Adventures in Synthesis: Spring Reverb Feedback, Sequential Switch, and Wild Modulations

Published on Sep 24, 2016 Chris Beckstrom

"The other day I was experimenting with a sequential switch, using it to cycle through various waveforms coming from a single oscillator. It's a bit like the classic dubstep wobble bass, where the divisions of the wobbling change every bit. Of course since this is a modular synth, things can- and do- get much crazier.

Patch Notes

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Synth Rorschach #45: Historic Computers

This is just a handful of them.  See Creative Review for the rest. Spotted this one on Boing Boing.

Left reminds me of a Doepfer eurorack. The second pic below reminds me of colored banana jack DIY modules. The one below it reminds me of the Sal-Mar. Serge below it and finally the $40,000 Holland SM2000 Eurorack Modular Synthesizer bottom. Tagging them in the labels below just for reference.

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Synth Rorschach #44: AKAT-1 from 1950

via Boing Boing

Like someone meshed a Buchla Music Easel, EMS Hi-Fli, and Doepfer modules along with an oscilloscope.

See more Synth Rorschachs here.

R.A.Moog 701 Drum Synthesizer - Part 7 - Twangy... & Part 8

Published on Oct 19, 2015 noddyspuncture

"Twangy boing and blip sounds - no noise modulation used, just the internal oscillator. Thanks to Kev for the videoing."

R.A.Moog 701 Drum Synthesizer - Part 8

Published on Oct 19, 2015

"Just general messing - again no "noise" modulation used, just the internal oscillator. Thanks to Kev for the videoing...!"

All parts here.

Happy Birthday Commodore Amiga!

The Amiga Demoscene Mixtape Vol. 1 - mixed by DJ Arvy (The Old-School Classics Edition)

Published on Jun 11, 2013 DJ Arvy

The Commodore Amiga turns 30 today! via Boing Boing

Playlist:

1. The Amiga Demoscene Mixtape Vol. 1 - mixed by DJ Arvy (The Old-School Classics Edition)
"A non-stop DJ Continous Mix featuring some of the greatest and most popular Soundtracks from the early 90s Old School Amiga Demos.

Playlist:
0:05 "Deep Space" by Greg (from "Odyssey" by Alcatraz, 1992)
0:45 "Stardust Memories" by Jester (from "World of Commodore" by Sanity, 1992)
4:15 "Part6" by Greg (from "Odyssey" by Alcatraz, 1992)
6:35 "Hyperbased" by Firefox & Tip (from "Enigma" by Phenomena, 1991)
11:19 "Checknobankh" by Laxity (from "Desert Dream" by Kefrens, 1993)
14:25 "Elysium" by Jester (from "Elysium" by Sanity, 1991)
17:50 "Vite and Plack" by Virgill (from "Interference" by Sanity, 1993)
21:41 "Part3" by Greg (from "Odyssey" by Alcatraz, 1992)
23:21 "Overload" by Firefox & Tip (from "Voyage" by Razor 1911, 1991)
29:30 "Nagual Dance" by Jugi (from "Paradigma" by Complex, 1993)
33:35 "Demomodul#3" by Laxity (from "Desert Dream" by Kefrens, 1993)
37:55 "Cyberride" by Jester (from "Extension" by Pygmy Projects, 1993)
42:16 "A nice Day for a Walk" by Julius / Mad Freak (from "3D Demo II" by Anarchy, 1992)

Free MP3-Download at soundcloud:
https://soundcloud.com/deejay-arvy/th..."

2. The Amiga Demoscene Mixtape Vol. 2 - mixed by DJ Arvy (Old Skool) ft. Mods by Moby, Laxity and more

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Roger Roger - Musique Idiote

via a review on discogs

"This is truly a Dada Musical Masterpiece of witty and inventive moog sounds from what we can approx to the year 1968.
Just imagine that year and this innovation made with that sense of absurdness and trickery that only Roger can do."

Available on Amazon & eBay. You can find additional tracks on YouTube.

via Boing Boing

Synth Rorschach #34: Twin Peaks

Twin Peaks' Sherilyn Fenn via Boing Boing.

What in the synth realm does this remind you of? Answer in the comments.

Hitchhiker 히치하이커_11(ELEVEN)_Music Video

Published on Sep 10, 2014 SMTOWN

@1:20 followed by 2:15. Enjoy.

via Boing Boing

Video Description:

"♬ Hichhiker’s single 11(Eleven) available on iTunes @
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/1st...

♬Hichhiker’s single 11(Eleven) available on Spotify @
http://open.spotify.com/track/6udXAPv...

♬Hitchhiker’s single 11(Eleven) available on Deezer @
http://www.deezer.com/album/8542941

Find out more about Hitchhiker :
www.facebook.com/hitchhiker.pd

One of the S.M.Entertainment's major producers 'Hitchhiker' is presenting 'Hitchhiker Project'

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PinballDJ for iOS

Published on Jun 29, 2014

iTunes: PinballDJ - Unified Game

"UnifiedGame proudly presents “PinballDJ” - a tool for groove composition, playfull beat exploration - and general noodling about and making things go “boing”!

With PinballDJ you can create your own music by building tracks of elements known from classic pinball: Props, Boards and Plungers.
Our unique combination of a physics- and musical quantization engine thus makes it very easy to make interesting grooves. Also, our file-system allows for saving and publication of “tracks” just by sharing the image-thumbnails of a track.

In the app, there are many Props with different sounds and every Prop and Board have different properties which you can adjust to make it sound unique and varied over time. Props plays their sounds when hit by balls. Balls are fired by plungers - and boards are just…. boards to deflect balls. So - to 'compose', you place these different elements on a blank canvas called a “track” so that the balls will hit Props and make sounds. You can use more than one Plunger and you can use many Props.

PinballDJ, which is a free download, let’s you explore a couple of different sound-sets (we call them "toolkits"). Also available as in-app purchases, you can add more concurrent tracks, a recording function for recording your beats in wav-files for import in your favourite DAW - and also buy new sounds. We’ve added a “beatbox” toolkit, lots of samples from our in-house modular eurorack kit, as well as a “dubstep” toolkit.

For now we have a fixed tempo and a fixed set of possible quantizations. That, together with new toolkits, will be first on our agenda for later updates. We’re also considering adding MIDI functionalities and different filter-options - possible controlled by the phones accelerometer. For now, regrettably, we’re unable to allow for Audiobus compatibility, as our physics and graphics engine does not allow background-processing. We might look at that at a later stage.

We welcome all and every suggestions to pinballdj@unifiedgame.com. Also - we’re looking for toolkit-creators and we’re planning a couple of competitions surrounding creative use of this tool (where the best composition will win an iPad mini - we’ll post details later).

PinballDJ can be downloaded free from the AppStore - and you can check out our website, PinballDJ.com for more Info. Also, we've added a Teaser video - as well as YouTube channel with tutorials. Please don’t hesitate a micro-second before contacting us for more info etc."

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ROLAND SN-R8-10 DANCE & ELECTRONIC Cards - TR-808 & TR-909 & CR78

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

ROLAND SN-R8-10 DANCE card via this auction

ROLAND SN-R8-04 ELECTRONIC card via this auction.

DANCE CARD:

No. Instrument Name R8 Display Name Nuance
1 TR-909 Kick 909_K Y
2 CR-78 Kick 78_K Y
3 Boing Kick BOING_K Y
4 Video Kick VIDEO_K Y
5 TR-909 Snare 909_S Y
6 CR-78 Snare 78_S Y
7 Boing Snare BOING_S Y
8 Video Snare VIDEO_S Y
9 Dance Snare DANCE_S Y
10 House Snare HOUSE_S Y
11 Trash Snare TRASH_S Y
12 TR-909 Side Stick 909SIDE
13 TR-909 Tom Tom 909_T Y

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Moogfest 2014 Presenters Include Makers Roger Linn, Dave Smith, Tom Oberheim, Don Buchla, Forest Mims & More

"Moogfest 2014 Announces Daytime Presenters Including Futurists, Musicians, Scientists, Authors, Filmmakers, and Pioneers of Electronic Music Instrument Design

Phase 1 tickets start at $199 for 5-Day General Admission, and $499 for 5-Day VIP Admission while supplies last through December 19 when Phase 2 GA tickets go up to $299. All prices exclusive of applicable fees.

ASHEVILLE, NC – November 14, 2013 – Moogfest is a five-day festival dedicated to the synthesis of technology, art and music. Since its inception in 2004, Moogfest has been a magnet for artists, engineers, and enthusiasts of Bob Moog. With an experimental lineup of daytime conference programming featuring cultural, artistic and technological luminaries and punctuated by a diverse line up of landmark nightly performances, Moogfest honors the creativity and inventiveness of Dr. Robert Moog and pays tribute to the legacy of the analog synthesizer. This is no ordinary festival.

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Snazzy FX Wow and Flutter Tape Style Delay Eurorack Module

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

via this auction
Perfect Circuit Audio

"Sweet, warbly, tape style delay for your Eurorack Modular!

Years after the release of the revered Wow and Flutter, the eurorack module version is finally here! Not only does it live up to the original, it has a bunch of new features. Since this is for your modular synthesizer, the headroom has increased to 10 volts peak to peak. Effects possible with this module range from subtle tape warble to full-on pitch weirdness, snapback delay, rubbery sounds, dark echo, delayed swells, and self-oscillating feedback madness.

Use it as a regular delay by turning down the Warp knob, the color is dark and soft. Turn up the warp halfway and you begin to get pitched delays and warbly goo. Turn Warp all the way up and it has a unique sound all its own. For those of you who have never tried a Wow and Flutter, it is so much more than a delay. In fact the original intent of the box wasn't delay at all, it was the sound of the tape machine eating your tape. But it CAN do delay. And it can also do spiky sounds. And boing sounds. You just have to play with it. And using it on drums and synths allows a whole new basket of sounds to crash through your speaker

We have added CV control of Delay time (attenuated by the Depth knob) as well as an external envelope input AND Cv control of Decay time. So you have external control of 3 parameters. We have also added two feedback modes. With the toggle switch in the top position the feedback is very calm and resembles the original stompbox. With the toggle flipped down, WATCH OUT! At max feedback it only takes a second or two to go into self-oscillating distortion. But turn it down just a touch, and you can get quite a bit of control over your dubbed out explorations.

The attack and decay controls are exactly as they were on the original, but a jumper is on the back of the module for those who wish to take their Warbles into extreme regions. Simply move the jumper into FAST mode.

We have also future-proofed this module by adding an expander port in the back. Coming sometime in late 2013 you can expect an expander which will add even more modulation weirdness and control to your new favorite delay module!

And that's not all. There are two extra jacks which were not found on the original. WET OUT and ENV OUT. Wet out is fully wet. Use this in combination with the Envelope Input for unique sounds, or just use it to add to your mix.

The ENV OUT allows you to take the Wow's envelope follower control output and patch it into your filter CV or VCO CV…..create interesting feedback loops where the Wow is responding to the very amplitude and pitch that it is effecting!

There is also a new ENV LED, so now when you dial in the threshold control, you can see exactly when and how intensely the WARP function is going to garble your sound.

So in closing, the new Wow and Flutter module has a bunch of new features, keeps all the old ones, and in the process ends up as a very powerful modulation tool. We have put up some videos to let you hear the Wow processing drums and synths. With just a few knob turns you can really change the entire character of your input.If you have been searching for a delay with the character of a tape delay twisted and melted, look no further.

Controls

GAIN: Input gain
TRHLD: Threshold level of the envelope follower
D/W: Dry/Wet Ratio
DELAY: Delay Time
FDBCK: Feedback Level
WARP: Warp Level, turn it up and unleash the warbles!
ATTCK: Attack time of the envelope follower
DECAY: Decay time of the envelope follower
DEPTH: Depth of Delay CV
FBK: Switch between calm and chaotic feedback modes
Ins & Outs

ENV: Envelope follower input
DLY: Delay CV input
DCY: Decay CV input
IN: Audio input
OUT: Audio output (Dry/wet mix)
WET: Wet Audio output
ENV O: Envelope follower output
Features

Voltage Controlled Delay
Plenty of headroom for very hot modular signals
Warp function that takes your delays from tame to pitchy warbly insanity
Envelope follower: Attached to the Warp function. Can also be used independently!
Threshold LED Indicator: Indicates when the threshold has been reached
Skiffable"

UnkleSleazy's Instruments

Three pics via Pacmasaurus's flickr set. (click through for more)

via Boing Boing (via @chris_carter_)

"Hand-made acoustic/electronic instruments played by the late, great Peter "Sleazy" Christopherson of Coil and Throbbing Gristle."

Synth Rorschach #27 Grace Hopper and UNIVAC

What synth do you see? I'll post what I see in the comments in a bit.

flickr by public.resource.org

"SI Neg. 83-14878. Date: na...Grace Murray Hopper at the UNIVAC keyboard, c. 1960. Grace Brewster Murray: American mathematician and rear admiral in the U.S. Navy who was a pioneer in developing computer technology, helping to devise UNIVAC I. the first commercial electronic computer, and naval applications for COBOL (common-business-oriented language). ..Credit: Unknown (Smithsonian Institution)"

via Boing Boing's post for Happy Sysadmin Day. Happy Sysadmin Day! :)

R.A. Moog 701 Drum Synthesizer Module

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

via this auction - re-listed here.

"This is an R.A.Moog "701 Drum Synthesizer" module hand made by Bob Moog himself back in the late 60's...!

It was built for Eric Siday, one of Moog's first customers, but was also used in the historic "Jazz In The Garden" concert in 1969. You can read more about it here...

The 701 module was a 'prototype' and didn't ever get to the production stage. It seems only eight were ever made with six of them currently in the "Museum of Music" in Paris.

Here is a link to more info and photo's of the Paris system...

At the bottom of that page you can see Bob setting up the system with the eight modules in place.

I cannot call this *rare*... because that isn't an accurate description. It is basically a completely unobtainable one-off and a true piece of Moog history, and obviously analogue musical instrument history, which the price here reflects (...as a starting point)

This unit was designed as a part of a system, but I have managed to get it to make sounds..! So I have also included links to a couple of short videos I made..."

R.A. Moog 701 Drum Synthesizer - Part 1

Published on Jun 24, 2013 noddyspuncture·44 videos

"Here is my first video of the "R.A. Moog 701 Drum Synthesizer". I managed to get some sounds out of it - even though it was meant to *work* with the full "one-off" system as built by Bob in 1970. I think in the system it might behave a little more "drum-like"...!?! Ha!"

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DIY Water Based Oscilloscope

Amazing Water & Sound Experiment #2
Published on Mar 11, 2013

"Add me on Facebook. (click LIKE on Facebook to add me)
https://www.facebook.com/158773774166995

Download the song in this video

Song Name: Monolith

iTunes:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/mon...

Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_nos...

Ever since I created the first version of this video a year ago I've been wanting to try it again with more water and better lighting / footage. This is a really fun project and when you first see the results, chances are your jaw will drop. The main thing to keep in mind for this project is that you need a camera that shoots 24 fps.

The effect that you are seeing can't be seen with the naked eye. The effect only works through the camera. However, there is a version of the project you can do where the effect would be visible with the naked eye. For that project, you'd have to use a strobe light.

For this project you'll need:

A powered speaker
Water source
Soft rubber hose
Tone generating software
24 fps camera
Tape.

Run the rubber hose down past the speaker so that the hose touches the speaker. Leave about 1 or 2 inches of the hose hanging past the bottom of the speaker. Secure the hose to the speaker with tape or whatever works best for you. The goal is to make sure the hose is touching the actual speaker so that when the speaker produces sound (vibrates) it will vibrate the hose.

Set up your camera and switch it to 24 fps. The higher the shutter speed the better the results. But also keep in the mind that the higher your shutter speed, the more light you need. Run an audio cable from your computer to the speaker. Set your tone generating software to 24hz and hit play.Turn on the water. Now look through the camera and watch the magic begin. If you want the water to look like it's moving backward set the
frequency to 23hz. If you want to look like it's moving forward in slow motion set it to 25hz.

Have fun!"

via Boing Boing

MR-808 - mechanic drum robot

MR-808 - mechanic drum robot from Sonic Robots on Vimeo.

"Let's get physical: MR-808 is the first drum robot that reproduces the drum sounds of the 80s - in the real world.
The robot installation MR-808 is a replica of the famous 1980s electronic drum machine TR-808 – with robots playing the drum sounds! I (Moritz Simon Geist) have been playing electronic music for several years now, and at some place I was bored of the electronic music production process. With binary logic, everything is possible.
So I decided to go back to the roots of sound generation – the physical sound generation – but combine it with the electronic music structure we like so much.
I liked the idea so much, that I couldn’t stop building my own drum robots, and ended up replacing all the electronic sounds of a whole drum computer, placed in a 3,3 x 1,7m² case. I am very proud to present the “MR-808” – a mechanic replica of the famous 1980s electronic drum machine TR-808!
Read on: http://sonicrobots.com/mr808-eng/
---
MR-808 - mechanic sound robot (all drums, miced)
A mechanic relay controlled via arduino (bass sound)
Gameboy - Arduinoboy hardware (8 bit chiptune sound)
Everything was programmed in Ableton, only equing and compression has been applied.
---

Filmography: David Campesino
Music: Moritz Simon Geist"

via Boing Boing

Update:


Rise Of The Toys from Science Fiction Children on Vimeo.

"Let's get physical: SCIENCE FICTION CHILDREN perform "Rise Of The Toys"
The Track features the MR-808: the first drum robot that reproduces the drum sounds of the 80s - in the real world! The robot installation MR-808 is a replica of the famous 1980s electronic drum machine TR-808 with robots playing the drum sounds.

Read on:
www.sonicrobots.com/mr808-eng/ -- Technique
www.sciencefictionchildren.com -- Band

---
Cinematography:
David Campesino
Philipp Baumgarten

Rise Of The Toys
Written by Science Fiction Children

Band:
Art Hustle
Moritz Simon Geist
Dr. Valentine
Katharina Hoffmann

Performed at Sputnik 2.0,
Dresden 2012

Only reverb, equing and compression has been applied to the tracks."

This WAS a Kraftwerk Sample. Make Noise Phonogene: WTF Synthesis.

YouTube Published on Sep 4, 2012 by Joey Blush

"Make Noise Phonogene and Echophon manipulating a sample from Kraftwerk's "Boing Boom Tschak". Totally insane!

Phonogene output is routed to a doepfer A-119 which extracts the gate signal and then is fed back into the ping input on a 4ms PEG, then those env outs are fed recursively into the phonogene, final out into Echophon then Intellijel Mutamix."

via @Blush_Response

DEVOBOTS DEVO Synthesizer on Kickstarter

On Kickstarter.
This one in via Lorne Hammond aka kidtronic.

Snip for the archives:

"MECHANICAL MAN IS YOUR FREEDOM OF CHOICE :

This is the first ever DEVO App utilizing one of the most influential bands of the last 40 years. The App includes never-before-heard music and sounds remastered from the DEVO archives that you can use to create new music plus thousands of artistic assets that you can utilize to create your very own DEVOBOT Robot, digital or Vinyl. This is the DEVO App that fans have been waiting for.

KIT ROBOT in collaboration with DEVO:

DEVO Modular Synthesizer featuring unreleased Devo music & sounds from their archives, coupled with a Devo Robot Maker: A TWO in ONE App Available for your device...

The Story:

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Vote for x0xb0x Creator Limor Fried as Entrepreneur of 2012

In glorious hot pink hair, the maker who brought us the orginal x0xb0x, Limor Fried, aka ladyada of Adafruit Industries.

Vote for her for Entrepeneur of 2012 here. Go ladyada! Worth noting is she directly employs 25 people according to the contest, but she also indirectly contributes to all the x0xb0x makers out there.

via Boing Boing

Maker Camp Week Five video below featuring ladyada. Below that you'll find a great interview from 2009 previously posted here.

You can see the x0xb0x featured in her portfolio for 2005 here (dated 2004-2005). And of course see the x0xb0x label here for 490 x0xb0x posts to date!


YouTube Published on Aug 10, 2012 by makemagazine

"Join Maker Camp on Google+ http://g.co/makercamp"