"✨ The Ritual — Let the Flame Speak ✨ The Ritual is not just an instrument. It is a presence — a small, mysterious machine that invites sound, light, and spirit to merge into one living moment. At its core, The Ritual offers two elemental voices: a warm, crackling texture like burning wood, and a deep, sub-harmonic bass that vibrates through the body. Two outputs, two energies, both ready to shape the atmosphere of your space. But the true magic lies in the heart of the machine. In the center burns a candle. Three light-sensitive sensors observe the living flame — every flicker, every breath of air, every tiny movement of light. The flame becomes the conductor, shaping rhythm, modulation, and tone. It decides the pulse. It guides the sound. It becomes an oracle of vibration. With control voltage input, three intuitive potentiometers, and full compatibility with stand-alone setups, pedal chains, and Eurorack systems, The Ritual integrates effortlessly into any sonic temple you create. Add a touch of delay, let the harmonics bloom, and suddenly the sound becomes something else — psychedelic, hypnotic, deeply alive. A soundscape where chaos becomes beauty, and the smallest movement of fire transforms the entire universe of tone. Hand-crafted by Error Instruments, built in rugged Bricky format, The Ritual invites you to surrender your control and let the flame speak. Light the candle. Start The Ritual. Let the fire shape your sound"
"The word 'aggression' is used in this video to express a certain quality of sound and music. It's not indended and should not be associated with any form of violence. In music, it can emphasize the emotion or reveal what's happening in an actor's mind. It's an element of storytelling. Use it wisely.
For some reason, people love aggressive sounds and we wouldn't be having heavy metal, noise muisic and industrial grunge without it. Some brands, not calling names, specialize in it. So I've been thinking. Does an 'aggressive' VCO exist? Modules like Three-Body, Plasma Voice, Loquelic Iteritas Percido and WaveRazor came to mind, but the level of rudeness completely depends on who's patching it. Not calling any names again. I think 'aggression' - it's a bad word, I know - is a recipe where you'd drive your gear into distortion, self oscillation and cross modulation. However, it's often about grit, dirt, filth and grunge. You don't need violence to enjoy it, it's just 'colors' and many of these colors are all over mother nature.
The ultimate showcase would be Noise Music, but I think that noise doesn't tell a story and emotions need to develop. So it needs some kind of storytelling. In this video, I'll explore some VCO's and combos that will balance the edge of noise, and then try to manage it. Even the most brutal noise becomes percussion when you sculpt it, and even the most civilized module can reap havoc and bring chaos."
five voices of analogue synthesis, controlled and modulated polytimbrally. we’ve taken ideas from our decade of modular exploration, and rethought how we reach into polyphony.
each voice is shaped by its harmonic energy while three core timbre modes push into richer territory. from simple suboctave and noise waves, through frequency modulation, and landing in formant synthesis reimagined. all squeezed through a lowpass/gate combination, providing balance and occasionally emphasis.
no digital multi-effects here, just spectres in the machine. a novel configuration of three filters, two delays, and feedback. front and almost centre — this resonant body is meant to be played. sequenceable, modulatable, while feeding back not just sound, but shape for unfolding cybernetics.
and to modulate! everything mappable to everything else, tactile input extended on the fly, mapping as a performance in itself. sources are dynamically phased across voices, and stretched in relative duration. gestures captured into five recorders, extending play rather than overriding it, all twisted in time at your whim.
Atrium is deeply learnable, and for those moments of quick change, instantly recallable. extensible with usb and midi and cv input.
//
a series of improvisations, exploring but a few edges of this new instrument.
performed by Trent Gill recorded by Dani Derks projections from Sean Hellfritsch"
Auction to be held at Musician's Hall of Fame & Museum, Nashville, on November 19
An incredible collection of more than 450 artifacts from the life and career of Florian Schneider, co-founder of the pioneer electronic band Kraftwerk."
Pics and videos featuring some of the gear below, and his Lederhosen for good measure (thanks greg!).
Update: the post has been fully updated with all the synth related gear. This may just well be the longest post to be featured on the site. I wanted to capture all the pics for all of the details including notes, scuffs, and of course serial numbers. It's an interesting look into what he used, the condition he keped his gear, in some cases, how he actually used his gear. Note the phonetics on the keys of the Casio CZ-101 and DX-100. Note the Midi Switch Box with a built-in speaker? What's that about? Note the camouflage key strap on the Korg RK-100 Remote Keyboard. Did he pick it out himself or did the keytar just come with it? Note the repeat midi controllers and the MIDI saxaphones. Wind was his primary instrument. You'll find a ton of the acoustic gear he used in the other listings. This is a fascinating insight into both what and how he used his gear.
Side note: there is no affiliate compensation for this post. The note at the top automatically shows for all posts with the Auction label.
Rack Mount Sennheiser VSM-201 Vocoder
Starting Bid
$5,000
Estimate
$20,000 - $40,000 USD
A late 1970s Sennheiser VSM 201 Vocoder with no serial number from the personal studio and collection of Florian Schneider of Kraftwerk (see images). While it’s said that only a few dozen of these Vocoders were produced, a few examples made it into the hands of forward-thinking musical artists including Herbie Hancock, Daft Punk, and of course, Kraftwerk, who used a VSM-201 like this on their albums Man Machine (1978) and Computerworld (1981). The VSM-201 has an intelligible sound that has not yet been bested by modern gear. Includes power cable. This VSM-201 has been removed from its wooden enclosure (which bears the serial number plate) and modified with a metal rack mount casing, presumably for live use. Requires 240v, IEC power cable not included.
Dimensions: 19 x 9 x 9 inches
Category: Kraftwerk, Equipment
Provenance: PROVENANCE From the Estate of Florian Schneider
"In this video we explore the principles of physical modeling synthesis using DFAM and Spectravox.
We begin with a summary of physical modeling synthesis. Physical modeling models an excitation signal (the isolated sound of a finger hitting a drum head, a pick plucking a guitar sting, a bow bowing a cello string) and a resonating body (a drum, a wooden block, a string coupled with a wooden body, etc.). Excitation signals are usually very short sounds full of harmonics and noise – we use DFAM to sculpt a broadband signal with lots of internal dynamics using DFAM’s three envelopes. Spectravox’s ten resonant filters with individual level control are then used to model a resonating body. DFAM’s velocity sequencer further allows us to create a sequence with harder or softer drum hits, while its pitch sequencer can move Spectravox’s filters via the SHIFT input for fascinating tonal changes."
Labyrinth and Subharmonicon | Tangled Transpositions
"In this video we tie Labyrinth and Subharmonicon’s sequencers together for tangled transpositional movement.
We begin by mixing the VCA outputs of each instrument using Labyrinth’s utility mixer. We then show how to quantize Subharmonicon’s two sequencers to generate sequences of octaves and then add those sequences to Labyrinth’s two sequencers to generate polyrhythmic octave transpositions. Labyrinth’s voice is sequenced by Labyrinth SEQ 1 and transposed by Subharmonicon SEQ 2 while Subharmonicon’s voice is sequenced by Labyrinth SEQ 2 and transposed by Subharmoncon SEQ 1. With Labyrinth’s quantizer set to Hirajoshi pentatonic scaling octave transpositions from Subharmonicon work well regardless of western tonality. Using more traditional western scales from Labyrinth we can set the steps of Subharmonicon to values other than octaves (e.g. perfect fourths/fifths) provided we stay in key."
Today I get into how to use the Three Body as a kind of typical FM (Frequency Modulation) tone generator and how to think the three different VCO as operators and 'algorithms'."
"The Crow Hill Company creates POCKET STRINGS as no-barrier-to-entry-styled string library plug-in produced without compromise… with added ‘synthy spice’
EDINBURGH, UK: having recently rebranded itself with an aesthetic that truly realises company co-founder and composer Christian Henson’s heartfelt dream of encouraging people to make music and help them on their journey, regardless of whatever point they were at and wherever their journey began, The Crow Hill Company continues its journeying into ‘Season Two’ as a producer of resources and tools to protect, inspire, support, and provide opportunities for music-makers the world over, believing that music is, and should remain, a wholly human experience, one that is by far one of the most powerful forms of expression, escape, comfort, and remembrance, of which its newly-created POCKET STRINGS — styled as a definitive string library plug-in that opens the doors to collaboration between anyone anywhere, creatively combining live cinematic orchestral recordings with some rarefied vintage synth classics made to measure for added body, depth, and character — readily represents the cornerstone of this ethos, as of July 10…
“A string library that’s accessible to all without compromise — a distillation of the last 25, nearly 30, years that I’ve been working as a media composer, which means that I write music for film, TV, and computer games, giving you the very basic necessities to write pro-end string arrangements. Whether that be adding to productions, songs, collaborating with others, or, indeed, creating professional film scores — whether that be to demo for an orchestra to play, or, indeed, to go to broadcast, there’s been no compromises here. But accessibility is the key — not just with the price point, but with usability.” So says Christian Henson himself, perfectly positioned — as The Crow Hill Company’s original founder, forging forward by building upon his extensive experience gained from founding Spitfire Audio to originally offer a palette of sounds he had created for his own use as a professional composer to his film world colleagues by invitation only, though the rest, as they say, is history — to proudly introduce POCKET STRINGS as a never-tried-before strings library plug-in that aims to bring broadcast-grade string possibilities to everyone.
A Sneak Peak into Pipo modules video upload by Pipo Interfaces
"Video produced by Tom Bouchet
Music: "Transition" by Alex-Productions (CC BY 3.0)"
Press release follows:
Pipo Interfaces brings a new versatile toolkit for creative sensing and audiovisual interactions in real-time.
Developed by creative technologist Rupert Renevier, Pipo is a range of electronics modules that connect sensors to computers, and are meant to simplify creative interactivity between people, real-world objects, and digital creation.
Whether you're performing, designing experimental MIDI instruments, or interested in making installations, Pipo builds the foundations of an accessible and adaptable open source toolkit.
When digital experiences become sensible and tangible, they allow for greater engagement and connection. The idea of using sensors for audiovisual applications and arts is far from being new, but still requires building custom solutions on Arduino or Raspberry Pi, which tends to be complex, time-consuming, and therefore not easily accessible to most.
Pipo wants to unlock the creative potential of real-time sensing, and lower the technical barrier to it, by proposing tools that connect the physical world to the digital in a straightforward fashion.
The Pipo recipe is simple: small affordable modules, wireless capabilities, and an intuitive yet powerful user interface. All Pipo modules can be used alone or in combination, fixed, worn on the body, embedded in objects, etc... All Pipo modules have mounting holes to augment all kind of projects and casing will be made available.
The first 3 modules of the family are Pipo Motion, Pipo Range and Pipo Analog.
Pipo Motion is dedicated to sensing movement: orientation, acceleration and magnetic field, thanks to an advanced 9 axis IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit). It allows for relative and absolute orientation.
Pipo Range is an accurate distance sensing unit which can be used to detect hands, obstacles, objects, or people (up to 3m). It can be used the same way as a theremin, or as a people proximity sensor for eg.
Finally, Pipo Analog, a versatile Input/Output device. On one side it has 8 capacitive touch inputs to create original touch buttons (for eg: with wires, metallic tape, vegetables, conductive paint, etc...)
On the other side it has multiple analog voltage inputs/outputs (up to 8). With these you can acquire and use any external buttons, specialized analog sensors modules, knobs or control servo motors, drivers, etc...
Beyond these three first sensing modules, Pipo Interfaces carries a vision for a whole creative ecosystem for many more input and also output modules. It has a strong anchor towards open source development and wants to create a strong user community connection.
Pipo modules can all send standard MIDI and/or OSC data wirelessly for maximum compatibility.
The connectivity is made through WiFi, Bluetooth Low Energy, or USB and every module has an onboard battery charger, so that whatever idea you have, you can test it quickly and have it communicate to your audiovisual software in a matter of seconds (no matter your operating system).
All the settings can be tuned in the field through a web interface hosted on every module. No need for an app or software, just open any web browser on your mobile. This interface allows you to set various settings like sensing parameters, ranges, and to adapt the incoming and outgoing data streams to your needs, quickly and easily.
You can for example eg fine tune the midi output, choose a note scale, channel, etc...
On a technical level, the project is developed with PlatformIO and the Arduino framework to make it easy for people to hack, modify, upgrade their pipos, or build their own custom Pipos. The software is open source, and the project runs on the Esp32-s3, one of the most versatile and powerful IoT chips around.
Pipo will launch as a pre-order campaign to fund the first production run. If you like Pipo, you can support it by entering your email address on the campaign page, it means a lot ! By doing so, you will also be notified of the launch date, so that you can be among the first people to get yours.
The launch date is pending on gathering a critical mass of people who want to see the project going live, so subscribing helps the project move forward.
All this happens on CrowdSupply, a platform dedicated to launching open source projects:
Click the auction link on top when you get there for additional listings.
VEMIA is Peter Forrest's auction house. He is the author of The A-Z of Analogue Synthesizer Books.
"SCHOBER TUNESMITH (new start price to allow bids from outside the seller's tax region) Very rare monophonic transistor synth, single oscillator, circa 1968, sold as a kit or pre-assembled. The voice switch activates different static filters, providing 6 markedly different tones from bright sawtooth to mellow triangle. This short video [posted here] of the same model clearly shows the sounds ---- I read that the keyboard is a Pratt-Reed that uses series resistance rather than a matrix. This model for auction has clear strong sound with almost no hum whatsoever. The main problem is the tuning is way off, and some notes glitch a little. Not difficult to repair, I would think. Also the vibrato is not working, probably just a bad resistor, should be easy to fix. Body is solid and in good condition for a 57-year old instrument, so it hasn't been knocked about. Keyboard and control panel are very clean, almost no scratches. Mainly home or studio use, probably. The three tools contained inside the lid are a complete mystery, which may be solved once you look inside the unit! While this is offered as a 'project' the encouraging thing is how bright and clear it sounds, and once tuning and vibrato are fixed, you have a very playable instrument similar to a Clavioline. It's a worthwhile project, I would say. Power is 105-120V 50/60 cycles, with a 2-pin US-style mains plug. I've given it a very low start price. SHIPPING: This Tunesmith is located in Japan, and weighs (packed) approximately 7kg. Discounted shipping to UK/Europe/USA will be £30 surface, £80 air. For other countries, please enquire."
The 3B is delivered assembled in its external case: 2mm folded aluminum, 4mm machined aluminum front, epoxy paint, DC/DC converters and Meanwell power supply, the whole demonstrates a hardware quality that lives up to the pleasure that The 3B brings.
On the left (yellow adjustable support) is a 3D Laser/IR, without any danger for fingers and eyes, it is a specific technology called TOF (Time Of Flight). This sensor transmits an image of your hand or any other object that enters its cone of vision, as well as the precise distance between the object and the sensor. The image allows, by analysis, to determine the X and Y position of the hand or the object. The Z height is transmitted directly by the sensor with millimeter precision.
A second identical sensor, placed on the right (blue swivel support), transmits the X2, Y2, Z2 coordinates as well as a GATE G2, allowing completely independent two-handed play.
In the center, two buttons A and B are very sensitive pressure sensors. They transform pressure into voltage available on the A/X2 and B/Y2 sockets. They can operate as two independent sources or as a single source controlled by the two buttons: in this case, button A decrements the value, B increments it and both can act simultaneously to allow excellent control finesse.
Management of height information (Z1 and Z2)
The height of the hand, another part of the body, or an object in relation to the sensor is fundamental playing information and The 3B offers you several ways to manage it.
LIKE THEREMIN mode
When the hand enters the cone of visibility of the sensor, the GATE is activated. The voltage available on Z will correspond to the height of your hand. By default, The3B offers 120mm per octave. With its sensitivity, in broad daylight and without gloves, you cover three octaves minimum. You can change this 120mm reference per octave (possible values 72, 96, 120, 180, 240 and 360 mm)
SELECTED SEMITONE mode
Each 10 mm of movement (with 120 mm/octave setting) corresponds to a semitone. The GATE in this mode is generated for each note played. You can activate/deactivate certain semitones to limit the range to a specific key or notes.
Evoke a bewildering variety of polyphonic organ sounds directly from your guitar! Valkurë (pronounced VAL-KUR-EE) transforms your raw strings into a big, multi-timbral instrument in realtime, and without resorting to guitar-to-MIDI trickery. Preserve the crucial dynamics of your playing -such as vibrato, bends, and slides- while maintaining thorough control over the final sound. Complete with a full range of organ parameters, extensive options, built-in rotary speaker emulation, virtual tube amplifier, and analog inspired effects, Valkurë is a powerful addition to your guitar arsenal.
The unique organ module achieves guitar-to-organ transformation via proprietary signal processing algorithms, thereby retaining full polyphony. Valkurë offers three different organ models that vary from mellow to aggressive. The main tone generator features nine registers (drawbars) that allow you to dial in overtones in a five octave range — much like a tonewheel organ. In addition, two special “pedal” registers provide harmonically rich bass and sub bass tones that can work alone or in combination with the principal organ tones.
A built-in percussion generator inspired by “B” and “C” series organs is triggered by pick attack, and features switches for percussion length, level, as well as harmonic. Additional preferences allow you to modify these, as well as specify the sensitivity of the trigger detector. The Chorus/Vibrato unit is modeled after the famed scanner circuit, and features six modes.
The rotary speaker module offers three unique cabinets to choose from. Each cabinet features individually configurable virtual horn and drum drivers. The rotary unit provides many options, including micing angle, inertia, slow/fast speeds, additional room microphone, and more. The built-in amplifier is designed to complement the rotary speaker, and offers three different amp models that feature our newest tube emulation technology, as well as a full range of tonal controls.
The settings panel contains a wide variety of parameters for fine tuning the organ. These include variable attack to obtain an auto-generated volume “swell” effect, as well as thorough control over the organ’s timbre and dynamics via Taper, Resonance, Body, Air, and Leakage parameters. Dedicated variable Boost controls for organ and pedal modules help add fullness and sizzle to the basic tones. Valkurë is rounded out by the addition of analog-modeling effects, including tape delay, 3-band Baxandall style EQ, as well as built in compressor.
Besides working as both a standalone app and an AUv3 plugin, Valkurë is also compatible with Apple Silicon Macs. It comes packaged with many professional features, including convenient MIDI learn for over 75 parameters, a powerful preset management system, 128 factory presets, and more.
"There are currently 1601 filters on ModularGrid. It may be impossible to pick the right one for your case. If we check out the modular pioneers, we'd see Moog's legendary ladder. Buchla only made a rare triple bandpass, Roland and Korg refined far eastcoast synthesis and there are a few exotics like the Wasp and the Polivoks. In this video I want to focus on the Serge filters (eurorack format) which I rediscovered last year. He has five designs with distinct differences. There's the RES EQ fixed filter bank, the VCF2 variable bandwidth with no resonance (?), the VCFS with a variable slope (?) and the highly appreciated VCFQ with variable resonance. A few weeks ago Serge released the VCFX with a 'new gate' on a single panel. It's a simple utility filter on its own, but combined with the gate we'll have a patch programmable LPG. Or a bandpass gate.
I'll be using the Schlappi THREE-BODY as a triple sawtooth voice making a chord. It's a big and nasty sound that could use a filter. It inevitably turned out to be a long video because I had the pleasure to go through five different filters. I tried to keep it fresh and entertaining. Who doesn't love playing the cut-off :)."
"Recorded in one take into 1010music Bluebox.
Mixed & mastered in Ableton Live.
Drums: Syntakt, Basimilus Iteritas Alter
Bass/Kick: Neutron
FM Lead: Schlappi Engineering Three Body
Pad: Minifreak
Other tonal sounds: Analog Four MK II
Squarp Instruments Hapax - sequencing
This track is available for my patrons.
The great support from my patrons makes all of this possible ... thank you so much guys !!
/ substan "
"A perfect working Logan String Orchestra, the lush string synthesizer released by the Italian company Logan in 1973. The machine has been recently checked and calibrated by a professional technician, it works like a charm.
Released in 1973, the String Orchestra expanded Logan's range of string synthesizers by offering warmer and more refined sounds. It positioned itself as an alternative to the edgier character of the String Melody I, also produced by Logan, as well as to later string synthesizers like the Solina String Ensemble. The String Orchestra is a fully polyphonic synthesizer featuring three parallel BBD (Bucket Brigade Device) chorus circuits and a unique architecture that makes this machine truly one of a kind.
The Panel The Logan String Orchestra features five mixable string sounds, each with its own dedicated volume slider. Interestingly, these sliders are duplicated on the front panel, with one set assigned to the first two octaves and the other set assigned to the remaining two octaves on the right. When both sets of sliders are adjusted identically, the same sound is produced across the entire keyboard. However, by setting them differently, you can perform with two distinct sounds simultaneously on the left and right sides. The small panel near the keyboard features the following controls:
Bass: Volume slider for the bass sound, assigned to the left side of the keyboard Perc: Adjust this slider to make the bass sound punchier Tone: Functions like the "Brilliance" slider found on many vintage string machines, shaping the brightness of the sound Slalom: Acts as a pitch bend control, also useful for fine-tuning the main patch Volume: Master volume slider for the overall output Hawaii: A piezo tactile switch that temporarily applies a pitch envelope to the notes being played Orchestra : when this button is ON, the synth deactivates Violins and Bass The Sound
The overall sound of the String Orchestra is silky, warm, and extremely pleasant—quite similar to the string sounds of the marvelous Godwin Symphony 849. It’s rich and velvety in the midrange, while remaining precise and never harsh in the higher octaves. This makes it quite different from the grittier, wilder sound of the popular String Melody, also produced by Logan.
The Cello, Viola, and Violin sounds represent three different octaves of the same oscillator: a beautiful, smooth, and highly musical sawtooth waveform. When used individually, these three sounds create a peaceful and smooth string tone, where you can truly appreciate the lush effect of the three parallel BBD choruses in action.
The two Orchestra sounds are based on a rectangular waveform. They share the same fundamental frequency but differ in pulse width and filtering. Orchestra I features a very narrow pulse width, a 12 dB/oct low-pass filter fixed at 10 kHz, and a low-frequency cutoff that doesn’t go below 180 Hz—perfect for adding extra harmonics to the patch. Orchestra II has a wider pulse width, a 6 dB/oct low-pass filter with mild resonance, adding warmth and body to the patches.
And finally, the Bass sound. This is a very fat, filtered sawtooth waveform ranging from C0 to A1. The Perc slider adds a gummy sine waveform with a fast attack and a gently quick decay. By lowering all the sliders on the right side, it’s possible to play the Bass sound on its own."
Note: links to listings are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.
video upload by Vaemi
Playlit:
Atari Punk Console : Short Review : Vaemi (Standalone Synthesizer)
Atari Punk Console : Basic Features : Vaemi (Standalone Synthesizer)
Atari Punk Console : With Analog Ribbon Controller : Vaemi (Eurorack)
Atari Punk Console : With Analog Sequencer : Vaemi (Standalone Synthesizer)
Mini Mixer (With Atari Punk Console, Cracklebox & PO-12) : Short Review : Vaemi (Synthesizer)
VAEMI's Atari Punk Console features a circuit design that operates with two oscillators and the modulation between these oscillators. Based on the "Stepped Tone Generator" circuit developed by Forrest M. Mims III in the early 1980s, this design is one of the significant milestones in electronic music history.
Thanks to the two oscillators, it offers the possibility to select harmonic degrees based on the fundamental frequency. This feature allows users to create melodic arpeggios.
"The next generation of music workstations is here—KRONOS has returned. With a fast boot time, an enhanced touchscreen, and a refined aesthetic design, this next-generation powerhouse sets a new standard in versatility and performance capabilities."
"I felt I had to do an episode 02 after anything else and maybe this should have been EP01. But you just can't make shortcuts with this module. It takes time to understand it and appreciate it as a sculpting tool. I am slowly getting the hang of it and I just needed to share my progress.
00:00 Introduction
00:37 Intellijel Springray 2 with C4 in the insert/return
03:06 Cancel the IN- and IN+ inputs, with MakeNoise STO
04:16 X, Y, I and Q, with DPO and two XPOs.
07:05 Triphop multitrack jam with the THREE-BODY
10:20 Springtank life under a magnifying glass"
Side note: This appears to be the first post to feature the SpringRay2. You can find posts featuring the original here.
