flickr by Emit Idy.click here for the full size shot.
click here for more.
Friday, September 07, 2007
D & C
flickr by sushiluv.KORG Delta
click here for the full size shot.
click here for more (warning: cats on synths).
Analogue Heaven Bay Area 2004
YouTube via deastman2.
"Video from the 2004 gathering of San Francisco Bay Area local members of the Analogue Heaven mailing list." Note the 2007 event is this coming weekend.
Maestro Sound System
Click here for shots via this auction. Sample link below.
"Try routing a drum track through it! Weird! Used by folks like Tomita - (The Planets), and other progressive musicians. It is used on the sax on Traffic's 1971 Low Spark for High Heeled boys as well. LISTEN to this awesome excerpt! Classic!. Also appears on the Melvin Jackson LP Funky Skull. Melvin is pictured on the cover with the Maestro sitting on his amp."
J.U.M.S. RMI Harmonic Synthesizer
"The RMI Harmonic Synthesizer is really rare on this planet. There are only 4 known RMI's in Europe!So I decided build one myself, both IRL and digitally. One would excpect that, since the RMI has digital oscillators, it would be easy to create one digitally... WRONG! The real RMI oscillators can go beyond our audible range. Just because we can't hear such high frequencies doesn't mean we don't need it. Instead a really high sample rate is needed to get near. And all that because the unaudible sounds interfere with the audible sound :) Also the dynamic filter on the real RMI is really special. Unfortunately that is not easily emulated..."
Title link takes you there. via Hugo.
Rob Hubbard - Golden Days of Computer Game Music
YouTube via stormblast0891.
"Rob Hubbard, who composed a lot of classic game tunes, especially on the C64 (e.g. Monty on the Run, Commando, Delta, Skate or Die, Crazy Comets and many more), talks about the good old times."
Styx - Too Much Time On My Hands
YouTube via timkellyonair. via Greg.
Guess the Oberheim. I bet he wished he had a sequencer right about now...
My high school garage band rehearsals
YouTube via Jexus aka polaranta.
From the same person that brought these gems.
"Before I started doing funky things with synthesizers, I used to sing and play guitar and knock things over in a funky way. Marilyn Manson and Nine Inch Nails in background."
OK, I think we officially found something worse than cats and babies. Funny stuff. Spot the keys.
DSI Prophet '08
The first Prophet '08 listed on the bay. Unfortunately just a stock shot.BTW, word is that there is one at the LA Guitar Center. If you get a chance to try it out, post back with your impressions.
Details from the auction (why 3 adapter?):
"I purchased this DSI Prophet 08 directly from Dave. I ordered it 4 weeks ago and forgot about it and it showed up yesterday on my doorstep(09/05/2007.) Things have changed in the last four weeks and I need to sell it for lack of space and want of money. I paid $1999 plus tax here in CA and shipping. Since I played it for 10 minutes and I letting it go for $1975 with free shipping in the USA(lower 48.) My gear lust is your gain.
Auction Includes: The new Prophet 08, the universal power supply(100V to 240V) with three(3) adapters, the manual and box and packaging."
Thursday, September 06, 2007
x0xb0x Overlays
x0xb0x overlays are now available at CustomSynth.co.uk.
Looks like it's up for auction. as well.
x0xb0x Wasp
Genoqs Octopus Basic Demoinstration 3
YouTube via DayflightTrok. Click here for all demonstrations.
"A short demonstration of the EFFEKTOR, a function to manipulate/modulate tracks."
Click here for all three demonstrations by DayflightTrok.
Mia and The Bird - EML Track
"is about 8 minutes of a noise coming from an EML 101 and 200 combination. It's sort of a noisy drone."
Fairlight's New Xynergi Controller
"Originating from the Greek word sunergia, meaning "cooperation," and also sunergos, meaning "working together") It is the combined working together of two or more parts of a system so that the combined effect is greater than the sum of the efforts of the parts.We are introducing the Xynergi Controller, the first truly ‘application aware’ controller. In essence, Xynergi harnesses the power of the CC-1 card to deliver one of the world’s most powerful desktop media production centre.
The Xynergi controller features a unique implementation of self-labelling key switches which are able to display full colour images, animated icons or text to provide intelligent control over the entire recording, editing and mixing process. In addition, the controller can support any type of language or icon driven menu structure with an ‘on-demand’ QWERTY keyboard for routine naming tasks and immediate access to Windows applications.The controller also features eight touch sensitive rotary controllers and multiple soft keys arranged around a high–res color control zone known as the 'pad'."
Click here for the product page with video. via gearslutz, via Robert.
Bob Moog
Title link takes you to some shots of Bob Moog sent in via an anonymous reader. The shots were from a channel called ARTE broadcast in Belgium, The Netherlands and possibly France. I thought these were from the MOOG Movie, but the anonymous source says it's not. The images are a bit fuzzy, but there you have it.
Jean Michel Jarre and his DigiSequencer
Another shot of JMJ and his DigiSequencer sent my way via an anonymous reader. Note this is is from the same documentary these shots of Bob Moog where taken from. "the docu. features all know moog users,tangerine,keith,etc..and interviews with them"
Innovative Synthesis
Title link takes you to Innovative Synthesis a blog on synthesis techniques and more. Currently posts include Basic Sound Synthesis: Part 7 – Miscellaneous Stuff, and Basic Sound Synthesis: Part 6 - Arpeggiators and Sequencers. Be sure to check out the previous posts when you get there.
"I have recently started a new website with articles on sound synthesis, and could do with more exposure to readers for ideas for future articles. I have just finished a guide of basic subtractive synthesis, and have more advanced & historical articles lined-up for the future."
Feel free to send your suggestions there.
"I have recently started a new website with articles on sound synthesis, and could do with more exposure to readers for ideas for future articles. I have just finished a guide of basic subtractive synthesis, and have more advanced & historical articles lined-up for the future."
Feel free to send your suggestions there.
Armitage Shanks Military Grade Modular Synth
"mostly made up of old industrial & military generators, etc. many of which are labeled “Property of NASA” or 'Dept. of the Navy'" Click here for one more shot on Deviant Synth.
The shot below? Oscilloscopes at the The Black Hole / Los Alamos Sales Company (click for more images). Now that would be worth a visit... Additional links and info here.
MOTM with Marimba Lumina
flickr by Max Lord.Title link takes you to more info including more shots. Be sure to click on the "All Sizes" link for the full size when you get there.
Salamander Music Systems
via Wavedeform in the comments of this post. I actually posted about the SMS website back on 7/12/2006. You can find all SMS posts I've put up here. Note there are three SMSes: Synthetic Music Systems, makers of the SMS MARS analog synth, Salamander Music Systems, and of course the fake SMS 2000. That said, here is the following via Wavedeform. Be sure to check out the site."My rather sparse Salamander site can be found here.
Salamander Music Systems (SMS) was started by Dennis Saputelli, an amazing designer. For its entire history SMS also manufactured lighting consoles, which was a much more lucrative business. Pretty much everyone involved with SMS was into it for synth-geek reasons, though, and saw the lighting stuff as the necessary evil that needed to be done to finance the synth stuff.
I worked at Salamander from roughly 1977-1985. The goal was to build the no-compromise synthesizer we all wanted. This meant that we were somewhat more expensive than a lot of systems of that era. At one point we had some pens made up that read: "SMS - When you don't care _how_ much it costs." There were a handful of (mostly large) modular systems shipped, and somewhere between 30-50 Voice 400s. Quite a lot of custom work was done also. For example, Mike Cotten of "The Tubes" had a bunch of SMS stuff, including a cool custom sequencer.
The modular was really amazing for its time. It used high quality sub-modules for all of its core functions. We started out using EMu sub-modules for the 97 Dual Oscillator, 147 UAF, and maybe one other module (I seem to remember a four pole LPF, too). The EMu modules were really expensive, and hard to get, so early on we designed our own sub-modules, some discrete, some based on SSM and Curtis chips.
The power distribution was perhaps overkill, but it also had significant advantages. Basically, there is a system wide, loosely regulated, +/- 18 VDC, and +9 VDC power supply. Each module has it's own local regulators to bring that down to +/- 15 VDC and +5 VDC. Because a module has its own power supply, it can be swapped around from system to system without the need for re-calibration. It also spread the heat around more evenly. The 1" modules didn't really have room for regulators, so they had their own regulated distribution scheme.
The Voice 400 was also really nice, but came out a little after the Prophet V, and a little before the DX-7; polyphony was the order of the day. A great sounding programmable monosynth, even with a programmable analog delay, was not what people wanted. I had one music store salesman tell me, flat out, that effects in a synthesizer were a bad idea, and that no one would want them. It turns out that they may, in reality, be a bad idea, but everyone wants them, anyway :-).After SMS had been selling systems for a few years, Serge Systems relocated from Hollywood to San Francisco, just across town. There was a good natured rivalry between Darrell Johansen, Paul Young and the crew from Serge, and the SMS crew. If the respective companies were bigger, and we weren't all pasty-skinned synth-geeks, we would have had rival baseball teams or something. I had been a Serge user, as had Salamander user Naut Humon, currently of Asphodel/Recombinant Media Lab, and his bandmate at that time in "Rhythm & Noise", Rex Probe. Rex was also affiliated with SMS, doing assembly mostly, but a little design, too. Somehow illustrating the cycles of life is the fact that Rex is currently running Serge Modular.
Dennis Saputelli is still doing some lighting stuff, but mostly he does custom design and assembly, on an OEM basis. His company is called Integrated Controls http://integratedcontrolsinc.com/ , and is still in the same warehouse as the Salamander of old. Since I worked there, he has expanded into all the available space on the first floor of the building, and seems to be doing well."
Top 5 Greatest Samplers
Looks like Sonic State has a new Top X coming. This time samplers. BTW, what happened to the Top 20 Weirdest Instruments? Hmm... Maybe they're saving that one for Halloween.
Click here for the trailer for the Top 5 Samplers. Feel free to share your top 5 in the comments. It'll be interesting to see how this one turns out.
via HarriL
A little poll for fun, and no I don't know the answer for this one.
More info on the Amen Break
TRY - experimental mailing list
"there is a new mailing list called TRY for experimental electronics / art. its intended to be sort of an all encompassing mesh of new audio device announcements, idea exchange, bender Q and A, pedal / synth builder announcements, live show announcements, parts trading post...… you get the idea."Title link takes you to more info and the sign up on Synthwire.
Seiko DS-250
via this auction
"Very rare synthesizer made by Seiko in 1985. This is a very, very rare synthesizer and don't let the Casio like toy exterior fool you it is capable of making both digital and additive sounds not to mention it was used by famous French synth musician Jean-Michel Jarre on the album Rendez-vous.
This synthesizer is early digital and additive together. It can make PPG like clear sounds with a bit of grit as well as Juno like pads. Yes you read it, its capable of making some nice analog style pads. It has basic editing features on the front panel of the synth.Now heres what makes this already synth even rarer. It has a SRC-10 voice expander cartridge installed for additional patches. I cannot find anything on the net pertaining to this upgrade. It is a Seiko upgrade as you can see in the picture but nothing is available about it. I can say it is does add additional patches.
The DS-250 has stereo outputs, midi in,out and thru, RCA outputs(stereo), phones and level controls for both channels, You can split the synthesizer for two tones at once making it bi-timbral. Quite alot for a rare synthesizer from 1985."If you know more about this one, feel free to comment.
Update via Dave in the comments: "I had one of these for a few months... it was suprisingly not 100% horrible. Even came with an external sequencer. Here's my little page on it, with a sound sample."
Update via the comments: "I see a lot of scammers on Ebay trying to sell Seiko 250's, claiming that the power cord has been "lost" like it isn't a big deal.
1-First of all, this keyboard needs a power supply, not just a "power cord".
2-Without the power supply, the keyboard is useless. Why? because the power supply is impossible to find. The power supply has a dual voltage design and the connector is non-standard, which means if you buy a unit without a power supply, you are going to have to pay someone to design and make one from scratch. This is not hard if you know what you are doing, but if you were to pay someone to do it, expect to pay at least a couple of hundred bucks or more.. which is more money than what the keyboard is worth."
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Wavemakers Site Updated
via John Loffink on AH:
"Some more Wavemakers Modular Systems photos, and photo of a Table Top 658 Digital Sequencer after clean up and repairs.
Start here
And here
John Loffink
The Microtonal Synthesis Web Site
The Wavemakers Synthesizer Web Site"
Tenori-On Video Overview PT1
Title link takes you to the overview on Sonic State. This is a good one, so don't miss it. via Sonic State in the comments of this post. I captured this shot to show how the surface actually consists of physical "buttons." Part of the appeal (or not) is that it does have this tactile interface rather than a flat screen with leds.
Eminent 310 Unique in Jean Michel Jarre songs
YouTube via RadekTymecki. If you know more about this synth organ, please comment.
Update via hugo in the comments:
"Here there are some resources:
http://www.perkristian.net/Eminent_310_Unique.htm
http://www.xs4all.nl/~jschurer/eminent/index.html
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/may07/articles/eminent310.htm
http://www.jarrography.free.fr/details_equipement_audio.php?id_equip=9
As a teaser:) I'm working (it's been 4 months now!) on an Eminent 310 emulation in NI Reaktor 5 with the help of Radek himself. No samples yet because I don't have a website (what a shame!)
But be sure to check NI Reaktor user's library for it. I did a ARP Solina emulation and this is sort the same league. I hope to finish it by the end of the year :-)"
Jean Michel Jarre - AKS demonstration
YouTube via Kekerz. Note this would be the Synthi A minus the KS (keyboard sequencer) that would be in the other half of the case of the Synthi AKS. skkatter caught this in the comments.
jean michel jarre digisequencer
YouTube via sergecoda.
via Patrick in the comments of this post.
Update: there's a funny moment at about 3 minute left in the video where JMJ realizes he needs to turn the keyboard on. He plays with the EMS Synthi and Putney towards the end of the video as well as with the Rolan dDJ70 which actually featured a scratch wheel.
Navs Vintage Classifieds Take 2
In case you missed it, title link takes you to the original post. I just updated it with the correct link. These vintage ads are an amazing look back at what vintage analog was being dumped for when digital was all the craze.
TENORI-ON Launch Shots and Vids
Title link takes you to the set. Tenori-On solo performance by its inventor Toshio Iwai
YouTube via garykibler
Also check out CDM and Music Thing for more.
Update via the comments:
"We have some more footage from an interview we shot with Yu Nishibori (producer for the project) Here." Don't miss this on. I also put up a new post so you don't miss this here.
More Bluesynths 2007 Shots on Sequencer.de
Title link takes you there. Be sure to track back to the root of sequencer.de for more.Yamaha DX-1
DigiSequencer designed by Michel Geiss
"Michel Geiss worked with Jarre for two decades as a musician, producer, and allround technician and engineer, sometimes building custom boxes for Jarre to play with.
In 1992 a team of 4 engineers led by Michel Geiss spent 6 months to develop the Digisequencer"
Title link takes you to more info on nusonica.
Jarre Concert Pour La Tolerance - Digi Sequencer
video upload by crees22
"Jean Michel Jarre peformed a concert to parisian fans at the Eiffel Tower in 1995, it was named 'Concert Pour La Tolerance'. The under rated song 'Digi Sequencer' never appeared on any of his studio albums, although it did crop up on the live Hong Kong album back in 1994." Update: also see this video.
Electronic Music 101
via daddio:
"Your old classified post reminded me of a 'document' I saved from my college days. Circa 1972, this was handed out in my Electronic Music 101 class at U.M.B.C. (University of Maryland Baltimore County) taught by Felix Powell. Textbook for the class was Allen Strange's Electronic Music (which I still have), the one with the purple graphic on the cover. Our studio consisted of a Moog series III with the sequencer complement, a pair of suitcase Synthi's, a Teac four track w/SOS and a pair of Revox half track A77's (yes, we did 'fripper' them ;-).
Thought you and your readers might get a kick out of it.
pg1.jpg
pg2.jpg
btw,
These tunes were made in that studio:
01_Alma.mp3 (my first ever piece - no pun intended - lol)
02_DOM.mp3 ('vocals' added in '99) [not safe for work]
peace bro,
gm
www.tapewarm.com"
Sequentix P3
Click here for shots via this auction. These shots are about as good as it gets. Be sure to see them full size. There is also a nice shot of the x0xb0x in the set.
"Here's another one of those items where if you have come across the auction, you probably know what it is. Well, just in case you don't, this is one of the exceedingly rare Sequentix P3 hardware MIDI sequencers. According to Colin Fraser, the amazing man behind the Sequentix P3, there are only, at most, 247 of these sequencers in the world, with that number assuming that every single one sold as a kit was actually assembled. The real number of completed, functional P3 sequencers is probably far lower than this. It's very, very rare that one shows up on eBay, especially one as well-cared for and unused as this. This may be one of the nicest P3s left.To quote from Sequentix's About P3 page:
The P3 Sequencer is an 8 track, hardware MIDI sequencer, with a user interface comprised of knobs, keys and LEDs. A sixteen character by two line PLED display provides confirmation of pattern data and access to advanced features and configuration options.
P3 allows real-time control of track mutes and simple pattern or pattern chain selection across multiple tracks, plus analogue-style editing of patterns. Each of its 384 patterns has independent values for note, velocity, tie, gate, length, gate delay, and a combination of up to four MIDI controllers, extra notes, or 'auxiliary events', per step.
P3's unique auxiliary events allow the creation of dynamically self-modifying patterns. They can grab values from other tracks, randomise steps, alter track and global settings, and much more. There are three modulation 'accumulators' per track, that can be used as LFOs, perform arpeggiation effects or enable complex pattern progressions.
Furthermore, you can assign front panel knobs to modify or mask these events in real-time, allowing you to create interactive patterns that change predictably as you adjust the knobs - varying in complexity, controlling levels of randomness, even 'morphing' from one pattern to another.
A Force-to-scale option provides preset and user-defined scales to keep everything in key (but defeat-able per pattern step if required), and a configurable 'change mode' allows patterns with different lengths and/or time-bases to free-run, or be synced to a global bar.
What's even better about this P3 is that it comes fitted with Sequentix's just-released (and essentially sold out) add-on for the P3, the P3 MemX Memory Expansion Board. Normally under the v4 firmware there are 24 bars of pattern storage for each of the 16 banks (384 bars total). With the MemX board installed there are 224 bars for each bank, bringing the total to 3584 bars! This is more than nine times the storage of most other Sequentix P3s. The P3 MemX was only available directly from Colin, but because because this P3 comes with the MemX installed, you don't have to worry about finding one, opening up the P3, and installing it yourself. It's already done! I will also include the memory chip which was removed in order to install the MemX, for... well... just in case you can find a use for it."
via Steve.
Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence
YouTube via gattobus.
"A Sakamoto's classic played with my synths: Access Virus TI (pad), Moog Little Phatty (lead) and a Piano Plug-in."
And the original, "Forbidden Colours" by David Sylvian of Japan with Ryuichi Sakamoto. The song is featured on Sylvian's Secrets of the Beehive released in 1987. Sakamoto was of course credited for his arrangements. I was fortunate enough to see David Sylvian live with Michael Brook in Los Angeles. I believe it was the 1993 show mentioned on Wikipedia, but as you can see date was not on the ticket. If anyone went to the show and/or knows, please comment. I remember Michael Brook playing solo before Sylvian.
Sylvian & Sakamoto - Forbidden Colours
video upload by moodyb
YouTube via moodyb.
Ryuichi Sakamoto - Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence (Live)
video upload by HotAssMusicDotCom
syntezatory.prv.pl - ARP Odyssey
YouTube via Jexus aka polaranta.
"1972 ARP Odyssey. Brought to you by WC Olo Garb. The sounds have been programmed by WC Olo Garb./// Syntezatory.prv.pl Videos: showing you not what a synthesizer can do, but what a man can do with a synthesizer."
Museum Technicians - The Underground Series 14/14
YouTube via museumoftechno.
"Evidently, we came to party. In this, the final episode of the legendary Underground TV Tutorial Series, we rock the club with our completed techno track.
Watch your bass bins."
1979 Korg Guitar Synthesizer X-911 JAPAN Promo Ad
via this auction."This item: Original vintage advert page carefully removed from a Japanese publication. Ad promotes the Korg Guitar Synthesizer X-911. Unique design w/ Japanese text! (archive item no. m531).
Page size: 17.5 x 25.5 cm (7 x 10 inches). Glossy."
Keytar , air synthesizer
You know you want it.via this auction.
" This is a unique keyboard. With a keyboard like this- traditional synthesizer concepts are meaningless. Oscillators, envelopes, and filters are as relevant as sample rates and memory capacity which is now a term used by family members accessing your mental state. The 3 1/2 octave keyboard starts on a B note which in itself makes this a collectors item. Inflate with air and amaze your friends! They won't believe you actually bought this. Great for gigs, gags, or games. Theater, visual aids, education, wall art. Anything except actually making music. Forget that phat heavy Moog sound. This keyboard is so light it floats on water. Seriously, you can place it in water and it will float. Try doing that with a modular system. No adaptor, no case, no MIDI, no velocity. no after touch, no software, no sound. Made of cheap thin glossy flammable black & white plastic.
# 6 Slider controllers
# 20 buttons
# 3 rocker switches
# Almost Oberheim type logo
# Two dimensional keyboard
# Light weight 1/4 lb.
# 24" x 8" x 1"
# Waterproof
# Recyclable"
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MATRIXSYNTH - EVERYTHING SYNTH
© Matrixsynth - All posts are presented here for informative, historical and educative purposes as applicable within fair use.
MATRIXSYNTH is supported by affiliate links that use cookies to track clickthroughs and sales. See the privacy policy for details.
MATRIXSYNTH - EVERYTHING SYNTH
