Analog Japan

So what happens to these guys on April 1? Title link takes you to more gear p*rn.


Note: there were a couple of notes on AH about this outfit not returning emails after purchse, so be careful if you are tempted to buy from them.

Update just in from AH:
"I used to be listed as a reference on the analogjapan website (Looooooooong
story). I must have had at least 60 emails over a 3 or 4 year period from
people asking me if I knew how to get in touch with them after they had sent
them money but never received the goods. People who sent $1000 to as much as
$4000 US Dollars and after 9 months, not gotten the items. SCARY!!

PLEASE do yourself a favor and stay FAR away from analogjapan.
Don't say I didn't WARN you!!!"

Update via the comments:
"Reed said...
Eh, I bought something from them a couple years ago & it was a pretty hassle-free transaction, other than the fact that they didn't take Paypal. I paid & they delivered."

Upates on Mattias' Mellotron Site

I put up a post on Mattias' Mellotron site on November 14, 2005. He's added some samples and some shots including the somewhat maniacle and sweet shot below. New video clips include A: Chamberlin steel guitar, B: Mandolin Tremolo, C. Swinging flutes. Title link takes you there.

The Clock is Ticking in Japan

Update:
Looks like musical instruments might be exempt.
http://www.nikkei.co.jp/news/shakai/20060314AT1G1401414032006.html
"The economic industrial ministry on the 14th, decided that the used electronic musical instrument and the photograph baking machine etc are designated as outside the object of electric supplies safe method. Including the used item, it shows safety, sale of the electric product which does not have the “PSE mark” is prohibited from April 1st. Assuming, that as for the electronic musical instrument and the photograph baking machine etc during electric leakage inspecting there is danger where the equipment breaks down, it makes outside the object, also after of the April continues and can transact in the old market."

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Title link takes you to an article on the impending date of April 1, 2006; the date when the sale of vintage synths will become illegal in Japan. Previously posted here.

"Hardest hit will be Japan’s vibrant trade in electrical instruments — a trade which has given thousands of young musicians their start in life, and without which, say furious veterans of the music industry, artistic expression will die.

The draconian law has been roundly attacked by Ryuichi Sakamoto, the Oscar-winning composer who has led a petition of 74,500 enraged musicians and tradesmen demanding that the law be toned down and the critical trade in old recording equipment, amplifiers and synthesisers continue.

Hideki Matsutake, another composer and chairman of the Japan Synthesizer Programmers Association said: “Most musicians start with very little money. The second-hand instrument is absolutely vital. This law will destroy the ambitions of young people and young musicians.”

A retailer will be allowed to pay to have items officially stamped with the PSE seal (like the British Kitemark). But the test can cost anywhere from £30 for a simple item such as a kettle to £300. Dealers will face up to a year in prison and a fine of about £500,000 if caught selling an un-tested vintage Les Paul guitar or a Space Invaders machine that has not passed its PSE. The Government’s abject failure to publicise the law has fuelled the public’s anger. Although it was passed in 2001 very few retailers of second-hand goods, let alone shoppers, knew until last week what it entailed."

Flux Radio

I previously posted on Flux Radio hosting a ratcheting example of the A6 and an EMS Synthi track. A Prophet 5 track with Emagic ES-1 Softsynth and Kawai MP9000 have been added. Title link takes you there.

Rapture on One Blue Monkey

Rapture Soft Synth with emphasis on wavetable synthesis. 6 parts with 200 oscillator types with up to 9 voices. Title link takes you to the video and details on One Blue Monkey. Video under date, under title.

EDP Wasp - New Flickr Shot

Title link takes you to more shots in the set. Shots by PTCowan.



Upate via PTCowan in the comments:
"Hi Friend. The shot was taken on the 3rd March at Forest cafe in Edinburgh. Its of my friend Joni Hawley who is synth mental he has a spare room bursting at the seams with analogue gubbins. The photo set is of the night which was very impressive with lots of vocoder and Moog action. The t-shirt was a home made job I think. Anyway cheers for using the shot on your blog."

The Casio DM-100

Trip. I've never seen one of these before. Retro Thing has a post up on the double decker Casio DM-100. It's a Casio PCM based home keyboard with an SK-5 sampling keyboard built in. Title link takes you to more.

The Sonic Emulsifier

Title link takes you to more. Via Frank Vanaman. Update: Looks like Carbon111 beat me to it on Synthwire! I was wondering when this would happen. : ) Oh well, the more the merrier in my book.



"I call it the Sonic Emulsifier, a name coined by someone at work who knows nothing of analogue synthesis or sound processing."

"The History:
It started out with a WersiVoice card, which is basically a triple BBD contraption that was very commonly installed in Wersi organs, that gives both ensemble and rotary speaker effects, and, for its time, was actually pretty decent sounding. What it turned into:

(1) the Wersivoice BBD device
(2) a Ken Stone bandpass filter (SH-5 Bandpass clone)
(3) a Ken Stone Real Ring Modulator (two transformers, four diodes)
(4) a Paia “Roctave divider” board
(5) a multi filter band pass unit tuned to vocal frequencies (based on the VP-330 filters)
(6) a 566-based VCO using Thomas Henry’s schematics
(7) a 4-in, 1-out DC mixer, and
(8) a 4-way mult

The VCO is there basically so that if you want to use the ring modulator with a single input, there’s something there to modulate with. It’s a strange assortment of things, some of which are included because I happened to have the boards sitting around (like the PAiA Roctave).

I couldn’t resist the desire to make something that looked “technical’ from the front. The big central dial is the main frequency control for the oscillator. Pots to the upper left control the PAiA divider; pots to the right are for the mixer, the oscillator has an output attenuator control (left of the big dial) and a wave-shape sweep control (to the right of the big dial). Switches at the bottom left select the Wersivoice modes, switches to the bottom right control the selection of groups of filters in the vocal filter matrix.

Nothing’s blown up yet, so I’m assuming I’ve managed to put it all together right the first time.

MP3s? Eh, eventually…"

Frank

The Mighty Logan Vocal Synthesizer

Shot pulled from this auction. Description pulled below. If you know more feel free to comment.



"Logan Vocal Synthesizer is fully working. Was stored 25 years in heated room."

Sanctuary - New Flickr Shot

Shot by Luca Capozzi. I saw this shot and the first thing that came to mind was how un-Moogy a Roland JP8080 was. I thought of perspectives on how Roland has not come out with something innovative in years, how "digital" the JP8080 was, and how far away from the mighty moog analog sound it was. A lot of people see Roland and their digital synths as the anithesis of Moog. Then I saw the title of the shot, and I remembered how Bob described himself. He described himself as a tool-maker who made wonderful musical instruments for people to enjoy; magical instruments at that. There is no doubt in my mind that a JP8080 is capable of bringing this magic to its owners. Bob brought synthesis to the mainstream, making it affordable and accessible. This shot forces you to see that. A shot of the Roland JP8080, the magic synthesis brings and respect to Bob.