Why We Bleep with Synclavier Digital

video upload by mylarmelodies

"The story behind the creation, collapse and rebirth of the greatest sampler of all time, featuring Cameron Jones and Craig Phillips of Synclavier Digital. 🎙✨ // Please consider supporting production of Why We Bleep on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mylarmelodies

THANKS TO SPONSORS
▶︎ https://www.signalsounds.com/ - for all kinds of gear
▶︎ https://www.thonk.co.uk/ - for easy synth DIY, new customers can take advantage of the offer code before October 31st 2023.
If you enjoyed this episode, please share it!

MORE ON SYNCLAVIER:
▶︎ Synclavier Digital: https://www.synclavier.com/"

Synclavier Digital's Regen Gets Wider Release

video upload by Synclavier Digital

Regen Tutorials


Regen Quickies


You can find additional posts featuring demos of the Regen here.

Press Release follows:

"Synclavier Digital releases regenerated Synclavier® II trailblazer as timeless Regen desktop synthesizer bolstered by present-day DSP developments

NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA: soft-launched late last year to widespread critical acclaim at the Synthplex® synthesizer expo and electronic music festival hosted at the Marriott Convention Center in Burbank, CA, USA with pre-orders opening for fulfilment in 2023, timeless synthesis product manufacturer Synclavier Digital is proud to announce wider availability of Regen — released as a desktop synthesizer that is, in short, a real regeneration of New England Digital’s seminal Synclavier® II digital synthesizer that took the pro audio industry by storm when introduced in its initial incarnation in 1980 (evolving beyond that to blaze more technological trails with polyphonic sampling and, ultimately, DAW — Digital Audio Workstation — capabilities well before that term was invented, even), extended and enhanced to take advantage of the increased computing power available today to make it as compelling in a modern setting as the prohibitively pricey original did during its time (finding favour with top-tier film composers, record producers, and recording artists), while the considerable cost and size reductions associated with Regen’s present-day design criteria conversely position it well within reach of (almost) anyone — as of June 29…

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Synclavier Regen INHALT Factory Patches Demo

video upload by INHALTVIDEO

"As a young guy I used to marvel at records that featured the Synclavier. It was the ultimate ephemeral instrument; both a source of confusion as to what it exactly was and a source of endless inspiration via the records that occupied my fascination. It also cost $500,000 US dollars in the mid 80s if you got a fully specced one.

Fast forward to 2023 and at the heart of my Los Angeles studio (Infinite Power Studios) is a fully loaded Synclavier PSMT tower. Both a workhorse sequencer, astounding sampler and superbly organic FM synth, it is my purest joy to work on it daily. Few instruments have moved me the way that the Synclavier has. To my ears, there's something complete and done about what it sounds and moves like.

Enter the Regen. I was invited to contribute patches to the latest venture that Cameron Jones and other former NED/Synclavier developers have created. It is an immense honor for me to be involved with such individuals who have shaped and shifted music so deeply, that I am still beside myself that it actually happened. Here is a long audio demo of some of the patches I have contributed to the new Synclavier Regen factory timbre library.

As always, no additional fx processing was used. This is pure Regen piping out of its dual XLR balanced outputs straight into Pro Tools HD."

SynthPlex 2022 - Synclavier Is Back With Regen

video upload by sonicstate

See this post for additional details on the Synclavier Regen.

"Synclavier Regen is a re-imagining of the legendary Digital music system from the 1980s which was originally the price of a house and was the tool of choice for many top echelon artists of the time.

The new Synclavier Regen is a new instrument for this century based on the highly efficient code of Cameron Warner Jones, the original designer, but with the DSP power of today.

Jim got some time with Craig Philips, Kevin Maloney and the Regen in a quiet room away from the show floor. Available for pre-order at Synclavier.com priced at £2,185.00/$2499"

Sequential Artist Spotlight Interview with DAVID JOSEPH WESLEY

You can find the interview on Sequential's website here.

"David Joseph Wesley is a Grammy Award nominated composer based in Los Angeles, working in film, TV, and video games. You may have recently heard his music on several network TV, cable and Netflix series such as James Cameron’s Story of Science Fiction, Chicago Fire, Veep, Saturday Night Live, A Series of Unfortunate Events, Santa Clarita Diet, and Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, as well as many trailers and commercials including Toy Story 4, Incredibles 2, Hotel Transylvania, Call of Duty: Ghosts, and Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Dave was also fortunate to work with composer Ron Jones on the music for several seasons of Family Guy, which also enabled him to work with the largest live orchestra in television history. One of his favorite projects is his work on the music for “Firefly Online,” the video game based on Joss Whedon’s groundbreaking Firefly TV series. Although the game was never completed, he released his music for the game via the album Music To Smuggle By in 2018 as a tribute to the fans and to keep the Firefly spirit alive.

Dave finds inspiration for his music everywhere. An avid astronomer, his love of space led to two albums, several singles and multiple YouTube jam sessions about the cosmos and space-phenomena. In 2019, he released the album, Cassini, as a tribute to the NASA Cassini mission to Saturn, written entirely on the Prophet-6. And in 2017, in collaboration with NASA, Dave wrote an album for the solar eclipse titled Syzygy, also created entirely on the Prophet-6. Similarly, his obsession with synthesizers and the 80s naturally led to his “Pumpkin Patches” albums of synth-based music inspired by 70s and 80s horror as well as synthwave music released under the name “Parsec.”

We chatted with David on how he uses Sequential instruments in his music."

---
You can find additional posts featuring Sequential's Spotlight series here.

Synclavier Go! for the iPad Gets AUv3 Client Capability and Soundfile Support

via Synclavier Digital

"Synclavier Digital advances acclaimed Synclavier Go! iPad instrument app with welcomed AUv3 client capability and Soundfile support

NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA: launched last year to widespread critical acclaim at The 2019 NAMM Show, Synclavier Digital is proud to announce continued advancement of Synclavier Go! — its innovative iPad instrument app directly descended from the codebase of New England Digital’s seminal Synclavier® II Digital Synthesizer, spearheaded by original co-inventor Cameron Warner Jones as a faithful recreation of the high-flying hit-making mega machine — at an even more pocket-friendly price for Version 1.30 (with welcomed AUv3 client capability, Soundfile support, and more), available as of March 12…

“Part of my decision to embark on development of an iPad version was to introduce my instrument to a wider audience,” asserts Cameron Warner Jones, justifying faithfully recreating the seriously-priced seminal Synclavier® II Digital Synthesizer secured by a privileged few — forever stamping its influence on music technology throughout a lengthy lifespan, ever evolving from its early Eighties entrance to an enforced exit as the cutting edge eventually became more mainstream — at a much more pocket-friendly price on Apple’s all-conquering tablet computer. Continues Cameron Warner Jones: “In this vein, we have decided to drop the price to $19.99 USD for the time being. We want as many people as possible to be given the opportunity to own a world-class instrument. If we can inspire the next Stevie Wonder or Suzanne Ciani, we have achieved our aim. And if there are price concerns with Synclavier Go! then we hope that this $10.00 USD reduction will mean more young, aspiring musicians will now have access to this professional music-making tool.”

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Synth Spotting with Pete Townshend of The Who

via Pete Townshend's Instagram @yaggerdang

Cameron Jones, mentioned below, is the co-creator of the Synclavier. Curious about that new mac-based program. Cameron recently worked on the Synclavier iOS app and the Synclavier KNOB.

"Between tours I spend a lot of my free time trying to improve my various studios. I have a number of spaces (only one large studio big enough for bands) and each one has a different focus. Recently, after getting inspired by the Eurorack world, and by being able to carry small devices on the road - like Akai MPC Mini, Volcas and Digitakts etc - I realised I’d neglected my larger modular synths that I am damned lucky to have and even luckier to know how to operate. So here’s where I left things with my ARP2500 (restored by the wonderful Phil Cirocco of CMS) and MOOG 35 before I sadly packed my leaving trunk to go on the road. Two months!!! Spiders will move in. The sharp eyed among you might spot the controller and keyboard for my Synclavier 9600 and Direct to Disk system. This has also recently been revived because Cameron Jones created a new Mac-based computer program to run the old towers. Steve Hill’s installed it for me. Cameron also worked with Arturia to create the Synclavier V. This is a fine development of the old FM system. The three stringed things on the wall are all by Collings. Love their boxes. .

This one was sent my way via bÖsch @fabmass

Update: you can find a video of it here. Embedding is disabled otherwise I'd embed it in this post.  Thanks to @Precarsious_333 for the link!

Synclavier Digital Introduces the Synclavier KNOB

"Synclavier Digital re-engineers original knob from Synclavier® II as standalone Synclavier KNOB for iconic instrument iOS apps

NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA: Synclavier Digital is proud to announce availability of the standalone Synclavier KNOB — a re- engineered re-creation of the original knob central to the seminal Synclavier® II Digital Synthesizer’s speedy control surface, specially commissioned by co-inventor Cameron Jones as a USB device designed to perfectly compliment the newly- created Canadian corporation’s creation of a next-generation Synclavier, recently released as awe-inspiring Synclavier Go! and Synclavier Pocket! iOS apps fit for today’s owners of Apple’s inescapable iPad and iPhone/iPod Touch platforms, putting all the famed FM (Frequency Modulation) and Additive (harmonic) synthesis capabilities of the iconic instrument as well as its intuitive panels of easy-to-touch red backlit buttons in anyone’s hands (and pockets) at an affordable fraction of the trailblazing original’s prohibitive pricing — as of April 24…

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Synclavier Go! and Synclavier Pocket! for iOS Released

You can find some demos in the archives. The press release:

NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA: having turned heads and opened ears with a show-stopping showcase at The 2019 NAMM Show in Southern California, January 24-27, newly-formed Synclavier Digital is proud to announce availability of Synclavier Go! and Synclavier Pocket! — placing a re-creation of the seminal Synclavier® II Digital Synthesizer’s sound engine from which they take their names into the respective hands of iPad and iPhone/iPod Touch owners as awe-inspiring iOS apps, allowing all the famed FM (Frequency Modulation) and Additive (harmonic) synthesis capabilities to be brought forward forty years for all to musically marvel, at a fraction of the original’s prohibitive pricing thanks to today’s technology, while also effectively emulating the iconic instrument’s intuitive panels of easy-to-touch red backlit buttons and iconic control knob in easy-to-use user interfaces — as of March 5…

Put it this way: while the still-highly-coveted brand of Synclavier® — synonymous with high-end audio production technology that blazed a trail through the Seventies and Eighties before stalling in the Nineties — is in the midst of a galactic reboot, thanks to Nova Scotia-registered Canadian Corporation Synclavier Digital, established in 2018 to re-create a modern iOS-based version of the Synclavier® Digital Audio System, Synclavier Go!, its inaugural iPad offering, is far from being a clone, however... to all intents and purposes, it is a Synclavier®!

So how, exactly, did yesteryear’s trailblazing technology that commanded a princely six-figure sum end up available on Apple’s pocket-friendly iOS platform in true needs of the many outweighing the needs of the few style? Simply speaking, when New England Digital (NED) went bankrupt in the Nineties, technology finally having caught up with the cutting-edge company concerned, co-founder Cameron Jones — co-inventor of the Synclavier® — bought the intellectual propriety rights to the trailblazing series of synthesizers and digital audio systems sharing the notable name.

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Synclavier Go!

Published on Jan 27, 2019 100 Things I Do

"I thought we would take a look at the new Synclavier Go from Cameron Jones (co-creator of the original Synclavier). Cameron is still cutting code to this day and his latest iteration of the Synclavier sounds excellent. I have a look at some of the Timbre's (presets), it seems like most of the factory disks are included! I might have a look at Timbre creation in another video but its pretty much 1:1 of using the hardware."

Arturia Synclavier V Update 2.0 - The power of Resynthesis & V Collection Update 6.2

Published on Oct 12, 2018 Arturia

"Synclavier V has been updated to version 2.0. Now featuring a powerful resynthesis engine, vintage sample playback, all-new presets, and a great sample library to explore."

Synclavier V Tutorial Update 2

Published on Oct 12, 2018

"Get a quick overview of some of the most important new features found in Synclavier V update 2.0. In this video, Guy covers the new sampling capabilities, the resynthesis engine, and some of the new grid features."

"Originally released in 2016 as part of V Collection 5, Synclavier V gave a whole new generation of musicians access to the ground breaking sound and features of the revolutionary late-70s digital synth. Developed in partnership with the original instrument’s inventor, Cameron Jones, Synclavier V went above and beyond the capabilities of the hardware produced between the late 70s and early 90s.

However, New England Digital also produced many optional add-ons for the Synclavier, such as a sample playback module and a resynthesis engine, that were not emulated in Arturia’s release of Synclavier V 2.

Today, that changes.

With the release of Synclavier V 2, alongside many other workflow enhancements and improvements, Arturia and Cameron Jones are proud to announce that Synclavier now includes sampling capabilities and an exciting resynthesis engine for musicians, producers, and sound designers to explore.
Synclavier V 2 is available as a free upgrade to all owners of Synclavier V, or Arturia’s V Collection 5 and V Collection 6.

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Arturia Synclavier V Tutorial

Published on May 30, 2016 ARTURIA

"The Synclavier V faithfully recreates the elite digital synthesizer/workstation that started it all, powering some of the biggest hits and film soundtracks of the early ‘80s with its unique rich, edgy sounds."

Arturia Synclavier Tutorial Part 2

Published on May 30, 2016

"Arturia has recreated the Synclavier, this highly revered hit maker in partnership with original programmer Cameron Jones, delivering the immense rich textures and creative palette of this vintage instrument, while dramatically improving it to let you blaze new musical trails today with sounds never heard before.

TIMBRE PAGE 00:27
PARTIAL VIEW 2:30
FM SYNTHESIS 4:27
USER WAVEFORM 8:42
ENVELOPE SCREEN 10:21
ADDITIVE SYNTHESIS 12:18
TIME SLICES 12:23
EFFECTS 16:46
SEQUENCES 19:31
MODULATION MATRIX 22:33
PARTIAL COPY 25:16"

Arturia Announces V Collection 5 Including New NED Synclavier Port, Hammond B3 and More

Published on May 19, 2016 ARTURIA - Update: new video uploaded May 30, 2016

Update: Clarification: the NED Synclavier is not an emulation but a port of the original software:

"this is not an emulation - it is the real thing, the real mccoy. Cameron Jones himself ported the original Synclavier code to run on PC/MAC/VST etc.

- you have the choice of playing each patch either in the original 8-bit depth, or change it to 4-bit (!), 10-bit, 12-bit, 14-bit, 16-bit, 18-bit, 20-bit, 22-bit or 24-bit depth.

- resynthesis: not implemented in the current release but there may be plans to put it in a future release. However some of the original factory patches included (83 total) are resynthesis-based

- the partials/timbre frame functionality was vastly expanded"

Video description:

"The new V Collection 5 is a giant leap forward in our quest to create the greatest legendary keyboards collection ever, including 5 new softwares instruments: Piano V, Synclavier V, B-3 V, Stage-73 V, Farfisa V.

Special thanks to:
Altius Prod
Stéphane Schott (http://www.lyynkstudio.com/)
Studio Question de Son (http://www.questiondeson.com/)
Underground Records (http://www.undergroundrecords.fr/)
Garbage & Greg Kaplan (https://www.garbage.com/)"

Arturia announces the Synclavier V

Published on May 19, 2016 ARTURIA

Update: It's not clear if the Synclavier V supports sampling resynthesis (see above), although it does take the FM and additive synthesis with partials to a new level. For reference, you can find the history of features for the original Synclavier on Wikipedia here.

"Arturia announces the Synclavier V, the first recreation of the legendary digital synthesizer made in collaboration with Cameron Jones, the inventor of the original instrument.

The Synclavier V faithfully recreates the elite digital synthesizer/workstation that started it all, powering some of the biggest hits and film soundtracks of the early ‘80s with its unique rich, edgy sounds.

While the Synclavier V expertly brings this historic instrument to life, we’ve improved it dramatically by taking advantage of today’s processing power. We’ve also infused into it everything we’ve learned over 16 years of developing award-winning software synthesizers. The result is a thoroughly modern, cutting-edge instrument that stands alone among hardware and software synths alike.

Update: some details on the synth engine:

Timbres consist of up to 12 Partial Timbres
Much of the magic of the original Synclavier owed to the ability to build Timbres (presets) by creating and layering four completely different sounds or Partial Timbres to realize massive, complex sounds. With the Synclavier V, we’ve taken the number of Partial Timbres to 12, dramatically expanding the creative possibilities. Since each Partial Timbre is a complete sound, that means that you can stack many different sonic elements into electrifying Timbres resounding with rich complex textures brimming with subtleties.

Partial Timbres are each compete synth engines
Each of the 12 Partial Timbres has two digital oscillators that combine the principles of both additive and frequency modulation (FM) synthesis. Rather than using filters to subtract harmonics from simple oscillators, additive synthesis builds up complex sounds by selectively adding harmonics in this case. The Synclavier V goes way beyond that, combining these oscillators in an FM architecture where the carrier (main) oscillator is modulated by the second harmonic oscillator. The fusion of additive and FM technologies make for a stunningly diverse and unique universe of cinematic pads, epic leads, evolving bass lines and more.

Time Slices animate long passages
Time Slices allow you to specify up to 50 snapshots of the 12 Partial Timbres of additive and FM synthesis goodness, and animate through them over time. For each Time Slice, you can set the volume, pitch, FM modulation amount, and delay. The ability to set parameter crossfades of up to 30 seconds between Time Slices—over a total time of 5 minutes—makes it possible to create long evolving ambient pads and cinematic cues of incredible complexity.

Improvements make a great instrument even greater
We’ve made a lot more improvements beyond boosting the sound engine from four Partial Timbres to 12. Where the original modulation oscillator was only a sine wave, now you can also choose sawtooth, square, or triangle—or graphically build your own waves comprised of 24 phase-controllable harmonics. These enhancements allow you to create outrageous textures never possible before. Each Time Slice can now even have a separate FM modulator waveform. Variable bit depth between 4- and 24-bits, on-board effects, and a MIDI Learn feature are just some of the many examples of the new options available to you in Synclavier V.

With the Synclavier V, digital synthesis meets total creative and performance expression.
Sure, all synths have LFOs, but the vibrato section of the Synclavier V is exhaustive, giving you control over LFO attack, phase, quantizing, bias and more. Things get even more interesting when you apply the LFO to the FM harmonic oscillator that, in turn, modulates the carrier. Let that sink in for a minute!

Want to take your listeners on an animated journey? Add extra energy to your pads and soundscapes with the stereo modulation section. It actually takes the form of separate linkable tremolos for each channel, making for unique spatial animation effects that will have everybody’s heads spinning.

Imagine performing with expressive nuances never possible before. Press harder on the keyboard to change the amount of FM modulation. Ride the expression pedal to affect the frame speed of your Time Slices. Grab the mod wheel to rock the FM modulation ratio. These are just some examples of what’s possible when you use the modulation matrix to easily map any of your favorite MIDI controllers to dozens of sound engine parameters—discretely for each Partial Timbre."

You'll find Arturia's page on the Synclavier V here, and Synclavier Digital's website here.

Update: the official press release for the entire V Collection 5 [Note: The Analog Lab press release below was the first to go up. Apologies for the all the updates, but this is how it comes in, and posts here on MATRIXSYNTH are about capturing that]:

"Arturia advances industry-standard V Collection of virtual classic keyboards

GRENOBLE, FRANCE: music software and hardware developer Arturia is proud to announce availability of V Collection 5 — the latest incarnation of its impressive industry-standard collection of authentic-sounding virtual instruments, expanded and updated to include five all-new additions alongside new versions of ‘old favourites’ (plus Analog Lab 2) — as of May 19…

With no fewer than 17 virtual instruments that recreate hard-to-source synthesizers and classic keyboards, V Collection 5 represents really remarkable value on many musical levels. At an attractive monetary level, it’s a no-brainer! Bringing something special to the 21st Century performance and production table, five all-new authentic-sounding additions lead this latest V Collection charge.

B-3 V beautifully recreates the distinctive tones of the B-3 tonewheel organ, one of the most iconic and influential instruments of all time. It truly transcends time and place by bringing this still-sought-after sound to the computer-based music-making masses. Meanwhile, Farfisa V virtually puts players in the driving seat of the sound that drove the hits of several decades as a superb software simulation of the famous Farfisa Compact Deluxe organ. Pushing the physical boundaries of an acoustic piano, Piano V meticulously models the sound and behaviour of one of the most important instruments history has yet thrown up — albeit not as one but rather nine virtual instruments rolled into one! An authentic-sounding software simulation of the Seventies-vintage Stage and Sixties-vintage Suitcase 73-key electric pianos, Stage-73 V is the sound of the Sixties, the sound of the Seventies… the sound of today, the sound of tomorrow! Thanks to Arturia’s close collaboration with original Synclavier® software developer Cameron Jones, Synclavier V takes everything the trailblazing Synclavier® could do as the most powerful additive and FM synthesizer ever created and makes it more powerful!

Put it like this: thinking about all those thousands of new sounds and styles in V Collection 5 that are available at the touch of a (virtual) button beggars belief, but Arturia’s aim is true… to create the tools that lend a helping hand to today’s musicians, taking inspiration from the past to (re)invent the music of tomorrow. The 12 remaining virtual instruments in V Collection 5 — ARP 2600 V, CS-80V, JUP-8V, Matrix-12 V, Mini V, Modular V, Prophet V, and SEM V analogue synthesizers; Prophet VS digital synthesizer; Wurli V electric piano; VOX Continental V electronic organ; and Solina V string machine — do just that, too. All are updated with resizable (Retina/4K-compatible) GUIs that truly have to be seen to be believed! But digging deeper, Native Instruments’ new NKS® (NATIVE KONTROL STANDARD) — allowing advanced integration with third-party software instruments — naturally features across the board. As does AU, AAX, VST2, and VST3 compatibility, standalone operation, plus MIDI Learn (to easily map all parameters to a MIDI CC).

Continuing Arturia’s quest for absolute authenticity through TAE® (True Analog Emulation), physical modelling, and additional technologies, anyone prepared to dig deep into V Collection 5’s treasure trove of hard-to-source synth and classic keyboard recreations will be musically rewarded in kind. Conversely, Analog Lab 2 is a powerful yet painless way of accessing a broad selection of sounds from across V Collection 5 within a single application. As it supports Arturia’s many MIDI controller devices natively, it adapts to reflect their physical controls when they are connected… connect with V Collection 5, then, and accept Arturia’s helping hand to today’s musicians, taking inspiration from the past to (re)invent the music of tomorrow!"

The Analog Lab press release:

"Arturia advances Analog Lab composite virtual instrument to include V Collection 5 sound selection

GRENOBLE, FRANCE: music software and hardware developer Arturia is proud to announce availability of Analog Lab 2 — an all-new incarnation of its composite virtual instrument that gathers together a broad selection of sought-after sounds from its V Collection 5 software bundle — as of May 19...

Analog Lab 2 is a powerful yet painless way of accessing a sought-after selection of sounds from all 17 of Arturia’s authentic-sounding virtual instruments as a single application. Included are sounds from eight emulated analogue synthesizers (ARP 2600 V, CS-80V, JUP-8V, Matrix-12 V, Mini V, Modular V, Prophet V, and SEM V), two digital synthesizers (Prophet VS and Synclavier V), two electric pianos (Stage-73 V and Wurli V), an acoustic piano (Piano V), and three electronic organs (B-3 V, Farfisa V, and VOX Continental V). Those virtual instruments recreate hard-to-source hardware synthesizers and classic keyboards of the past and conveniently transport them to the present-day desktop.

Analog Lab 2 invites instant exploration as an AAX-, AU-, VST-, and VST3-compatible plug-in in any DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) or as a standalone version. Its redesigned, resizable (Retina/4K-compatible) GUI (Graphical User Interface) is as easy on the eye as it is to use. Studio View shows the original historic hardware, helpfully bringing up the best presets from each instrument in question. But there’s a whole lot more to Analog Lab 2 than good looks alone.

Accessing those sought-after sounds at the speed of sound is simple, thanks to a new preset browser. Browse presets by TYPES, BANKS, sonic CHARACTERISTICS, and INSTRUMENTS (crossing categories). Create PLAYLISTS. Or simply Search for presets by NAME. Needless to say, with 4,500-plus presets to choose from there’s always a sound to suit every mood, every ambiance, and every music style — sounds that transcend time and fashion.

For those wishing to dig deeper then the dual-instrument MULTI feature with independent MIDI settings panel for each instrument will make their musical day. Drag and drop splits and layers of those presets to take ownership of the sound. Sounds and Multis can be organised in the PLAYLISTS area for instant recall via program change messages, making Analog Lab 2 a best friend in the studio and a pillar of live performance.

Put simply, Analog Lab 2 is so much more than just a sound library. It’s a substantial sound design tool and an amazing live performance instrument integral to immeasurably improving everyday workflow. When connected to one of Arturia’s many MIDI (Musical Digital Instrument Interface) controller devices, Analog Lab 2 will automatically adapt to reflect their physical controls. Generic MIDI controllers of course can also be used with MIDI learn to easily map all parameters to a MIDI CC (Control Change).

Changing the sound of Analog Lab 2 is even easier thanks to two EFFECTS slots with pre/post fader switch per instrument. Included Bitcrusher, Chorus, Delay, Destroy, Dub Delay, Eq4, Flanger, Overdrive, Phaser, Pitchshift, Reverb, Roundpanner, and Vocal Filter effects ensure that Analog Lab 2 always sounds the way you want it to.

Take your sound and workflow to another level with Analog Lab 2, an easily-accessible environment at an easy-to- swallow price point. What’s not to like?"

Arturia B-3 V Tutorial

Published on May 19, 2016

"The B-3 V delivers the most authentic tonewheel organ and rotary speaker experience you’ll find anywhere, plus customizations that open up new creative opportunities."

"Arturia pulls out all the software stops to realistically recreate tonewheel organ combo classic

GRENOBLE, FRANCE: music software and hardware developer Arturia is proud to announce availability of B-3 V — an authentic-sounding software simulation of the classic B-3 tonewheel organ and Leslie rotary speaker combo — as of May 19...

B-3 V realistically recreates the special sound of the B-3 tonewheel organ. One of the most iconic and influential instruments of all time. One which has graced many of the greatest recordings of all time. Today Arturia brings this to its award-winning Analog Classics family of virtual instruments that recreate hard-to-source synthesizers and classic keyboards.

Keyboard players have made their mark in all forms of popular music with the B-3, back from its inception in the Fifties way past its discontinuation through to today. Procol Harum’s hit ‘A Whiter Shade Of Pale’ proved particularly memorable with a melancholic countermelody displaying an altogether softer side to the B-3. But raucousness remains the order of the day for the blues, jazz, and gospel genres with which it first found favour. After all, it had historically been aimed at churches as a more compact and affordable alternative to conventional pipe organs.

One saying springs to mind: Pulling out all the stops — to hold back nothing — is an allusion to organ stops being pulled out to turn on each set of sounds in a pipe organ. The B-3 effectively ‘emulates’ this with its drawbars. Doing this and a whole lot more is what B-3 V does best, thanks to Arturia pulling out all the software stops to make it happen!

Thirties-developed tonewheel technology originally made that special sound happen. An electronic current is created when rotating a metal tonewheel near an electromagnetic pickup and amplifying that signal. The B-3 has 91 of those tonewheels with each key connected to a fixed set of tonewheel outputs. Drawbar settings control how these are mixed together. The tube preamplifier subsequently shapes the sound a little further — filtering and distortion take hold here — while factoring the position of the expression pedal. This not only acts as a volume control but also affects the frequency response of the preamp which is connected to a speaker.

Speaking of which, B-3 V faithfully simulates the favoured Leslie tone cabinet, containing a power amplifier that drives a rotating horn and a stationary woofer firing into a rotating drum reflector. Spellbinding spatial and frequency-shifting effects above and beyond the sound-shaping effects of commonplace loudspeakers are all perfectly possible!

B-3 V brings this classic combo — complete with the inherent imperfections that made that tonewheel technology sound so unique — to the present-day desktop as an AAX-, AU-, VST-, and VST3-compatible plug-in in any DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) or as a standalone version. Visually, things couldn’t get clearer, thanks to the resizable (Retina/4K-compatible) GUI (Graphical User Interface) that’s as easy on the eye as it is to use.

Under the hood, things couldn’t be better with MIDI control of many parameters and insert slots for ANLALOG DELAY, CHORUS, FLANGER, OVERDRIVE, and PHASE effects, as well as ADVANCED SETTINGS for upper and lower manuals and rotary speaker behaviour. B-3 V boasts a built-in step sequencer, allowing anyone to easily set an amount of modulation for each step of the sequence! Naturally, Native Instruments’ new NKS® (NATIVE KONTROL STANDARD) allows advanced integration with B-3 V.

All of the benefits of the original iconic instrument are available to modern music-makers with B-3V, but without the heavyweight hassles. Where anyone chooses to take it musically is anyone’s guess, but bet your bottom dollar that special sound will be being heard for many more years to come... courtesy of B-3 V!"

Arturia Stage-73 V Tutorial

Published on May 19, 2016

"The Stage-73 gives you actual authentic modeling of both Stage and Suitcase versions of the most popular electric piano on the planet —completed with unparalleled control of virtual mechanics, a complement of effects pedals, and built-in classic amps."

https://www.arturia.com/products/analog-classics/analoglab/overview

Update: And the official press release for the new Farfisa-V:

"Arturia augments Analog Classics collection with faithful Farfisa Compact series software simulation

GRENOBLE, FRANCE: music software and hardware developer Arturia is proud to announce availability of Farfisa V — faithfully modelling the famous Farfisa Compact Deluxe electronic organ with additional features from its Duo Compact series sibling — as of May 19...

Arturia’s award-winning Analog Classics family of virtual instruments recreate hard-to-source synthesizers and classic keyboards. As a worthy addition, Farfisa V virtually puts players of today in the musical driving seat with a still-sought-after sound that drove the hits of several decades: Farfisa’s famous Compact Deluxe electronic organ, one of a series of iconic instruments manufactured in Italy between 1964-1968. A staple of Sixties-produced popular music, they made their musical mark with a wider-ranging sound than that of their main VOX Continental competitor. With more bass waveforms and an expanded percussion and vibrato section sales soared.

Speaking sonically, Farfisa Compacts are almost more top octave synth-like than organ-like, thanks to a rudimentary envelope that allows for attack and decay control that went way beyond the typical organ sound of its day. Little wonder, then, that they proved popular with musicians throughout the Sixties (‘Sam The Sham’ and The Pharaohs, Percy Sledge), Seventies (Jean-Michel Jarre, Kraftwerk), Eighties (B-52s, Blondie), and beyond. But unlike heavyweight Hammond tonewheel organs, transportation to performances was trouble-free. For the fortuitous Farfisa form factor included integrated legs that could be folded up and stored within the body of the instrument itself, surely sealing many purchasing deals!

Today, though, finding and maintaining an original Farfisa has become both difficult and costly. Farfisa V solves such problems by bringing all the benefits without any of the hassles to the present-day desktop! Developed using an original hardware organ for reference, it meticulously models the original circuits and sounds of the famous Farfisa Compact Deluxe. Features from its Duo Compact series sibling are also included alongside an authentic combo amp simulation. Standalone instrument operation on Mac OS X and Windows is a given for performance purposes. Plug-in support for all major formats inside any DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) with easy MIDI-learn functionality provides hands-on control of many of its parameters and automation support for considerable creative control. Naturally, Native Instruments’ new NKS® (NATIVE KONTROL STANDARD) — allowing advanced integration with third-party software instruments — is there for the taking.

As always, recreating an instrument in software provided an opportunity to add a number of more advanced features fit for the 21st Century. Cue the special USER WAVE position, allowing anyone to create an additive waveform. Why not use the ToneDraw feature to create a new waveshape based on the graphical look of the sliders? Having modelled the original built-in spring reverb, Arturia added other reverb IRs (Impulse Responses). Reorder the additional ANALOG DELAY, CHORUS, FLANGER, OVERDRIVE, and PHASER effects. Easily-accessible individual voice tuning, PARA (paraphonic) and POLY (polyphonic) modes, ATTACK and RELEASE envelopes for upper and lower keyboards, BASS WAVE (waveform selector), TONE control for bass section, TREMOLO SYNC, and REPEAT SYNC round out this all-new Analog Classic. Hearing is believing. So is seeing, thanks to the resizable (Retina/4K-compatible) GUI (Graphical User Interface) that’s as easy on the eye as it is to use.

Ultimately, then, whether you’re set on recreating a distinctive and powerful organ sound of the past or forging ahead with a new organ sound of the future, Farfisa V does it all. But best of all... legs no longer play a part in sealing this must-have musical deal!

New Synclavier³ In the Works

via Synclavier.com

"What Is Synclavier³ - Mitch and I are teaming up to bring a new and exciting round of Synclavier® hardware and software to our very loyal customer base. The Synclavier³ Application for Mac OS X is a rewrite of the user-interface portion of SynclavierX using the latest and greatest Mac OS "Cocoa" framework. So it will work on future Mac OS's and it removes some of the limitations of earlier releases - such as the 9 GB hard drive size for example. Synclavier³ loads sound files directly from your Macintosh hard drive or network - no need to use "image files" or "optical disk images".

On the hardware side we have designed a replacement for the obsolete PCI-1 interface card that is based upon PCI Express, and is compatible with - hold your breath! - the latest Thunderbolt™ Macintoshes by using a Thunderbolt-to-PCI-Express adapter. We plan to make the software compatible with early Original Keyboard systems so that ORK customers with failing floppy drives can still use their system.

We hope to commission a production run of the new PCI Express card and adapter box during the first quarter of 2015. But we can only do so if there is sufficient interest within the customer community to justify the production expense. So if you are interested in taking advantage of this new hardware option you will need to place a 50% deposit on your purchase by December 31st.


Please read on for further information about these exciting new developments.

Cameron Jones
November 1, 2014"

This one in via Nenad Marusic.

The Dartmouth Digital Synthesizer - Lars Gunnar Bodin-Bilder (Images)

Published on Sep 21, 2013 biedrzyn·103 videos
Re-Published on Jun 2, 2015 #LarsGunnarBodin

"Provided to YouTube by Smithsonian Folkways Recordings

Bilder (Images) · Lars-Gunnar Bodin

The Dartmouth Digital Synthesizer

℗ 2004 Smithsonian Folkways Recordings / 1976 Folkways Records

Released on: 1976-01-01"

Previous video description from biedrzyn:

"Album: V/A The Dartmouth Digital Synthesizer (1976). Lars-Gunnar Bodin (July 15, 1935, Stockholm) is a Swedish pioneer in the field of electronic music during the 1960s, especially in the Scandinavian scene."

The Dartmouth Digital Synthesizer was the precursor to the NED Synclavier. See the Dartmouth label at the bottom of this post for more.

via ... którędy pójdą dzicy święci where you'll find the full post on the release.

"The music on this recording was produced on a new kind of synthesizer developed at the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College. In 1972 composer Jon Appleton began working with two engineers, Sydney Alonso and Cameron Jones, to develop a computer-controlled synthesizer. Significant work had already been done on digital synthesis, but it was felt by the inventors at Dartmouth that an inexpensive, totally dedicated system could help many composers explore this new way of producing sound. The inventors also wanted to create a users language which did not require computer expertise as had previous computer music programs..."

via f * mass

Kontravoid - Silent Visions (Official Video)

YouTube Published on Jun 11, 2012 by kontravoid
Synth spotting...

"Silent Visions
Directed by Ryan Paterson and Cameron Findlay
Editing and Post-Production by Ryan Paterson
Additional Post-Production by Joe Roth
Filmed by Ryan Paterson, John M, Elena Kalabic and Cameron Findlay
Special Thanks to Anna Edwards and Elliott Jones

From the album Kontravoid (2012) Released on Pretty Pretty Records
Available on iTunes

http://kontravoid.com"

500Sound.com NED Synclavier Resource Site

This site has been around for a while. I did a quick search in the archives and although I found reference to it in Synclavier posts, I don't think I ever put up a formal post on it. With the recently released The Beast virtual Synclavier by UVI, I figured now was a better time than any to put a post up. That said, you can find the site here. You'll find everything you ever wanted to know about the NED Synclavier.

"The '''Synclavier Digital Audio System''' manufactured by New England Digital was a powerful, fully integrated computerised audio system used for music and post production. Using it's combination of synthesis, sampling, disk recording, and it's comprehensive proprietory software and hardware it was not only a powerful music performance and compositional tool but also a very accomplished sound design and editing system. It was first developed in the late '70s at Dartmouth College by Jon Appleton, Sydney Alonso and Cameron Jones.

Probably once as famous for it's cost as much as for it's musical abilities - full blown late systems would retail for between $200,000 - $300,00 US. The largest system built and sold by NED selling for $500,000. Instantantly recognisable with it's unique keyboard. The image on the left is the ORK (ORiginal Keyboard) and on the right is the later V/PK (Velocity/Pressure Keyboard)..."

Synapse Magazine on Cynthia

http://www.cyndustries.com/ Click on the Goodies link, then Synapse.



"Get your DEVO New Year by reading the latest issue of Synapse!

http://www.cyndustries.com/

DEVO Issue Just Posted!

Click the News link or the Cynthia Logo for what may be one of
the very first magazine interviews with Devo ~ever~ way back in the
summer of 1978.

Other features in this issue include interviews with Don Preston, and Cameron Jones of Synclavier.

Also read more on Guitar Synthesis, Electronic Music Notation,
Laser Sculptures, and a review of some newfangled polyphonic keyboard
called The Sequential Circuits Prophet! Wow!


Hoppy New Year to Every Bunny!"

Oh, I have a Bunny for you: Sparkle.