MATRIXSYNTH

Monday, June 19, 2006

Yamaha FVX-1

8-Operator FM synthesizer that seems to use 12-bit D/A

More on the Yamaha FVX-1 in German and Google translated. Also on 120 Years: "YAMAHA used FM synthesis in their Electones, too. HX electones and FVX-1 module were 8-Operator FM synthesizer that seems to use 12-bit D/A, and it could have been the evolution of DX7 I series." Via Sequencer.de.

Update via Loscha in the comments:
Link to Manual, and "no-one ever mentioned this in the YamahaBlackBoxes group!!!"

Update: One more site sent my way via brian comnes: link

- very rare programmable 8-operator FM synthesizer expander released in 1988
- 64 editable parameters - 22 direct + 42 with DOS based editor
- DSP - 11 effect algorithms Stereo-Chorus, Stereo-Pan, Symphonic, Phaser, Flanger, Delay, Tremolo, Digital hall, Celeste and Wah.
- 5 LED dsplays + levelmeter
- 4 x 8 voice blocks (4 part multitimbral)
- 248 ROM, 248 RAM presets, 16 performances
- 2x MIDI IN (front and back), 2x MIDI OUT (front and back), MIDI THRU, Headphone OUT, Aux OUT Stereo, Main OUT Stereo, Main In Stereo Cinch, Main Out Stereo Cinch, Aux In Stereo Cinch, Aux Out Stereo Cinch, Pack Port
- 14 Buttons + 1 Coarse, 4 endless controllers, 1 Main Out volume knob, 1 Aux Out volume knob, 1 headphone Out volume knob

Monome 40h on YouTube

Note, the monome is a controller, it does not actually produce sound. More on the monome here. Via Matthew Davidson on SynthSights.

Update via Matthew: "The 40h is not a MIDI controller (but it can be via the mapd software) Natively, it speaks OSC (OpenSound Control) which is a richer (open source) protocol that more products are supporting."

More on OpenSound Control: one, two.

Another update via Matthew: Apparently Bidule and the Lemur (not Lenny, well he does to I guess) also support OSC.

Blectum

Another shot of people outside with synths. Via the comments of this post.

Friends - New Flickr Shot

flickr by antfactor. No one I know, just shots of some people with their synths on the street. Hmm... Wonder what the story is behind this one. Who goes out with their synths like that? Nice fashion accessory. I'd want a keytar strap myself.

MOTM Modular - New Flickr Set

flickr by mikest. Title link takes you to the set.

Sunday, June 18, 2006

Keith Levene - PIL

Keith Levene of PIL with small Roland 100M.

via Mikael Lingren on AH.

Plogue Bidule

"Is this a familiar picture? Cables lead from a microphone input into a small digital effect. More cables connect the effect to a mixer. Elsewhere, a MIDI cable links a MIDI input to a synthesizer, which is in turn connected to a mixer. Old hat, right? Now, imagine this: the same single output socket sprouting no less than eight different cables connecting eight different effects.

It gets better: A sound is broken down into 256 individual bands, then each is tweaked one at a time in a unique way. As he performs, a musician decides to add an LFO to a synth's filter cutoff knob, where no LFO existed before. Sound crazy? Not anymore. The new paradigm of computer audio can be summed up in two words: "real-time" and "modular" – both of which are embodied by one application..."

Title link takes you there. Via Analog Industries.