PPG Expansion voice unit EVU (PPG wave 2.3 in a rack)

video upload by synthlegends

"The EVU (Expansion Voice Unit) is basically a Wave 2.3 synthesizer without keyboard. It is developed as a predecessor of the Wave 2.3 to help the PPG system to get more voices. It is also superior to the then current Wave 2.2 in that it is 8-voice multitimbral and already has 12-bit technology. Each of the 8 voices can be adjusted separately in volume and pan position. Usually it has to be connected via the computer interface to the Waveterm and also a PPG wave synthesizer and the sounds can be controlled from there. So you have a 16 voice PPG. In my studio I don't have a Waveterm so I controlled this EVU via MIDI. This unit has the latest Firmware 8.3 so you also can control it with any MIDI Keyboard, but it lacks the sound tweaking. The EVU were very rare. The last I saw in as a auction on ebay was 7 years ago. There were maybe only around 50 units built. This unit is mint and I think to sell it, because I have no waveform unfortunately."

Ensoniq E-MU Halo Keyboard 64 Voice Synthesizer

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this auction

"Words from the manual. Manual not included. Can be easily downloaded.

Upgradable Sounds:
Halo contains a new collection of presets designed for music composition in a wide variety of styles.These sounds are rich in harmonic texture and a perfect complement to the Z-plane filters. Halo contains three additional, user-upgradable sound SIMM sockets, allowing you to mix and match sound sets according to your needs. New sounds can be added as easily as plugging in a new 16MB or 32MB SIMM module. Each sound set has been
meticulously crafted to be the finest of its kind. Samples are expertly matched across the keyboard and perfectly looped to create realistic instruments which form the exceptionally playable presets.

1024 Presets & more:
Halo contains 512 user presets and 512 factory ROM presets, but it can be expanded with literally thousands of ROM presets. (ROM presets are automatically added when sound SIMMs are installed. As an example, a 32 MB SIMM may contain up to 1024 ROM presets.) Halo’s Sound Navigator makes it easy to find the exact sound you want. It’s powerful, yet simple to use.

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Magerit Eurorack Modules

Magerit LANIAKEA - A "cosmic" oscillator - New Release video upload by Magerit

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Introducing drumlogue, the first hybrid drum machine from Korg

video upload by Korg

Update: two new user videos by Honeysmack and Marcus Schmahl added below.

"Combining the rich power of analog with the flexibility of digital, drumlogue provides the ultimate analog sound for your beats.

Featuring newly developed analog circuitry, drumlogue builds a solid foundation for your track; it also helps you stand out with an elevated harmonic richness and thick low end.

Important parameters for each part have dedicated controls on the front panel for quick and intuitive changes – without diving into menus. For even more creative potential, each part has a wealth of further parameters accessible through a powerful onboard editing suite. Even mixing is simple, with dedicated volume controls for the analogue and digital parts.

The track you hear in this video is by Dean Forrest"

Korg Drumlogue: New Hybrid Drum Machine - First Look- Just Sounds video upload by Korg Australia


New Korg Hybrid Drum Machine Drumlogue - Honeysmack's first encounter video upload by Honeysmack



"Get ready for a super nerd session, no talking just me tinkering with the Korg drumlogue for the very first time. Korg Australia were kind enough to give me a play with a sneak preview pre-production model of the drumlogue. Unfortunately I had no manual at the time, so please excuse me in advance. Hopefully this video provides some context to its sound. I feel this will be a winner for Korg, well done! Great sound, neat size, this could be a monster of a machine.

All the sounds and effects in this video are from the drumlogue, there are no external sounds or effects. Simple stereo output from the drum machine. No other drum machines were hurt in the making of this video.

0:00 Does this suit me? Oh what does this do?
2:23 Omph omph omph, ah I see, me likey the kick drum
5:59 Electro ratchets - why not take your time and build a track
9:30 Start with speed carnivale - exploring more latin percussion then I try to break the machine!"

Korg drumlogue drum machine & synthesizer demo - no talking - video upload by Marcus Schmahl

00:00 building drum sounds & a pattern
06:13 switching through preset patterns & sounds

Korg Drumlogue Sound Demo (no talking) video upload by Bonedo Synthesizers


Korg Drumlogue Sound Demo No Talking - no external effects or processing video upload by Limbic Bits


Korg DRUMLOGUE Review // Top Pros & Cons and All 64 Factory Patterns // Full Tutorial video upload by loopop


TIMELINE:
0:00 Intro
1:20 Overview
6:15 Connectivity
7:15 Sample parts
11:40 Analog parts
14:25 Multi engine
15:05 VPM
17:15 Noise
17:55 Nano
21:30 Sequencing
22:10 Live rec
22:50 Motion rec
24:45 Step seq
25:10 Groove
26:10 Probability
27:10 Ratchets
28:00 Ties
28:30 Motion seq
30:20 Shift buttons
31:00 Polymeters
31:35 Send FX
33:35 Master FX
34:45 Sidechain
36:25 Loop
37:10 Select
38:25 Randomize
39:00 Chains
39:35 Audio in and out
41:50 Misc settings
43:45 Pros & cons
49:10 All 64 patterns



Details and pics:

A paradigm shift in drum machines.

drumlogue marks a paradigm shift in drum machines. It offers the raw power and rich sounds of Analog, the flexibility of Digital voices, and drumlogue’s SDK for fully customizable User Custom Synthesizers.

On top of that, its heavy-duty, dynamic sequencer, customizable effects, and intuitive controls will make drumlogue a must-have in your studio to create music for any genre or style.

It’s time to take your beats and entire musical process to a whole new creative level with incredible sounds, effects, customization, and sequencing. Let drumlogue support your craft on your musical journey!

Raw Analog Power

drumlogue was conceived to provide the ultimate analog sound for your beats, and delivers fantastically; featuring completely newly developed analog circuits by legendary Korg analog synth team engineer Junichi Ikeuchi (ARP 2600 M, MS-20 mini, ARP Odyssey…) , the depth and richness of its sound is on a whole new level.

These new analog circuits - (Bass Drum, Snare Drum, Low Tom and High Tom) - will not just provide a solid foundation for your track, but make it stand out with an elevated harmonic richness and a thick low end.

Blending simplicity and ease of use, the most important controls for each of these parts have dedicated knobs on the front panel that can be tweaked at any time without any menu diving necessary, so you can quickly and intuitively fine tune your sound on the fly.
For further sound exploration, each part provides many more parameters accessible through the powerful onboard sound editing system.

Last but not least, each part on drumlogue - analog or digital - has a dedicated volume knob that will make your mixing process incredibly smooth and easy.

Digital Flexibility

As the perfect partner for its analog section, drumlogue provides 7 digital parts; 6 sample based and 1 synthesis based (Multi-Engine). The sample based parts can play any of the preloaded PCM banks on drumlogue. You can also import your own User Samples to its memory, making drumlogue an extremely versatile machine with virtually limitless sonic possibilities.

To start with, the 64 preloaded drum kits of drumlogue will provide you with a wide variety of sounds spanning several genres so you can easily kick-start your tracks.

For additional sounds, samples can easily be easily loaded into the drumlogue just by connecting your drumlogue to your computer via USB and simply drag-dropping your samples onto the main memory.

Multi-Engine and logue SDK

The popular Multi Engine from prologue and minilogue xd is now more powerful than ever. In addition to the Variable Phase Modulation (VPM) and Noise generator engines, the Multi Engine features a new User Custom slot that can play full-fledged synth voices that provide vast sonic possibilities, never before heard on a drum machine.

Custom Synths

drumlogue’s synth voices are not simply static waveforms. Custom synths can be built to not only generate sound, even implementing built in filters, LFOs, MIDI controlled polyphony or other parameters is now possible The only restriction for third party developers is their creativity (and CPU usage!), giving you unbound sound exploration.

Exclusive Sinevibes Synth Plugin “Nano”

Korg has collaborated with popular logueSDK plugin developer “Sinevibes” to include a brand new synth plugin “Nano” as a factory preset on drumlogue. This exclusive plugin explores the power behind the expanded Multi Engine and will give all drumlogue users a taste of this new platform.

“Nano” is a full-fledged virtual analog synth with a wide array of features and plenty of customizable parameters. The synth engine has dual oscillators with optional ring modulation, a 4-pole state-variable filter with soft clipping distortion, built-in EG and built-in multi-waveform LFO.

Leads, basses, percussive sounds or cinematic effects, you decide how to use this incredible sonic potential!

A True Sequencing Powerhouse

drumlogue harnesses all of its sonic power to an extremely powerful internal sequencer that is flexible and easy to use.

Tired of the same old beats? drumlogue's heavy duty 64 step sequencer makes it easy and intuitive to create complex rhythm patterns and polyrhythms that elevate your music creation process with innovative features such as per-step probability, per-step alternate trigger patterns, per-step micro offsets, per-track groove patterns and much more.

Thanks to its clear OLED display, it is also very easy to visually follow and edit your sequences.

drumlogue is both great in the studio and playing live. With its Chain mode, creating long and interesting patterns is straightforward and clearly displayed. In Loop mode you can switch between several variations to play your sequence in new and interesting ways. The Motion and Accent recording functions are intuitive and fast and if you want to try new things on your track, the Randomization function is there to help you. These functions and many more on the drumlogue will support and spice up your live performances!

Effects and customization

drumlogue includes several high-quality effects across three categories that can be used simultaneously: Delay, Reverb and Master effects.

The send amounts for delay and reverb effects can be set independently for each part, and multiple return points are available.
The master effects allow you to add that final polish to your sound and bring it all together. Master effects can be bypassed on a per-part basis, making it possible to send the effect to specific audio parts. A sidechain bus is also available to master effects which can make use of it.

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Morenz-Perkes 1200, Synth Keyboard Brochure

via this auction

This appears to be the first post to feature Morenz-Perkes.

"Morenz Perkes 1200 keyboard brochure. Black and white, 4 pages with specs on back page."

Details ffrom the brochure:

- All Digital Electronic Synthesizer

- 8 Voice Polyphonic Live Performance Instrument

- 61 Instruments Stored As Presets, Plus Unlimited Tape Storage of Additional Instruments

- Always In Tune

- Innovative, Computer Controlled Patching Provides Totally New Dimensions in Sound

- Unprecedented Flexibility in Control of: Timbre, Envelope, Pitch, Pedal Function and Keyboard Modes

- Make Chords, Echos, Arpeggios, Drones, Glides, Sequences, Glissando, All in Great Variety

- Very Large Scale Integration for Maximum Flexibility

---

Specs on back of brochure below.

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Big Knobs and A Big Sound: #1222 Performance VCO by Look Mum No Computer

video upload by Patchwerks

"In this video resident expert Nick Bigelow of Patchwerks shares an overview and demonstration of the new #1222 Performance VCO by Sam Battle, aka Look Mum No Computer.

Get the #1222 Performance VCO here: https://bit.ly/1222_vco

'The first Modular offering from Sam Battle, aka Look Mum No Computer, comes the 1222 Voltage Controlled Oscillator - a synth voice designed to be comprehensive, musical, and instantaneous. Fully featured and packed to brim with some unique and handy tools, the 1222 is ready to be front and center of your modular system being the focal point of your creative endeavors. If you can dream it, the 1222 can voice it!'

https://patchwerks.com/
Demo by: Nick Bigelow
Video by: Matthew Piecora ( EZBOT) and Steven Ly (Project 32)
https://www.ezbot.live"

Rare Yamaha FVX1 FM Voice Expander

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this auction

You can find a few demos of the FVX-1 in previous posts here.

"The Yamaha FVX1 is a super rare MIDI-compatible FM Voice Expander that comprise the expanded system of the HX Series Electone. An AWM epxander was also available: the Yamaha AVX1. The FVX1 has four 8-operator FM tone generators on board, representing a "timbre", that can be layered through an internal mixer. Much like the TX81Z or the DX11, multiple waveforms are available for each operator. Each timbre or layer has 8 notes of polyphony and can be controlled independently via its own MIDI channel.

The FVX1 holds 248 preset voices, 256 user-programmable memory slots and 16 performances. Yet the parameters that can be directly accessed by the user from the front panel are rather limited in comparison to its full synthesizer siblings: the frequency, output level and waveform of each operator, as well as the envelope generator rates and levels. An external computer editor, called the FED1 FM editor (built specifically for the Toshiba T3100), has to be used in order to gain full control on the voice editing capabilities.

Similarly to what is offered on the DMP7 and DMP11, the onboard mixers also has additional effects available: Stereo-Chorus, Stereo-Pan, Symphonic, Phaser, Flanger, Delay, Tremolo, Digital hall, Celeste and Wah."

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Reon Cistron Rhythm Machine

via this auction

A newer box from Reon. Based on the videos below it first appeared in 2021. The following are some details followed by the videos.

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Dave Smith Was an Ironman Triathlete

In case you missed it in this post, Roger Linn noted Dave Smith was "an avid athelete, cyclist and triathlete. He actually participated in the Hawaii Ironman Triathlon in his younger years..."

@birdkids reminded me of an article on the development of the Prophet VS archived on the WaybackMachine. In it, Chris Meyer mentions Dave was in Hawaii prepping for the tournament during that time. I thought it was interesting and worth sharing. I captured it below.

"Date: Wed, 15 Jan 1997 07:55:41 -0800
From: Xrystal
MIME-Version: 1.0
Subject: Birth of the Prophet VS

I thought the following might be of interest to you. Xrystal
_____________________________________________________________________


The Birth of the Prophet VS

By Chris Meyer, ex-employee of Sequential Circuits

reprinted from the VS WaveWrangler User Guide by permission of Interval Music Systems,
©1991 Interval Music Systems.

It all started somewhere in 1985. We were still working on the Prophet 2000 sampler,
and as resident historian (in other words, I had the most magazines and manuals) another
engineer was asking me to explain how various instruments performed crossfades. I had
finished discussing the Fairlight, and had moved on the PPG - explaining its wavetables,
and the ability for it to scan a group of waves first in one direction and then back again,
While I was scrawling this back and forth motion in my notebook, suddenly a little twinge
went off in the back of my head, and myhand drew the next line arcing down the page.. and the
concept of crossfading beween waves in two dimension, not just one, was born.

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Yamaha MU15 Portable Midi Module XG Synthesizer Tone Generator

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this auction

Precursor to the QY series. You can find a video of one here being controlled by a Handera palm device.

"676 Editable Voices, 21 Drum Kits, 25 Micro Keys, LCD Screen, Multiple Effects, Resonant Filter, Midi, Extreme Portability

This is a Yamaha MU15 in great cosmetic condition and excellent working condition ... a great portable XG (advanced General Midi) midi module, with an incredible 676 excellent voices and 21 full drum kits. This is all in an extremely compact instrument.

It will run on 6 AA batteries or a DC in power supply. A BRAND NEW Mutec YA-1 power supply will be included as well. This unit is great on the go, hooked up to your computer, or as an easy addition to your rig. There is minor general wear on this MU-15 and the LCD screen is clear, with no major damage on the unit, a clean battery compartment, and the battery cover is also included."

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The SquishBox: a Raspberry Pi Synthesizer by Geek Funk Labs

video upload by The White Tornado

"This video gives an overview of the SquishBox, a super-customizable software synthesizer in a stompbox that runs on a Raspberry Pi. The SquishBox has great audio with low latency, uses soundfonts that you can find for free on the internet, and can be controlled by up to 4 MIDI keyboards/controllers."

0:00 Intro
1:05 Internal Components
2:18 Assembly
3:40 Software Installation
4:15 Demo
5:45 Editing Sounds and Banks
6:40 Reasons

via Tindie

"The SquishBox is a super-customizable software synthesizer in a box. It has 4 USB ports for you to plug in MIDI keyboards/controllers or upload new sounds, stereo 1/4″ outputs to your mixer/amp/headphones, an LCD display, a rotary encoder for switching between patches and changing settings, a programmable stompbutton, and wifi for you to upload sounds and edit patches. It comes with a large selection of sounds and patches, and it allows you to create your own performances that split and/or layer sounds in unique ways on your instrument's keys or controls, activate and control built-in effects, arpeggiate notes, trigger sequences, play MIDI files, and more.

As a keyboard-playing musician, I love being able to use software instruments to produce any sounds/effects I want, but to use them you usually need a tablet or laptop, an audio interface, extra cash to buy DAW software and virtual instruments, and tons of time to figure out how to get everything to work together. Also, you have to drag all that stuff on stage, set it up, and be poking a screen or tapping keys while you're trying to play - which does not, to my eyes, rock. What is needed, I decided, is an all-in-one sound module that fits in a cool guitar-pedal-type box, is easy to customize, has some simple controls to change patches and settings, and a little screen to tell you what it's doing.

So, I made the SquishBox, a Raspberry Pi computer tucked into a stompbox-sized case that runs the versatile, open-source, and free FluidSynth and uses soundfonts - a widely- and freely- available and editable software instrument format - to produce whatever sounds you want, in whatever way you want, so you can own your sound!

The SquishBox runs off a 5V power supply with a 5.1mm x 2.1mm plug. You can purchase the assembled unit without a Raspberry Pi computer, if you want to use a Pi 3B+ or Pi 4 you already have. For additional information, support, and tips on customizing your SquishBox, visit Geek Funk Labs!

SquishBox Features:

Durable 3D-printed PLA case
Rotary encoder for selecting patches/options and opening menus
Momentary button that can trigger patch-specific actions (sustain, effects toggle, etc.)
16x2 character LCD
4 USB inputs to connect MIDI keyboards/controllers or other devices
2 1/4" jacks that can provide mono, stereo, or headphone connections
A built-in sound card for high-quality, low-latency audio output
Onboard WiFi with web interface for configuration/uploading additional soundfonts
Cross-platform software for editing patches and banks from your computer"

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PAIA 8780 D/A AND DUAL QuaSH MODULES

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this auction

"These are extremely hard to find. PAIA 8780 Digital to Analog converter mated with TWO sets of 8781 QUASH (QUAD ADRESSABLE SAMPLE AND HOLD) modules gives you EIGHT sample and holds. These were used with special software and a computer like the Paia 8700 (sorry I am keeping mine) or a Apple II+ or PET. This enabled you to do tricks like Polyphony, weird effects etc-see Google. You could do 8 "Polytonic" voices with this setup. You can have up to 4 QuaSH tied together for 16 voices.

FROM.MATRIXSYNTH [posted here]:

"The QuASH provides four computer addressable S/H circuits in a single module. It features adjustable glide rate for each channel (selected by computer control), individual trigger “gates” and an individual modulation input for each channel. On-board address decoding allows up to four QuASH modules to be bussed together in a single system for 16 voice “polytonic” synthesis! This module is intended for the true PAiA fanatic that wants a complete and original computer controlled system from the glory days of the analog world: the 1970’s"

You can find a video featuring the QuaSH here, and the D/A here. See the PAiA label at the bottom of an PAiA post for more, or search for modules on the top right of the site.

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SuonoBuono - Lazer

video upload by NOISEBUG

With and Analogue Systems modular.

"https://www.noisebug.net/products/suo...

LAZER is a unique laser-based music controller.

Thanks to its rich set of outputs, it can control external MIDI instruments and effects, analog synthesizers and virtual instruments in a DAW such as Ableton Live, Cubase or Logic. It also has an on-board lo-fi oscillator that can drive headphones (for live tracking) or be used as an audio source.

LAZER is completely standalone and does not require a computer. It is ideal for live jams!

The sensor measures the distance from the hand and transforms it into MIDI, analog and audio signals, according to user settings. Its 1mm (circa) resolution and the configurable range up to 50cm allow for precise control of sensitive parameters such as pitch and filter frequency.

LAZER does not require wearing any wearables and can be used in most light conditions with bare hands. It should however be avoided to point strong light sources directly to the sensor. Multiple LAZERs can be used simultaneously without interfering with each other.

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Roland MC-4: The 1981 Music Computer

video upload by Alex Ball

"A look at the Roland MicroComposer / MC-4 from 1981.

In 1977 Roland introduced the first ever microprocessor controlled digital sequencer, which was the MC-8 designed by Ralph Dyck. The MC-4 was the successor and was one of Roland's few CV/Gate digital sequencers before they moved over to MIDI shortly after.

Both when it was new and many years after it was seemingly obsolete, numerous artists swore by it and they're now sought after. In the video we explore why.

With thanks to Pea Hicks for the MC-8 footage and images.

0:00 Intro Jam
0:41 Origin of the MC series
2:54 Interlude
3:31 Demonstration of how it works
10:20 The end result
10:47 Summary of the experience
12:09 Others ways to program
13:16 Experiments & explorations
19:03 MC-4b etc
19:39 Who used it, when and why?"

Atomosynth Introduces New KOE M6 Desktop Synth

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated. "Hello World, this is a demo of the new KOE module, it is controlled by midi, all sounds and effects (except for drums) come from the KOE synthesizer with no external processing."

Playlist:
KOE M6 organicBass
KOE M6 liquidWaves
KOE M6 chaosArpeggio

via Atomosynth

"Hello world, we are proud to introduce the new AtomoSynth KOE M6. It is a monophonic analog semi-modular synthesizer. It features all the classic circuits like: One oscillator with sub oscillator, audio mixer, low frequency oscillator, high and low pass filter, ADSR envelope generator and also some special ones like a loopable slope generator, multimode random voltage modulator, a voltage mixer and with it’s 32 point patchbay you can experiment and create not only classic warm analog sounds but a great variety of interesting and otherworldly soundscapes, Also it features a modulable delay effect capable of creating from spring-like reverbs all the way to super long decimated echoes to add the final touch to your sound, a true mini lab for sound design!

It has internal normalized basic connections so you can play it without any patch cable connected, It features an internal midi to CV converter so you can play it with a midi keyboard or connect to a computer or midi sequencer, and also with a CV/gate controller or you can forget about controllers and play it as a drone synth.

The KOE M6 desktop edition is fully compatible with your eurorack setup or it can be a great entry gate to the modular world. You can even take the module out from its enclosure and install it in another Eurorack case.

Specs:

Voltage controlled oscillator with saw and pulse waveforms.

Pulse width modulation controllable by voltage.

Square wave Sub oscillator with -1 and -2 octaves selector.

Digital square wave oscillator DCO (controlled by midi only).

Low Frequency Oscillator with triangle and square waveforms and voltage controlled frequency.

Random voltage modulator with 6 modes (S&H, random, dust, random gate, pulse, midi cc out)

Classic AtomoSynth Low pass and High pass voltage controlled vactrol filter.

Slope generator with voltage controlled rise and fall times and loop/gate selector.

ADSR type envelope generator.

Flexible built in Delay effect with voltage controlled delay time.

Voltage mixer with gain and positive or negative offset control.

Patch bay with 17 inputs and 15 outputs.

Midi interface with CV pitch, gate and CC outputs.

Rugged sheet metal enclosure finished with micro textured electrostatic paint.

Dimensions: 364mm (W), 157mm (D), 81mm (H)

Uses 15V 2A center positive power supply (included).

Introductory price: USD 449.00"

Clavia Nord Modular Keyboard SN 99040861

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this auction

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Acids Neurorack - The First Deep AI-based Eurorack Synthesizer

video upload by Acids Team - Ircam

Note Artisan Electronics has a Neurorack module system (4:52 here), however it does not appear to be AI based. There is also this user labeled Eurorack system with "brainwaves/EEG signals as source of modulation (the Neuro portion of it)", but again no AI (there is also soundmachines' BI1brainterface (no AI). (Update: there was also the Hartmann Neuron and Jomox Neuronium, both based on neuronal networks.) As for AI applied to synthesis in general, you can find posts mentioning artificial intelligence here. I believe the earliest reference would be John Chowning in 1964: "Following military service in a Navy band and university studies at Wittenberg University, Chowning, aided by Max Mathews of Bell Telephone Laboratories and David Poole of Stanford, set up a computer music program using the computer system of Stanford University's Artificial Intelligence Laboratory in 1964."

Description for the above video:
"The Neurorack is the first ever AI-based real-time synthesizer, which comes in many formats and more specifically in the Eurorack format. The current prototype relies on the Jetson Nano. The goal of this project is to design the next generation of music instrument, providing a new tool for musician while enhancing the musician's creativity. It proposes a novel approach to think and compose music. We deeply think that AI can be used to achieve this quest. The Eurorack hardware and software have been developed by our team, with equal contributions from Ninon Devis, Philippe Esling and Martin Vert."

https://github.com/ninon-io/Impact-Synth-Hardware/
http://acids.ircam.fr/neurorack/

More information

Motivations
Deep learning models have provided extremely successful methods in most application fields, by enabling unprecedented accuracy in various tasks, including audio generation. However, the consistently overlooked downside of deep models is their massive complexity and tremendous computation cost. In the context of music creation and composition, model reduction becomes eminently important to provide these systems to users in real-time settings and on dedicated lightweight embedded hardware, which are particularly pervasive in the audio generation domain. Hence, in order to design a stand alone and real time instrument, we first need to craft an extremely lightweight model in terms of computation and memory footprint. To make this task even more easier, we relied on the Nvidia Jetson Nano which is a nanocomputer containing 128-core GPUs (graphical unit processors) and 4 CPUs. The compression problem is the core of the PhD topic of Ninon Devis and a full description can be found here.

Targets of our instrument
We designed our instrument so that it follows several aspects that we found crucial:

Musical: the generative model we choose is particularly interesting as it produces sounds that are impossible to synthesize without using samples.

Controllable: the interface was relevantly chosen, being handy and easy to manipulate.

Real-time: the hardware behaves as traditional instrument and is as reactive.

Stand alone: it is playable without any computer.

Model Description
We set our sights on the generation of impacts as they are very complex sounds to reproduce and almost impossible to tweak. Our model allows to generate a large variety of impacts, and enables the possibility to play, craft and merge them. The sound is generated from the distribution of 7 descriptors that can be adjusted (Loudness - Percussivity - Noisiness - Tone-like - Richness - Brightness - Pitch).

Interface
One of the biggest advantage of our module is that it can interact with other synthesizer. Following the classical conventions of modular synthesizers, our instrument can be controlled using CVs (control voltages) or gates. The main gate triggers the generation of the chosen impact. Then it is possible to modify the amount of Richness and Noisiness with two of the CVs. A second impact can be chosen to be "merge" with the main impact: we will call this operation the interpolation between two impacts. Their amounts of descriptors are melt to give an hybrid impact. The "degree of merging" is controlled by the third CV, whereas the second gate triggers the interpolation.

The Gmebaphone Concept and the Cybernéphone Instrument

This one is in via Asbjørn Blokkum Flø. "Here is an interesting synth produced in various forms from 1973-2001. It was produced in various analogue and digital forms. If you do a Google image search for 'Gmebaphone' you will see a few different versions. The music of Christian Clozier and Françoise Barrière probably includes the instrument. I tried the instrument at the Bourges festival in 2004, and it was quirky but fascinating."

via https://ur.booksc.eu/book/43779232/b24219

"The Gmebaphone is an instrumentarium consisting of amplifiers, sound-treatment systems, loudspeakers, a console, and a processing system designed and built for live diffusion and performance. The specifications for the instrument were dictated by musical criteria. The musical interpretation of a work is based on analysis of the work and on analysis of its physical signals. Thus, the instrument is able to provide a pertinent acoustic rendering of a work’s sonic complexities (in terms of timbre, time, and space) directly under the performer’s control, thereby allowing transparent and expressive interpretations. The Gmebaphone is a processor/simulator of sonic electroacoustic space, as well as a polyphonic acoustic synthesizer of musical spaces. It is an instrument comprised of the hierarchical combination of a control system with memory, tablatures, and combinatory modes of play that give rise to a rich and workable system of interpretation and expression."

Also see https://collectionsdumusee.philharmoniedeparis.fr/

Image below with an E-Mu Modular in the back ground, and EMS Putney on the left via here.  Not sure what the black system on the farl left is.  If you know feel free to leave a comment. Also if you know if any demos of the Gmebaphone let us know!

P.S. The design reminds me of various equipment featured in synth rorschach posts.

See the exclusive label for more of the rare of the rare in the synth world.

Update: additonal info in via Asbjørn Blokkum Flø:

I've looked further into the Gmebaphone.

It basically looks like a system for live surround sound for electronic music, or as it is called "diffusion" of electroacoustic music. The surround setups could be very complex with up to 50 loudspeakers of various shapes and placements, a bit like the Acousmonium (GRM 1974-) [link]

The term 'acoustic' is used several times in the article. This seems to describe how loudspeakers interacts with the acoustics of the space, and not acoustic sound sources in the traditional meaning the word.

Being built as a custom instrument for live performance of electronic music, it is more of a musical and compositional tool than a conventional analogue or digital mixer.

It evolved over the years, but the latest model seemed to have a 76 channel mixer with 8 inputs and 16 outputs, with the possibility of digital treatments (phasing, delay, reverberation, and detuning).

From the article:
'The console has a total number of 76 channels of diffusion (36 are touch-controlled and 40 are digitally controlled via the screens) spread over 16 master outputs and eight master inputs. [..] Pull-down menus control digital treatments (phasing, delay, reverberation, and detuning).'

The article describes 6 different models (with photos):
Gmebaphone 1 (1973)
Gmebaphone 2 (1975) - 6 inputs, 2 "networks" (outputs?).
Gmebaphone 3 (1979) - 8 inputs, 22 outputs. Manual analogue control as well as digital computer control.
Gmebaphone 4 (1983) - Digital playback of soundfiles. Digital treatments (phasing, delay, and timbre).
Gmebaphone 5 (1992) - sequencing, graphical interface, automation.
Gmebaphone 6 - (renamed Cybernéphone) (1997) - 8 inputs, 16 outputs, 50 loudspeakers. Possible to save files to CD-ROM.

This page mentions the Gmebaphone number 7 / Cybernéphone (2005): [link]

The convoluted language of the article reminds me of the writings of French composer Pierre Schaeffer, and can be a bit hard to decipher.
--------
There is also some information on a large number of synthesizers that they produced between 1973 and 2008. called Systhysysop (1976), Charybde (1985), Gmebogosse (1972-1999) and Cybersongosse (??-2008?).

They are described in this article (with images): [link]

Many nice images here: [pdf link]

Another article: [link]

More images: [link 1 Also captured here] [link 2] [link 3 Also captured here]

These instruments was also made at the International Institute of Electroacoustic Music at Bourges /IMEB. Read more about IMEB here (use Google translate). [link]

You have written about the Cybersongosse before: [link]

I could not find any audio clips.

All the best"

Roland Announces Vocal Designer Model Expansion and Roland Cloud Connect

video upload by RolandChannel

And a user video by Robert Saint John - JUPITER-Xpert:

Roland JUPITER v2.0 - Vocal Designer & Roland Cloud Connect -New JUPITER-X / Xm Synthesizer Firmware

video upload by Robert Saint John - JUPITER-Xpert

The press release:

Powerful New Creative Tools for Owners of the JUPITER-X and JUPITER-Xm Synthesizers

Los Angeles, CA, November 16, 2021 — Roland announces two powerful creative tools for all JUPITER-X and JUPITER-Xm synthesizer owners. The Vocal Designer Model Expansion brings the company’s acclaimed vocal synthesis technology to the JUPITER-X range, opening up a new world of expressive possibilities with the dynamic character of the human voice. Roland Cloud Connect unlocks instant access to an ever-expanding universe filled with thousands of iconic sounds and expansions using just a mobile device and the included wireless adapter.

Vocal Designer Model Expansion
The most expressive instrument in the world is the one inside us all—the human voice. With the Vocal Designer Model Expansion, players can add the warmth and expression of their voices to synthesized sounds, complete with deep customization options to craft unique and memorable tones. Roland has a long history in vocal synthesis, including the famous VP and V-Synth keyboards. Now, the Vocal Designer Model Expansion brings the pinnacle of this powerful technology to the JUPITER-X and JUPITER-Xm.

After connecting a microphone to the rear panel of the JUPITER-X/-Xm, the Vocal Designer Model Expansion allows all types of synthesizer sounds to be controlled and modulated with vocal input. This enables the performer to create otherworldly textures that blend the organic expression of the voice (the modulator) with a synthesized tone or instrument sound (the carrier). The Vocal Designer Model Expansion includes 26 different vocal synthesis algorithms with a wide range of customizable options. And any ZEN-Core tone can be used as a carrier, offering a staggering number of sonic possibilities.

In addition to all-new sounds, the Vocal Designer Model Expansion offers classic vocoder sounds derived from the legendary VP series, including choir and ensemble tones, robot voices, and more. And despite its name, the Vocal Designer Model Expansion isn’t just for voice. It’s possible to use nearly any analog audio or USB input source as a modulator, including drum machines, guitars, circuit-bent toys, DAW audio tracks, or anything the user can imagine.

Roland Cloud Connect
Roland Cloud Connect is a powerful new system that revolutionizes sound expansion for the JUPITER-X and JUPITER-Xm, providing wireless access to new sounds on demand. After plugging the included WC-1 wireless adapter into their instrument, owners can use the iOS/Android mobile app to browse, audition, and install Sound Packs, Wave Expansions, Model Expansions, and more from Roland Cloud. There's a comprehensive search engine for compatible content, and selections automatically synchronize with the user's Roland Account and Roland Cloud Manager software on a desktop computer.

The purchase of Roland Cloud Connect provides an entire year of the Pro membership tier of Roland Cloud. Included is unlimited use of over 30,000 sounds, plus the Vocal Designer Model Expansion and other Model Expansions for hardware or software instruments. There’s also a full library of authentic Roland virtual instruments for DAW production, including ZENOLOGY Pro and Legendary series titles like the JD-800, JX-8P, JUNO-60, TR-808, TR-909, and many more. And for creating on the go, the Zenbeats and Zentracker music production apps are available as well. After the first year, users can renew or scale their membership up or down to meet their needs.

Support for the Vocal Designer Model Expansion and Roland Cloud Connect is included with the free Version 2.0 update for the JUPITER-X and JUPITER-Xm.

Availability & Pricing

The Roland Vocal Designer Model Expansion is available now as a Lifetime Key for $149 through Roland Cloud, or it is also included with Roland Cloud Connect Pro membership.

Roland Cloud Connect will be available in January 2022 through authorized U.S. dealers for $99 and includes the WC-1 wireless adapter as well as one year of Roland Cloud Connect Pro membership for hardware and software.

TRAX RS-1 Rota-Synth

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this auction

The Rota Synth RS-1 is a desktop 8-step analogue sequencer, coupled with a monophonic, true analogue synthesizer. It does not use a keyboard like a conventional synth, but instead generates musical sequences and sound effects that you program in real time.

Made in 2010 by TRAX (Trax Controls), the same manufacturer of the famous Retro Wave R-1.

Super rare synth, in excellent condition for its age, the only one for sale in the world !
Use it to create rapidly repeating musical phrases, grungy riffs, retro computer game effects, rolling basslines, off-the-wall rhythmic patterns, dub sirens, weird sci-fi effects, plus sounds yet undiscovered....

No clumsy menus to wade through - just switch on and go. You get full, hands-on control via knobs and switches.

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