MATRIXSYNTH

1984 Akai AX-80: 17 more great sounds

video upload by Valmont

"I played for hours straight so I had to change my camera's battery 4 times and my SD card, then assembling and sorting all the cuts I realized it moved a bit, sorry for that!
One of the great thing with the AX80 is the stability: it doesn't move of a single cent, which is fundamentally important for live performances! (Also there are 64 presets it's nice). More than being stable, it's also really in tune thanks DCOs drivers. (too much in tune..?)
It's nice to know this synth has a double-mode crossmod section, an ADSR to DCO routing and an additional sub waveform. On 8 voices so it goes big! I especially like the crossmod. It's not as versatile as a Prophet 600, but it does have a sonic difference. The filters are a question of taste, I'm into the 2044 reference and those CEMs don't sound quite the same, they have a more aggressive resonance... They're just different (in a CEM way by definition :p)
And well that look, with astonishing neon LEDs behind opaque plexiglass, and this fantastic keyboard feel! Oyy we don't speak enough about it, but it's amazing, it's perfectly balanced and nice to play with.

As usual with mono sources, I preamped the AX-80 thru a Golden Age Premier PREQ-73, and since the Akai output level is super high it easily went on overdrive. The Akai doesn't drive by itself, it's on the contrary really clean!

0:00 - matt's jupiter
0:22 - bbd like
0:38 - edged era
0:54 - chillaxattitudzer
1:16 - nyx
1:40 - parallels
1:59 - pouet
2:16 - rotterdam
2:37 - shattered skies
2:54 - sparkling cubes
3:21 - trapezoid bridge
3:45 - staircase
4:18 - strewed semolina
4:45 - atmos
5:12 - grasping at straws
5:35 - cubicle
5:58 - cardboard box"

Лель УДС (LEL' UDS) with a Welson Supermatic S12

video upload by Valmont

"- The LEL' UDS is a soviet drum synth, made in the late 80's.
It has 2 identical, independant channels that include a tone (triangle) and a noise generator.
- The Welson Supermatic S12 is an italian drum machine made in 1971.
It provides 12 classic patterns with no available edits, except global volume and tempo.
There's still a little knob at the back that acts like a 6dB LP filter ('tone' thing)

So in a few words, two simple instruments that make simple sounds... Chained together!
I was digging inside the LEL' (A bit of servicing) but got lazy to close the lid to shoot the video. So there it is, wide opened for your eyes :D
I think I'll add a second output for this unit.
Just requires to build a second amplifier and split the channels - not thaaat complicated stuff so... why not give a try x)

Patterns:
0:00 - Shake
0:28 - Tango
0:46 - Mambo 1
0:59 - Mambo 2
1:09 - Slow Rock
1:20 - Samba 1
1:32 - Snare Roll
1:43 - Samba 2"

Crumar Bit One: 15 great sounds (Rare SSM rev.)

video upload by Valmont

"Long time ago I recorded a video of this Crumar, but the sound was mono with phasing issues, and so didn't give honor to Bit One's sonic character.
This time I recorded it with the voicepan x)
This unit is a SSM-2044 version, it said less than 300 (or 200?) were made before switching to the less sought-after CEM-3328. With the incredible number of broken Bit Ones you can find online, I don't think there's much SSM versions left :D
The Bit is also capable of split/layer/two-unison, I forgot to make some patch for that when recording the video!

I made a Crumar Bit One/01/99 t-shirt here (idk I thought it looked cool) https://sites.google.com/site/digital...

0:00 - caramel
0:18 - italie 13
0:42 - july
1:01 - imagination
1:16 - aspects
1:35 - spread
1:56 - venus
2:22 - aristide
2:55 - scent
3:15 - pacific fish
3:36 - butternut
4:07 - boreal toad
4:24 - montmartre
4:56 - neons
5:20 - oranges"

MSX Yamaha CX5M Music Computer SFG-05 FM Sound Synthesizer Unit II Engine

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"MSX Yamaha CX5M Music Computer SFG-05 FM Sound Synthesizer Unit II Engine WORKS! This unit is in excellent condition, being tested and functional with no major issues. It has all parts and pieces and comes with an SFG-05 FM Sound Synthesizer Unit II Module plugged in the back, wham-o! This unit is clean and has no damage, and has all the original plug covers still in place as well (these are usually lost relatively quickly).

This unit measures in at 16 1/2" wide, 8 1/4" deep, and 2 3/4" tall. It weighs in at 6 pounds, 12.9 ounces total."

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Waldorf Q Phoenix 61-Key Synthesizer

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Siel Orchestra 2 Analog Synthesizer SN 230/221

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"First you think it has 4 basic sounds but it is the 80s so the piano is of course does not sound like a piano at all, and the others also very very diferent what you expect but the result is surprisingly great, you simply do not want to stop playing!

The equalizer is a real plus! It can change the sound of every patches and it is a really hands on modification tool."

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ARP Odyssey MKII 2810 (Moog Filter), 70's Synth SN 0430

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"Beautiful vintage ARP Odyssey MK2 (the one with the Moog-style filter). It has CV/Gate and generally works well, though the keybed could use a cleaning as some key contacts are a little off sometimes. Controlling it via CV/Gate works like a dream, though. This era of filter is my favorite sounding vs the 1st and 3rd versions of the Odyssey with a nice balance of the powerful, sharp ARP VCOs and the liquidy Moog-ish filter. The synth has been recapped, all electrolytics and tantalums have been replaced."

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