Studio Electronics Modstar Sensei Analog Eurorack System

New image & complete specs for the Studio Electronics MODSTAR SENSEI.  The system will retail for $4995 and ships next week. Note the the brand plate at the bottom left in the image will be replaced by a 6hp dual slew limiter / muilt for glide purposes.

Sensei Analog Specifications

MODSTAR SENSEI ANALOG 210hp

Top Row: OSCILLATION (x3) 48hp, MULTIPLE 2hp, SEM 12hp, 4075 12hp, 5089 12hp, SE88 20hp

Bottom Row: BRAND PLATE 6hp, MIDI 3 6hp, MULT 2hp, LEVELS 10hp, SHAPERS 12hp, AMP 8hp, LFO2 6hp, MULT 2hp, SCI FI 10hp, MULT 2hp, LEVELS 10hp, SHAPERS 12hp, AMP 8hp, LFO2 6hp, OUTS 6hp.


Housed in a sleek ‘n sturdy, carbon fibre black MONOROCKET M6104: a superbly well powered (ensuring gorgeous sound and stability) and constructed Eurorack enclosure.

• OSCILLATION: Class-A, discrete, DC coupled, output buffered, exponential current source, vintage-designed analog oscillator

• SEM: Obi-flavored, 12 Db voltage controlled state variable filter and “Pendulum Chaos Generator”—damping/stabilzing overide feature

• 4075: Arp-flavored Discrete, voltage controlled, 24/db/oct cascaded transconductance low-pass filter—six pairs of hand-matched transistors—Really a 4-pole ARP 4072 (better: more parts and trims) • 5089: Mini-flavored voltage controlled, discrete analog, 24 db/oct transistor ladder, low-pass filter (hand-matched transistors)

• SE88: Dual mode: High Pass/Band Reject, Low Pass/BandPass dual resonant, 12Db CS80 filter with stereo “Pendulum Chaos Generation” • MIDI 3: Third generation extremely full-featured MIDI to CV converter

• LEVELS: Versatile, low-noise six channel summing mixer/attenuator for audio and CV—pots are wired with logarithmic volume curves

• SHAPERS: Dual four stage envelope generator with independently adjustable ATTACK, DECAY, SUSTAIN, and RELEASE stages

• AMP: 2 stage Class A discrete design, using 3 pairs of hand matched transistors; Drive—‘70s era distortion and Drone control

• LFO2: Potent all analog dual LFO module—two different low frequency oscillator circuits provide a variety of modulation options • SCI FI: Ring Mod, White and Pink Noise, Sample and Hold “Classic Synth Toolbox,” with LFO and slewing control of S&H

• OUTS: Dual independent output module featuring a stereo 1/4" headphone amplifier output and dual mono 1/4" line level outputs

M6104 Case Specifications

Dimensions:
2 rows / 104hp each
Internal depth 4.5 inches (except area over PSU which is 2 7/8)
External Dimensions with lid attached (H x W x D): 11.5 x 22.5 x 8
Unit stands vertical or lays on its back
Stackable if you detach the handle (4 pan head screws)

Power:
3.5a on the +/-12v rails
500ma of +5v per row installed
15 Doepfer compatible power connections per row (shrouded and keyed) 5 Analogue Solutions power connections per row
120v and 240v Power Supply Unit

Hardware:
'Sliding Nuts' mounting system

Abstrakt Instruments Avalon Bassline Synthesizer Details & Specs

Additional details on the upcoming Avalon Bassline via Abstrakt Instruments are in:

"The avalon bassline is a high quality analog bassline synthesizer and sequencer. The core circuitry of the avalon is based on the revered Roland? TB-303 bassline synthesizer, to which a new layer of analog and digital circuitry has been added to position the avalon as the premier bassline synthesizer.

• Core analog and digital circuitry based on TB-303
Incorporates layout and parts from the original bassline, including carbon film resistors, united chemi-con electrolytic capacitors, poly foil film capacitors, original IC's, and sanyo/on semi & mitsubishi transistors.

• Synth Cartridge System™
Compatible with the cartridge system in the form of filter plugin carts.

• Extensive Analog Control
In addition to the six analog controls of the original bassline, the avalon includes controls for sub osc/ext input level, filter tracking, accent decay time, vca decay (normal to full off), utility envelope attack & decay time, utility envelope to vfc and vca modulation depths, frequency response select (normal and full range.

• Extensive Digital Control
In addition to backwards compatibility with the TB-303 pattern write pitch & time modes the avalon incorporates new progamming modes making extensive use of (16) step LED switches. Patterns can be up to 64 steps in length (up to 4 sections x 16 steps) and each pattern can have numerous scales including triplet modes. Real-time editing includes slide time select, utility envelope trigger mode, pattern step skipping, pattern reverse, rotate, random, & shuffle. There is also an arpeggiator that can be performed real-time or recorded directly into a pattern.

• MIDI & DIN Sync
Sync source can be selected as internal, MIDI, or Din Sync, and the avalon sends both MIDI & Din Sync.

• Audio inputs & Outputs
Includes main & headphone outputs, saw and square outputs (+/-5V), external input, and filter and vca outputs.

• CV Inputs & Outputs
Includes cv & gate input and output, filter cv Input, & accent sweep output.

Filter Plugin Cartridges
The avalon bassline is a high quality analog bassline synthesizer and sequencer. The core circuitry of the avalon is based on the revered Roland? TB-303 bassline synthesizer, to which a new layer of analog and digital circuitry has been added to position the avalon as the premier bassline synthesizer.

• Transistor Ladder Filter
This filter is based on the Minimoog ladder filter and includes 12dB & 24dB modes.

• SEM State Variable Filter
True to the orginal design of the beloved Oberheim SEM filter. It is designed using SMD parts in a similar manner to the current Tom Oberheim SEM modules. Includes low-pass & high-pass modes.

• JP Low Pass Filter
Based on the original jupiter 8 & juno 6/60 low pass filter. Includes both 12dB & 24dB modes.

• 4075 Low Pass Filter
This filter is true to the design of the Arp 4075 low pass filter and includes 12dB & 24dB modes.

• Wasp Multimode Filter
An accurate surface mount version of the Wasp 12dB multimode filter."

Roland SH-101 repair and Trigger with AIRA TR-8

Published on Jun 14, 2014 markusfuller·25 videos

"Roland SH-101 repair and Trigger it using the Aira TR-8. the 101 had dead keys with worn rubber carbon contacts. but after fix I had to try using the TR-8 as a trigger as there is no midi on the 101."

KMI Announces SoftStep 2

"BERKELEY, California – January 20, 2014 – KMI announces the release of SoftStep 2, the next incarnation of its wildly popular programmable foot controller. Everything you ever knew about foot controllers is about to change… again! After carefully listening to our users, KMI has refined the SoftStep experience from the ground up.

SoftStep 2 hardware updates (exclusive to SoftStep 2):
New cruciform controller pads for improved playability
Brighter LED backlighting
State recall in Standalone mode
Double memory and CPU clock speed
New case design
User tables
Same reliability… now wine and spirit proof!
New Editor & Firmware features (compatible with SoftStep & SoftStep 2):
8 times faster load time using 500 MB less memory
Foot On as a source for all corners of the Nav Pad
Advanced Key Lockout Modes
Ability to switch between using 0-127 and 1-128 values
MSB & LSB pitch bend support
Settable MSB & LSB for bank messages
Pressure: Each key is pressure sensitive for expressive control
Direction: Translate up/down, left/right movements into control values on improved control pads
Portable: Weighs 1.25 pounds, stands <1” at its tallest, and is USB powered
Deep: Up to 6 Note, CC, Pitch Bend, Program, MMC, or OSC messages per key
Rugged: Elastomeric skin and a carbon fiber backing… “It’s beer-proof!”
Flashy: 4-character LED display, 10 dual-color key LEDs, and LED underglow
Stage Control: Ableton Live, Traktor, Guitar Rig, Amplitube, MainStage, Loopers and more
Studio Control: Activate transport and track selects hands free
Hardware Control: Synths, keyboards, and FX units all under control
Beyond Sound: Control lighting, video effects, robotics, pyrotechnics…
Class Compliant: Works with Mac OS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android

Come see us at NAMM, booth 6227 in Hall A.

www.keithmcmillen.com"

ARP AXXE WITH ORIGINAL CASE SERVICED

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

"Here's what was done to the Axxe:
-All sliders serviced, with carbon cleaned or replaced as needed,
-The original Decay slider was replaced with a new, dead-stock, slider.
-The internal power supply was completely replaced with a new New England Analog custom made power supply
which is sure to last another 30 years, this obviously will help the synth stay in tune as well.
-The synth was tuned and the filter calibrated.
-1/8" CV input jack added for control of cutoff frequency
-Switch installed to allow LFO to run free, (as opposed to restarting at every new note trigger.)
-1/8" Clock In jack to sync the S&H LFO rate to an analog arpeggio clock or whatever.
(This works best with +8 volt triggers or clock signals)
-New 1/4" High output jack installed
-The actual keys and connections were NOT serviced as it still plays pretty well"

Sequential Circuits Pro One Fully Restored SN 9580

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via this auction

"This instrument has been rebuilt from the ground up, including 40+ hours of my time as well as $500+ just put into it at Wine Country Sequential, the country’s premier Sequential Circuits specialists. I told Wine Country to “Do whatever it takes to make this synth work as though it just came off the line”. They did better than that! This instrument is truly in perfect operational condition and is ready to perform well for another 30 years. Operationally and sound wise, this synth is unquestionably a 10 out of 10.

There are two scratches on the back and a few on the bottom, other than this the unit is in great shape cosmetically. Easily 8.5 out of 10.

Work done on unit includes:
· New, custom made American Red Oak wood ends (you also get the original walnut ends)
· Every potentiometer and switch cleaned and lubed, checked for correct operation
· J-Wire keyboard fully serviced, every key’s wire and the bus bar meticulously cleaned with DeOxit and then coated with Silver Oxide to ensure years of accurate triggering
· All keys leveled out
· All keyboard bushings replaced using the “Archive Sound” Pratt-Read keyboard rebuild kit, bringing it back up to fresh from the factory action
· Case-mounted power supply completely rewired, new original-style Fuse Holder installed, new power cord installed
· 2.2uF Power Supply bypass capacitors replaced with higher V rated 35v caps
· High quality IC sockets added for several of the chips to make servicing and replacement of chips more efficient
· Replaced 4049 ICs for the Gate Controller, Sequencer and Arpeggiator
· Rebuilt Noise circuit, including replacing/socketing the 5532 Dual Op Amp and replacing electrolytic capacitors
· Replaced LM348 Quad Op Amp and TL082 JFET-Input Dual Op Amp IC chips across the board
· All oscillators tuned and calibrated per factory service manual procedures
· 2 full 50 hour Reliability Burn-In test cycles performed at Wine Country, making sure synth continue to operate flawlessly after all components reach max operating temperature

Extras: If you buy this synth, you will also receive the following extras:
· The original wood ends, power cord and case screws
· The “CAIG Audio Survival Kit”, including DeOxIT deoxidizing solution, spray and tube ProGold preservative and lubricant for plated metal connections, spray and tube CaiLube lubricant for plastic and carbon compound faders and switches, spray and tube Lint-free swabs, brushes, and cloths 5" x 8" carrying case
· Printed and Electronic versions of the Pro One Operation Manual, schematics, third party patches, more.."

Oberheim OB-8 with MIDI and Silver Side Panels

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via this auction

via the listing:
" Power Supply Rebuilt – Re-capped entire power supply with rare and awesome-sounding Samwha RD caps. Samwha caps, in general, are difficult to obtain here in the USA. However, many top notch OEM’s know how good they sound, which is why Marshall, Moog & Orange amps use them almost exclusively in their production. This alone, should speak volumes about their “tone”. However, as an OEM audio engineer, I have access to these wonderful caps and they are “sonic-sleepers” in my opinion. They sound awesome in quality analog synths too, of coarse, yielding big, fat, fluffy, smooth tone. Far superior to Illinois, Sprague and other brands. Try them for yourself, (if you can get them) and hear the difference!
Power Supply Rear-mount TO-3 regulators – were all replaced with custom gold electro-plated units. (Not available on open market, as these are custom plated parts).
Power Supply cable harness- rebuilt with thicker, high-quality copper strand wiring. This helps the power supply “breath” better due to reduced resistance.
Power Supply 723 regulator sockets- replaced; gold plated.
Power Supply 7815 (+15VDC)regulator – replaced; gold plated.
OB-8 Main processor board – Every IC, carefully removed, cleaned, tested and/or replaced as needed.
Power Supply trim pots - replaced with Bourns “plastic-conductive” type, The very best sounding trims available, since all pertinent power supplied to the OB-8’s specified pcb’s must pass through these pots. (Plastic conductive material has a superior “open” tone compared to carbon type pots).
OB-8 Voice Boards - were removed and cleaned. All CEM VCO & related chips were removed and cleaned and replaced with socket enhancement fluid. Both OB-8 voice boards also had all major capacitors replaced with Samwah RD caps.
OB-8 Panel Pot Boards - were removed and cleaned and all pots thoroughly cleaned, lubed and tested.
Special audiophile-grade solder -used on all replaced components for maximum sonic tone and transparency.
Midi Output Jacks -all replaced with Nuetrik/Rean brand.
Bend Lever Assembly -fully cleaned and lubed, All IC’s removed, cleaned, tested and/or replaced.
Keyboard assembly -was removed from chassis and disassembled. Rubber boot contact covers were removed and cleaned. Keypad contacts were all replaced with Sound Doctorin NASA type conductors. OB-8’s are notorious for key contact and misfire issues over time and this solution is the best yet.
Side-End Caps - were refinished/painted with special “stainless-steel” particle paint and then clear lacquered with many coats to achieve glass-like finish. Absolutely stunning and totally says; “I’m Special”!
Inner Chassis - was completely cleaned and new black colored end-cap fasteners were employed.
Fresh Data Dump - was re-loaded with Standard patches.
Midi & Arpeggiator Included! – This OB-8 has both midi and a fully functioning arpeggiator, which is not found on other Oberheim models such as Matrix 12, OBX-a etc.
Owners Manual & Technical/Schematics Manual - both included and bound & printed on high-quality gloss paper!

To top it off, the unit went through a full final check-up with Five Star Engineering in Mesa, AZ. (Dean there,is an ex-Oberheim employee/tech and extremely knowledgeable)! Unit is in full working condition."

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Oberheim OB-X 8-Voice Analogue Synth SN 800207

via this auction

"Entire synth re-capped, from the power supply to the voice cards and everything in between. That means all the(over 80!) tired electrolyic and (unreliable) tantlum capacitors have been replaced with high quality new ones.

Every internal calibration pot(over 100!) has been replaced and upgraded(obeheim used cheap open types) with high spec 25 turn cemet types(more accurate tuning) or sealed single turn cemets pots(or carbon according to specs). This improves tuning and general adjustment stability on the OB-X massively!

Entire keybed stripped, cleaned, rebushed(61 new pratt-reed bushes!), rebuilt and aligned. Makes the keybed play as new!

Many of the unreliable CMOS logic IC's and old Op-amps have been replaced and upgraded.

Modified to run a single more modern EPROM. This removes the need for the -5 and +12 power supplies, removing load from the supply and improving reliability

Every control pot stripped, cleaned and lubricated.

Every switch stripped, cleaned, lubricated and rebuilt.

Every molex connector(100's of solder connections) resoldered, to cure and protect against cold(broken) solder joints. (very common OB-X fault)

Power supply upgraded with beefier 4 amp bridge rectifiers(the originals are a known problem) and new +15/-15 regulators.

New Lithium coin cell type memory battery fitted with holder.(makes for very simple future replacement)"

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MFB Synth 2 demo.mov

YouTube Uploaded by eliotlipp on Nov 8, 2010

"Eliot Lipp plays with the MFB Synth 2 + the Carbon Copy analog delay."

via this auction

Ultimate Boutique Delay Pedal Shootout: Moog, EchoCzar, MXR, Memory Man + More

Ultimate Boutique Delay Pedal Shootout: Moog, EchoCzar, MXR, Memory Man + More from David Fisher on Vimeo.

"We recorded clips of 10 different high end delay pedals in Taylor Barefoot's Studio in Brighton Massachusetts to show off the different flavors of delays available.

We recorded each pedal using an original 1959 Fender Stratocaster, Monster Cables, a Voodoo Labs Pedal Power II, and Alessandro Black 'n Tan amp, Royer 121 microphone, Shure SM-57 microphone, Shadow Hill Industries Gama 8 preamp and a Lynx Aurora 16 A/D convertor into Protools.

Minimal digital limiting was added in Protools to boost the volumes.

Pedals used:
Moog MF-104
Empress Vintage Modified Superdelay
Dr Scientist Sunny Day Delay
Way Huge Aquapuss
MXR Carbon Copy
Toneczar Echoczar
ElectroHarmonix Deluxe Memory Man Reissue
Diamond Memory Lane
Hughes and Kettner Replex
Roland SRE-555

Each pass was recorded first with the bridge pickup, then the neck pickup. Taylor tried to play the same thing each time, but we didn't use any reamper or similar to get the exact same thing each time.

We simply set each delay to a setting (with tasteful modulation) that we felt sounded 'good' for that pedal, as if we were trying to use it for a song that had this riff in the studio- a real world application. There are plenty of videos that go into the details of each pedal, look them up!"

Pacific Northwest Synth 2009 - Carbon111

YouTube via matrixsynth

http://carbon111.com/
http://mattsonminimodular.com/

Carbon 111 goes over the rare Sequential Circuits Pro-8 which later became the Split-Eight with a new color scheme similar to the Multi-Track.

Part 2

click here for all PNW 2009 coverage.

Roland RS-202

images via this auction
"The Roland RS202 string synth was the successor to the largely unsuccessful RS101.

It used the standard method for creating lush, swirling string sounds of the time - take a simple organ 'divide down' sawtooth oscillator as the basic sound source for unrestricted polyphony and throw the whole thing through a chorus unit. Add simple vibrato, a choice of registers and and a simple attack/release envelope shaper and you have the perfect recipe for rich strings.

That the Roland RS202 could deliver silky string sounds is undisputed - it sounded gorgeous and I remember being full of envy when a friend of mine bought one and let me play it (and I borrowed it whenever I could!). It was simple to operate, a joy to use and as soon as you played it, a unique sound just dribbled out through those rear panel jacks! The RS202 wan't quite as 'mushy' as other, competing string synths of the time and it had its own sonic identity.

The RS202 came in its own flight case (the principle reason for my friend buying it... he was gigging and touring extensively at the time) and it had a simple front panel. It had controls for tuning and master volume and various large rocker switches that allowed you to select different string sounds: Strings I and Strings II (an octave up from Strings I). Like other string synths of the era, there was also a brass sound that could be selected and, like other string synths of the era, it was next to useless! No.... it was the string sound(s) that defined the RS202.

At the heart of the RS202's string sound was Roland's 'ensemble' or chorus effect. For whatever reason, Roland got this just right not only on the RS202 but also in the chorus effects pedals that they (and their subsequent subsidiary company, Boss) were to release. This rich ensemble effect was enough to guarantee the RS202's success.

However, unlike the competition of the time, each key also had its own envelope shaper so that each note articulated properly. This was a huge improvement on other such string synths at the time and made the RS202 far more playable and expressive - it's just a shame that the sound's attack was limited to just two preset values determined by the setting of a single grey rocker switch labelled 'SOFT ATTACK'. By way of compensation, there was at least a totally variable 'SUSTAIN' (i.e. release) control so all was not lost. The other grey 'TONE' rocker switch allowed you to select two different timbres for the string or brass sound.

The RS202 was also 'bi-timbral' with different sounds for the bottom two and top three octaves respectively and flexibility was enhanced by the fact that the lower and upper sections were (almost) completely independent of each other thus you could have solo 'cello in the bottom half of the keyboard and a lush string ensemble in the upper half of the keyboard. Or you could have combinations of lower and upper brass and strings and so on according to the settings of the five identical rocker switches for each lower / upper section. Two sliders allowed you to balance the two sections. However, whilst being flexible for the 'power player', for someone who just wanted a uniform sound across the RS202's 5-octave keyboard range meant setting the separate lower and upper sections identically which was potentially a problem for live use. That said, the layout of the controls was such that this was not difficult to achieve.

On the surface, then, the Roland RS202 was unique in the market at the time and potentially looked unstoppable.

Except that the Roland RS202 did have some serious competition in the unlikely form of the MX202 from American manufacturer, Multivox. However....

Not only did the RS202 and MX202 share almost indentical numeric product names, it would appear that the resemblance didn't end there. Apart from a few minor differences, the front panel layout was almost identical in every respect and was only differentiated with the use of slightly different switches and control caps. Furthermore, the underlying circuitry in the MX202 was also almost identical to the Roland RS202's. In short, the Multivox MX202 was pretty much a carbon copy clone of the RS202 and Multivox had ripped off the design almost component-for-component! However, somehow the two managed to have a different sound.

Roland, of course, won out in the end and are still here to tell the tale. But Multivox... who?

What's on offer here is the genuine article. Hollow Sun contributor, Paul Marshall has (once again!) gone to extreme lengths to provide detailed multi-samples of this Roland classic. With long, luxurious samples taken every major third across the original's F-F 5-octave range, what we have here is a truly authentic representation of what is arguably Roland's finest string synth. There are two sounds - straight 8' Strings 1 and the two registers Strings 1+2 (16' and 8') layered in octaves."