MATRIXSYNTH NAMM 2014 Pics

Mouse over the image above for the slideshow controls.

Update: added a few notes below.  I hate picking highlights because I honestly do love it all.  That and I don't like missing anyone or anything.  The focus is on what's new.  More will come with the videos.

This is the full set of 282 NAMM pics including the following sub-sets just posted:
MATRIXSYNTH NAMM 2014: WMD et al. Modular Booth Pics
MATRIXSYNTH NAMM 2014: Moon Modular Booth Pics
MATRIXSYNTH NAMM 2014: Miselu, Quicco Sound & Audiobus Booth Pics
MATRIXSYNTH NAMM 2014: Studio Electronics & Pittsburgh Modular Booth Pics
MATRIXSYNTH NAMM 2014: Schmidt Analog Synthesizer Booth Pics
MATRIXSYNTH NAMM 2014: Radikal Technologies Booth Pics
MATRIXSYNTH NAMM 2014: Big City Music Booth & Aerosmith Pics
MATRIXSYNTH NAMM 2014: Buchla Booth Pics
MATRIXSYNTH NAMM 2014: Elektron Booth Pics
MATRIXSYNTH NAMM 2014: Dave Smith Instruments Booth Pics
MATRIXSYNTH NAMM 2014: Monome ALEPH Looper Pics
MATRIXSYNTH NAMM 2014: Moog Music Booth Pics
MATRIXSYNTH NAMM 2014: Dubreq Stylophone Pics
MATRIXSYNTH NAMM 2014: Bob Moog Foundation Booth Pics

And that's it for my NAMM pics. Videos will follow over the coming days. As you can see I missed a few of the major synth booths including Clavia/Nord Keyboards, Waldorf, Access, Teenage Engineering, Korg, Roland, Novation, Studiologic and Yamaha. This is no slight to them. I would have loved to check them out, specifically the new A1 from Clavia and the new Waldorf 2-Pole filter.  I did see the new full size KORG MS20 kit but the booth was packed and I didn't get any pics. I knew anything AIRA was not going to be shown so I skipped Roland. I typically go to NAMM on Saturday as I'm literally glued to the site posting away all the NAMM news along with everything else that comes in up to then. By Saturday I have a pretty good idea of what has and hasn't gotten plenty of coverage on the site.  Based on that, new product announcements, and prior commitments with those that reached out to me, I go through my list of booths in order.

As for standouts, although I didn't get to try the new A1 from Clavia, I was impressed by the new oscillator and effects section in the demos to date. I like what I hear. I do think they made a mistake with the messaging on it being an entry level synth. Not sure why they chose to go that route as it degrades the synth's capabilities in my opinion and the price does not reflect an entry level synth.

The new Elektron Rytm sounded fantastic. I should have a video of Highsage jamming on it coming up. Hopefully the audio is good.

The Sub 37 is a thing of beauty.

I'm a fan of the Prophet 12 and the new Prophet 12 module. I'm a fan of mixing digital with analog and I think it is capable of timbres you simply can't get out of pure analog.

The Tiptop Audio system at the Big City Music Booth was absolutely insane! Tomio is a Jedi master on that thing. I should have video of it coming up.

The new Make Noise modules were a mind trip. Video coming.

Noise Engineering is new to the scene and their modules sound fantastic. I particularly like the drum module. They also have a vocal formant module. I mentioned the Yamaha FS1R's formant synthesis and they said it was actually based on it to an extent. Video coming.

The STG EMS Oscillator sounded insane. Video coming.

The new Studio Electronics Boomstars sounded pretty incredible. Video coming.

It takes quite a bit to surprise me.  Two things did.  Full on patch memory on a modular synth with the Buchla Music Easel and what's coming for Audiobus. The Miselu iPad keyboard and Quicco Sound controller were pretty cool devices as well. The Future Retro Triadex Muse based sequencer caught my interest. I didn't show it, but it definitely was a geek out moment for me and caught me by surprise. Who would have thought technology based on the obscure Muse would re-appear today.

That's it for now. The videos and pics should speak for themselves. I love it all.

MATRIXSYNTH NAMM 2012 MEGAPOST

Just thought I'd consolidate everything into one post. First is the flickr set of pics I took (288 in total) in the order taken, followed by the videos in the order taken. Links to the individual posts at the bottom.

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MATRIXSYNTH NAMM 2013 Posts

Now that the NAMM storm is subsiding, my coverage will be going up over the next few days.  I have a ton of uploading to do.  Note this is just an informational post to let you know how I cover NAMM; no product insights or reflections, they will come with the individual posts, so you can skip this one if you want.  That said, my posts will have MATRIXSYNTH NAMM 2013: in the title so you can differentiate them from the others.  Each post will focus on a specific manufacturer and/or booth, one post per manufacturer/booth.  At the end of all the posts I'll upload all of the images to Flickr to create one massive NAMM gallery there.  The images will be higher quality on Flickr as Blogger appears to limit the size of uploaded pics, but don't worry, the Blogger pics are still plenty big.  Posts will go up in the order each booth was visited. Note the order is not preferential in any way, nor are any videos.  The order is just what I visited while walking around with appointments in mind and I held back from taking any standard presentation videos to save time as I knew they would be covered by others and featured on the site.

To give you a little background on how I cover NAMM, as you know by now, I pretty much post everything that comes in.  This is good for content creators who want to promote their sites, it is good for you in that you get to see more rather than just my coverage,  and it's good for me because it saves me time and allows me to focus on other things while at NAMM, which in turn is good for you because it allows me to cover things that might have been missed otherwise.  I do have a few things I haven't seen elsewhere yet.  Not new gear, just different perspectives, demos and tons of pics.

Feel free to post my pics, video and coverage elsewhere, just mention where it's from like I do for others in every post I put up.  Other site owners are welcome to post my pics, videos and any quotes.

Side note: NAMM broke the record number of posts for a single day on the site this last Saturday with a whopping 115 posts i a single day.  I hope the coverage wasn't too overwhelming, but honestly, that pretty much sums up the NAMM experience.  The repeat presentations should also give you a little insight that most visitors at NAMM miss - the role of the presenter giving the same presentation over and over again.  Visitors typically only have time to see them once, and for them it's always the first and only time.  Not so for presenters.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the posts!

MATRIXSYNTH NAMM 2013 PICS

This post officially wraps up the MATRIXSYNTH specific coverage for NAMM 2013.  As promised, you'll find the super size pics from all previous posts on Flickr here.  You can check out the individual booth sets here.  The majority of pics have been featured already, however, you'll find the original gigantic pics on Flickr.  Feel free to use and share them, and if you do please mention the site.

I was going to embed a slide show here, but every time I do my mouse disappears, so I'm not going to do that to you.  You can launch the slideshow on Flickr if you like.

Note, that although this is the final MATRIXSYNTH NAMM post, other NAMM posts will continue to go up if they come in.  This year, I took a total of 232 pics and 17 videos (11.26 G of uploading - twice for the pics).  You can find the individual posts here via the MNAMM13 label.  They are in the reverse order each booth was visited, so if you want to get a sense of what it's like walking through NAMM in a single day, scroll down to the first post and move up the list. You'll find my notes on each booth in the individual posts.

The best part of NAMM?  The people.
The worst part of NAMM? There's never enough time.

MATRIXSYNTH NAMM 2016 Pics

Update: Booth list added below.  30 booths in one day!  It's become tradition for me to come on Saturday only.  The site is just too busy leading up to then.  Be sure to see the last image in the set  It's the NAMM Booth promo for the first showing of the original Minimoog Model D.  The Bob Moog Foundation was giving out buttons of the flyer which you can see in the second to last image.  You never know what will be your last pic at NAMM.  I am glad it was this one.  It's more than fitting considering the Minimoog was the birth of modern day synthesizers.  Apologies for not calling this out earlier.  It was one of those should I not say anything and let people pause at that image and discover what it meant on their own, or should I call it out.  I guess I did both.  :)

--

So first of all, apologies for the super tall pic to start! For some reason Flickr's slideshow is not resizing it, and a few others, to fit the desired frame size. Mouse over the image and use the controls that come up to move through the slide show. Once you get past the first image, the majority of the rest should fit fine. For what it's worth, the super tall pic to start does give you a feel of what it's like to walk up to the entrance of NAMM. If you prefer you can check out the set on Flickr here. Feel free to grab any pics for your wallpaper but if you'd like to use them professionally (not that any are that good :), please contact me by clicking on the small email icon on the bottom right of the site. This year I took a total of 328 pics.

All that said, enjoy the set! The pics speak for themselves. If you have any questions or comments feel free to leave them in the comments.

NAMM was great this year. Lots of familiar faces and lots of new. Modular has grown exponentially. It was on the main floor this year rather than what we like to call the dungeon. As for new synths, the DSI Oberheim OB-6 stole the show. The minilogue looked and sounded great and the KORG Volca FM was a very nice surprise. Roland's booth was great; nice dim lighting to let the blinky synth lights shine, as well as giving you a more intimate experience with their synths. There was also a cool wall sized timeline of Roland synths. Malekko's Roland System 500 synths were in show and I actually was able to help with one that had its envelope switched to loop mode. Moog's Island of Electronicus was an incredible space. The pics don't do it justice. It was literally like an oasis in NAMM. Things get pretty hectic and can feel overwhelming at times. Moog's booth just made you smile and relax. Thank you Moog!

PS, there are a couple of non-synth shots in the set that might make you smile. I took them to show my wife what I was looking at. :)

Including this post, 253 NAMM2016 posts have gone up and more are sure to follow.

Update: The booth list in order of appearance in both the set and in me walking through NAMM.  The pics in the set are in the order taken.

1.   Entrance to NAMM
2.   Dave Smith Instruments
3.   Moog Music
4.   Schneiders Buero Booth featuring Doepfer, MFB, Birdkids, AJH Synth, Endorphines, soundmachines, and Haken Audio
5.   Pittsburgh Modular
6.   Modal Electronics
7.   Make Noise
8.   Moon Modular
9. WMD (4ms, Verbos & Koma pics came prior to Moon Modular as they were across from each other. The WMD modular area was huge): 4ms Pedals, Abstract Data, Audio Damage, BaSTLE, Delptronics, Elite Cases, Rossum Electronics, Expert Sleepers, Foxtone Music/ Black Market Modular, Koma Elektronik, Hexinverter, Macro Machines, Mordax Systems, Noise Engineering, Qu-Bit Electronix, Soulsby, Steady State Fate (SSF), STG Soundlabs / Detachement 3 [check out the Crowbox black SEM eurorack module!], TipTopAudio, Toppobrillo, Verbos Electronics.
10. Studio Electronics, Mode Machines, and D-Tronics (check out the massive DT7 dedicated programmer for the DX7 similar to the old Jellinghaus)
11. Roger Linn's Linnstrument
12. Tom Oberheim
13. Elektron
14. Malekko - complete with Roland banner to promote their new System 500. Check out the glowing case! You can control the color with CV control.
15. Big City Music - Analogue Systems, Critter & Guitari, Cwejman, Dewanatron, Dirty Boy Pedals, Effectrode Tube Effects, EMC, Eowave, Jomox, Livewire, Mellotron, MWFX Pedals, Sherman
16. Schmidt in the Big City Music booth.
17. Radikal Technologies
18. Waldorf
19. Arturia
20. intelligel
21. Social Entropy and Abstrakt Instrument
22. Expressive E
23. John Bowen Synth Design - check out the custom Sonic Six with Sequential Model 700 Programmer & modded Model 800 Sequencer.
24. Roland (the guy with the hat on the right is the drummer for Train - I was taking pics of the timeline and they were standing there. I asked them if they wanted to be in the pic and they said sure! :) Apologies to Ed Diaz! I took his pic right when he saw me. Trust me he was full of smiles after that pic. I was flattered to find out he knew about the site! :)
25. Yamaha
26. Novation
27. KORG
28. Tangible Instruments showing their Arpeggio
29. Industrial Music Electronics (formerly Harvestman) and Sputnik Modular Synthesizers.
30. The Bob Moog Foundation

30 booths in one day!

MATRIXSYNTH NAMM 2014: Elektron Analog Rytm Performance by Highsage

Uploaded on Jan 30, 2014 matrixsynth·304 videos

http://www.elektron.se
https://www.facebook.com/highsagetechno

A short clip og Highsage checking out the new Analog Rytm. No direct audio in as I did not want to interrupt.

And that's it folks. This marks my final video for NAMM. You can get to all of my posts via a quick search on MATRIXSYNTH NAMM in the top left blogger box and sort by date. See the NAMM2014 channel below for all NAMM posts and remember you can search on any synth on the top left to drill down. This post is NAMM2014 post 355 and I'm sure more from others will go up. Oddly this is post 104 for the day which was the exact post count the first day of NAMM on Thursday of last week. More from others will go up in a little bit tonight. The record for one day was 115 on Jan 26 of 2013, last NAMM.

Happy New Year From MATRIXSYNTH! - A Look Back at 2014

Happy New Year everyone!

I want to start by thanking everyone that comes to MATRIXSYNTH and helps make it what it is - the readers, the supporters, and of course all the sponsors on the right.

THANK YOU and have a GREAT 2015!!!

This site is a labor of love and a ton of work. This site is ultimately meant to be an testament to everything synth in the making. We have over nine years of daily synth history captured here, 119,983 published posts. I can't wait to see what the future brings us in 2015!

That said, here are a few interesting bits from 2014 in the longest post of the year. ;)

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MATRIXSYNTH Swag & Hall of Fame!!!

MATRISYNTH Ts are $20 in the US and $25 outside the US. This includes the shipping cost, three MATRIXSYNTH cards and one magnet.  A set of three cards and one magnet, minus the T, is $5.

The T-Shirts are from Gorilla Screen Printing - highly recommended. If you get Ts done by them, let them know you found out about them here.

Paypal any amount to matrixsynth *at* gmail.com. Be sure to include the shipping address, size and whether you'd like long or short sleeves.

Below are some MATRIXSYNTH Ts and cards spotted in the wild. If you have them, send them in!

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The Frankfurt Musikmesse is Coming!

With NAMM out the door, the International community's largest music event starts on March 21 and runs through March 24. For those new to the Musikmesse, it is HUGE. Think NAMM, but in Frankfurt Germany. Some say the Messe is bigger than NAMM. Who knows?

Regardless, expect to see a number of new product announcements. If you were wondering why you didn't see something from some of the big players at NAMM, there is a good chance you will see it at the messe. The first Musikmesse 2012 post goes to eowave.

Keep an eye on MATRIXSYNTH for synth news. As you know things typically get leaked before the event, so check back often. I'll be adding the Musikmesse label on the top right of the site menu soon. We actually have a few posts up already, so click on the label below to see them. You'll of course find previous years as well.

Note, I will not be attending myself, but as you know MATRIXYSNTH is a MATRIX of SYNTH info and you can expect to see everything synth-related to the event here. BTW, if you are attending the event feel free to send your pics and videos. It's a great way to get some extra exposure on your site. Those of you that get featured on the site often should be covered, but if I miss anything, feel free to let me know.

Update: I just created Musikmesse labels for each year. It's a fun look back in time. I'll need to do the same for NAMM.

http://m.matrixsynth.com/search/label/Musikmesse2007
http://m.matrixsynth.com/search/label/Musikmesse2008
http://m.matrixsynth.com/search/label/Musikmesse2009
http://m.matrixsynth.com/search/label/Musikmesse2010
http://m.matrixsynth.com/search/label/Musikmesse2011
http://m.matrixsynth.com/search/label/Musikmesse2012

MATRIXSYNTH: NAMM PICS AND VIDEO

In case anyone was wondering where all my pics and vids are, they are coming soon. I'm finally getting my head above water. I was going to put up one post linking to all pics, but the upload at 219 images and just under 1G failed last night. So, instead, and better in my opinion, I will be putting up one post per booth for images and one post per video.

I need to apologize to the manufacturers I missed out there. My trip was literally a spur of the moment decision. I couldn't book a hotel on Friday, so I flew in early Saturday and had one day for NAMM. Sunday and Monday where booked at Disneyland with my family. :) That said, I made it my focus to meet people and to only take a few shots and no video, but video happened anyway. Unfortunately my video camera ran out of juice and I switched to my camera for some which you will see shortly. I also learned the audio and video quality suck on my cameras, especially considering how noisy the floor of NAMM is. When you watch these videos focus more on the experience of being at NAMM and checking out gear vs. high quality product demos. I'll leave that to the boys at Sonic State.

I want to thank everyone I met at NAMM and the TRASH_AUDIO BBQ. It was an incredible experience and I loved everyone I met. THANK YOU!!!

NOTE: I'll be putting up my NAMM posts inbetween other posts to keep things flowing. As I mentioned before, just click on the NAMM label at the top right of the site to get to all all NAMM posts. I will leave it up until the Musikmesse in March when I switch it out to that label.

Tips for NAMM Posts on MATRIXSYNTH

It's that time of year again! As always things get a bit hectic here on MATRIXSYNTH.

The following are some tips to keep track of your favorite gear.

1. Everything NAMM for 2017 will be labeled NAMM2017 at the bottom of each NAMM post. You can find the label on the right of the site under the "Check Out:" section as well. Clicking on the label will bring up all NAMM posts sorted by newest post on top.

2. To find all posts for a featured item, click on the company or brand label for the item at the bottom of the post, and previous posts will come up, again sorted by newest on top. Note non NAMM posts might be mixed in, so just scroll down to get to what you want. Creating a NAMM label for each brand to remedy this would be overkill. the train does not stop for NAMM, NAMM just gets thrown into the mix.

3. The New Gear in 2017 label applies to both NAMM and non NAMM new gear announcements, so be sure to keep an eye on that label as well if you are interested in new gear. In most cases, only the first post for the new item will come up, so you need not worry about weeding through multiple posts for the same item. Remember, you can always drill down by the manufacturer label for follow-up posts. You can find the New Gear label on the top right, under the "Check Out:" section, throughout the year.

4. Remember to click on the "Older Posts" link on the bottom of each page on the site for more.

5. Have fun!

NAMM is a crazy time of year on the site.

MATRIXSYNTH NAMM 2013: RADIKAL TECHNOLOGIES Booth

This year I paid a quick visit to one of my favorites, Jorg Schaaf of RADIKAL TECHNOLOGIES.  He was also the man behind Quasimidi.  He was showing his ACCELERATOR keyboard with iPad editor and the SPECTRALIS 2, both great sounding synths.   My videos below do not do them justice so be sure to check out the RADIKAL site for proper demos, Jorg's YouTube channel (some great music especially if you like Pink Floyd), or of course the RADIKAL label below. In the first video Jorg was showing me his iPad editor for the ACCELERATOR.  In the second part the drum sound was active so let's just say the effect was not intended. :) I told him they were going to kick him out.  You can hear us both laughing at the end.  The next video is a demo of some of the drum sounds on the SPECTRALIS 2, followed by a demo sequence.  Jorg was going to play a lead on the ACCELERATOR but had a little trouble with the audio.  It happens.  NAMM glitches aside, these are great synths, both in sound quality and feature set.  The ACCELERATOR actually has an accelerometer built in that you can assign to different parameters.  Not sure how often you might use it but it would definitely be a fun thing to try out, especially on unknowing friends. More pics below. Be sure to click them for the super size shots.

MATRIXSYNTH NAMM 2013: RADIKAL TECHNOLOGIES ACCELERATOR

matrixsynth·252 videos

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Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone!  I hope it's a great one! 

Putting this post up between the cross over as I need to sign off for the festivities!

First of all, I'd like to say THANK YOU! for a great 2011! It was a busy one here in MATRIXSYNTH land.  The site had a record breaking 18755 posts (including this one) for the year.  That's an average of 51.38 posts every single day (not a single day missed, BTW).  I'm hoping to actually bring that number down a little. Before anyone freaks out, I'm not planning on changing much.  I plan on keeping MATRIXSYNTH exactly the same with the exception of raising the bar on what goes up just a little.   I think enough change happens in life and it's nice to have some constants you can fall back on.  I'm hoping MATRIXSYNTH continues to be one for you.   It's odd to think it's only been six and a half years!  I hope to keep the site going for many more to come.   As for bringing the number of posts down and a little history on the site...

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Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone!!!  I hope 2012 treated you well and I wish you the best in 2013!

As I do each year, I thought I'd reflect a little on the past year.  These posts are always difficult to write, and I always wing them, so bear with me.  It's impossible to justify a whole year's worth of synth coverage in a single post.  The following is just a small bit of what comes to mind when looking back.  You'll find a top ten list of posts with the most page views followed by my picks for the year further below.  Apologies if I miss anything, and of course, if you have anything to add, feel free to leave a comment below.  I'm curious what you, the readers of the site, felt stood out in the world of synths this past year.

First, I want to begin this post with a HUGE THANK YOU!!!  If you are reading this it obviously means you have come to this site and some of you have been coming here for years! Thank you for sticking with me. This site is a journey I hope to continue for years to come. Thank you to everyone that has taken the time to showcase their synths, and thank you to those that share what they find! Thank you to those that link to the site and help spread the word on MATRIXSYNTH via Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and your own websites! And of course, THANK YOU to all the sponsors on the right who believe in the site enough to support it!

A nod to previous New Years posts, pictured to the left is the MATRIXSYNTH world domination map. :)  I always think it's worth taking a look at who's watching the site.  Synths are global and you are looking at a map of the readers of MATRIXSYNTH.  Everything you see in green represents a visit from that country.  The darker the green, the higher the number of visits.  This is just for the year, but for the life of the site, we still haven't gotten a single hit from North Korea!   I don't know what they have against synths!  ;)   You'll find the top 10 visits by country further below.

This is the eighth New Year the site has gone through!  The focus for the site this year has been the same as previous years, and I plan to keep it that way.  This site is about showcasing specific synths, not just synths in general, and not just news and press releases.  The focus is on the individual synths that have existed throughout history, the technology behind them, and the lives they lead with their odd owners, myself included.  :)  Yes it is about the gear, their makers, and their players.  It has always been my opinion that synths in general have a tendency to be undervalued. Compared to say collectible guitars, they are often discarded and devalued in favor of next year's model, next year's technology.  It has always been my opinion that every synth has something of value to offer,  something specific and something unique that gives it its character. I built this site to showcase that.  This site is about the history of synths as their history unfolds - videos and images of synths being played and used, by both those that make them and those that play them.  Vintage synths being offered in the second hand market, being exchanged from one sonic explorer to the next. It really is a wondrous thing. Think of the magic synthesizers bring into your world. That is what this site is ultimately about.  Some posts may not seem to make sense now, but they will in time, because they will be a look back in time. A day in the life of a particular synthesizer.  I love analog and I love digital. I love all synths and this site celebrates that.

And now for a little reflection on the year. This year we had a total of 16678 posts including this one.  That comes out to roughly 45.69 posts a day.  Not a single day of the year went without a post.  So what dominated the synth year?  Mobile, modulars and a few dedicated hardware synths.

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NAMM Posts

Just some tips for anyone that might be new to the site.

1. Non NAMM posts will continue to go up, so be sure to bookmark the NAMM label and check back often. There's a link to the label on the right of the site menu above as well.

2. The focus for NAMM posts is obviously everything synth, so all NAMM posts have to have a synth connection.

3. Updates to posts will typically get a new post to let you know there was an update. All updates go out on MATRIXSYNTH Twitter and MATRIXSYNTH Facbook. The flow of posts as well as the original post might look a bit messy, but that's how I like it. The reason is, I want to capture the news as it was released. This site is a bit more raw than others. As for which original posts get updated vs. not, it just depends. At some point the updates will stop and new items will just go up in new posts.

4. I do feature original content from other sites with links back for more and/or credit. This promotes other sites. If you have original content, feel free to send it in to matrixsynth@gmail.com. If you don't want me promoting you, feel free to let me know.

If you have any questions, feel free to comment.

I Dream of Wires to Add Additional Extended Interview

via I Dream of Wires on Facebook:

"It looks like we'll be producing and releasing one more free I Dream Of Wires: Extended Interview piece in 2014. If you could choose just one person, out of all of the people we interviewed in IDOW, who would you like to see featured in a full Extended Interview? [leave your pick on Facebook here]

If you're not familiar with our Extended Interview series, we've released 9 of them so far. See the list below, and check out our Vimeo channel to watch.

I Dream of Wires - Extended Interview Series:"

9. Chris Carter:

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I Dream of Wires Extended Interviews 4 - 8

Carl Craig - Modular Pursuits: IDOW Extended Interview #4 from I Dream Of Wires on Vimeo.

In April 2012, the I Dream of Wires team met with legendary Detroit techno producer Carl Craig, to discuss his electronic music influences and production experiences, including his recent interest in eurorack modular synthesis. Craig's experiments in modular synthesis are best heard on 2010's "Modular Pursuits" 12-inch, released under his No Boundaries alias. For more info on Carl Craig: carlcraig.net Music, used with permission from Planet E: "Desire" by 69 "Pursuit 1", "Pursuit 2", "Pursuit 3" by No Boundaries.

http://www.carlcraig.net
http://soundcloud.com/carlcraiginc
http://planet-e.net

I DREAM OF WIRES is a forthcoming documentary film about the history and resurgence of modular synthesizers. The film is currently in production. This is the 4th in a series of extended interviews, which will be produced and released in various formats throughout the production, and following the release, of the film. I DREAM OF WIRES extended interview segments are sponsored by MATRIXSYNTH (m.matrixsynth.com).

http://idreamofwires.org
http://www.facebook.com/idreamofwiresdocumentary


Made in Canada - Modcan & Intellijel: IDOW Extended Interview #5 from I Dream Of Wires on Vimeo.

Canada holds a significant place in the history of electronic instrument development: from the ground-breaking inventions of Hugh Le Caine in the 1940s to the innovations at the University of Toronto's Electronic Music Lab in the 1960s. Recently, Canada has again come to play a significant role with the modern day resurgence of modular synthesizers; it is home to two highly respected manufacturers: Modcan, founded by Toronto's Bruce Duncan, was the first company to reintroduce modular synthesizers to the post-MIDI marketplace, and Intellijel, founded by Vancouver's Danjel Van Tijn, is one of the fastest growing and most respected lines of Eurorack synthesizer modules. For more info on Modcan, visit: modcan.com For more info on Intellijel, visit: intellijel.com Music/sound: Jason Amm (Solvent), Bruce Duncan (Modcan), Danjel Van Tijn (Intellijel), John Elliot (Emeralds) I DREAM OF WIRES is a forthcoming documentary film about the history and resurgence of modular synthesizers. The film is currently in production. This is the 5th in a series of extended interviews, which will be produced and released in various formats throughout the production, and following the release, of the film. I DREAM OF WIRES extended interview segments are sponsored by MATRIXSYNTH (m.matrixsynth.com).

http://www.modcan.com
http://intellijel.com
http://idreamofwires.org
http://facebook.com/idreamofwiresdocumentary


Orphx & Modulars - The Physical Element: IDOW Extended Interview #6 from I Dream Of Wires on Vimeo.

Canadian duo Orphx have been releasing electronic music since 1993, and while they were best known in experimental/industrial music circles for many years, today they are regarded as pioneers in the fusion of techno and industrial music. Orphx's recent output on Sonic Groove has met with critical acclaim from many of techno's leading DJs. Having performed live with laptops for several years, Orphx's Christina Sealey made the decision to delve in modular synthesizers, hoping it would bring some spontaneity and excitement to Orphx's music, both on stage and in the studio.

I DREAM OF WIRES is a forthcoming documentary film about the history and resurgence of modular synthesizers. The film is currently in production. This is the 6th in a series of extended interviews, which will be produced and released in various formats throughout the production, and following the release, of the film. I DREAM OF WIRES extended interview segments are sponsored by MATRIXSYNTH (m.matrixsynth.com).

http://www.orphx.com
http://orphx.bandcamp.com
http://www.facebook.com/orphx
http://www.soundcloud.com/orphx

http://idreamofwires.org
http://facebook.com/idreamofwiresdocumentary


Solvent - Modular Encounters: IDOW Extended Interview #7 from I Dream Of Wires on Vimeo.

Canadian electronic artist Solvent was commissioned to create an all-modular synthesizer based soundtrack for the forthcoming documentary I Dream of Wires; The challenge allowed him the opportunity to work with a vast array of modular synthesizers, both new and vintage. Solvent, born Jason Amm in Zimbabwe, and currently residing in Toronto, Canada, has been releasing his unique brand of analogue synthesizer music since 1997, encompassing crunchy IDM, melodic electro, and vocoder synthpop. Best known for his releases on Morr Music and Ghostly International, Solvent is also co-founder of the obscure, yet influential electro(nica) label, Suction Records. All of the music heard in this video segment was created by Solvent during several on-camera album recording sessions. No drum machines, samples, or hardwired synthesizers were used; each and every sound was created from scratch on the following selection of modular synthesizer systems: Eurorack, Modcan, Synthesizers.com, and Moog 15. In addition to creating the film's soundtrack, Amm has recently been serving as writer and producer for "I Dream Of Wires".

I DREAM OF WIRES is a forthcoming documentary film about the history and resurgence of modular synthesizers. The film is currently in production. This is the 6th in a series of extended interviews, which will be produced and released in various formats throughout the production, and following the release, of the film. I DREAM OF WIRES extended interview segments are sponsored by MATRIXSYNTH (m.matrixsynth.com).

http://solventcity.com
http://facebook.com/solvent
http://soundcloud.com/solvent
http://suctionrecords.bandcamp.com

http://idreamofwires.org
http://www.facebook.com/idreamofwiresdocumentary


Richard Devine's Analog Voodoo Effect: IDOW Extended Interview #8 from I Dream Of Wires on Vimeo.

Richard Devine is an Atlanta-based electronic musician and sound designer. He is recognized for producing a layered and heavily processed sound, combining influences from hip-hop, to old and modern electronic music. Richard Devine has released records through such esteemed labels as Schematic and Warp Records, and is the creative force behind his own sound design company, Devine Sound. Though he has contributed sound design to a number of hardware and software manufacturers, he recently released his first official sample library through Sony Creative Software. Devine has also scored commercials for the likes of Nike and Touchstone Pictures. Since the late-90s, Richard Devine's sound has been synonymous with taking cutting-edge computer-based DSP (digital signal processing) to its limits. In recent years, however, Devine has also become a convert to the unlimited sonic capabilities and hands-on "analog voodoo effect" of the Eurorack modular format. I Dream of Wires spoke to Devine at NAMM 2012, which he attends annually. Judging by the studio footage on his Vimeo channel, and his wild enthusiasm on the subject, Devine is a bonafide Eurorack obsessive! All music and sound in this video is by Richard Devine. Additional studio footage supplied by Richard Devine.

I DREAM OF WIRES is a forthcoming documentary film about the history and resurgence of modular synthesizers. The film is currently in production. This is the 6th in a series of extended interviews, which will be produced and released in various formats throughout the production, and following the release, of the film. I DREAM OF WIRES extended interview segments are sponsored by MATRIXSYNTH (m.matrixsynth.com).

http://richard-devine.com
http://devinesound.net
http://soundcloud.com/richarddevine
http://vimeo.com/channels/richarddevine

http://idreamofwires.org
http://facebook.com/idreamofwiresdocumentary

See the IDOW label below for more.

M-Audio Introduces the Trigger Finger Pro

Trigger Finger Pro USB Controller with Step Sequencer

Includes the M-Audio Arsenal; 8+ GB of instruments, one-shots, loops & more
Built-in step sequencer for building jaw-dropping grooves
16 ultra-responsive pads with illuminated RGB feedback
Customizable, backlit controls with instant automapping
High-resolution display lets you focus on the music, not the computer
Slimline design travels from studio to stage with ease
Detachable, 3-position rugged metal stand for angled use
Extensive expression controls; pitch bend, modulation & more
USB-MIDI connection to a Mac or PC
Arsenal includes Hybrid 3 High Definition Synth by AIR Music Tech
16 custom drum kits from Black Anomaly (Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, Chris Brown)
Arsenal also includes 10 Prime Loops Expansion Packs:
TrapTranceProgressiveNudiscoMinimalHard DanceElectroDubstepDrum N BassDeep House
Includes 5 ToolRoom Records artist sound packs from:
Mark KnightReve AmeszTocadiscoMacro LysD Ramirez
Over 2000 combined artist patches and presets for Hybrid 3 and Prime Loops content

Press release:

"M-Audio Introduces the Trigger Finger Pro

Legendary computer interface and studio integration manufacturer debuts an advanced performance pad controller with onboard sequencing and software integration.

Cumberland, RI, USA – January 22, 2014. M-Audio (www.m-audio.com), industry-leading manufacturer of award-winning computer interface and studio integration solutions, announces the debut of Trigger Finger Pro, an advanced performance pad controller with onboard sequencing and software integration.

Trigger Finger Pro is a fully encompassed performance instrument and software control station in the form of a portable, 16-pad (4x4 configured) instrument with onboard sequencing. Nearly a decade ago, M-Audio revolutionized the industry by introducing the first performance pad controller and effectively set the stage for the MIDI controller market with the Trigger Finger. The Trigger Finger Pro draws from its predecessor’s performance pad roots but features an entirely new hardware design, user experience, and creative functionality to serve both the live performer as well as the music producer. It’s modern design features 16 ultra-responsive RGB illuminated pads, 16 backlit step sequencer key controls, a road-ready chassis with brushed aluminum faceplate, and a high resolution screen.

The all-new Arsenal software integrates with popular DAWs, hosts VSTs and includes automatic mapping, providing seamless integration between the hardware and software. Along with AIR Drums and Hybrid 3 plug-ins, Trigger Finger Pro includes 8 GB of ready-to-play sounds, loops, one-shots with exclusive content from Black Anomaly, Prime Loops, Toolroom Records, and more.

Highlights:
• 16 Ultra-Responsive Pads – velocity sensitive, illuminated pads with RGB feedback
• Onboard Step Sequencer – accompanied by 16 backlit keys, and high-res screen
• Extensive Expression Controls – 48 assignable controls are offered between 4 faders, 4
knobs, and 4 buttons with 4 banks each, and includes pitch bend, modulation and more
• Arsenal Software – allows for instant DAW/VST integration with full tactile control
parameters; or operates as a standalone program with powerful presets & VI’s
• AIR Drums and Hybrid 3 – includes two dynamic VST instrument programs, a drum
sample player/editor compatible with REX files and a high definition analog synth suite
• Built-in Instruments – 8 GB of sounds, one-shots, loops, and exclusive content
• Customizable Controls – backlit controls instantly map to popular DAWs on the market
• Road Ready Chassis – brushed aluminum faceplate with detachable 3-position stand

'We’re excited with the Trigger Finger Pro because it offers true hands-on control for today’s multi-talented musicians who require software integration as part of their live performances – and we’re equally thrilled with its place in the studio environment providing seamless DAW integration,” said M-Audio Product Manager JC Sutherland. “The addition of the new onboard M-Audio Arsenal software makes for a powerful package onstage or in the studio.'

Trigger Finger Pro will be available Spring 2014, distributed worldwide with a $399 USD street.

M-Audio will unveil Trigger Finger Pro in Hall A, Booth 6700, at the 2014 NAMM Show, January 23-26 in Anaheim, California. For more information, visit: www.m-audio.com/wnamm2014"

Update: Discussion on The MATRIXSYNTH Lounge here & NAMM floor videos:

[NAMM] M-Audio Trigger Finger Pro

Published on Jan 22, 2014

"Here's a presentation of the new M-Audio Trigger Finger Pro at the NAMM Show 2014."

NAMM 2014: M-Audio Trigger Finger Pro

Published on Jan 22, 2014 sonicstate·599 videos

"NAMM 2014: M-Audio Trigger Finger Pro Updated pad controller"

NAMM 2014: M-Audio Trigger Finger Pro

Published on Jan 23, 2014 Future Music Magazine·342 videos

"At NAMM 2014, Future Music get a video demo of M-Audio's new Trigger Finger Pro and Arsenal software."

Happy New Year From MATRIXSYNTH!

Happy New Year everyone!

First I want to thank everyone who takes the time out of their busy schedules to come visit the site. I want to give an extra thanks to everyone who supports this site, including the sponsors you see above and on the right. Without them this site would not be possible.

As many of you know, running MATRIXSYNTH is a labor of love. The site has been running for over 13 years and hopefully will continue on for many years to come. Every single post goes up by hand, seven days a week, including holidays and "vacations." Some of you may not know this, but MATRIXSYNTH is a one man shop by me, matrix. I have not missed a single day of posting since back on August 6 of 2005 when I first launched this format of the site. I say "this format of the site" because I actually registered matrixsynth.com back in October of 1997. You can still see the old site here. On the left were links to sites I visited back in the day. It's actually a pretty neat snapshot of what was around on the web back then before the days of YouTube and social media. I launched this version of the site back on July 20 of 2005. As of this post there have been 175,117 posts on the site. We had 13,302 posts in 2018. Every single one went up by hand. I am extremely humbled and grateful of those who choose to support the site. Thank you so much!!!

Now, for some numbers. I haven't shared them in a while as they started to feel a little redundant year after year, but I figured why not? The image above is a map of visitors to the site in 2018. We had 540,712 users visit for a total of 3,418,064 pageviews. We finally have a visitor from North Korea this year! The numbers are from Google Analytics and should filter out bots. BTW if you look at this all time map, the only country to not have visited MATRIXSYNTH to date is the Central African Republic. It's pretty amazing to think someone from every single other country in the world has visited the site.

The following are the top 10 countries to visit by traffic:

1 United States 4,564(35.30%)
2 United Kingdom 1,070(8.28%)
3 Germany 866(6.70%)
4 France 653(5.05%)
5 Canada 544(4.21%)
6 Italy 512(3.96%)
7 Japan 464(3.59%)
8 Netherlands 357(2.76%)
9 Poland 331(2.56%)
10 Norway 314

(Update: I originally had the list by language which duplicated DE and FR. The list has been updated for country only).

A couple of years ago I started tracking new gear for the year with "new gear" labels. For 2018 we had the following:

695 new items never featured before on the site. This includes 49 posts on older gear never featured before.
111 new makers
92 new synths
63 new soft synths
67 new sound/noise machines
36 new synth effects
266 new modules
42 new mobile apps
11 new drum machines
111 new DIY projects
26 new controllers
40 new tools
7 new cases

And finally we had 52 posts to get the exclusive label for the year. These are the rarest of the rare featured on the site.

Note there is some overlap and the primary focus of MATRIXSYNTH is hardware synthesis. Rather than go into a top 10 list (which I never was into because all gear has its use imo), click through any of the links above to see what came in by category.

On the mega synth front, we saw the release of the Sequential Prophet X and XL (DSI changed names to Sequential as well), the Moog One and Grandmother, Yamaha MODX, Korg Prologue, and the Waldorf Quantum finally made it to release. You can also recap what was featured at NAMM 2018, SUPERBOOTH18, Knobcon, and SoundMit and other events.

This year we lost the following in the synth world. Note this does not include discontinued gear, although with Erthenvar being featured as a company, I may include gear in the the future.

Erthenvar Closes Shop
RIP John Leimseider
RIP Shirleigh Moog
The Candlelight Vigil: A Synth Cover in Memory of Jóhann Jóhannsson (From Prisoners)
David Van Koevering Has Passed Away

-----

And that's it for 2018. Happy New Year and onto 2019! Thank you to everyone that enjoys, contributes, and supports the site! I started MATRIXSYNTH to track everything synth. It's rewarding to know people out there still enjoy the site. MATRIXSYNTH is my gift to you.

MATRIXSYNTH NAMM 2013: Studio Electronics at the Noisebug Booth

Uploaded on Jan 30, 2013 matrixsynth·251 videos

At 5:12 you'll see "MIDI overflow" on the back.  Apparently you can chain these for polyphony.

Update: I heard back from Studio Electronics. You should be able to chain up to four of these, after there might be lag. Editing on one will not affect the other, so you would need to dial each up to mach much like SEMs in a two or four voice system. The plus side of this is you can slightly detune and alter the individual voices for potentially more interesting sounds. Think chords where each voice is doing something slightly different.

Studio Electronics debut of four new mono synths at the Noisebug booth.  Marc St. Regis gives us an overview of the new Boomstar 4075 (ARP 2600 filter), the Boomstar 3003 (Roland TB-303 filter, but "sounds more like an SH-101"), the Boomstar SEM (Oberheim SEM filter), and finally the Boomstar 5089 (Minimoog filter).   Audio demos are of the 4075 and 3003.  Although the Boomstars were first announced back on March 2, 2012 here, NAMM was the first time they made a public appearance.  You can find a demo of the 4075 posted on September 30, 2012 here, and one previous NAMM video recently posted by SonicState here.  The product page for the Boomstars is here.   I have to say these do sound great; they are incredibly thick and rich sounding analog synths. As you can see they have a small physical footprint along with substantial feeling knobs and they have quite a few extra features.  Click the pics below for some super size shots.

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