The New Look of the Mattson Mini Modular

You are looking at Production Prototype 1 of the Mattson Mini Modular, owned by none other than me. It is not in my possession yet, but it is coming soon. Be sure to click on the image for a full size shot.

The base system is on the left. I opted for a few extra modules you see on the right. The M panels are blank panels, so the base system would normally have all blanks on the right. The whole thing folds into a very nice carrying case. Note you do get the full case with the base model. You can interlock multiple cases with the latches. If you blow up the picture and look closely you can see how the two are connected; you can just keep connecting and stacking.

I was going to hold off on putting up the new design for a bit, but it looks like Stretta beat me to it. Click here for another system and a good post on the relative price of modulars.

The back of the case will have the very sharp Mattson M as a reflective logo. This is actually the back of serial number 1. There are two Production Prototypes followed by the main production line starting with of course, 1. Mine was done before the reflective design so it will be flat. It looks like I'll have to get an additional one now... That sneaky Mattson...

Update: The problem with the images not loading should be fixed. If you still can't see the images, post a comment. Also note the missing knobs and leds in the Prototype 1 image above as it is not yet complete. George also let me know that the back pictured here is a custom wood back. The standard systems will be hardboard with the M. I forgot about that. I've seen them and the contrast between the logo and the solid dark back looks really nice.

Crumar Rediscovering Sound

It looks like Crumar is going back in business: link. I wonder if any of the original people are behind this and what will be shown.

casper modular synth

YouTube via bubagoo
"In this video I'm testing my newly completed modular synth and modular drum sequencer.
The drum sequencer is a very simple home brewed design. You can find details and schematics here:
http://www.casperelectronics.com/fini...
The synth is based mostly on circuits from Paiaand Ray Wilson's site Music From Outer Space. For a detailed description of the individual modules go to http://www.casperelectronics.com/fini...
Here is a list of the modules:
1x 16 step CV sequencer
4x VCO
2x noise source
2x VCF
3x VCA
2x LFO
2x AR envelope
1x ADSR envelope
2x ring mod
1x Attenuated mixer
4x CV mixer/inverter"

JH on the Yamaha CS80

Via JH:
"A ring modulator thread over at synth-diy last night inspired me to sit down at my CS-80 a little. No great music - just showing of the instrument's capabilities (and played thru a bunch of FX). (click the "Free Download" button for mp3 file)"

BTW, you might remember JH by his own label on MATRIXSYNTH. You can find his website here.

MFOS Videos Are Now Up

For those of you that saw my note regarding the MFOS videos being pulled to be updated later in the posts below, they are now up. I opted to update the original posts as the videos came in sooner than expected. Click here for all the videos including an older set I put up a while back.

Sequential Circuits Six-Trak Recording a Sequence

YouTube via djthomaswhite
"This is a cheap demonstration of what the Sequential Circuits Six-Trak analog keyboard can do with it's on board sequencer. The sequencer has 6 tracks and allows you to have multiple patches arranged in a fashion dependent on how many keys (polyphony) you want to hold per sequence. You can have 6 mono sounds, or three mono sounds and a three note chord for example. There is a second video on how the level of these tracks are controlled once the sequence is recorded. Thanks for stopping by!"

Hands-on, Interview: Stribe Multi-Touch Controller

Remember the Stribe? CDM has a great interview up with creator Josh Boughey. Click here to check it out.

Intro:
"Once the domain of the few, creating and customizing sophisticated DIY controllers is now more accessible than ever. That means, if you can’t find what you want, and you’re ambitious and knowledgeable enough, you go make your own. Josh Boughey was impressed by the Monome enough to buy one — but the Monome, a grid of on/off buttons, doesn’t provide any kind of variable control. So Josh built his own, combining a series of parallel touch strips with LED indicators. (The lights are the tricky part, requiring an obscene number of connections.)"

Carl Stone and Peter Grenader at LA Sonic Odyssey, March 28-29

"Carl Stone's Al-Noor and Peter Grenader's Secret Life of Semiconductors will be presented among other studio electronic works at the 2008 LA Sonic Odyssey Festival in Pasadena, CA, March 28 and 29 at 8:00 P.M. For more information, go here."
Pictured: "the analog synthesizer used to create The Secret Life of Semiconductors."

Serge M-Class Prices Are Up

Via Egres, The Unofficial Serge Synthesizer Website.

Gator - $1499.00 USD (pictured)
Creature - $1499.00 USD
Sequencer-A $1650.00 USD
SQP Sequencer - $1200 USD
Triple Oscillator - $1650.00 USD

Follow up to this post (comment there)

Update: be sure to check out the comments of the prior post. There's some good info from Carbon111 who will be creating some pages for the new Serge systems as well. If that doesn't get you excited just check out http://carbon111.com/. He has some of the best pages on individual synthesizers out there including Serge.

Ileana Grams-Moog on Bob Moog

Ileana Grams-Moog wrote a touching post on Caring Bridge. The following is only a short excerpt, so do take the time out to read the full post.

"It has been almost exactly two and a half years since Bob's death, and over a year since my last entry. I had no idea that people were still visiting this site and posting tributes to Bob until my stepdaughter Michelle, the director of the Bob Moog Foundation, told me so. My chronic fatigue generally keeps me from using the internet.

I am so touched and grateful to know how much Bob meant and continues to mean to so many people. For my daughter Miranda and me he was as close to perfect a (step)father and husband as is humanly possible. Those qualities that we loved clearly affected the thousands of you who had only a brief encounter with him, but that made such a deep impression on you that the memory of it is still alive. It is traditional in Judaism to say, after mentioning the name of someone who is no longer alive, 'May his (or her) memory be for a blessing.' Bob's memory is a blessing for all of us who knew him, whether for a few moments or for years."

via Cikira