How Not to Fry Your Modular Gear & 7 Semi-Modular Ideas, Tips and Tricks for Synths

7 Semi-Modular ideas, tips and tricks for synths like MatrixBrute, Mother-32, MiniBrute 2 and more Published on Jul 11, 2018

1:00 TIP #1: Safely connecting CV to the Expression inputs of synths and guitar pedals using a floating ring cable

6:45 TIP #2: Using external envelopes to vary your synth sounds

9:25 TIP #3: Using MIDI to CV for sound layering and external control

11:45 TIP #4: Modular sequencing

15:05 TIP #5: Extending your sequencer with internal patching

16:55 TIP #6: Combining multiple mod sources

18:40 TIP #7: Adding external modular effects

Here's the clip I reference in my video: [embed further below]

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Collaboration with Propellerhead Reason | KORG Gadget UPDATED

Published on Jul 11, 2018 Korg

iOS: KORG Gadget - KORG INC. - Regular Price $39.99 -> Special Price $19.99 (50% OFF)
Mac: KORG Gadget for Mac - Regular Price: $299 -> Special Price: $149

"KORG Gadget for iOS / Mac collaboration with Propellerhead Reason. The new version of KORG Gadget adds a new gadget and is available now!

An update is available today for KORG Gadget, the powerful music production software featuring 30 small synthesizers and drum machines. KORG and Propellerhead have partnered to offer 'Stockholm by Reason' to KORG Gadget users. Stockholm by Reason is a gadgetized version of the classic Dr. Octo Rex Loop Player from Reason 10, Propellerhead’s award-winning music production software.

Stockholm by Reason lets you easily and freely control loops and sample slices with your keyboard or pads. Switch between up to eight loops in real time for a new way to enjoy creating music!

And KORG Gadget for iOS / Mac has a special discount offer (up to 50% off) to celebrate our update. In-app purchases of audio sources on iOS will also be at special discounted pricing. The offer ends on 2018/8/8 (Wednesday), so please hurry! Don’t miss this great opportunity to get this incredible software."

Super Mario Brothers & The Legend of Zelda Themes Played on a Commodore VIC-20 from 1980

Published on Jul 10, 2018 MrCaliforniaD

"Yes. Your ears are working right. That old sound chip sounded pretty detuned. This song was made using the Vic-Midi cartridge from Retro Innovations. Please note that all track were recorded separately to avoid the chip from generating its classical overdriving when producing polyphony. I tried it and the result was awful. :) Please feel free to ask me any questions."

Playlist:
1. The Legend of Zelda theme played on an original Commodore VIC-20 from 1980
2. Super Mario Bros theme played on an original Commodore VIC-20 from 1980

AudioKit Synth One: Secret #2

Published on Jul 10, 2018 Brice Beasley

Check out secret 1 revealed by Jakob Haq here.

Ensoniq ESQ-1 & Roland MC-64C Replacement Memory Carts

Published on Dec 28, 2017 geerefamilyusa

A few pics of my recently arrived ESQ-1/ESQ-M/SQ-80 and Roland MC-64 memory cartridges. They are really nice quality - solid with a nice texture to them.
The red Ensoniq cart comes with 80 patches (2 banks of 40 patches) that are re-writeable. Demo video above.

As for the orange Roland cart (previously posted here): "A single MCX-1024 is the equivalent of 16 M-64C cartridges! It utilizes FRAM non-volatile memory that outperform EEPROM/FLASH in speed while remaining non-volatile unlike the more commonly used SRAM."

That little black knob protruding from the cart is the switch that allows you to select the different banks.

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Tactile Control of the iVCS3 using the Novation Launch Control XL

Published on Jul 10, 2018 Digital Jeepney

"You can get almost full control of the ivcs3 using the Novation Launch Control XL."

New IK Multimedia Syntronik Deluxe Hardware Synth Link Update

The link in this post has been updated. Apologies for that. I had a comma instead of a period in the link. Here it is if you want to jump straight to it: http://creativetechnerds.jimdo.com/i-k-multimedia-uno-synth/.

Patchení s Nikol - VCA Panning

Published on Jul 10, 2018 Bastl Instruments

"In this episode Nikol explains how Quattro Figaro can be used to pan mono signals from left to right using two VCAs and an inverter. The pan modulation is done by Tromsø, it is tweaked to go up to audio rate in this example."

WMD Modular Synthesizer Jam Session

Published on Jul 10, 2018 WMDevices

"Alex put together a new 6U demo system to show off our newest module, the DVCA, and for employee use here at the shop and decided to make a quick video of his first patch on the system.

Notable modules include the WMD Performance Mixer, Arpitecht, PDO mkii, and Fracture as well as the Hexinverter Mutant Bass Drum.

Bassline was sequenced with the Industrial Music Electronics Stillson Hammer and the lead was sequenced by the Arpitecht. All drums were sequenced with the Noise Engineering Numeric Repetitor."

New Dove Audio WTF Oscillator

It looks like Paula Maddox of Modal Electronics and vacoloco has a new brand and a new module in the works. Dove Audio is the brand and the WTF Oscillator is the module, currently on Kickstarter.

DivKid captured the following demo at this year's Brighton Modular Meet:
Dove Audio WTF Oscillator at Brighton Modular Meet 2018

Published on Jul 10, 2018 DivKidVideo

"Here's a patch from Paula Anne Maddox with her new WTF oscillator and company Dove Audio. It's a new unique take on working with waveforms and oscillators and will be launched on Kickstarter here - http://bit.ly/wtfvco.

This footage is from the Brighton Modular Meet on the 1st of July 2018. The event is held at the Attenborough Centre for the Arts at the University of Sussex. More information here - http://brightonmodularmeet.co.uk"

Some details on the new module from the Kickstarter campaign, for the archives:


"What is a WTF Oscillator?

WTF stands for Window Transform Function and this oscillator gives the owner a new and unique way to morph between waveforms. It's designed to fit in your modular synthesiser, either in Euro-rack format or MU format.

How Does it Work?
Remember when you used to go to the dentist and the receptionist had a sliding hatch that would open and say "Mrs Smith to see the Dr in room 3 please"? Well this is much the same, the "front" wave is represented by the panes of glass on that window, the rear wave is the cheery receptionist.

As you slide open the window in the front wave the rear wave can be seen in that window. You can open and close this window with CV control.

Here's an example waveform.

This creates a totally new waveform that could, for example, start with a sawtooth, then change to a square wave part way through, then go back to a sawtooth for the remainder of the waveform cycle.
All this can be done with full CV control, allowing you to route your existing LFOs, EGs and sequencers to any or all of the parameters.

Features
32 Waveforms + Noise
There are 32 waveforms plus noise in the module and you can morph between any two. There are of course the usual suspects - sawtooth, sine wave, triangle wave and square wave. The remaining 28 waveforms are all newly created to mimic certain types of sounds, like vocal formants, distorted waves, metallic sounds and many more.
You can select the front and rear waveforms with independent control voltages enabling you to create incredibly rich sonic textures.

Tuneable Noise
The noise is tuneable, when you enable noise for the rear wave you can adjust the frequency the noise is generated at, allowing you to go from a white noise to a retro 8 bit game console style noise.

Advanced 'PWM'
You can also set the rear window to be a DC level giving you the ability to create PWM like sounds with any of the 32 waveforms.

Wave Inversion
You can also invert the rear waveform which adds a whole new level of sonic capability to the WTF oscillator.

Dual Window Mode
We've also added a 'dual' mode to the window function, so you can change between a single window opening and closing or a dual window.

CV Control of Waveforms
Finally, we've added the ability to change both the front and rear waveforms using control voltages, used in conjunction with a sequencer this gives you an incredibly powerful sound source full of previously unheard of sonic power."

See the Kickstarter campaign for additional videos and audio demos.