October by Shasta Cults

All Buchla 400 EP from Shasta Cults, available on Bandcamp and Hard Wax.

Shasta Cults recently released Configurations featuring the Buchla 700. Excellent album BTW.

Image of the Buchla 400 below via @buchla_archives

Roland System 700・Moog Modular IIIP・Buchla / Tokyo University of the Arts

Published on Dec 6, 2019

"「電子楽器100年展」企画「電子楽器プレシャス・コンサート」会場（東京藝術大学 第6ホール）にて。Roland System 700・Moog Modular IIIP・Buchlaのデモンストレーション。"

Googlish:

"At the" Electronic Musical Instruments Precious Concert "venue (Tokyo University of the Arts, Hall 6) Demonstration of Roland System 700, Moog Modular IIIP, and Buchla. "

Buchla 700 FM Ring implemented in Moselle Modular Synthesizer Software (Four Oscillator Algorithm)

video upload by Lantertronics - Aaron Lanterman

Moselle Software Synthesizer (free!): http://moselle-synth.com

0:00 -- Demo
0:48 -- Buchla's algorithm
3:01 -- FMAlgo block
5:32 -- Audio vs "Control" outputs
5:58 -- MakeBus for stereo output
6:41 -- Oscilloscope syncing
7:23 -- Resources to learn more

Support this channel via a special purpose donation to the Georgia Tech Foundation (GTF210000920), earmarked for my work: Support This Channel via a Special Pu...

Moselle patch:

[FMAlgo]
Freq1 = Pitch
Gain1 = BreathCtrl

Freq11 = 2*Pitch
Gain11 = CN3

Freq111 = 0.5*Pitch
Gain111 = FootCtrl

Freq1111 = 0.25*Pitch
Gain1111 = Balance
Plus1111 = Control1

[Voice]
PreGain = MakeBus( FMAlgo:PreGain1, FMAlgo:PreGain111)

[Osc]
Frequency = Pitch:Output * 0.25

[Scope]
SyncIn = Osc:SyncOut
Probe1 = FMAlgo:PreGain1
Probe2 = FMAlgo:PreGain111

What do These Have in Common?

Oberheim OB-Mx and Buchla 700

Note the OB-Mx pictured is the original pre-production design.

Update: aside from both of them being designed by Don Buchla.

Update: quad and rick got it in the comments. The connection is:

Lynx Crow

Scroll down to the two posts with the corresponding individual image. The other posts mention Lynx as well.

Background Modulars No.5 - Buchla 200 & DK Synergy

video upload by Memetune Studio

"Don’t have a Buchla 200 and Digital Keyboards Synergy to hand? No worries! Just put this video on in the background (in full-screen mode), and have the next best thing 😁

Here is 10 minutes of self-playing modular synthesiser randomness. Why not put it on loop - then you can have it bubbling away in the background while you do other things. Or maybe check out the playlist I have made with all the Background Modular Series videos: [playlist below]

A note on the patch: The Buchla (cloned) MARF is sending note and velocity (ie CV) data to the Synergy via a Kenton CV to MIDI converter - a very handy unit if you have a lot of analogue sequencers!

The Synergy is extremely flexible and you can set virtually any parameter to respond to velocity - and using the Kenton you can send any CV to modify the velocity over MIDI - something I am exploring at the moment

The Buchla 200 chimes really well with the Synergy. Don spent most of the late 70s and 80s exploring digital synthesis - starting out with hybrid systems (the 500 and 300 Series) and later fully digital systems (the Touche, 400 and 700 Series). The Synergy was developed at exactly the same time taking fully digital ideas to their logical extreme. It is a very capable system and the pairing with the 200 Series is sublime"

Uber Studio

via sequencer.de where you will find more.

Check out the red Synton Syrinx minus keys, Blue Syrinx, and the Buchla wall!!!

Three 200es, a System 100 and the uber rare Buchla 700 on top of a Rhodes Chroma.

I spot an Oberheim OB-Mx in the rack as well.

What is the synth in the stand behind the red Synton Syrinx, under the Yamaha VL1? It's not a Waldorf Q.


Update: vid Brandon:It's an Alesis Andromeda A6. Gleeman Pentaphonic clear to the right of the Syrinx's

Memorymoog behind the VL1.

SmartAV Tango Control Surface 2

YouTube via audiomidicom.

Not directly synth related, but I'm curious if anything is assignable.

"Houston Haynes demos SmartAV's large-format touch screen surface mixer controller with Steinberg Nuendo. Part two of two. Call audioMIDI.com at (866) 286-4601 for more info!"

reminds me of the Buchla 700 - similar color scheme

SmartAV Tango Control Surface

ID700 polyphonic software synthesizer

video upload by Richard Devine

"@modoscdesigns Finally for Mac OS desktop the ID700 polyphonic software synthesizer based on the voice architecture of the Buchla 700."

Additonal ID700 posts. The MacOS version along with the iOS version going on sale was announced on December 10th here.

Buchla 700 - working!

flickr By rick604
(click for more)

Synthesizer Von Gestern - Roland System 700 Recording

This one via Jeff and Mark Pulver on AH. The direct link to the recording is here, courtesy of Jeff and posted on the MIDIWall gear page by Mark Pulver. Be sure to check out the MIDIWall gear page for more synth goodness. You might recognize the name Synthesizer Von Gestern from these prior posts.

Update via peterwendt in the comments:
"Great. I have the vol. 1 and vol. 2 CDs that include this track. I love listening to them and I think they give a good account of the characters of the instruments that I know. Vol. 2 includes the System 700 and a wonderful performance by Oskar Sala on his Mixtur-Trautonium.

There is a vol. 3 disc that I really want (Buchla, Prophet VS, ...).

The German CD label has interesting pages on the CDs and the project here:
http://www.originaltonwest.de/vintage%20synths%20vol.1.html
http://www.originaltonwest.de/vintage%20synths%20vol.2.html
http://www.originaltonwest.de/vintage%20synths%20vol.3.html

Dang. If only I had bought that System 700 cheap in Japan."

links also via Jeff on AH.

ID700 - Vintage Digital Synth - Pre-Release Demo for the iPad

video by The Sound Test Room

"You can get the ID700 Synth here at the App Store
https://apps.apple.com/app/id1482698043​"

The ID700 is based on the rare Buchla 700. You can find additional posts featuring ID700 here.

id700 Virtual Buchla 700 Update Coming

via @modoscdesigns

"new version of id700 submitted to the app store which includes a new algorithm ui."

modosc designs ID700 preset development demos

peff · modosc designs ID700 preset development

"The ID700 from modosc designs is based on the architecture of the Buchla 700. The sounds in this list are examples from preset development.

Available on the App Store here.

More information available at: modo.sc"

Follow-up to this post.

Buchla 700 - first wave shape table by Shasta Cults

Published on Dec 29, 2017 Shasta Cults

"just a little trailer to celebrate my 1st wave shape table"

Zoom Sequencer Rhythm Machine 5317

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

via this auction

This one almost deserves the Synth Rorschach label. Reminds me of a Buchla 700 meets Behringer mixer.

CLICK FOR MORE »

Electric Parade

Title link takes you to Electric Parade's MySpace page. I obviously found this via the previous post. You'll find tracks featuring Serge and Buchla 700. Be sure to check out his pics if you have a MySpace account.

ID700 - iOS Application - Demo - Midiverse - TV

video by Midiverse - TV

"What's up everybody? Welcome to Midiverse - TV! In this video we're going to be checking out a new iOS application called ID700. Let's check it out!

ID700 is a software synthesizer based on the voice architecture of the Buchla 700. Sound generation is achieved primarily via FM synthesis and waveshaping."

Nihilist's Xmas by Shasta Cults

A future classic!

It's bleak.

released December 25, 2019

Programmed and Recorded in 2017 by Shasta Cults
Mastered by J. Stevenson


Outtakes from Configurations featuring the Buchla 700.

(pictured below)

Happy New Year! The Year in Synths 2013

Happy New Year Everyone!

What a busy year it has been in the world of synths.

This is going to be one doozy of a post, so bear with me. This post is a review of the year in synths for 2013. We begin with Tributes to Those We Lost This Year, followed by New Manufacturers & Makers, Older Manufacturers Added to the Site, New Gear Announcements, Top 10 Posts by Traffic,  My Standout Posts for the Year, and finally This Years' Synth Events. I did my best to keep things as short and concise as possible.

Let's begin with the hardest part of the post.

Tributes to Those We Lost This Year

RIP Bernard Parmegiani - Electronic & Acoustic Composer
Lou Reed RIP
RIP Dick Raaymakers aka Kid Baltan
RIP George Duke - DreamWeaver
RIP Ralph Dyck, Sept 28, 1941 – May 20, 2013
RIP Ray Manzarek

All missed and never to be forgotten. Take a moment to remember them.

------

New Manufacturers & Makers

Starting last January, I decided to keep a running list of every new manufacturer and maker introduced to the site during the year.  This is something I haven't done before and I thought it would be interesting to see how many there were in the year.   It's easy to focus on the big synth announcements throughout the year, but what about all the new makers and brands? I shouln't have to go considerably into the significance of new designers on the scene, so I'll just say two things regarding them.  One, the number of new makers is a direct reflection on the interest in our scene, and two, these are the creators of new gear which directly translate into new designs not previously available to us.  Think about that for a moment.  These are makers and designs that did not exist before.  They are part of our synth history.  So what is the total count of new synth designers for the year? A whopping 113. Think about that a bit. One hundred and thirteen new synth designers and brands this year alone.

Here they are (note a handful date back to 2012, but 2013 marked their momentum and availability):

CLICK FOR MORE »

Technosaurus Selector Literature and a Selector "Review".

This one in via Mike Peake on AH:

"This may exist in other spots on the web. Good, the more the better. Not enough attention is paid to this machine, regardless of any complaints regarding no new modules etc. It's excellent as it is, as the Minimoog is, for those who can make music without the latest bells and whistles. Remembering that the VCF, with resonance at minimum, cuts very nearly as well as the Moog 904a.

VCO
VCF2
TRES
LFO/Noise
VCA
Cabinet
Technosaurus

This was just submitted to Harmony-Central but here it is for you.

Ease of Use:
This is a very easy to use synthesizer owing to clear descriptions and individual module delineation. It's rather more of an East Coast machine along the lines of the Moog Modular, being more of a keyboard player's instrument for jamming than the Buchla-style machines. If you know the Moog and Moog-based systems such as the Synthesizers.com, you'll have no trouble using the Selector.

Perhaps the only suprise is that some CV modulation values are bipolar, requiring a voltage that can swing to the negative, to access certain parameter ranges (very low oscillator frequencies and PW). This works well with the LFOs, which are bipolar, but the envelopes are unipolar (although they can be switched to negative-going, this is still unipolar but in the opposite direction).

I suggest using a Frostwave MIDI to CV converter to drive it, or of course the Technosaurus MIDI/CV module. This is because the oscillators and filters have an impedance that doesn't match the Encore Expressionist I'd planned to use it with.

Features:
Features are limited to the amount of available modules, which does not include a "control module" with manual voltage outs, offsets, etc. Don't worry about the lack of bells and whistles, there is plenty here to keep synthesists and musicians busy owing to the wonderful sonic character and ease of use.

Good features include the fastest (D)ADSRs on the planet (70uS minimum rise time on the Attack). The VCA is built to withstand such speed, and does not click and thump. Reference: The Minimoog will start to click with rise times faster then around 750uS, and the Mini and Modular envs are around 1ms as a result. Due to this, the Selector obviously allows for extreme percussion sounds. The ADSRs can also be switched to AD types as well. Very thoughtful, very handy. The VCA has extreme dynamic range and is very quiet, so you'll end up with powerful percussion and firm, quiet, very dark bass sounds.

The oscillators are very stable, perhaps too much for my ultra-sloppy vintage Moog pinings, but stand at attention when you switch octaves, etc. The hard synch is good-sounding, and there is a thoughtful output on each oscillator for driving others in HS, so that you don't have to mult out an audio waveform to attain it. The pulse waveforms are very stable, even at the extreme values.

The oscillators are similar to the Moog in that they are not incredibly loud, and as such, don't do extremely deep FM. I haven't using a VCA to try boosting the gain on one yet... The LFOs have high output levels, and go up to around 2KHz, so it's easy to use them for nice FM effects. They are also very wide-range, so you can cross-modulate their CVs from nearly standing still, up into the audio ranges. Very nice. I despise LFOs with "range" switching, which always seems to be right in the middle of a place I wish to modulate through, so these are very pleasing.

The Sample and Hold is extremely stable; I know that Jurg is very happy with it, if he'll pardon me for saying so. It features external and internal clock and sampling source. You can drive it with the LFOs and sample the LFO module based Noise source, and produce modulations that will vary across the entire audible range (very wide CV swings). You do not have to be polite here if you do not wish to be. The S/H module has a smooth random source which is nice to use as the sample input as well. It's not the Buchla SOU, but it's musical and useful (which is how I'd characterize this entire synth).

The envelopes may be driven from the LFOs. A varying trigger voltage produces varying envelope output levels (I used the SH output into the triggers for the amplitude-varying drum sounds in my track "Seance". Search Soundclick.com for that if you're intersted.).

The TRES is an excellent module, both sonically and functionally. Although each band is only variable from 32Hz through 8KHz, each is individually controlled by CV, has individual resonance up to and including self-oscillation, and individual volume. Then the overall volume may be modulated by CV if you wish. There is a handy On/Off switch if you want to tune your oscillators to intervals etc. in the midst of a complicated patch, then switch the RES back in.

The TRES is very musical. I love the way it sounds. I applaud Cwejman and others for their new multiple CV resonator modules, but I prefer the resonant character of the TRES over the MP3s that I've heard. It can sound woody, phasey, whispery, and outright nasty as well. It's the key to the male choral sound I like so much, which requires different CV modulation to two of the bands, as well as each band sitting right at the edge of self-oscillation (that magic place that the digital gear has yet to master).

Very nice are the mults on each module where there is space, such as the TRES. Also nice are the multiple inputs on the Filter and TRES, meant to use as unity-gain intput mixing (the oscillators waveforms have individual volumes!). Multiple outs on the TRES etc. are nice too, for easily patching to multiple destinations, ala' the Buchla!

Sound:
The sounds are very good, although the envelopes or the VCA slopes have their own character, a touch off of what I'm used to on the Moog. It's a very interesting instrument to play, and to find new characters in the filter and TRES. Note: The 12dB Filter 2, with the resonance down, cuts very nearly as well as the Moog 904a, which is my standard for happiness. The filter sounds great, and does very interesting audio-rate FM that sound like no other filter I've used (in a good way, of course).

It's a very responsive instrument. You'll need a CV converter with a built-in LFO, however, as it has no DC-capable VCA.

I am very happy with how easily musical it sounds, and knowing that there is much more there waiting to be found.

Reliability:
The envelopes had a mod, a small daughter board, to ease the load on the power supply. This is because they drain the power supplies... I chose a supply with plenty more amps than the system would require, being a believer in headroom anyway.

My fifth envelope has burned up two chips twice now. You cannot fire all five at once. To be very fair, Jurg has sent out replacement parts in no time flat when I've asked. I have full faith in him and the company in support of the product.

This is the only ugly aspect of this beautiful synth. However, I would not turn down a date with that supermodel, the one with the mole, whose name I can't remember, the smart one who was on Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher, just for the fact that she has a mole...

I bought the system knowing about this, and it's not a big problem. It's disappointing to not be able to fire all five envelopes at once, but I'll survive by creating two individual sounds on the one instrument, that fire individually. And I know that Jurg is there if the need should arise.

Otherwise, the machine has been absolutely brilliant. No bad jacks, no bad pots, no dirty pots after several years of use, etc. The Zebra patch cords I bought from him with the system have never worn out either.

There is an overall cage for the modules inside the case; each module slides in on guides and a socket seats at the rear; machining of the front panels is akin to the System 700, in that it's really good. Very tight. In comparison, the original Moog modules were sometimes as sloppy as their pitches. I don't worry that the PCBs would suffer injury unless the entire case were to be somehow crushed.

Customer support:
Jurg is one of the good guys and deserves your attention and respect. I'm happy to have chosen his synth, and having had contact with him.

Conclusion:
The TRES and filter self-oscillate but only if there is an audio input going on. This is a bit unusual, and limits certain things, however, that is very very minor. It would be nice if the TRES had additional 1V/8va inputs, to ease situations where you want instant keyboard tracking.

I'd certainly buy another, and would add to my current system given the chance. I recommend it to anyone who is into modular synthesis, as the filters and TRES are still unlike other systems.

Looking for a slightly different sonic character???
It's been here since 1996.

A note: System C and D owners know that the empty space in the middle rack can be filled with Eurack-compatible modules. Analogue Systems make a nice LFO/DC VCA keyboard module that would be quite nice in there. Also, a "control" module."