"The systems shown above are provided as examples of possible configurations. Thanks to the fully modular architecture, virtually any custom system can be designed to match your specific requirements.
Systems can be freely configured using the complete range of MOS-LAB modules. To receive a quotation for your custom system, simply send the list of desired modules to info@mos-lab.com, and we will provide a detailed quote."
"This Oberheim was custom built for Ronnie Montrose around 1980 and used by him until the early 1990's. This synthesizer has some great sounding Synthesizer Expander Modules. In this video, the two sequencers are driving all four SEM units. I am stepping through the sequencer steps with a foot switch plugged into the step input on the patch panel A. Recorded direct off mixer no effects, compression or eq.
#synthesizer #oberheim"
And one with the "The Wizard - E-Mu Systems Modular Synth":
Mad Science Lab - TechnoSaurus LIVES (2026 Live in Studio)
"Two 1970's Synths and a Drum Machine in the Mad Science Lab Studio.
A E-Mu Systems Modular Analog Synthesizer is used to play 3 voices, and an Arp-2600 plays another voice along with an XBASE 999 Analog Drum Machine. Recorded direct off mixer into an iPad.
"This is my fifteenth video breakdown/rundown, this time for my largest system, the mighty 5U "wall"! 馃コ This is likely the last installment of this series.
"Following the Studio Tour Video I made last November, here is an update with recent acquisitions and changes to my workflow in my Studio.
Some highlights are the Moog Messenger, Arturia DrumBrute Impact 1984 Edition, Synido TempoPAD C16, Aly James Lab Vprom 3.0, Beyerdynamic DT1990 Pro, Modartt Pianoteq 8 and some Franklin Audio Devices.
The biggest change is in my 2nd Studio where the B Team is kept. I have connected those synths to a Franklin Audio SS-6 Switchable Input Stereo DI which then sends audio to my Universal Audio Volt 476 interface connected to a Macbook Pro Laptop.
You can view the original Studio Tour Video here -"
"The Brooklyn Synth & Pedal Expo, a free for all interactive display of synthesizers and pedals of all kinds, will return to Brooklyn on the weekend of October 5th and 6th at Greenpoint's stylish warehouse venue 100 Sutton.
Hosted in a 6k sq ft warehouse in the heart of one of Brooklyn’s most musical neighborhoods located between Williamsburg and Queens, this year's event is expected to be attended by around 2k visitors. Pictures from last year's edition can be found here.
Eurorack Classes and GSG.live workshops The schedule of the presentations will be also integrated by two Eurorack classes hosted by Ben Atchouel of the New York Modular Society and two workshops about online performances curated by the team at GSG.live.
Confirmed Vendors Visitors will find a varied mix of companies, over 80, with a nice assortment of heavyweight synth and pedal brands and smaller boutique builders, including several Eurorack companies. Full list below.
"Drawing from the earliest days of polyphonic synthesizers, Sound Bank ‘79 for the Oberheim OB-X8 finds its inspiration in synthesizer music found in documentaries and library music from the late 70’s and early 80’s.
A sound bank comprising 64 patches (8 full groups) for instant inspiration, this set was painstakingly crafted to bring the absolute best out of this fantastic instrument. I was blown away by the quality of tone in this synthesizer, and the sounds speak for themselves.
Recorded completely dry with no effects or processing.
"Thank you to all of the exhibitors at SynthFest 2024 who will receive a prize in this tombola for the annual deal for all the passions of synths and modules."
"► Billetterie: www.synthfestfrance.com ► 20 lots / 2000 tickets / plus de 10000€ de lots ► 10€ le ticket ► Enti猫rement en ligne. Pas la peine d'锚tre pr茅sent au SynthFest pour gagner un lot. ► Fermeture de la billetterie : 18 Avril 2024
Merci 脿 tous les exposants du SynthFest 2024 qui font encore une fois de cette tombola le deal de l'ann茅e pour tout les passionn茅s de synth茅s et de modulaires.
1e prix - Expressive E Osmose 2e prix - Kodamo EssenceFM MKII 3e prix - Haken Audio Eagan Matrix Eurorack 4e prix - Kiviak Wofi 5e prix - Paire d’enceintes Nord Piano 6e prix - Korg Keystage 49 7e prix - Arturia MiniFreak 8e prix - 1010music Nanobox Tangerine Desktop 9e prix - Novation Circuit Tracks 10e prix - Projet Home Studio pack Mix / Mastering 11e prix - Hlabs EQ169 API 500 module 12e prix - Kaona Skippy Eurorack module 13e prix - Faselunare Vega Eurorack module 14e prix - BVR instruments TS1 Eurorack module 15e prix - This Is Not Rocket Science Ardabil 16e prix - Piano LED Plus 2024 17e prix - Fred's Lab Zekit Assembled 18e prix - Morphor Plectrum Eurorack module 19e prix - Joranologue Route 4 Eurorack module 20e prix - KR Home-Studion 1 an d'abonnement"
Fascinating bit at 1:50. Paul McGowan actually created his own synthesizer, The Infinitizer. Curious if there are any images of it out there. He almost sold one to Wendy Carlos. It gets a mention in his book 99% True: Almost a National Bestseller which you can find on Amazon here (note this is an affiliate link - see the site's privacy policy for more info).
Update: I asked Paul if he had any pics of The Infinitizer. Unfortantely he didn't, and he no longer has any of the parts, but he did send over the following additional info:
"I don’t have any photos of the Infinitizer, unfortunately. I remember a very sad day back in 1995 or so when I was cleaning out my lab and had to own up to hauling it off to the dump (it was a mere skeleton of PCBs, a keyboard, and lots of wires and didn’t work)."
"The idea was to make 10 synthesizers into one unit that was easy to use. This meant it would be the world’s first polyphonic synth, since musicians only have 10 fingers.
I designed a complete analog chain of 10 modules (the usual: VC filters, oscillators, envelope generators, amplifiers, etc.). Then, I hired an engineer out of Vandenburg Air Force Base who was a whiz at this new thing called “digital”. He designed for me a multiplexed keyboard that constantly scanned all the keys looking for ones that were pressed. The keys were all internally numbered and when pressed, the multiplexer would find an available VC oscillator and assign that number to the oscillator. Because we know the number of the key, the appropriate voltage was sent to that oscillator and it produced the appropriate frequency for that key. In order to have the entire keyboard voltage move up and down (like if you wanted to bend the notes or modulate the frequency with a LF oscillator) the master voltage (that got divided by the individual keys assigned to it) could be accessed as one might normally do through the patch bay.
I also wanted to have the keys pressure sensitive so for that, I invented the use of conductive foam under each key (and that too could manipulate the master voltage to the oscillator banks) and could be assigned to modulate any of the other modifiers too. My patch bay was a switch matrix and pots kind of like ARP used to do.
It was a very cool device which I wrote about extensively in my memoirs, 99% True."
-------
As for the first non organ based poly synth, currently that honor likely goes to one of the following depending how you define it:
1975 - Buchla 502 - six voice polyphonic with minicomputer and ability to save patches to tape drive. Development on the 500 series began in 1969.
1975 - Oberheim FVS - four voice polyphonic with Polyphonic Synthesizer Programmer. Not sure if the 502 or FVS was released first.
1977 - Yamaha - CS50/CS60/CS80 - first single enclosure polyphonic keyboard synthesizers, with the CS80 to be the first synth with poly aftertouch
1978 - Sequential Circuits - microprocessor control the SCI prophet 10 (briefly) and the P-5 --- again based on existing E-mu tech stuff
Timeline 0:00 Intro 0:09 Another Big One 1:26 Astral Titans 2:45 Beny's Territory 3:57 Bouncing Spray 5:18 Chick's Lead 6:35 Classicana Lead 7:08 Classipad 7:41 CS80 + Lead 8:16 CS80 + Ladder II 8:52 Eightiki 9:29 Ambient Analog 1 9:45 Versailles Brass 10:02 Three Waves 10:33 PolySynthetix 11:16 Piercing Bass 11:42 Fat Model D 12:02 Analog Scream
"Tornano a Torino anche gli ingegneri di @enjoyelectronics6070 che avevamo conosciuto con Reminder nel 2019 e che ora sono campioni di incassi con l'effetto 'Godfather', fonte inesauribile di effetti e modulazioni!
LINKS ENJOY ELECTRONICS su Soundmit: https://soundmit.com/en/exhibitor/enj... ENJOY ELECTRONICS https://www.enjoy-lab.com/
"The engineers from @enjoyelectronics6070, whom we had met with Reminder in 2019, are also returning to Turin. They are now champions of revenue with the 'Godfather' effect, an inexhaustible source of effects and modulations!
Les ing茅nieurs de @enjoyelectronics6070, que nous avions rencontr茅s avec Reminder en 2019, reviennent 茅galement 脿 Turin. Ils sont d茅sormais les champions des recettes avec l'effet 'Parrain', une source in茅puisable d'effets et de modulations !
Tambi茅n regresan a Tur铆n los ingenieros de @enjoyelectronics6070, a quienes conocimos con Reminder en 2019 y que ahora son campeones de ingresos con el efecto 'El Padrino', una fuente inagotable de efectos y modulaciones.
Si ringraziano per il video @pvmlab6423 - Max Esposito e Gabriele Guarnieri #soundmit #enjoylab #godfather #synthesizers #modularsynth #torino"
"Always a pleasure to spend time in the company of George Hearn from UDO Audio, and especially as he brought the production ready Super Gemini poly synth with him.
The Super Gemini is now officially shipping, units are leaving the buillding and soon the 20 voice (10 in binaural mode) FPGA oscillator equipped synth will be making its way into the hands of those lucky folks whov'e ordered one.
Two FPGA oscillators per voice, (with 3rd trackable LFO), Analogue filter, analogue VCA with two discrete synth layers that can be played in two 5 voice each (binaural oscillator mode), or 10 voice per synth, each with discrete controls and chorus/delay FX.
In the hands of George it sounds wonderful, - in fact if you are an upper tier supporter, we've posted some additional playing in another post to whet your whistle.
Its not cheap, ut you do get a heck of a lot of synthesizer for your money..
Super Gemini is shipping and available now priced at £3799 from all good retailers."
"This is the seventh video breakdown/rundown for my 'physically largest' eurorack 'Table Case' system although it only has 23 modules in it and ranks only 4th place for most modules out of my 7 eurorack systems! It houses a majority of my Synthrotek/Division 6/Mattson modules. Next time I'll do a small 5U system in an angled desktop case. Please subscribe to my channel and click the 'bell' button to be notified when I post new videos! (because as you may know, I post inconsistently! 馃槖馃槉)
Index:
0:00 Beginning
0:25 Introduction
2:09 Contents Rundown
9:15 A Look Inside
16:47 Final Words And Shirt
17:45 Previous Social Media Demo
18:45 Noise And Pedals Patch
20:33 Another Table Case Demo
24:03 Bonus Track: Excerpt From Live 2017 MOTS Performance
30:51 End
List of the modules in this system:
Korg: MS2000R
JLR: MS2000R I/O Breakout
Circuit Abbey: Unify, G8
Division 6: Mattson SQ816, Multiplicity IV
2hp: Nse
Intellijel: OR
EMW: T-Drum
Synthwerks: Lamp-3
Strymon: AA.1
Happy Nerding: LED Meter (x2)
Konstant Lab: PWR Checker
Synthrotek MST: Dual VCA, Dual Envelope, LP Filter, Audio/CV Mixer, VCO (x2), VC LFO, MIDI To CV, MIDI To CV Expander
As always, thank you for watching, rating, following, subscribing, and commenting! 馃コ If you found the content of this video helpful, interesting, or entertaining, please consider showing your support so I can stay stocked up on coffee and cookies. 馃構 https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/JohnL..."
"GForce Software's latest instrument update is for the Minimonsta making it now at version 2. It follows the new features first seen in the OB-E V2 and then the Oddity V3 - namely an improved audio engine, re-sizable UI, four macro controls, new preset browser and a vintage control for dialling in more wonkiness.
The Minimonsta2 is a Minimoog Model D at it's heart with the familiar panel but obviously also is polyphonic. GForce also include the XLFO and XADSR - two fully assignable modulation sources, though with as many instances as you’ll likely to need that can be mapped to most variable parameters on a one to one basis.
You also get an additional 300 presets.
At present the Minimonsta2 is available at a reduced price of £49 (+VAT) from £99 - which makes if a pretty affordable deal, given that it's a fairly simple to navigate interface and is capable of a wide variety of sounds - from monster basses to lovely atmospheric pads."
"Some sounds from the Osmose. An initial impression of what it sounds like straight out of the box. This will no doubt be making an appearance on my next solo album on DiN records."
"This is different. It's a new journey to embark on. and I love it. Please hang out with me on my first proper sit down with the production model Osmose. I love how expressive you can be with every patch."
"After a perfect storm of COVID and global parts shortages. The Osmose instrument from Expressive E is now shipping to the backers, next step is full production.
The instrument has an incredibly sensitive playing action with a custom keybed combined with the Eagan Matrix - a highly expressive and complex sound engine offering physical modelling, FM and a lot more besides.
We had a visit from Christopher who's the main product guy for the Osmose to show Gaz Williams where this exicting new instrument has got to.
00:00:00 Start
00:01:59 GPU Sponsor Mac Support
00:02:51 Overview
00:06:15 Eagan Matrix
00:09:01 Sounds
00:11:52 Controller?
00:15:42 Pedals
00:17:56 Control Section
00:22:18 Macros
00:25:59 Sensitivty
00:33:12 Portamento and Arp
00:36:49 Percussive voices
00:41:47 MPE
00:45:09 Case and Wrap"
And the press release with pics:
"Expressive E is proud to announce Osmose, the new universal standard for musical expressivity. Osmose is a polyphonic synthesizer that unlocks new ways to control sound and features a powerful sound engine created in collaboration with the leading-edge audio company, Haken Audio.
The conclusion of an epic adventure
Three years ago, Expressive E embarked on an ambitious adventure by opening the pre-orders for their standalone synthesizer, Osmose.
Osmose elevates a player始s experience by introducing a new landscape of features for musicians to interact with sound and produce music in new ways. It does this while not only respecting, but also enhancing the player始s existing keyboard skills. Every note can be articulated independently with unique expressive possibilities, such as those seen in this Osmose gesture compilation video: https://youtu.be/AA5xe7k4OrM
To achieve that goal, the Expressive E engineers set out to industrialize a new generation of expressive keybed which is at the core of Osmose始s playing experience. The biggest challenge was to implement all expressiveness-related technologies into the familiar keybed form factor of the piano that musicians have been using for centuries. Creating a new kind of keybed generated many industrial production obstacles and ultimately required a total symbiosis between DSP and hardware to connect all players to Omose始s sound through the use of natural gestures.
Expressive E engineers conducted hundreds of on-field test sessions to fine-tune the complex design of the synthesizer. Artists played a tremendous role in the refinement of Osmose by providing precise feedback about playing sensations and helped shape a new ergonomic tool, relevant for musicians from various music scenes and cultural horizons. Thanks to their support as well as the early adopters and partners, the wait is finally over: Osmose has now started to ship.
First deliveries and re-opening of preorders Expressive E are thrilled to announce the delivery of the first Osmose units to early adopters of the project. The first products had already been delivered in late 2022 and early backers始 shipments will keep flowing continuously.
Expressive E have thus decided to reopen pre-orders on January 5th 2023 for all musicians interested in purchasing Osmose. The pre-order scheme has been reconducted to allow Expressive E to anticipate demand as efficiently as possible and organize their production schedules accordingly. Despite a tense economical environment driven by inflation, component shortages and the resurgence of epidemics, the company will still commit to guaranteeing a $/€1,799 retail price, within the limits of allocated stocks.
Interested musicians can now pre-order their Osmose on Expressive E始s website or through an affiliated dealer. [see the dealers on the right]
A new kind of synthesizer From its inception, Osmose was designed as a solution to connect musicians with electronic instruments more intimately while still retaining the sound-design abilities of modern-day and vintage synthesizers.
Backed by a powerful sound engine made in collaboration with pioneering audio company Haken Audio, Osmose offers more than 500 creativity-boosting presets. Each of them was fine-tuned to offer performance and recording-ready macros. Preset curation covers many musical genres including modern pop, urban, film scoring, electronic music, sound design, and traditional instrumental music. Made to inspire, Osmose offers a playful experience based on familiar features and thus presents a gentle learning curve. It offers the benefits of MPE instruments without the need to relearn the instrument entirely.
From the beginning, Osmose has been a collaborative project with artists from many musical backgrounds. They have been involved in the development of Osmose to make it a musical companion to fit their creative and ergonomic needs. Expressive E celebrates these artist collaborations with the release of a video series recapping the Osmose adventure and the reaction of artists to the new, dynamic, inspiring synthesizer.
Shot in Chennai (India), Paris (France), and Los Angeles (USA), the video series features musicians and producers like Flying Lotus, AR Rahman, Jean-Michel Jarre, Mike Dean, Cory Henry, Andr茅 Manoukian, and Tarik Azzouz. It shows their approach to musical expression, how they interact with Osmose, and how this new synthesizer has influenced the way they play. A trailer for the series is now available on YouTube.
During Q1 and Q2 2023 Expressive E will regularly release clips focusing on each individual artist from the main trailer video. The first three episodes of the series are now available on YouTube. They feature musical icon A.R. Rahman (Grammy winner and film scorer for 127 Hours and Slumdog Millionaire), jazz virtuoso J3PO (a prolific solo artist and keyboardist for Marcus Miller), and trap beatmaker veteran Tarik Azzouz (a Grammy winner who has worked with Jay-Z, DJ Khaled, 2 Chainz, and many more)."
In case you missed it in this post, Roger Linn noted Dave Smith was "an avid athelete, cyclist and triathlete. He actually participated in the Hawaii Ironman Triathlon in his younger years..."
@birdkids reminded me of an article on the development of the Prophet VS archived on the WaybackMachine. In it, Chris Meyer mentions Dave was in Hawaii prepping for the tournament during that time. I thought it was interesting and worth sharing. I captured it below.
"Date: Wed, 15 Jan 1997 07:55:41 -0800 From: Xrystal MIME-Version: 1.0 Subject: Birth of the Prophet VS
I thought the following might be of interest to you. Xrystal _____________________________________________________________________
The Birth of the Prophet VS
By Chris Meyer, ex-employee of Sequential Circuits
It all started somewhere in 1985. We were still working on the Prophet 2000 sampler, and as resident historian (in other words, I had the most magazines and manuals) another engineer was asking me to explain how various instruments performed crossfades. I had finished discussing the Fairlight, and had moved on the PPG - explaining its wavetables, and the ability for it to scan a group of waves first in one direction and then back again, While I was scrawling this back and forth motion in my notebook, suddenly a little twinge went off in the back of my head, and myhand drew the next line arcing down the page.. and the concept of crossfading beween waves in two dimension, not just one, was born.
Timeline
0:00 Intro
0:10 Spacious Pad
1:01 Airy Fairy Pad
2:20 Big Pad
2:54 Feedback Lead
3:38 Awaken Sign Kn6
4:14 PolysixEX Square Lead
5:05 PWM Nag
5:35 Big Texture Strings
6:24 Saw Strings
7:06 E. Piano Dyno Chorus
8:49 Oasys Piano
10:36 Pods In The Pad
