MATRIXSYNTH

Thursday, September 27, 2007

Roland MC-202

images via this auction.

"The modification that was done gives control voltage inputs for
1. Slide
2. CV
3. Gate
4. VCF (filter cutoff)
It also gives an additional output of the PWM waveform.
The original CV ins and outs all work also. The new CV/Gate input is better than the original (there is a lag on all the original 202s) I think most people would prefer to use external controls as the internal sequencer requires thought and time to program. However the internal sequencer affords special results with the use of accents and slides.

While the MC-202 is often compared to the TB-303, I think the sound and filters are closer to the SH-101. When the resonance is set very high the machine becomes very acid. It synchonized via din sync.

There are two wave forms Square (with PWM) and Saw. There is also a square Sub Oscillator that can be shifted one octave down, two octaves down, or down two octaves with PWM.

The MC-202 is obviously a great bass line synthesizer. The Sub can be absolutely devastating. "Watch the bass bins...." The MC-202 also excels in making acid. The combination of solid bass, acid sequencing, and filters that take on a life of their own when you krank the resonance, makes for acid bass lines or great sqeeky acid effects. The MC-202 also makes very nice strings sounds and woodwind sounds."

Elektron Sidstation

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"Elektron laser-etched numbers into the last 200 Sid Stations that they made. This one is laser etched with the number 14. So, it was the 14th to last one ever made!"

Or is it the 187th to the last made?

MOOG Memorymoog

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KORG VC-10

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KORG SQ-10

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"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

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"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."