MATRIXSYNTH


Thursday, June 28, 2007

my sp is nice y'all - Beastie Boys Flickr Set

flikr by Oscilloscope Studios.

"this is one of my machines...it's a great machine...my sp1200 will take over the world one day...but for now it's out at jean's patio getting my computer a cherry coke.... "

This is actually from the Beastie Boys flickr set for their current tour.

A-114 Ring Modulator

flikcr by stretta.

Title link takes you to more module shots.

Update: the modules are up for auction here.

Connemara

flickr by doris.

"kylemore abbey chapel"

Guess the KORG.

Analogue Synth Jam


YouTube via analoguecrazy4.
"Here is my first track.

Gear used:
CS-40M - Lead
SH-09 - Bass
R8 - Drums"

Groovey.

Synton Fenix

via this Craigslist post, listed at $5500.

"This synthesizer is a rare collector's item, only *75* are known to exist.

You can learn more about the Fenix at the official Synton web site."

via brian comnes

Mess

flickr by E d e n.

Guess the synths. Title link takes you to some of the answers.

Happy Ghost

Title link takes you to a video sent my way via LDT.

"LDT: Korg Sigma, Korg EA-1, Korg MicroKorg, Boss Giga Delay, Electro-Harmonix LPB2ube, Zoom MRS8, assembled and rendered with Acid Pro and Sound Forge."

Effector 13 Improbability Drive Demo + Registry


YouTube via plexuss. via a post on Zerosum Inertia that was actually in response to the Poll on synth demos. The post had the following to say:
"I was happy to see that 57% of 577 votes wanted to hear what the gear sounds like as apposed to hearing music made with the synth. I like both, however What someone else does with gear isnt what Im going to do with it most of the time, so why should I care what kind of music they make?"

Details on the video via plexuss:
"http://www.musicofplexus.com The ID is processing a drum and bass line from an electribe SX. only a bit of reverb and echo are added towards the middle. There is a guitar demo later on. Apparently only 15 of these were made, according to E13 directly so if you have one post a comment!"

AnaMaria - DJ Series

flickr by lowfreq.

KORG Microcontrol

Serge Modular


Click here
for shots via this auction.

Details:
"SMOOTH FUNCTION GENERATOR, NOISE SOURCE, DUAL ANALOG SHIFT REGISTER, DUAL UNIVERSAL SLOPE GENERATOR, DUAL PHASER, UNIVERSAL EQUAL POWER AUDIO PROCESSOR, TIMBRAL OSCILLATOR, PRECISION VCO (TWO OF THESE), WAVE MULTIPLIER, VARIABLE Q VCF, DUAL TRANSIENT GENERATOR, DUAL AUDIO MIXER, TOUCH ACTIVATED KEYBOARD SEQUENCER.

Serge gets its name from Serge Tcherepnin (pronounced "Cher - epp - nin"), a multitalented composer and electronic designer born of Russian-Chinese parents and raised in France. Self-taught in electronic design and circuit building, Serge enjoyed doing 'junk electronic' projects early on, making tape compositions using various electronic noisemakers cobbled together out of transistor radios and the like.

After studying music and physics at Harvard and Princeton, he taught music composition at the California Institute of the Arts. This was the early 70's, the heyday of Moog, ARP, and Buchla synthesizers. Calarts had a few Buchla-equipped studios. These were expensive, highly sought-after instruments, kept under lock and key. Getting studio time on one at Calarts meant being either a recognized staff composer or someone who maneuvered themselves into favor. The Buchla, ARP, and Moog synthesizers were interesting in their way, but could be improved upon. They were both expensive and bulky, a system with a decent number of functions could take up a whole wall in a small room. Serge and students Rich Gold and Randy Cohen wondered what they could do about this. After kicking around some ideas, they decided they were going to do their own synthesizer.

The first modules were designed, soldered, and built at Serge's home in what was essentially a kitchen tabletop operation. Before long, the word got out to other professors, students, and musicians about this new synthesizer. They wanted a piece of the action. Serge set up a strange sort of guerrilla manufacturing operation at Calarts on a second-story courtyard balcony. People paid $700 upfront for parts, worked on the 'assembly line' soldering and building modules, and eventually got themselves a six-panel system. Somehow, the Calarts administration either didn't find out or wasn't too bothered by this.

Another interesting player in this drama was composer Morton Subotnik, a professor at Calarts. He had a long association with instrument designer Don Buchla in the early 60's, the two of them collaborating on fundamental aspects of synthesizer design. When Mort spoke, Don listened. Serge caught on to this, and sought to woo Morton away from the Buchlas, but that was difficult. Eventually, Serge did build Mort some custom equipment.

In the 70's Serge collaborated on the design and construction of TONTO, a large polyphonic modular system. TONTO had the ancestry of many early Serge designs, some packaged behind faux-Moog front panels, including the NTO.

Serge eventually quit teaching and began to build synthesizers more seriously, using the first designs as a springboard. The Serge company was started in 1975, in the West Hollywood area, then headed north to San Francisco's Haight Street a few years later. It was always a humble bohemian concern, running more on enthusiasm and the love of making music than money and hardheaded business sense. Business tapered to a trickle in the middle 80's, and Serge, to support his family, started doing various outside electronic consulting projects. In 1992 Serge decided to move back to France. It was at this point that he sold the closely-guarded circuit designs to longtime associate Rex Probe, who then founded Sound Transform Systems. Production record keeping was pretty informal; it's estimated that "hundreds" of Serge systems were produced in the early years.

Today, Serge is again doing musical composition and is involved in helping Russian Jews move to Israel.

As Moog was a powerful East Coast influence that inspired ARP and Polyfusion, Buchla was the West Coast influence on Serge. Several Buchla designs, including the use of touch sensitive nontraditional keyboards, sequencers, random voltage generators, function generators, and matrix mixers found their way into Serge's repertoire. But that's not to say that Serge is merely a Buchla clone. Serge made many unique contributions, including the wave multiplier module, and some ideas were taken to new heights. Serge's oscillator designs have extraordinary accuracy and stability, especially considering their discrete nature. His philosophy of allowing the easy interplay of audio, control, and trigger signals, combined with the use of banana plugs, makes these systems wonderfully flexible.

There's no denying the amazing staying power of the Serge designs. Largely because of the development of convenient microprocessor-based keyboard synths, the 80's were a nasty time for analog synthesizer makers, practically all of them throwing in the towel. Serge's business slowed way down but never completely went out of production. With the recent clamoring for analog gear fueling successful production, Rex Probe and Sound Transform Systems look poised to carry the cream of analog modular music synthesis over the threshold of the 21st century, into their fourth decade of realization.

Sound Transform Systems has done a great job of continuing the analog modular lineage. Most of the traditional Serge modules are there, a few old ones were dropped, a few new ones added. The details are constantly being improved in many visible and invisible ways. They are still laboriously handmade, though the entire build process has been improved. Turnaround time has been improved from several months to 'just a couple'. All the components are top notch. The panel graphics and layout of many of the modules have been redesigned to make them more compact while keeping or improving the functionality. The circuit designs on many modules have been updated."

Doepfer Modular

Title link takes you to shots via this auction.

Details:
"A-190 MIDI TO CV CONVERTER, MC01 MASTER CLOCK, BD88 BASS DRUM, A-112 SAMPLER, A110 VOLTAGE CONTROLLED OSCILLATOR (TWO OF THESE), A-118 NOICE SOURCE, A-117 DIG SOURCE/808 SOURCE, A-121 VCF2, A-123 VCF4, A-120 VCF1, A-180, A-181, A-138 MIXER, A-114, A-115, A-116 WAVEFORM PROCESSOR, A-140 ADSR, ENVELOPE GENERATOR (TWO OF THESE)."

Be careful with the rest of the description on this one. It's pulled from VSE and features more modules than what's actually up for auction.

Yamaha EX1 SN 5012

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.


via this auction

Anyone know more about these? Where they purely organs or did they have any synth capabilities? Do not confuse the EX1 with the mighty GX-1 analog monster or the FX1 FM monster. The auction details claims, "Successor to the famed, GX-1, this organ was very similar in many regards and originally cost $35,000 when new in 1977!" In look yes, in anything else? If you know feel free to comment.

100 Patches for the Casio CZ-101

via this auction.

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

MoogulatoR

MoogulatoR of sequencer.de just put up a ton of music on his MoogulatoR site. To keep this on topic and about a specific synth or synths, many of the tracks feature only one synth including the Waldorf XT and Roland SH-5.

Virus TI Polar Flickr Set


Click here for the full set sent my way via Jyoti Mishra.

Making the Andromeda A6

A great thread is up on the VSE Forums on the Alesis Andromeda. I know the threads expire there, so I'll grab some of the most interesting bits here. DB below is David Bryce who worked on the Andromeda. I remember when all of this was happening. Mike Peake was on sonic states the-gas-station and AH. The guys behind the Andromeda really loved synths and they respected the rest of us enough to frequently pulled us in for feedback on the design of the synth. It was as if they were one of us, and in reality they were and still are. Mike Peake stayed active in the synth community and as you can see from this thread, David Bryce is still very active. You have to love a company that does this. Great people make a great company. I personally think Alesis has been one of the better synth manufactures to date. The Andromeda, ION and Micron, and the Fusion have all been pretty amazing synths. The price points for what you get compared to what else is out there is astounding when you think about it. Do take the time to check them out. The Andromeda is a 16 voice analog with a huge modulation matrix, dual filters, built in step sequencer and much, much more. And it sounds pretty amazing imo. Whenever I think I've heard it all, someone makes a demo that showcases a completely new character of the synth. BTW, are there any other poly analogs with 16 or more voices other than of course the fully polyphonic boards using divide down technology?

Alesis A6 Andromeda, Now where did that come from? (title of VSE thread)
---------------
CTB wrote:
Our very own Dave Bryce, who sometimes posts here and works for DSI, was involved in the A6 project. Perhaps he would be the one to ask. Smile

DB:
Actually, we just got tired of people complaining that the QS synths had no resonant filters, so we decided to make something that did. Very Happy Cool

Making Andromeda was really the culmination of a dream for a bunch of us who had grown up with the older analog synths. We had spent years working on sample based stuff, and Erik and Rob Rampley got Alesis founder (and major engineer geek) Keith Barr drunk one night and talked him into letting us make an old school American power synth. Keith actually designed Andromeda's ASICs himself, if memory serves.

One of the back stories was that we were fought tooth and nail by Alesis' sales and marketing VP at the time, who thought we were out of our minds. He once told me we'd be lucky to sell 50 total units. Guess he may have been wrong. Shocked Idea

If anyone has any specific questions, I'll do my best to answer if I can remember. That was a while ago...

StepLogik wrote:
I'm shocked that the marketing group fought you

DB:
It wasn't the marketing group. I was the marketing manager of the synth division, and I was certainly behind it. It was the VP.

,
Quote:
seems like they would want to distinguish Alesis from the "workstation hell" of that era.

DB:
Not just workstations - it was VA synths, too. We figured making a Real Actual Analog synth would catch some people's attention (as Bitexion correctly surmised).

Plus, we were tired of hearing that we weren't a real synth company despite the fact that our ROMplers (especially the QS8) were outselling just about everything else at the time...but there were folks who kept telling us that ROMplers aren't real synths...so we made a real synth. Idea

That seemed to do the trick... Laughing

cbjlietuva wrote:
so maybe i can get my question amswered here:

does the Andromeda have Polyphonic Aftertouch?

DB:
The short answer would be no.

theglyph wrote:
Dave, the one major question I have had and the one thing which has kept me from pulling the trigger on an A6 purchase is what will the status of the A6's ASICs be in the future? CEMs and SSMs were used in several synths from many manufacturers so those chips were manufactured to some degree in surplus as we see today (although they ain't cheap Crying or Very sad). Did Alesis make sure that the IC manufacturer made enough chips to fulfill any future failures or is the well not so deep?

DB:
Alesis is the chip manufacturer...I mean, they don't own the foundry where the chips are physically made, but they do everything else. Consequently, there's no way we can know how many of them Alesis has made/wants to make...

...unless they want to tell us, of course... Wink

Soundwave wrote:
Few questions;

Is the A6 still in production and will it remain so for the foreseeable future?

Will the support continue for the machine i.e. OS updates/fixes?

Are the first, more expensive Alesis A6’s different in any way than the later Numark ones that are apparently now made in the far east as some claim the earlier Alesis ones sound better?

There are rumours that some of the people behind the A6 were also involved in the Xpander/Matrix12 is this true?

Will there ever be an analogue successor or derivative or the A6 as the VA market has kinda reached a standstill now?

DB:
I can only answer two of those questions becuase I haven't worked for Alesis for about seven years, so I have no idea what their current plans are.

Marcus Ryle, who founded Line 6, was one of the guys responsible for the XpanderMatrix 12. He and his team had a lot to do with a bunch of Alesis products including the ADAT and the QS synths...but they had nothing to do with Andromeda.

There are a few "rev 2" Andromedas that were only used during beta. They are slightly different from the production models, but the OS in them is different enough that you can't transfer programs between, them, so they can't really be directly compared....nor, if you could, is there actually any point in doing so. Howver, all the production models are (AFAIK) exactly the same...."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And that's it as of the time of this post. Check out the VSE thread for updates. I'll try to update this post with the historical bits so we don't lose them. Image via this post.

Cwejman Workshop + 3 New Modules

Title link takes you to the post in German or you can click here for an English translation via Google.

New Modules translated from the post:
1) Noise module (NS-4)
The module produces genuine similar noise in white, for pink and red. In addition offers it SAM-polarize + Hold and a lying processor, with which itself Coincidence tensions with Glide to adjust leave. That SAM-polarizes + Hold can also independently of the noise to be used and has even an input automatic controller for external signals. The S+H - Rate, as well as the lying processor leave themselves by button or CV steer, the S+H Triggger entrance serves for Synchronisation and processes signals of all kinds.

2) quadruple VCA (VCA-4MX)
This module contains 4 identical spanunngsgesteuerte amplifiers, for Audio, as well as for CV-signals are suitable. By altogether 8 out of courses one receives a very flexible module, because beside the four single exits there are 2 sum exits (4 in 1), one normally and one inverted, as well as 2 further sum exits (1+2 in 1 and 3+4 in 1). Thus that can Module either as Quad Attenuaror (weaken who), as 4in1-Mixer, or as two separate 2kanal-Mixer to be used. Like always with Cwejman are clay-technical components of higher To quality, rush is quasi not measurable.

3) INSERT module (INS-2MX)
This module serves for grinding in external effect signals similarly a Aux way in a mixer and all two times.

Sagittarius 1994 Lemaril video


YouTube via studio35d.
"In 1994 I created a track that I called 'Sagittarius'. As an experiment, I also created a video for the track. The video is a live performance with additional footage (for different cam-angles) and effects.

The main instrument you hear on the track is the Yamaha SY77. Other synths such as Pro-One and Mono/Poly were used for additional effects and sequences. Rhythm sounds are short samples of analog synth sounds on the DSS1.
Sequencing was done on Amiga500 with Music-X software.

I didn't have any editing facilities for video available at the time, except for this fantastic [Insert] button on my VCR. You could add footage over your main video track, without erasing the original sound, which was cool. Drawback: Once you messed up, you had to cover it up with something else that lasts a little longer.

The video contains some flaws, which I preferred not to edit, just to keep it as original as possible."

If you like this, also see these previous posts.

MOOG Taurus

Title link takes you to shots pulled via this auction.

Details:
"From a 1980 Moog Flyer
The Moog Taurus Pedal Synthesizer lets you make music with your feet while your hands are busy playing keyboard, guitar, or drums. The Taurus has three programmed voices and a voice that you can program completely In performance you can select a Moog voice or your voice instantly The Taurus is a variable synthesizer that features two audio oscillators to create phasing effects, parallel intervals, and rich percussion sounds. In addition, functions like glide, decay and pedalboard octave may be switched by foot during performance. And its five octave range makes Taurus more than a bass instrument. Add another dimension to your control over sound-add a Moog Taurus 1 pedal synthesizer.

TAURUS FEATURES
Three pre-programmed synthesizer voices: Bass, Tuba, and Taurus
· One fully programmable voice. You create the sound and pre-set it yourself.
· Five octave range-16' 8' 4' 2' and 1'
· Foot sliders for loudness and tone color variation.
· Ultra stable oscillator design: less than one cent (0.06%) short term drift, less than two cents (0.18%)
long term drift.
· Electronic preset selectors. Presets never have to be cancelled.

Introduction
THE MOOG TAURUS IS A FOOT-CONTROLLED PEDAL SYNTHESIZER COMBINING THE FEATURES OF A
SYNTHESIZER-GOOD SOUND AND VERSATILITY-WITH FOOT CONTROLLED SOUND MODIFIERS AND
PRESETS.

THIS VERSATILE MUSICAL INSTRUMENT OFFERS THE CAPABILITY OF PRODUCING TRADITIONAL OR
NEW SOUNDS, INSTANTLY SELECTABLE FROM THE FOOT-CONTROLLED PRESETS. ONE OF THESE
PRESETS IS FULLY PROGRAMMABLE SO THAT THE PLAYER MAY SET UP A "SOUND" AND GET TO IT
INSTANTLY.

TO PROVIDE MAXIMUM PROTECTION, THE UNIT IS ASSEMBLED IN A RUGGED WOOD AND METAL
HOUSING.

Description
The basic functions of the Taurus Synthesizer (see accompanying block diagram) are programmable. That is, values of the various parametersthat are used to control the details of a sound are determined either by the internally fixed values (for the three fixed presets) or set by the player accessible controls (for the VARI ABLE preset). In normal usage, the VARIABLE preset is set up prior to performance using the VARIABLES controls in the control box. During actual performance, the player selects one of the four presets instantly by depressing one of the four PRESETS foot-buttons. These four PRESETS are mutually exclusive, that is, only one preset may be ON at any one time.

The basic tone sources are two voltage controlled oscillators (A and B). Two basic pitch controls are used for fine tuning the instrument. First, the TUNE control is used to set the pitch of both oscillators to the desired reference, such as another instrument being used simul taneously. The BEAT control is used to make fine adjustments in the relative pitch of the two tone oscillators (by modifying the "B" tone source pitch). In addition to these basic tuning controls, the "B" tone osciliator pitch in the VARIABLE preset mode may be varied over a greater than one octave range by adjust ing the OSC B FREQ control. The relative pitches of the two tone sources are internally set for the three fixed presets.

The entire instrument may be shifted either up or down one octave by use of the OCTAVE foot-button. As the OCTAVE foot-button is successively depressed, the instrument tuning changes by one octave; an indicator light shows that the instrument tuning is in high range. For the three fixed presets, the OCTAVE button switches the instrument between the 16' and 8' ranges. When the instrument is in the VARIABLE mode, a manual OCTAVE slide switch in the VARIABLES control box may be used to select three pitch range positions (LO-MED-HI). These three positions correspond to a 16' or 8' range for the LO position, an 8' or 4' range for the MED position, and a 4' or 2' range for the Hl position. The "B" oscillator range extends to 1' with the OSC B FREQ control positioned all the way up.

The instantaneous pitch of the instrument is controlled not onty by the OCTAVE and fine tuning controls, but also by a GLIDE control and GLIDE foot-button. The glide effect is a smooth transition in pitch between successive notes. The GLIDE foot-button operates in a manner similar to the OCTAVE foot-button in that the glide effect can be alternately turned ON and OFF, the ON state indicated by the GLIDE light being ON. The amount of glide effect is determined by the GLIDE slider in the VARIABLES control box. The player may thus set up the amount of desired glide effect using the GLIDE slider and then use the GLIDE foot-button to switch the effect in or out.

The two tone sources are combined in different amounts in the mixer. In the three fixed presets the amounts are internally set, while in the VARIAB LE MODE the relative amounts of the "A" and "B" tone sources appearing in the final output are determined by the B-MIX-A control in the VARIABLES control box.

The output of the mixer is applied to the voltage controlled filter which may be used to provide either dynamic or fixed timbre modification. Whenever a note is depressed, a filter contour signal is generated, successively opening and closing the filter. The amount of opening and closing the filter is determined by the CONTOUR AMOUNT slider. The rate at which the filter is opened is determined by the CONTOUR ATTACK control slider while the rate at which the filter is closed is determined by the CONTOUR DECAY slider. These contour controls determine the characteristics of the dynamic aspect of the filter function. The effect of the filter is determined by the settings of the contour controls and by two other controls (CUT-OFF and EMPHASIS). The cutoff frequency is the filter characteristic which is "moved" by the contour signal. The initial cutoff frequency is determined by the FILTER foot-slider and by internally preset values for the three fixed presets. For the VARIABLE preset, this initial filter cutoff frequency is determined by the FILTER foot-slider and by the CUT-OFF control in the VARIABLES control box. For example, using the VARIABLE preset with the CONTOUR AMOUNT control set all the way down, the tone color may be changed but not dynamically, by either the FILTER foot-slider or the CUT-OFF slider.

The EMPHASIS control varies the amount of peaking of the filter. That is, the intensity of the frequency components of the tone generators which lay near the filter cutoff frequency is emphasized to a degree determined by the EMPHASIS control.

The output signal from the voltage controlled filter is applied to the voltage controlled amplifier (VCA). The VCA serves the function of "turning on and turning off" the sound. This articulation of the signal is caused by the VCA contour generator. The rate at which the sound is "turned on" is called the attack time. This attack time is internally set for the three fixed presets and is set by the ATTACK control in the VARIABLES control box for the VARIABLE preset. The sustained loudness of a preset is called the SUSTAIN LEVEL. The SUSTAIN LEVEL is determined by an internally preset value for the three fixed presets, and by the SUSTAIN LEVEL control for the VARIABLE preset. In addition, the overall loudness is determined by the LOUDNESS foot-slider. The manner in which the sound dies out or decays is determined by two functions. If the DECAY light is ON, the sound dies out at a rate determined by the DECAY control in the VARIABLES control box for the VARIABLE preset. If the DECAY light is OFF, the sound dies out immediately when the note is released (no decay).

The output of the VCA is applied to the OUTPUT LEVEL rotary control on the inset rear panel. The OUTPUT LEVEL control is used to match the signal level of the Taurus to the amplifier. GeneralIy, the OUTPUT LEVEL control will be set so that the maximum desired loudness for any preset is achieved when both the LOUDNESS and the FILTER foot-sliders are in their uppermost positions. When using the TAURUS with a bass amplifier or similar musical instrument amplifier, plug the TAURUS into a high level amplifier input, and set the amplifier volume control one-third to one-half of the way up. Then set the OUTPUT LEVEL control on the Taurus rear panel for the desired volume range.

The Taurus may be operated using either a 115 or 230 volt line voltage.

(From 1978 Norlin Music Taurus Pedal Synthesizer Owners and Service Manual)

Check out these sites!!!
http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Keyboard+And+MIDI/product/Moog/Taurus/25/1
http://web.archive.org/web/19991002101508/http://umbc7.umbc.edu/~rous/taurus.html
http://www.oldtech.com/synth/MoogTarus12.html
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/1995_articles/jun95/moogtaurus.html"

Chroma Polaris

Title link takes you to shots via this auction.

Another in the funky keys category. Suddenly the Polysix with reverse keys is actually looking good to me. What's odd is the auction doesn't mention the keys. Anyone know anything about them?

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Pearl Syncussion SY-1

flickr by gargar1974.

"The Pearl Syncussion SY-1. One of the coolest drum synthesizers ever. Two independent channels with capable of making weird noises, eighties toms and the baddest kick drum you've heard."

Click here for a larger shot.

AH Bay Area 2007

"Thanks to Gino Robair, we've once again set a location and date for the AH Bay Area gathering in California. September 9th at the 21 Grand in Oakland, more info forthcoming as we get closer, so save the date if you think you want to attend.

http://www.fdiskc.com/ahcali/

You've probably seen the pictures from our previous installments, so you know it's always a good time.

-Brandon"

Steiner Parker Synthacon Demo via REwire


mp3 here


via REwire.

"I made a demo of my Synthacon, which I won after you posted the auction a few weeks ago (Thanks!).

This is a 2:57 song/demo using just the Synthacon for all sounds including drums which I sampled and sequenced. I knew this was the choice for Industrial style sounds and it does not disappoint. In the picture, the little Doepfer mixer module perched on top I use to scale the CV to play it at 1v/Oct. The Synthacon has multiple inputs on the back allowing me to modulate many of the functions with modular envelopes and synced LFO's to expand on it's own two envelopes and allow the third oscillator to be used for pitch rather than as an LFO. The Multi Filter, one of the most popular cloned ones, is what makes this rip but the stable edgy oscs are half the equation."

Oberheim OB-X Filter Modification

via Magic Smoke Electronics, here.

MOOG Ladder Filter in HP Mode

via Fernando on electro-music.com. BTW, does anyone know if threads on electro-music.com expire like VSE? I'm always worried stuff like this will disappear over time. That's one of the reasons why I chose to host this site on Blogger vs. my ISP. This blog should remain long after I'm gone.

"Hi all,

Reviewing Moog ladder schematics in my archive I found this variation:

moritaVCF76.gif

it includes a switch to HP mode by just injecting the input signal to the output buffer (through a trimmer and a resistor)

I like this version:
rjb_diy_synthe_202a_vcf_moog_schem_revB.pdf
pcb_202a_vcf_revA.pdf
diy_synthe9.htm

and wonder if it would be possible to implement the Morita trick to get HP response..."

Be sure to check out the follow up replies on electro-music.com.

Sur-Audio Lab VOID and COS

"Sur-Audio lab is a new 3rd party developer for the SoniCore Scope system located in Athens, Greece. We are concentrated in synthesizer designs that take advantage of the unique architecture and the pristine sound quality of the Scope platform.

To begin we proudly presents you 2 synthesizers: VOID and COS.
We think that both extends the sound programming capabilities and functions of the Scope system.

VOID combines a classic analog shell with some extensive shaping plus onboard effects. It includes Flexor® technology so the creation of new age timbres is really one step away.

Be sure to check the 11x35 matrix which allows total control of every aspect of sound properties. There is also an advanced clock sync modulation mode for sample accurate modulations from your sequencer."

"COS
Do you know "morph" technology? Do you want to control every pot of the front panel with 4 parallel modulators? (velocity, aftertouch, modulation, key note)
Well that's COS !

An advanced analog hybrid (sync, FM, Phase Mod, Ring Mod, 12 filters to choose from) with polyphonic morph function. Just assign your desired morphs and the creation of rythmic controllable sounds is a matter of seconds!"

Samples:
http://www.soniccore.com/audio/cos_plus_void_preview_theme.mp3
http://www.soniccore.com/audio/cos_seq_collect_1.mp3
http://www.soniccore.com/audio/void_collect_1.mp3

They should both look pretty familiar. : ) There is no mention to their counterparts so I wonder what the connection is if any. Spec via their press release via HC (Note the Waldorf OSC):

VOID features:
* Voices: 16 max (depends on the DSP's and patch complexity)
* Sound generators: 2 main oscillator featuring 6 wave types and 2 modes each to choose from: Pulse Sync - Pulse width, Saw sync - saw, Waldorf oscillator, sine sync – sine shaped, noise filtered - noise comb filtered, 2 sines added, 2 sines fm 'ed.
* Oscillator modulation section: Filter FM, Warp shaping, a distorted Ring modulation type, Frequency modulation, Phase Modulation, Ring Modulation. Envelope generators: 2 ADSR envelopes
* LFO's|: 3 multi-wave lfo's with rate, delay, amount, fade-in, fade-out, 6 waves to choose (sin-square-saw up-saw down-triangle-random), key-retrigger, offset, phase, plus special clock sync modulation
* Filters: LP 12-24db/octave, HP 12-24db/octave, BP 12-24db/octave, Band Regect, Juno filter (12db LP followed by 12db HP), LP Vintage 24db, Lowpass/bandpass parallel config, Lowpass/highpass parallel config, Highpass/Lowpass in series config, 2 bandpass in series, a Comb filter followed by a Flip n' Clip shaper, a Comb filter
* Filter saturation: Soft Sat, Bit reduction, Sample rate decimator, 6db lowpass, 6db highpass, Warp shaper, Squish shaper
* Effects: Delay, Reverb, Flanger, Chorus
* Distortion: Fat Sat, Distortion, S/r reduction, 6db Lowpass, 6db Highpass, Warp shaper, Squish shaper
* Others: Audio input for Lfo sync purposes with pre-recorded Ramps for sample
* accurate Lfo synced modulations,Envelope follower input Modulation: an 11x35 matrix with 18 parralel modulations plus a 5x7 modulation era.
* Programs: 194 presets in different categories
* Requirements: SonicCore (Creamware) Scope platform hardware and software. *
* Pentium 3-4 for optimal use. Creamware Modular 2 software

COS features:
* Voices: 16 max (depends on the DSP's)
* Sound generators: 2 main oscillator featuring 6 wave types and 2 modes each to choose from: Triangle sync- Tri shaped, Pulse Sync - Pulse width, Saw sync - saw, sine, sync - sine shaped, noise filtered - noise comb filtered, 2sines added, 2sines fm 'ed.
* Morph function: Every pot (totally 50 pots) of the front panel can be modulated in a polyphonic manner and different amounts with four controllers. Available controllers are Velocity (with curve modifier), Keyboard note (with key modifier), Aftertouch, Modulation wheel.
* Oscillator modulation section: Modulation modes include: Filter FM, Osc distortion, a distorted ring modulation type, Frequency modulation, Phase Modulation, Ring Modulation.
* Envelope generators: 2 ADSR and an AD envelope
* LFO's: 2 multi-wave Lfo's with rate, 6 waves to choose (sin-square-saw up-saw down-triangle-random), key-retrigger, offset
* Filters: LP 12-24db/octave, HP 12-24db/octave, BP 12-24db/octave, a 12db filter followed by 12 highpass filter,a Comb filter, an experimental config with a Bandpass filter followed by a shaper, a Lowpass filter followed by a tube simulation, an LP filter followed by a sample rate decimator, an experimental config with a Lowpass filter followed by a shaper, an LP and a BP filter in parallel, 2 bandpass filter in parallel, a lowpass filter and a highpass filter added together
* Part specific options: Key range assignment, Velocity modifier, Keyboard modifier, Aftertouch modifier
* Programs: 1 bank *250 presets

More pics at the bottom of this page.

Oxygene 13 Jean Michel Jarre Cover


YouTube via fischek.

Korg Oasys Karma Demo


YouTube via gori914. via Looneytunes. BTW, Looneytunes has a new home, so if you are subbed via Bloglines or the like, be sure to update your subscription.
"Korg Oasys Karma Demo, perfermed by stephen kay" Also see this post.

Bristol Synthesiser Emulations on Linux

You might recognize Bristol from this previous post. That post took you to what looked like a Soureforge sub page. The title link to this post will take you directly to the Bristol page.

via DaleG

BTW, if anyone knows what these sound like, please comment.

Guess the Synths

via Magnus via synthfourm.nl.

"As far as i can tell that setup belongs to an Italian gentleman called Ricardo Grotto. He's the guy who bought one of Kieth Emersons Yamaha GX 1s.

I believe at least one of the PS 3300s is for sale. From what i could make of it the price was 4000 euros which is a remarkable price for a PS 3300 in that condition."

As always, click the image for a bigger shot.

What Interests You Most about Demos?

Update: Post added to the Sticky Posts section above the Synth Books section on the right. For the archives this had an original time stamp of 6/23/07 12:06 AM.

Ok, the first poll on Matrixsynth. I thought it would be interesting to see how many of you are interested in the demos posted for the musical content vs. showcasing the synth vs. other. In short...

Think about this one before you vote. It's 100% anonymous and a vote for one, even "both" precludes the other. My vote? I usually listen to demos to hear what a particular synth sounds like, usually outside of the musical context, hence, why I appreciate and post demos that may not be considered "musically interesting." Quotes, because we all know that is highly subjective. Please vote and feel free to comment.

Update: The following is the list of what came in for Other:
* what the synth is capeable, osc's , wave , filter reaction and modulations
* check the quality of audio output, ie: no distorsion, low noise
* they provide more pleasure than those 10 second p*rn clips..&use less bandwidth!
* I think the demos are useless
* Never listen to the demos
* drgarbage
* i'm a bit of a nerd
* I want to see the synth in action
* F*ck Off
* I like them becauuse it gives me a cvhance to critisize them publically for it
* synth porn makes me randy!
* i listen to a whole lot of demos over and over again as i circuit bend something
* And i would like to know how all the unknown machines are sounding
* what it sounds like and everything it can do, its all about function and sound.
* sonic range
* I want to see how the synth is programmed and how it sounds.
* I like to hear about the synth, as well as hear what it sounds like.

Monday, June 25, 2007

ALPHA SYNTAURI

Listed in this Craigslist post for $400.

Details
"Multi-timbral synthesiser, with wave-shaping capabilities and harmonic synthesis.
Original Alpha Syntauri system, with Mountain computer cards, keyboard and software. Apple IIe, double disc drive and monitor included. Lots of original Apple software.
Synthétiseur numérique multi-timbrale,manipulation de forme d'onde plus de la synthèse harmonique. Système original d’ALPHA SYNTAURI, avec deux cartes de synthèse, clavier 5 octaves et plusieurs logiciels. Inclus:Ordinateur Apple IIe, lecteur disquette 5" double et moniteur.

Informations:
http://www.synthony.com/vintage/alphasyntauri.html
http://www.purplenote.com/syntauri/documents.html "

via JB

MOOG Voyager RME "Mini Modular"


Title link takes you to shots via this auction

MOOG Voyager RME
VX-351
VX-352

KORG Polysix With Reverse Keys

via this auction. Note the battery has not been replaced on this one. KORG Polysix's are notorious for leaky batteries that fry the traces on their circuit boards. It's usually not a matter of if it will happen, but when. I'd be surprised if this one did not already have a leaky battery. You can read more about the promlem and the fix on Old Crow's Synth Shop. Note if the board is fried you will need to swap it out and symptoms vary.

Devi Ever USA : Dream Mangler : VF DF : synth


YouTube via wwwEFFECTOR13com.
"post production delay added http://www.deviever.com/"

Evening delight.

flickr by zonkout.

"KR-55B creating the bassline on the SH-2 via the MS-03. Added DOD flanger, wah filter, and distortion to taste."

Studio Electronics SE-1X Red Eye


via this auction.

Another Novamusik custom job. Note the Livewire style knobs on this one (click the image for a larger shot).

Details
# Studio Electronics RED EYE SE-1X NE
# NEW Amp Overdrive for Saturated "Fuzz"
# Ultra fast ADSR for ultimate SNAP
# NEW added SINE WAVE GENERATOR for more BOOM
# Expanded Wide Range Filters
# 7 Banks...for a total of 693 patches

Electrocomp EML 101


Click here for shots via this auction

Note the ribbon controller.

Freeman String Symphonizer - Cordovox CSS


Click here for shots via this auction.

Anyone know more about these?

Ludwig Phase II Synthesizer

Title link takes you to shots via this auction. Note the shots are the same from this previous auction with the addition of four new shots.
Details:
"What could possibly be weirder than a guitar synthesizer pedal made in the early seventies by a drum company? Like many so-called guitar synthesizers from this era,

The Ludwig Phase II is not a synth but actually several effects, including fuzz, voltage-controlled filters and gating, combined in a box that unfolds to reveal a rocker pedal, several oversized mushroom-shaped footswitches and a control panel placed at a height only Verne Troyer would fine comfortable. With a little patient tweaking, the Phase II can produce, the sound of anything from alien conversations to spaceship landings-the kind of weirdness that’s made it a favorite of Sonic Youth (Washing Machine), Primus’ Larry Lalonde (Pork Soda) and Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready (Binaural).

From my own experience, if you’re looking for a tone or an effect of originality or one that can’t be easily copied, than this is it! The Fuzz on it (although not the greatest fuzz sound out there) has its own distinctive sound to it. The Animation (which is the reason why you want this) there’s nothing out there even in today’s market that duplicates this effect. With 3 different settings (Parallel, Counter, Vowel) on the Format Trajectories which cohorts with the animation, leads to all kinds of crazy unheard sounds. With the foot pedal you can control the rate or speed depending on which setting you have it on and the design on this is real secure.

Listen to Sonic Youth’s “The Diamond Sea” beginning part or Beck’s “Cold Brains” intro to hear some of the sounds you can make with it.

This is truly an awesome pedal!

Specs:
-Fuzz Mix - including voice fuzz
-Animation - choose between FFM, Fuzz RPT or both. Fast or slow start, even change intesity and rate.
-Parallel, counter and vovel formant trajectories.
-Foot Pedal with primary bypass, and stereo outputs.
LO Z, LO Zbalance , and HI Z inputs
stereo, animation, bypass, and fuzz foot switches

Product Info:
Ludwig Phase II Synthesizer
Model# 9000
Serial # 1516(looks like)
Supply voltage 120/240 V
50/60 Cycles
15 Watts"

KORG MS-20

via this auction.

This one went up for the box. I don't think I've seen it before.

Details:
Overview of Specifications ^
2 VCO monophonic patchable (semi-modular) synthesizer;
37 note keyboard, C-C
Voltage Controlled Oscillator (VCO) 1:
- Scale: 32', 16', 8', 4'
- Waveforms: triangle, saw, pulse (variable width), noise
VCO 2:
- Scale: 16', 8', 4', 2'
- Waveforms: saw, square, narrow (25%) pulse, ring modulator
- Variable pitch control of VCO 2
VCO mixer: independent level controls for VCO 1 & 2
FM controls: level controls to MG and EG1
Voltage-controlled high-pass filter -
- Fc & peak (resonance) controls
Voltage-controlled low-pass filter -
- Fc & peak (resonance) controls
Frequency modulation of VCO's & VCF's Fc by MG or external cv
Modulation Generator (LFO)-
- Triangle/variable pulse waveform & frequency controls
Envelope Generator 1: delay, attack, release
Envelope Generator 2: hold, attack, decay, sustain, release
External Signal Processor; amp, filter, cv, env & trig outputs
Master tune, control wheel; momentary switch; portamento; headphone output
External Signal Processor: *
Signal level; low cut level; high cut level; cv adjust; threshold level
jacks - input; preamp out; BPF out; F>V out; env out, trig out
Patch panel, with independent white & pink noise sources, an additional VCA, sample & hold,
VCO's & VCF's cv/fm inputs, EG & MG cv outputs, EG trigger inputs, keyboard cv & trigger out,
keyboard trigger in, pre-VCF's external signal input etc.

RITM-2 / RYTM-2 Soviet Analog Synth


via this auction. Details:
# Monophonic analog synthesizer with 32 keys (F-C),
# 2 VCOs (1-st VCO: triangle/saw, 2-nd VCO: square with PWM, 32'-4' switch for both VCO),
# 1 Noise generator,
# 1 VCF (LPF) with screaming resonance (Polyvox/Moog type),
# 1 VCA,
# 2 ADSR envelope generators, one for VCF with keyboard tracking, one for VCA with autotrigger and last key memo,
# 1 modulator (triangle, S/H) for VCOs, VCF and PWM,
# Glissando,
# Pitch bender, Modulation level slider,
# Audio output, Phone output,
# All audio connectors are DIN-5 (MIDI type),
# 220 Volt/10 Watt power consumption, original power cord included, 110V/220V transformer (optional, 20$).
# Dimensions: 60/40/20 sm, weight: about 21 lbs.

KORG MS10 with MOOG Case

via this auction.

This one is actually going up because of the MOOG case. Anyone know what it was originally meant for?

Elka Synthex

via this auction. Warning: there is one of the most annoying buy it now pop-up ads I have ever seen after the hop. I've never seen anything like that on Ebay before. The seller prefers local pick-up so I'm guessing this one is legit.

Details:
"The Synthex is a very lush sounding classic analog 8 voice synthesizer. Later versions implemented basic MIDI functions. It has 30 knobs, 6 sliders, 80 switches and a joystick. Powerful sounds with 2 oscillators per note, separate envelope generators, chorus and even a sequencer! The use of stable DCO's (digitally controlled analog oscillators) and oscillator cross modulation of Pulse Width and a multimode filter made it unique in its time.

There is a cool joystick that replaces traditional pitch/mod wheels and allows for greater variable real-time control over the two LFOs, oscillator and filter modulation. The 6 sliders beside the joystick assign what (LFO, osc and filter) goes to the joystick. Voices can also be layered or split across the keyboard. Other great features include the onboard digital Ring-Modulator, Chorus effect and Dual or Layer modes available. And also a four-track sequencer rounds out this synths host of features. Two of it's tracks can output MIDI data.

This is just an extremely good analog and unique synth excellent for pads, drones and glistening lead sounds. They're a bit of a pain to service and find parts for. However many famous artists such as Tangerine Dream"

Maplin ETI International 4600

Title link takes you to shots via this auction via the Matrixsynth Forum.

Details:
Some references including links to ETI, specifications, schematics and manuals in PDF form:
trevormarshall.com
futuresoftware.com.au
matrixsynth.blogspot.com
synrise.de"

Update
: Added two more shots of the inside to the set.

LONG ISLAND'S OWN PRESENTS HERB DEUTSCH

CELEBRATING THE MUSIC OF THE MOOG SYNTHESIZER
Friday, June 29th, 2007 at 8PM
"This concert, with participation by the Long Island Composers Alliance, will offer some of Herb's early and most recent pieces. Featured on - and contributing to the program- will be Neil Alexander and NAIL, Jack Hotop, Paul Hefner, Nancy Deutsch, John Marshall, Glenn Drewes and thereminist Darryl Kubian."

Title link takes you there.
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