MATRIXSYNTH

Tuesday, December 31, 2024

Roland MPU-101 MIDI 4 x CV/gate Interface w/ Original Box & Docs SN 520394

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via this listing

"This MPU-101 is literally brand new in its original box with all the paperwork. There is a tiny nick on the lower right of the back panel and the pin marks on the surface of the MIDI socket plastic.

S/N 520394 (March 1985)"

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MFB Tanzbar 2 Drum Machine

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this listing

"Such a great sounding drum machine with way too many options as sample player, 3 synth voices, filters, etc."

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“Resolution” Syntakt mini set w/ The SP404 Techno, Krautrock, Electronica, Madchester, Big Beat, IDM

video upload by goth jocks

"1st time making a live set and recording it all in one go.

Influenced by 90s artist like Underworld, Chemical Brothers, and Drexciya. As well as rock/electronic adjacent artists like Primal Scream. Also, tried to incorporate some krautrock elements from bands like Neu! And Can. You will also probably hear some Boards of Canada influence, but that’s pretty much a given

Most sounds are from the Elektron Syntakt which is running through the Roland SP-404 (OG version). Also used the 404 for some interludes and spoken word elements. The compact flash card was corrupted so I had to get creative with the very limited onboard storage. GFI Systems Skylar pedal was used for reverb."

Monday, December 30, 2024

Alan R Pearlman Foundation: The Year in Review 2024

video upload by Alan R. Pearlman Foundation

https://alanrpearlmanfoundation.org/

"What a fantastic year! From our ARP 2500 wing cabinet coming to Boston, to Stevie Wonder, Pete Townshend, Patrick Moraz, Jon Batiste, Greg Phillinganes and Anthony Marinelli playing and displaying ARPs for the world to see. We have summarized all of it in this video... music by the immensely talented Chicago musician Rick Reger, used with his permission.

Thank you to all of our supporters, partners, volunteers, sponsors, friends and donors. We are literally nothing without you and. your ARP Love. A Very Happy New Year!

About Rick Reger:
arpchive interview: • ARPCHIVES Live! Episode 24 with Rick ... [posted here]
websites : https://modular-station.com/modulisme... and https://regermusic.com/
instagram: / rick.reger.75
bandcamp: https://modulisme.bandcamp.com/album/..."

Jamming the TRS-80 - with a MIDI/80 and Orchestra 90 Sound Card

SundayJelly video upload by Joel Hilliard

This one is in via Michael Wessel [additional posts here] with some notes from him further below, but first the video description:

"Another tune using the TRS-80 Model 4(s) and the Orchestra 90, MIDI80 and classic analog tape!

Using the Technics 616 tape deck to capture audio, part 1 is composed using a TRS-80 Model 4P paired with the MIDI80, using TRACKER playing general midi drums from its onboard S2 module (Lower Computer)

The TRS-80 Model 4 is connected to the Orchestra 90 (reproduction) and George Phillips's newest update of the Orchestra 90 Organ (Available with the MIDI80 software). For the 1st part, the sound was routed through a EH BlackFinger, into a Bass Amp IR Cab.

The 2nd part is routed to a Boutique Amp IR setup, using the Mutron III as an added envelope filter for the 'jelly' sound.

Everything was fed to a digital mixer (Behringer X2222) and recorded directly to the cameras audio via USB. (No multitracking here)

I realize there are errors, clicks, hiss, pops, and all the other things we try to control from an analog perspective, but even with Dolby NR there is still some artifacts that accompany my terrible playing. Technically, you just watched me write this so, ENJOY! Thanks for watching!"

Additional videos:

Additional notes via Michael:

"A while ago, you posted about my MIDI/80 project for the TRS-80 - a MIDI sound card and MIDI interface. [posted here]

https://github.com/lambdamikel/MIDI-80

In the meantime, Joel Hilliard has been making some awesome music with his TRS-80 Model 4 and Model 4p, MIDI/80, and another extension called the "Orchestra" sound card.

He is playing the Model 4 using George Phillips' music synthesizer program for the Orchestra soundcard, "STORCH".

Back in the the day, the TRS-80s didn't really have great sound capabilities, other than their cassette interfaces which could be used for rudimentary sound output. However, this was extremely primitive in comparison to what the competition offered later (e.g., the SID in the C64, POKEY in the Atari 8bits, the AY 3-8910 in various other machines, etc.) Hence, the "Orchestra" sound card quickly became a popular add-on that added more advanced sound capabilities - basically, the Orchestra is a stereo DAC, but all the waveform generation had to be done by the CPU. Back in the day, the Orchestra was used in a "batch programming" mode where a music score was created in a textual special-purpose music programming language, that would then be "compiled" by the TRS-80 to be played back by the Orchestra sound card. Unfortunately, there was never an "interactive" music program that would allow users to use the card in an incremental way, as a musical instrument - until October 2024, when George Phillips released the "STORCH" Orchestra synthesizer program! This is what Joel playing in the video. Given that the Orchestra is a stereo DAC and all the sound generation heavy lifting has to be done by the CPU in realtime, the polyphony is limited to 2, and there are no filters, envelopes, etc. However, STORCH offers basic waveforms such as Saw, Triangle, and Sine. In addition, you can hear MIDI/80 for the the drum track - drums are coming from an S2 Waveblaster plugin, and he is using the TRACKER program on the TRS-80 Model 4p. You can find all the software in the MIDI/80 Github above."

Farfisa Soundmaker Farfisa Soundmaker – strings + piano + saxophone + accordion + piccolo

video uploads by melodikakofoniko

Playlist:

1. Farfisa Soundmaker – strings + piano + saxophone with aftertouch

Just a simple quick sound demo. The Farfisa Soundmaker is an Italian divider-based combo synthesizer released in 1979. It consists of three distinct synths, a monophonic synth, a polyphonic divider synth and a string synth. The monophonic synth is based on an M110 keyboard scanner/oscillator and a ca3080-based lowpass filter. The keyboard has a channel aftertouch that can be routed to LFO (Oscillator), mono brilliance, mono glide and brass brilliance.

Mono sounds are very delicate and expressive. Strings sound glorious.

Voices used:
Piano
Strings 8"
Saxophone mono preset in free mode

FX used:
Alesis Quadraverb
Valhalla Vintageverb
UAD Galaxy Tape Echo

Recording:
Recorded through Mackie Onyx 1620 Firewire mixer to Logic Pro

2. Farfisa Soundmaker – strings + piano + accordion

Voices used: Piano
Strings 8" and 4"
Accordion mono preset in free mode

FX used: same as above

3. Farfisa Soundmaker – strings + piano + piccolo

Voices used:
Piano
Strings 8"
Piccolo mono preset in free mode

FX used: same as above

Elka Twin 61 + Alesis Quadraverb

video upload by melodikakofoniko

"The Elka Twin 61 is a rare Italian string/organ/bass keyboard, built in the early 1980s. Fully polyphonic strings, organ, and other sounds, with monophonic bass section. It has 2 separate sections (A and B) with identical features. The sections can be combined and mixed together to create a huge wall of sound. It sounds super lush and early 80s – unlike typical 70s string machines. It has a great CEM3320 based phaser built in.

In this video both A and B sections are used – Organ for the part A and full strings for part B."

Elka Twin 61 (1981) + Farfisa Syntorchestra (1975) Quick demo

video upload by melodikakofoniko

"Lovely Italian vintage synthesizers.

FX used: Alesis Quadraverb plate 2"