This one is not actually a synth, but a vintage mixer by PAiA's Craig Anderton. You can find it here along with a number of other synth auctions from minime123. Although it is not a synth I decided to put it up because of the link to synth makers PAiA as well as it's design. Every now and then I will put up posts of non synth related gear from synth manufactures to reflect on some of the other projects they took the time out to work for. For me it's just an interesting bit of synth history.
G-Red wrote in to let me know he has started a site with free Roland Samples. The site is Ohdeo.com. It does require you to register to access the samples in a forum type site. I asked him why registration was required and he said it's to prevent other sites from linking directly to the samples without credit. Makes sense to me.
"The project proposed here is an extension board to add 15 functions to the MOTM 440 VCF and more generaly to almost all 4 poles Low Pass VCFs with a similar topology ...
The idea of this extension come directly from the Oberheim Xpander/Matrix12 multi-function VCF schematic : the 4 poles of a classic low pass filter are mixed together with different coefficients to get multiple functions. The Multi-function VCF page contain math explanations and a copy of the original schematic, so i won't reproduce them here, just the list of the 16 VCFs functions as a reminder..."
"Per literature, this has 48 built-in backing patterns including 4, 8, and 16-beat, as well as fusion, reggae, disco, ballad and many more. Is run by internal batteries or external AC power supply"
Update via ghost arcade in the comments: "god i love this machine. we used it on a track called mr. bossa suicide (with a lot of fx and other synths) but if you wanna hear it check - this link although this is a live version from 2001.. "
"unlike most others this one includes MIDI. The MIDI interface is internal to the unit. It is a synhouse.com MIDI Jack II which allows for instant operation of the synth without needing time to warm-up."
images via this auction "This machine emulates everyone's favorite silver box admirably, but it also has many other facilities to way beyond into new sonic territories. It adds a second sawtooth oscillator that can be synced to VCO 1 and modulated by the envelope or LFO. That's right, I said LFO because this unit has two of them that are hidden but accessed easily via program change. Just when you think you have the ultimate funky bassline, you can modulate the filter by a midi syced LFO to take it to the next level. Also featured are a filter input and CV/Gate out to control your older, MIDI-less equipment. All in all, a unique sounding machine that will be at home in any acid studio setup. Supposedly, there were only 400 units made so it might be considered to be quite collectible if you care about those things."
"Synth has two oscillators with triangle, saw, and three square waveforms with different pulse width. You can choose from 32’ to 2’ register for every oscillator. You can modulate the first oscillator by the second(crossmodulation). There is portamento effect for the first oscillator. Polivoks is duo-phonic synth it means that you can play two notes at the same time. The heart of the Polivoks is originally designed 24db dualmode filter, well known by its killer resonanse, unique and unstable sound. Filter can be switched in LP or BP mode. There is LFO with 4 waveforms, it can modulate every VCO, VCF and VCA. Mixer section consists of 1osc, 2osc, noise and external signal.There are dedicated ADSR envelopes for VCF and VCA.Envelopes has autotrigger mode when signal repeats from attack to decay stage." samples at the auction.
via this auction "This is a great midi to control voltage converter that allows analog synthesizers and other modular devices to be controlled by a midi keyboard, rhythm machine, or sequencer. The CV-5 works with any monphonic analog synthesizers which conform to the 1 Volt per octave or Hertz per Volt scale standards. The unit can be confiigured by sending midi program changes. The CV-6 goes well beyond most simple midi-to-CV converters and offers high quality portamento, fast note response times, filter and auxiliary outputs, dynamic audio processing (volume and pan control), syncable LFO, vibrato, sample and hold, pitch bend, and DIN sync output. With five CV outs, it can actually be used to control two synthesizers."
Update: be sure to check out the comments of this post for more info.
via the forum: "Friends: some more news on what's turning out to be an active new year.
First, there's a new interview with me on Tokafi here concerning my "White Night" release, a work from 1974 for Moog modular synthesizer.
Next, "White Night" is now available in the US from CDeMUSIC. (In Europe, it's available directly from the Ex Ovo site, along with a sample of the work.)
Finally, I've added two albums to my MusicZeit store. "The Beautiful Blue Sky" is a release of all-new electronic landscapes for Buchla 200e analog modular synthesizer and the Haken Continuum, all performed and recorded in real time. "These Last Days" is a re-issue of my first CD from 1987, available again after 20 years. You can hear samples of all the tracks for any album by clicking on the album's image on the main page to go to the CD's own page. I hope you enjoy them.
Thanks!
_________________ Richard Lainhart http://www.otownmedia.com http://www.downloadplatform.com/richard_lainhart http://www.airglowmusic.com"
YouTube via Patrickillian. via Analog Suicide. "Sir Lancelot adnThe Black Knight performed during King Arthur on ice at wembley in 1975" Rick Wakeman on Ice.
One of my favorite Flash based sites is Audio Playground's Virtual Drum Machine page, a virtual collection of vintage drum machines you can play online. If you haven't done so already, just check it out. It's pretty amazing.
On a separate note, CDM is having a bit of a fund raiser at the moment. The site unlike Matrixsynth runs on it's own servers and thus costs a bit of money to keep running. When I had Matrixsynth on my own servers I ran into this problem quickly so I know the pain. CDM is a great resource and Peter Kirn, the man behind the site, is a great guy. Peter and CDM has supported Matrixsynth in a number of ways including promoting me on CDM, and helping me privately via email when I ran into site issues myself. Peter had enough faith in Matrixsynth to ask me to write CDM's This Week in Synths column which was kind of a best of for the week on Matrixsynth. I unfortunately had to give it up due to the problem many of us have - lack of time. For me it's the blog, day job and family. We run the sites on our own free time and for the love of the subject matter. That said, if you want to help me out, help CDM out. Peter is also author of the book Real World Digital Audio, you can find my review of it here. If you donate the list price of the book to CDM, Peter will send you a copy. I couldn't think of a better time to get the book.
So, why aren't I asking for support? Matrixsynth runs on Blogger which is 100% free. How can you support Matrixsynth? Don't be afraid of the ads. If want to buy something through Amazon, Ebay or other, click on the links to them here and buy. It doesn't cost you more and it helps support the site. You also don't have to buy what's listed here. If you buy anything at one of the sponsored sites, after clicking through here, a small amount goes to Matixsynth. Treat yourself to something and know you are supporting the site while doing so.
"I just received an email letting me know that Allen Strange passed away yesterday in Seattle. What a deep loss on so many fronts."
You might remember that Allen Strange recently had to cancel a performance in the Seattle area due to illness. If you do not know who Allen Strange is and his impact to the world of synthesizers, read this short bio (source of image and excerpt below) and then take a look at these previous posts; be sure to check out all the links to more info. He was a pioneer of electronic music and wrote a number of books on the subject. This is a sad day.
The following is a brief excerpt of his accomplishments: "He received two grants from the San Jose State University Foundation (1969 and 1974) for research into electronic music and in 1970 became professor of music and director of the electronic music studios at the university. In 1973 he attended Chowning's music seminar at Stanford University Artificial Intelligence Center. Strange is one of the leading authorities on analogue electronic music; his Electronic Music: Systems, Techniques, and Controls (1972) is now a classic text. He also wrote Programming and Meta-Programming the Electro-Organism (1974), the operations manual for the Buchla Music Easel and has documented the 200 Series synthesizers made by Buchla. He co-founded two performance groups, Biome (1967--72), in order to make use of the EMS Synthi, and, with Buchla in 1974, the Electronic Weasel Ensemble. He was president of the International Computer Music Association (1993--8) and has appeared as a guest artist-lecturer throughout the world. With his wife, Patricia, they have recently published The Contemporary Violin: Extended Performance Techniques."
Update via Robin in the comments: "From the Family of Allen Strange.
Just wanted to thank you all for your kind words. Allen will always be remembered as a loving father, husband and musician. There will be a memorial reception at the Bainbridge Island Music Guild on March 1st at 4 pm. Directions and information can be found at http://www.islandmusic.org/. We are also planning a life celebration for Allen in the Bay Area of California in the next few months, I will be sure to post that info when it gets planned."
Update via the comments: "The Family of Allen Strange is having a memorial celebration in San Jose on September 13. For more information please see: http://www.allenstrange.com/ and if you plan on attending please RSVP at http://allenstrange.blogspot.com/
In case you missed the Trash_Audio filter below, Doepfer is coming out with a filter based on the Oberheim Matrix-12 15 stage filter. You can find it and more new modules on the Doepfer website.
"Module A-106-6 is a multimode filter that is based on the filter circuit of the Oberheim Xpander. The module features 15 different filter types (those filters of the A-107 that were available in the Xpander) with 8 filters available simultaneously. A toggle switch is used to switch between 2 filter groups."
YouTube via duubledee.
Update: Re-Published on Apr 26, 2013 HerbieHancockVEVO
"Music video by Herbie Hancock performing Rockit. (C) 1984 Sony BMG Music Entertainment"
Two vids sent to the Rhodes Chroma list by Chris Ryan, the founder and host of the excellent Rhodes Chroma site.
A bit of a synthfest. Spot the synths and don't miss the Rhodes Chroma with Expander, one of Herbie's favorites.
YouTube via hexfix93 "http://www.stage6.com/user/hexfix93/v... the above link is the hi-fi divx version of video. Has much better audio quality! You will need to install the divx plugin to view it. Wrote a few patterns real quick into the future retro revolution, then piped the cv and gate into my modular, using the mfb osc-01 and the frequensteiner multimode filter! I love that live wire filter, when you drive it hard it gets wicked mean in high pass and bandpass. LOVE IT!
E-mu Emax, Roland JP-8000, Yamaha DX7 II FD. "A Depeche Mode "Stripped" cover update made by myself. It is not the full song, just a Youtube performance. Only the rockets FX are sampled. The rest of the emax sounds come from library. Backtape recorded with a DX7 II FD running on Pro Tools."
YouTube via pepemogt. Follow-up to these posts. "This fotage was from the LOBBY in tijuana were i did a live set with analog synths, drum machines and first time the use of Tenori-on, this material will be included in my upcoming album entitled "110". Also the same night were Dj Ejival( staticdiscos ) doing his minimal electro set . thanks to everybody who show up and your support! Gracias! enjoy! (video by checo brown)"
YouTube via thedeepelement "trashaudio.blogspot.com Dieter Doepfer kindly showed us some of his modules at NAMM. They're new, old and often related to each other. His English is, not surprisingly, better than mine."
"2-channels, each with manual and preset controls, all fully programmable. Manual/preset can be switched with a button on the unit, or with a separate footpedal control. The unit is rack-mountable.
* Basically a MOOG for drummers!
* Each Channel has:
* Manual trigger button
* Sensitivity control
* Oscillator decay 1
* Oscillator decay 2
* Noise decay
* Sweep
* Pitch
* Wave form shape * click on/off control
* Noise filter
* osc/noise balance
* Master volume
* Audio On Off
* Pre-set or manual switch
Triggers are connected via 1/4" jacks on the back side (see photos). Any type of trigger or trigger pad may be used. The two original trigger sensors are included. In the video, they're attached to practice pads with velcro. Worked great!
If it's night time where you are at you can probably see it. Go look now. It's on the way out but you still have some time. Thanks goes to KHeck73 on the AH list.
"my current CD: http://www.ronaldjenkees.com/music-store (this beat will be on my next CD)
it cut me off when I said hello youtubes! not sure why it did that.
THIS IS FUN!!!!! I don't have much done on this beat, but like usual, I thought I would upload the beginnings of it. It's been one of my favorite beats to work on so far. It'll be on my next CD for sure.
I'm super-thankful for all the comments, subscriptions, and for those that check out my CD.
FYI: I made the beat using FL Studio (software) and the Yamaha Motif XS8. Again, I like this new keyboard, but I discovered I'm not a fan of weighted keys (except for piano stuff). I'll probably trade down to the XS7 eventually."
I added a few videos to the post below. BTW, whenever you come to the site, be sure to look for a red Update: in posts you've already seen. I often update posts as new info comes in. If the post is off the main page I will put up a new post letting you know about the update, however if still on the front page I usually won't so always check. If you check back a day later, be sure to click on the Older Posts link at the very bottom of the page to get to the prior day's posts.
"Puremagnetik Releases TB-303 Micropak for Ableton Live, Kontakt & Logic
February 20th, 2007 - Brooklyn, NY
Puremagnetik has released TeeBee, a collection of instruments and loops sampled from the Roland® TB-303 synthesizer. Meticulously programmed to flawlessly emulate the original synthesizer, Puremagnetik has employed many of the new features in Live 7, Kontakt 3 and Logic 8. Instead of using the DAW's built-in effects to emulate sounds, Puremagnetik has actually sampled the unique filter and envelope stages of the original TB-303. The TeeBee download includes 24-bit 96khz sample content and over 50 looped phrases styled after classic TB-303 articulations. For Ableton Live users, Puremagnetik has developed a version for Live 7 and a "light" version for Live 6.
TeeBee for Ableton Live 6 & 7 • Extensively programmed multi-sample instrument for Live 7 with Sampler • TeeBee Light for Live 6 • Over 50 Live Clips with integrated Ableton effects • Macro controls that faithfully emulate the original Roland® TB-303
TeeBee for Kontakt • Multisampled instruments for Saw, Square and Accented modes • Custom KSP easy edit user interface panels • Over 50 Beat Machine looped phrases with integrated Kontakt effects and automatic tempo sync
TeeBee for Logic & GarageBand • Multisampled instruments for Saw, Square and Accented modes • Over 50 SIAL instrument loops with TB-303 modulation stylings • Multi level zone and group modes
Puremagnetik subscriptions start at $5.75 per month. Please visit www.puremagnetik.com for more info."
via Christian: "Hi Matrix! Christian from Stockholm here. I'm working with the ABSOLUT MACHINES project that ABSOLUT VODKA is doing in collaboration with MIT Graduates Dan Paluska/Jeff Lieberman and Swedish studio Teenage Engineering. You might have heard of it already, but now we've got new images of the machines, new info and the New York gallery has opened.
Paluska/Lieberman have made a large-scale multi-instrumental installation that is quite spectacular. It is called ABSOLUT QUARTET and will be shown at a guerilla gallery on 186 Orchard Street in Manhattan, NYC during until the end of April.
Teenage Engineering’s machine is a robotic choir with an advanced speach synthesis function in the back end. ABSOLUT CHOIR is shown at Restaurant Publik in Stockholm until the end of April.
Both machines are really amazing and all about exploring artificial creativity and what happens when technology meet art, design and music. Online users from around the world can interact with the machines and create music with them at http://www.absolutmachines.com."
The press release: "A TRULY PIONEERING TECHNOLOGY PROJECT FROM ABSOLUT Interactive ins tallations let online visitors create mu sic with intelligent machines ABSOLUT is presenting a project that explores what happens when cutting-edge technology meets the creativity of art, music and design. To emphasize its deep commitment to the subject, ABSOLUT turned to some of the greatest technology visionary teams of our time, and asked them to create the ABSOLUT MACHINES. The result is two artificially creative and highly interactive music-making machines, as visually stunning as they are technologically pioneering.
The ABSOLUT MACHINES are shown in New York and Stockholm - and online user from around the world can interact with the machines at absolutmachines.com. This project marks the first collaboration between premium vodka brand ABSOLUT and cutting-edge visionaries from the world of technology. The ABSOLUT MACHINES are designed by Dan Paluska and Jeff Lieberman, both with a background from MIT in Boston, and Teenage Engineering, a Swedish studio in the fields of media, art and technology. “Technology is becoming an increasingly important part of our lives and is a key driver for contemporary culture. With the ABSOLUT MACHINES, we explore how technology merges with creativity, and we are thrilled to have such fantastic visionaries with us on this journey”, says Ulrika Lövdahl, responsible for trend communications at V&S Absolut Spirits.
The ABSOLUT MACHINES will be launched globally in early February 2008. Users from around the world will be able to interact with the machines over the Internet. The input from online users will be processed by the machines, which will respond with a unique musical composition – co-created by man and machine. The machines will immediately perform the songs, and their performances will be live-streamed to a global audience at absolutmachines.com.
For the ABSOLUT MACHINES, Dan Paluska and Jeff Lieberman have created the “ABSOLUT QUARTET”, an automated multi-instrumental orchestral machine, which does not look like anything you have ever seen before. It is a large-scale electromechanical sculpture consisting of three instruments and thousands of parts, working together to create one piece of music. The main timbre is a marimba played by balls shot from a robotic cannon. Other components include a series of wineglasses played by little robotic fingers and an array of robotic percussive instruments. “ABSOLUT has collaborated with great artists such as Andy Warhol, Tom Ford and Louise Bourgeois. ABSOLUT has the tradition of the past masters as well as the vision to do something new.
Of course we were excited when they asked us if we wanted to be part of a project exploring artificial creativity”, says Dan Paluska.
Teenage Engineering has constructed the “ABSOLUT CHOIR”, a multi-channel robotic choir, made up by 22 singing characters of various shapes and sizes. It is an architectural installation with an advanced framework of speech synthesizers and artificial intelligence software at the back end."
Update: a video on the project Absolut Machines Intro< YouTube via GustavoZilles
And examples of how the results may sound made by users:
"Here's an entertaining drawing for your readers today... a sneak peek at Donkey's new keyboard rig for the upcoming 20th installment of Retarded Animal Babies! :o)
The foreground synths are 100% autobiographical (including the "Frankenstands"), but the background, not so much (yet). Maybe someday!
Look for the new episode to be out by Easter, I hope.
"The S-101-x is a monophonic analogue synthesizer built by me over the course of some three-four years. I started planing to build a semimodular prepatched synthesizer sometime in the late summer of 2004 and it was more or less built, set up and properly tuned in January 2008."
You can find more info here. via David via the Synth DIY mailing list and via /kroffe in the comments of this post.
No, not the new Serge Gator of course. This one appears to be a DIY device. You can find more info here.
"The Gator is my implementation of an AM based synthesizer.
4 "suboscillators" with variable wavefom (saw / square) and range (LFO to above audio frequency) amplitude-modulate each other in a sequencial order. They form a chain of AM'd oscillators with a very complex output waveform which can be non periodic, i.e. never repeats itself - based on the interaction of the 4 underlying suboscillators.
The Gator features two of these chains (of 4 suboscillators each). For less chaotic results these chains can be synced in a special manner, still maintaining enough individual variations.
Frequencies of all 8 suboscillators can be controlled by knobs or via light dependent resistors. Special routing switches and knobs allow to dynamically change the way of AM - with an attenuating pot to define the amount of AM.
The signals of both oscillator chains pass through a 5 band equalizer - one independent EQ for each chain. Optionally a passive, coil/transformer based ring modulator can process the signals before sending them to the output socket on the rear."
Remember the Weltmeister Basset? KAADA WRONGROOM as a post up on it with a few more pics including one of the inside. My prior post linked to above also has more images.
YouTube via batzberlin. Via seb on the Matrixsynth Forum. "finally did my first solo concert with my drumset and a Nord Modular G2 + Nord Rack 2" "Seb plays "Steve": Live drums and synthesizer performance at Antje Øklesund Berlin, Germany."
trigger drums synthesizer song
"Acoustic drumset attached via MIDI-triggers to a Clavia Nord Modular G2 playing a jazz-funky song."
G-Red wrote in to let me know he has started a site with free Roland Samples. The site is Ohdeo.com. It does require you to register to access the samples in a forum type site. I asked him why registration was required and he said it's to prevent other sites from linking directly to the samples without credit. Makes sense to me.
"The project proposed here is an extension board to add 15 functions to the MOTM 440 VCF and more generaly to almost all 4 poles Low Pass VCFs with a similar topology ...
images via this auction
images via this auction
images via this auction
images via this auction
images via this auction
via this auction
converters and offers high quality portamento, fast note response times, filter and auxiliary outputs, dynamic audio processing (volume and pan control), syncable LFO, vibrato, sample and hold, pitch bend, and DIN sync output. With five CV outs, it can actually be used to control two synthesizers."
via the forum:
CDM has a great post up on Flash based music environments. Do check it out.
Sad news in via vgermuse:
via this auction
* Basically a MOOG for drummers!
* click on/off control
If it's night time where you are at you can probably see it. Go look now. It's on the way out but you still have some time. Thanks goes to KHeck73 on the AH list.
"Puremagnetik Releases TB-303 Micropak for Ableton Live, Kontakt & Logic
via Christian:
The press release:
This one via Dave of umop:
"The S-101-x is a monophonic analogue synthesizer built by me over the course of some three-four years. I started planing to build a semimodular prepatched synthesizer sometime in the late summer of 2004 and it was more or less built, set up and properly tuned in January 2008."
No, not the new Serge Gator of course. This one appears to be a DIY device. You can find more info here. 
Remember the Weltmeister Basset? KAADA WRONGROOM as a post up on it with a few more pics including one of the inside. My prior post linked to above also has more images.
