New England Synthesizer Museum - Interview

Title link takes you to an interview of Dave Wilson, curator of the New England Synthesizer Museum. I was fortunate enough to visit the museum a couple of years ago. It was a jaw dropping experience seeing so many classics in one location. Dave was a great host. There is also some sample audio of Dave after the hop. And to be clear, I didn't do this interview. I just visited the museum a couple of years ago.

The first ARP 2500 (I took this shot when I was there)

Cwejman S1 Samples in via Alex Theakston

Right click and save the title link. That's one "elastic" and aggressive sounding synth. Thanks Alex!

Roland JX-3P MIDI Expansion Kit

Finally! In via Dennis on AH. updated link. A software editor is also coming. Very cool.



"The Roland JX-3P synthesizer is a nice analog synth produced in 1983. Today people still use this synth very often. The JX-3P was one of the first synthesizers with MIDI. The sounds can be edited only with a PG-200 programmer. One of the biggest disadvantages is that the MIDI functionality is very limited. It is impossible to edit the sounds via MIDI. The second disadvantage is that the PG-200 programmer and the MIDI-IN can not be used simultaneously."

"With this kit you can:

• use the MIDI Input and PG-200 simultaineously.


• control the JX-3P realtime with standard MIDI-Controller messages. (i.e. with a MIDI-Knob controller)


• all knobs and switches on the PG-200 send out standard MIDI-Control messages.


• record the PG-200 knob and switch movements in your favorite sequencer.


• use the PG-200 as MIDI-controller to control other MIDI devices.


• create, load and store new JX-3P patches with your computer, and share them with other people.


• select the MIDI channel on the JX-3P as 1, 2, 3 or OMNI.

"

Paia Modular

Some shots of a Paia Modular in my picture stash. Title link takes you to them.

Tim Kaiser - Performance Artist, Sonic Designer

John Duval sent this my way. Some amazing custom work. Title link takes you to Tim Kaiser's sonic page. Make sure to track back to his main sitefor his performance art and more.

The 400 with Flangulator


"The 400 with Flangulator was a commission from a very generous guy in Phoenix, who in-turn gave it to Nick Rhodes (currently behind a velvet rope in his London studio). I re-worked an old EH-400 Mini Synth brain into a new case, added real keys from a smashed Farfisa Compact and incorporated a hybrid flanger/ring modulator circuit. Also features a pseudo-ribbon controller for the stop frequency and a way cool "magic lamp."

The Custom 500.

Check out the old-school rotary phone on the side!

"The Custom 500 is about as complicated as I want to do. Features a looping delay, dual stage distortion, vocoder, oscillator and roto-phone-vibe. This was a commission for Stephan in California (thanks for the tour!). "

The HL-1958


"The HL-1958 Synth is a 20 key synth with envelope filter, 1 second looping delay (that also does flange, double, echo, etc.) and a dual-voice brain. Contols for sustain and pitch warp. And of course a classic analog meter to go with the classic analog sound. Now out in Los Angeles..."

2001: A Space Odyssey - Buchla

Interesting. I received an email stating that Subotnik's work was for the LP only, not the original soundtrack. I definitely need to watch it again and listen for anything remotely synth. Then I'll be wondering is this a Buchla or something else... If anyone knows, feel free to comment.

I was watching the Pathways to Music Part 2 video from GetLoFi. Robert Moog is covered, followed by Don Buchla. There is a piece on 2001: A Space Odyssey and Morton Subotnik's use of the Buchla Synthesizer for the movie. Sounds like it's time for me to listen to the movie again. : )

"Mediocre" Synth Samples

There's a great post running on VSE where people are posting samples of "mediocre" synths. The discussion was started by Architecture who called out how great Sealed's samples of often dismissed synthesizers sound. I agree. It's interesting how one, things move in trends and two, what sounds good really is subjective. When digital synths came out, people started pawning off their old analogs for cheap. People on budgets picked them up and started making incredible music. Now analog is back in fashion and you can get the old digital synths of yesteryear for cheap. And... You can actually get some amazing soft synths for FREE. Title link takes you to the VSE post which currently includes samples of the following (make sure to check out the link for more samples as they come in - I won't be updating the list below. Also there is more info on each after the hop):

Yamaha S03 - submitted by portland.
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Casio VL1 - submitted by kultan (btw, I previously had Yamaha VL1. I swear I saw it. I think I'm just slowing going insane. : ) ).
http://site.voila.fr/electrokult/nuclear_city.mp3
http://site.voila.fr/electrokult/stainless_steel.mp3
http://site.voila.fr/electrokult/starship_control.mp3
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Crumar Bit1 - submitted by VCO
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Yamaha DX7 - submitted by pSYCREATOr
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Roland JD990 (rack JD800) - submitted by clusterchord:
BladeOfGlass
JD990-Patches
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Casio PT10 - submitted by nylon
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Yamaha DX21 - submitted by Mr. DNA
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And this "little" thing submitted by Zamise. Nice shot. : )

Cwejman S1 - New Flickr Shots

Alex Theakston sent these my way. Title link takes you to more. Nice shots. Thanks Alex!

KISS - DSI Evolver Centric Track

Amazing DSI Evolver track via David Vandenborn on AH. Title link takes you to an mp3, click here for aac.

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For the gear heads out there, here's what I used:

Sound sources:
DSI Evolver - Bass line and Kraftwerkish sequenced stuff
MPC3000 loaded with TR808 sounds and assorted Evolver samples +
sequencing
Emulator III used for the percussive bass sound (guess where that
sample came from...)
MOTM - only used in the last bit - Sequenced filter modulating noise
in a rhythmic fashion.

FX processing:
Sherman Filterbank
MoogerFooger MF-103
Roland RSP-550

I don't believe in Multi Tracks. So everything is played live and
sequenced from the MPC3000 while being recorded straight into Sound
Designer.

Ricochet Gathering - Spain

Title link takes you to wome shots of the 2005 Ricochet Gathering in Spain. Looks like it was amazing.