"Great modded rhythm machine that gets some great sounds and beats that you can’t get from a regular Boss DR-110. Plugged it in to my guitar amp and phono jack and worked nicely. The only thing I can tell is a bit wonky is the power switch. There has been a few times I turned it on and it glitches but goes back when I turn it off and on again."
"This is a listing for the ACE TONE FR-15. In addition to the presets similar to the FR-6, this unit allows you to program one of the five sounds—Bass Drum, Snare Drum, Cymbal, Claves, or Conga—using 8-step or 16-step sequences. It has been tested and works perfectly. The voltage has been modified to 117V. The appearance shows some wear and scuffing, but there are no major damages. I have uploaded a demonstration video on YouTube, so please be sure to check it out."
"In this video, we dive deep into the Korg Prologue's powerful VPM (Variable Phase Modulation) engine, exploring the creation of a 2-operator FM patch. If you're passionate about FM synthesis, sound design, and synth music, this video is for you! We take a closer look at how the Korg Prologue's VPM multi-engine opens up new creative possibilities for sound creators. By experimenting with the unique features of Korg VPM, we uncover techniques to craft rich, evolving sounds that push the boundaries of traditional FM synthesis.
Whether you're a seasoned sound designer or just getting started with FM synthesizers, this video offers insight into the versatility and power of the Korg Prologue. Watch as we demonstrate how to create complex, dynamic textures and timbres using just two operators, making it easier than ever to get the most out of the Prologue’s VPM engine. Learn tips, tricks, and techniques for creating unique patches that will inspire your next composition. Don’t miss out on mastering the art of variable phase modulation in your music production workflow."
"Full Disclosure: I occasionally take on freelance work at Sonicware and Stylophone on an hourly rate producing synth & sample sound design, beta testing, checking English text, video manuals, promo content etc. This video wasn't paid for directly but as a result of my work with Sonicware and Stylophone it is marked as Paid Promotion
So a few things happen this week to inspire this jam.
Firstly I discovered the absolutely wonderful 'Synth Nerd Covers' by @nicolaneeco which have rekindled my desire to play more keys, like properly play more keys. This jam was kind of an attempt to get there but didn't really scratch the itch because I got a bit distracted playing with the Amb0 LFOs. Hopefully more proper keys playing to come. Watching those covers also had the unfortunate affect of leaving me with the desire to buy a large expensive polysynth. I've promised myself I'll make jams with the gear I own before I do that but it's still likely to happen later this year.
Second was the new v1.1 update was released for the Ambient 0 so that got me thinking about playing around with it again.
Thirdly I received a comment describing the Ambient 0 as 'a one trick pony for new age background music'. Long story short I've had a very tiring start to the year due to illness and I really couldn't be bothered to respond to that so I deleted it. But that reminded me that I haven't used it very much am I'm fully aware of how capable it is. It's a pretty well stocked multitimbral polysynth with more than enough power for creating all sorts of sounds, so that's where this came from.
Anyway, still struggling to find time for Jamuary jams. It's the 19th already and I've done 4 🙄"
"First of all, this is not a 'new gear review' videos. I don't do those. I don't get free modules from manufacturers to make a video and I already have tons of loopers in my collection (Morhpagene, Lubadh, etc), so why did I add StarDust? For me, the main reason is Frippertronics. It's an analog vintage tape technique developed by Brian Eno and Robert Fripp using one set of reels on two tape decks. So one records the second deck and the second is recorded by the first deck. Instead of a tape delay, you'd get a tape looper with endless overdubbing.
For me, personally, the sound of Robert Fripp's guitar immediately reminds me of Bowie's Heroes and Scary Monsters (listen to the 'Fashion' track if you don't know it). He's one of my Guitar Gods (Brian May, Fripp, The Edge, Manzanera, Eddie van Halen, and the list is not going on forever) but Fripp always gives me goosebumps because if his sustained sounds and textures. This video is definitely a tribute to Mr. Fripp so suit up!
StarDust is a great looper and it really fits my creative workflow (which is usually borrowed from the musicians I adore). I love to noodle on my Manzanera-inspired Firebird guitar, tuned to Fripp's New Standard Tuning of mostly fifths and one third on the high note to avoid snapping. I can't play, so for me it's a VCO with six strings.
How does it compare to the other major loopers? Well, Lubadh is dual mono which can be used for stereo too. It's great to have two reels that can run in opposite directions and it has an amazing tape emulation. Magneto is primarily a tape echo, but it can also loop as a tape machine and it has a spring reverb emulation (sure it's digital). If you're looking for a vintage tape echo with classic feedback, look no further. The Morphagene is a tape splicer where you have full control over splice points (cuts) and it can store many reels on SD card. It's also excellent for microsound explorations and fragment mangling. It can play three splices at once, with different note distributions (set on SD card). However, Morphagene is 'terrible' in retaining original pitch (green zone) and doesn't track V/OCT very well. You can set V/OCT support on the SD card, but you'd still need to dial in the correct varispeed and finetune. Most Morphagene users probably don't care about keeping in line. They just want to make noise.
BitBox MK2 is the T-REX of loopers which can loop 16 stereo loops at once, so you can use it as a true Loopstation. It can also detect or set splices, do granular stuff, time stretching, make multi-sample libraries and play samples polyphonically. There's simply nothing better, not even an ER-301. Did I miss one? Yes, the ADDAC 112 is also a great looper, but it's HUGE and the manual doesn't end.
If you're into live looping with built in FX, StarDust may be one of the best 'all in one solution' in Eurorack today. There are lots of shift-features, but you'll only need to remember a few of them. If you don't like the 'galaxy LED show', you may have lost the Child in your eyes."
"What can you do with a synth that has no envelopes? It turns out to be very therapeutic. Stylophone's latest release is the CPM DS-2 (what happened to DS-1?) - it's a drone synth which can create all sorts of interesting, ambient, dramatic, demonic, lush, chilled textures and soundscapes.
The clever bit is having everything bouncing around to a single LFO with multiple waveforms, 2 outputs, different phases etc."
0:00 WTF is a drone synth?
3:12 Intro demo
4:48 What's in the box?
5:53 Oscillators 3340 VCOs
8:42 Filters 12dB LP HP 3320
11:29 ULTRA LFO
16:03 Reverb abd Delay
19:08 Final Jam
22:01 Final Thoughts
"This cutting-edge filter unit combines the precision of a smooth analog recreation of the classic 2045 Lowpass filter with the bold, dynamic character of Stylophone’s proprietary GEN R-8 filter.
Dubbed 'Beauty and the Beast,' the DF-8 offers unparalleled flexibility. The 2045 filter delivers a silky 24 dB/octave Lowpass mode, while the GEN R-8 snarls and howls in all four modes—Lowpass, Bandpass, Highpass and Notch. Together, these filters unlock three additional combination types: Bandpass+, Band Reject+, and a wide Notch+ mode, providing an expansive palette of unique filter sounds.
Both filter channels have all eight filter types and are controlled by two full ADSR envelopes with multiple trigger modes to cater for every need. They can be triggered by a gate signal, by an audio signal threshold, by a manual trigger button and they can even auto-repeat in a loop mode acting as LFOs. The DF-8 is so much more than a dual filter box—it’s a complete sound design tool. Equipped with two white noise sources, a Sample & Hold modulation source with adjustable slew, and a crunchy PT2399 delay with modulation, it serves as a sound source capable of everything from subtle atmospheres to all out sonic chaos.
Like all CPM units, the DF-8 is designed for portability and flexibility. It features: • Multiple power options, including AA batteries, external PSU, or Eurorack power bus • A built-in 2W speaker for instant listening without amplification plus stereo outputs • Stylophone’s unique enclosure design with side ribs allow multiple CPM units to be locked together, for stability like a large modular, and for easy system expansion Pair the CPM DF-8 with the CPM DS-2 to create the ultimate compact portable analog modular system for studio or stage use.
Features list:
2 Analog multi-mode filter channels with high resonance self-oscillation
8 Filter types per channel: 4 types of GEN R-8 (12 dB/oct) filters with LP, BP, HP and NOTCH modes 1 type of 2045 (24 dB/oct) filter with LP mode 3 combination types (12/24 dB/oct) with BP+, BR+ and NOTCH+ modes
2 ADSR envelopes with linear and exponential response
4 Envelope trigger/gate modes: Analog CV trigger/gate signal input Audio signal input with adjustable trigger/gate threshold Manual trigger/gate button Auto-repeat AR envelope loop mode
2 VCAs with envelope inverters
2 White noise sources with volume controls
3 Envelope depth attenuverters
4 Bypass switches for filters and VCAs
1 Sample & Hold modulation source with sync input and adjustable slew
1 Vintage PT2399 tape-style delay with modulation
14 Modular patch points for audio, envelopes, filters, VCAs and S&H
3-Into-1 mixer with stereo or mono output
2 Stereo outputs (line level/phones) with seperate volume controls
"I am aware this is a controversial subject, but I've been intrigued by it for a long time. First, I was open for it, then I became doubtful and ended up in 'it makes no difference' camp. It's just a frequency like any other. Honestly, this was supposed to be a 'fun' video where I'd investigate the subject like a mad scientist would, without jumping to conclusions.
From a numerologic perspective, 432 is a fun number. When you add all digits, you'd end up with 4+3+2 = 9. If you tune A to 432, the next A would be 864. Again, 8+6+4 = 1+8 = 9. If you'd use equal temperament, all notes in your scale would be integer (whole) numbers with no decimals, and the digits of all frequencies would add up to 9. A440 would have eight 'broken' frequencies in the scale. But that's numerology, it doesn't make music any better or worse. A VCO runs perfectly stable on 345.6701 Hz and it will probably drift all over the place when it's analog. Does 432 make any sense from the perspective of the Universe? Quite. The number constantly turns up in time and space. Ofcourse it also returns in the Great Pyramid and the lightspeed constant.
Again, that's just numerology and it has nothing to do with frequency. That's like apples, oranges or cows. Or is it? Frequency is cycles per second. Cycles are circles moving in time and phase is expressed in numbers like 45, 90, 180 and 360. There's that number 9 again. How about time? There are 4320 seconds in 12 hours. So maybe, just maybe, 432 Hz is not like 432 cows. The number 9 is a funny number.
Mr Spock would say 'fascinating' and raise an eyebrow.
I've set my Mordax Data to 432 and 440 Hz on 'wave generator' so I could play both with a sequence. Sure it sounds different, because it's tuned a tiny bit lower (98,18 of 100%). By itself this would have a psychological effect of relief, of closure. When you start A440 and play A432, it's relaxing. But this also happens when you move a semitone or note down.
I ran my Mordax raw sinewaves through Joranalogue's Collide 4 and used it as a resonating body (with the filter and the quadrature ring mod). I ran a sequence spanning a wide range of notes, with plenty of reverb to make the notes interact, blur and sustain. Then, suddenly the differences between A440 and A432 wasn't subtle anymore. It was huge.
Better? I think so, but that's personal taste. Healing? Nah. More natural? I think so too. But there's nothing magical about it, it's math. I figured that a frequency doubles for each octave, so the range of A0 to A9 would sound completely different for 432 and 440. In fact, the high notes in 440 end up 256 Hz higher than in 432. It doesn't sound like a big deal, but A3 (220 Hz) is already one octave below A4 (440).
So my 'conclusion' is that A432 sounds much lower over the full range of 88 piano keys and the highs are less high. Pitch quality is different, it sounds different, and interaction with other complex frequencies will be different. Resonance and FM will be different. It's up to you to determine what sounds best. Please share your experience in the comments, and please note I am just having fun. I don't believe in the 440 conspiracy and I don't think it's bad for your health. I believe ALL music can support a healing process, but always listen to your doctor first."
"The Quandrantid Swarm is a digital synthesizer that features a percussive element to give it a unique sound. It contains a two-pole analog filter, an LFO with eight waveforms, and a spring reverb. The eight touch keys can be used as a mono keyboard, polyphonic keyboard or an eight-step sequencer.
The Quandrantid Swarm has MIDI and CV/Trig connectivity. Its normalized pre-patching allows you start creating immediately, but its semi-modular design allows you to use patch cables to explore the potential of this instrument."
