean Michel Jarre CD 'Rendezvous'"

Jarre in Manchester 23rd may 09 pt1

YouTube via spookyuk
"Jean Michel Jarre Playing in Manchester M.E.N was a fantastic concert
This is a selection of songs."
Theremin comes in at :34 followed by the laser harp at :49.

Nord Lead 3

YouTube via rpb1966. sent my way via fischek.
"The Nord Lead 3 can re-create a wide palette of sounds, these patches, Vox Humana, Laser Harp and Billys Screaming Lead, were all programmed by myself."

More Nord Lead 3

"Just have a listen, I thought I would do a longer one this time, a nice tribute for Billy for starters, and a few other surprises."

Laser harp in the microkorg

YouTube via cmatsuoka
"This is my first attempt at creating a program for the microkorg, so I picked up a sound that is easily recognizable. This is certainly not the best Synthex "laser harp" sound recreation around, but it should provide a good start for tweaks and improvements. The idea should work with any two-oscillator analog or analog-modeled synthesizer with oscillator sync, filtering and some kind of pitch envelope for the sync sweep. Actual values used in each parameter are shown in parentheses."

Update: a slightly different version via Tjoppy.

A bit of Jarre on MicroKorg

YouTube via Tjoppy
"A little bit of Jarre on the MicroKorg, the fat bass-like synth sound from rendez-vous 2. It sounds different from the original Elka Synthex sound; a bit more acid/dirty."

NORTEC: Arpa Laser / new Machine for Bostich+Fussible

YouTube via pepemogt
"We are building a Laser Harp from a design made by stephen hobley(thanks), Luis Vargas our technician guru is in charge of making this instrument work, the plan is to use it on our live presentations for controlling our synthesizer, here is a preview, coming soon in our Bostich+Fussible 2009 tour."

The beamz Music Performance System

Get your laser harp action on. No MIDI - USB Only. Not sure if you can use/mod it to control external gear.

"The beamz system has a "W" shape, with six laser beams spanning the two sections; connect via USB to your PC or laptop, and hook up some speakers. The simple, intuitive computer interface makes it easy to choose any of 30 included songs in 19 musical genres for laying down a complementary rhythm track. The beamz library includes original works in jazz, bluegrass, classical, hip-hop, reggae, heavy metal and more.

Breaking the laser beams with your hands automatically generates pre-authored pulses, streams, riffs or loops of musical notes or sounds from an incredible variety of instruments from around the world — guitars, steel guitar, strings of all types, percussion, keyboards, winds.even cowbell. Sophisticated high-fidelity sounds seem to pour from your fingertips like magic!

# Extraordinary invention fuses the interaction of your hands with laser beams to create the sounds of hundreds of different instruments.
# Breaking the laser beams with your hands automatically generates pre-authored pulses, streams, riffs or loops of musical notes or sounds from a variety of instruments — all kinds of strings, keyboards, winds, percussion. Sophisticated high-fidelity sounds seem to pour off your fingertips like magic!
# Choose a complementary rhythm track from 30 original songs in 19 music genres, including jazz, bluegrass, classical, hip-hop, reggae, heavy metal and more.
# The beamz system has a "W" shape, with six laser beams spanning the two sections; connect via USB to your PC or laptop, then hook up some speakers and you're ready to perform great-sounding music.
# Includes software CDs and USB cable for connecting directly to USB port of your PC or laptop."

more info including pdf at The Sharper Image. Or you can build this. You can find all posts mentioning laser harp here (scroll when you get there).

Laser Harp Mk II Construction

YouTube via shobley
Remember the Laser Harp? Here are some videos on it's construction. you can find more videos here.

Laser Harp Fully Functional

YouTube via shobley. Update: see this post for how he did it an more.
"Finally got the bugs worked out with the sensor. The harp is connected to the impOSCar VSTi software synthesizer, the TAOS sensor array sits on the floor in it's own stand. The array above the harp i is just made up of fs mirrors for added p'zazz. (www.stephenhobley.com)"