Stuckey's Zig Zag Synthesizer

Stuckey's Zig Zag Synthesizer from Critter and Guitari on Vimeo.
"Stuckey's new portable, battery powered FM synthesizer by Critter and Guitari, Chris Kucinski, Owen Osborn"

tyme safari by loopcycle

first look at the tyme sefari from loopcycle on Vimeo.


second pass at the tyme sefari from loopcycle on Vimeo.


606 feeding the tyme sefari from loopcycle on Vimeo.

Carbon111's Pro-One Restoration Project

Inside a Sequential Circuits Pro-One.

"A few months back I got very lucky on an eBay auction. Someone had listed a Sequential Circuits Pro-One in a slightly strange category with an absurd "buy it now" price and I snagged it for less than $200, shipped!

When it arrived, I realized it would be a bit of work. It was really filthy with layers of dust and someone had marked his favorite knob positions on the panel with ruby sparkle nail polish! The key bushings were dried out pretty badly, the output jack was damaged and there were some scratchy pots and coarse-moving switches. Worst of all, the pitchwheel was broken in half!"

You can find the full post on SYNTHWIRE via Carbon111.

Sweet Child O Mine Cover

YouTube via caitlintibbetts. Roland Juno-G
"This is my version of the Guns n Roses original Sweet Child O Mine. Hope you like it."

Flame Clockworks Demo 1

YouTube via rtopia
"A quick preview of an upcoming series on the Flame Clockworks. I'm using it to drive 3 sounds on an Alesis SR16 drum machine via the MIDI out and using the CV outs to control the the gate and filter cutoff on the TinMan (homebrew modular synth)"

Game Fx from Elektron

YouTube via lasercicalone. "Another time I'll try make some sound fx from Elektron"

Tiptop Audio's Z5000

If you remember this post, TipTop audio was looking for some beta testers for a new product they were developing. It looks like Muff Wiggler signed up. You can find the full scoop on Muff Wiggler and of course Tiptop audio.

Some words from Muff:
"the Z5000 is a voltage controlled, stereo multi effects processor, powered by a 24bit/48khz DSP. This is the first DSP-powered VC'd multi effect device I'm aware of that's been designed explicitly to work within a modular synth - it's built to handle the signal levels found in all modulars (with lots of headrooom), and obviously gives you CV control over the effects themselves. On board the module are 16 different effects 'programs', 13 of which are voltage-controllable. This all results in a really nice hybrid of analog and digital - providing some of the unique advantages of DSP, within the typically analog structure of a modular synth."

Oberheim Matrix-1000 Analog Synthesizer by RetroSound

YouTube via retrosound72

"vintage synth demo by RetroSound

some typical bass and sequencer sounds from the Oberheim Matrix-1000 Analog Synthesizer, sequenced by the MFB Step64 step sequencer
drums: Roland TR-707"

Novation K-Station Analogue Bass Sound Demonstration

YouTube via PlastikOD
"Just a short demonstration of an analogue(ish) sound done with the K-Station."

'Fat Bastard' Monster Modular Synth

YouTube via Beermastergeneral
"A quick tour across the the modules that make up 'Fat Bastard' - work in progress"

DSP Audio Nortron 1.2 UB - Virtual Notron

"Nortron is a new type of vertical sequencer that fully combines performance and composition.

With Nortron exploring difficult musical structures is simple and addictive. The timing matrix and 4 fully independent yet linked sequencer arrays provides full spectrum control of entire sequencing structures as opposed to the constrained yet popular timeline editing format.

Nortron is the tool for deep experimentation into beats and rhythmic juxtaposition.

* High-yield interface takes very little energy to program with great results
* Behaves as an instrument rather than an editing platform
* Improvisation is natural and the same as creating a song
* Quality beat construction with VST Plugins, Soft-synths and MIDI hardware gives your productions a unique edge over sample based loops
* Timing and event templates conform rapid sequence transitions to an overal theme
* Unique Performance Modes allow MIDI triggering sequences, Quantize Playthrough and custom arpeggios
* Full integration with Pro Tools, Logic, Cubase, Live and other popular timelines
* Nortron breathes life into whatever instruments it controls

Performance is now the same as composition. MP3 of "Sculpture soft-synth" performed by Nortron"

You can find a comparison with the Latronic Notron here.

Also check out this link for demos using the following synths:
Oberheim Xpander
Nord Modular
Tr-909
Tr-808+Midikit
Omega 8
Serge Modular
Synton Fenix
Synthacon
Kawai K5000
Juno 106

via Niall

O2 part 4. Jean Michel Jarre (My tribute for Jarre).

YouTube via Stereokromatik. Fruity Loops and Casio MT 240 as the MIDI controller. Click here for more.

Kaossilator Scales…. & Arpeggiator / Gate Patterns

You can find them on the music of sound.

TENORI-ON To Launch in the US on May 1 - $1200

According to CDM there will be 100 TENORI-ONs available each month up to a total of 1000 for the year. Hmm... May - Dec is eight months. Regardless, it looks like May 1 will be the date.

boooooooooooop

flickr by Max Lord

"Applying a green signal to the buchla produces a tone that can be heard clearly as far away as Berkeley California"

full size

AHMW 2008 via Michael Caloroso

click here for shots and video hosted on retrosynth.com.

Vostok

find the description and an mp3 on Califaudio.

Presenting the first monome tattoo

via The Stretta Procedure

Image003

flickr by kineticgraphics

full size

"Don't Go In There"

via Mr. Array: "Synths used are the Waldorf Q+ and Alesis Andromeda. I programmed all but one of the sounds, which was just too good to pass up." http://www.myspace.com/armageddonelectro

AHNE 2008

* 04/26/2008
* 11AM to 5PM
* Nashoba Regional High School, Bolton, MA (in the band room)

More info here.

Kaossilator - Epic

YouTube via 00gavin.

Brian Eno - Interview/Lecture

YouTube via Video4dvd
"Interview with Brian Eno on media and his music.
Edited by Denise Gallant for Video West, San Francisco KQED show, 1980s.
Interview by Video West.
Video Synthesis effects by the Synopsis Video Synthesizer."

Moogerfooger Feedback Loop 1

YouTube via bigcitymusic
"Moog Feedback Loop 1
MF-107 Osc. Out to MF-107 Audio In
MF-107 Audio Out to MF-101 Audio In
MF-101 Audio Out to Eventide 2016 Reverb
Square Wave LFO from CP-251 Modulated by Attenuator and Lag Rise and Fall Times to MF-107 Freq In
MF-101 Envelope Out to CP-251 Mixer with Positive or Inverted Envelope to MF-107 Waveform In

This is a fun little patch where the FreqBox tries real hard to sync to itself. The output level of the MF-107 and the input level / envelope sensitivity of the MF-101 make a big difference in the wave shape and in the resulting sound.

http://www.bigcitymusic.com
http://www.myspace.com/bigcitymusicdotcom
http://www.bigcitymusicblog.blogspot.com"

Crumar Spirit Party 1

YouTube via bigcitymusic

"Here are 4 Crumar Spirits that Big City Music owner, Roger Cordell, brought out of storage. We needed to test one for a professional baseball player who was buying it.

We decided, why not set up four Crumar Spirits at once since it isn't very often you get to see so many together in one place.

http://www.bigcitymusic.com
http://www.myspace.com/bigcitymusicdotcom
http://www.bigcitymusicblog.blogspot.com"

Nintendo DS Electroplankton "There's life in the water"

YouTube via gattobus

"This is an original composition made by putting together multiple recording sessions of Nintendo DS software Electroplankton.

By the end of the track (about 1:30) I also used Clavia Nord Modular G2 emulating a CS80 and a Korg Trinity with some backing pad."

KORG MiniKorg 700

images via this auction

MOOG Prodigy

images via this auction

SIMMONS SDS1 SDS9 sound chips

via this auction

"Set of four different Drum EPROMs for Simmons Drums. All 4 of these are various snare sounds. Breaking Glass, Cabassa, Finger Snap, and Hand Clap. These beautiful old 8 bit sound proms will work in any SDS1 or SDS9. These were NOT simply copied from analog sounds using a Simmons SDS EPB Sampler or Prommer.... they are true digital"

Drumfire DF-2000

images via this auction

[Drone] Mono-Poly - Ramayana Mixdown2

Serge Modular track via Dennis Verschoor, aka mono-poly.
mp3 here

JayB's sounds for Quasimidi Sirius

YouTube via Hanni13579
"Time for a new video with my Sirius. I deleted the other ones, because they were no more recent. The soundbank can be downloaded here. Played presets are shown in the video. Enjoy!

Roland TB-303 Modded with Green LEDs

images via this auction
"The extras/mods are:
- 32 Banks of Memory (never run out of space for your acid lines!)
- Lithium Battery (No need for batteries to hold the memory. Should last 10yrs. Can still operate on batteries for portable use)
- Bright Green LEDS (my pics are a little yellow... but these LEDs are truly green. Awesome eerie color...)
- NEW tact switches with dust guard
- NEW top pots for synth control... and NEW Volume pot
- Adjustments:
- better CV & tuning
- mod for lower battery voltage use
- top 6 knobs are raised slightly for easier use, and less chance for paint rubbing off
- Larger values on C20 and C21 for better Bass response --- sounds great!

Absolutely a great acid synth... with no worry for loosing your programmed bass lines...
Small rubber feet on bottom can be removed, if desired... but they protect the 303 nicely.

Auction includes:
- TB-303 modded by the 303 man himself, Robin Whittle.
- Boss/Roland ACA 120 adapter (USA use)"

via Soho Six

Leni and Daddy play with the Megalith

YouTube via Flappersinnylons. via Lars
"This is a quick video my wife took of me and my daughter Leni, playing around with my DIY modular synth/sequencer console. The console is about halfway to being done and was created out of a desire to have my gear-heavy rig more portable for live shows and performance. The legs are iron piping, and I plan to build a hood which slides over the entire thing for transportation – so it is synthesizer, mixer, sequencers, rack gear, all in one case that is also its own stand/table.

My Midibox SEQ3 is using trigger outputs to fire my cloned 808 bass drum and snare drum modules, as well as my Thomas Henry Clangora module (the Clangora comes in later on). The kick is compressed by an Orban 418A, and the Snare is delayed by a Scott Bernardi VC Delay module, which is in turn controlled by my MFOS VCLFO. Everything goes into an 8-track Tascam M30 mixer, which I gutted and rewired to a custom patch panel. The filtering you hear on the Clangora is me tweaking the parametric EQ’s on the mixer, which I love. Everything in the console but the guts of the mixer and the Orban compressor was handbuilt."

Leon Berry - Beast in the Basement

YouTube via steverabb.
"This is a 1960's produced film from my 16mm film collection. I'm not sure who produced it but was told it is from a 'Face and Place' series which I know nothing about. Leon Berry, popular Chicago organist installed a Wurlitzer theatre organ in his basement in the 1950's calling it the 'beast in the basement.' The beast was removed from the house some time ago. I've been informed it now resides in Arizona. Thanks to CATOE, the Chicago Area Theatre Organ Enthusiasts for transferring my film to DVD. Much improved quality for YouTube. Also check out my other video 'Leon Berry - A Tribute' for a few of his album songs and his early history."

synthesizin'... ur doin it rong

flickr by Chris Randall. Yes, this Chris Randall. Check out that post for the caption.

MOOG The Source

full size

Brick Table Tangible Multi Touch Interface

YouTube via misfit8d6. Similar to Reactable of course.
"'Weather Report' uses Brick, a tangible & multi touch interface, to sonify real-time weather data (surface temperature). Video taken at the tables premier at Sea and Space Explorations gallery in Los Angeles. Created by Jordan Hochenbaum and Owen Vallis @ California Institute of the Arts.

For more information on Brick & Weather Report, go to http://bricktable.wordpress.com

Uses ReacTIVision software for tracking, and custom software written in Max/MSP/Jitter and Reaktor."

Sexy Synthesizer Pics

You can find Bernie's Sex Machines on Aliens Project.

Forbidden Synthacon by vgermuse

mp3 here

via vgermuse:
"Here's my little homage to Bebe and Louis Barron's Forbidden Planet. Synthacon a la concrete techniques. Enjoy!"

First time on a pristine Minimoog *

YouTube via wetdragoon
"I've sourced and completely restored a Minimoog for my friend Dave. This is the first time he put his hands on a Mini...(!) Owner now ! Jammin' test in the studio. Great instrument for a great musician, who has quickly understood the way it grooves :) have funk with it mate !"

Udpate: one more:

First time on a pristine Minimoog

My new toy!

flickr by Clear Ambassador

full size

KORG Delta

New Synth Pics

On Muff Wiggler

Micron & microKorg + Zoom RT-223 - Delta

YouTube via mikamulperi
"Testing my own Micron setup. microKorg on top making some noise and down out of picture is Zoom RT-223 drum machine that I control with foot pedal. Original song Delta is composed by Rob Hubbard. I may not play it quite right. But this is just a demo."

via Jared:
"Here's a cool YouTube clip I stumbled on this evening. It's rather clever how mikamulperi uses a custom setup in the Micron with two sequences and alternates between them. Although he nearly gets carried away with knob tweakage on the Microkorg. ;) The drum machine is off camera, triggered with a foot switch."

Phidgets - Products for USB Sensing and Control

via Loscha who found these on bunnie's blog (do check it out)

Loscha:
"These are a series of USB interfacing modules that connect electronics in the real world to the virtual world of your computer. To me, they seem reasonably priced, and the support and documentation seems well organized.

Some examples are present for MAX/MSP, and a library of interfacing code for the majority of flavours of coding that people use (although ChucK isn't here, I'm sure if enough people notice these exist, it's a possibility!)."

The PhidgetCircularTouch pictured
"The PhidgetCircularTouch detects changes in the capacitance between the on-board electrodes and the object making contact. The side of the circuit board opposite the connector and components is the side intended for contact." You can find more info here

master sequencer project

"We designed this project originally to help us synchronize the koelse.org equipment. Our aim was to get one step towards the discomusic from the completely uncontrolled noise we usually play.

Well now that we started actually making this, it seems obvious that this device will make everything rather more complicated and less controllable, but if we are lucky it will play us some discomusic."

You can find more info including links to audio and video on this flickr set, although the video link did not work for me. You can find their blog here.

Update via Harza in the comments: "More stuff can be found on our website www.koelse.org"

Electric Music Machine

YouTube via Fynci.
"Documentary about the Radiophonic Workshop"

Eroktronix MIDITron and MIDITron Wireless

"MidiTronTM is a MIDI to real-world interface designed to simplify the process of creating sensor and robotics based electronic art projects. It is easily user configurable and provides 20 terminals of digital and analog inputs and outputs in any combination.

MidiTron is bi-directional. Sensor inputs are converted to MIDI output messages, and MIDI input messages are converted to terminal output voltages.

MidiTronTM Features
* Small (2.5" x 3" x 1.5"): can be embedded in your project
* Powered from a 9v battery
* Economical
* Menu-driven program provided for easy configuration of inputs and outputs (Mac OS9/Mac OSX/Windows XP)
* Stores configuration in flash memory: can run stand-alone, without computer
* MIDI input and output: no special drivers required
* Up to 20 digital inputs/digital outputs/analog (PWM) outputs
* Up to 10 analog (ADC) inputs
* Input devices: switches, pots, sensors (bend, pressure, photo, magnetic, touch, temperature, accelleration, etc.) and more
* Outputs: LEDs, motors, relays, solenoids and more
* High-resolution mode (10 bits) for analog inputs
* Use for music controllers, VJ controllers, MIDI instruments, dance triggers, interactive installations, driving LEDs, motors, solenoids, relays and other robotic devices, and more..."

"MidiTronTM Wireless is a wireless sensor-to-MIDI interface. It consists of a compact sensor interface/transmitter unit and a corresponding receiver/output unit which interfaces via USB or MIDI. It provides 20 inputs in any combination of up to 10 analog inputs and 20 digital inputs.

MidiTron™ Wireless is uni-directional. Sensor inputs are converted and sent wirelessly to a receiver unit, which outputs MIDI messages. It is designed to be a small, flexible, robust, long-range solution for creating wireless sensor controllers for real-time use in performance, installations and other scenarios.

MidiTron™ Wireless Features
* Small transmitter (2 5/8” x 1 1/2” x 1 1/2”); encloses internal antenna and 9v battery
* Can be worn on body
* 1000 foot range under ideal conditions; several hundred foot range possible even with obstructions
* Uses 900 MHz frequency band for less interference than the increasingly crowded 2.4 GHz band
* Uses highly reliable RF chip set proven in live performance situations
* Eight selectable channels allow eight units to be used simultaneously or channel switching if interference is encountered
* Continuous re-transmit of sensor values virtually eliminates drop-out or lost data
* Very low latency transmit (maximum 7 ms with all sensors enabled)
* Very low latency USB and MIDI output (actual latency system dependent)
* Normal (7-bit) and high (10-bit) resolution analog modes available
* Easily configured with menu-driven programming patch
* No network configuration required as with Bluetooth or WiFi
* Standard MIDI and USB-MIDI input/output ports
* With USB, appears on computer as a standard MIDI device with no special drivers required
* Once configured, can be used as a standalone MIDI device without a computer
* Several interchangeable styles of connector boards allow flexibility in making sensor connections
* Three-pin style connector board allows direct interfacing of popular sensors available from other manufacturers"

http://eroktronix.com/index.html

microkorg simcity jam

YouTube via hatfactory
"in this video i demonstrate the microkorg's arpeggiator kickin' out some sweet simcity 2000 music"

Powertran TRANSCENDENT 2000

images via eBay

"Powertran TRANSCENDENT 2000 Analogue Synthesizer RARE 1978

Designed in the UK by Tim Orr of EMS Marketed by POWERTRAN of Andover, Hampshire

As used by: Thomas Dolby, New Order, Joy Division, etc

Here is a nice example of the rare Transcendent 2000 monophonic synth. Professionally constructed in working, original unmodified condition. Comes complete with the book of words, schematics and preset charts as originally supplied. Condition is generally very good for a 30 year old instrument. A few scratches here and there. Only serious cosmetic blemish is some burn marks to keys"

Inside shot.

OSCAR SYNTHESIZER - OWNED BY ULTRAVOX

images via this auction

"Serial Number : 0656L IN FULL WORKING ORDER WITH MIDI WITH copy of MANUAL with Hand writen Details of original owner - Billy Currie from Ultravox ( his address and stuff ) THIS KEYBOARD WAS PROPERTY OF Billy Currie from ULTRAVOX ( Legendary Electro Band ) We purchased it from him a couple of years ago.He lives in North London."