MATRIXSYNTH

Walking Stick Dual-CV Ribbon Controller Demo

YouTube via 12T0NE

"This is just a little improv thing I did whilst goofing around with a few Dotcom modules and one of my Dual-CV Ribbon Controllers . These controllers add a new dimension to my standard 20" single-CV ribbon design, by offering a secondary CV output that can be varied by applying different amounts of pressure to the ribbon's surface.

For the purposes of this demo, I placed enough modules inside of a small 8-space cabinet to build up a very basic FM patch. The ribbon's CV is being routed through a set of multiples to control the pitch of the two VCOs, and the controller's pressure CV is similarly routed through multiples to the state-variable filter's cutoff frequency, and to the control input of a single VCA. Oscillator #2 is running thru this VCA, back into the frequency input of oscillator #1. When pressure is applied to the ribbon's surface, the VCA opens up and increases the amount of frequency modulation going on between the oscillators. In absence of a final VCA, I'm using the ribbon's pressure sensitivity to open-and-close the cutoff frequency of the filter. With no pressure applied, the filter allows no sound to pass. This allowed me to "envelope" the notes being played on the controller with a single touch of the finger.

Thanks for viewing!"

Getting Started with the Open Labs NeKo

YouTube via MakeItFunkyProds
"(Note: If you see the message, "We're sorry, this video is no longer available" then press the HQ icon below the video and it should play.)

This video explains how to:
1. Turn on your NeKo / Miko studio.
2. Connect your external VGA monitor.
3. Play the Open Labs vsti's in your software.

(BONUS: How to exit the Open Labs Shell.)

~Vince
http://myspace.com/makeitfunkyprods"

Musikmesse: SchneidersBuero Superbooth is Back!

http://www.superbooth.com/manufactures.htm

You might remember SchneidersBuero skipped hosting last year's Superbooth at the Musikmesse.

some links:
http://matrixsynth.blogspot.com/search?q=schneidersbuero
http://matrixsynth.blogspot.com/2008/04/totally-wired.html

via sequencer.de
via https://twitter.com/moogulator

Wecome to Monome

Wecome to Monome from sam_square on Vimeo.
"What is a monome? Monomes are fun to watch, but what is actually going on?
ma-gnome!"
via https://twitter.com/stretta

Synth legends, stories and rumors

Sequence 15 has a fun post on the following synth rumors. You can find the answers there along with some videos and samples. Even if you know the answers to these, it is worth a look. I remember the first time I heard the Edgar Winter ARP 2600 as a keytar rumor. For a short period of time I actually thought it was the full on unit. :)

Story: Laurens Hammond, inventor of the Hammond organ, was tone deaf and couldn't play.

Story: No recording was ever made of the Telharmonium, the first synthesizer.

Story: The Rhodes Chroma was actually designed by ARP.

Story: Prior to the creation of MIDI, Sequential Circuits had designed a serial bus for musical instruments which was much faster than MIDI.

Story: The prototype of the Moog Voyager Old School was stolen from Moog.

Story: Edgar Winter used to play with an ARP 2600 on a guitar strap.

sensomusic usine ableton live touchscreen interface by 23fx23

YouTube via 23fx232323
"modular touch screen interface made with sensomusic usine to control ableton live."
Similar to the JazMutant Lemur.

Guthman Musical Instrument Competition

"The first Guthman Musical Instrument Competition presented by GTCMT and Harmonix (makers of Guitar Hero and Rock Band) will award $15,000 to the best novel musical instruments as judged by a panel of experts from Harmonix, Wired, and Georgia Tech. There will be a $5,000 grand prize — all participants eligible — given by Sharon Perry Galloway in honor of her husband, Dr. Thomas D. Galloway, Dean of the College of Architecture, 1992-2007. A copy of the Rock Band® video game, courtesy of Harmonix, will be awarded as a prize to places 4, 5 and 6." Submissions closed on Jan 15th. You can find a gallery of images, sound and video on Wired.

Pictured above:
"Jaime Oliver's Silent Drum uses a technique somewhat akin to shadow puppetry to create stunning and engaging music.

As his fingers press the flexible drum head, it forms black shapes in front of a white background. Those get picked up by a video camera and piped to a laptop where Max/MSP software turns the shapes into sound in real time.

The patches are pre-programmed, but Oliver's analog, light-based interface offers a surprisingly expressive range and precision. The judges were impressed; Silent Drum took home the $5,000 first prize."

Silent Drum Controller - Demo02

YouTube via jaiolix
"Demo02 - improvisations on 5 environments of the Silent Drum Controller.

for the latest piece visit: http://www.realidadvisual.org/jaimeol...

for more info on the controller visit: http://www.realidadvisual.org/jaimeol..."

"Jan Perschy's SGSX-H 750 is just what it looks like: a motorcycle engine with a keyboard attached.

As the teeth of the engine's gears travel at varying speeds past pick-ups that normally detect piston position, they generate tones that can be controlled with a keyboard. The third component, pictured to the left of the keyboard in the photo, is the voltage-controlled amplifier (VCA) that makes up for relative discrepancies in volume.

Perschy said his goal was to play the gears in a motor the same way that a Hammond organ plays its spinning tone wheels. The VCA module wasn't working when we made the recording below, an apparent victim of rough travel, but this was still a fascinating display."

Craig Hanson and Mike Gao

Be sure to see the Wired gallery for more. via CDM who held a similar contest "judged by drum machine pioneer Roger Linn and the members of tech-loving band Freezepop" See the post for more.