MATRIXSYNTH

at 3/16/2006 01:22:00 AM

Title link takes you there. Video link under date under title.

at 3/16/2006 12:08:00 AM

XPass Filter by Analog-Lab

They make an XPass Filter, Fluid Preamp and Vocoder X-32.

Update: Here's a link to some info on the X-32 in English.

at 3/16/2006 12:07:00 AM

New track by Stefan Trippler. Sick, sick, sick! Features the Mono Evolver Keyboard and Stylus RMX. Title link takes you there - 2.64M mp3.

Make sure to check out Trippler.net for more samples and shots including a much bigger shot of the above. Man, I love that shot.

at 3/16/2006 12:06:00 AM

Remember the Peruvian Zebranalogic? Well it looks like Sascha Renner picked one up. Title link takes you to a post on his brand new blog SubtleNoiseMaker. The Zebranologic isn't as shiny/polished as I was expecting, but that clear case is cool. Samples will be coming. I'll be subbing to his blog so hopefully I'll see the samples when they come in. I added SubleNoiseMaker to my blogroll on the right as well. Thanks Sascha!

Update: samples are in.

at 3/16/2006 12:05:00 AM

Moog Etherwave Theremin. Shot by TheWaz.

at 3/15/2006 02:29:00 PM

Some killer shots from this thread. Sent my way via Dennis Verschoor.

Prophet 5 Armada

Yamaha CS80-Go-Round

OSCar Ladder

Jupiter-8s - Just Lounging Around

The Boys Club - Anyone gotta light?

Title link takes you to more shots on Synthforum.nl.

at 3/15/2006 09:50:00 AM

Title link takes you there.

at 3/15/2006 09:45:00 AM

On Sound and Sound: "Turnkey and Moog were remaining tight-lipped on this, but they were heard to say ‘Brian will have the keyboard with him, yes’."

Moog Clue #2

Also check out this new shot on the Moog website. Looks like wood end cheeks to me. I ran into this on Music Thing catching up this morning.

Update: Grabbing the text from Moog for the clue #2 shot above before it is gone.

"Could it be Wood? It must be a Boomerang...

Clue # 2

Two weeks until the Musik Messe and Moog’s new product unveiling - but why wait. Take a look at your next clue now.

Feel like discussing the hints with a community of creative and intelligent folks?

If so, Join our Moog Forum!"

at 3/15/2006 09:27:00 AM

Yamaha CS1x. Shot by hazabaza.

I remember picking up this synth when it came out because it was so cheap. Surprisingly it's a great little synth. I'm not the biggest PCM fan, so it actually stood out with my non-PCM gear. Very crisp and squelchy sounding synth. Icy strings as well. Cool to see it being used like this. Jazz is cool.

at 3/15/2006 09:14:00 AM

Video tutorials on modular synthesis. It's $25 for the full tutorial but there is a pretty leanghty sample clip worth checking out. Title link takes you there. Via Synthtopia.

at 3/15/2006 09:07:00 AM

Title link takes you to the synthesizer page on the Roland Synthesizer Clan website. Make sure to check out the right nav for what else the sight offers. For some reason the gear links are puking in Firefox on my end, but IE works fine. Via Moogulator.

Roland SH-7

at 3/15/2006 12:04:00 AM

New audio sample up. Title link takes you there.

at 3/15/2006 12:03:00 AM

Lawrence Eldrige posted a track centered aroudn the C64 and SID sound. He is working on building a uCApps C64 MIDIBox. For this track he had MIDI working and that's about it. Knobs will be coming next. I thought the track was pretty well done and as he listed the synths used, I asked him if I could put it up. He gave me the go ahead, so here it is. Title link takes you to a 6.94M mp3 (right click and save). Note's below from Lawrence. It's a really cool track. Enjoy.

"So, I've been re-living my past love for the SID sound, and decided to
re-create the C64 theme tune to Arkanoid... using analogue synths. :)

http://www.obscuresounds.com/obscure_track2_f.mp3

Roland SVC-350 (main melody, verby sound @ 0:51)
Octave CAT (bassline @ 0:10)
C64 (beats, computer blip @ well, err, all over.)
ESQ1 (beats, main melody, pads @ 0:10 & 2:13)
ARP 2600 (guitar accompaniment, bass @ 2:13)
Mellotron Choir @ fading in & out throughout.
Rhodes Chroma (loading noise at start @ 0:04)
Solina String Ensemble @ various points.
MS-20 (white noise) @ 0:03

Hopefully I have the mixture just right!

...sadly the SID sound is either love or hate :)

at 3/15/2006 12:02:00 AM

Title link takes you to the Modular Planet website. The sites hosts a bunch of mp3s and patch mappings to make these sounds on a Doepfer modular. Pretty cool. Click on the Patches link when you get there for the full list. Gotta love the retro site desing. : )

at 3/15/2006 12:01:00 AM

Right title link and save. If the file won't open post a note in the comments.

Via Dave Manley on AH.

at 3/15/2006 12:00:00 AM

Analog Industries has a couple of posts up on some nice scans of old vintage analog advert scans. One. Two.

at 3/14/2006 09:19:00 AM

Update2: Rumor has it musical isntruments may not be exempt after all.

Udpate: Via synthetic in the comments:

"He tells me that this article says musical instruments and photo development machines are not affected by the law. The reason is that equipment might become damaged during PSE testing, or the owner may claim that it became damaged during testing The government doesn't want to be held liable for paying the replacement cost on these expensive items."

----

Anyone know Japanese? Title link takes you to an article in Japanese on the Electrical Appliance and Material Safety Law that goes into affect on April 1. Someone on AH pulled the following translation from the article which sounds like electronic musical instruments and photograph baking machines will be exempt. : )

"The economic industrial ministry on the 14th, decided that the used electronic musical instrument and the photograph baking machine etc are designated as outside the object of electric supplies safe method. Including the used item, it shows safety, sale of the electric product which does not have the “PSE mark” is prohibited from April 1st. Assuming, that as for the electronic musical instrument and the photograph baking machine etc during electric leakage inspecting there is danger where the equipment breaks down, it makes outside the object, also after of the April continues and can transact in the old market."

at 3/14/2006 08:23:00 AM

Modular theremin video by REwire. His cat makes a guest appearance. Via this post on VSE. Also check out this video if your into cats, or not. A covered Korg M1 makes an appearance.

at 3/14/2006 08:21:00 AM

Title link takes you there.

at 3/14/2006 12:23:00 AM

Title link takes you to a couple of cool mixes on Gnostic Rocket. The gear used is listed including this ARP 16-voice electric piano and of course, the Springboard Dub. I particularly like "a huge blubbery creature with piggish eyes." Both solid tracks in the making.

at 3/14/2006 12:03:00 AM

Title link takes you to more shots put up by softfreak of his first electronic improv concert as sendling. The synth in the shot below is a Yamaha RS 7000. Via this post on electro-music.com. Shots by anne rosset.

at 3/14/2006 12:02:00 AM

Title link takes you to Anykey Studio with tracks featuring the Andromeda A6.

"The A6 is used on every track, but also the S.E ATC-X. ATC-X do a more
of the vintage sounds, leads ,drones etc. But I also us the DX200, it's a
nice contrast to the analog sounds."

at 3/14/2006 12:01:00 AM

Verde means green. I like green. Shot by JoNiuX.

Korg Trinity

at 3/14/2006 12:00:00 AM

Two shots via Brandon Daniel.

http://www.fdiskc.com/syn/ahba/2004/nakedoscar1.jpg
http://www.fdiskc.com/syn/ahba/2004/nakedoscar2.jpg

at 3/13/2006 06:00:00 PM

This is what they were supposed to look like:

This is what mine looks like:

Horrid! I'll be closing the shop, refunding the couple of people that bought one and letting them keep this little bit of Synth history. : ) Sorry about this. I'll be looking locally at shirts next. BTW, I'll be closing the shop as soon as the orders are done and I receive confirmation from those that ordered them, so technically you can still order shirts, but if you do, I will NOT refund on new orders because I simply can't afford to. So PLEASE DO NOT order unless you actually want one of these soon to be rare collector items! Heh, sorry, had to to. : ) Apologies to the two that ordered. I sent each of you an email so I can reimburse you. If you do not get that email, send me an email.

at 3/13/2006 01:11:00 PM

Specs, shots, samples and part of a cat. Title link takes you there.

A book on synthesis by Casio. Trip.

at 3/13/2006 10:35:00 AM

The Eaton-Moog Multiple-Touch-Sensitive Keyboard. It has two rows of keys.

Update: Found a video link on The Ledger.

What if this is Moog's new announcement? Probably not, but who knows... ; )

Note: The sound of it reminds me of the Novachord Restoration Project.

Title link takes you to the full article on the Lost Eaton-Moog Synth Keyboard.

Note that Eaton will be performing in New York on March 19:
"Eaton's works will be featured in a concert at 8 p.m. Sunday, March 19, at St. Stephen's Church, 120 West 69th St. in New York. The event is a collaboration of the New York Composers Circle and ModernWorks. The suggested donation is $15."

Some bits pulled from the article:
"It's called the Eaton-Moog Multiple-Touch-Sensitive Keyboard, a name only an engineer could love. That's fine with Eaton. He and Moog (rhymes with "vogue") spent four decades honing a tool for virtuosos, not a toy."

"It's very difficult to play. But an instrument should be difficult to play. That's the only way to master musical materials, by overcoming these difficulties," says Eaton, 70, surrounded in his cramped attic studio by upright pianos, ancient computers and programs and scores from his 20 operas."

"What is unique -- and challenging -- about the Eaton-Moog keyboard is how many ways each key can be programmed to respond. How far you depress a key matters. The actual area covered by your finger changes the sound. Sliding your finger across a key's length or width can approximate, say, a vibrato effect on a violin string. How hard you push a depressed key matters, too."

"Eaton jokingly dubs this keyboard the "Can't-Resist-A-Sizer."

"How does it sound?
Think theremin -- from quavering soundtracks of cheesy sci-fi movies -- crossed with a baseball organ. Throw in some psychedelic chemicals, and you begin to get the idea."

at 3/13/2006 09:27:00 AM

Nice! You'll ether love or hate this one. Music Thing always seems to find the best auction peices on VEMIA. This time, it's the sleeve notes for Aphex Twins' Selected Ambient Works Volume II inscribed on the bottom of the synth. According to the auction they were done by Richard James himself. Title link takes you to some more intersting tidbits in the post.

at 3/13/2006 09:04:00 AM

Interesting. Synthtopia has a post up on a Lost Eaton-Moog Synth Keyboard. They are asking if you know more about it, to contact them. I wonder how this compares to the Haken Continuum. I wonder if John Eaton knows about it.

"Composer John Eaton is waiting for someone to develop a "lost" instrument, the Eaton-Moog Multiple-Touch-Sensitive Keyboard. The keyboard design was a collaboration between Eaton and Robert Moog, and features keys with enhanced capabilities, enabling new methods of touch control of synthesizers.

The [device] is "the world's most sensitive musical instrument next to the human voice," according to Eaton. "Playing it is a kind of combination of playing a a very sensitive stringed instrument and playing a keyboard instrument."

The keys on the 49-note keybaord respond to five motions: the distance a key is depressed; the finger's front and back position and motion on each key; the finger's side-to-side position and motion on each key; the total area a flattened finger covers on each key; and pressure on a key after it is depressed fully.

These five, fully independent controls send signals in digital streams of numbers to a computer, which routes the signals to affect any possible aspect of musical continuity desired--loudness; vibrato; tremolo; reverb; tone color or instrumental change; the speed, pitch, and any other application that can be dealt with by a modern sound synthesizer or sound-generating computer program.

The prototype now lives in Eaton's attic, according to an article in the NJ State Ledger."

at 3/13/2006 08:41:00 AM

So what happens to these guys on April 1? Title link takes you to more gear p*rn.

Note: there were a couple of notes on AH about this outfit not returning emails after purchse, so be careful if you are tempted to buy from them.

Update just in from AH:
"I used to be listed as a reference on the analogjapan website (Looooooooong
story). I must have had at least 60 emails over a 3 or 4 year period from
people asking me if I knew how to get in touch with them after they had sent
them money but never received the goods. People who sent $1000 to as much as
$4000 US Dollars and after 9 months, not gotten the items. SCARY!!

PLEASE do yourself a favor and stay FAR away from analogjapan.
Don't say I didn't WARN you!!!"

Update via the comments:
"Reed said...
Eh, I bought something from them a couple years ago & it was a pretty hassle-free transaction, other than the fact that they didn't take Paypal. I paid & they delivered."

at 3/13/2006 02:22:00 AM

I put up a post on Mattias' Mellotron site on November 14, 2005. He's added some samples and some shots including the somewhat maniacle and sweet shot below. New video clips include A: Chamberlin steel guitar, B: Mandolin Tremolo, C. Swinging flutes. Title link takes you there.

at 3/13/2006 02:10:00 AM

Update:
Looks like musical instruments might be exempt.
http://www.nikkei.co.jp/news/shakai/20060314AT1G1401414032006.html
"The economic industrial ministry on the 14th, decided that the used electronic musical instrument and the photograph baking machine etc are designated as outside the object of electric supplies safe method. Including the used item, it shows safety, sale of the electric product which does not have the “PSE mark” is prohibited from April 1st. Assuming, that as for the electronic musical instrument and the photograph baking machine etc during electric leakage inspecting there is danger where the equipment breaks down, it makes outside the object, also after of the April continues and can transact in the old market."

-----

Title link takes you to an article on the impending date of April 1, 2006; the date when the sale of vintage synths will become illegal in Japan. Previously posted here.

"Hardest hit will be Japan’s vibrant trade in electrical instruments — a trade which has given thousands of young musicians their start in life, and without which, say furious veterans of the music industry, artistic expression will die.

The draconian law has been roundly attacked by Ryuichi Sakamoto, the Oscar-winning composer who has led a petition of 74,500 enraged musicians and tradesmen demanding that the law be toned down and the critical trade in old recording equipment, amplifiers and synthesisers continue.

Hideki Matsutake, another composer and chairman of the Japan Synthesizer Programmers Association said: “Most musicians start with very little money. The second-hand instrument is absolutely vital. This law will destroy the ambitions of young people and young musicians.”

A retailer will be allowed to pay to have items officially stamped with the PSE seal (like the British Kitemark). But the test can cost anywhere from £30 for a simple item such as a kettle to £300. Dealers will face up to a year in prison and a fine of about £500,000 if caught selling an un-tested vintage Les Paul guitar or a Space Invaders machine that has not passed its PSE. The Government’s abject failure to publicise the law has fuelled the public’s anger. Although it was passed in 2001 very few retailers of second-hand goods, let alone shoppers, knew until last week what it entailed."

Flux Radio · at 3/13/2006 02:04:00 AM

I previously posted on Flux Radio hosting a ratcheting example of the A6 and an EMS Synthi track. A Prophet 5 track with Emagic ES-1 Softsynth and Kawai MP9000 have been added. Title link takes you there.

at 3/13/2006 02:04:00 AM

Rapture Soft Synth with emphasis on wavetable synthesis. 6 parts with 200 oscillator types with up to 9 voices. Title link takes you to the video and details on One Blue Monkey. Video under date, under title.

at 3/13/2006 01:39:00 AM

Title link takes you to more shots in the set. Shots by PTCowan.

Upate via PTCowan in the comments:
"Hi Friend. The shot was taken on the 3rd March at Forest cafe in Edinburgh. Its of my friend Joni Hawley who is synth mental he has a spare room bursting at the seams with analogue gubbins. The photo set is of the night which was very impressive with lots of vocoder and Moog action. The t-shirt was a home made job I think. Anyway cheers for using the shot on your blog."

at 3/12/2006 11:59:00 AM

Trip. I've never seen one of these before. Retro Thing has a post up on the double decker Casio DM-100. It's a Casio PCM based home keyboard with an SK-5 sampling keyboard built in. Title link takes you to more.

at 3/12/2006 01:01:00 AM

Title link takes you to more. Via Frank Vanaman. Update: Looks like Carbon111 beat me to it on Synthwire! I was wondering when this would happen. : ) Oh well, the more the merrier in my book.

"I call it the Sonic Emulsifier, a name coined by someone at work who knows nothing of analogue synthesis or sound processing."

"The History:
It started out with a WersiVoice card, which is basically a triple BBD contraption that was very commonly installed in Wersi organs, that gives both ensemble and rotary speaker effects, and, for its time, was actually pretty decent sounding. What it turned into:

(1) the Wersivoice BBD device
(2) a Ken Stone bandpass filter (SH-5 Bandpass clone)
(3) a Ken Stone Real Ring Modulator (two transformers, four diodes)
(4) a Paia “Roctave divider” board
(5) a multi filter band pass unit tuned to vocal frequencies (based on the VP-330 filters)
(6) a 566-based VCO using Thomas Henry’s schematics
(7) a 4-in, 1-out DC mixer, and
(8) a 4-way mult

The VCO is there basically so that if you want to use the ring modulator with a single input, there’s something there to modulate with. It’s a strange assortment of things, some of which are included because I happened to have the boards sitting around (like the PAiA Roctave).

I couldn’t resist the desire to make something that looked “technical’ from the front. The big central dial is the main frequency control for the oscillator. Pots to the upper left control the PAiA divider; pots to the right are for the mixer, the oscillator has an output attenuator control (left of the big dial) and a wave-shape sweep control (to the right of the big dial). Switches at the bottom left select the Wersivoice modes, switches to the bottom right control the selection of groups of filters in the vocal filter matrix.

Nothing’s blown up yet, so I’m assuming I’ve managed to put it all together right the first time.

MP3s? Eh, eventually…"

Frank

at 3/12/2006 01:00:00 AM

Shot pulled from this auction. Description pulled below. If you know more feel free to comment.

"Logan Vocal Synthesizer is fully working. Was stored 25 years in heated room."

at 3/12/2006 12:59:00 AM

Shot by Luca Capozzi. I saw this shot and the first thing that came to mind was how un-Moogy a Roland JP8080 was. I thought of perspectives on how Roland has not come out with something innovative in years, how "digital" the JP8080 was, and how far away from the mighty moog analog sound it was. A lot of people see Roland and their digital synths as the anithesis of Moog. Then I saw the title of the shot, and I remembered how Bob described himself. He described himself as a tool-maker who made wonderful musical instruments for people to enjoy; magical instruments at that. There is no doubt in my mind that a JP8080 is capable of bringing this magic to its owners. Bob brought synthesis to the mainstream, making it affordable and accessible. This shot forces you to see that. A shot of the Roland JP8080, the magic synthesis brings and respect to Bob.

at 3/12/2006 12:58:00 AM

Shot by Luca Capozzi.

at 3/12/2006 12:57:00 AM

In the comments section of this post, Mr. Array posted a link to the Sudio Electronics Museum page with a number of classic synths in rack format. Above is a Roland Juno-106. Beautiful. Title link takes you to more. Thanks Mr. Array.

at 3/12/2006 12:56:00 AM

Title link takes you to another gear p*rn thread on HC. I particularly liked this shot of an Alesis Fusion.

Shot by Carbon111 who also posted on the Alesis Fusion on Synthwire.

at 3/11/2006 04:21:00 PM

Hubba hubba. The Infection Music Zeit Sequencer x 5 burning in for 24 hours. In via the lovely Cikira.

"David Hughes, the desigher of Infection Instruments Zeit, updated his list of patient devotees thusly:
-----------
This is "Burn In Day" when all of the current batch of machines are "burned in" for 24 hours.

In the foreground is the prototype machine which was in the workshop for a software upgrade.

Incidentally, in case someone asks, the LEDs are bright but not eye-seeringly bright. We didn't just fit a bunch of lasers to the front of the sequencer. That's a 4 second time exposure!"

at 3/11/2006 07:56:00 AM

EMS VCS3 project by jhaible.

"Basically a VCS3 on steroids with focus on signal processing(phaser, analog delay, two frequency shifters, envelope follower added)"

http://www.oldcrows.net/~jhaible/matrix_fx/matrix_fx_in_progress_1.jpg
http://www.oldcrows.net/~jhaible/matrix_fx/matrix_fx_in_progress_2.jpg
http://www.oldcrows.net/~jhaible/matrix_fx/matrix_fx_in_progress_3.jpg
http://www.oldcrows.net/~jhaible/matrix_fx/matrix_fx_in_progress_4.jpg
http://www.oldcrows.net/~jhaible/matrix_fx/matrix_fx_in_progress_5.jpg
http://www.oldcrows.net/~jhaible/matrix_fx/matrix_fx_osc3_noise_filter.jpg

at 3/11/2006 07:49:00 AM

DVDBORN put up some shots of music stores in NYC in 2001. Below is a racked red Roland SH101. Note the 101 Sound by Armen. Armen was the tech for Rogue Music. He's made a few people unhappy with service in the past, including myself. I have no idea how things are today. Title link takes you to DVDBorn's post.