MATRIXSYNTH

Thursday, January 08, 2009

DDD-1 vs S-900 vs S-2000 vs MPC-60 vs EMAX

YouTube via peglegjoe857
"I just got the MPC-60, bought it with money I didn't quite have... so to compensate I sold my S-900, S-2000, DDD-1, and Emax. I didn't have to sell the Emax... in fact, I really didn't want to... but alas, I am moving and needed the money. I will get the Emax rack unit in the future, for sure. ANYWHO...

I wanted to hear the difference between all these machines. First are the sounds of the DDD-1, direct from the machine, as well as a little loop. After that I sample the DDD-1 sounds into several other machines, playing each hit and then the loop. Hear the difference? You bet you do. They say the S-900 is the same sampler as the MPC-60, but to my ears they sound drastically different. Although, I did sample at different sample rates:
The MPC-60 is at 40khz, the S-900 is 20khz, the Emax is 28khz, and the S-2000 is 20khz. All 12-bit except the S-2000, which is 16-bit.

There is this ongoing debate about whether or not it makes a difference, using a software sampler/sequencer, or using hardware. You know where I stand, just look at the gear shown here. The real question is not about which sounds better or worse. With the right work, you can make any computer sound like and MPC... or make any MPC sound like a computer. It is about workflow. It is about authenticity. If you sample something into your computer and run it through a bit crusher, dropping it to 12-bit... I am sure you will feel a little meek trying to fake the sound of a 70$ S-900. Maybe not. Use what you have, that's really what matters I suppose... make it work. But it is very easy to score some sweet machines. I don't know what an SP-1200 is like to work with, but I can sure tell you the EMAX sounds amazing... and for only 200 bucks. Shit. Make all your beats bump, you will tell a difference... I promise you."

Zapp's talkbox synthesizer MiniMoog!

flickr by hutuka

"Damn, I wanna have one of those =p~"

KORG MicroKORG

full size

Not sure I get the title, but there you have it... Groovy stands.

Green Casio VL-1

via Synthesizer Art

Bug Labs BugSound

"BUGsound is for music lovers. With a 20-mm speaker, omnidirectional microphone and four stereo jacks for input, output, headphones and microphone, we’d like to think we can help inspire the next generation of hackers musicians. And with the onboard hardware codecs, you can also program BUGsound to act as an audio processing server."

Wednesday, January 07, 2009

Plan B at NAMM - Update

follow-up to this post. More detail via Peter Grenader, the man behind Plan B, on the Plan B mailing list.

"Both Plan B and Buchla will be at the Noisebug booth 6108 which is on the main hall this year in the vicinity of Moog and Motu.

Sometime this week I will be posting further details on what we'll be showing on the Plan B Analog Blog (go to www.ear-group.net to sign up. On the module end will be the models 21C Mini Milton VC Sequencer, the Model 32 Vector Plotter and the M30 and 30A - two components of the mighty Triple Digital VCO Subsystem. There are four other products being introduced which are part of the big move into cases and systems.: The he Ringer, a single row rack frame offering a low-cost solution to a previously expensive expansion requirement, and the Model Zero, which is the same three row Zero Halibuton case used by NIN with some significant improvements, including power saving modes, top/bottom strip modules and the option of expanding to six rows. A photo has been posted in the PB Analog Blog.

The Performance System, which has it's own case not unlike the Doepfer portable although two rows of 102 HP and eight inches deep is our fist venture into the systems arena and will also be on display and operational.

To support the Ringer, the Zero and the PS we're introducing an external power system which utilizes two high-grade second party switching supplies as it's engine. The supplies are audio grade and protected to the point that key'd power connectors on the bus will not be required...the PSU will shut itself off instantly if a module is installed incorrectly.

Along with Noisebug's, Plan B goods will be on display at a couple of other booths as well - keep a sharp eye out!

Again, when my schedule allows I will be posting more details on all this, including photos to the PBAB. Please grant me patience with this and in getting back with anyone who may need to contact me as I'm deep into Namm hell at present and time away to post is minimal.

Thanks again and I look forward to seeing you all at the show!

- Peter Grenader"

Update: see the comments of this post for some notes from Peter.

Ondes Martenot Ring Controller Project

YouTube via happymoogman
"I'm building a Ring Controller, in the style of a vintage Ondes Martenot, to control my modular synthesizer. Here is the first video, showing my progress, so far.
I'm controlling a synthesizers.com Q125 Signal Processor, which in turn, is controlling an oscillator on the big synth.
This is a work in progress, and I'm continuing to complete this instrument.
Another video will follow this one, when it is completed."

Analog Computer Bouncing Ball

YouTube via EA78751
"In this video I'm demonstrating an analog computer that models a bouncing ball, with control voltage and trigger outputs that could be interesting with synthesizers, sequencers, etc.

I designed the circuit as an excercise in understanding analog computer techniques. I found that almost all textbook descriptions of analog integrators are incomplete, lacking adequate description of how to set the initial conditions of the integrator and reset it at the end of each computation.

An obvious application of this particular circuit is to generate nonlinear rhythms for electronic music... check out Aphex Twin's track "Bucephalus Bouncing Ball" for a good example of this effect.

more info:
http://ericarcher.net/devices/analog-...

Many thanks to Matthew Thies for filming and editing this video.

-Eric Archer
2009"