Future Retro 777

via this auction
"THE LAST ONE BUILT BY FUTURE RETRO!!! BOUGHT ABOUT 6 MONTHS AGO DIRECTLY FROM JERED AT FUTURE RETRO!! SIGNED BY THE MAKER: JERED FLICKINGER... Originally built as a 303 clone, but it is and does so much more!!! 2 Oscillators with sub-oscillators, 3 Pole and 7 Pole filter, two different overdrive types and modulation galore!! Can also be used as a midi to cv/gate convertor. MORE INFO AND SPECS.

Kawai K3

via this auction

Note the worn touch membrane. A little glimpse of what's under for each selectable paramater. Digital synth with analog filters. Also capable of rudimentary additive synthesis.

1984 Yamaha KX5 Keytar Synthesizer

via this auction

Korg MS2000BR "Mint"

via this auction

"It's black, and there is one thing about this particular unit. I was developing a UV-reactive live performance, and at the time decided to outline all of the gear that I would use with blacklight-reactive paint. This was one of the units, but it never ended up getting used in my live sets (same with a keyboard). It's been in my smoke-free studio for about 6 months, and is in perfect condition, sounds and functions perfectly. The only thing is the green outline of UV paint on it. I can go over it with the corner of a lighter and that has seemed to work well to remove it on my other unit, but please let me know what you would like. I can send it as-is also. Again, this unit looks and functions PERFECTLY (and looks cool in blacklight now!)." Hmm... Makes me think CustomSynth.co.uk should offer fluorescent details for those of us with black lights.

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Seiko DS-202 Digital Keyboard + DS-320 Sequencer

via this auction

Anyone know more about these? Looks like a scaled down version of the DS-310.

Update via Qwave in the comments: "The DS310 was the digital additive synthesis add-on for the DS202 and DS101. I used to have the DS202 with the DS310.
http://till-kopper.de/seiko.html

The DS310 could only be screwed and connected on the left back of the DS202 and DS101 keyboards. The DS320 was always on the right side of the keyboards back panel.

The DS310 had the ability to create and store 4 (four( sounds. Each sound was made up from 3 different spectrums of 16 harmonics each. And these spectrums were crossfaded and overall envelopes by one of the 3 (or 4?) preset envelopes with variable time segments.

Because of the limited memory slots I wrote down the sound on paper too. I stil got some of the paper today. I also recreated two of my favourite Seiko sounds on the Waldorf WAVE's build in additive wave and wavetable generation pages.

The sound available through this additive synthesis were kind of a budged Synclavier to me then. You could do nice sounds unavailable be all synths under 10.000 US$ then (early eighties). But there was always one oscillator. So you needed to layer the sounds (available only on the DS202 keyboard if my memory is still right). Or use the DS202 build in single preset chorus for wider sounds. The low end was also very thin. So you usually ended up using extrem digital sounding things.

And yes, once you changed the spectra, the DS310 needed to calculate a second or two to make the new sound audible. No real time. But this was kind of stone age of digital synthesis in the years before the DX7.

I sold the Seiko to gain money to buy me a PPG wave 2.2 in 1987."

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Moog Polymoog 280A Keyboard

via this auction

"Moog Polymoog Model 280A Keyboard Synthesizer, serial #1641. The auction also includes the legs/braces and my copy of the service manual."

ELECTRO HARMONIX - SUPER REPLAY w/Trigger Pad

via this auction
"One of the most collectible Electro Harmonix instruments, the SUPER REPLAY is offered here by the original owner, complete with DRUM TRIGGER PAD, original boxes and documentation... Briefly manufactured in the 1980s, the SUPER REPLAY remains one of the rarest and most unique digital samplers ever made. The user can sample sounds and music, replay, change pitch, mix, overdub, and loop. Replay with the External Drum Pad or use MIDI to trigger sounds."

via Jason: "The EH Super Replay responds to CV control through a DIN socket on the side. Everyone assumes it is MIDI, but I've done some incredible things with one of these coupled to an MC-202. They are well worth the money, and are terribly unique. They do have a lot grit, but you can sample, then drive the pitch around using a CV which can result in some very heavy lo-bit grit. If I remember correctly, the bit rate changes with the sampling speed, and short samples actually sound pretty clean.

The pinout for the connector is listed in the manual, and provides +5V CV control over Pitch (2 octave range), trigger+dynamics (vca), or gate."

Korg Wavestation A/D opened

flickr by Krinch
(click through for the mouse-overs)

full size

Display change.

SSM2164 TH_VCF CLONE with MODULATION EXTRA's

SSM2164 TH_VCF CLONE with MODULATION EXTRA's from BLCLONES on Vimeo.
"This shows the quality of the self-osc feature of the SSM2164 based filter."

SSM2164_TH_CLONE WITH MODULATOR SECTION

SSM2164_TH_CLONE WITH MODULATOR SECTION from BLCLONES on href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo.
"This shows you the actual filter sound. The vco's are from anther synth."


SSM2164 TH_VCF CLONE with MODULATION EXTRA's from BLCLONES on Vimeo.
"This shows the quality of the self-osc feature of the SSM2164 based filter."

via this pulled this auction via this electro-music.com thread. It looks like bluelantern is being a bad boy again. Hopefully he'll work out a licensing deal to make these. Note this is the Mankato Filter available via both Suit & Tie Guy and Bridechamber.

"SSM2164 BASED THOMAS HENRY DESIGN CLONE ALL-IN-ONE VCF. IT SOUNDS VERY HIGH-FI. IT CAN SELF REZONATE AND DO A VERY CLEAN SINE WAVE. THIS HAS a 24db, 18db, and 12db filter out.

OUTPUTS:
(1) FILTER OUT
(1) LFO OUT
(1) AR ENV out
(1)EXTREME FM out

INPUTS:
(2) BOOSTER GAIN AUDIO INPUTS (PRE-AMPS)
(1) CV INPUT
(1) FM BI-POLAR INPUT
(1) GATE input for ENV

SECTIONS:
(1) LFO -RAMP-TRIANGLE-SAW SHAPES, WITH TIMING HACK FOR 2 SPEED RATES.
(1) ATTACK, RELEASE ENVELOPE GENERATOR.
(1) SSM2164 based VCF with cutoff, rez, fine controls.

Admin: And Back to Blue

One last poll. I think what I really didn't like about the blue was how much it stood out with the older (large) header menu. With the font smaller there I think it looks much better. Blue makes the site look more lively / less dreary than the grey. Blue also did better than I expected in the last poll with the larger header menu, so... One more poll now that you've seen the grey for a bit of the day... Click on the image below the poll for a screenshot of the site with grey. And remember, the site is about the content, so obviously don't get worked up on this one.