Multi-Touch String Instrument

"a musical toy that allows you to create temporary, simple string instruments that you can pluck, much like playing a rubber band. Multiple bands can be created and played at once, and more complex instruments can be created with the help of a friend."

see the vids here

via Cynthia

Hip Hop Producer for iPhone and iPod Touch

YouTube via blackoutlabs
"Even if you've never played a musical instrument or written a song before, you can easily create great sounding original hip hop music with Hip Hop Producer for iPhone and iPod Touch. Choose your favorite beats and melodies from over 100 exclusive samples and assign them to each of 16 beat pads. Configure the beat pads to loop, play once, or play only while you hold them. Then tap away to create your original song. Download it now from the app store:"

i808 Drum Machine for iPhone and iPod Touch

YouTube via blackoutlabs
"i808 brings vintage hip hop drum machines to the iPhone in a fun, easy to use app. Make beats with 11 timeless drum machine instruments used in today's hip hop songs. Change patterns, beats, and options on the fly as you listen to your beat. Amateur beat makers will love the fun, dynamic live-play interface. Professionals will appreciate the exclusive cd quality (16 bit 44.1 kHz) samples taken from an original vintage analog drum machine in Blackout Labs' studios. Available now in The App Store:"

Starwalk

flickr by darklorddisco

full size

Custom DIY modular? If you know more about this system, feel free to comment.

Poorly Tempered

flickr by darklorddisco
(click for more)

full size

Moog IIIP

Inside a Yamaha TQ5

via Loscha:
"Hey all, I had a few spare moments moving workshop/studio, so I took a few photos of the TQ5 for you all. I had a few more minutes at the end, so for a giggle, I got some sticky labels, and put them all over the machine so you can read what's what. A bit different to just scanning the layout page on the service manual. Also, I scanned and labeled a little corner of the manual to indicate where I tapped a Click Output. The TQ5 has a Metronome function. It is always full volume (it's post volume control), and it's only in the left channell. My very simple mod, as illustrated below, changes that. I just dropped a socket into the side (lots of room, jack is actually from a busted Rx5 - those things are a mineable source of good switched sockets), but you could use anything. It's not a Clock pulse, but an audio feed. You could take a clock pulse of sorts by taking signal from output of the first gates, and buffering, but it would only be 1/4 notes, and although that would have been useful on analog gear, this has true BPM control. I more use the output to lay down a seperate click track to play along with, even if just to have a meter flashing a light in time."

more images:

NakedTQ5-02.jpg
NakedTQ5-03.jpg
NakedTQ5-04.jpg

follow-up to this post

EXTREMELY RARE 1960S TUBON ELECTRONIC ORGAN/SYNTHESIZER

SN 00807 via this auction

"It was made in 1966 by joh mustad ab of sweden. It was one of the first synthesyzer/electronic bass organ type instruments of its kind.... It is a very strange looking instrument its long and tube shaped with a keyboard and buttons and knobs on the other end. It measures about 32" long and is about 5" around and comes in its original case and has its original strap. It ran off three batteries and has a place to plug it into a amp or speaker."

CLICK FOR MORE »

Synthesizer Programming - Episode 5 - Bell sound

YouTube via Thalassa77. follow-up to these posts.

"http://switchedonsynthesizer.blogspot.com

Episode 5 - Bell Sound
How to create a bell sound using FM modulation. The parameters values are approx. Values are expressed in %. The synthesizer is synth1 a free vst synthesizer but you can get similar sounds using similar parameters with other synts ( hardware or software )

If you like this video remember to subscribe to be updated of my new uploads "

The LoopMachine at This happened...

The LoopMachine at This happened... from The Amazing Rolo on Vimeo.

"A video of me speaking at This happened in Edinburgh about my work developing creative music software for the Wii. Learn all about my Wii work at wiiloopmachine.com and learn about This happened at thishappened.org

Filmed by Mike Greer."

Also see the Jar Jar and Chicken Box Synth demos.

Synthesizer Boot Camp

YouTube via noisesculpture
Synthesizer Boot Camp #1--Modulation: Putting the Pieces Together
Synthesizer Boot Camp #2--Using Filters to Shape Your Sound
Synthesizer Boot Camp #3--Envelopes: Attack, Decay, Sustain, and Release
Get a Grip on Synthesis
Becoming a Synthesizer Wizard: From Presets to Power User
"Synthesizer Boot Camp is a series of videos which looks at specific synthesizer techniques that can be applied in creating sounds. This video looks at using envelopes as a modulation source.

You can find out more about the series at http://noisesculpture.com/bootcamp.html, and check out http://noisesculpture.com/books.html to read more about synthesis."

Update:

Synthesizer Boot Camp #4--Low Frequency Oscillators

"Synthesizer Boot Camp is a series of videos which looks at specific synthesizer techniques that can be applied in creating sounds. This video looks at using envelopes as a modulation source."

Update:

Synthesizer Boot Camp #5--Frequency Modulation Synthesis (part 1 of 2)

"This video looks at using envelopes as a modulation source."

Synthesizer Boot Camp #6--Frequency Modulation Synthesis (part 2 of 2)