PNW06: James Demos His Roland CMU-800

Continuation of this previous post. James Gallant demos his Roland CMU-800 at this year's Pacific Northwest Synthesizer Meeting. No title link. Unfortunately I cut the last video short thinking I better keep the video small to upload. The tune ends, James takes a bow, and we all laugh. Hard work James. : )

Matrixsynth Search Engine

You might notice a new search box on the right frame of this site. Google just came out with custom search engines. In short you can create a custom search engine that favors particular content based on keywords you specify along with websites to give preference to in your searches. I used the list of sites on my old site along with synth, synthesizer, analog, modular and sequencer as the keywords to start. I wanted to keep it basic and general and even thought about removing analog modular and sequencer, but then thought synth and synthesizer might skew towards synthetic materials. BTW, the search will include other sites as well. The sites and keywords are meant to help make the results more relevant. Take a look at the list of URLs in the left frame of my old site and feel free to suggest URLs to add in the comments. But, please make sure you verify the URL is not on the list first. I don't want to do that work for you. : ) Title link takes you to the homepage of the Matrixsynth search engine, but something tells me it will be too difficult to remember, so... Just use the search box to the right.

juris lieblingsspielzeug

flickr by toke vamos.

The Polymonster - E-MU Voice Board Based Modular

You are looking at a custom modular built by Dave, consisting of eight E-MU boards. Links: gallery 2, gallery 3, E-MU demo board scans.

Via Dave:
"Each board had 2 ea. SSM 2030 VCO, 2 ea. SSM 2050 EG, 1 ea. SSM 2040 VCF, and 1 ea. SSM 2020 dual VCA. It was basically equivalent to a Rev 1 Prophet voice, but without the extra VCAs necessary for computer control."

Via the site:
"Polyphony became possible (though expensive) when E-MU released their 4060 microprocessor keyboard. I bought the 14th one ever made. It had 16 channels and a 2000 note sequencer built in. I built an 8 voice synth using E-MU's voice demo boards, which used the legendary SSM chips. This thing sounded like an 8 voice rev 1 Prophet. It was also gigged on the road for several years. It was sold to the Audities museum to finance my latest modular system."

Make sure to check out the rest of the site for more modular goodness. I previously posted SuperMoe which is another one of Dave's projects.

Update: More on the board and a link to the Polymonster on The Emulator Archive.

Update via Phil in the comments:
"any more info on the developers?
I've always thought my poly modular may have been a prototype for this board.
although it's four SSM 20X0 boards,
all 3xVCO, VCF, 3xVCTG(ADSR). stereo VCA.
this thing
best,
phil"

EMS Synthi 100 Shots

No title link. Two shots via an anonymous reader.

"This one is in xtremely good condition (BTW:there are way more than 3 funktional)and more as 24 build to. The matrixes are as new on this one. Amazing Its very confusing to patch this monster,I don’t like it at all,if you like to patch analog computers,you will be happy to work with this synth. The sound is identically to an AKS. Perhaps I could buy this one for 16000$ or so,but im not interested to do the effort,and BTW iv not the place at home! Note that it seems (and also on this model) the sequencer never have working correctly (on any models) The guy told me that when the have buy the instrument new I din’t worked,and a few times (on request) a tec from EMS have come on location to try fix it,but never was able to. The second pic matrix is from the synth museum book." Check out the books on the right pane of this site for the Museum of Synthesizer Technology.

Automatic Tubular Bells

Wow, this is pretty cool. Via Jordi B:

"I often visit your page, and I think that the new MIDI device I am building could be of your interest. It is a set of MIDI controlled Tubular Bells. I’m still working on it, but I think it will be ready soon. I send you this video in case you’d like to post it. It shows the device being tested playing the musical scale notes. It can play one octave melodies ( C,C#,D,D#,E….) and can be controled through a PC or a MIDI secuencer ( I’m developing this option now )."

Daydream - In The Night

This one work safe. Hmm... Or maybe not. If you ruin your reputation caught dancing and singing along to this, it's not my fault. "O-o-o-o-ok?" YouTube via trivan. Sent my way via Jexus. Features Akai AX80.

I MONSTER Daydream In Blue

WARNING!!!: Not work safe. A bit of female nudity. You consent you are over 18 if you click on the image or title link. Yeah... YouTube via varrod. Sent my way via Kris. Features a bit of EMS Synthi, Korg MS20, Suzuki Omnichord and a string synth. If you know what the string synth is feel free to comment. Synths come in at the very beginning and about 2 minutes in.




Update: the original was pulled, here it is again:

The Kinetic Sound Prism

Just a shot pulled from this auction. for a 7 page catalog of the Prism.

The OB-Mx Story

Click here for a sordid tale of the Gibson Oberheim OB-Mx. If you haven't read this before, make the time to do so. It's an interesting bit of synth history.

"D.N. "Lynx" Crowe and Don Buchla were called in to salvage the OB-Mx very late in the game. They weren't told the whole story of the project to that date; they gradually uncovered the archeological and forensic evidence in the drawings and code. Some details still aren't known, but thanks to the process of Discovery in several civil suits, including depositions of many of the people mentioned here, enough is known to show the mismanagement, fraud, and incompetence that doomed G-WIZ, the OB-Mx, and ultimately OpCode and any other hi-tech company that is fooled into trying to work with Gibson Guitar and its Technohick CEO, Henry Juszkiewicz. Everything spelled out in this narrative is either from my own memories of the time, or from depositions and exhibits already in evidence in the case."

Pictured are two shots of the prototype OB-Mx via Analog Synth Service


Update: OB-Mx Preservation Page.