Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Cut Copy Synth Pop
Title link takes you to the Cut Copy website. Somone (dw66) sent me a couple of tracks to check out by them. They are on Yahoo! Unlimitted, so I'm listening and downloading their album now. They sound a bit like Wire, if you know who that is. Really good synth pop. Nice shot of the Odyssey. Also check out the stack of classic rhythm machines in theer photos.
American Contemporary
Ryan Faubion sent this little gem my way. This is an album composed solely with an EMS Synthi 100. Title link takes you to the post with more info. Seek and yee shall be rewarded. Enjoy. Thanks Ryan!
Ceephax Acid Crew - Video
Via James Anderson. Title link takes you there.
Audio is pretty distorted, but good show regardless.
Audio is pretty distorted, but good show regardless.
Birth of a Synth
Title link takes you there. There's a ton of samples and more on site. Via this post on electro-music.com. Check out the schematics for the Klee Sequencer in the post as well.
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
New Moog Shots Are Up
Title link takes you there. Say hello to the Little Phatty.
Update via Carbon111 in the comments: http://carbon111.com/moog_lp.html.
Update via Carbon111 in the comments: http://carbon111.com/moog_lp.html.
New Tracks on Gnostic Rocket
via Gnostic Rocket
Tracks include the Casio CZ1000, Springboard Dub, Korg Electribe ER1, and the Korg X911 Guitar Synth's low pass filter (same filter as the Korg MS-20). Title link takes you there.
Future Retro Revolution - Signature Edition
Via Synthtopia. Title link takes you to the post.
"Two versions are available: 9 UV orange units. which are available exclusively in the UK through Analogue Addiction, and 10 silver metalic units which are available exclusively in the USA through Nova Musik."
"Two versions are available: 9 UV orange units. which are available exclusively in the UK through Analogue Addiction, and 10 silver metalic units which are available exclusively in the USA through Nova Musik."
Vyzor Editor for the Evolver
Brian Comnes sent me a link to Psicraft's Vyzor Editor for the Evolver. I'm familiar with the Sound Tower editor, but not this.
According to Brian, "Having a visual view of the EVO signal flow, especially for desk and rack versions is really great and the sequencer editor and wave shape editor only make it better. FWIW the Evo is a tough learning curve and this soft editor really helps you get your head around what is going on."
Click here for more info. Don't miss the details page.
She Enters My Mind - Scott Metzger
Title link takes you to a 13.8M MP3 titled She Enters My Mind. The track is by Scott Metzger and it features the Yamaha CS80, Nord lead 3, and Prophet VS, sequenced, and mixed in Logic Pro. Right click and save the title link to download it. "The first 2 synths that come in are Nord Lead 3. The LFOie sound.. Then the bass pads is the Nord lead 3 as well.. The icicle leads are the CS80 and the piano is done in Logic Pro using the EXS24 which is a multi sampled collection of piano. And the little notes between piano is the Prophet VS." Nice track. This is a great example of how three completely different synths in both time period and technology can work together (CS80 Analog 1970s, Prophet V Wavetable 1980s, and Nord Lead 3 VA 2000s). Thanks Scott!
AHMW 2006 Shots Part 3
Title link takes you to shots in from Andrew Scheidler. Click on AHMW 2006 when you get there.
Orange Circuit Casio Bent SK1
Orange Circuit Casio Bent SK1
Monday, March 27, 2006
Creamware Pro Odyssey AFB
Wow. Title link takes you to more info on Sequencer.de.
Via this post on Moogulator:
"this is new for Musikmesse 2006 - Emulation of the ARP Odyssey (II, the black one with golden lettering - the 24 dB/Oct. Filter modell - so they chose the best sounding model), all ASB (authentic sound box) series synths are usb controlled (software). but it also works standalone. alternatively minimax (minimoog) filter mode and 12 voices. more see tech. the pic was given to me exclusively as the first pic internationally available (thanks for the pic).. so sooner or later other sites might put it up, too.."
You better beleive it. : ) Nice one Moogulator!
Via this post on Moogulator:
"this is new for Musikmesse 2006 - Emulation of the ARP Odyssey (II, the black one with golden lettering - the 24 dB/Oct. Filter modell - so they chose the best sounding model), all ASB (authentic sound box) series synths are usb controlled (software). but it also works standalone. alternatively minimax (minimoog) filter mode and 12 voices. more see tech. the pic was given to me exclusively as the first pic internationally available (thanks for the pic).. so sooner or later other sites might put it up, too.."
You better beleive it. : ) Nice one Moogulator!
AHMW 2006 Shots Part 2
Title link takes you to AHMW 2006 shots by the Suit & Tie Guy. Some notes via the comments: "... though it's more of a social travelogue from my own perspective than a fair documentation of the technical end of the event.i'm sure all of you are interested in pictures of where we ate, what liquor we drank, what our room looked like, what harry bissell looks like without his hat, who is buried in the parking lot of the angola meijer, etc. there's even pictures of a great motel to get murdered at, where to buy espresso in angola, and an historic african-american lakeside resort. the first and last couple of photos are in IL, oglesby and utica respectively."
Thanks Suit & Tie Guy! I think. ; )
Oscillator Sync Viewed through an Oscilloscope
Moogulator put up a post on a some oscillator syncs viewed through an oscilloscope posted on the Synthesizers.com wiki. In the shots the top waveform is the oscillator synced to the bottom waveform. In the image above, you can clearly see how the top waveform starts in sync with the bottom. The other shots on the site give a number of other examples including the "bare claw" : ) Title link takes you there.
Update via the comments:
"The picture you chose is the only one that dosen't show sync at all unless you read the caption. The top wave is a triangle being restarted by the square below it. Notice how it looks like a saw wave? Thats why sync sounds different. Your restarting one wave regardless of where it is in its cycle."
Well there you have it. : )
How to Use an Oscilloscope 2
Interesting. I think I just caught a duplicate post on the Make: blog. I just saw this post on how to use an oscilloscope. I thought it looked familiar, and sure enough it was already posted here. I know because I put up a post on it back on 11/28/05. All go here. I wasn't going to put this up but I figured it's a good reference for my next post coming up, so...
Minimoog Lapel Pin
Mover over digital. Lee Tizzard saw my previous post on the Yamaha DX7 and Roland D50 Synth Bling. He sent in the following shot of his Minimoog Lapel Pin. "Bought it at a local music store about 12 years ago for $15 CDN........I've yet to wear it." Nice. And Vintage. Thanks Lee!
Argiriadis Analogue Electronics
Title takes you the Argiriadis Analogue Electronics website. There is a link to this video on YouTube on vacuum tubes. It's an amazing video in which Theo Argiriadis goes into detail on the desing and characterstics of the sound. Synth content in the video includes some rhythms and sequences running through the vacuum tube. Great video. Found this one on Digital Music Mag.
Notes on the video:
"Theo's an electronics engineer, working in North London and specialising in valves (vacuum tubes). He makes and modifies quality hi-fi, and unique, stunning audio processors. His workshop's amazing too, so after he built me the most detailed distortion box I've ever seen, I asked if I could make a film about him and his work. Contact Theo through www.tube-electronics.co.uk, or me at film@museumoftechno.org"
Update via the comments:
"Hey, thanks for featuring the film! And for using that primo still as the preview... the pale box with the red controls at top right is my distort unit, which is how I got to know Theo.
If any UK MatrixSynth readers are seriously into their valves, and want a totally different and valuable experience buying a piece of beautiful equipment, do have a think about Theo - he says he's not an artist, but there's some deep Macedonian voodoo mixed up with his science!"
Thank you! That truly was an awesome video.
Notes on the video:
"Theo's an electronics engineer, working in North London and specialising in valves (vacuum tubes). He makes and modifies quality hi-fi, and unique, stunning audio processors. His workshop's amazing too, so after he built me the most detailed distortion box I've ever seen, I asked if I could make a film about him and his work. Contact Theo through www.tube-electronics.co.uk, or me at film@museumoftechno.org"
Update via the comments:
"Hey, thanks for featuring the film! And for using that primo still as the preview... the pale box with the red controls at top right is my distort unit, which is how I got to know Theo.
If any UK MatrixSynth readers are seriously into their valves, and want a totally different and valuable experience buying a piece of beautiful equipment, do have a think about Theo - he says he's not an artist, but there's some deep Macedonian voodoo mixed up with his science!"
Thank you! That truly was an awesome video.
AHMW 2006 Shots
Title link takes you to more shots of this years Analog Heaven Midwest, by Cary Roberts.
NYU Analog Synth Lab
Title link takes you to shots of the NYU Analog Synth Lab. Via Paul Rothman.
"Here are 5 pics from the analog synth lab at New York University. I
spent spring break putting together the new MOTM modular we got. We
made the custom cabinet out of white oak and I designed the module
layout. It has 7 VCOs, 2 Noise Gens./S+H, and a nice selection of
filters including a CS-80 and GX-1 filter as well as 4 LFOs, 4 EGs and
4 VCAs. The other synths include 2 Buchla 100's, an EMS VCS3 Putney,
Korg MS-20, E-mu Emulator, Octave Cat, and Roland JP-8000. I'm
currently trying to restore our ARP 2600 with keyboard, and ARP 2800
Odyssey."
Thanks Paul! Also check out the Music Technology Studios web page on NYU.
"Here are 5 pics from the analog synth lab at New York University. I
spent spring break putting together the new MOTM modular we got. We
made the custom cabinet out of white oak and I designed the module
layout. It has 7 VCOs, 2 Noise Gens./S+H, and a nice selection of
filters including a CS-80 and GX-1 filter as well as 4 LFOs, 4 EGs and
4 VCAs. The other synths include 2 Buchla 100's, an EMS VCS3 Putney,
Korg MS-20, E-mu Emulator, Octave Cat, and Roland JP-8000. I'm
currently trying to restore our ARP 2600 with keyboard, and ARP 2800
Odyssey."
Thanks Paul! Also check out the Music Technology Studios web page on NYU.
BME 700
Title link takes you to a Bluesynths.com article on the BME 700. Note that Bluesynths switched to a member only site. I hate when sites do that. But sign up isn't too difficult. You just enter an alias you want to use, a valid email address and a password. You get a link sent to the email address you provided. Click on the link and your account is activated. Log in and you can view the article. Pain? Yes, but that's their price I guess. There are more shots of the BME 700, an mp3 and a wmv in the article. This synth sounds good.
Features
1 VCO with variable waveform (starting at triangle - to saw - to pulse). Modulation possibilities.
Noise
2 LFOs
2 envelopes: each switchable AR-ASR
12 dB LP filter + resonance
Features
1 VCO with variable waveform (starting at triangle - to saw - to pulse). Modulation possibilities.
Noise
2 LFOs
2 envelopes: each switchable AR-ASR
12 dB LP filter + resonance
Tiesco 110F
Shots courtesy of Heath Finnie.
Thanks Heath! BTW, Heath is looking to trade for EML gear, you can reach him at hfinnie[]gmail.com.
Thanks Heath! BTW, Heath is looking to trade for EML gear, you can reach him at hfinnie[]gmail.com.
Sunday, March 26, 2006
Synth Bling - Keychains, Pendants and More
Title link takes you to a site selling Yamaha DX7 and Roland D50 keychains, pins and pendants. 24k Gold Plated D50 picutured to the left. Get your synth bling on. Shots saved for posterity. Via this post on Sonic State's the-gas-station.
EMS Rehberg
Title link takes you to the EMS Rehberg site. I knew about the UK EMS site, but not this site. According to Dennis Verschoor: "The German EMS was a european distribiteur and technican. Later on he was allowed to design/build ems stuff. Some people say the German ones are even build better. Good German quality (volkwagen, bmw, mercedess etc) : )" According to their pricelist here, you can pick up a refurbished Synthi 100 for 55.000 Euros or roughly $66,184 US compared to this Synthi 100 with a minimum starting bid of $60,000 US.
Update: Notes from Malte:
"Some years ago where I had some cash I emailed Rehberg about the
possibility to purchase a Synthi A and he answerd rather quick that they
indeed are available. The website has never changed, like the EMS UK
one, but I guess its still valid. As a service you can borrow equipment
from EMS too, although not the 100 I guess :)
This picture shows the 100 that is now in small town Lueneburg
http://www.emsrehberg.de/SYNTHI__s/L_neburg1_web.jpg
Here is the history of another famous of the first importers of synths
in germany (but only in german), Synthesizer Studio Bonn Matten +
Wiechers, who are credited on nearly every Kraftwerk CD and responsible
for the Synthanorma sequencer and Banana synth, an Oberheim clone.
http://www.elektropolis.de/index.htm
BTW: this is Ludwig
http://www.elektropolis.de/images/rehberg.jpg"
Cheers,
Malte
MIDI'ed Chamberlin on Sonic State
Video of a MIDI'd Chamberlin. This has to be seen. Title link takes you there.
I *Heart* Rob Hubbard
Thought this was funny. You can find the full post on the C64Music! blog.
From Wikipedia on Rob Hubbard:
"Rob Hubbard (born 1956?, Kingston upon Hull, England) is a music composer for several microcomputers of the 1980s, especially the Commodore 64. He was probably the first to push the SID soundchip to its limit, composing powerful and catchy tunes for many games of the time. Rob resents being confused with the unrelated L. Ron Hubbard."
Synth Artists Featured on Moogulator
Carbon111 on the New Moog
Carbon111 put up a great post on Synthwire on why he sold his old Moogs and why he is looking forward to the new Moog. It's a great read. Trust me, go read it. Title link takes you there.
Saturday, March 25, 2006
Mark Pulver on "the Minimoogs"
Mark Pulver is one of those iconic names you come across in the world of synthesizers. He's just a person like you and me, but he has a pretty extensive and respected background when it comes to synths, and he's someone that helped me re-discover the bigger world of synths nearly ten years ago on Sonic State's the-gas-station (it used to be THE synth forum back then), later Analog Heaven, and a private email now and then. He is a "deputy" on Analog Heaven (one of the people that helps administer and keep it under control) and he was good friends with Bob Moog himself. Check out his tribute to Bob. So let's just say I have a huge amount of respect for Mark.
So, I've heard that a Voyager can nail the Minimoog sound as indeed it is a Minimoog plus more, and on the flip side, I've heard that it doesn't quite sound the same. So I thought I'd ask Mark. The following is what he had to say. It's interesting in that after reading it seems so obvious. You'll notice that in a sense it's inconclusive - that is what's obvious about it. Time and design both impact a synth. And no two minis are exactly the same. Title link takes you to Mark's Voyager page for more of his thoughts and notes.
"I think that the Voyager is a great instrument, and it's capable of a lot
more sounds and textures than the original Mini - including some of the
sounds that have made the Mini famous, and some sounds that will make
itself famous in its own right.
I think that a lot of the love of the Mini is how it plays, and that comes
from the 30yo keyboard, caps, trannys, etc. Audio circuits that actually
have bleed through, power supply rails with dirt on them, etc. There are
ways that the Mini handles when you tune the OSCs to a harmonic that
overdrives the filter "just" that way - VERY hard to define, or to catch on
a scope, or to make happen on a modern machine. I really think that stuff
like this comes from design flaws turned into features. Not a bad thing,
just something that can't really be replicated.
There are a lot of things like that in the Mini.. Lay the filter on the
edge of howling - notice how it loves to distort the VCA. _AND_ that
character will change based on the pitch you're playing. _AND_ that
character will change based on if you're gliding between notes. _AND_ _AND_
_AND_...
It's like, the Voyager is a pure design - lotso the same schematic work
from decades ago, but then with grit _designed_ into it. No happy accidents
waiting around the corner like the first time that Bob pressed a key on the
Model A.
It's not a bad thing to design in "flaws that have become features", it's
just different. Ya' know?
I guess the bottom line is that I don't have a concrete answer - to me,
something like this really needs ethereal babble.
And... feel free to post it in your blog if you think it makes sense. : )"
Mark
It does. Thanks Mark!
Synthasaurus
Title link takes you to Synthasaurus, home to Andrew Sanchez' modular website. There is a huge list of samples he made with his custom modular.
Vintage Synths Safe in Japan
Title link takes you to the good news on Create Digital Music. "The Japan Times, an English-language newspaper, reports today that the Japanese government is backpedaling on its plans to ban the sale of used electronics." Whoohoo!
I Satellite
Title link takes you to the I Satellite gear page. Huge list but only a few shots. The shots are top quality though including this Roland MC-4b. What's kind of cool about this particular shot on site is that it's initially black and white. When you mouse over it turns into this brilliant color shot. Kind of cool if you are into detail. Obviously check out the rest of the site when you get there.
Four Gorgeous Synths
Gorgeous shots of an SCI Prophet 10, Moog Minmoog, Yamaha DX1, and Octave CAT pulled from these auctions. Links below takes you to the set for each.
Prophet 10
Minimoog
DX1
CAT
Prophet 10
Minimoog
DX1
CAT
Innerclock Sync Shift
Title link takes you there. What is it? Simply put it shifts your sync; Sync Shift, get it? Note the center top is labelled "Throne.""Using Midi Clock and Din Sync always ensures that start times between connected devices is always the same. This is a good thing mostly. Sometimes, however, you might really like to hear that TB-303 riff playing against the groove – maybe starting on the 3 instead of the 1. You could re-write the pattern in the TB-303 shifting all the notes, accents and slides individually forward by three steps if you had the time or you could record a bar as audio and trigger the phrase in software but then you would lose the live feel and the hands-on control."
Tweakbench
Title link takes you to Tweakbench, home to a bunch of free VSTs, synths and effects. I haven't tried any of these yet, so... try at your own risk. Let me know what you think if you do try any. Chris Sushi sent these in via AH. He recommends Tapeworm, a mellotron clone. The cool thing is there are mp3 for each VST, so you can liesten before you try.Update via Doktor Future in the comments:
"I *heart* Tweakbench too. They have a great nintendo sound VST synth too. It's great to contrast the SID stuff with Nintendo sounds, let me tell you.
Here's an mp3 of the Mellotron VST I did in Fruityloops:
www.paulsop.com/deathray/mp3/2005/Haunting_Flute.mp3"
Friday, March 24, 2006
HCGPF on Analog Industries
And it's a synthy one. Vince Clark's gear at that. Title link takes you there.
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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
