Musikmesse 2008: John Bowen Solaris Video

You can find the video on delamar. It's the larger second video down.

BugBrand Weevil08 Released

via BugBrand.co.uk

"Here's the new Weevil08 - three lo-fi oscillators quasi-ringmodulated together, with PowerStarve, Filter, 9-point-TouchPlate and internal MiniAmp.

While the core Weevil circuitry is similar to the Postcard, the sonic results are quite different - for one, each Osc has a range switch for Hi tones or Lo clickety, and the output levels are much more stable due to a comparator circuit (don't worry - there's still loads of chaos within!). The combination of PowerStarve and responsive TouchPlate opens up a vast array of sounds that are played in a way unlike any other instrument. The internal MiniAmp is now a standard feature and gives a pretty different tone/response from the output jack. Plugging in a jack conveniently disconnects the internal MiniAmp.

This is a newly standardised version built with pro-PCBs for improved feel and replicatability, available in Green or Red with chunky knobs in a sprayed plastic case and running off a single 9V battery.

You can check the block diagram for details of the internal arrangement, but it may be best just to listen to the mp3 demo (11MB) that wobbles through some of the wide-ranging sounds available!

See older versions in the Weevil Archive"

Syrinx Synthesizer

flickr by aredien

"One of only 300 in the world."

full size

I believe I have only seen the Blue, Red and Black Syrinx before. This one appears silver/metallic. Anyone know how many colors there were?

Update: Click here for more images sent in via the owner Uro.

Update: some info on the colors via an anonymous reader [be sure to see some corrections in the next update below this one]: "The Syrinx was produced in many colors on demand for various folks. Synton was not doing well when he Syrinx was released. It hit the market several years after monophonic analogs had become quite common in used kit shops, everyone had their favorites and were buying big digital. Many things were done to try and get the Syrinx sold... custom colors being a relatively easy solution. Other efforts included things like Electro Harmonix pedal integration (I've personally played a Syrinx which had a control interface for an EH Instant Replay pedal!).

I've seen personally black/dark gray, red, metallic like this one, blue, white, yellow and even purple! The most common I run into seem to be black/dark gray [someone on AH also reported orange and green - MUST... SEE... GREEN... ONE...].

I will try and ask Felix what the skinny is, if he can remember, I am in touch with him on occasion.

Feel free to reinterpret this information for the blog as you see fit."

If anyone out there has any images of the more rare colored Syrinx's leave a comment or contact me. I'd love to see them. Note I did check out the first couple of pages on Google image search and didn't find any.

BTW, click here for all posts mentioning the Syrinx.

Update via another anonymous reader that worked with Synton:
"The reason for the colours was that we did an introduction at a fair in Holland (Firato) and that's why we made a red, white and blue and orange version (the dutch colours). From the orange and the white version are made (what i remember) only few. The white version is like the doepfer frontpanel (not real white).

What i remember there are no purple, yellow or other colours of the syrinx produced by Synton.

The story " The Syrinx was produced in many colors on demand for various folks" is not correct. We did this because we like to do this and we also got a good response at the fair in Holland and Frankfurt."

Update 2/2/10 via Peter Kersten: "The official info I got from Marc Paping (one of the guys behind Synton) was that they made the frontpanel in batches of 4. According to him there are only 4 or 8 Titanium versions.
He was the one mentioned that titanium could possibly be a flaw and was not intended.

Back in the 90's I was very active with vintage gear and bought alot of Syrinxes (I was a shopowner, specialized in vintage gear). Most of them were black.
The first one I ever saw was pink! So I know for sure at least one is pink. There are red, white and blue ones. Also orange and someone said there was a green one.
Also some alu versions (clear paint) are mentioned. The coloured versions were batches of 20 I was told.

I kept a blue and a titanium one in my collection.
Here are pics of them http://www.home.zonnet.nl/synthiman/Syrinx.html
Don't take the site too serious ;-)

As for the titanversion for sale at Vemia: I know that the guy is trying to sell for a long time now. First seen on a Dutch auctionsite. Price asked 6500 Euro.
It appeared on Ebay several times too. This is the same person all the time.
The highest price I saw, was for a blue one sold at 4500 Euro on ebay a few years ago.

By the way: Happy 2010 everyone :-)"

KORG DS10 to be Released Internationally

Good news from the KORG DS10 Blog:

"Hi there! my name is Tomi from AQI Inc.and I’ll be in charge of this product for international territories. For those of you out there wondering the release of DS-10 other than Japan, well, here’s a good news. YES, we will release DS-10 worlwide and currently we’re making an adjustment with each territory. So please be patient. Your support means a lot to us and we’ll keep you all with the latest update of the international release as soon as possible."

HardSID Quattro PCI

via this auction

"1 x 6581 SID chip all controlled by virtual midi port inside your sequencing software, or you can controll via MIDI"

CLICK FOR MORE »

Oakley Modular Synth VCO

via this auction

"Oakley Modular Synth VCO for MOTM & Modcan Modular based on Moog design."

Roland SH-101

images via this auction

stanley the robotman is explaining a synthesizer

YouTube via mmrphs. via Digital Music Mag.
"Stanley Povoda, the worldfamous Robot-Man is now creating very strange syntesizers. They are hosted in old tape-machines, solariums, telephones. soon the time will show, that this was a big mistake to give us these devices. in this video the master himselfe is explaining how one of this small magic boxes is working. check www.metamorphosis.at to see more of this magic devices. video by christoph pajer."

Roland SH-32

YouTube via mrosly

Nanoloop 2.2 and Kaosspad

YouTube via Wancoco