MATRIXSYNTH

Rare Elka Wilgamat III Analog Drum Machine

Unique 1970’s Analogue Synthesizer

via this auction
"It consists of two (19” rack mounting) units (each 3u). I’ll call one the ‘Amp/PSU’ and the other the ‘Synth’

The ‘Amp/PSU’…
Is constructed from tinned steel and aluminium and contains (enclosed) two power transformers (manufactured by GARDNERS – type GR26723 quite large and heavy) and two 20W power amps (Toshiba Power Pack TH9013P - The manufacture dates and availability of the power amps suggest the whole synth was constructed in the mid seventies).

There is a mixer/patchbay, a signal preamp (with gain and volume – cw rotation of gain REDUCES the signal), a divide down circuit (?) and a Power (on/off) section which also supplies the power (via a lead) to…

The ‘Synth’…
Two Voltage Controlled Oscillators (VCO) with Low/High switch (can be used as LFO). Square and Triangle outputs.

Ring Mod.

Noise.

Two Voltage Controlled Filters (VCF), one Low Pass and one High Pass.

A ¼” ‘Patchbay’ with ins and outs for the above sections.

An Envelope Generator (EG). The audio signal is fed through it, so I’m assuming there is some form of VCA within the EG. There is also a TRAP out with a level control (I’m assuming TRAP is short for ‘Trapezium’) which can be used as a control voltage.

All of the circuit boards and wiring of the ‘Synth’ are exposed on the back of the 3u panel (not in an enclosure).

*It Works..!
This is a very old (early?) synthesizer, hand built back in the 70’s, so although it 'works', it will need care and attention from its new owner to get the best from it. Some of the pots are ‘crackly’ as well as some of the jack sockets. Eleven of the eighteen (silver) knob caps are missing. There are signals ('square' & 'triangle') from both oscillators and they both switch between high and low. The noise output also works. The Ring Mod appears to work. The filters appear to work (both LP and HP).

The output and input jacks (in the colour coded panels on the ‘Synth’) work (some ‘crackling’). The Envelope section works, both in ‘Cycle’ mode (which appears to be a repeating trigger whose time is set by the ‘Rate’ pot) and in ‘Man’ (Manual, triggered by the red push button which is intermittent – needs cleaning?) The inputs and outputs from the Mixer appear to work (some ‘crackling’) and the pre-amp appears to work (with the rather ‘odd’ gain control that reduces the signal when turned clockwise).

There’s an amplified signal from both of the power amp outputs. I’m not sure what the ‘panel’ to the left of the ‘Mixers’ does. I assumed that a signal fed to the in socket would appear divided at the (divide by 2, 4 and 8) jacks, but I couldn’t hear anything, so perhaps this part is faulty? Power is via a standard ‘mains’ plug. The ‘Power’ switch works and the neon power light works. I’m assuming the two ‘din’ power (D.C.?) sockets work as the ‘Synth’ plugs into one of them and seems to power-up ok. When powered up there is a ‘hum’ which seems to be ‘mechanical’ and probably from the two Gardner power transformers (could be as simple as loose mounting). It needs a good clean."

Roland SPV-355 Analog Synthesizer Pitch to CV SN 850406

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Frostwave Resonator MS20 filter clone

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Paia Model 6780 Vintage Analog Synthesizer

via this auction

"Paia Model 6780 Vintage Analog Synthesizer this has great analog tone all the keys and controls work properly but the speed and depth control for the tremolo doesn't seem to be working not sure if a footswitch is needed to engage this"

WorldScales Microtonal Synth for iPad

"Not all scales are created equal.
This app allows you to break out of the limitations of equal-tempered scales and gives you freedom to tune the built-in keyboard in whatever way you want. Loaded with many presets and samples you can explore ancient scales, byzantine music, oriental vibes or configure your own scales.

Have you ever wondered why we tune our instruments the way we do? They are usually tuned to an "equal-tempered scale", which divides the octave into equally spaced tones and semitones. This has become the most prevalent way of tuning the instruments in the west since the 18th Century. Today, musicians use this tuning system, and the scales based on it, without ever considering other ways. For example, in the Middle Ages European musicians generally used Pythagorean tuning, and today many traditional instruments in the Middle East and Asia are tuned according to regional systems and standards.

Included features:
● Ability to tune each key in the octave individually (+- 100 cents).
● 18 High quality sampled instruments: From grand piano, violin and organ to oriental oud and kanun, to voices of a choir singing Ison voices. Many samples are polyphonic and have multiple velocity layers.

● MIDI In. Connect your External MIDI keyboard and play microtonal music. Tuning the individual keys is normally only possible on $1000+ keyboard!
● Many presets introducing lesser known western, byzantine and oriental scales.
● Ability to save your own scales and tunings.
● Entering directly frequency ratios, frequencies or cents.
● Shows on the piano keys where the scale starts and what keys are included in the scale.
● Changing the root key of a scale: all tuned keys are shifted correctly.
● Audio effects: reverb and compressor.
● And more…"

Not seeing MIDI out on the list.

iPads on eBay
iPads on Amazon

Shruthi Polivoks & Gorf

YouTube Uploaded by kidtronic on Mar 10, 2012

"A walk through the different filter styles of Olivier's Parisian designed line of Shruthi synthesizers. Two contrasting designs (in German designed cnc cases) include a clean digital clone of an analog IC filter & one based on the Polivoks Russian take on a Japanese Korg filter, and all driven by a British designed cheap and useful midi sequencer by Paul Maddox with a case designed by a friend of his. All of these were made by me with a soldering iron from kits. Make yer own and get out and perform! Oh and good bass, missed by the camera microphones."

Eowave Persephone markII with the "Métallique" prototype

YouTube Uploaded by marcmodular on Mar 11, 2012

"Eowave Metallic Resonator prototype inspired by the Martenot Métallique"

buchla LPG tones.mov

YouTube Uploaded by zackdagoba on Mar 11, 2012

"using the buchla 292e quad low pass gates as a sound source....

see http://myblogitsfullofstars.blogspot.com/"

Berlin 26.02.2012 Richard Scott, Navs and Rastko

Berlin 26.02.2012 Richard Scott, Navs and Rastko from Rastko Lazic on Vimeo.

Excerpt from the session we had in Richard's Scott's studio in Berlin, February 2012.

There are 3 parts in these series and in this one the performers are :
Richard Scott - Analogue Modular Synthesizer/Max MSP
Rastko - CocoQuantus and Sidrazzi
Navs - Analogue Modular Synthesizer
It was a beautiful afternoon and we thank Richard for being such a great host.
www.richard-scott.net
www.rastko.info
www.navsmodularlab.blogspot.com