Tuesday, September 17, 2024
Introducing The Cassettone Two: The Next Cassette Based Synth
video upload by The Sound of Machines
Press release follows:
Inventor and sound artist Rich Bernett, creator of the original Cassettone synthesizer, is excited to announce the development of the Cassettone Two—an upgraded, feature-packed evolution of the original cassette synth that gained a loyal following of DIY builders and experimental musicians around the globe.
The Cassettone Two is Bernett’s next step in redefining how cassette tapes can be manipulated into unique musical instruments. The original Cassettone, a keyboard that plays cassette loops, sparked excitement in the music-making and DIY communities, receiving widespread attention across YouTube, Instagram, and music blogs.
With its quirky design and DIY appeal, makers all over the world began building their own versions, and workshops and even social media communities sprung up around it. Now, with the introduction of the Cassettone Two, Bernett is ready to push the boundaries further.
A New Chapter for the Cassettone Synth
The Cassettone Two builds upon the foundation of the original with exciting new features designed to give musicians and builders more creative control. The most notable upgrade? Two cassette players, each with independent pitch control, that can be blended for a richer, more versatile sound. This marks a major leap forward from the original single cassette model, allowing users to create complex, layered tones.
“I wanted to address some of the challenges builders faced with the first version. With the Cassettone Two, there’s no need to hack into old cassette players anymore, which should eliminate the parts most prone to failure,” says Bernett.
Tailored for Makers and Musicians Alike
Bernett, who operates online under the name The Sound of Machines, has learned from the overwhelming interest in the first Cassettone and is implementing a rollout strategy that caters to both makers and musicians. For those who enjoy building, there will be DIY kits that include all necessary components (minus the tools). For musicians who prefer to skip the assembly, Rich plans to have a small-batch of pre-built units that will be available for purchase.
Additionally, Bernett plans to offer virtual and in-person workshops and detailed tutorials to guide makers through the building process, ensuring that anyone can successfully bring their own Cassettone Two to life.
More Features on the Horizon
While the base model of the Cassettone Two is set to feature two cassettes with pitch control, Bernett is already planning an XL model with reverse play, stereo outputs, and a brand-new “drone” mode, which he teases will be detailed in future announcements.
“Based on the popularity and community engagement with the first Cassettone, I’m aiming for a much more structured rollout this time. Whether you're a musician who wants a one-of-a-kind sound source or a maker who enjoys the build process, there will be an option for you,” says Bernett.
Limited Availability for Early Runs
Due to the anticipated demand, initial batches of the Cassettone Two will be limited. To ensure you don’t miss out, Rich Bernett encourages fans and makers to join The Sound of Machines Patreon, where he’s offering behind-the-scenes updates, production insights, and priority access to the first run of the Cassettone Two.
Subscribers will not only be the first to know when new units are available, but they'll also gain access to audio samples, exclusive tutorials, and detailed guides on building other experimental instruments from Bernett’s collection.
Join the Journey
Bernett’s journey with the Cassettone has been shaped by the creativity of the community around it, and he’s eager to see where musicians and makers will take the Cassettone Two.
To stay updated on production progress and get priority access to the first batch, join Bernett’s Patreon at Patreon.com/TheSoundofMachines and follow along on Instagram at instagram.com/thesoundofmachines.
About Rich Bernett
Rich Bernett is a sound artist and inventor best known for his boutique experimental musical instruments. Through his “The Sound of Machines” YouTube channel, Bernett shares his deep love of DIY instrument building and recording techniques, with videos that serve as tutorials for creating unique instruments from scratch. His Instagram presence, which continues to grow rapidly, has become a go-to repository for bizarre sound experiments, attracting the attention of both DIY enthusiasts and top-tier professionals in the music industry. With a dedicated community of builders and musicians behind him, Bernett continues to push the boundaries of sound design.
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Roland TR-505 | Tight Drums & Synthpop - In depth tutorial
video upload by Espen Kraft
"The Roland TR-505 drum machine from 1986. Undervalued and underestimated. If you want to make a tight, slick drum pattern in 80s synthpop style, this has the perfect kick and snare for the job.
With a little bit of compression and EQ you will have a super tight and punchy back bone for the rest of your arrangement. The kick of the 505 is more suited to digital recording and streaming playback than the 707's kick or the Linndrum kick.
The TR-505 was released as an entry level drum machine and it was always overshadowed by the TR-707 popping up at around the same time, and the TR-909 released a little before, but people like Vince Clarke hailed the 505's kick as perfect for synthpop.
Since the TR-505 doesn't have individual outputs it's necessary to record the individual sounds and use them in the DAW for full control. In the 80s we did all of this in the sampler and used that's individual outputs routing the sounds to the mixer.
The rest of the instruments and sounds were not the focus of this video, but it's important to have some reference tracks against the drums.
On my Patreon page you can download all the individual drum sounds from the 505, from my personal recordings of it AND the kick and snare processed as you hear them in this video.
Find my music here:
Bandcamp: https://espenkraft.bandcamp.com/
00:00 Intro and history of the TR-505
00:38 Final sound and mix we're going for
02:13 Percussion and dotted delays
08:39 Hi-Hats and high pass filtering
09:52 Snare and compression
13:00 Snare EQ
14:35 Kick EQ
16:01 Toms
18:08 Crash
19:22 Getting the balance right
21:35 The TR-505 is underestimated / Final thoughts"
MOOG MUSE Presets for Ambient, Electronica and Melodic Techno ▶ LUNA Sound Pack
video upload by Limbic Bits
"MOOG MUSE Presets for Ambient, Electronica and Melodic Techno: LUNA Sound Pack
▶ https://limbicbits.com/moog-muse-pres..."
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video upload by Moog Music
"In this video, we explore the Modulation Oscillator of Moog Muse.
Follow along as we provide practical applications of the oscillator as a per-voice modulation source, as well as a third audio-rate oscillator. Modulate the pitch of oscillators 1 and 2 independently, the cutoff of filters 1 and 2 independently, the pulse width of oscillators 1 and 2 when assigned to pulse on the wave mix, or the pan position of a voice, independent of any other modulation sources on Muse!"
Homemade Drum Machine + Synth
video upload by Lita
"TECHNICAL DETAILS:
Utilizing C ++ programming language on a Teensy 4.1 microcontroller board, the Drum Liberator emerges as a versatile amalgamation of a Drum Machine and Synthesizer. Boasting 12 distinct waveforms, 8 polyphonic keys, and a range spanning 6 octaves, it offers an expansive sonic palette. Additionally, it features 8 preset percussion sounds, an 8x8 neo-pixel grid for visualizing step sequences, and essential modulation tools like ADSR Envelope and LFO.
Equipped with MIDI IN/OUT/THRU ports, the Drum Liberator facilitates seamless synchronization with external hardware and MIDI clock integration. Functionality extends to pattern manipulation with options for start/stop, pattern clearing, channel selection, and editing for both drum and melody sequencing. Further enhancing its usability are an OLED screen, BPM control, and effects such as Delay, Reverb, Pitch, and Filter Decay/Attack.
Designed using KiCad, the electronic hardware layout for PCB manufacturing ensures precision and reliability. Moreover, its battery-powered operation makes it ideal for on-the-go musical exploration."
One more demo:
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video upload by gotharman
"Running a couple of detuned saws through the Touch TuuL Vowel filter, and play with the parameters.
www.gotharman.dk"
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MATRIXSYNTH - EVERYTHING SYNTH
© Matrixsynth - All posts are presented here for informative, historical and educative purposes as applicable within fair use.
MATRIXSYNTH is supported by affiliate links that use cookies to track clickthroughs and sales. See the privacy policy for details.
MATRIXSYNTH - EVERYTHING SYNTH
