Minimoog Change List - Minimoog Versions

via Brian Kehew of The MOOG Cookbook:

"Minimoog MODEL "D" Changes:

At first look, all Minimoogs seem alike. It seems that the Minimoog is something unchanging that we all know and recognize. They are similar to each other, but there are many features that changed over time. You may already be aware of a few differences, but most people will be surprised at how many variations there really are.

One of my main goals for this site was this very page: to show the developments in the main Minimoog design (MODEL D), and give an idea when the changes happened. To my knowledge, this type of listing has not been done for the Minimoog. Once you see it - you should be able to tell what is "original" on a Minimoog. In some cases, you will even be able to guess a Minimoog's serial number quite closely after only a quick glance! Like "trainspotting" (identifying nearly identical trains by small distinguishing features) this is trivial, but fun.
The process was simple - I compiled a database of over 100 Minimoogs. By asking owners detailed questions, I was able to determine the commmon developments. Cross-referencing this data to known dates of production, it becomes easier to see WHEN things might have happened. Note: This is by no means foolproof, and there are individual Mini's that do not fit the pattern. For now, we will assume that they are mutants/modifieds, and simply note the main trends.
The Changes:
Read through these links first, so you will be familiar with the details. Then, I have arranged a timeline of the changes below for clarity. In the future, I will have photos of the changes, a helpful visual reference...

* The Badge
* The Factories
* The Front Panel
* Graphics
* Wheels
* Left-Hand Switches
* Panel Switches
* Oscillators
* Octave Buffer Board
* Rear Cover
* Power Cable
* Pointer Knobs
* The Wood Case


* The Questions used to make the database.
* TIMELINE of Changes

THE BADGE

(This is the "logo plate" above the keyboard that identifies the company)

* R. A. Moog: When the company began making synths (1964/65), this was the name, carried over from Bob's Theremin business. This metal nameplate is only found on the earliest Minimoogs from (late) 1970 through 1971.
* Moog/Musonics: After Waytena bought the R.A.Moog company, it was merged with Musonics (his own company) and the Minimoogs from this brief period (1971) bear this name. A metal plaque.
* Moog Music Inc. After Moog was sold to Norlin/CBS in 1972, this became the name that would remain until the last Minimoogs were made. MOST Minimoogs have this plate, a vinyl material.

THE FACTORIES

(Moog had several plants during Minimoog production, relatively close to each other in upstate New York)

* Trumansburg: The original factory, built Minimoogs from late 1970 through 1971.
* Williamsville: after the Musonics purchase, operated from March 1971 to 1977.
* Buffalo: a much larger plant, made Minimoogs from 1977 to 1981

THE FRONT PANEL

(Construction of the front panel behind the knobs)

* Metal - A thin sheet of smooth aluminum.
* Metal with Plastic - same as above, but with a thin clear sheet of plastic to cover/protect it.
* Plastic - a heavier vinyl/plastic panel, with a textured surface.

GRAPHICS

(This is the silkscreened labelling on the front panel)

* "VOL." - the earliest Minimoogs (metal and metal/plastic panel) have different designs. The time settings are marked in seconds, the Osc.2 & 3 fine tune knobs have cents/100 divisions, and the Volume knobs say "VOL."
* "Volume" - the design used on all vinyl panel Minimoogs: the knobs say "VOLUME", the times are in divisions from 1 to 10, and the Osc. 2 & 3 tunings knobs are incremented from +/-1 to +/-7.

WHEELS

(On the left-hand modulation section, the wheels and switches underwent a few developments)

* Clear Wheels: the earliest design, a beautiful look.
* Solid White Wheels: same shape as before, but in an opaque white plastic.
* Serrated White Wheels: These have ridged, wavy edges for better gripping.

# Clear Lighted Wheels: same shape as early clear wheels, but with internal lights to show them off. Only on the last series of 25 "presentation" Minimoogs.

LEFT-HAND SWITCHES

* Decay/Glide switches are Red Momentary pushbuttons on the earliest R.A.Moog Mini's. This may be to make the instrument more "performance oriented" as the sound can "change" easier with momentary switches.
* White Mini-toggle switches. Some early R.A.Moog instruments have small toggle switches (NOT momentary) for Decay and Glide. On some, this appears to be a retrofit, as it would be more usable than the buttons. On most, this looks like the original factory issue design.
* White Rocker switches; the standard white plastic rocker switches found on almost all Mini's. Begins during the R.A.Moog period and remains until the last.

PANEL SWITCHES

(These are the colored rocker switches used all across the front control panel for modulation, the mixer, etc.)

* Blue and Orange - the most common color scheme - almost all Minimoogs have this setup. In case you never noticed, Blue is for audio routing, Orange is for modulation routing.
* All White - very few Mini's have this, but there are a few known examples, mostly early Mini's. It looks quite good, actually.
* All Black switches - again, another variation that seems to be original. The factory had them around, as the Power Switch is usually Black. This also looks very cool!
* All Blue - there are rumoured Mini's with all-blue switches (makes sense - it would have been EASY to do at the factory). At least one prototype had this.

OSCILLATORS

(This is an important and controversial point for some Minimoog owners. The Oscillators were changed, at least a few times, in order to make the Minimoog more reliable)

* R.A.Moog - these are the Oscillator circuit boards for the earliest Minimoogs. There may be only about 100 made with these boards - they have "RAMOOG" written on the circuit board itself. The do sound different than the later oscillators, but are relatively harder to keep in tune.
* "Old Oscillators" - a term that is somewhat misleading now that we know about the RAMoog boards! However, most people consider these to be the first half of Minimoog production, almost 6,000 of them made, so they are often called "older oscillators". They are relatively stable, except when switching Octave settings.
On the back panel, one can see a set of 7 small calibration holes behind the Oscillators. This is true for most RAMoog and "Older" Oscillators.
* "New Oscillators" - these were specifically designed to keep the Minimoog in tune, a big complaint for the many performers using the older oscillators. The new oscillators have 17 trim holes on the back panel. They allow for especially precise calibration on the high frequencies, and have the Octave Buffer (see below). Moog began these with #10175 to the end, but many earlier ones have had these retrofitted.

OCTAVE BUFFER BOARD

Apparently, not many people know about this. The Octave Buffer Board is a FACTORY modification to correct a design flaw in the original Minimoog: When Oscillators were switched between octaves, they would often go out of tune. This small board was added inside the Minimoog just under the top edge (behind the Oscillator section, and mounted to the metal with two small black screws)

Beginning with serial number #5000, this was done on ALL Minimoogs from the factory. I have seen MANY of the earlier units (before #5000), already retrofitted by the factory or factory-authorized service centers. When the Minimoog was sent in for calibration, new oscillators, repair, etc., it would have been added as a matter of course. It's a very GOOD modification to have done and will not affect the value of your instrument. It will, in fact, increase the value, as your Mini will definitely be better with it. (It is possible that the early RAMoog oscillators do not need this modification - we're looking into it)

REAR COVER

(This is the removable aluminum cover on the back of the Minimoog)

* Bent - on the R.A.Moog Minimoogs, the aluminum is a flat panel bent into a box shape. It has an open seam where the sides join.
* Welded - on all later Minimoogs, this cover was welded at the seams, to prevent dirt from entering the electronics section (a good idea!)

POWER CABLE

(The power cable changed several times during production)

* The R.A.Moog Minimoogs have power cables that enter to the Left of the Accessory jacks (when looking from behind). 2 prongs (no ground) and usually brown.
* When the Minimoog was made with the new "Moog/Musonics" badge, the power cable moves to the Right of the accessory jacks. It was originally brown, 2 prong. This is also true for early "Moog Music" Minimoogs.
* Later, it became 3 prong, in black or gray.

POINTER KNOBS

(An interesting (but rarely noticed) change in the Minimoogs)

* Most Minimoogs have standard pointer knobs - where one end is pointed and the other end is wide.
* There is a specific period in 1974 where Minimoogs have different pointer knobs, where both ends are the same shape. This may be due to a shortage at the factory, or to keep down costs (Note: these same pointer knobs are found later on the Micromoog and Multimoog). However, they ARE original from this period - many people will assume they have been changed.

WOOD CASE

(An obvious difference, very visible. I'm no expert on woods so I'm going to look into this with an expert. There are a LOT of different styles, some just variations on wood stain or color. Here are the basics)

* Early Minimoogs have dark brown walnut casings, rumoured to have been cut from trees on Bob Moog's property. They are not stained or laquered.
* The next series of Minimoogs seem to have a dark Mahogany wood, also unstained.
* Later, the Minimoog came in a "butterscotch" colored stain, over an light-colored unnamed wood.These will be slightly glossy.
* Finally, the Minimoog came in a wood with very dark brown stain, almost as thick as paint. It's not as natural-looking as earlier Minimoogs, but ALL Minimoogs are beautiful!




These are the questions that were asked of Minimoog owners. These are basic changes (mostly external) that help us identify any Minimoog. (I will get into more detail about the internal changes at a later date)

* Serial number ?
* Front plate - RAMoog, Musonics, or Moog Music?
* Casing - unfinished walnut, light maple (butterscotch), or dark stain mahogany?
* Front panel - metal, metal w/ clear plastic coat, smooth plastic, rough plastic?
* Factory - Trumansburg, Williamsville, Buffalo?
* Wheels - clear, smooth white, serrated (rippled) white, lighted clear?
* Panel engraving - "VOL" or "VOLUME"?
* Decay/Glide switches - momentary red buttons, white rocker, (other)?
* Panel switches - orange/blue, all black, or all white?
* On the top edge (behind the wood, just above the Oscillator knobs) are there two small (black) screws?
* Number of calibration holes in back panel? (total)
* Power cable (looking from the REAR) - right or left of Accessory jacks? - brown, grey, or black? - 2 or 3 prong?
* IF there are paper assembly tags inside - what is the date?"

Bastl Introduces New Product at Moogfest ­- The bitRanger Handheld Patchable Analog Logic Computer

Published on May 18, 2016 Bastl Instruments

"Bastl Instruments introduces a new product at the Moogfest: the bitRanger designed by Peter Edwards a.k.a. Casper Electronics who moved recently to Brno, Czech Republic to join forces with the Bastl crew. The bitRanger brings together the legacy of the previous products debuted at Moogfest ­ the Werkstatt and the Pocket Operator and bridges both realms of these instruments together.

The bitRanger is a patchable analog logic computer which sculpts sonic worlds ranging from data noise to melodic arpeggios. While being a handheld standalone synth it is also right at home in the music studio. Extensive connectivity makes it so flexible that it can connect to almost anything: CV control its unique sound, sync it with drum machines and sequencers or use it as an algorithmic CV / GATE pattern generator.

The patchbay of the bitRanger (in the same style as the Werkstatt) is a place for exploration where you can simply connect outputs to inputs to see what happens. This can be done methodically or with complete experimental abandon. Go nuts! Battery Power and a built in speaker make the bitRanger totally portable. Tweak it's 4 knobs, 8 switches and more than 100 patch points in the woods, on the beach, on a train and in the studio.

There are only 3 places in the world where you can try out the bitRanger: the Moogfest in Durham NC, freshly opened store of Bastl & Casper ­ Detective Squad in Brooklyn NY and original Bastl store Noise Kitchen in Brno Czech Republic. The first limited edition will be available for sale at Moogfest for special price 259 USD.

BitRanger is available at noise.kitchen website for 222 EUR excluding TAX and will be shipping in June."

via Bastl Instruments

"The bitRanger is a patchable analog logic computer which sculpts sonic worlds ranging from data noise to melodic arpeggios. While being a handheld standalone synth its extensive connectivity makes so flexible that it can connect to almost anything: CV control its unique sound, sync it with drum machines and sequencers or use it as an algorithmic CV / GATE pattern generator.

The patchbay of the bitRanger is a place for exploration where you can simply connect outputs to inputs to see what happens. This can be done methodically or with complete experimental abandon. Go nuts! Battery Power and a built in speaker make the bitRanger totally portable. Tweak it’s 4 knobs, 8 switches and more than 100 patch points in the woods, on the beach, on a train and in the studio.

FEATURES

LFO clock oscillator for rhytmical modulation
VCO oscillator is synced to the HFO oscillator
4 modes of operation selectable by 2 switches
built in speaker with volume control
9V DC center positive power supply input
9V battery compartment from the bottom
less than 20mA power draw on headphones, less than 60mA with speaker (minimum 20 hours on battery)
On /Off switch
expansion connector
package includes 3 photo resistors – make your oscillators respond to light by plugging these into the Bend socket

PATCHBAY

118 jumper cable patch points
each oscillator has 3 differently slewed CV inputs, sync inputs, rate knob and bend points
Divider Bits section – use clocks at different speed to create patterns
Adventure Bits section adds irregular rhytmical elements
MUX 1 and MUX 2 input sections to modulate data loops and waveforms
stereophonic output from MUX 1 and MUX2 sections
BYTE CV section is R2R DAC converter which takes bits and converts them to CV
DATA modulation section witch a switch adds more flavour
Utility Belt section adds advanced features
Left and Right audio override section

EXTERNAL CONNECTIVITY

3.5mm stereophonic headphone output
Clock Input to sync the LFO oscillator
Clock Output with selectable LFO division (2 or 64)
CV Output from the BYTE DAC section
CV Input for the VCO
CV In and CV Out connectors can be routed to dedicated patch points on the patchbay"

Synth Jams by Jay Hosking

Published on Jul 26, 2019 Jay Hosking

Spotted the first video in the playlist above on discchord.com. The Playlist contains 21 videos. You can use the player controls to skip around. Descriptions for each are below. All videos feature various gear so you should be able to get an idea of some of the capabilities of each featured. You can check out Jay Hosking's music at https://jayhosking.bandcamp.com/.

Note, more will likely get added over time. The following playlist is as of this post:

1. Jam w/ Vermona PERfourMER MkII, Elektron Analog Rytm MkII, OTO Bam, Styrmon Big Sky, Fugue Machine

A live, semi-improvised performance, all on hardware, and inspired by some pretty tough news that has me sentimental.

I loved the Elektron Analog Four MkII so much that I picked up the Analog Rytm MkII. My feelings on the Rytm are mixed. On the one hand, it's missing that spontaneity and spark of units like the Arturia DrumBrute Impact and Teenage Engineering OP-Z, with no readymade performance effects, roller bar, or global randomization, and a slower workflow. On the other hand, I really like its analogue sound engines, any unused tracks can be converted into impressive analogue mono synths, it does beautiful things to samples, and like all Elektron boxes it integrates the effects into the sequencer really nicely.

As for the Vermona PERfourMER MkII, I'd been pining over it for ages, and it was fun to finally tinker with it. The Perfourmer definitely excels in the mid- and high- range, and I love how the independent voices making really interesting voices for chords.

Vermona PERfourMER MkII + OTO Bam — Three synths (left chord note, right chord note, melody)
Vermona PERfourMER MkII + Strymon Big Sky — Bass chord note synth
Elektron Analog Rytm MkII — Drums, samples, sample melody, punchy bass
Fugue Machine (iOS) — Sequencing
IK Multimedia iRig Pro Duo — MIDI out from iOS

Written and performed within a 24-hour period, and uploaded as is, with only a little sidechain compression on the Perfourmer (to emphasize the sound that the Rytm was already making), and compression/limiting on the master.

https://jayhosking.bandcamp.com/

CLICK FOR MORE »

HS-MONSTER Synthesizer/Sequencer

Published on Oct 18, 2017 Peley Krane

Available on Etsy: http://etsy.me/2vqzYtA

"A Digital Synthesizer And Step-Sequencing Brain In One Device That Can be "Played" in RealTime as a Performance Instrument, OR
be Programmed/Sequenced to Perform Longer Polyphonic Chord Arrangements/Compositions

A SONAR-DISTANCE-SENSOR on the Front Face and [360 DIAL/Push-BUTTON] on Top of the Unit Provide Control of the Internal Synthesis Engine and Polyphonic Sequencing Brain

The Hog Shed Monster IS a Polyphonic 4-Voice WaveTable Synthesizer:

25 WaveForms Inside, Each Designed to be Digitally Vibrant and Bright, Giving the Hog Shed Monster Its
Unique Tonal Character.

CLICK FOR MORE »

The Hog Shed Monster Digital Synthesizer/Sequencing Brain Instrument

Published on Aug 23, 2017 Peley Krane

"All Sounds Made Using The Hog Shed Monster"

Details via Etsy:

"-The Hog Shed Monster- A Compact Music Computer

A Digital Synthesizer And Step-Sequencing Brain In One Device That Can be "Played" in RealTime as a Performance Instrument, OR be Programmed/Sequenced to Perform Longer Polyphonic Chord Arrangements/Compositions

A SONAR-DISTANCE-SENSOR on the Front Face and [360 DIAL/Push-BUTTON] on Top of the Unit Provide Control of the Internal Synthesis Engine and Polyphonic Sequencing Brain

The Hog Shed Monster IS a Polyphonic 4-Voice WaveTable Synthesizer:

25 WaveForms Inside, Each Designed to be Digitally Vibrant and Bright, Giving the Hog Shed Monster Its
Unique Tonal Character.

Tune the 4 Voices of the Synthesizer Using the
Sonar Distance Sensor [SONAR EYE]
Use Hands, Body, Any Object to Place in Front Of the Sonar EYE
and The Pitch/Tuning of The CURRENT Voice will be Altered

as Objects Become Closer to the EYE Sensor, Pitch Decreases
as Objects Become Farther from the EYE Sensor, Pitch Increases

The Hog Shed Monster IS Also a Polyphonic Sequencing Brain:

CLICK FOR MORE »

The Packrat Comes to MATRIXSYNTH!

I'm happy to announce that starting with the December issue, The Packrat has found a new home here on MATRIXSYNTH!

The Packrat has been featured on MATRIXSYNTH many times in the past (and of course the MATRIXSYNTH Packrat on the right has been a staple of the site since 2006), but now it will be a bit more official. You'll find some words from Dave, the creator of The Packrat, below.

But first, click the image for the full size comic. You can find previous issues on Dave's Packrat site here, and be sure to check out The Packrat Book! It's a great bit of synth history and it makes a great stocking stuffer. MATRIXSYNTH and a few other names in the synth community are featured in the book.

Regarding the future of The Packrat, Dave has the following to say:

"The Packrat is by all accounts among the smallest, most niche-y comic strips in the entire universe. Nevertheless, it has its fans, and just in case they have any curiosity, they are owed the backstory of the events of the past few months.

I came back from my August, 2014 camping trip through the Canadian back woods with a hot, steaming case of Lyme Disease (I'm fine now!). I was covered in a rash for several weeks and ended up submitting one comic strip too late for print. The following month, specifics too unexciting in which to delve (exclusively involving the publication's administration, going higher than Keyboard Magazine itself) created problematic logistics preventing the print of the next two installments.

I bear the magazine itself no ill will at all, and consider the matter unfortunate only for the fans who had perhaps thought that the Packrat had been retired (by me or the mag). Indeed, those of its followers who are wise enough to follow it on Facebook or my own personal art site umop.com have been able to see monthly synth-tastic adventures at the usual periodic times, so hopefully the notion that the Packrat went to Synth Heaven wasn't too widespread.

Comic strips are trifles in this world, and this one is damn near the, uh... trifliest? So the details about how this strip gets made surely must consist of the silliest orts of minutiae ever to cross anyone's plate. But here they are anyway, every last crumb of them.

Anyway, inasmuch as the break from the magazine was unintentional on the part of everyone directly involved with its creation, I'm using the resultant reality of things as an excuse to move onward with the Packrat. It will now be available online on all the aforementioned sites, and Matrixsynth has agreed to be the exclusive first link to it every month (and possibly, in installments of a more timely fashion!). Neither he nor I are currently making any money at all from any of this; we're both in it for synth-love alone right now (and for me, exceedingly rare book sales). While I was formerly earning enough for a couple of tanks of gas a pop from the magazine (and was lucky to get it in this economy), even that modest honorarium will be gone.

This comic strip has somehow survived ten years of life come February, and I have no plans of slowing down any time soon. In order to help keep it going, I plan on setting up a Patreon page this week. I would consider even $100 per month a major victory, since that would at least cover its own dodeca-annual creation. Details about the page will follow once it's all set up.

Thanks for reading the Packrat comic! Enjoy this first Matrixsynth-exclusive episode, featuring an appropriately green synth to start off the maiden voyage."

Synth Rorschach #84

What is it?

See the video below.

Note the patch points appear to be mini pins in to banana plug type sockets.

P.S. Akai gets a label for this one.

CLICK FOR MORE »

Sounds of Synth - Ceremony // #hardwarejams // Sequential PRO 3

video upload by Sounds of Synth

"Hey hey hey!!

Its a Hardware Jam Challenge. Read on for the challenge and story so far!!


The story so far:
Your car is stuck in the woods with a flat tyre, you've gone to a pub for help. There are 3 guys there: an Enthusiastic guy; an Angry guy and a Sleepy guy.
You decide to get them all to come and help as not to offend any of them. You buy everyone a drink and then you all leave the pub. As you head out of the door, the bartender calls out with a worried look on his face, "Be careful, it's the Queen's Jubilee".
You shrug - how bad can it be - a few flags and bunting?
Eventually the four of you arrive back at the car. To your surprise it is covered with wildflowers and woven twig decorations. Weird. You hear a branch snap behind you - you turn to look at the others - Sleepy Guy has disappeared.
You double back to try to find him - maybe he lay down for a nap somewhere? Suddenly, you hear a terrifying scream. You spin round to see Enthusiastic Guy being dragged through the trees by something, screaming and thrashing as he disappears into the undergrowth.
You and Angry Guy exchange a horrified look. WTF is going on? Angry guy reaches into his jacket and pulls out a massive knife.
"Let's go," he mutters, striding in the direction that Enthusiastic was taken.
Heart pounding you hesitate for a moment, then follow him.
The woods are dark and quiet, all you hear are your footsteps crunching through the undergrowth.
You keep your eyes on Angry Guy, the last thing you want is to be alone in this forest.
As you struggle to keep up with Angry Guy, he suddenly plunges out of view, through the ground. You stop abruptly, at the edge of a massive hole. You can just make out Angry Guy at the bottom of the pit. He's not moving. The moon emerges from behind the clouds and to your horror, you see the Angry Man is impaled on a series of spikes that protrude from his stomach, his legs, his neck.
Instinct takes over and you run, trying to remember which direction the pub was. You see lights up ahead and head towards them as fast as you can.
You emerge from the woods - but it's not the pub. You enter a clearing, filled with hooded figures, holding flaming torches. You see Sleepy Guy and Enthusiastic Guy, stripped naked and tied to posts with binds of thorns. At their feet are bundles of twigs and kindling.
You are frozen with fear.
Two more hooded figures drag the body of Angry Man into the clearing and lash him to another post, stacking firewood at the base.
A tall figure, wearing a mask of a skull steps forward.
"Greetings." he speaks in a menacing voice.
"You have come to join us as we celebrate the Forest Queen's Eternal Jubilee. Play a song that will honour her or you will join your friends in a more dreadful sacrifice to her."
You realise, everything counts on this jam - as it may well be your last...


PEACE ALL"

Hardware Jams Weekend Challenge: Forest Queen Jam

video upload by SynthAddict

"Teenage Engineering OP-Z
Car hood jam - view from Mulholland Drive

--------
Story for jam by Seb:

The story so far...
Your car is stuck in the woods with a flat tyre, you've gone to a pub for help. There are 3 guys there: an Enthusiastic guy; an Angry guy and a Sleepy guy.
You decide to get them all to come and help as not to offend any of them. You buy everyone a drink and then you all leave the pub. As you head out of the door, the bartender calls out with a worried look on his face, "Be careful, it's the Queen's Jubilee".
You shrug - how bad can it be - a few flags and bunting?
Eventually the four of you arrive back at the car. To your surprise it is covered with wildflowers and woven twig decorations. Weird. You hear a branch snap behind you - you turn to look at the others - Sleepy Guy has disappeared.
You double back to try to find him - maybe he lay down for a nap somewhere? Suddenly, you hear a terrifying scream. You spin round to see Enthusiastic Guy being dragged through the trees by something, screaming and thrashing as he disappears into the undergrowth.
You and Angry Guy exchange a horrified look. WTF is going on? Angry guy reaches into his jacket and pulls out a massive knife.
"Let's go," he mutters, striding in the direction that Enthusiastic was taken.
Heart pounding you hesitate for a moment, then follow him.
The woods are dark and quiet, all you hear are your footsteps crunching through the undergrowth.
You keep your eyes on Angry Guy, the last thing you want is to be alone in this forest.
As you struggle to keep up with Angry Guy, he suddenly plunges out of view, through the ground. You stop abruptly, at the edge of a massive hole. You can just make out Angry Guy at the bottom of the pit. He's not moving. The moon emerges from behind the clouds and to your horror, you see the Angry Man is impaled on a series of spikes that protrude from his stomach, his legs, his neck.
Instinct takes over and you run, trying to remember which direction the pub was. You see lights up ahead and head towards them as fast as you can.
You emerge from the woods - but it's not the pub. You enter a clearing, filled with hooded figures, holding flaming torches. You see Sleepy Guy and Enthusiastic Guy, stripped naked and tied to posts with binds of thorns. At their feet are bundles of twigs and kindling.
You are frozen with fear.
Two more hooded figures drag the body of Angry Man into the clearing and lash him to another post, stacking firewood at the base.
A tall figure, wearing a mask of a skull steps forward.
'Greetings.' he speaks in a menacing voice.
'You have come to join us as we celebrate the Forest Queen's Eternal Jubilee. Play a song that will honour her or you will join your friends in a more dreadful sacrifice to her.'
You realise, everything counts on this jam - as it may well be your last..."

Lightbath's Synth's in the Catskills Event

The following are live performances in order for Lightbath's "Synth's in the Catskills" event. Lightbath's performance is last.

Buchla Music Easel Live in the Catskills

August 26, 2017 Published on Oct 24, 2017 sean julian

"A short live set on the BEMI music easel using a looper and delay pedal."

Synths in the Catskills

Published on Oct 24, 2017 Chris Penalosa

"Full set at the Beehouse with heavy use of the Field Kit's electroacoustic sounds and Landscape FM's AllFlesh into Rings string modeling. Part of Lightbath's Synth's in the Catskills event."

Emily A. Sprague - Live at Synths in the Catskills ~ Eurorack Ambient

Published on Oct 24, 2017 Emily Sprague

"This is my live set from August 26, 2017 at Synths in the Catskills."


catskills summer twenty seventeen from tehn on Vimeo.

"tehn, live improvisation.

synths in the woods, hosted and filmed by https://lightbath.com"

Eternal Function @ Synths in the Catskills August 26, 2017

Published on Oct 26, 2017 egnekn

"Gen Ken Montgomery & David B. Greenberg

Thank you Bryan Doll"

Holy Fire (live excerpt) | Synths in the Catskills - Eurorack Modular Synthesizer

Published on Oct 24, 2017 Lightbath

drone-in-the-woods | Beyond The Horizon - ambient space-trance workout in the woods SH101 MC101 TD3

video upload by drone-in-the-woods

"The second track from my analogue synthesiser session up Goodwood in the cold of winter. It was really getting dark so I've had to increase the brightness of the video massively. I've also applied some home-made analogue effects as an experiment.

Vocal samples of Swati Mohan in the NASA control room for the landing of Perseverance on Mars 2021.

Original track was composed for Aural Films' Mars Perseverance compilation album which was released on the day of the landing: https://auralfilms.bandcamp.com/track...

Roland SH101
Roland MC101
Behringer Td3

Composed and performed by Keith Sutton 25th Feb 2022

Ambient origin mix: https://soundcloud.com/keith-sutton/d..."

A Cold Forest - live outdoor synthesizer experimental loop jam with SH-101, MC-101, TD-3 and RC-500

video upload by drone-in-the-woods

"Although the sun was sneaking through here and there, and lizards were sunbathing on the logs at the edge of the woods, this was a cold forest session under the dense evergreen canopy. I was fortunate to create and jam out this track in record time, before returning to the top of the hill and the warmth of late summer.

Roland SH-101
Roland MC-101
Behringer TD-3
Boss RC-500


drone-in-the-woods | A Cold Forest
composed and performed by Keith Sutton
Goodwood 26/08/21"

Mighty chestnut drone - four synth outdoor drone jam with SH-101, Poly-800, Gaia Sh-01 and MC-101


"My favourite local tree, I like to think this is the mother-tree of the surrounding woods.

drone performed by Keith Sutton 19th Aug 2021
in Stoke Wood.

gear used:
Roland SH-101 into Boss DD6 delay
Korg Poly-800 into Ibanez session man ss10 into Boss DD7 delay
Roland Gaia Sh-01
Roland MC-101"

Selina International Music Summit Live Performance

"If you like what I do and want to support my work, consider joining me on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/omricohen

I also created a document full of patching techniques and ideas that I will continue updating - https://www.patreon.com/posts/documen...

Here are some patch notes:
---------------------------
- I have a field recording of birds in the woods in VCV Rack, going through some reverb and delay.
- I'm sequencing the O Coast and the Basimilus with the Keystep Pro, and I also play the Felt Instruments Piano and Cello with it in VCV Rack.
- I use Magneto in Sample mode, recording my Kalimba, Flute, and Voice onto it, and it's going through Flame in VCV Rack.
- I'm recording the Cello and Piano onto the Morphagene, which also goes through Flame in VCV.
- I have one Freak set with Braids in PRTC mode, and this is going through Microcell in Granular mode.
- I'm also using my voice with the Microcell.
- The mic is going through the 2HP Freez first, which is not always active.
- I'm using the built-in mic of Arbhar to record different sounds into it.
- I have different recordings on Nebulae like guitar, metallophone, my son's toy piano, and it's going through the ReduXer from VoicAS, which I also use for level control, and it's going also through the Disting with a reverb algo.
- The Basimilus is going through LedRover from VoicAS for extra crunch and level control, and from there it's going once directly to the mixer, and once through another Freak in HP mode and from there to the Mimeophon.
- The O Coast is going through the Chronoblob2 in VCV Rack.
- I also have some modulation going on in VCV.
- There's also a vocal sample in VCV that I prepared and sampled.

I'm using DistroKid to distribute my music to Spotify, iTunes, Apple Music, and more. By signing up through this link you will get 7% off and will support this channel :) - http://distrokid.com/vip/omri"

Ambient Live Performance - Arbhar, Morphagene, Magneto, Microcell, BIA, Nebulae, O Coast, VCV Rack

Omri Cohen

"If you like what I do and want to support my work, consider joining me on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/omricohen
I also created a document full of patching techniques and ideas that I will continue updating - https://www.patreon.com/posts/documen...

Here are some patch notes:
---------------------------
- I have a field recording of birds in the woods in VCV Rack, going through some reverb and delay.
- I'm sequencing the O Coast and the Basimilus with the Keystep Pro, and I also play the Felt Instruments Piano and Cello with it in VCV Rack.
- I use Magneto in Sample mode, recording my Kalimba, Flute, and Voice onto it, and it's going through Flame in VCV Rack.
- I'm recording the Cello and Piano onto the Morphagene, which also goes through Flame in VCV.
- I have one Freak set with Braids in PRTC mode, and this is going through Microcell in Granular mode.
- I'm also using my voice with the Microcell.
- The mic is going through the 2HP Freez first, which is not always active.
- I'm using the built-in mic of Arbhar to record different sounds into it.
- I have different recordings on Nebulae like guitar, metallophone, my son's toy piano, and it's going through the ReduXer from VoicAS, which I also use for level control, and it's going also through the Disting with a reverb algo.
- The Basimilus is going through LedRover from VoicAS for extra crunch and level control, and from there it's going once directly to the mixer, and once through another Freak in HP mode and from there to the Mimeophon.
- The O Coast is going through the Chronoblob2 in VCV Rack.
- I also have some modulation going on in VCV.
- There's also a vocal sample in VCV that I prepared and sampled.

I'm using DistroKid to distribute my music to Spotify, iTunes, Apple Music, and more. By signing up through this link you will get 7% off and will support this channel :) - http://distrokid.com/vip/omri

Here's my latest release on Spotify, iTunes, and more - https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/omr...
Also on Bandcamp - https://omricohencomposer.bandcamp.co..."

Ben Simon Wooden Synth

via Ephemeral Radio via Jim on facebook.

I love the colored knobs on this thing.

"While The Good Graces were waiting for The Evening Muse to open up for our show in Charlotte last Saturday, we stumbled across this little gallery called Beet in the NoDa part of town. It just so happened that they had a gallery set up with these playable guitar and synth wooden art pieces made by Ben Simon. We plugged in and rocked out." If anyone knows where to find more info on Ben Simon's work, feel free to comment or shoot me an email - my contact info is on the bottom right of the site.

Update: some info via Ben Simon: "The purple keyboard is made of the woods: purple heart, santos mahogony (for the 'white keys') and an unidentified yellow wood for the black keys. The woods naturally occur as the colors they appeared as... (inother words, no staining or coloring of the woods happened - just an oil finish..) The circuit inside the keyboard is a Yamaha PSS-140 and its been rewired and modified (also called circuit bent)

I built this at my house in Indian Land South Carolina. I'm planning to make more in 2009.."

Roger Powells original Mini Moog for Auction?

via this auction

As always, the description below is from the listing. For those new to MATRIXSYNTH, none of the auction items featured here on MATRIXSYNTH are mine. I just post what comes in. Also I typically only post the interesting bits of a description, so if you plan to bid, ALWAYS make sure to read the listing in full on eBay.



That said, here are some interesting bits from the listing:

"You are Bidding on Roger Powells original Mini Moog that he used to play in Todd Rundgrens Utopia!...

This moog at the moment is not making sound. When I first inherited it from Todds Fan Network about 20 years ago it made a perfect clear sound! But now it seems to have stopped. It is also missing the wheels as you can see by the photo. Otherwise it is in awesome condition. The insides look great. This is perfect for someone who knows about these instruments and can work on it a little...

I have no documented proof that this is Rogers but here is how I got it. Utopia had a warehouse up in my neck of the woods in the 80's and it burned down. Some of the stuff was salvaged and stored at Cris Andersons studio in Bearsville, one of todds sound engineers at the time. When the band no longer wanted the equipment it was given to the woman who used to run the Utopia Times. And she had no place to store it so it was given to me because I was actively helping with Utopia Times.. did the artwork etc. I also got Rogers poly fusion keyboard,(no plug unfortunately) drum machine, some kind of interface and also one of Willie Wilcox's drum from the Motorcycle drum set he used on the RA tour. I just dont play keyboards and I decided to part with it. I will be selling most of the stuff over the next month. I am sorry that I don't have anything written but I can assure you .. it was Rogers."

Lisa Bella Donna's hidden sonic sanctuary

video upload by EarthQuakerDevices

"Join us as we take a detailed tour of Lisa Bella Donna's legendary home studio, Appalachian Recordings, deep in the Appalachian mountains of the eastern United States. Lisa is a longtime friend of Jamie Stillman’s since before the inception of EarthQuaker Devices in the early 90s, when they would play punk house shows together. Lisa is a renowned recording artist, composer, sound designer, modular synthesist and educator.

In this incredible episode of Show Us Your Junk, Lisa talks about her early inspirations that led her to start playing music, and eventually using electronic synthesis to craft the unique voice that she envisioned. After hearing Black Sabbath's “Paranoid” and Wendy Carlos's “Switched on Bach” and “Sonic Seasons,” it became clear that music was her destiny. Her stories include recording and editing commercial jingles in the 80s, selling her car to put a down payment on an Arp 2600 synthesizer, and discovering the rich characteristics of recording to 8-track tape.

While this studio packs in a ton of rare gear, Lisa claims she doesn’t consider herself a collector. “My choices are very utilitarian; pretty much everything in here is here for a purpose, and it’s part of the big picture - the great stream of what my albums become,” she says. Some of her staple instruments include the ARP 2600, ARP Odyssey, ARP Omni, Mini Moog, and Fender Rhodes. EQD pedals she frequently uses include the Rainbow Machine, Arpanoid, and Grand Orbiter, but her favorite EQD pedal is the Avalanche Run. She loves it so much that she had a custom rack mount version built, which is patched directly to her main console. “It's one of my favorite reverbs still - one of my most used for sure.”

Lisa has an interesting perspective when it comes to connecting music to visual concepts in nature and her environment. “When I compose music, I see it just as much as I hear it. I look at my arrangements as landscapes or deep woods mountain paths with all the textures and colors of the elements that surround it,” she says. This all makes sense when you see the picturesque plot of land in which she chose to settle down to build her studio and raise her daughter.

Shot by Chris Tran, Jeff France, David Whited, Dannesh Moosa
Edited by David Whited
Additional footage shot by Tristan Whitney Weary
Music by Lisa Bella Donna, EYE, Deadsea

Music Provided by Lisa Bella Donna
'Turning Points'
'Twi Spirit, One Life'
'Kohoutek'
'Emerald's Run'
'Ascension'
'Pure Stereo Time Machine'
'Falling Leaves'

Special thanks to:
Moog Music Inc.
Waves Audio
Antonus Synthesizers
Hologram Electronics
Lower West Side Studio / Canada
Behind The Sky Records
SFI Records

Check out more of Lisa Bella Donna's work:
https://lisabelladonna.bandcamp.com/
https://lisabelladonna.com/"

drone-in-the-woods live performance for Ambient Leeds with DAW-less setup Juno6 Poly800 MC101 MFC42

video upload by drone-in-the-woods

"Back in the spring I had the amazing experience of playing a solo set in the Wharf Chambers in Leeds to an attentive seated audience. It's taken a few months for me to be able to listen to it but some very kind words out of the blue have motivated me to fix the audio and put some FX on the video.

Ambient Leeds
Wharf Chambers
20th April 2022

CHAPTERS
00:00 – Under the Winter Sun
11:19 – Sunset*
23:00 – Beyond The Horizon
34:55 – From The Spring
44:44 – Squirrel Song

Roland Juno 6 analogue synth into Boss RC500 looper
Korg Poly 800 analogue synth into Akai MFC42 analogue filter
Roland MC-101 sequencer
Boss SE-50 reverb

all tracks composed and performed by Keith Sutton 200422"

NYMPHES / 6-Voice Analog Polyphonic Synthesizer by DREADBOX

video upload by Dreadbox

AVAILABLE IN NOVEMBER 2021 Price: 499€ which comes to ~ $589.22

"The 6-Voice Analog Polyphonic Synthesizer N Y M P H E S was developed during the obscure pandemic times and we really hope that it will bring a pinch of happiness in your life. We tried to condense an ambitious idea in a small and compact box, without any compromise in the quality of the final instrument. The result is stunning and ethereal …

Mezzo Soprano: Kiriaki Protonotario
Waves Shooting: Giannis Manthos
Starring: Penny Lane"

"Nymph(e)s are chthonic demi-goddesses who not only personify nature but are regularly associated with the wild. They inhabit rivers, springs, woods, groves, fields, caves, mountains and valleys.
They preside over fountains, sacred wells and fresh water.

The Polyphonic Synthesizer N Y M P H E S was developed during the obscure pandemic times and we really hope that it will bring a pinch of happiness on your face. We tried to condense an ambitious idea in a small and compact box, without any compromise in the quality of the final instrument.
The result is stunning and ethereal …

> All Analog Synthesizer (except for the reverb)

> 6 Voices Polyphony

> Lush Digital Reverb (developed by Dreadbox)

> 12 Envelopes and 7 LFOs (2 Envelope/voice, 1 LFO/voice + 1 generic LFO)

> 6 different playing modes

> 98 Presets Memory (49 factory and 49 user)

> MIDI over USB or via DIN5 with Full CC in and out documentation

> Compact, USB powered for maximum portability

> Metal enclosure

Features per Voice

> 1x VCO with Wave Forming

> 1x Sub Oscillator

> Noise generator

> 1x LFO per voice with: Key track, Fade In and Fade out, 5 waveforms and wide frequency (into the FM range)

> 2x Envelope Generators

> 24dB/octave Low Pass Resonant Filter with accurate tracking

> 6dB/octave High Pass Non-Resonant Filter

CommonVoice Features



> 1x common LFO (named LFO2) that can target any and multiple parameters with different amount to each one at the same time , with: Key track, Fade In and Fade out, 5 waveforms and Wide Frequency (into the FM range)

> 7x active Chords that you can edit, modulate and store on each preset

> Modulation wheel, Velocity and Aftertouch (monophonic) can target any and multiple parameters with different amount to each one at the same time"

Tales from the Hedge no.3 | ambient-chill amongst the bluebells with vintage SH101 synced with MC101

video upload by drone-in-the-woods

"Recorded in springtime back in the copse where drone-in-the-woods started out.
The looper pedal is stereo with one side syncing the sh101 and the other side looping it later in the piece.

Composed and performed by Keith Sutton
29th April 2022

Roland SH101
Roland MC101
Boss RC500
Boss DD6
Roland Cube Street Ex
Tascam DR4"