Ryuichi Sakamoto & his Fairlight 1984

Ryuichi Sakamoto of YMO. Be sure to check out the YMO videos in these posts as well. Via DVDBORN, where you will also find this interesting Japanese clip featuring the Fairlight CMI Series 2..

360 Systems SEMs?

Title link takes you to a post on sequencer.de which alludes to this 360 Systems Spectre module as being an Oberheim SEM in disguise. If you know anything about this unit, feel free to comment.

BTW, check out sequencer.de for a few other tasty synth posts including the Akai AX60 and Roland S330 editing interface.

Update via retrosynth in the comments:
"It's an SEM along with some really poor pitch to CV tracking and an envelope follower thrown in. There's normally a cable for a hex pickup on the far left but on this unit the cable had been cut. This unit had the CV/gate output jacks switched to CV/gate inputs. Unfortunately the amplitude envelope is modified for input from the envelope follower so it only has an attack control, no decay or sustain. It could easily be fixed though. Pictures of the internals here.

Update via Sequenberheim in the comments:
"I worked there.
It tracked even worse than you say.
It was the SEM module. They had a deal with Oberheim to buy and use them.

They didn't have much for gear archives but they did have the very rare 6 SEM guitar synth there too. It was 6 separate SEM modules with 6 of the pitch glitchers as I called them.

They also made a programable parametric EQ that is very rare. The 360 frequency shifter is a rare one too."

Phelios / Stephen Parsick @ Wuppertal 24.11.2006

flickr via Moogulator.

This was previously posted on Moogulator's sequencer.de, but I skipped it at the time. It just keeps coming back so I think it's some sign that I must post it. I just love the color in the shot and the Technics WSA1 always intrigued me. The Prophet VS isn't too shabby either.

Mammal - These are the Salad Days of the Future

YouTube via channelbenjie. Sent my way via frederic.

Original Synth Docs, Books and Mags

Looks like minime123 is auctioning off a motherload of synthesizer docs, books and magazines. Title link takes you to the shots pulled via the auctions for future reference.

Update: minime informed me that these are all originals and not just scans. I updated the title to reflect this as well.

Casio CZ-2000S

I knew about the CZ-1000, CZ-3000, and CZ-5000 Phase Distortion synths from Casio, but not the CZ-2000S. Check out the built in speakers. It looks like the home keyboard version of the CZ series. Title link takes you to some more shots pulled from this Chinese auction sent my way via Sonicbrat. Sonicbrat was on the hunt for Chinese synths and found a few including this one. The majority of what he did find on Chinese auctions were home keyboards and arranger style workstations. If he puts a post up I'll be sure to link to it. BTW, if you know of any Chinese synths please feel free to comment.

The Ultimate Filter List

Title link takes you to the largest list of filters I've seen to date on one site. There's info and images on each. via sequencer.de.

Akai MFC42

Circuit Bent Sega

Title link takes you there. This one sent in via Gijs who brought us this Casio SK-1.

MIDI Resources

No title link. Just the following three links sent into AH by Chris Strellis. If you know of more, feel free to comment. Bookmarking these for a rainy day.

http://253.ccarh.org/handout/controllers/
http://www.tweakheadz.com/midi_controllers.htm
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/1995_articles/oct95/midibasics3.html

One Hell of a Knob

flickr by heckadecimal.

Roland TR-707

Title link takes you to more gear shots.

Free Roland TR-808!

Via this auction. Yeah....

Roland SH-7

Title link takes you to shots pulled via this auction.

Sequential Circuits Prophet 5

Title link takes you to shots pulled via this auction.

Yamaha TG33

Title link takes you to a couple of shots pulled via this auction. The auction states it's an FM synth, but my understanding is it is a Wavetable, vector synth like the Sequential Circuits Prophet VS and Korg Wavestation line of synths. I believe the people that worked on the Prophet VS spent a short time at Yamaha after SCI went under, followed by Korg. If you know more, feel free to comment. It's been a while since I read the full story. The Yamaha TG33 is fully digital.

Update via the world of next tuesday in the comments:
"It's a vector synth but the twist is two of the four waves are ROM and the other two are 2 Operator FM, so while it's arguably one of Yamaha's most minimal FM implementations, it does contain FM sounds. It has preset envelopes going on the FM if I recall. There isn't even a digital filter (like the Wavestation), so the FM capability helps fill the void a bit in terms of controlling brightness in timbre. Anyway, as with most Yamaha gear you can download a PDF manual to see what it has in terms of features."

ARP Quartet

Title link takes you to shots pulled via this auction.

Details:
"The Quartet is a 49 note polyphony keyboard with 4 main oscillators (Brass, Strings, Organ, Piano). Each sound can be played individually or grouped in pairs for different sounds. The String sounds are similar to the other ARP models, with this model being more affordable then the rest. One LFO is included, a low pass filter and attack / sustain control. All sounds are controlled by color coded switches (all present and accounted for)."

Crumar Symphonizer

Title link takes you to more shots, also mirrored here.

Tara Busch - 'Over The Radio' home rehearsal

"On Rhodes piano with Moogerfooger 12 stage phaser"

YouTube via tarabusch. Sent my way via frederic.

The Kawai XC1 and Other Odd Modules

Title link takes you to a post on Shipitology where Grondo lists a number of the lesser known synth modules. More car stereos...

New MPC3000 OS by Rohan Mansell

Includes the following plus bug fixes:
"ADDED FEATURES:

1: MIDI CLOCK can be sent to ALL 4 MIDI output ports simultaneously. ( See photo above )
2: MIDI TIME CODE can be sent to ALL 4 MIDI output ports simultaneously. ( See photo above )
3: SAMPLE EDIT screen now features a TRUNC SFT ST+END function. ( See photo above )
4: Samples can now be real-time edited and/or processed while the sequencer is Playing or Recording.
5: New "Timing Correct / Step Size" options.
6: New BOOT SCREEN shows Software Version and License status then after approximately five seconds; SEQUENCE MEMORY, SAMPLE MEMORY and SMPTE I0055 option IC status.
7: Disk menu now features a robust sector at a time disk copier. "

Title link takes you there. via DVDBorn.

The Rise of the Machines

Title link takes you to a Real Audio video of RTE Publishing's "This Note's For You" episode six, "The Rise of the Machines." It's a great video with tons of synths. The synths come in around 3:39 and are throughout the video from that point on. I checked YouTube and Google Video to see if I could find it to embed in the post, but no such luck, so the title link it is. Enjoy.

Virtual Ensoniq SQ-80

Just saw this on Synthwire. Wow. This would cover the Ensoniq ESQ-1 as well. The 80 included more waveforms and polyphonic aftertouch. Title link takes you to the post with links to the software and audio comparisons with the original. Nice catch Carbon111!

Update: This one appears to be free folks. I just listened to the comparisons. They are spot on. Pretty amazing.

JoMoX in Black

XBASE999

More black after the hop.

god forgive me

flickr by polaranta.

I was trying to figure out why this shot was titled "god forgive me," then I realized why. I think it actually looks pretty cool.

Custom Korg Polysix

Tektron Logic Lab

Unfortunately this is not an actual synth, but we can pretend. : ) Title link takes you to the post on Space Time Modulator.

Western Brass - Rhodes Chroma Sample by N_PHAY

Title link takes you to N_PHAY's MySpace page. The track Western Brass features the Rhodes Chroma.

Burlap Synth

Yep, burlap. Title link takes you to the post on GetLoFi. Hmm... Kind of like cross-stitching synths.

Update via nsputnik in the comments:
"I saw this in person too. It would just kind of sit there and squeak. I have some more photos of it at [link]"

Yamaha CS70M

Title link takes you to shots pulled via this auction.

Update: you can find an audio demo of the CS70M here.

Synare Sensor

No title link. Just this shot and details pulled via this auction.

Details:
"Superb old analogue drum synth, fully working, the knobs are: Tune, Mod, Sweep, Freq, Decay & volume. Needs a 9 volt battery, bolts to the edge of your drum - makes funky psychedelic space-age bleeps & bloops!"

25 Years of SCD

I previously put up a post on Boele Gerkes SCD (Something Completely Different). Boele let me know he is considering something very, very cool for his 25 year anniversary of SCD - a double DVD with every recording he ever did along with notes for each track. The notes will include the gear used, the story behind the song and Boele's thoughts on the track. Boele is thinking about creating a pressed version with printed label, booklet, inlay, etc. However, to do that he would need at least 30-40 people willing to pay 20-25 Euro's for the DVD. If you are interested, let him know. Title link takes you to his site with more info - click on the image pictured here when you get there. Boele can sign me up.

Realistic Moog MG-1

Title link takes you to shots pulled via this auction. Check out current bid. $910 and under 45 minutes to go as of this post. Crazy. You'll be able to get a brand new Little Phatty for about that soon.

AvrX Goes Open Source

Remember the AvrX? Mikael wrote in to let me know that sadly the kit will not be produced, however it will go open source.

"Nov 25, 2006
AvrX goes open source!
Over a year has passed since we published the first version of this site, and the kit is still not available. We have realized that we don't have the time to manage a kit. Instead we decided to release all sourcecode and information about AvrX as open source.

For some of you this is good news, but others waiting for the kit will be dissappointed. We are sorry if we have given you false hope of a kit, but at least this way anyone determined to build an AvrX can do so.

We will however sell the bare PCB. The wooden parts for the case can be manufactured by your local carpenter (or yourself), and the aluminum panels can be ordered from Schaeffer AG in europe or Front Panel Express in North America. All the other parts are available from companies like Elfa, Farnell and Mouser

As soon as we have cleaned up the sourcecode a little, we are going to put all the information on this website."

Custum White Face Roland MC-202

This one in via d of glitched.org. Title link takes you to more shots.
"My MC-202 has the following modifications:
audio
+PWM osc out
+Sub osc mix out
+Audio in to VCF
+"Hidden" triangle osc out to VCF (with volume control via pot)
cv
+VCF in
+"Proper" CV/Gate in (bypasses the CPU)

modulation
+LFO "retrigger" CV in (I'm actually not sure what I did with this one, but when an audio signal is introduced and passes a certain threshold, the LFO seems to retrigger. It also makes the modulation range much wider [ex. pitch mod goes higher and lower]).
+"Hyperspeed" LFO: LFO frequency is in the audio domain (>300hz)

Here are some sound files:
- Pulse wave audio out to VCF CV in. Moderate-to-high resonance. Pitch mod.
- Pulse audio out to VCF CV in. Envelope triggered with high decay. High resonance, pitch is in 2' range, mod amount is raised.
- LFO is in "hyperspeed mode," modulating the VCF. Percussive pattern; demonstrates "hidden" triangle osc.
- Monomachine drum pattern through the 202's audio in (to VCF). Dry, then full-on.

These files were recorded by piping the 202 through the Monomachine, then to the Onyx 1220 firewire mixer @32bit/88.2khz. The small amount of reverb and delay is from the Monomachine."

Japanese Synth Gathering

Title link takes you to a couple more shots on sequencer.de.

Update via not even in the comments:
link1
link2

Faceplate cloning: link

Push them thru babelfish for gems like this: "Progress of production of moduration just a little is introduced the way of Hisashi before the that. Finally also panel production has begun trial manufacture in earnest. Below is VCO unit. Of course also that panel is in the midst of producing. The fact that these modules are settled in the enormous wooden framework has been produced in the pleasure."

Synclav.com on Fairlightcmi.com

Thought this was odd. Title link takes you to Synclav.com, but the domain is fairlightcmi.com.

Via Failed Muso.

MuseWave VSR (prototype)

flickr by ALH84001

Title link takes you to an image where you can mouse over each part for more info.

ARP Manuals

No title link, just three shots via this auction.

"3 ORIGINAL ARP SYNTHESIZER MANUALS - MANUALS FOR THE ARP QUARTET, ARP MINUS NOISE MIXER, ARP PIANO."

via brian comnes



There is also a decal here.

PAiA Modular

Remember this giant PAiA modular? Here's another shot of it via plexus. Title link takes you to an even larger shot.

Update via plexus in the comments:i like to push the limits. and i cant justify nor afford aquiring a moog modular. so i thought "what about that paia modular stuff from the 70's?" i went shoping on ebay years ago and foung a farily large system. when i arrived, i tested it out. it sounded ok. there were some problems but with my intermediate knowledge of electronics i set out to turn this into a musical instrument. it was just a matter of repairing dead modules and replacing some parts that were essential to the quality of the audio they generate. indeed i turned it into a viable musical instrument.

you can hear it, being used live, at www.musicofsoftware.com in the sounds and the video section. all of the sequences are the paia modular through an eq and delay, that is in the video clips that have the modular being used.

so after i was able to make this into a musical instrument, and indeed people in the know were amazed at how good it sounded because they, like you, heard that paia stuff didnt sound very good. well in fact, thats not true.

in terms of circuit design they are not too bad. i wouldnt say as cheap as possible. certainly cost effective. my paia is as stable as my minimoog.

so check out the video clips and hear it for yourself.

after that i decided i wanted to collect these and restore them. so i began doing that. but now its time to liquidate part of the collection to help pay for a dsi polyevolver. i will keep a few paia 4700 cabinets and continue to use them in the studio and live."

Update: More shots on Music of Plexus

Mike's Synths

Nice shot sent in by Mike Walters of Mystery Circuits. Also check out these previous posts featuring Mike and Mystery Circuits.

Update: The knob box on the top left is Mike's custom cased version of Ray Wilson's Sound Lab Mini-Synth

Stylinghead

flickr by stylinghead.

"setup with some elektron gear, emx-1 and an mab-303 and the lovely new kp3"

Title link takes you to more.

Roland Paraphonic 505

Title link takes you to shots pulled via Roland Paraphonic 505.

Details:
"The 505 is a string machine with built-in synthesizer and bass section, with very rich ensemble chorus which gives it a very unique sound."

Zebranalogic on SoNiCbRaT

Title link takes you to the post on SoNiCbRat including more shots, info and a demo track.

Nord Electro on Synthwire

Title link takes you to the post by Carbon111.

Turnkey Vintage Synthesizer Sale

Moog System 1 custom 55/35 modular 3C - £25,000

The ultimate modular synthesizer. Originally conceived by Dr Robert A. Moog in the mid sixties as a less bulky, more affordable alternative to the famous experimental RCA Mark 2 (which filled several rooms), it became the instrument that made synthesized music popular, especially thanks to Walter Carlos' album "Switched On Bach", a massive hit in 1968. Other artists, like Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze and Emerson, Lake & Palmer also explored the possibilities of the Moog in mainstream music and even used it for live performances. But the modular systems were generally too complex and expensive for most musicians, designed as they were for studio composition of electronic music, and Moog went on to produce more performance oriented instruments such as the brilliant Minimoog.


System 1 consists of 2 cabinets.

Cabinet 1
# 2 x 921A Oscillator Driver
# 4 x 921B Oscillator
# 923 Filter/Noise Module - Low Pass, High Pass and White/Pink Noise Source
# 2 x CP3A Mixer Module - 4 inputs with volume pots, 2 Multiples, 2 outputs with master gain pot, 2 Trunks and 2 Multiples, 992 Controls to Oscillators
# 907A Fixed Filter Bank
# 904B Voltage Controlled High Pass Filter
# 904A Voltage Controlled Low Pass Filter
# 3 x 902 Voltage Controlled Amplifier
# 3 x 911 Envelope Generator

Cabinet 2
# 914 Fixed Filter Bank
# 904B Voltage Controlled High Pass Filter
# 904A Voltage Controlled Low Pass Filter
# 992 Control Voltages Module
# 5 x 902 Voltage Controlled Amplifier
# 5 x 911 Envelope Generator
# 911A Dual Trigger Delay
# 993 Trigger and Envelope Voltages Module
# Measurements: 1230 (L) x 240 (D) x 250 (H) mm

CLICK FOR MORE »

Synthesized Heart [Draft]

"This is part of an artwork made for a poster of a party that will take place in Sofia on December 16th. That synthesizer really made me sweat."

flickr by NeverB4Breakfast

Update: here's the flyer: link

Admiring Morpheus

flickr by pozdno

Title link takes you to a few more shots featuring:
Korg Microkorg
E-MU Morpheus
Korg N5ex

Oberheim Matrix-6R

Title link takes you to shots pulled via this auction. Click the image to see the full set of paramaters. Seriously underated synth.

A little Matrixsynth trivia: the Matrix-6 was my first synth, hence the alias matrix and the name of the site, Matrixsynth. It has nothing to do with The Matrix line of films and I actually had the green on black going before the first movie, back in Oct, 97: old Matrixsynth site.

Korg MS-50

Title link takes you to shots pulled via this auction.

Details:
"The Korg MS-50 is modular in design and completely at the top end of the MS range of synthesizers. This keyboard-less expander type module is completely patchable and uses Korg's Hz/V type of CV and Gate for control with other synths like the MS-20. There are lots of knobs and patch points to play with on this one... The MS-50 is still a single VCO monophonic analog beast but offered more patchability and power than any other MS synth. Other features include a ring modulator, voltmeter and sample & hold. It was also designed to complement the SQ-10 sequencer. It has been used by countless artists including recently The Chemical Brothers."

Korg MS-20

Title link takes you to shots pulled via this auction.

Some details:
"In addition to two analog oscillators, the MS-20 featured two resonant VCF filters, two VCAs, sample and hold, a noise generator, an assignable mod-wheel and lots of knobs! The VCF filter section is capable of high-pass, low-pass, notch and band-reject which is unique and different than your basic lowpass style filter. External sound sources can be routed through the filter section as well. In fact William Ørbit uses the filter in his MS-20 relentlessly to filter and tweak his samples, beats, delay returns, vocals, etc.

There's also a Pitch-CV converter for triggering sounds from external sources. Aphex Twin makes quite a bit of use of this, feeding the input stage of his MS-20s with drum sounds and other untrackable audio to get the synth to make a wide variety of crunch/squawp/screech noises by mistracking the filters, etc."

Matrix_Mixer.JPG

"passive 3x3 matrix mixer in vhs tape box."

flickr by Inglizian. Title link takes you to a few more. via .alex in the comments of this post.

ms20wired

flickr by reiven.