mp3 here "The track itself is meant to be a joke. The german lyrics are about "schlaraffenland". It then cuts away to an english chorus about a guy tripping out on mushrooms. The idea is that the guy is in this "schlaraffenland". If you look through the multitude of samples, the track also has the Pro-1 doing some underlying subs alongside the bass guitar (which is going through a fuzz pedal). There is also a Pro-1 (1:27) sound in the 2nd chorus on the right hand side... this was originally a simple up/down sawtooth, but I transposed it up a few octaves. You might be able to hear the Mellotron choir sound during the same chorus! The ARP 2600 (0:50) is playing on the right-hand side during the english chorus, and for the breakdown bit (0:48) for the machine gun kick-drum effect. I've also got the Octave CAT (1:11) working away on the weird blips, which is turn is going through a Watkins Copicat for that retro sci-fi effect. The CAT is probably my favorite synthesizer due to it's grimey filter, and the ability to mix waveforms/modulations as you're playing." "The vocals are sung by two artists. The first is a german band called Carmen, who did a track called "Schlaraffenland" in 1982, and is sung by Carmen Thelen Gaspar. The chorus is sung by Adjeef The Poet (Ad Visser), who in 1967 released a track called 'Iekk! I'm A Freak'."
"The Hotz Box MIDI controllers were designed to be the fastest real-time MIDI controllers available and were specifically created to be a new class of Super-Musical Instruments, which would be the ultimate real-time input devices for the Hotz MIDI Translator software. Major Artists such as Yes, Fleetwood Mac and Kitaro have used Jimmy's controller's both live and in the studio. The Hotz Box and Hotz MIDI Translator software were the primary instruments used in Jimmy's new CD 'Beyond the Gates of Time'."
"'I have seen three things in my life that I instantly knew would have a profound effect on the future; the personal computer, the mouse and the Hotz Translator.'
Steve Wozniak--co-founder of Apple Computers"
You can find more info on Jimmy Hotz Inventions. Note that it looks like you can actually purchase a Hotz Box and the Hotz Translator on his site.
Also see this post. via synthwood
YouTube via RobbieNerve. via fischek. "Doing a testrun with Akai MPC2500 for beats, Elektron MonoMachine for synthlines and some other gear. It's stuff I just programmed a few hours before ;)."
YouTube via littlescale "I wanted to make a device that plays back digital audio, without the use of any programming or a microcontroller or a computer. In other words, the most basic rompler, as a hardware-only device.
YouTube via bigcitymusic "This is the incredible sound smashing WMD Geiger Counter. We're just running a boring pitched kick drum into it. There are a massive amount of tones in this box. The hexa-decimal display on the top right tells you which wavetable you are using to digitally destroy your source. You can really obliterate whatever you put into this beast. We'll show you how you can control the sample rate redution via CV next video!"
YouTube via gearwire "Can a NUSofting DaHornet software synth come close to the sound of the original EDP Wasp? That's what Bill Holland aims to find out in this demo while wearing a beard made of bees (off-screen).
According to Bill, it's not too far off, but watch this video and listen for yourself. There's been some buzz about this virtual synthesizer, but maybe that's just due to the bee fever sweeping the Gearwire office.
YouTube via dkimcg. No audio in this one. "simple test patch to read the CVs on the modular synth in the computer through MaxMSP 5. Can't wait to start using it in a Max patch!"
YouTube via dkimcg "See title. I forgot most of what I was doing, but have a basic idea. See annotations for descriptions of what's going on.
New oscillator from Tip Top Audio, the Z3000. I think a dual camera setup would be better for videos like this, I'll try that next time.
Youtube's compression ripped apart the waves and made some of the sound messed up and sound like it's filtered or modulated or something. Try to ignore it. Maybe the stereo version sounds better."
via this auction "A-188-2 is another module that is based on a so-called Bucket Brigade Device (BBD). If you are not familiar with BBDs please refer to the A-188-1. There you can find some details about this special type of circuits.
The main difference between A-188-1 and A-188-2 is the type of BBD circuit that leads to completely different module principles and sounds. The A-188-1 uses different single BBD chips with one signal input and one signal output only. In contrast the A-188-2 uses as so-called tapped BBD that has available six outputs - the so-called taps after the BBD stages 396, 662, 1194, 1726, 2790 and 3328. In the A-188-2 we use this special BBD circuit (MN3011) to obtain these module features:
The module has available two separate mixing sub-units. For both mixers the levels and polarities of each BBD output can be adjusted to obtain two different mixtures of the BBD outputs. A new type of potentiometers with center detent and center terminal is used for the BBD mixing controls to have a better feel for the neutral position. Each mixer has a wet/dry control at its output that allows choosing between the pure input signal (original), the BBD mix or anything in between. The two outputs can be treated as stereo outputs but it is also possible to use one of the outputs for other applications (details in the next paragraph).
The A-188-2 has a feedback section available that is very similar to the one in the A-188-1. But as we now have 6 different BBD outputs available 6 different feedback types are possible. The feedback input socket is normalled to the "396" output (not to "1194" as shown in the scheme, the front panel is correct). But by patching the feedback socket to any of the single output sockets another BBD tap can be used for the feedback to obtain different sounds. Even external feedback processing is possible (e.g. with a VCA for voltage controlled feedback). The feedback control has polarizer function, i.e. the neutral position is at the center. Left from the center the feedback signal is subtracted from the input signal, right from the center it's added (negative/positive feedback). Even for this potentiometer the new version with center detent is used. A special feedback can be obtained if one of the mix outputs is used for the feedback function. In this case for each tap the positive or negative feedback share can be adjusted. This leads to multiple peaks and/or notches in the frequency response of the module.
For each tap of the BBD a separate output socket is available. These sockets can be used for changing the feedback loop - as mentioned above -, for voltage controlled mixing of the taps - e.g. with the voltage controlled mixer A-135 or other applications that require access to each single tap.
The A-188-2 uses the same high speed VCO (HSVCO) for the BBD clock as the A-188-1. The clock and consequently the delay time can be controlled manually (delay control) and by the two control voltage inputs CV1 and CV2. The sensitivity of CV1 is approximately 1V/oct. CV2 is equipped with a polarizer (a new type of potentiometers with center detent). The HSVCO has a clock output available that is normalled to the clock input socket. These sockets can be used to link different BBD modules and to run them with the same clock. But even other applications with frequency dividers (e.g. A-163) or PLL (e.g. A-196) are conceivable. A voltage composed of the manual delay control, CV1 and CV2 is available at the CV out socket, e.g. to control an external clock suppression filter as the A-188-2 is not equipped with such a filter (same as for the A-188-1)." more info on the Doepfer website.
"19" rack mount Simmons SDS V drum synth head only, includes bass drum, snare drum, three tom modules as well as master sensitivity & mixer module. Unit is 115vac powered, has xlr trigger ins, xlr individual and mix outs. There is a hi hat xlr in but no module."
"It measures aprox. 9 X 11 1/2 inches and weighs in at a meaty 6 pounds, 11 ounces. The case is cast metal and is extremely well built. These are hard to find (only 800 were made around 1980)"
images at this auction "The bontempi minstel analogue keyboard was built in 1983 and designed by guigiaro of turin,italy.he interestingly designed the volkswagen golf and the panda/punto for fiat. still functions just as bontempi intended,but now includes 13 modifications...
13 modifications Custom metal control panel & Wood effect detailing Chord modulation knob Low pass filter knob With on/off switch (when in use the keys are disabled) Rhythmic drum overdrive knob 8-bit crusher modulation knob Arpeggio increase knob On/off toggle switches: Loose wire lo-fi Snare cut Bass drum cut Bass enhancer Feedback Break down hold White noise invader Internal speaker has been removed to house modifications Original features: On/off 6 voices (organ,horn,oboe,strings,piano and harpsichord) Effects: sustain and vibrato switches Off beat l.e.d indicator 6 drum rhythms (waltz,tango,swing,slow rock,disco and latin) Rhythm tempo adjust Arpeggio/rhythm balance adjust Master volume control Arpeggio volume control 3 postition rhythm switch (off, synchro and start) 3 key modes (standard, bass&chords and single finger chords) Pitch trimmer at bottom Polyphonic 5/9 notes, depending on mode in use 1/4" aux line output 1/4" headphone out 12v dc in Or Powered by 8 'c' batteries (not included) Comes with original box (ok condition) and original mains adaptor Detachable key cover lid"
RC CIRCUIT BENT 1983 BONTEMPI MINSTREL ANALOGUE SYNTH
images at this auction "Mix Mix Mix. One little mischevious devil here. ...and a funky mix. Mix Machine is a VOLTAGE-CONTROLLED 8-channel mixer. It is also an 8-channel FILTER BANK. It is made using 8 CEM3379 chips by Curtis Electro-Music! Audio inputs = 8 of them! Voltage-Controlled PAN = 8 of them! Voltage-Controlled AMP = 8 of them! Voltage-Controlled LOW PASS FILTER = 8 of them! Voltage-Controlled Resonance = 8 of them! Audio Outputs = Stereo or L = mono. This can be handy. and a Master Volume knob. "Main Gain" There are 32 Control Knobs! They are labelled as Attenuations, but are in fact, Control Knobs. There are also 16 extra unused jacks on the back. They were not used in this design, but you could use them for your own mods if you like. The Filters are 4-pole 24dB and can self-oscillate. There are just so many possibilities here. Turn up the Volume! Turn up the Resonance knobs! Hear the tones drone! Filter your guitar! or Drum Machine? or Akai MPC sampler with multiple outputs! Filter it 8 ways, please. Plug LFOs, Analog Sequencer, or Sample+Hold into Control Input Jacks. Use with a MIDI-CV Converter for Programmed PANS and FILTER SWEEPS. It has an internal power supply and comes with a cable for USA 117volts AC." More info and samples here.
via this auction
"This is a blank printed circuit board for an EFM (Electronics for Music) Wildcat modular synth. This is basically a diy modular synth on a single board. This auction also includes the special PIC (programmable integrated circuit) chip required for the midi to CV part of the circuit...
Here are a couple of good online sources of info about this board:
"The Utopia Synth by King Capitol Punishment is an analog two oscillator noise machine with to modulation sources. There are range switches for each oscillator which can extend the speed of oscillation from almost sub-sonic to grinding high-speed FM. The modulators can be switched off. There is also a master volume control on the side of this little beast. Requires 9 volt negative center adapter, not included."
synthPond 2.0 Tutorial from zach on Vimeo. "A simple video tutorial showing basic uses of all of the new (and old) features of synthPond 2.0" follow-up to these posts. You can get synthPond here:
"iOscilloscope turns your iPhone into a virtual oscilloscope, one that will measure sound waves in real time. You may view the sound waves in Fast Fourier transform mode or Sonogram mode. Try to find all the different sound waves you can make :)"
YouTube via hyperguy61 "a little riff coming from the buchlas. the 291e is sequencing along with the 250e. 7 against 5. the 144 is modulating the 291e filter , the 158 is the the sound you hear. the touch plate is changing the pitch of the 158. enjoy."
Buchla ring mod riff
"a variation of the filter mod patch. all audio from the 200e but going through the 111 ring modulator. the 123 is choosing pitches of the 261s mod and principle oscillators along with the keypad."
YouTube via hyperguy61 "A Buchla 200e and Buchla 100 being controlled by a Genoqs Octopus. It's a wonder i get anything done in my life. i could easily spend the rest of my days in front of these beautiful machines. sorry for the crappy audio...i'll post more when i figure out how to do it."
Buchla 200e little melody
"A Genoqs Octopus playing a simple melody on the Buchla 200e and a SFTMC era 100 system.A little more melodic that what i usually do."
Beep-it from Michael Una on Vimeo. "A demonstration of Michael Una's Beep-it optical theremin synthesizer, which outputs a square wave whose pitch is variable in relation to the amount of light striking a photocell mounted within the device.
These fine musical instruments are available for purchase here"
"This [link] is a report of the first Turin Synth Clinic with some Foto. One of this are a Synth cake made by DanaeL (www.danael.name)"
In Googlish: link
"It ended a few days ago the first Torino Synth Clinic organized by Noisecollective. Si è trattato di un corso pilota per tastare il terreno, per capire quanta gente potesse essere interessata e per valutare se pensare per il futuro a qualcosa di più corposo... This was a pilot course to feel the ground, to understand how people could be involved and to assess whether thinking for the future to something more substantial ... beh, direi che i risultati ci sono stati e stiamo già pensando a nuovi corsi. Well, I would say that the results were there and we're already thinking about new courses. Per adesso eccovi un report della due giorni. For now here is a report of two days."
via Elhardt on AH: "Preliminary pictures of a one-of-a-kind stand alone Polymoog 3 Band Resonator. Just one more thing my defunct Polymoog synth produced as I don't believe in wasting any part of a Polymoog. It makes a great external processing unit. After I get the finishing parts from Mouser, it will also have a red/green bypass/enable LED on the front panel and will probably go up for sale or auction if I can manage to part with it.
-Elhardt
Bahn Audio Systems Custom Design Division"
YouTube via fathermckenzie1. EMS Synthi in "On The Run." I'm curious if this will take off like Dark Side of OZ. This one does have it's moments. If you've seen Logan's Run, the foreboding music for "On The Run" definitely captures what that scene is about. Ick... Creeps me out.
Description: "Recently I discovered this sync: Logan's Run and Dark Side of the Moon.
Logan's Run mainly deals with themes of getting old, death, running from death, isolation, and violence, so I naturally thought of Dark Side. It actually syncs up amazingly, imo. Here's how it breaks down: * Start the album at the MGM lion :D 1. "Speak to Me" and the beginning of "Breathe" play as the camera is flying over the futuristic city. The lyrics to "Breathe" start almost exactly as the scene cuts to the newborn baby's hand with the crystal on it. The lyrics sync up amazingly with the scene, as if the singer is telling the baby about life and the world he's been born into. 2. "On The Run" starts just as Logan and Francis get off the tunnel car or whatever it is, and enter the city. It almost looks like they're in an airport, so the sound effects work pretty good. "Live for today, gone tomorrow, that's me!": I guess that could be the slogan of the entire city. 3. In "Time", the clocks all ring right as the Carousel starts, signaling that their time/lives are up. The ominous mood during the rototom section goes on while the people in Carousel fly upwards toward their death. "No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun": right when this lyric is sung, Logan points his gun, and then the runner appears around the corner. Then the guitar solo starts as he dashes away. This might be the best lyrical sync in the entire movie! The theme of dying and time slipping away is obviously palpable in both the movie and song. "Breathe (reprise)" plays as Logan returns home, too! ("Home, home again...") 4. "Great Gig" doesn't really sync too well, unfortunately. The main "violent, cymbal-crashing" section ends right as Jessica starts to walk away, though. The last note on the piano hits exactly as the movie cuts to a scene outside of a building. 5. In "Money", Francis puts all his personal belongings, what looks like a wallet and some coins(?) down on a thing that makes them instantly disappear. 6. The entire theme of "Us and Them" matches the film perfectly. The song starts just as Logan's life clock starts flashing, meaning he has just become one of "them", and no longer one of "us". "Short, sharp, shock": people in this movie are killed through what looks like electrocution. 7. "Any Colour you like" begins as Logan and Jessica get on the tunnel car thing. 8. In "Brain Damage", Logan and Jessica are surrounded by the savages: the "loonies"? "You raise the blade...": Billy, the main savage, wields a large knife, and puts it against Logan's throat a bit before this lyric. After the main section of the song ends, and the synthesizer/Lunatic's voice comes in, the runner appears looking very crazy and frightened. 9. "Eclipse": As the final lyric "sun is eclipsed by the moon" is sung, Logan and Jessica are being filmed at a unique angle, through two circular openings, making them look like their two heads are actually "the sun" and "the moon". (I dunno: Logan has light blonde hair, so he's the sun, and Jessica has dark brown hair, so her face is the light part facing the sun, and her darker hair is the reverse, dark side of the moon)."
images at this auction via thegoodbutcher in the comments of this post. "Many Fantastic mods. * MIDI on the monophonic voice * Envelope Generator LED * LFO Range switch - SLOW REG FAST * Poly octave drop * Polyphonic pitch Modulation from either the Envelope Generator or the LFO with attenuator * Tone Source 1 Pulse Width Control * Tone Source 1 Pulse width modulation from EG or LFO * Tone Source 1 Suboctave * Tone Source 2 Pulse Width control * Tone Source 2 Detune modulation from either EG or LFO with attenuator (great when synced) * Bell (Ring Modulator) input selector. Either TS2 (stock) or Poly * External input to the VCF with attenuator. * Individual outs * Output jacks changed to 1/4" This little monster can make lots of crazy sounds. Much much fatter than a Rogue. Some of the mods require retuning with the front panel controls. I never had a problem."
It turns out bdu aka Brandon Daniel started a new blog called bleepology.
The Hello World posted on Nov 6: "You needed another synth-blog, didn’t you? Of course you did.
I’ve been a content-generator [fdiskc.com] for these things since before any of the synth-blogs existed, so I figured it’s time to stop tossing my stuff their way to be posted with very little context, and post it here instead (where it will then be picked up and read by the majority of it’s consumers elsewhere). But, with luck, there will be a bit more context available.
I don’t have a whole lot of spare time, so if you see a post here, it’s probably something I made/photographed/recorded myself and felt like sharing, rather than something I dug up elsewhere.
I’m writing this, but I know it’s unlikely anyone will read it for awhile, but it felt right to make a “first post!” sort of thing. Booga booga!"
I think you'll get a few reads out of this post. :) Go check it out people.
As for some fun with dates. fdiskc.com started in 2001. MATRIXSYNTH.COM? 1997. :)
A quick note on MATRIXSYNTH the blog for anyone interested. I started it in 2005 as a more efficient way of tracking everything synth. The original site was becoming a bit too difficult to manage and it didn't account for the type of things I wanted to link to. A blog by it's original definition was a site that only linked to others, but has meshed into various things over the years and has more commonly become a place to share your thoughts. I try to stay true to the original meaning and I try to keep my thoughts out of it. Why? MATRIXSYNTH isn't about me, it's about what's out there in the world of synths just as the original site was. I also want people to experience what's out there free from my influence or opinion, hence why I rarely interject my comments. Why am I doing it in this post? I thought it was a good opportunity to give some insight into what this site is about vs others in light of bdu's hello world, and because it could be easy to misread. Please note I do not take offense to bdu's comments, far from it. I don't see it as offensive but rather an observation of what that site will be, and I'm looking forward to what will go up over time just as I look forward to all of the other sites I visit. Also its worth nothing that Brandon has given me permission to post things many times. I always do my best to link to the source sites for more info and/or credit.
YouTube via ZKad "Quick overview of my new MicroKorg from Korg. Covers the very, very basics as I've yet to fit in time to play with it properly but should prove interesting to anyone thinking of buying it. Personally I love it - great sound."
via Obscuresounds
"The vocals are sung by two artists. The first is a german band called Carmen, who did a track called "Schlaraffenland" in 1982, and is sung by Carmen Thelen Gaspar. The chorus is sung by Adjeef The Poet (Ad Visser), who in 1967 released a track called 'Iekk! I'm A Freak'."
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