Roland Introduces New TR-08 & Four Voice Polyphonic SH-01A Boutique Series

Here they are. Full details via Roland below.

Playlist:
Roland Boutique TR-08 & SH-01A with Mathew Jonson
One Take with Roland Boutique TR-08 & SH-01A: Mathew Jonson
Roland Boutique TR-08 Rhythm Composer
Hands on with Roland SH-01A, TR-08 - cdmtv
Introducing The Roland Boutique Series TR-08 and SH-01A | Reverb.com
Roland TR-08 Rhythm Composer | Reverb Demo Video
Roland SH-01A Bass Line Synthesizer | Reverb Demo Video
Update: New video added: Roland SH-01A Boutique Synthesizer QUICK DEMO

TR-08 details via Roland

"The TR-08 brings the look, sound, and feel of the original 808 — with stunning accuracy — to the Roland Boutique format. From the instantly-recognizable red-orange-yellow-white markings, the shape of the sequencer buttons, switches and knobs are details that have been painstakingly reproduced to match the iconic recreation of sounds. Along with the aesthetic touches, the TR-08 contains new features like 16 sub-steps for fast rolls, independent trigger out track, compression/gain/tune for instruments and a selectable modified “long decay” bass drum for more boom and resonance.

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KOMA's Field Kit launched on Kickstarter!

"After a year of development, testing and prototyping, KOMA Elektronik is proud to present the latest addition to the KOMA family: the KOMA Elektronik Field Kit! On Kickstarter now! The new KOMA Elektronik Field Kit is the perfect tool for everyone who would like to experiment with electroacoustic sound. Use everyday objects, amplify them and use them to make sound, like our heroes John Cage and David Tudor used to do!

The Field Kit is optimized to process signals from microphones, contact microphones, electromagnetic pickups and able to run DC motors and solenoids. On top of that it can receive radio signals and convert signals from switches and sensors into control voltage. The Field Kit boasts 7 separate functional blocks all focussed on receiving or generating all types of signals. They are designed to operate together as a coherent electroacoustic workstation or alternatively together with other pieces of music electronics with the ability to use control voltage signals:

Four Channel Mixer
Envelope Follower
DC Interface
Analog Switch Interface
Analog Sensor Interface
AM/FM/SW Radio
Low Frequency Oscillator
You can easily interface the Field Kit with a Eurorack modular system. At the backside of the PCB you will find a power connector you can use to power the unit from your system. The total panel width is 36HP. You can buy the Field Kit as a finished unit or build one yourself with the DIY Version."



"All audio has been recorded straight from the Field Kit, using a DC Motor, Solenoid Motor, a DC powered fan, Roland TR-8 and Berlin's local radio station Antenne Brandenburg as audio sources."

Additional details via Kickstarter.

"The KOMA Field Kit

The new KOMA Elektronik Field Kit is the perfect tool for everyone who would like to experiment with electroacoustic sound. Use everyday objects, amplify them and use them to make sound, like our heroes John Cage and David Tudor used to do!

The Field Kit is optimized to process signals from microphones, contact microphones, electromagnetic pickups and able to run DC motors and solenoids. On top of that it can receive radio signals and convert signals from switches and sensors into control voltage!

We have finished development of the Field Kit, are ready for production and we need your support to make it happen!

[Pictured:] The final Field Kit prototype, ready for production!

It's all about the things you connect to the The Field Kit! To get you started we decided to offer an Expansion Pack with a bunch of different sources that you can use and connect to create your own signature sounds.

CLICK FOR MORE »

duality micro xmC

Published on Dec 21, 2015 evadum

"Hi mates, here is a little live track for the fans and customers of the www.evadum.de site. In use: The korg monotribe, korg volca sample and a gameboy dmg01 with nanoloop 1 in sync via the cv sync cables that can be purchased on the evadum merch site.

Thanks for your orders and support,
i wish you a nice xmas and a happy new year."

An Interview with Barry Schrader

Hi everyone! As you know Barry Schrader will be giving his farewell concert at CalArts on September 26. The following is the beginning of my interview with him. I opted to post the questions and answers as they come in.  New QAs will get a new post so you do not miss them and they will be added to this post so we have one central post for the full interview. This should make it easier for all of us to consume in our busy lives, and it will allow you to send in any questions that may come to mind during the interview process.  If you have anything you'd like to ask Barry, feel free to send it in to matrixsynth@gmail.com.  This is a rare opportunity for us to get insight on a significant bit of synthesizer history, specifically with early Buchla systems, and I'd like to thank Barry for this opportunity. Thank you Barry!

CLICK FOR MORE »

MATRIXSYNTH TURNS 10!!!

We are slowly maturing... :) Today marks the 10 year anniversary of MATRIXSYNTH! It's hard to believe 10 years have gone by since I started this format of MATRIXSYNTH. If you are curious what the original version of MATRIXSYNTH looked like, take a look here. That was a portal to all the sites I used to visit. I started the site back in October of 1997. Some people might falsely think the matrix alias and site name came from The Matrix movies, but the first movie did not come out until 1999, two years after matrixsynth.com went live. Did I have the foresight to predict the name, or were the Wachowski's a fan of the site and computer terminal green? :) The truth is the matrix alias and name of the site actually came from my first synth, the Oberheim Matrix-6. I could have gone with a blue on black theme, but my favorite color is green and I liked the retro terminal look, so green on black it is.

Every now and then I get some confusion as to what exactly is the point of this site. Is it a professional news media outlet or just some guy's blog? The truth is it's a bit of both. It started as "some guy's blog" sharing everything he came across in the world of synths and eventually it caught on and grew. It's now a mix of official press releases, demos, videos and everything else I find out there as well as what people send in, with some rules. I promised myself I did not want to fall into the trap of becoming a media outlet only. There is one reason this site exists - to share the world of synthesizers from a synthesizer's perspective. Think about what that means. Nothing else matters. A few days ago I updated the intro to the Post Guidelines. I think it sums up the spirit of the site:

"MATRIXSYNTH is a daily glimpse into the world of synthesizers with the focus on specific, individually identifiable synths. Every single post on the site is created manually, by hand. The current format of the site launched in 2005 at the birth of sharing platforms like Blogger, YouTube, Vimeo and Flickr. SoundCloud wouldn't launch until 2007. Facebook wouldn't open to the public until 2006. Prior to these platforms the only way everyday users of synths could share what they were doing was by having their own dedicated website. Sure there were forums where people could talk about synths, but to upload videos, audio demos, and hi-res pics, you needed your own website. Print publications were dedicated to professionals in the industry, rarely featuring non-professionals, and media was limited to static images. MATRIXSYNTH is meant to compliment print by showcasing what us, the fans of synthesizers, do with our gear on a daily basis. The site is a mix of what I (matrix) find out there and what readers send in. The content is balanced between press releases, official demos, and what everyday users of the site are doing with their synths, along with a glimpse of the used synth marketplace. The site evolved over time to meet both the needs of readers, and to maintain the overall spirit of the site. Imagine if we were able to capture what users of synths were doing back in its infancy. Much of that time may be lost, but we can capture synth history moving forward!"

So how many posts have gone up to date? A whopping 127,448 including this post. Every, single, post, is edited and posted by hand. The sad thing, is because of format changes over time, along with Flash going by the wayside, I have had to start the long process of updating the majority of posts in the archives. It will be slow, but MATRIXSYNTH is a labor of love and I think it will be worth it. The site has received over 46,832,215 pageviews to date. Some question why I chose Blogger as a platform. The reason is because I want the site to live on long after I'm gone. Blogger is free and is owned and hosted by Google, so that's about as safe as it will get. Someone will need to switch the the URL back to matrixsynth.blogspot.com so the site doesn't disappear when/if the matrixsynth.com domain name expires, but hopefully I'll be able to take care of that ahead of time, when I am much, much older. :)

I don't want to take too much time in this post, so I'll cut it short. I just want to say running MATRIXSYNTH has been quite the experience. As with everything there are good days and bad. I feel a sense of ownership and identity when it comes to the site, almost in a parental sense. The site has become my best friend and has been a constant companion over the last ten years. BTW, in the last ten years I have only missed a single day of posting back on August 6, 2005, the first year of running the site, when it definitely was just "some guy's blog". I had no idea there would be something to post every single day of the year moving forward. Think about that a bit. There is something to share every single day. What an wonderful world of synths we live in.

I want to end this by saying thank you for an incredible ten years. I want to thank everyone that has supported the site in their own little way. I am humbled that others love the site as much as I do. THANK YOU!!!

On to another 10 years!

Update: Thank you to everyone who has wished me a happy anniversary in the comments below, on Twitter , and Facebook (and here), email and websites - thank you Palm Sounds!  Below is a screen grab of the initial post from @chris_carter_ (wikipedia) and a cool little image from Audio Hoarder made on his phone.  Thank you!

Hidden Voices on the Breakaway Music Vocalizer 1000 Synthesizer Demo

Published on Aug 30, 2014 oberek92

This track appears to have been made on the Breakaway Music Vocalizer 1000 using some of it's hidden voices. According to LucyTuning:

"The Breakaway Vocalizer 1000 is a MIDI pitch-tracker, and sample player, which I had used for analysing dolphin vocalisations. Unfortunately it seems to have been marketed as a toy for karaoke fans. It is claimed to track and playback to the nearest 32nd of a semitone, and although it is now old technology, I find it fun, so here is what I have discovered about its hidden voices. (certainly not General Midi).

GM (program numbers) and sounds

Check it with your sequencer. These program numbers work with Music-X on Amiga (my old favourite) yet some sequencers may transpose the program numbers by one position: so that Piano is 0 and Rap Drum is 73 etc.

CLICK FOR MORE »

Studio 1111 - 303 + 808 - Free with MIDI Out Sequencer for iPad

iTunes: Studio 1111 - 303 + 808 - alexander smith

"Love the sound of the 303 acid bass lines?

Can't resist the BOOM of the the classic 808 drum kit?

Here's a formula to consider: 303+808=Studio1111

Studio1111 is an all-in-one workstation and composing environment offering a wide selection of tools and modes to effortlessly build awesome acid bass lines and drum patterns.

FEATURES:

303 BASS SYNTH:
-De-tuneable to 3 voices (FAT)
-Waveform mix between Square/Saw
-Resonant Acid Low Pass filter with envelope and decay that 303 fans will love.
-sequence up to 16 patterns per song

DRUM MACHINE:
up to 15 kits available including:
-808
-909
-8 BIT
-505
-KASIO
-DUBSTEP
-DISCO
-iHANG
-606
-BEATBOX
-MPC2000
-707
-ELECTRO
-HIPHOP
-SPEAKSPELL

You Have full control over the mix of the drum kit to get the balance perfect!

XY FX PAD:
The effects pad enables you to ad cool FX to both drum and synth channels. Effects include:
-Vowel formant filter
-Low Pass filter
-Hi Pass filter
-Bitcrushing distortion
LOAD/SAVE:
You also have the ability to load and save up to 8 songs n the fly

AUDIO EXPORT:
Record your performances to WAV, downloadable via the iTunes sharing page

MIDI IN/OUT
Trigger your drum kit and synth with an external keyboard or sequencer!

You can also you Studio1111 pattern sequencer to trigger external midi modules - both drums and synth sequencer have midi out!"

CLICK FOR MORE »

Beat Kangz Beat Thang Mobile Music Production System with Original Box

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

"Beatkangz Beat Thang Mobile Music Production System in excellent condition. Includes manual, power supply and original box.

Fully portable and mobile music creation system, with a huge, studio ready sound library.

Create and Experience Music Wherever You Are
The Beat Thang Mobile Music Production Studio comes with everything you need to make your own original Hip Hop, Dance, Pop, Dubstep, Industrial or Electronic music productions.

Loaded with over 3,000 original, professionally mastered sounds, a sampler with waveform editing, built-in effects, chromatic keypads, and a fully portable rugged design, the Beat Thang simplifies professional music production down to its core by providing you with all the tools you need to make high-quality, radio-ready, club-friendly music right out of the box.

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TKB Goofin'

TKB Goofin' from HexEnduction on Vimeo.

"Serge TKB exploration number 1. This just arrived in the mail yesterday and it's killer. Touch capacitive sequences and pressure sensitivity, what more could you ask for?
For more information on the Serge Modular Music System visit quadslope.com"

TKB Goofin' 2: Rhythmic Boogaloo from HexEnduction on Vimeo.

"Serge TKB Exploration #2.5
Raver vs crunker vs SETI"

Serge SSG: Patch Programing from HexEnduction on Vimeo.

"The Serge Smooth / Stepped Generator is very deep. Here are a handful of different patches that highlight some of the functions that can be performed through patch programming the different sections of this module. For more info and patching ideas see the SSG Hi jinx pages at serge-fans.com where many of these patching ideas came from."

Serge SSG

YouTube via hexenduction
"The Serge Smooth / Stepped Generator is very deep. Here are a handful of different patches that highlight some of the functions that can be performed through patch programming the different sections of this module. For more info and patching ideas see the SSG Hi jinx pages at http://www.serge-fans.com where many of these patching ideas came from.

For more info on the Serge Modular Synthesizer please visit http://www.quadslope.com or http://www.serge-fans.com"

Synths and More Lost in the California Fires - MOOG Music Offers Help

Nick Montoya lost his home an a number of synths in the California fires. Fortunately he and his family were on the road when it happened so they are all safe. Some synths made it as well, however quite a few were lost along with of course the home. There is a thread on this at the Moog Music Forum here. Moog has set up donation box to help out.

via Amos of Moog Music
"Hi all,
We can also accept PayPal donations sent to heidi@moogmusic.com. Any donations we receive will be sent directly to Nick, Anna and Eva, along with a care package from their friends here at Moog Music.

I hope that the Moog online community can pull together to offer some help here to one of our own. This is a tough break for these kids, and your support could make a real difference.

Feel free to call us for more info; 800-948-1990. Thanks for your help!

-Amos Gaynes"


Nick Montoya:
"Wow..

Thank you all sooooooo much.. Yes, this is tragic but could have been WAY worse..

We were outta town, so we couldnt save what we didn't bring with us.. Luckily we were outta town doing a gig and recording session with Bernie (coincidence that he played keys on Talking Heads "Burning down the house") ... Not funny, but i have to try to laugh to keep from cryin'..

So we had all our most important stuff, but all our sentimental crap, along with furniture, beds, socks, appliances, all that bleep is gone!

There were rumors around town that we lost ALL our equipment and some crazy fans said that emailed moog to try and replace our gear!!

BUT - we had alot with us... Things we DIDNT lose in terms of equipment:

Moog Minimoog Model D
Moog Voyager
Moog Little Phatty TE "#14"
Moog MG1 (Concermate)
Moog Etherwave Standard
Korg Microkorg
Korg Electribe ES1
Hohner Melodica
Alesis 16ch Firewire mixer
Mac Book (with our entire new unreleased album)
M audio BX5A (pair of studio monitors)

So thats the good news..

We got back here to SB last night and went and saw the property. The house is leveled, other than the chimney.... We went back this morning and dug through some rubble.. Nothing at all to salvage..

I found a few pieces of the Baldwin Synthsound (VERY RARE).. Totally un recognizable!

The most important thing is that we are all safe.. Things are looking up.. Now I just gotta find a place to rent here in SB for the good price I had on the rental that burned down...

Thank you all so much for your kind words, prayers, and support! WE love you Moogies, and once we release this album - you will understand that EVERYTHING IS GONNA BE GREAT! So excited!"

via Rick at Moog Music.

Roland CMU-800R

via this auction
"The following is from a Roland data sheet from 1983: **** The CMU-800R is a new dimension computer peripheral which allows free composing and arranging, as well as automatic performance. This unit features a host of functions, real musical instrument sound from its build-in sound source, and a wide variety of musical nuances such as slur, staccato, accent, and legato, plus an added function to control eight external synthesisers. Its is not an extention of a simple hobby computer as represented by conventional games. The CMU-800R is the very first unit to proclaim the arrival of a real computer age in the musical genre. Each computer is provided with a software package for easier programming and advanced editing functions. Now, music fans with no particular knowledge of computers or computer operators who cannot play a musical instrument can both compose and arrange at their option as well as enjoy automatic playback. **** The CMU-800R delivers its maximum performance with its separately available software package. With this software package, anybody will be able to handle the CMU-800R efficiently. The software package includes the CMU-800R control function and edit function for music data preparation. The edit function allows you to do difficult types of screen editing on the CRT monitor connected to the computer. So, sequence editing and modification can be done in amazingly short time. **** Complete built-in sound source for a real music sound **** In addition to melody, bass and chord (4 notes), the CMU-800R has seven percussion instruments sounds, i.e. bass drum, snare drum, low tam, high tam, cymbal and open/closed hi-hats for rhythm patterns. All other sounds have decay and sustain (melody only) effects. In addition, each part can be level-mixed with a slider volume control, and playback tempo can be varied as you desire. The CMU-800R is a product of Roland DG, an electronic musical instrument manufacturer, and built to give a new dimension in sound creation. **** Expandibility, a more sophisticated music system **** The CMU-800R needs an amp and speaker to produce sound. In combination with an effect unit, mixer, tape deck or the like, a more complete sound is created. The CMU-800R is able to operate up to eight external synthesiers simultaneously with its CV & gate outputs. Clock In/Out permit synchronous performance with external rhythm machines and percusion synthesisers. The more-you-play-the more-fun-you-have CMU-800R is superbly expandible into a more sophisticated computer music systems."

See previous posts here

From Which the Gristleizer Came

Update: be sure to check out the comments of this post for more, including some comments and links to more info from Chris Carter.

In case you missed the update to this post, BugBrand dropped by the comments with the following:

"I'm just about to meet up with Roy Gwinn (literally in a couple of hours time) who wrote the original article back in the 70s for Practical Electronics magazine (he was 16 when he published it!) from which the Gristleizer came.

If you're interested, Clone Analog Gear have a pdf of the article::

http://rubidium.dyndns.org/cag/pdf/gep.pdf

It was published as the Guitar Effects Pedal."

You can see a video of the Gristleizer here.

Update via kapnkrunk23 in the comments:
"Sorry to everyone for the delay. I know everyone is excited about this. We at the shop are super stoked to be doing this. We have had a pretty awesome response from minimal advertisement. So due to the over whelming emails, We are going to start an email newsletter dedicated to replying to your questions. A few of which are about the CV mods. We are still up in the air, but leaning towards adding them. And as you all were wondering about prices, here it is….

PCB $30
Kit without box $100 (PCB and parts)
Kit with box $220 (PCB, parts, box drilled, no powder coating)
Kit with box and powder coating $250 (same as above with finish, and control labeling)
Pedal version $325 (complete. Will be similar to the PE version only with cool graphics)
Table top version $350(A modern reproduction of the original TG black box)

Kits will not come with instructions. Sorry. But will come with the parts list and layout.
The completed versions will come with a limited lifetime warranty against parts and workman ship. Owner will be responsible for shipping.

Please inquire about custom powder coating or using you own artwork. We will have a website up for the shop as well as a dedicated page with a secure checkout. We will be taking pay pal. We will also take check or money order. Pay Pal order will add 3%. Debit and credit cards can be taken over the phone. Pictures and sounds will be up as soon as we complete the first one. Which will be soon!!!!!

If you have more questions feel free to email us. I hope everyone is as excited about these as we are!!!!! I personally have wanted one for a loooong time. THEE return is soon.

Charles Howes
Smashing Guitars

P.S. I would like to thank Both Chris Carter and Roy Gwinn for supporting, and allowing me to do this."

Updates via Chris Carter:
"My original Gristleizers were based around the PE kit (PCB & components) produced by Phonosonics in the UK in 1977. I've never made any secret of this, and in fact for a while had the PE schematic on my site. However, I added some mods of my own and designed a completely new case and made units for myself, the band and friends, probably about 10 in total. Cosey's still works to this day but mine was unfortunately 'lost' shortly after appearing in a exhibition in London a couple of years ago. I'm going to upload some photos of an original Gristleizer to my site soon and I'm currently in the process of building myself a replacement. See here: http://www.myspace.com/ChemistryLessons"

"OK original Gristelizer photos and additional info now available here: www.throbbing-gristle.com/gristleizer and/or here: myspace.com/chemistrylessons"

Update via kapnkrunk23 in the comments:
"Here is a link to our myspace www.myspace.com/theegristleizer . This weekend I will be driving to Chicago to deliver the first of The Gristleizers to Throbbing Gristle. Which will be the official release. Our website will be up VERY VERY soon. I have to say. This has been a very intense project. Which has been a team effort of Endangered Audio a division of Smashing Guitars in Asheville, NC. The passed month and a half Todd Kelley(owner) has been working super late nights removing quirks, looking at waveshapes, turning things, and adjusting them. Truly the brains of it all.

Everyone will be super pleased. We will be publishing mods for it on the EA/SG website. CV in and out pads are included on the boards. We ran tests using Moogerfoogers, and man was it sweet. Keep an eye out on our myspace, TG's website, and as soon as it is up, The EA/SG website where orders will be taken, through a secure checkout. In the meantime, feel free to email us at smashingguitarsasheville@hotmail.com. Thank you all for waiting. It is now time for THEE GRISTLEIZER!!!"

Update: some pics and notes on the new Gristleizer from vav: "Smashing Guitars/Endangered Audio are indeed making a fully authorized Gristleizer available. At the TG show last night in Chicago at the Logan Square Auditorium , 7 were made available for sale. I picked one up, and TG was kind enough to sign it. I even requested Gen sign it next to the AC input, as it's kind of male but kind of female :P She seemed pleased. Here are the photos, and i'll try and get some demos up soon."
Update: audio via vavmusic:

Gristleizer by vavmusic

"Easy-peasy: Korg ER1 left/mono out to Gristleizer in. Gristleizer out to interface in. Recorded straight into Tracktion with no effects applied. Apologies for any digital clipping, Gristleizer is quite unruly. TG fans will recognize the drum pattern. Start of clip effect is bypassed, then put into VCF mode, manual tweaking of Speed, Depth, waveform type, Bias, Level. Switch is thrown from VCF mode to VCA at 1:08, manual tweaking of all controls again." Update via kapnkrunk23 in the comments: "For Immediate Release Smashing Guitars/Endangered Audio Releases The Gristleizer ASHEVILLE, NC APRIL 27, 2009ó Smashing Guitars has announced the release of the first of their new product line, the Gristleizer. The flagship of the newly formed Endangered Audio (a subsidiary of Smashing Guitars), the Gristleizer is an extremely rare and unique unit. Originally designed by Roy Gwinn in 1976, the Gristleizer is based on a design published in Practical Electronics and sold in kit form by Phonosonics. Chris Carter of the British industrial music and visual arts group Throbbing Gristle modified the kit in 1977, unleashing what is known as the Gristleizer. Lost to time, the unit has been re-designed and produced by Smashing Guitars Owner/Engineer Todd Kelley, with assistance from Charlie Howes. After months of research and consultation with Gwinn and Carter, the audio path has been kept original-- "we've taken what people love about the sounds of the original Gristleizer, and given them much more" says Kelley. The Gristleizer had its initial release at the sold out Throbbing Gristle performance at Logan Square Auditorium in Chicago on April 25, 2009, one of their first performances in the USA in 28 years. Features of the Gristleizer include: table top design; 18VAC power supply with dual 9-volt battery operation option; professionally etched PCB board; LFO controlled VCA and VCF filters with four wave forms; chassis mounted bias control; bypass switch; and LED for speed. Pads have been left on the PCB board for mods, with on-line releases of these mods to be made available by Endangered Audio. The Gristleizer will be available from www.smashingguitarsasheville.com, and from the retail store of Smashing Guitars located at 103 Broadway St. in downtown Asheville, NC. The unit will be made available in small batches and will be announced from both the website and www.myspace.com/thegristleizer. The table top version retails for $374.95, PCB circuit board available for $49.95, with a stomp version available soon. Owned and operated by local musicians and engineers, Smashing Guitars is a full service music shop, repair and building facility servicing Asheville, NC and vicinity since 2002. Endangered Audio is their handmade, in house product line. EA is recreating obscure classics as well as interesting original designs of a number of effects, instrument tube amps, tube hi-fi and pro audio projects. All of this occurs by their own staff on the second floor of their facility, "the lab." Any outsourcing is kept local or within the USA. For more information, press only: Dave Harris, smashingguitarsasheville@hotmail.com General Inquiries: Smashing Guitars 103 Broadway St., Asheville, NC 28801 www.smashingguitarssheville.com www.myspace.com/smashingguitarsasheville www.myspace.com/thegristleizer" flickr group shot by Chris_Carter_