The Cancer of Ethiopan Music

"Who is to blame for the creative collapse of Ethiopian music? The Communist regime and the synthesizer. The Communist government, which carried out a military coup in the mid-seventies, marked American soul music, which more than anything else had fueled the musical blossoming in Addis Ababa, as the music of the enemy, persecuted the musicians who continued to remain loyal to it, and directed the entire preoccupation with music to military-patriotic channels. The synthesizer, which captured the market in the 1990s, turned the wind instruments, the source of the vitality of modern Ethiopian music, into superfluous objects, and enabled untrained musicians, who were often untalented as well, to issue discs at one-tenth the price demanded previously. Abate Barihon calls the synthesizer "the cancer of Ethiopian music," thus expressing the feelings of many. "At a certain point, a few years before I left Addis, the entire city suddenly became filled with the cancers," he says."

Title link takes you to the full article. Via Synthtopia News.

Sneak Thief's ASM-2 Modular

Title link takes you to the building process including more shots and samples.

Update via Sneak Thief in the comments:

"It sounds good because the ASM-2, synthesizers.com & several CGS modules are based on a series of DIY plans released in the early 70's electronics publication called Electronotes: http://electronotes.netfirms.com/

In 1975 the authors of Electronotes, Bernie Hutchins, wrote a book called the "Musical Engineer's Handbook" - both the Electronotes series and this book have basically been the reference and inspiration for a good portion of todays modular synths.

In fact, Don Buchla, Bob Moog and Serge Tcherepnin were all subscribers to Electronotes and were definitely inspired by the schematics, and even contributed their own to the magazine.

I would even go so far to say that almost every current modular manufacturer has "borrowed" designs from the Electronotes series ; )"

The Rhodes Chroma CPU Plus (CC+)

What you are looking at is a CPU replacement board for the Rhodes Chroma created by Sandro Sfregola and David Clarke. Title link takes you to more info and shots on The Rhodes Chroma site. More vintage synths could use a group like this; I am continually blown away by them. I wouldn't be surprised if a poly-aftertouch kit came next.

Arp Axxe and Little Brother Shots

Title link takes you to shots pulled from this auction.

via Brian Comnes.

The music is here again! - New Flickr Shot

flickr by Julio Martinez. BTW, if you are ever curious why these shots are title as such, click through the title link and see for yourself.

Museum of Lost Keyboards

Title link takes you to a 27.2M mp3. Right click and save. Also saved off here. Great stuff. Enjoy. : )

Polymoog Sample by Heath Finnie

Title link takes you to a 1.51M mp3 of the Polymoog by Heath Finnie.

Update via Heath in the comments:

"I have since done a better clip of it here

http://www.heathfinnie.com/media/polymoog2.mp3"

Buchla Electric Music Box

Nice shot of the Buchla Electric Music Box pulled from this VSE thread.

Also check out this shot.

Update via electricmusicbox.com in the comments:

"When I owned that case & a few of the modules in it, it was a half-working, chipped-laminate sad excuse for a system (though I made some great sounding music on it). After 5 years I tore out my favorite modules & sold it for 3 times what I paid for it. When it fell into the hands of "anonymous," it was transformed into a better-than-catalog version of itself. Long live the Buchla underground railroad."

Ishkur's Guide to Electronic Music

Title link takes you there. Love the Hoover sample for some reason. : )

via Brian Comnes.

Pro One 8021 Processor Replacement Board

Title link takes you to more info. The board adds the following as well:

* Midi input and output
* Two analog outputs, can be used to midi control for example filter cutoff etc.
* One analog input, have not decided what to use it for. Maybe to send
midi data from pitchbend or modwhweel, or other analog signal

It's great to see people working on things that will bring new life to the old classics. There's the Juno 106 replacement ICs, the Old Crow's Polysix battery fix,and now this. Very cool.