Polymoog Resonator Schematics

via Florian Anwander on the AH list.

Elektor Formant Vintage Modular Synthesizer w/ Doepfer Modules from 1978

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

via this auction

This one spotted by Florian Anwander. The Doepfer modules are the String Phaser, String LFO, Frequency-Divider, and External Input pictured below. The docs under the formant manual below are for the Doepfer modules. Interesting bit of synth history.

From the listing, translated into Googlish:

"Main Unit:

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A Closer Look at the Jupiter-8

video by Alex Ball

"A closer look at the legendary Roland Jupiter-8, an iconic polysynth from 1981.

Huge thanks to Shadow Child for the generous loan.

The end track is available here:



0:00​ Intro
1:10​ Demo 1: Ramp & Sync
1:44​ Demo 2: Unison Twist
2:04​ The Jupiter-8 Concept
3:24​ Demo 3: Bells
3:55​ Demo 4: Soft Chords
4:17​ The Jupiter VCOs
5:00​ Demo 5: Drill Wah
5:25​ Demo 6: Espen Kraftwerk
6:17​ The Jupiter VCFs
6:51​ Demo 7: Four By Four
7:23​ Demo 8: Filmscore
8:23​ Comparison to a Prophet~10
10:25​ The Key Modes
11:32​ Summary & Thoughts
13:15​ Contextual Demo: 'The Power'

The Links I Cited:
https://www.roland.com/uk/promos/rola...​
http://www.florian-anwander.de/roland..."

Glamour Shots of Kiwitech PE and More

via Florian Anwander
(click for more)

"Pictures from our latest session of our Munich based project "ambiosonics". Contains some glamour shots and also normal pics from the session (see attachment).
The recordings of this session are partially available too."

Roland JX-3P Filter Resonance Boost Mod DIY: Detailed Walkthrough and Sound Demonstration

video by thesrabbit

follow-up to this post.

"Disclaimer: I cannot be held responsible if you try this out and break your gear or yourself. Please be careful! This mod requires the synth to be powered on with the panel open as you make adjustments to the trim pots. Please do not touch anything inside the synth other than the trim pots, and only touch the trim pots with your trim pot tool. I used a special tool for this, but I think it may be possible to use other tools as well.

This video is meant to show you how I accomplished my particular goal. It does not mean that this is THE correct way, if there is such a thing. I'm a total DIY noob and have never used an oscilloscope before. Please leave a comment if you know something important about safety or want to call me out for anything that I'm doing which is clearly wrong.

Contents:
0:00: Intro
1:35: Preparation and disassembly
3:00: Opening the top panel
4:07: Trim pots

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DTRONICS DT7 with DX7 first try

DTRONICS DT7 with DX7 first try from Florian Anwander on Vimeo.

"This is my first try with the DTronics DT7 Editor for the yamaha DX7.

The arpeggio is played by the arp function of the supermax'ed DX7"

Rare MFB 2005 Drum Computer Synthesizer

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

via this auction

"This drum computer is auctioned by Hapera / Fricke. The MFB is in good used condition. A knob is unfortunately canceled, but this should be easy to replace."

This one was spotted and sent in via Florian Anwander.

You can find a handful of posts featuring the MFB 2005 including additional information here. You can find a flyer here.

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PHILIPS EL 6911/01 TAPE ECHO TUBE ECHO

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

via this auction

Here's an interesting one spotted and sent in via Florian Anwander.

"An extremely remarkable tape echo. I have never seen it before. Appearently it is possible to place the replay heads in many different positions. No used parts of the circle are filled with idler pulleys"

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Florian Anwander's Roland JX-3P Resource Site

Click here for arguably the best resource site on the Roland JX-3P. You'll find pictures, tips and tricks, Modifications, Schematics, Manual, Wishlist, and Links to more.

Note this is a follow-up to the previous post.

Ströme live beim PULS Festival 2016 (Full Concert) & Live at Superbooth 2017

Published on Dec 6, 2016 PULS Musik

"Alle Fotos und Videos vom PULS Festival: http://www.deinpuls.de/festival"

via Florian Anwander:

"Two guys from Munich, Germany do live music with two big modular systems. The group is called 'Ströme' which is german for "electric currents". They are professional musicians. They played bass and drums for several years in the very successful bavarian band "La Brass Banda". The left one is Mario Schönhuber, the (former) bass player. He is doing most of the sequences and chords. The guy at the right system is Tobias Weber (drummer at La Brass Banda), he is doing all drums and percussive stuff.

Tobias uses in the first video the Doepfer A-157 for the drum programming, but changed now to a Tiptop Audio Circadian Rhythm (can be seen in the Berlin video).

Marios uses a combination of Audio Damage Sequencer 1, Stillson Hammer, Intellijel Metropolis, and Make Noise Tempi for his bass sequences. In the first video he is using still a Roland JD-Xi for the chords, but recently he changed over to a Audio Damage Sequencer 1 which controls for Doepfer A-111-3 plus monophonic filter and vca (you may spot it in the Berlin video in the most upper row).

Enjoy it."

Superbooth 2017 - Ströme live

Published on May 5, 2017 Bendeg

DIY Semimodular Analog Synthesizers

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

These were spotted and sent in via Florian Anwander. If anyone knows if there is more info out there on these aside from what's listed in the auctions, let us know. Giving them a tuberetrosound label for now as that is the seller's name on eBay.

The top system is via this auction

"Offer DIY analog synthesizer, playable as Synthe bass with built-in + switch by 1 octave transponable keyboard or via external CV / gate control over 7 octaves playable. Soundhammer with 2 x DIODE LADDER VCF and 2 parametric filters."

The second via this auction

"Sell analog synthesizer module with SEQUENZER and analog drumsounds, built as an inexperienced experimental system. Inputs 2 x CV (1VOLT / OKTAVE and GATE 0 VOLT and 5 to 12 VOLT). Outputs Stereo.
Stability after 10 minutes, 24 db cascade filter.
All the details are recognizable by enlargement of the photos.
Supplied with circuit boards. Only for the experienced connoisseur. Pure analog technology with MIDI CV Converter or Oberheim OB2 - keyboard to play. Without guarantee and without withdrawal."

And the third is an Analog Synthesizer CV+GATE Keyboard via this auction

"Provide DIY Precision - Analog 2xCV, 2xGATE 3 octaves Keyboard for analog synthesizer with playable CV range of 7 octaves, built-in LFO's and very good playability of the keyboard.
The keyboard is exactly the same as the synthesizer module and is 2-voice (duophone) or monophonic, 2 x separate PORTAMENTO.
The idea came from the OBERHEIM 2 VOICE KEYBOARD, which was expanded a bit.
The KBD is matched and should warm 10 minutes."

The following images are of each in order.

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SQ-3P - Eurorack MIDI Step Sequencer Inspired by Roland JX-3P and SH-101 Sequencers

via florian-anwander.de

"The SQ-3P is a MIDI step sequencer inspired by the sequencers in the Roland JX-3P and SH-101. I use the Arduino platform for it. In fact this module can be used as a generic midi orientated Arduino module. The sequencer application is only one of many thinkable applications.

Picture of the pre-series module. From left to right: simple IO module, main module, triple in/thru module, triple out module."

Additional details and pics here.

Invisible Minimoog Model D

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

via this auction

This one was spotted and sent in via Florian Anwander

"I have never seen the knobs without the synth...

It's like in a science fiction, where all the people vanished, but still
the cloths are laying in the chairs...."

Funny and true! Cool that they laid out the knobs like that. Missing rocker switches though... Made me think of this video.

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Hohner U Studio w/ SSM Chips

This one was spotted and sent in via Florian Anwander.

Not much is known about it aside from it having SSM chips. It appears to be an arranger. If you know anything about it, feel free to leave a comment.

Update: more info and a demo here. It didn't show up in a search because of the µ instead of a U.

Thanks goes to LeMel in the comments for finding it.

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Korg SDD-3000 Service Manual

You can find a copy of the service manual scanned by Florian Anwander here [mirrored here].

Vintage Doepfer VMS - Voice Modular System for Auction

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

via eBay Germany

Note this would be the third Doepfer product according to the timeline here. It is from 1982 and it predates the Sound Sampler recently posted here by two years.

Another one spotted by Florian Anwander who had the following to say:

"This is an auction on ebay Germany. The VMS - Voice Modular System' was a Curtis based synth, that provided
* a voice card with two VCOs, VCF, VCA, and two ADSR,
* an addon card with two LFOs and Noise for each card, and may be some other functions
* an interface card to controll the synths parameters from a C64
* a 32 x S&H card, where the voltages from the interface where distributed to the voices.
* a memory card, where presets could be stored
One system could consist of 8 Voices.

In this auction also a Sound Sampler Card,a MIDI-CV-interface, and a card for a polyphonic CV/Gate-Keyboard is included.

Unfortunately the auction the seller does not ship to other countries than germany.

Original text of the auction in Googlish:
'Mid-80s, I have several times different special assemblies by Dipl. Phys. Dieter Doepfer purchased to build me a synthesizer module system. I once 1,032.50 DM for all these parts paid (the old invoices I send with). From the construction project unfortunately did not work out. The various boards, partially equipped with plenty Curtis CEM ICs and other were not built by me, the boards were therefore not connected to power supply voltages. While these are all modules of the early Doepfer devices series, but it would be a shame to dispose of these boards as hazardous waste. Even if only the Curtis ICs into account, then this package is still some value is, therefore, the starting price of the auction of EUR 150, -. Because I can not verify the circuit boards and assemblies, sell everything as defective goods. I'm still on the assumption that the ICs work.

There are the following modules with the corresponding assembled boards:

1 Voice Card
1 expansion card
1 analog output interface based card
2 analog output interface 32 channel S & H Cards
1 analog memory bank
1 half-Europe microcomputer board
1 analog memory bank backplane

The matching of the modules front panels, potentiometers, switches and jacks are not there. A few existing external components (front panels, mounting, etc. s. Photos) I deliver to.

At Curtis CEM ICs are installed on Voice Card and expansion card into the following number:
2x CEM 3340 VCO
1x CEM 3320 VCF
4x CEM 3330 Dual VCA
2x CEM 3360 Dual VCA
2x CEM 3310 ADSR

Full-linked blueprints for different modules with copies of the original CEM IC documentation (in English) are for the following modules in the Appendix:

Voice-Card
Expansion-card
Analog output interface (ASB)
Analog memory bank
Midi-CV interface (v. Peter Fischer)
Polyphonic computer keyboard (v. Peter Fischer)
Sound sampling unit (natural sound memory (SSE)

Furthermore, the scope of the auction include several brochures and price lists from Doepfer from 1983-84 and 1984-85, as well as a multi-page copy of a Elrad article about Curtis CEM CEM ICs and documentaries about other ICs.

This offer is valid only within Germany. This offer is valid for Germany only - no shipping to other countries.'"

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Synth DIY Germany 2008

You can find images of the event on Florian Anwander's site. Be sure to click on each image for the full size shot when you get there.

New Synth Gear and Makers in January 2015

After this year's massive New Years post, I thought it might be interesting to see how many new makers and new gear announcements we received in a single month.

This may or may not become a monthly theme on the site depending on interest.  If you think it's worth while, leave a comment.

At a high level we had 12 new makers, one new old maker previously never featured on the site, and a whopping 193 new synth related products. Check out the module list below.  The list is a combination of what was either announced or released this month.

The list in order of appearance:

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