Wiard Joystick

via this auction
"The Wiard Joystick Controller provides two joysticks (with CV output), two manual triggers (for manual start of envelopes or sequencers), a custom vintage voltmeter, two patchcord converters and the unique style common to all Wiard products. The Joystick Controller is a must-have for anyone using their modular system as a performance or recording device."

This unit will work with all analog modular synths. The CV range on the joysticks is -15 to 15v. Although I include the power supply, please note that this unit does not come with any housing. It can be rack mounted, but the wires in the back are exposed."

Build a Better Music Synthesizer by Thomas Henry

via this auction

"THE highly coveted bridge between beginner and advanced electronic musicians, "How to Build a Better Music Synthesizer" by Thomas Henry.

I've never seen a book of this subject (or remotely this subject) cover all the ground that needs to be covered to build your own analog synth.

Written in 1987 before the true digital age of music, this book was like a gift from god among a very particular group of people."

NAMM: Plan B Wave Splicer - First Listen

via Peter Grenader of Plan B:

"On this Namm-eve I give you the first audio sample of the proposed Plan B Wave Splicer:

http://www.ear-group.net/splicesamp.mp3

The patch is not complex. A single Model 15's saw is being fed into the Waveshaper of a Model 26. That output is fed into INPUT A of the Splicer. Into the Splicer's INPUT B is the Square out of the same Model 15. A single Model 10 is being self-cycled and is pacing a sequencer which is controlling the Model 15's pitch. The Envelope output of that Model 10 is sweeping the VC Splice Input of the Wave Splicer.

There is no PWM going on, the timbral sweeps are being caused by the edit point of the Splicer being VC's by the Model 10.

See you at Namm."

Jupiter sounds (so strange!) NASA-Voyager recording

YouTube via hryzunik. via Mr. Array.
"From an original CD: JUPITER NASA-VOYAGER SPACE SOUNDS (1990) BRAIN/MIND Research
Fascinating recording of Jupiter sounds (electromagnetic "voices") by NASA-Voyager. The complex interactions of charged electromagnetic particles from the solar wind , planetary magnetosphere etc. create vibration "soundscapes". It sounds very interesting, even scary.
Jupiter is mostly composed of hydrogen and helium. The entire planet is made of gas, with no solid surface under the atmosphere. The pressures and temperatures deep in Jupiter are so high that gases form a gradual transition into liquids which are gradually compressed into a metallic "plasma" in which the molecules have been stripped of their outer electrons. The winds of Jupiter are a thousand metres per second relative to the rotating interior. Jupiter's magnetic field is four thousand times stronger than Earth's, and is tipped by 11° degrees of axis spin. This causes the magnetic field to wobble, which has a profound effect on trapped electronically charged particles. This plasma of charged particles is accelerated beyond the magnetosphere of Jupiter to speeds of tens of thousands of kilometres per second. It is these magnetic particle vibrations which generate some of the sound you hear on this recording. Visit http://www.inner-net.com/bmr/bmrpg2aa... for more sounds."

NAMM: Metasonix G-1000

Nice shot and full disclosure now up on umop. Click the image for the full size shot.

Update: I missed it, but apparently Mike Brown of Livewire came up with the name. You can read more about it on the Metasonix site.

Mini-Magitron - is it a Mellotron?

"Here's my Mini-Magitron. This video is recorded in stereo. More than 2 000 people have seen my babytron at YouTube in less than three months! My babytron contains a laptop computer, a pair of active PC-speakers and a midi-keyboard. This MM400 looks like a M400 mellotron and it has sounds from mellotrons.
You can see the project in progress at: link. The text is originally written in swedish and is partly translated to english."


YouTube via maxbackstrom.
"A Midi-keyboard and a computer, put together in a piece of wood that looks like a M400 mellotron, can make the sound from a mellotron for real at hardly no cost at all."

ARP 2600 and ARP Axxe

flickr by Zilla -Boo

NAMM: AFE Analog Factory Experience Released

" Analog Factory Experience offers the immediacy of a hardware synthesizer combined with the flexibility of a software based solution. How is it possible? Analog Factory Experience is a unique combination of a software synthesizer that brings 3500 sounds, along with a high quality dedicated hardware controller. Once the Software is started, you can put your mouse away, all functions can be activated from within the keyboard controller: select a sound to play, modify this sound, recall snapshots... This is a true hands-on experience : simple, straightforward and fun." More info

Also Prophet V 1.2 available
"It was very much anticipated so we are glad to announce the release of an important update to the Prophet V. It comes with improvements such as
• VST 2.4 support, allowing for Cubase 4 compatibility on Mac Intel
• RTAS 7.3 support
• Correction of different bugs such as the cracks some would experience when using several instances of the Prophet V in their sequencer."

Big Briar Etherwave Waveforms

via Thumbuki

CalArts Plan B System

another shot of the CalArts Plan B system sent to the Plan B list. Mmmm... Green....