The AIR Vocoder

video upload by Alex Ball

"A quick look at the Korg Digital Voice Processor (DVP-1) from 1986, which was used by Air on numerous productions, including "Kelly Watch the Stars" from Moon Safari.

The DVP was originally designed to give programmable voice effects at an affordable price, but you can run any audio signal you like through it. There's four main engines or 'modes':

Vocoder (as the name suggests, a digital vocoder)
Harmonize (add five intervals to an audio signal, also has chord memory)
Int Wave (internal digital waves that can be played via midi)
Pitch Shift (digital pitch shifting)

There's a built-in chorus effect, unison and poly modes and patch memory.

Editing is tedious, but easy; select the parameter button and use the legend on the top of the unit to find the number of the required parameter, then use the value editor to change it. There's various settings for the different modes including formant shift, waveforms, pitch envelope, modulation generator (LFO), harmonizer intervals, chorus speed, intensity, type, MIDI etc etc

0:00 Intro
0:59 The Modes
2:53 Summary & Sexy Boy"

Trying Out the Sequential Pro 3

video upload by Midnight Fury

"just a little chill jam playing with the pro 3.
others used are
sequential take5, novation summit, Roland's TR8S, Roland ju-06a, keystep pro, ableton"

Novation Introduces FLkey 49 & 61: New Additions to the Ultimate FL Studio MIDI Keyboard Range

video upload by NovationTV

Press release follows:

NOVATION INTRODUCES FLkey 49 AND FLkey 61 TO THE AWARD-WINNING FLkey RANGE

HIGH WYCOMBE, U.K. - June 8, 2023 – Novation proudly announces the latest additions to their FLkey range: the FLkey 49 and FLkey 61. These new models are specifically designed to provide an enriched, hands-on music production experience for FL Studio users.

Building on the success of the award-winning FLkey Mini and FLkey 37, these new models offer a larger key count and additional features, thus catering to the ever-growing demands of the FL Studio user community. Developed in collaboration with Image-Line, creators of FL Studio, the FLkey 49 and FLkey 61 provide seamless integration, enabling users to stay in the groove without switching back to the computer.

"We're proud to present the FLkey 49 and FLkey 61," said Sam Counihan, Senior Product Manager, Novation. "These extensions to our FLkey line provide FL Studio musicians with a broader canvas for their creativity, enhancing their musical journey."

FLkey 49 and FLkey 61 allow for a hands-on music production experience, with controls for FL Studio's Sequencer, Channel Rack, and Mixer. The controllers include Scale and Chord modes for creative play, along with Sequencer Mode for programming beats fast. The controllers also include essential buttons for easy access to transport, score log, undo, redo, quantise, and metronome triggering. Presets can be browsed in Image-Line plugins directly from the controllers. Additionally, the controllers come bundled with a range of software from AAS, Spitfire Audio, XLN Audio, and Klevgrand, as well as a 6-month trial of FL Studio Producer Edition.

Key Features of FLkey 49 and 61:

• Seamless Integration with FL Studio. Produce music easily with essential controls at your fingertips.

• Mixer and Channel Rack control. Adjust volume and pan with eight knobs, nine faders, and nine

fader buttons.

• Step sequencer. Take control of FL Studio’s step sequencer and program drums easily.

• Pattern Pad mode. Select and edit patterns directly from the pads.

• Channel Rack playability. Play directly into the Channel Rack from FLkey 49 and FLkey 61’s pads.

• Scale mode. Choose your scale and always hit the right note.

• Instrument control. Trigger FPC and SliceX with the pads for more expressive beats and melodies.

• Plug-in control. Tweak Image-Line plugins and record natural-sounding automation with eight knobs

and nine faders.

• Creative Chord Modes. Three chord modes–Fixed, User and Scale–unlock rapid song building and

performance. Play custom chords and chords in different scales with just one finger.

• Preset browsing. Find your favourite presets from Image-Line plugins directly from FLkey 49 and

FLkey 61.

• Custom Modes. Assign custom controls to the pads and knobs on FLkey 49 and FLkey 61 to tailor

your music production workflow.

Included Software:

• FL Studio Producer Edition – 6 Month Trial

• XLN Audio Addictive Keys

• AAS Session bundle

• Spitfire Audio Expressive Strings

• Klevgrand DAW Cassette

• Klevgrand Roverb

Warranty:

Novation provides a three-year warranty, ensuring repair or replacement due to a manufacturing fault, offering reliability wherever you are in the world.

Pricing and Availability:

FLkey 49: $229.99 FLkey 61: $279.99

FLkey 49 and FLkey 61 are now available for pre-order at all leading musical instrument retailers and can also be ordered directly from our online store at store.focusrite.com.

For more information, please visit: novationmusic.com/flkey

LoFi Future T-420 UHG Eurorack Module Video synthesis capabilities demo w/ Mainbow V2

video upload by LoFiFuture

"The T-420 UHG is available to pre-order here!

The T-420 Ultra High Grade is the latest addition to the T-420 family. It features the same core functionality as the original T-420 with some massive improvements.

It is a 12HP euro rack format module but can be used as a standalone module that takes a standard 12V input with the use of an optional baseplate.

The most notable improvement is the addition of 3 new effects. They can be switched on or off via the slide switch and the intensity can be altered with the corresponding knob. Each effect can also be externally switched with a gate source, it can do this all the way up to video rate frequencies.

FX1 - Chroma Bloom (creates washes of banding colours and high saturation)

FX2 - Horizontal displace (a feedback patch that created jagged horizontal lines)

FX3 - Edge Trace (creates ringing feedback effects that trace the bright parts of an image)

There is also a bipolar CV input with a trim control, this controls the overall behaviour of the video processor and thus influences the FX listed above.

A "soft bypass" switch allows you to mix some unaffected video signal with the effected video signal to help stabilise the signal and change the flavour of FX altogether.

A wonderful addition to any modular video synth setup or a great way to introduce some synced CRT visuals to your audio modular."

Soon | Noise Engineering #shorts

video upload by Noise Engineering

UDO Unveils White Super 6 Keyboard & Blue Super 6 Desktop

Press release follows:

"UDO unveils Super 6 keyboard with white colourway complimenting forthcoming flagship alongside special-edition blue Super 6 desktop during SUPERBOOTH23 showcase


BRISTOL, UK: UDO is proud to announce availability of its breakthrough Super 6 keyboard instrument in an alternative white colourway complimenting the SUPERBOOTH23-shown Super Gemini — itself introduced to widespread critical acclaim at the FEZ-Berlin-hosted specialist trade fair in mid-May as a 20 VOICE DUAL LAYER POLYPHONIC BINAURAL ANALOG-HYBRID SYNTHESIZER WITH SUPER-WAVE TECHNOLOGY, tastefully highlighted on its exquisitely-executed control panel framing a custom- engineered ribbon controller and a 61-note semi-weighted keybed with polyphonic aftertouch, all set to take up its rightful position as the British electronic musical instrument company’s flagship product when shipping later this year — alongside a limited number of special-edition blue Super 6 desktop models that perfectly match their blue keyboard counterparts also given the SUPERBOOTH23 showcase treatment in celebration of the forthcoming flagship game changer, as of June 15…

It is fair to say, though, that UDO’s breakthrough Super 6 keyboard instrument made a show-stopping splash upon its introduction to the musical masses assembled at SUPERBOOTH19 in Berlin, Germany, subsequently making its musical mark worldwide when originally released in both black and blue colourways as a 12 VOICE POLYPHONIC BINAURAL ANALOG-HYBRID SYNTHESIZER WITH SUPER-WAVE TECHNOLOGY that really represented a new take on the traditional analogue synthesizer. State-of-the-art FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) digital hardware oscillators are coupled with analogue filters and amplifiers, while its unique super-wavetable core can be shaped and manipulated with the binaural analogue signal path and flexible modulation also on offer. Of course, SUPER 6 features a true stereo path in which its 12 voices are twinned to form six ‘Super’ voices — hence the appropriate appellation applied to the instrument itself. Its L (left) and R (right) OUTPUT channels — and each ear, effectively — are assigned a complete synthesizer voice. So, starting with the stereo OSCILLATORS, parameters of both channels of such voices can be controlled independently, in turn allowing users to create stunning stereo images.

In recognition of the 49-note Fatar keybed-determined footprint of that breakthrough instrument not necessarily suiting everyone’s needs, UDO was quick to follow up with the Super 6 desktop. Designed to take a beautifully re-engineered full-featured Super 6 to an even wider audience by bringing its flexible and immediate control, gorgeous analogue sound, and unrivalled build quality into a more compact package, perfectly housed in an all-metal chassis that also encompasses ergonomic features such as VESA mount compliance, optional 7U rack ears, and robust flip-up feet, it is finished in the same striking white colourway contemporarily applied to UDO’s Super Gemini future flagship — itself set to ship later this year as the second synthesizer in the British electronic musical instrument company’s so-called ‘Super’ series.

Speaking of striking colourways, availability of the white Super 6 alongside a limited number of special-edition blue Super 6 desktop models that perfectly match their blue keyboard counterparts as part of UDO’s Super Gemini launch celebrations coincide with an upcoming firmware update ultimately being brought to the ever- more-colourful Super 6 lineup.

The white Super 6 keyboard is available to order through UDO’s growing global network of stockists (https://www.udo-audio.com/stockists) priced at £2,495.00 GBP (including VAT)/€2,699.00 EUR (including VAT)/$2,700.00 USD, while a limited number of special-edition blue Super 6 desktop models that perfectly match their blue keyboard counterparts are priced at £1,895.00 GBP (including VAT)/€2,079.00 EUR (including VAT)/$2,160.00 USD."

See the dealers on the right for availability.

Erica Synths & Richie Hawtin's BULLFROG

Press release follows:

Created by Erica Synths & Richie Hawtin, Bullfrog is an educational electronic music instrument designed to captivate and inspire both youth and professionals alike. Bullfrog invites you to unlock musicality while combining the thrill of electronic music production with a comprehensive learning experience.

Bullfrog is a classical subtractive synthesiser – it consists of several "modules" for sound generation – VCO, NOISE GENERATOR - and treatment – VCF, VCA/DELAY, as well as "modules" that generate control and modulation signals to control them – ENVELOPE GENERATORS and SAMPLE & HOLD. The Bullfrog will not make the sound on its own unless it is patched – using eurorack patch cables to interconnect the “modules” or by inserting voice cards that create internal connections between the “modules” in a specific way and add extra functionality, like sampler/looper, sequencer, groovebox, etc. This approach better helps to understand functionality of a subtractive synthesizer and the principles of sound design with instruments like these.

In order to provide a well rounded understanding of the functionality of this synthesizer and sound synthesis in general, a comprehensive user manual is created to accompany the learning process.

Bullfrog will be available via ericasynths.lv and the best electronic music retailers across the globe on 10th of August 2023

Thoughts on Bullfrog by Richie Hawtin

''Electronic Music is as popular as ever and its traditions and frequencies now stretch around the world, uniting people across language and cultures. For me, one of the most exciting parts of creating with a synthesiser is the playful experimentation that inspires and pushes the imagination. Whether the intention is to create abstract frequencies or sounds inspired by real-life, the route one takes is personal and often surprising. It is within these investigations where the beauty of synthesis really comes alive, and which often unlocks a new sense of creative purpose. This journey of discovery is what originally pulled me deep into the world of electronic music and continues to be part of the fascination I find when working in the studio or performing on stage. As a teenager I felt like I was searching for the right outlet to transit my creativity and in synthesis I found a path.

These memories and concepts are at the heart of our Bullfrog synthesiser. Whether someone’s experience with Bullfrog points them down a career in electronic music or not, our goal is to both nurture a passion for electronically produced sounds and promote a fun easy learning path into basic sound synthesis.

We believe that the hands-on approach and problem solving that is innate to synthesis on a semi-modular synth like the Bullfrog, contains life lessons that go beyond what we can hear. The Bullfrog encapsulates the foundations of synthesis and is built with an immediate, intuitive design and a unique expandable architecture that grows and expands together with our user's imagination.

This instrument feels at home anywhere - as an educational tool in music and physics classes, as an addition to your basement studio or even as a tool for performance on a stage.

Learn. Produce. Perform.''

- Richie Hawtin

Additional details: https://bullfrog.ericasynths.lv

Atomizing Acoustic Drums With Nuclear Research Equipment | Loop Pack

video upload by HAINBACH

"I wanted to spend time with an old friend of mine, who happens to be an excellent drummer. So I posed an experiment for us: what happens if you run acoustic drums into vintage nuclear research instruments? Spoiler: it sounds devastating! We liked the result so much that we made it into a 'Nuclear Drum Loops' pack, complete with single samples. Its ideal in any genre where you want something rough and different for your drums. Available now on http://hainbach.bandcamp.com"

FolkTek Alter X & Alter Y Effect Pedals - All the patches

video upload by While We Were Sleeping

00:00 Intro

Part one
A quick run through all the algorithms the FolkTek Alter X & y
01:00 Alter X Algorithms
03:03 Alter Y Algorithms

Part Two
Long take of each algorithm with knob tweaking (without prior preparation)
04:55 Alter X 1 - long delay
11:42 Alter X 2 - tight, notated granular delay
15:00 Alter X 3 - huge plate reverb
20:03 Alter X 4 - shimmering reverb
24:14 Alter X 5 - distortion and multi-filter
27:39 Alter X 6 - pitch delay
33:15 Alter X 7 - stutter glitch

36:12 Alter Y 1 - analog delay
39:46 Alter Y 2 - reverb with infinite capture and LP + HP filters
43:13 Alter Y 3 - choral reverb
35:57 Alter Y 4 - palindrome reverse delay - backward/forward repeat
48:23 Alter Y 5 - time stretch
50:21 Alter Y 6 - pitch shift (notated semi-tones)
53:18 Alter Y 7 - time stretch glitch

55:40 outro

"This is a quick edit from an hour-long session of me going through all the presets/Algorithms of the FolkTek Alte X & Y one by one and tweaking their knobs. I made it primarily for me to be able to easily find an Algorithm. Each Algorithm/Patch is identified by the position of the light and up to this point I was counting the presses from preset 1.
Used my trusty Korg Monotribe with a simple pattern that does not change throughout the video. Had to change its output volume on one of the patches.
I am sure I will have more videos with these pedals that show more of what they can do and make use of their CV inputs. Hope you find it useful and if you have a FolkTek Alte X & Y would love to hear how you are getting on and any tips quirks to watch out for."

Testing the Avalanche Run V2 with a Buchla & Tiptop Audio Suitcase - Earthquaker Devices

video upload by Stazma