Friday, October 26, 2007
How a NeKo is Born (a youtube exclusive)
YouTube via OpenLabsInc.
"We were up at work late the other night and decided to tape some of our silly antics. Happy Halloween folks!"
Novation BassStation Demos
Novation Bass Station (TB-303 emulation) Techno Bassline
"me playing a simple bassline on my novation bass-station which is a real analog synth. the knobs i'm turning: filter section: frequency and resonance, i'm using first 12db then 24db filter"
Novation Bass Station - Trans Europe Express
"me playing parts of kraftwerk's trans-europe-express on my novation bass-station. i'm using both oszillators and the triangle LFO"
YouTube via kiezi.
"me playing a simple bassline on my novation bass-station which is a real analog synth. the knobs i'm turning: filter section: frequency and resonance, i'm using first 12db then 24db filter"
Novation Bass Station - Trans Europe Express
"me playing parts of kraftwerk's trans-europe-express on my novation bass-station. i'm using both oszillators and the triangle LFO"
YouTube via kiezi.
Home Studio Tour
YouTube via practicalsampling.
"A brief look at the tools sitting in my basement studio. Several pieces of the gear belong to Gregory Walker and Pete Coggan. On loan for specific sampling projects."
Oberheim Xpander with analog sequencer
YouTube via 123synthland.
"We are pro vintage synth dealers, but you all know that by now. :) Here's the Oberheim Xpander we just put up for sale being controlled by the ARP Sequencer we also just put on the market. Playing the Xpander from an analog sequencer's a lot of fun and makes me wonder why I control mine via MIDI. Hmmm. Email us anytime at minime123@onebox.com"
Emu Drumulator with MIDI
YouTube via rolandsh1000.
"This is a demo of some of the sounds of the Emu Drumulator and how it can be controlled via MIDI."
Wurlitzer Orbit Synthesizer
via this auction
See this previous post for more info in the comments and what looks to be a three manual version.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Tristram Cary - UK Electronic Composer "Dr. Who"
YouTube via molotov324. via rustyanalog. What the Future Sounded Like. I haven't watched this through yet but a clip in episode three was not work safe - not sure of there are more.
"Tristram Cary - Pioneering UK Electronic Composer Electronic Music Studios avant-garde Peter Zinovieff Dr Who VCS3 Brian Eno Hawkwind Pink Floyd Dark Side Of The Moon Emperor Machine Roxy Music BBC Radiophonic Workshop Tangerine Dream Hawkwind Tim Blake Jean Michel Jarre Kraftwerk David Cockerell"
Felix Visser with Synton Syrinx 0001
via this auction
Here's a bit of synth history. If you aren't interested in the auction, do note that is the first Synton Syrinx ever and that is Felix Visser, the creator of the Syrinx.
"This [picture] is number 02/10 of a strictly limited edition, and will be signed and numbered by Felix Visser, former boss of the famous synth and vocoder company, Synton. The synth itself, serial number 0001, Felix Visser's personal machine, will be sold at VEMIA in the next few weeks, and number 01/10 will be given to the winning bidder."
Blue Q
Blue Waldorf Q modded with a full tilted front panel. It kind of reminds me of the Alesis Aurora. The Blue Q website is here. Hopefully more images and details on the mod will come in. This was sent to the Waldorf list via roel.
Update: click here for bigger images.
Thor's Hammer - Modular Analog Drum Synthesizer
Remember the Homebrew Analog Synthesizer I posted yesterday? Turns out it is an analog modular drum synth based on designed from Thomas Henry and possibly Craig Anderton. Possibly? You can find more info on the entire system here.Pictured:
"Clangora Hi-Hat Simulator
Thomas Henry's Clangora hi-hat synth project, which was published in the November 2003 issue of Nuts & Volts. The Clangora is practically a complete analog synthesizer, sans voltage control or temperature compensation of the VCOs; features include dual envelope generators, dual VCOs with FM mixer, frequency sweep and filtered pseudorandom digital noise source. The noise source and other sections are specifically engineered to evoke the character of brass percussion, but while the Clangora can certainly provide a convincing hi-hat impersonation it's also capable of a wide range of unique sounds and timbres. The circuit board was made using Mr. Henry's original artwork, and the chassis and faceplace are my own design. I also added front-panel pushbutton triggers for tuning without an external trigger source."
White Sequential Circuits Pro-One
Remember this white Pro-One via synthwood and customsynth.uk? Looks like it or another is up for auction.
via Jeff
Vince Clarke Studio For Sale
LINK via Alex."Due to Relocation... Vince Clarke from Erasure is Auctioning over 160 items of Audio Equipment from his UK Studio. All have been regularily serviced. Most have documentation. Five items a day will be Auctioned starting from Wednesday 24th October.
Items that will be sold:
Gentle Electric Model 101 ---------Ear 822Q --------Drawmer DS201 Gate -------Drawmer DS201 Gate-------- DBX 166A Comp------- DBX 166A Comp----- Yamaha SPX90-------- Roland SDE3000A --------Eventide H3000-D/SE------ Bel Electronics BD-80-------- Lexicon PCM70-------- Bel Electronics BA40-------- Korg Stage Echo----- DeltaLab Effectron ADM1024------ Orban/Parasound 106CX------ Korg Signal Delay----- Roland Space Echo----Lexicon Primetime-------- Peavey Reverb -----Ear 823MQ------- Drawmer DL221---- Roland GS 6 --------Otari DTR-7-------- Aiwa XK007 Excelia------ Denon DCD 595----- Furman Sound RV-1------- Astorias Classical Accoustic GTR JM155------- Martin&co Steel String Accoustic---------- Yamaha NS-10 Pair--------- Yamaha NS-10 Pair------ Ear 509mkII Amplifier-------- Ear 509mkII Amplifier ----------Ear 549 Amplifier------ Ear 549 Amplifier------- Ear 549 Amplifier-------- Ear 549 Amplifier-------- Un-named Studio Control Speakers-------- SAE P50 Amplifier----- SAE P50 Amplifier------- NAD 3020A Amplifier------- Akai S1000------ Roland A110 Midi Display-------- Alesis DATA DISK-------- Dual 505-2 Turntable------- Revox 1/4 inch 2 Track Recorder --------David 9000 Speakers ---------Studer C37 Type828 2 Track Recorder----- Studer A80 24 Track Recorder ---------EMT 140 Plate Reverb ------UMI Computers x 8 with drive and memory cards-------- Optikenetics Solar 250 Light --------Speaker Stands 45cm High --------AS Filter Bank FB3----- EMO RackLight RK1-------- Sycologic AMI------- Sycologic M16x ---------Sycologic PSP------- FriendChip SRC-------- FriendChip SRC/AT ----------Ensoniq KMX-16 ---------DAC High Capacity Storage System------- Amek Mixing Console -------Groove Electronics MC-Lites Midi Box---------- JBL M553 Crossover --------Tascam DA-P1 DAT-------- Arun Oxley Pin Patch--------- Otari Radar 24 Track Hrd Drv Recorder Plus SCSCI Drive--------- Otari RE-8E Controller--------- Amek Mice Controller----- Studer A80 VU Remote Control----- Studer AutoLocator-------- Bantam Jack Patch 6 1U units of 96 inputs--------- A/DA GTR Flanger ----------ProCo GTR FX RAT------ DaneElectro Tuner---- Signex CPM22 MIDI Patch--------- Symetrix Headphone Amplifier SX204-------- Fairlight C.M.I--------- Erasure MIDI/Gate System --------Beckmann9020 Oscilloscope------ Roland PMA-5----------- Roland PMA-5------ Roland MC-4 Micro Composer---------- Roland MC-4 Micro Composer------- Roland MC-4 Micro Composer------- Roland MC-4 Micro Composer --------Roland MC-4 Micro Composer---- Roland MC-4 Micro Composer--------- Roland CV Interface 0P-8M ----Roland CV Interface 0P-8M -----Roland CV Interface 0P-8M---- Roland CV Interface 0P-8M ------Roland CV Interface 0P-8M-------- Roland Digital Cassette Recorder MTR100------- Roland Digital Cassette Recorder MTR100 --------Roland Digital Cassette Recorder MTR100 ------Roland SBX-80 Midi Sync Box ------Roland MC-300 Micro composer-------- Roland MC-500 MKII Micro Composer---Behringer Ultra X crossover---- BSS DPR522 Gate----AB 215 EQ--- Behringer ULtra Q Pro--- BSS FCS 926 Varicurve--- BSS FCS 926 Varicurve--- BSS FCS 920 Varicurve--- Klark Teknik DN514 Auto Gate--- Behringer Multicom 4ch Compresser--- Behringer Composer Pro 2ch Compresser---- Roland SDE 3000--- AB 215 EQ--- Roland SDE 3000---Yamaha SPX90---Yamaha R1000 Reverb--- DBX 120-DS--- BSS Soundweb 9088i Signal Processer--- BSS FCS 920 Varicurve---- Yamaha SPX90MkII---- Behringer Composer Pro 2ch Compresser--- Behringer Virtualizer Pro--- Behringer Multicom 4ch Compresser---- BSS DPR502 Midi Noise Gate---- DBX 500 SubHarmonizer---- DBX 160 2ch Compresser VU Meter Version---- AB 215LT EQ---- Yamaha PM180 Rack Mixer---- Behringer Tube Ultra Q---- Behringer Tube Ultra Q---- Behringer Tube Ultra Q---- AB 231 EQ---- Roland Dimension SDD-320---- Citronic V-4.5 Conquest 2ch Amplifier---- White Parametric EQ---- White Parametric EQ--- Crest Century 24ch Mixing Console---- Crest 32ch Mxing Console---- Duke Box----"Pictured above: Roland Space Echo RE-201 and Korg Stage Echo.
Vince Clark's hobbit / mushroom looking studio.
Glass Viper
* Unique and organic synthesis.* Wave shaping with 16 LFO's.
* Continuously changing waveform.
* Easy to edit, basic interface.
* 4 Voices per instrument.
* LFO Envelopes with speed and
gain slopes.
* 4 Delay lines per instrument.
* Reverb and chorus effects.
* Comprehansive copy and
paste features.
General features
* 4 voices per instrument.
* Unique waveform mouse editing - listen while you tweak.
* 4 LFO's for voice basics, moving any waveform control point.
* Line, cosine or cubic interpolation for waveforms.
* 3 LFO per voice with 2 envelopes controlling speed and gain independantly.
* 4 syncable delay lines per voice.
* Six filter types.
* Comprehensive Copy & Paste algorithms for easy Panel, Voice, and Instrument copying.
* Plate reverb effects modelled from RaySpace technology.
* Stereo chorus.
* Additional wave-shaper.
* 6 controllers.
* Comes with 128 presets (included in evaluation copy).
link
Moog Little Phatty and Jordan Rudess - Octave Switching
YouTube via MoogMusicInc.
"Jordan shows some amazing tricks using the Little Phatty's ergonimically placed octave switches."
E-Mu Emax SE
via this auction
"Aside from being the keyboard behind the sound of Depeche Mode in the 1980's, the E-MU EMAX was one of the first truly modern synthesizer samplers, with awesome lo-fi 12-bit resolution up to 42kHz and 512K os sample memory. This board is PERFECT for 80's neuwave and electro sounds, and recreates saw-wave beasts like the Oberheim OBXA spot-on. All the tinny tines and silly fat swells are here ready to be run through awesome analog filtering that is actually easy to operate despite the lack of knobs. Having owned an Ensoniq Mirage, a Casio FZ1, and Korg DSS-1, I can truly say that this is the best 80's sampler I've used. I'm only selling to buy a new Juno 106, as that is my favourite board of all time and mine finally died.
The synthesizer you're bidding was owned by a synth geek since it was new, and is in excellent shape, with the superficial exception of the backlight for the LCD which, like most 80's synth screens, has stopped lighting up. No problem really, the screen is still visible 100%. This E-MU EMAX has the added SE programming, although I was told that the OS on the floppies would need to be updated to the newest version to take full advantage of this synth engine. Every aspect of this board functions great. All jacks sound off, all lines in sample correctly. I am including 9 disks of samples, from the Moog to an OBXA saw wave, lots of basic tones, some sweeping pads and strings, basslines, arpeggiators, and a disk of sci-fi samples.This board even comes with the ORIGINAL MANUAL AND ORIGINAL SHIPPING BOX with $2000 price tag! If you want to get into sampling, or you need lower-fi than modern MPC's can offer, this is your board. GRITTY, GRITTY, GRITTY, that's t he EMAX. I never like buying boards unheard, so I played off all my favourite sounds onto an MP3 for you to listen to. All these tones, included on the floppies, have been sampled from original 80's boards like the OBXA, Juno, and DX7, are at base filter with no effects and no special EQ'ing. Check it out here: MP3"
Apologies for grabbing the full description on this one. I usually filter them but this one was littered with interesting bits so the whole thing goes up. Anyone know what filter this one had? I'm not seeing it on the synthtech chip list and I forget.
Moog Liberation Keytar Analog Synthesizer
images via this auction"This is a real Moog Analog, 100% Analog, 2 Analog Oscillators, 2 Moog Analog 4-pole filters synthesizer. Did I mention, this is all ANALOG!!!! Anyway, before digital modeling and sampling became the things in synthesizer, Moog ruled the synth world with their high quality instruments. This thing does not play realistic piano or accordion sounds but if you want the screaming, rich, fat sounds that ELP, Pink Floyd, Yes and Return to Forever used - this is the beast for you.
It was designed for the keyboard player who wanted to get out from behind the keyboard. It was designed to strap-on like a guitar so that you could get out in front and do soaring leads. The left hand controls are designed to give you full range of pitch bend, volume control, modulations and glide. The right hand plays the keys and works the other controls (the envelopes, waveforms, mix, octaves, etc). The Liberation is pretty straight-forward to use if you understand synth terminology. I played the thing on top of another keyboard or on a stand. If you strap it on, you won't to do that all night. It is heavier than a heavy Les Paul guitar at 13.5 lbs. But it is not bad for all it does.
It is made of wood and metal. All the pictures I have seen of Moog Liberations are black. This one is orangey-yellow. I have remove the bottom panel and it was yellow inside, too which leads me to believe it came from the factory this way but I don't know. Being almost 30 years old, it has nicks (at the tip of the arm) and a crack that has been glued and repaired (see pictures). Also, the syn switch had the arm broken off and was repaired with a long screw and spacer and works fine."
via everything2:
"A 2-voice polyphonic analog strap-on synthesizer with a 44-note keyboard. Manufactured from 1980 to 1984.
The Liberation features two VCOs with a 3-octave range. They can be set to play in a thicker 2-oscillator monophony in addition to the 1-osc polyphonic mode. VCO1 is switchable between sawtooth, triangle and pulse waveforms, while VCO2 substitutes pulse with square wave. The oscillators can be synced, with a manual "interval" knob for adjusting the sync depth. A pink noise generator is also included. Moog's patented 4-pole (24dB/octave) low-pass VCF is included as the filter. It has the typical cut-off and resonance controls, plus three keyboard tracking modes. The VCF and VCA both offer their own ADS envelope generator. A single LFO is available, with the choice of triangle, square and sample/hold. It can be used to modulate the VCO sync depth by using the keyboard's aftertouch sensitivity. The unit also offers a ring modulator.As mentioned above, the Liberation is a strap-on synth designed to be played like a guitar. Its neck features controls for filter cut-off (with a spring returning it to 0), modulation, volume, aftertouch sensitivity and portamento, plus a ribbon controller for pitch bend. The strap-on part of the Liberation is connected with a cable to its other, rackmount section. It features the synth's power supply and a CV/gate interface."
MOOG MODULAR SYNTHESIZER SERVICE MANUAL
via this auction"This is a fresh copy of an original service manual from Moog Music that I purchased in 1978,It covers information on modules for:
System I , II, III, 12, 15, 35, 55,
It is 54 pages which contain:
1. Full Schematics for all Modules,
2. Alignment and Tracking Procedures,
3. Interconnection and Cabinet Wiring,
4. Transistor Matching.
With these schematics and some technical knowledge you can build your own $20,000 synthesizer,(I did)" Note the modular this person built pictured below.
Roland Analog Sequencer Model 104
images via this auctionMade originally as part of the Modular 100 system
# 12 steps, with step selector switch and 12 red step LED's
# 2 channels (A, B)
# Internal clock with Rate and PW
# 3 Modes (manual, A, A+B)
# Start, Stop, Continue, Manual Step controls
# Serial and Parallel Outputs
Sequential Circuits Pro-One
images via this auction"The most popular MOD was made by a qualified Sequential technician on this Pro One. You see it on the last picture. THERE IS NO DIRECT MODIFICATION MADE ON THE PRO ONE. IT is only a small circuit board that was added independently. It is an inverter, that inverts the polarity of the filter envelope. GREAT MOD! IT DOUBLES THE TYPES OF SOUNDS POSSIBLE ON THIS MACHINE" YOU CAN MODULATE ANYTHING (PW, FREQ, CUTOFF) WITH A NEGATIVE ADSR! SO GREAT! Just push the switch back down and you get a regular Pro One"
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Homebrew analog synthesizer
flickr by steevithakclick here for the full size shot.
Note the Maker's Mark bottles sitting on top.
Update: More info on the synth here. via Mikael in the comments of this post.
New England Digital Archive
"This page is devoted to information and projects about one of the most sophisticated synthesizers ever made, the New England Digital Synclavier, and its offspring, such as the rare Synclavier I, and its sucessors, such as the big 9600."You will find sections on history, documentation, audio and video. Pictured here is the Synclavier I which consisted of the monitor and three cabinets in the background.
via DVDBorn
Workspace and Environment: Lusine
Another workspace post on trash_audio."What is your favorite piece of hardware?
Arp Odyssey. It sounds awesome and I've owned one for over 10 years and never gotten tired of it. I have two Odysseys, a Mark III, and a Mark I. The Mark I was a hand me down from my uncle that was broken. I ordered a 2 pole filter replacement from an online tech guy and soldered it in and then I did the Kenton CV/Gate/Filter mod as well. It works, but it still doesn't work perfectly. I'm still researching into how to fix it. The Mark III is the one I've had for 10 years. I haven't done any modifications. It works and sounds great."
click here for the full post.
Mixer as tone source
YouTube via IranContras. via Peter on Leisure Cove.
"An experiment using the EQ bands on a Behringer UB1202 as four fixed-tone oscillators in a feedback loop, with a Bleep Labs Thingamagoop phototheremin and Tapco 4400 reverb as the input sources."
KLAUS SCHULZE - FM DELIGHT (EDIT)
YouTube via MUSICTOMUSIC. via Nusonica.
"This is a shortcut version from this great instrumental song. the original song is normally over 17 minutes and was released on the EN=TRANCE album from 1988 !!! official website"
Dynacord ADD One Drum sampler
YouTube via buchla300
"A small example of what the ADD-One can do. The buttons I am pressing are the manual trigger buttons, but it can be triggered by pads, gates or midi. Each sample (12 bit 50khz) can be filtered (same filters as the Sequential Circuits Studio 440 btw) and modulated in many ways and can be repeated and re-triggered in various ways (hence the rhythmic patterns that play just by hitting one trigger)
Quite possibly the best drum sampler ever."
Buchla 200 Videos
YouTube via buchla300. via Nusonica.
Vid1: Buchla 200 Modular Synth
"Buchla 200 analogue modular in action The touch keyboard is working as one 16 note sequencer while the smaller 5 x 4 sequencer makes the other sequence.."
Vid2: Buchla 200
"Some more buchla. The chords are set up by the 5 x 4 sequencer which is just triggered from the 4 touch plates on the left. The sequence is one oscillator sequenced from the main touchpad."
ARP 2500 Modular Synth
Alesis Micron Sound Design
CME launches ASX for UF and VX series keyboards
"The ASX is a DSP board which goes into the expansion slot of UF and VX series keyboards and provides a flexible synthesis engine, turning the CME MIDI controller keyboard into a stand-alone synthesizer.he ASX does not rely on playback of sampled sounds but brings sufficient DSP power to run dedicated synth modelling plug-ins. Four plug-ins are included with the ASX, which can be dynamically loaded one at a time: the Minimax - a polyphonic replica of the analog synth legend, the LightWave - a wavetable based virtual analog synth with plenty of modulation possibilities, the B4000 organ - a precise model of the famous tonewheel organ and the Vocodizer - a complex vocoder which is controlled via a dedicated microphone input.
Next to the microphone input, the ASX provides stereo line out, stereo headphone out and a USB port to connect to the ASX Editor Software. The Editor provides graphic interfaces to each plug-in and allows access to all settings of the plug-in. Sounds can be managed, exchanged via an online server and uploaded to the ASX hardware.
Listed at 369 USD, the ASX is shipping within November 2007."
[CME]
Synthesizer by *zorgitron
"I just got done building this bastard. The wooden case took 4 months to build. The metal front panel took 7 months to design. I went through about 20 - 30 different configurations and styles until I found one that would be useful in the long run as I add more things to it. The panel design was made with adobe illustrator, and printed out on seperate sheets. The sheets were photographed and gigantic negatives were produced. The negatives were used to burn the image into a silk screen. The emulsion was carefully washed out and I squeegeed the white ink onto the actual panel. This took 3 weeks. The electronics were a kit from PAiA, called the "Fatman" synthesizer. Building it took 3 months. I did it slowly so that I'd do it right. And that's about it. Now I will begin to add modifications. This synthesizer sounds wonderful.2 Oscillators
12 db filter with ASR envelope
Voltage Controlled Amplifier with ADSR Envelope
MIDI control
18 knobs so far.
3 Blink lights"
click here for more info. Via Devient Synth.
de la Mancha basic 64
"basic64 is inspired by the 8 bit sounds of the classic Commodore 64. It's not a straight emulation, but is based around the SID chip with some extras for that 8-bit retro game sound, lofi gritty noises or just plain oddnessfeatures
- 16, 8 or 6 bit sound quality
- 3 oscs, each with their own ADSR envelope
- oscillators can be sync'd and ring modulated by each other
- pitch envelope modulation
- pitch wobble option, for subtle instability
- 2 tempo-sync LFO's to modulate pitch, cut-off and pulse width
- LFO's have attack/release curves
- tempo-sync arpegiator
- flexible routing to state variable filter (LP, HP & BP)
- envelopes can be reset or continuous at retrigger
- monophonic or polyphonic option
- midi learn / midi CC support
- 128 presets by sinkmusic & WhiskeyPriest"
click here for more info and the download.
via CDM
firestARTer Prophet64 MIDI interface is ready
"The PROPHET64-CARTRIDGE EDITION MIDI-INTERFACE is a Midi-Box add on for your Commodore64 which makes it possible to control the PROPHET64-CARTRIDGE (Sequencer, Mono-Synthesizer, Bassline and Drummer) via MIDI."More info on the firestARTer website and C64Music!
MOOG Prototype Vocoder
I asked Hajo what the big cabinet was in the previous post. Turns out it is a prototype MOOG Vocoder. Hajo was generous enough to send me some more images which you can see here. Check out the notes on the inside of the unit apparently from Bob Moog.
Notes on the Kawai K5000s by Arthur Green
Arthur sent me some notes on the Kawai K5000s. I actually have one and thought it was a good perspective on the K5000s, so I asked Arthur if I could put it up. Note the Kawai K5000s is a hybrid synth featuring both additive synthesis (where you add or remove harmonics to create sounds), and standard PCM based sample synthesis. Arthur mentions the Korg Wavestation which uses vector synthesis first introduced with the Sequential Circuits Prophet VS by Dave Smith. Dave actually went on to work on the Yamaha TG33 and SY22 vector synths and then the Korg Wavestations. Vector synthesis allows you to morph between the samples in memory for any given patch (usually consisting of four samples) with a vector joystick. With the Wavestation you can have wavesequences that allow you to morph between the source samples over time for evolving textures. The comparison Arthur refers to with the K5000 is in reference to sound and textures. You an assign envelopes to the individual harmonics that make up a given sound on the K5000s for some incredible evolving textures. That said...
"A lot of people like to compare the K5000 to other synthesizers, noteably Korg's Wavestation. Apples and oranges, if you ask me. While both excel at those sounds that seem to move and slither onwards forever, they really aren't much alike in either function or personality. And I'll be the first to tell you that the K5000 suffers from some crippling design deficiencies, not the least of which are poor envelope contouring, loss of fidelity on the lower registers and excessive aliasing on the upper registers (something you may not notice immediately unless you play your K5000 from a six or seven octave keyboard), partial frequencies are fixed in a harmonic series, issues with cheap construction (particularly with the R and W models), weird patch memory management, no microtuning support, limited polyphony (and appropriately, a crude voice-stealing algorithm), a nearly useless Multi mode (these last two issues are why I bought three of them!), and an occasionally quirky MIDI implementation.
But, I'm still amazed at how expressive these synthesizers are, especially when paired with a decent controller keyboard. (I've always played my Rs from a Kurzweil Midiboard.) The fact that nearly every important parameter can be tied to velocity, keyscale, or a controller destination is remarkable. And while the sound may not stand up to the quality offered by more refined hardware and today's software synthesizers, it definitely has its own distinctive edge, which I've generally found very appealing; maybe mostly because they might sound like the kind of person I probably am. (They are my voice, musically speaking, are they not?)
Far from the sedate new-agey sounds (which are often fairly predictable and difficult to control) or techno jibes (which are usually pale imitations of other synthesizers) that most demo MP3s on the net like to showcase, this synthesizer is very good at shrill leads (with nice portamento "squips"), harsh pads (thanks in no small part due to the *amazing* amounts of self-oscillation and distortion capable with the resonance filter), and prickly harmonic arpeggiator/ sequencing effects with some of the nicest onboard delays you could ask for. It's certainly a synth you can ruin your ears over. (I know, as I've done a fair bit of damage myself!) No, it's certainly not a jack of all trades, but it's no one-trick pony either. The caveat is that you have to certainly program your own sounds, or mess about with the factory presets so that they (quickly) become your own presets. But, you'll be well-rewarded!
So, knowing what they're good at, I think these are fine musical instruments. And I suspect I'll be using these for another eight years.
For your amusement, here is a video of one of my live improvisations performed this past June at a local Open Mic. You're hearing two of my three K5000Rs, reverb disabled with no outboard processing:
With the kindest of regards,
\\ Arthur"
You can can find more tracks featuring the K5000s "with the exception of 'Certainty', which has an EII rendering bass and drums" on Arthur's MySpace site.
Update: If you have a K5000s or K5000r you can try some of Arthur's patches here.
"I made them about seven years ago, so they're not exactly a model of good (or even okay) programming. But, they are some of the few sounds I still use today. I'll usually tweak attack/release times, mute sources, adjust pitch envelopes (awesome feature!), or ramp up the one or two USER knobs set for the patch, but overall, they are used as you hear them. (Although velocity response is probably optimized for my Midiboard and not the K5000S!)
SnowFall, especially around C1 (with User knob #1 set to max) and ReignY are my personal favorites.
StarWick is for an arpeggiator. To simulate what I was doing on the Midiboard, set tempo to about 95 with notes at 16, user knob 1 to max, run the arp at about 100% gate with a down pattern on mode 2 (one octave span from latched notes). Play one note at the bottom of the keyboard together with two towards the top to get a cyclical motion (the second note "tap" should align to the next note put on top of it). I typically use the three Rs stacked and tuned an octave apart from one another to get a deep, throaty rhythm."
"A lot of people like to compare the K5000 to other synthesizers, noteably Korg's Wavestation. Apples and oranges, if you ask me. While both excel at those sounds that seem to move and slither onwards forever, they really aren't much alike in either function or personality. And I'll be the first to tell you that the K5000 suffers from some crippling design deficiencies, not the least of which are poor envelope contouring, loss of fidelity on the lower registers and excessive aliasing on the upper registers (something you may not notice immediately unless you play your K5000 from a six or seven octave keyboard), partial frequencies are fixed in a harmonic series, issues with cheap construction (particularly with the R and W models), weird patch memory management, no microtuning support, limited polyphony (and appropriately, a crude voice-stealing algorithm), a nearly useless Multi mode (these last two issues are why I bought three of them!), and an occasionally quirky MIDI implementation.
But, I'm still amazed at how expressive these synthesizers are, especially when paired with a decent controller keyboard. (I've always played my Rs from a Kurzweil Midiboard.) The fact that nearly every important parameter can be tied to velocity, keyscale, or a controller destination is remarkable. And while the sound may not stand up to the quality offered by more refined hardware and today's software synthesizers, it definitely has its own distinctive edge, which I've generally found very appealing; maybe mostly because they might sound like the kind of person I probably am. (They are my voice, musically speaking, are they not?)
Far from the sedate new-agey sounds (which are often fairly predictable and difficult to control) or techno jibes (which are usually pale imitations of other synthesizers) that most demo MP3s on the net like to showcase, this synthesizer is very good at shrill leads (with nice portamento "squips"), harsh pads (thanks in no small part due to the *amazing* amounts of self-oscillation and distortion capable with the resonance filter), and prickly harmonic arpeggiator/ sequencing effects with some of the nicest onboard delays you could ask for. It's certainly a synth you can ruin your ears over. (I know, as I've done a fair bit of damage myself!) No, it's certainly not a jack of all trades, but it's no one-trick pony either. The caveat is that you have to certainly program your own sounds, or mess about with the factory presets so that they (quickly) become your own presets. But, you'll be well-rewarded!
So, knowing what they're good at, I think these are fine musical instruments. And I suspect I'll be using these for another eight years.
For your amusement, here is a video of one of my live improvisations performed this past June at a local Open Mic. You're hearing two of my three K5000Rs, reverb disabled with no outboard processing:
With the kindest of regards,
\\ Arthur"
You can can find more tracks featuring the K5000s "with the exception of 'Certainty', which has an EII rendering bass and drums" on Arthur's MySpace site.
Update: If you have a K5000s or K5000r you can try some of Arthur's patches here.
"I made them about seven years ago, so they're not exactly a model of good (or even okay) programming. But, they are some of the few sounds I still use today. I'll usually tweak attack/release times, mute sources, adjust pitch envelopes (awesome feature!), or ramp up the one or two USER knobs set for the patch, but overall, they are used as you hear them. (Although velocity response is probably optimized for my Midiboard and not the K5000S!)
SnowFall, especially around C1 (with User knob #1 set to max) and ReignY are my personal favorites.
StarWick is for an arpeggiator. To simulate what I was doing on the Midiboard, set tempo to about 95 with notes at 16, user knob 1 to max, run the arp at about 100% gate with a down pattern on mode 2 (one octave span from latched notes). Play one note at the bottom of the keyboard together with two towards the top to get a cyclical motion (the second note "tap" should align to the next note put on top of it). I typically use the three Rs stacked and tuned an octave apart from one another to get a deep, throaty rhythm."
Swiss Synth Meeting Pics via Hajo
Luterbach, Switzerland from the 13th Oct 07click here for the full set via Hajo.
Update: That large cabinet is a prototype MOOG vocoder. More shots coming up in a new post.
Thomas Henry Mega Percussive Synthesizer Update
mp3
Here's a list of controls - I'm not sure if these are all the correct labels yet, but they at least describe the function. I post this now, for all of those that like to design and envision panels:
Inputs:
Trigger Input
Shell CV
Shell/Clank Return
Impact Return
Snares Return
Outputs:
Synth Out
Line Out
Shell Send
Impact Send
Snares Send
Potentiometers:
Trigger Input Sensitivity
Shell CV Range
Shell Sweep
Shell Pitch
VCO Pitch (for Ring modulator)
VCO Depth (for Ring modulator)
Ring Modulator Balance
Shell/Clank EG Decay
Impact EG Decay
Impact Sweep
Impact Pitch
Noise Filter EG Decay
Noise Filter EG Sweep
Noise Filter Center Frequency
Noise Filter Resonance
Shell/Clank Mix
Impact Mix
Snares Mix
Line Volume
Switches:
Filter LP/BP Select
Indicators:
Trigger Status LED
More info and discussion on electro-music.com. via Tom Bugs of Bugbrand.
Here's a list of controls - I'm not sure if these are all the correct labels yet, but they at least describe the function. I post this now, for all of those that like to design and envision panels:
Inputs:
Trigger Input
Shell CV
Shell/Clank Return
Impact Return
Snares Return
Outputs:
Synth Out
Line Out
Shell Send
Impact Send
Snares Send
Potentiometers:
Trigger Input Sensitivity
Shell CV Range
Shell Sweep
Shell Pitch
VCO Pitch (for Ring modulator)
VCO Depth (for Ring modulator)
Ring Modulator Balance
Shell/Clank EG Decay
Impact EG Decay
Impact Sweep
Impact Pitch
Noise Filter EG Decay
Noise Filter EG Sweep
Noise Filter Center Frequency
Noise Filter Resonance
Shell/Clank Mix
Impact Mix
Snares Mix
Line Volume
Switches:
Filter LP/BP Select
Indicators:
Trigger Status LED
More info and discussion on electro-music.com. via Tom Bugs of Bugbrand.
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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
