Electronic Music Summit 2006 - Indianapolis

"Electronic Music Summit 2006 will be held in Indianapolis, Indiana on November 3rd. EMS is a free, all-day celebration of live electronic music, featuring performances from nationwide artists, seminars, and interactive workshops. EMS showcases performers creating music in front of the audience using a wide array of music machines and instruments. This event is a one-of-a-kind opportunity for musicians and fans to experience emerging forms of modern music.

From the beginning, EMS has set out to raise awareness of electronic music in all its forms, but especially live, artist-driven, original music. It provides a showcase for up and coming artists to share their music with an audience of hundreds of open-minded music fans. But EMS is more than a concert, it is an opportunity for musicians to network and collaborate with their peers during afternoon workshops. These sessions provide a casual environment where artists may swap tricks and secrets of the trade, as well as pass their knowledge on to aspiring new producers.

For more information, visit emusicsummit.com. The Electronic Music Summit is a not-for-profit event, sponsored by community businesses. If you would like to be involved with EMS, please contact Ryan Faubion at info@emusicsummit.com or via the contact page of the website."

Rhodes Chroma Registry Hits 200 Chromas

Via Chris Ryan on the Rhodes Chroma List:
"With the addition of Mal Meehan's Chroma 21030075, we now have 200 instruments in the registry. Whether there were 1500 or 3000 Chromas manufactured and sold, this is surely a significant portion of those still in use. I think this is one of the more interesting parts of the site, as it documents the history of the individual synthesizers. If you haven't sent me info on your Chroma, please consider forwarding even just the serial number and a brief blurb."

BTW, if you haven't checked out the Rhodes Chroma site, you owe yourself a visit. It is hands down the best resource site I've seen for any given synth. If you have a Chroma, please take the time out to visit and register - you can do so anonymously. The point is not to keep tabs on who owns one, but rather on how many are still out there. Think about it. 200 people took the time out to register on this site. That's pretty amazing. If you do take the time to register feel free to post an anonymous, or not, comment here. I'm curious if I manage to help the cause. : )

Pickledonion Phase Toy

Title link takes you to Pickedonion, an online sequencer. So is it pronounced "pickled onion" or "pickle donion?" BTW, that sequence you see in this gif? It's what was playing in the back ground while I posted this. Must... kill... it... now.... Very annoying.

GRUTRONIC LIVE

YouTube via funkychorlton. Sent my way via Frederic. Note that the music in the beginning is intro music - it does not match the performance. It does starting at 1:30.

barbez

flickr by conform.

Computer Controlled Gear P*rn

I'd be smiling like that too if I had that gear. Title link takes you to more shots on Computer Controlled MySpace page.

Roland TB-303 and Quasimidi Rave-o-lution 309.

MFB Step Sequencers

These have been around for some time, however, I just recently started looking at them again and I figured I'd put up a post.


"The MFB-Step64 is a step-sequencer with up to 64 monophic steps or 16 4-voice polyphonic steps. In monophonic mode it is possible to enter 16 steps with five parameters each, 32 steps with 3 parameters each oder 64 note on/off steps."


"The digital sequencer MFB-602 is an updated and expanded version of the legendary MFB-601. Use it to create sequences of up to 64 steps with individual note lengths and rests that are played back by the MIDI and CV/Gate output. One new feature is the ability to store 8 sequences in a set. There are even outputs for start and trigger."

In the U.S., I only see the MFB-Step64 available at Infant Noise, the U.S. distributor for MFB. Title link takes you to MFB.

MISC Synths Take II

More shots from the same seller (Analog U.S. INC) of this previous post.


Moog Rogue


Oberheim OB-1


Moog Multimoog w/Kenton MIDI


Maxi Korg 800DV


Oberheim SEM


Moog Dual VCO


Korg Synthe Pedal
Update via Moogulator in the comments: "funny, the synthe bass looks like there is another same module called vcf by korg: link"

Note the seller has more (link). I just grabbed the shots I liked. Definitely a nice list of gear and obviously a dealer. I haven't seen Analog U.S. INC's list before, but then I haven't been scoping the bay much until now.

BTW, the links to the auctions go through the affiliate program so anything you do pick up helps this site, however, obviously don't bother unless you actually want the piece. I just want to be transparent so you know I'm not being sneaky. I will also not go nuts with these, so please don't send me auction links unless they warrant a post aside from the auction. Interesting details in the description, bits of history, rarities, and nice shots like the above, which btw, dissapear once the auction expires, are worth saving, and hence worth posting in my book. I will ONLY put up shots that I'd post regardless of the auction. Which means, the posts are more about the shots and or the info, that is, I do not discriminate against the source.

Electro-Acoustic Research welcomes Synthbox

"The EAR Group is excited to announce the addition of Sean Price and the Synthbox into the consortium.

The Synthbox Space Case fills the need for a functional cross-platform Eurorack housing system by offering a unique solution which scores big on ergonomics, versatility and eye candy, while scoring small where it counts - in your wallet. Check out the new Eurorack standard - the Synthbox line of synthesizer cabinets by clicking this link."

Also on Analogue Haven: "The Space Case is made from clear 3/4 inch acrylic sheets. This material is much stronger than wood for its weight and offers a unique presentation for your modules." FYI, that is Doepfer in the shot.

Check out this post for a little premonition on this. Read Adam's comments in the post itself. ; )

Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog at Mercury Lounge

flickr via Farinas.

MISC Synths

No title link, just some nice shots from the same seller on the bay. Love the color. 

Minimoog
Crumar Spirit
Prophet 5
Roland System 700 Sequencer. 

 Who else finds the box the more interesting of the two shots?

Suzanne Ciani on 3-2-1 Contact

Update: I should note that there is Buchla in this video, a Music Easel, and a particularly amazing example of the original 200 being played in a more traditional role. It sounds similar to the classic Vangelis CS80 brass pad. I think Ciani's got a bigger toy than Vangelis. : )

Title link takes you to a video episode featuring Suzanne Ciani on 3-2-1 Contact. Funny, I remember watching the show when I was a kid. Not sure if I saw the episode with Ciani though.

"The Children's Television Workshop produced an interesting science education show called 3-2-1 Contact that was aired in many PBS markets from 1980 to 1992.

One of the main characters visited Suzanne’s small studio for an interesting observation of sounds. This presentation was shown before another musical guest, Dizzy Gillespie (shown for a brief second) began performing on his trumpet.

Amazingly, Suzanne’s name doesn’t appear on the list of guest stars on tv.com’s website. We are assuming that this video appeared in January 1980 during the show’s first season. Hopefully, this video may stir some discussions among the fans of 3-2-1 Contact.."

reKon audio Access Virus A Editor

Just saw this on SonicState News. Note this is for the Virus A. Interesting that this is coming out now. Title link takes you to more info on the reKon site. Note they also make a Waldorf Pulse editor, previously posted here.

Update via the comments: "I don't get it. Why buy this, when you can download Soundiver Virus free from Access's website, which does, from what I can tell, the same thing? Maybe I'm just missing something."

Update via the comments: "The difference is VST integration in your host. Which gives you the advantage to record knob motion and so on."

Make sure to check the comments.

Akai AX80

No title link. Just two cool shots of the Akai AX80 on this HC thread via NightSynth.

TR-808 Bassdrum Waveform

flickr via altemark.

Update: Forgot to mention that the title link takes you to a few more shots including some cool ones of a cat - minus synths though. : )

Buchla 200e Samples by Todd Barton

Title link takes you to some Buchla 200e samples by Todd Barton (vgermuse).

Circuit Bent Roland 707 with Cathode Tubes and Patchbay

Title link takes you to shots pulled from this auction.

Details:
"The Roland TR-707 is a vintage drum machine with 16 classic sounds, individual outputs for each sound, indvidual mixer level controls plus accent level, the excellent Roland grid based programming interface, trigger out, DIN sync, MIDI, tape sync and a whole host of extra features. It even has 909 samples for the hats!
The mods we have installed on this machine consist of:

Cold Cathode Tubes - If you are in the market for a gratuitously cool looking drum machine then look no further. This machine features two pink/red (they look a lot more orange than they really are in the photos) cold cathode tubes mounted above and below the LCD screen. As well as looking obscenely sexy these lamps also allow you to actually see whats happening on the screen on a dark stage, which as all 707 users will know, is a bit of a novelty. There is a big red button on the back of the machine to turn the lamps on and off and the invertor to power the tubes is mounted on the left of the machine. You will need a power supply able to deliver 12V and at a minimum of 700 milliamps in order to use the lamps The machine will run on a lower rated power supply with the lamps turned off.

Main Patchbay - Connections made between the sockets on the patchbay with standard minijack patch cables cause all kinds of distortion, ring modulation, sound swapping, modulation and general alien effects to be applied to the sounds. multiple connections can be made at any one time offering thousands of different percussion grinding options. MIDI functions are not affected in any way. The machine functions as normal with no patch cables in place

Patchbay Multiples - These are simliar to the kind of patching multiples you would find on a modular synth. They consist of three sockets linked together internally. This allows you to take a cable from a patchbay source socket, plug it into a multiple to split the signal and take two further cables from the multiple outputs to two patchbay destinations. This gives vastly expanded sample grinding options.

Patchable Switches - These are two switches connected to two sockets that can be patched in line with any of the main patchbay connections. Essentially this allows you to find two effects you like and turn them on and off at the flick of a switch instead of having to repatch any cables.

3 Way Distortion Switches - These are two switches on the right of the machine. Each switch has two different distortion settings and a centre off position. These switches can create anything from a mild crunch to the kind of sounds that wouldn't sound out of place at a panel beating convention.

Hi-Hat decay knobs - These are the two knobs on the bottom right of the machine. They control the decay of the open and closed hi-hat sounds. Seeing as the open and closed hats actually use the same sound sample on the 707, the open hat knob sets the decay of the open hat and acts as a kind of master decay level. The closed hat knob then sets the decay of the closed hat in relation to the master setting, if that makes any sense at all.

Audio input - This jack on the side of the machine routes any external signal through the Hi-Hat channel. The hats are replaced by the external signal which is cut and gated according to the programmed hi-hats pattern and decay knobs."

via GetLoFi.

Matrixsynth By Kaden

No title link. Roland TD-8. If you are wondering what this is about, check out these posts. There were more, but Google site search is lacking.

Custom Electro Theremin

Title link takes you to some shots pulled from this auction. This appears to be a dissertaion project. Note the auction is not for the unit, but rather the dissertation on CDROM.

Vintage Serge

A few vintage Serge modules just came up on the bay. As always be careful. Thought this description was a little humorous: "Vintage serge panel #3 with precision VCO, and extended VCF. Powers up and does what it is supposed to do...since you need a friggin degree to work it, I just got frustraded and abandoned it to the garage!!" link


"Vintage serge panel #2 with precision VCO, tripple comparator, dual analog shift registers, 2 mixers, and a VP-1." link


"Vintage serge panel with stepped function generator, slope generator, wave multiplier, keyboard envelope generator, mixer and a ems prestopatch!!" link

No title link, just these three shots and descriptions.

Casio DG-20 & Ibanez X-ING-2010 Synth Guitars

Get your keytar on. Title link takes you to some shots of the Casio DG-20 pulled via this auction.

FEATURES:

* 4 different Acoustic Guitar sounds;
* 2 different Electric Guitar sounds;
* 3 other strings: Mandolin, Harp & Japanese Shamisen;
* 2 built-in pedal effects: Flanger & Distortion;
* 3 keyed instruments: Organ, Jazz Organ & Funky Clavicord;
* 3 wind instruments: Trumpet, Flute & Clarinet;
* 3 other effects: Glockenspiel, Chorus & Crystal;
* Built-in Drum Machine;
* 12 background rhythms: Rock, 16 Beat, Pops, Reggae, Country, Enka (don't ask... we don't know either), Swing, Blues, Bossa Nova, Slow Rock, Waltz & Tango;
* Synchro/Fill-in button
* 4 Separate Digital Drum pads: Snare Drum, Hi Tom, Low Tom & Cymbal;
* Tempo up and down controls;
* MIDI output

Here's a link to shots of the Ibanez X-ING-2010 pulled from this auction.

Features:
* 100% Fully compatible with vintage Roland 24-pin Systems
* Graphite reinforced neck eliminates the need for G-707 style stabilizer bar
* The only guitar synth controller ever built that supports ALL FOUR Roland Control Voltages
* Unique "virtual" whammy bar for perfect bends while maintaining tuning integrity
* Buffered control voltage electronics for circuit stability
* Custom Ibanez bridge with integrated guitar synth pickups
* Steinberger style headstock and design
* Precision microtuners in bridge for fast, easy, accurate tuning
* Two distinct Ibanez designed humbuckers for premium guitar tones
* Continuous control over modulation depth (no awkward touch pads with intermittent operation)

B. Killingsworth Electricity Poems, Vol. I and II

Via B. Killingsworth:

"I wanted to invite you to check out my web release on Backporch Revolution records (out of New Orleans). Totally electronic music.. and what I mean is that it is of the type that is more or less just supposed to sound like what it is - raw analog synth sounds. No sequencers used. Enjoy! (or not :) )... "

Description on Backporch Revolution:
"The tempo of cicada and cricket songs vary according to air temperature - drummers dependent on the environment for their pulse.

To say that the environment in southeastern Louisiana had changed by the end of summer 2005 was to put it mildly. A human drummer taking his cue from these surroundings would have short-circuited any second line band.

I wasn't looking for a second line party, but like vomit on Bourbon Street seeking its own level, I needed stability. My drummer would take his cue from 60 pulses per second - electricity itself.


Electricity Poems Vol. 1 & 2 was recorded on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain in Louisiana."

Vol. 1 (tracks 1-6) late winter 2006
* analog drum synthesizer triggered by an electrical ground loop
* Sequential Circuits Pro One analog synth
* digital delay pedal
* mixer

Vol. 2 (tracks 7-10) summer 2006
* tracks 1-4 of Vol. 1 fed into a modular analog synthesizer
* mixer

Title link takes you there. You can download and/or stream all tracks. Note the only synth on Vol. 1 is the Sequential Circuits Pro One.

BTW, you might remember the name Backporch Revolution from this previous post on Liteworks, another Backport Revolution artist from New Orleans and affected by Katrina.

Orange MFB Synth Lite II

Found this searching for an MFB Synth Lite image for the previous post. I've never seen one in orange before. Title link takes you to the source, the MFB page on sequencer.de.

Inside and MFB Synth Lite

No title link. Just the shot via Paulo: "I think that it is very interesting! Digital technology... the reason why it is so small."

The Wiard Woggle Bug

Update: This is not a new module. The page just hasn't been updated... since 2001? : ) via the comments: "The woggly dude dates back to around 2001"

"The newest module in the Wiard system is the Woggle Bug. The Woggle Bug is an utterly unique module that produces complex random voltages and tones. It reproduces the set of random voltages available from the original Buchla Model 265 "Source of Uncertainty" module. This long out of production module is representative of the most musical random voltage generators produced in the first "Golden Age" of modular synthesizers.

The Woggle Bug adds 4 permanently coupled audio VCOs to the random voltage outputs. Through a design trick, the single mechanical module contains the equivalent functionality of 18 electrical modules. Obviously, all the patch points cannot be brought out to the front panel."

Title link takes you to more info.








It's also worth noting:

"Each Woggle Bug purchaser gets a free lifetime membership in "The Loyal Order of the Woggle Bug", an imaginary fraternal order with the privilege of displaying this fine emblem upon your Fez."

Buchla 200e Sample by Ezra Buchla

Title link takes you to samples sent to the Buchla 200e group by Ezra Buchla, Don Buchla's son. I found it best to download everything to a folder and then play the samples as one entire, piece in order.

"there are all kinds of modules in there. i recorded a few seconds or minutes
of every system i checked out. it's pure 200e, pretty random patches, no
specific intentions...

one of the weirder sounds in there is a 227 mounted backwards and played
with fingers and a flashlight. try it if you dare but don't let the op-amps
get too hot...

yasi and i also recorded a couple of 'spine sessions' where we filled a
whole cabinet with one kind of module. we did one with 18 259's and one with
18 self-oscillating 291's. there's some of that in there, but sometime i'll
get around to editing a more focused thing i think.

both oscillators can produce lots of harsh staz without even using any
patchords; set the mod osc to modulate pitch in pitch tracking mode for
builtin fm feedback... cv feedback introduces some additional interesting
noise from the cv sampling rate interactions; use 2 coupled oscs in low
frequency mode and a 291 to make weird stumbling chaos glitch beats.

the phasor can do some pretty intense self-modulating stuff as well. use the
210+281+292+297 to make no-input tabla freakout."

Octavarium - JR Continuum Solo

YouTube via weirdjade27. Sent my way via frederic. More on the Haken Continuum.

Moog Sonic 6

Title link takes you to shots pulled from this auction.

via Loscha.

Soviet Analog Synth Altair 231

images via this auction.

Details:
"ALTAIR-231 is a monophonic 3'osc synth, it has 4-oct keyboard (F-C) with velocity sensitivity assign to vibrato effect. Sound control is performed with round knobs and switchers. For live performance there is a wheel which provides pitch shift (called glissando).

Synthesizer is based on 3 VCO (any can work as the modulator), 1 VCF (lowpass 24dB/oct) with ADSR, 1 VCA, 3 LFO, noise generator (white/pink), portamento. Consist of 5 main sections - MODULATION, OSC'S, MIXER, FILTER and AMP (called Contour).

MOD section:
- portamento on/off, rate;
- mod mixer knob: balance between modulated by OSC3 and noise, depth amount;
- vibrato on/off, octave shift to 1/2
- pitch wheel (glissando)

OSCILLATORS section:
- osc 1,2,3 registers - 2", 4", 8", 16", 32", LF
- osc 1,2,3 waveshape select - triangle, saw, square, pulse, sine
- osc frequency - freq 1..3, freq 2, freq 3 -linked to keyboard pitch on/off
- modulation on/off switch

MIXER:
- osc 1,2,3 on/off, level
- ext input level, on/off
- noise generator level, on/off
- noise mode switch: white/pink

FILTER:
- mod on/off
- cutoff, resonance, brightness
- attack, decay, sustain
- keytrack on/off

AMPLIFIER:

- attack, decay, sustain
- key hold memory on/off

Next - global section: main volume, phones volume, phones out (5din), A-440Hz tone on/off, power.

Connection 1/4 jacks: input, output, pedal input (5din), ground.
Power supply: 220V/50Hz, fuze 0,125A"

Serge Analog Modular Synth

Title link takes you to shots pulled from this auction.

Details:
"This panel was mainly designed as a control voltage generation /modification source and is the perfect companion to a TKB touch keyboard sequencer. It is a slightly modified version of the "Red CV 1" shop panel shown here: http://serge-fans.com/newpics/panel_red_cv1_150dpi.jpg I replaced the Random Source, CV Processor and SSG with modules that fit better in my system at the time, namely the Active Processor, Pulse Divider, CV Mixer and Dual Scaling Processor. I no longer have a TKB and am slimming back my system so I'm passing this on to a loving home."

Clef Analog Mono Synth

via this auction

Update via Georg in the comments: "This is the B30 Microsynth from a company called CLEF PRODUCTS LIMITED from Bramhall, UK. It was sold as a kit as well in 1982.
I first thought the design looks like an BME, but I was wrong...

Georg."

Update via Hodgheg in the comments: "I used to sell these! Clef Products was a seriously weird place to work, I was there in the early 80's & left before they went bust. The Microsynth was the only instrument not designed in house; the designer was Allan Bradford MSc, at the time a lecturer in electronics at B'ham Uni. Good synth for the money, (£129 in kit form, £199 built) amazing variety of sounds but 1/3rd volt per octave meant tuning problems so bad that we used to put silica gel in the demo model to keep the humidity stable! I sold 30 bare pcb's to GCHQ (the listening spies) who wanted them for 30 new apprentices, presumably to teach them about soldering and/or interaction of waveforms. So I imagine somewhere there are a few Microsynths that stay in tune due to using military grade components:-)

If anyone wants to sell me one, contact me at hodgheg hotmail.com"

Waldorf Micro Q Keyboard

Title link takes you to shots pulled via this auction. I always wanted one of these.

Vintage Rolf Harris Stylophone Synth

No title link. Just two shots from this auction.

Doesn't that mug shot make you want it? : )

Casio MT 400V with Analog Filters?

No title link, just a few shots and details pulled from this auction. I've never seen one of these before. Anyone know if it actually does have analog filters and how it sounds?

Gotta love the descriptions you find on the bay. : )

"What a freak machine! Casio sometimes pull gems out of the bag, and this is one of them (model MT 400V) - has all the usual suspects i.e. cheesy presets and bop-a-long drums - where it all goes "ping" is with the awsomely funky analogue filter section at the end - you can send either the drums or the key sounds through this thing which has a swept filter with cutoff e.t.c. plus a bunch of other cool spacewarp additions to texture and shape your sounds to taste (see pictures). Pretty Hot Damn Thrilling ! Adds the cool juice to any track - in excellent working order, missing the tops to 5 of the sliders - doesn`t impair its` workability at all."

CLICK FOR MORE »

Andromeda Goes Juno?

Another via Tuomas of Quandace:

"I just purchased a second hand Boss CE-300 chorus and tried it with my A6. So, I made a short demo. Earlier I played the Terminator Theme alot with my Juno-106 and I've been trying to imitate that sound with my andy. The CE-300 helps alot I think. Here's the link.

I turn the chorus on at 1:10. Before that I only tweak the A6's filter cutoff. All tweaks after 1:10 are from the CE-300 apart from the rising filter cutoff from Andy."

Also mirrored here for posterity.

Synthesizers Shop in Tokyo

Click here for a flickr set by mosram of 5G (FiveG) in Tokyo, titled "Synthesizers Shop in Tokyo."

via Francois P.