MATRIXSYNTH

at 9/02/2006 06:14:00 PM

All Ebay auctions on this site are affiliate links. What are affiliate links? In short paid links. The way it works is Ebay charges you to put an item up for auction. That's how they make money. They keep 100% of that charge if the buyer comes to the auction directly. If a buyer comes to an auction through an affiliate link like the ones on this site, then they give a percentage of that 100% to the owner of the affiliate link. That would be me. I figure if I'm going to put a link up to an auction, why let Ebay keep 100%. They are a big company and they can afford to help support this site. I do all of this on my own free time and I believe sites like this should be free and supported by ads that are useful and relevant. Never buy anything you do not want to. Also, note that the affiliate fee comes out of that 100%, it is not an additional charge, so it does not cost the buyer or seller of the auction more. Why is Ebay willing to do this? Because they figure it will drive more traffic to them. In my case it would probably be the same as I do not put up posts for the sake of the affiliate links. If I did you would see a whole lot more going up. I was actually a bit uncomfortable with the amount I put up so I created MATRIXSYNTH-B to cut the noise down. I only put the most interesting items up here - either the best shots, the rarest and most unique items, or interesting bits of synth history found in the details of auctions - I only put up posts if they merit a post regardless of the source, whether that be Ebay, Flickr, or other. Why am I putting up this note here? Because I do not want to put it up with every single auction post that goes up. I don't think most would appreciate having to read this in every single post. Why not just say it's an affiliate link in the post and be done with it? Because affiliate links mean different things to different people and I want to explain exactly what it is on this site. Note that there is still a bar for MATRIXSYNTH-B. I frequently post auctions people send me on both MATRIXSYNTH and MATRIXSYNTH-B, and I respect anonymity, although on MATRIXSYNTH I will only put auction posts that meet the bar above. If I posted everything on Ebay, you would see everything here go up. Note saving and posting all of this stuff does take a lot of my time, and it doesn't cost you (buyer or seller) anything. I spend 3-6 hours every single day, Monday through Sunday, on the blog. What I do get from Ebay helps with the sanity.

at 9/02/2006 02:44:00 PM

More exclusive shots of Kraftwerk sent in via Frederic.

Note these have never been seen before. In case you missed the last set, here they are.

at 9/02/2006 10:21:00 AM

Title link takes you to a thread on the Moog Forums with some samples of the Little Phatty. They are also on the Little Phatty user's group, Phatsound, where you'll find more samples.

via the comments of this post.

at 9/02/2006 09:51:00 AM

flickr by Zebra Pares.

at 9/02/2006 09:49:00 AM

flickr by Picinìn.

at 9/02/2006 09:44:00 AM

Title link takes you to a previous post I put up on Ultravox Synths. Micke just posted the following on this VSE thread.

Did you know:

1) that the fat bass line on Ultravox' song "Slow Motion" (off of Systems of romance, 1978) was actually played by Chris Cross on his EMS-Synthi?

2) that the EMS synthi, Arp Odyssey (and Elka Rhapsody) were the only synths used for U-Vox' 2nd album "Ha, Ha, Ha" (1977)?

3) that the Elka Rhapsody 610 was used for the string sounds on U-vox' first three albums?

4) that Brian Eno programmed the Minimoog (his own synth) on the early U-vox songs "My way" and "Slip Away"?

5) that the kick drum, snare and hi-hat on U'vox' cues "Dislocation" were done on Billy Currie's Arp Odyssey with lots of fx added?

6) that the Minimoog is responsible for the bassline on "Quite Man"

7) that the Oberheim OB-X was used mainly for solos on U-vox album "Rage in Eden"?

8) that Billy Currie bought a Yamaha CS-80 in late 1979 and used it on songs like "Mr.X" (Vienna), "Western promise" (Vienna") "I Remember" (Rage In Eden), "Hymn" (Quartet)?

9) that U-vox' main string-machine between 1980-1984 was the Yamaha SS-30?

10) that the Yamaha GS-1 FM synthesizer was used for the solo in "Mine for life"?

11) that the EMS-Synthi was U-vox's very first synth back in early '77 or thereabouts?
-----------

Also see Midge Ure on the Minimoog used for the bassline in Viena.

at 9/02/2006 01:55:00 AM

Title link takes you to joerg-erren.de. Jorg posted a link to his site in this Curetronic post. I of course checked it out. He's got quite a bit of info up there including specific pages on Anywaree Instruments, Alesis, Diverse, Korg, MFB, Oberheim, Roland and Yamaha. You'll find some really nice gear shots and samples for each piece of gear. Very nice.

at 9/02/2006 01:54:00 AM

flickr by mcdux.

at 9/02/2006 01:53:00 AM

flickr by maskinbatterist.

at 9/02/2006 01:52:00 AM

Remember the chameleon? Turns out it's badl0ader's. He sent me a link to his MySpace site where I found this video. It takes a lot of balls to fill up a cup like that. This one dedicated to Chris Randall of Analog Industries. Something tells me he will appreciate this one. ; )

BTW, do check out badl0ader's MySpace page. Cup aside, it's good synth pop.

at 9/02/2006 01:51:00 AM

flick by spablab.

Yep. So, what is that?

Update via the comments: "I am in that band... I'm the guy in the blue shirt in the background. our albums were done by me and the guitarist, Lazlo. When we played live we got extra help from some friends. Lots of synths on our records and onstage - Korg Polysix, Korg DW8000, Univox MiniKorg, Yahama SK20, Korg Delta, Moog Prodigy, etc. No samples used in the live show -- everything was played. The guy in the diaper was known as The ManBaby. He was an amazing beatboxer who for some reason liked to perform in a diaper. He was always a big hit with the audience. Wow, that was a fun band to play in.
- Mel Stanke, Emperor Penguin"

at 9/02/2006 01:50:00 AM

Title link takes you there. Track title is the one with via nematode. via Jon:

"i just got an s612 in the mail yesterday (bought it off kevin, you posted one of his gear sales, so thanks) the 13 pin connectors came in at the same time. so i painstakingly soldered 26 tiny little leads, then i looked in the s612 manual and realized i only had to solder 14 tiny little leads. plugged my new cable in, ran a midi cable from the ax to the s612. messed around with midi channels and worked the static out of the ax's a/b mix slider, knocked over a full stack of 100 blank dvdrs in the process and within about an hour or so was up and running. there's an 8 minute (in two parts) 3 track overdub of just the ax-60 and the s612 arpegiating while i twist and tweak (the sample start/end time faders are awesome) up on my myspace page it's called nematode something-or-other. i was up 'till about 4.30 last night getting that posted, so now i'm going to get some donuts and, if the neighbor kids quiet down, take a nice long nap."

Update via a follow up email from Jon: "this too, i don't know if it's been pointed out yet, but as only audio is being sent to the ax60, there are no control signals envolved, the ax should be able to run -any- audio input through it's filter. all it should take is wiring the leads from an audio connector (your choice) to the ground and signal pin (again, your choice) of the input on the synth."

at 9/01/2006 02:33:00 PM

Title link takes you to a 3.4M video of the Little Phatty Boot sequence hosted on trippler.net.

via Georg.

at 9/01/2006 10:30:00 AM

The Sonic State guys are back with Mike Dupp in Technomania Episode 3.

at 9/01/2006 10:22:00 AM

flickr by hellohello.

at 9/01/2006 10:17:00 AM

Title link takes you to Natural Rhythm where you will find images, samples and general musics on making music with synths.

Pictured: Roland Juno-106 Bender Mod

via sequencer.de

at 9/01/2006 08:44:00 AM

Title link takes you to the full sized charts and more info at the Rhodes Chroma site.

at 9/01/2006 08:41:00 AM

Title link takes you there. Not much up as of this post, but do check it out.

at 9/01/2006 08:28:00 AM

Remember the Curetronic? Frederic sent me this shot along with a link to the Curetronic site. It's been a while since I checked them out. Title link takes you there.

BTW, I almost thought the shots were rendered until I checked out the photo gallery. Wow.

Update via Jörg in the comments:
"Another site in German... my own! ;-)
With some information on Curetronic: link"

at 9/01/2006 12:25:00 AM

Remember the synth mangler? Looks like it got a perty new face. Brian Comnes sent me a link to the Synth Mangler product page on Analogue Haven, where I pulled this shot. Title link takes you to Effector 13 where you will find the mangler and more. There are images, videos and more info after the hop. Here's a link to a mangler video.

at 8/31/2006 03:58:00 PM

Frederic sent me some rare shots of Kraftwerk he took at the "Pavillon de Paris", in Paris, in concert 4th october 1976. Title link takes you to more. Amazing. Thanks Frederic!

at 8/31/2006 03:57:00 PM

Tangerine Dream - Ossiach Lake (1971)

Tangerine Dream - Kiew Mission

via Frederic.

at 8/31/2006 01:58:00 PM

"Soundbombs are New-Media-Accessories. Each one a lowtech object for interactive transmission. An integrated soundmodul makes it possible to record any given sound and then activate it through a motiondetector. As a Non-Visual Graffiti, with its origin in streetart, Soundbombs give the possibility to tag a place in an accoustic form: a welcoming greeting at the entrance or a warning of a bad restaurant. Each owner can leave a personal message anywhere and at any time. Soundbombs can whistle, laugh, belch or recite a poem."

Yep, I could have some fun with this.

via Brian Comnes.

at 8/31/2006 11:48:00 AM

YouTube by kokoon.

at 8/31/2006 10:10:00 AM

flickr by fantismo

at 8/31/2006 10:09:00 AM

Title link takes you to more on Harmony Central.

at 8/31/2006 10:07:00 AM

Title link takes you to a 3.59M mp3 (right click and save if you want to check it out), by REwire, posted here on VSE.

at 8/31/2006 10:05:00 AM

Note this is not a commercial from Moog Music but a project from an enthusiast. YouTube via themedusas: "This is a project I did for my Motion Design 2 class. The concept behind this was to magnify the culture and kinship of owning a Moog Synthesizer. Since the 70's, musicians have been building and customizing their own Moogs. So I wanted to reflect that sort of attachment that owners have with them, and in the process, bring the history and culture of owning a Moog into the new millenium as well."

at 8/31/2006 10:00:00 AM

Title link takes you to some nice Crackle Box shots on Sendling. This one reminds of the Peruvian made Zebranologic.

at 8/31/2006 08:50:00 AM

Title link takes you to Boele Gerkes' homepage where you will find a wealth of synth shots, info and some incredible music.

A bit of trivia: Boele is one of the first people I met online back in 1996 or shortly after. Realize this was right after Windows 95 came out and the Internet was just beginning to boom. Sonic State, registered in 1995, was the place to hang out (VSE came in 1999). As a side note, my old Matrixsynth.com was registered in 1997. I beat VSE! I also remember Boele from the Waldorf list back then. I liked his music so much I bought a number of his CDs. SCD was the first completely independent music I have purchased online. And believe me, it had to be really, really good for me to take that first step, at that point in time.

at 8/31/2006 01:21:00 AM

"dynamic MIDI-oriented music editing and realtime manipulation"

Title link takes you there.

at 8/31/2006 12:03:00 AM

A few links cropped up on AH today regarding the Korg MS20 filter:

MS20study.pdf (2.25M) by Tim Stinchcombe. Tim actually spent quite a bit of time studying the Korg MS10/MS20 filters and just made this 46 page pdf available on the list today.

RMC posted a link to his contribution - pdfs and gifs of the schematic and trace. I noticed that RMC referred to the filter as the KORG35. I never realized this is what it was called, so I did a quick search on KORG35 and found this site which has more info, links and a DIY clone with details and images.

My favorite Korg MS20 Clone? The Frostwave Resonator (pictured). I picked it up years ago and will never get rid of it. It just shreds for lack of a better description. It's the aural equivalent of finding that sweet spot in your ear with a good q-tip. It will shred paint off your walls. Super aggressive with a bit of resonance. Highly, highly recommended.

I should also mention the MOTM-420 and the Doepfer A-106 Xtreme Filter. I'm sure there are others. If you know them, feel free to post them.

Update: Make sure to check out the comments for others. The following was sent to me via email from Tim: "I compiled a list of known clones a while back, and this has been on it for some time. Mind you I only recently discovered that a discrete version of the Korg35 is to be seen in the Korg X-911 guitar synth (which I've not checked in any detail yet), and someone from synth DIY has just pointed out that it was probably originally developed for use in the 'PS' range of polysynths, so it looks like there is yet another avenue for me to tap into!"

Udpate via Noiseconformist in the comments:
"Hi, this is just to inform you that Tim got his new site up and running.
So the MS-20 document can be found here: http://www.timstinchcombe.co.uk/synth/MS20_study.pdf HTH, Michael (a.k.a Noiseconformist)"

at 8/31/2006 12:02:00 AM

Paul Sop sent me some links to knew shots of his studio. Title link takes you to the complete set. When you get there, click the images for super size shots. Paul tells me the Buchla ML Lumina is being shipped today, so he is officially Buchla-less. Well, you could always get the MalletKat. : )

at 8/31/2006 12:02:00 AM

MIDI mallet. This one in via ben shannon illustrator. Title link takes you to more including videos.

at 8/31/2006 12:00:00 AM

flickr by k0re.

Shot of Dana Countryman from the

A little trivia: Note Dana's keyboards changed. When I saw them in Seattle, he had a Yamaha DX7 as the main synth. In San Francisco you can see the Yamaha DX7 was replaced with a Roland Jupiter (I'm guessing the 6) and a Nord G2 as the synthesizers.com modular controller (not sure what he had in Seattle, but I didn't see red). In this shot he also has the G2. BTW, I'm not sure if this shot is from the San Francisco or LA shows.

Update via Brian in the comments:
"I went to the LA show. Jean Jacques had his Ondioline, but there was no Moog Modular. The keyboards I saw were:

* Moog Voyager Blue
* DSI Poly Evolver
* Nord Electro 2
* Korg MS2000"

at 8/30/2006 05:21:00 PM

Dan Agosto of Gearwire sent me the following on a podcast series called Crosstalk. In Crosstalk #16 they compare a 1974 Minimoog with an Electric Blue Voyager as well coverage of the NI Kontrol. The MINI comparison starts at 19:17 into the Quicktime video.

"I wanted to let you know about a podcast some co-workers of mine and I have been working on. It is called Gearwire Crosstalk and is basically a panel conversation about music gear and news. In the latest episode (GW Crosstalk 016) we were able to borrow a 1974 Mini from a friend and compare it with an Electric Blue Voyager. I thought it might interest you and your other readers."

Definitely. Title link takes you there, where you can find a synopsis of episode #16 and various media links to the show. Make sure to check out the rest of the site while there.

at 8/30/2006 01:30:00 PM

Title link takes you to the post on Sendling.

at 8/30/2006 01:10:00 PM

Title link takes you there. Note there is not internal sequencer.

"Main spec:
Basically the analogue voice circuit with MIDI and some extra features like noise, LFO etc.

Extra tone controls:
VCO level
External Audio level
Noise level
Squelch - to add more resonance
Cross mod (VCO to Cut-off)
MIDI Mod (MIDI control of Cut-off from Velocity or a Controller)
LFO Mod / LFO Speed (Square and Triangle)
VCA Decay
Overdrive

Other features:
Minikeyboard to audition the sound
Manual Accent and Slide buttons to overide the MIDI sequence
Squelch button - to add instant squelch
Audio input - through filter
Headphone socket
Uses the original 303 voice circuit, and analogue components (where possible - many are discontinued). We tried to get the sound original, and in our opinion it sounds just like a 303 - but of course there will always be to very few who disagree!

NOTE: there is no internal sequencer. Please don't debate with us whether that was the right or wrong thing to do. We did our best with the time and resources we have."

via Joao

at 8/30/2006 10:22:00 AM

In Captain Kirk style: I.... Must.... Torture..... My..... Read....ers...
Thanks to Tim on this one. Annoying at first, hillarious in the end. Enjoy. Or not.

at 8/30/2006 10:18:00 AM

Title link takes you to more. Tim sent in the theremin video and I spotted the dual manual organ while checking it out. Enjoy. Or not. : )

at 8/30/2006 09:22:00 AM

I wasn't going to put this up as I've already posted on Wavemakers several times in the past, but the day is actually starting out slow and why not. This is a spectacular shot, and if it's good enough to post on sequencer.de and sendling, then it's good enough to post here. If you haven't been to the Wavemakers site, do check it out. Wavemakers was an amazing range of modular synths that not too many people know about. "The pages you see here are a tribute to the work of Dr. Terry Kincaid and Dr. David S. Bates. This site is dedicated to chronicling and preserving the history of Wavemakers, also known as kb electronic music instrumentation. This line of synthesizers was produced from 1970 to the early 1980s." Title link takes you there.

at 8/30/2006 08:58:00 AM

Click here for shots of the show on Laughing Squid.

Also check out their flickr set for more. Photos via Scott Beale / Laughing Squid

at 8/30/2006 01:15:00 AM

Via CMS:

"The information on this massive integrated 2600 style synth is limited. A former ARP engineer told me that this was a side project of a ARP/Aries engineer for the Boston School of Electronic Music. It has 8 VCOs with PWM and sync jacks, 8 multimode VCFs with voltage controlled resonance, 16 VCAs with linear and exp modulation, 4 balanced modulators, 4 preamps, 4 envelope followers, 4 voltage mixers. All the circuitry is precision made on plug in vector cards with gold plated connectors. CTS pots. Spun aluminum knobs, 1/8 inch switchcraft jacks, large lambda power supply, many multiples. Custom silk screened front panel. This machine is presently being restored at CMS and will be for sale soon. Only one in existence."

This is currently on the upcoming auctions page of CMS, along with a Synthi AKS. This one in via Dave.

Update: be sure to check out the comments of this post below.

Update2: You can find the Boston School of Electronic Music website here. Based on the copyright date of 2015 - 2016, I'm guessing it launched in 2015. If anyone knows otherwise, feel free to leave a comment.

Update3: You'll find some additional info on this system and who created it here.

at 8/30/2006 12:14:00 AM

"Pianoteq is the result of an academic research and results in what we call the fourth piano generation. This is the very first, and only, piano available that belongs to this generation.

First generation: acoustic piano (1698)
Second generation: electro acoustic piano (1929)
Third generation: sampled piano (1984)
Fourth generation: modelled piano (2006)

The first generation of pianos began with Cristofori's pianoforte in 1698 which came to maturity at the end of the 19th century with the acoustic grand pianos. It was followed in the 20th century by the second generation electro-acoustic pianos and the third generation sampled pianos where each note is a recording of how it sounded during a specific moment in time, not taking into account the complexity of the instrument.

Pianoteq is the first and only piano belonging to the fourth generation, developed in order to go beyond the limitations of the third generation and to become a versatile and innovating tool. It is in fact the first virtual piano factory — it can produce new brands as well as copies of historical instruments."

Title link takes you there, including samples.

at 8/30/2006 12:10:00 AM

So I get a zZounds newsletter and in it I see the Korg X5D listed. Scratching my head, I'm thinking, "how old is this friggin synth?" I head over to Sonic State and I find the X5D review page. According to Sonic State, it's been around since 1996. 10 Years! That's crazy! I'm thinking maybe they just have a bunch of old stock to get rid of and I head over to Korg. Sure enough it's listed as a current product. Think of how many synths the X5D has outlived. Bizarre. So... My question to you is, are there any longer running synths out there aside from the Minimoog? Is the X5D actually set to beat the Minimoog's record of 12 years? It's bizarre that out of all synths in the last decade, it's the Korg X5D still out there. I wonder how many were produced.

Update: Make sure to check out the comments for more, but so far we have:

GRONDO 2001: "Yamaha is still making its VL70m- which I think is even older!" Looks like it matches it - also released in 1996 according to Sonic State.

Anonymous: "Alesis is still making the SR-16 drum machine and that is like 15 years!" According to wikipedia (sorry reed : ) ) it was released in 1991.

cornutt: "If memory serves, the EML 101 had a production run of about 12 years. I'll check that tonight."

the world of next tuesday: "I'm surprised no one says EMS VCS-3. Though apparently there were a few years when the company might have been out of business and the waiting time to get one has been several years for years, nothing touches it within a decade or 2 (1969 - beat that Korg!) with the runner up being the EMS Synthi A."

at 8/30/2006 12:02:00 AM

flickr by leSiege. Title link takes you to more.

at 8/30/2006 12:00:00 AM

I saw this on Sonic State and thought the image was kind of funny. Title link takes you to more info and some samples, also linked below.

Glitter_Fluid.wav [2.46 MB]
Shiny_Rings.wav [0.77 MB]
Unreal_Explosion.wav [1.65 MB]

at 8/29/2006 07:18:00 PM

Via the Analogue Haven mailing list:
"Join Jean and Dana tomorrow night at AH as they show why they're such legends in the electronic music field. They'll be spotlighting their brand new release, entitled The Happy Electropop Music Machine as well as saying hello to all of you who stop by.

Jean-Jacques Perrey is a legend, and a pioneer in the popular electronic music field. He was the second musician to ever own a Moog Synthesizer, and one of the first to record with it, way back in 1966. Over the past five decades, Perrey has released many classic MOOG albums, featuring his trademark crazy tape loops and his catchy original melodies. His theme 'Baroque Hoedown' (co- composed with Gershon Kingsley) has been featured as part of Disneyland's much-loved 'Main Street Electrical Parade' for over 30 years. Even today, Perrey's music has been sampled by countless popular Hip-Hop and Rap artists, including Ice T, DJ Premier, Gangstarr, and many others. At age 77, Perrey is still very much active, and still creating 'Music for Smiles and Laughs.'

A concert review from this tour and more photos available at the wonderful MATRIXSYNTH site. All the fun starts at 5:00pm, so don't be late!!"

The San Francisco show starts tonight at 8:00 PM at Recombant Media Labs. For those of you in LA, as stated above, they will be at Analogue Haven tomorrow, 8/30 5:30 PM, and they will end their tour at the Knitting Factory at 7:30 PM. More details here.

at 8/29/2006 04:54:00 PM

No title link. Shot sent in by an anonymous reader. Make sure to click the shot for the full effect. Absolutely gorgeous. Man I'd love one of these as my christmas tree.

Thanks anonymous reader! ; )

BTW, don't miss this post for one heck of a sample of the 200e.

Update: Also check this post for some new samples that have recently been put up.

at 8/29/2006 04:52:00 PM

Title link takes you to the latest update on bleepsandbloops with a sample.

"Another little jam, this one built solely with the Moog CP-251, TR-606, and the DotCom, live to tape improv style. I was kind of going for a "what if Morton Subotnick did a dub track?" or something along those lines, kind of in the tradition of what Excepter is trying to do with their latest "noise dub" stuff."

Saturday, September 02, 2006

Friday, September 01, 2006

Thursday, August 31, 2006

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

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