Technics SY-1010

Remember the Technics SY-1010? Title link takes you to some shots pulled from this auction.

via dmxkrew.com

Korg EA1/ER1 BPM Trigger Out Mod

"I like using my Korg ER1, I have an EA1 too but never use it. I have always wanted to have the ER1 sync with my diy synths, which don't have midi. I worked out a simple circuit to get a BPM trigger out but did the operation on my EA1"

Title link takes you there. via synth ollie.

Zero OSC Samples by Legion

"Here's a quick ditty I came up with last night while messing with the basic FM patch and a TKB: legion_ZO_ditty.mp3 (2.56M)

This is pretty simple (vco driving ZO, LFO driving FM in, two ADSRs) The only thing I'm tweaking is the the one ADSR towards the end and I "play notes" ont he TKB to get the different ...well... "notes" :)

I'm a proud poppa of this creature which I built the past four months or so. Like most children it's cost me my life savings but there are rewards :)"



Title link takes you to Legion's Help Wanted Productions. Check out the groovy monkey shot.

Hmm... Why isn't it spinning?

Haven't had a cat shot in a while. Here's one sent in by legion.

No title link, just the shot.

Firstman SQ-01 - New Flickr Set

Remember the Firstman SQ-01?

Title link takes you to a Flickr set by hinotori mortal.

Synton Syrnix - New Flickr Shot

flickr by unrest.

Note: Typo in the title of the Flickr shot. It should be Syrinx.

What's cool about this shot is you can actually see the slight detuning of the two Oscillators.

Note the switch in the middle. It's a switch that let's you select LFO1 or LFO2 to modulate the firtst BPF. Title link takes you to the shot with a mouse over the mod.

Thebridechamber

"We build synthesizer modules and provide various things you'll need to build your own. So far, 4 of our modules are based on the circuit boards of Ken Stone and one module of our own design. Ken Stone is an Australian circuit designer with a versatile and playful frame of mind which is greatly to be praised. We are Bridechamber - what more can we say?"

Title link takes you to what more they can say.

via sequencer.de

JoMoX Sunsyn OS Update

"I have fixed the SunSyn Voice Release cuts of envelope 1 (Filter). On long filter release sounds the voices have been cut prior than 8 voices because the filter envelopes for all other voices were discharged erratically…took me 2 days to find this little but f**ing bug."

Title link takes you to the details on Sequencer.de.
It's good to see the synth still being supported.

Jörg Schaaf's Studio

Jörg Schaaf is the maker of the Spectralis. Sequencer.de has some shots of his studio up. Title link takes you there.

Analog Days

Analog Days seems to be getting a few nods in the comments of this post. I have the book myself but haven't had a chance to get around to it. The general consensus is that it is a great book but there are a few inaccuracies. I've been hoping the authors would come out with an addendum that clarifies them, but I haven't heard of anything to date. I checked the Analog Days website for this but couldn't find anything. If anyone knows where we can find such a list, please post in the comments.

Also, someone posted a link to an interview with Trevor Pinch, one of the authors of the book, on ABC Radio National. It's worth a read when you have the time. In the interview they state the theremin was used in the Beach Boys Good Vibrations. It was actually an electro-theremin.

BTW, if you are thinking of picking up a copy of Analog Days, here's a link: Analog Days on Amazon : )

Update: I remember putting up a post on Analog Days before. I checked my archives and found the post on August 23, 2005, exactly one day short of an entire year from this post. Funny. Anyway, there was mention of the inaccuracies in that post (this is a quote from AH, not me in the post): "It's also said to contain a lot of B.S. with attributions to people who simply didn't do certain things the author says they did. For one, Dan Wyman who ran SoundArts in L.A. in the 70s, and who WROTE the Moog modular manual, was quite ticked-off when he read the book and saw so many historical inaccuracies."

We need this list...

Updates via the comments:
via Peter Kirn:
"It's difficult to get interviews with Wendy Carlos, I know that, but I agree. I mean, in general, the writing isn't great by any stretch, and it doesn't feel comprehensive -- I would have liked to see more discussion beyond Moog, for one -- and there are inaccuracies.

But having said all that, you'll still want to read it, and you'll still have a great time with it. I think we need a new book now, mainly! And there's a lot of the roots of electronic music that just don't get told at all; the whole history of the 40s and 50s gets pretty much lost."

via anonymous:
"You can toss pretty much the entire section on Wendy Carlos. The amount of editorializing was nauseating and brings the credibility of the entire book into question. Yet, this wingnut is making money talking to radio progams around the world, telling her story for her. Jackass."

Via Anon:
"Beyond inaccuracies (of which I noted a few), the authors of Analog Days sometimes sound like grad students in psychology. Even so, the book is worth the read for the story - the general arc of the story is true and I haven't seen so much of the story presented in one place anywhere else.

For example, who would have thought that the success of the Moog synthesizer was tied in any way to Taco Bell?"