MATRIXSYNTH

Thursday, September 27, 2007

images via this auction.

"Korg Analog Sequencer, the SQ-10 Model. It is in fully working condition. This old school sequencer was designed for the MS series, using CV/Gate Controll. You can make some reall groovy basslines like the TB-303. It has three rows of 12 steps for a total of 24 or multi timberal 3 seperate channels (3 channels of CV control), 1 Pattern, 1 Song, 36 Knobs in all. Cosmetically, I would rate it at 8 out of 10, it has minor scratches, blemishes, which is typical for an instrument that was produced in 1978."

Roland MKS-30

images via this auction.

"The MKS-30 is the rack version of the Roland JX-3P keyboard and the GR-700 Guitar Synthesizer. Sounds like a Juno Series Syntheszer, but much better since it has 2 oscillators with sync and ring modulation, as well as PWM. Excellent Filters plus, one of the best features, just like the Juno 60, 106 and MKS-7, is the pitch bends have a very analog, elastic kind of stretching quality to them, sort of like a rubber band being plucked and stretched. Not many DCO based Analog Synths I've heard do this, except for the Juno's. In fact I recently had a MKS-7(rack of Juno106), and I was surprised by how close the oscillators sound to the MKS30 's. Except you get two of them that can sync and be ring modulated. Plus it has a nice analog chorus circuit built-in for stereo effects.

Some people say it's got a digital sound, but I compared this to the MKS-7, which everybody says is effectively a racked Juno-106. The MKS-30 is just as analog sounding with a remarkably punchy, and pure musical character, especially on those pitch-bends. A few years ago, I was planning to buy a Access Virus C, and this MKS-30 was sitting close by in Guitar Center. After trying both of them out side by side, I ended spending my money on this one. The Virus is great, but compared to this, it's sound is clearly digital. At the time I was looking for that deep analog quality. This synth has that. It's also functionally better than it's keyboard counterpart, the JX3P. It has a better implementation of MIDI with velocity. It's easily programmed from the front panel, however their isn't any sysex that can be accessed by an editor. However, the Roland PG-200 programmer/knob box can be plugged into it, or there is a 3rd party ROM upgrade that can be purchased for around $100(last time I checked) that gives you full sysex, CC control over every parameter. Here's a link to that information."

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

KORG MicroKorg

flickr by Legendary Classic.

click here for the full size shot

pdPod

YouTube via mkalten. via Wingo Shackleford in the comments of this post.

"pdPod allows the creation of interactive musical applications for the iPod. It integrates Pure Data (http://crca.ucsd.edu/~msp/software.html ) a visual sound programming language by Miller Puckette which allows the rapid development of musical applications. Guenter Geiger (http://gige.xdv.org/ ) has made PDa (http://gige.xdv.org/pda/ ), a port of Pure Data for PDA Linux devices which we recently adapted to run under iPod Linux as well. Martin Kaltenbrunner (http://modin.yuri.at/ ) created a GUI application which allows the execution, display and control of PD patches on the iPod. This application was made by the creators of the reacTable at the Music Technology Group (http://mtg.upf.edu/) at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona, Spain.

This instrument was made possible thanks to the efforts of the iPodLinux (http://ipodlinux.org ) project, which provides a Linux environment for the iPod. pdPod itself can be downloaded from its WIKI page (http://ipodlinux.org/Pdpod)"

Arp 2600: Jim Baker Crosses His Wires

click here for the video on Gearwire.
"Improviser Jim Baker uses the Arp 2600 to make unique sounds in his curious brand of "folk music." In this introductory video, Gearwire's Gretchen Hasse catches up with Baker late one Tuesday evening after his set at Chicago's Hotti Biscotti - actually a bar, not a coffeehouse - and he recollects how he came to use the Arp. We also have rare footage of Baker in performance with a sax, upright bass and drums. Check it out in the Gearwire video."