Cherry Audio Introduces Mercury-4 - Detailed Roland Jupiter-4 Emulation

Mercury-4 🌌 | Cherry Audio video upload by Cherry Audio

"The new Cherry Audio Mercury-4 is a detailed emulation of one of the best-sounding and quirkiest polyphonic synthesizers of the late 1970's, the Roland Jupiter-4.

It’s the rarest and most sonically unique of the fabled Jupiter series, and we’ve gone to great lengths to recreate the subtle (and not-so-subtle) nuances and character of this beloved classic.

Every aspect of Mercury-4 has been expertly modeled upon a vintage Jupiter-4 originally owned by Greg Hawkes of the legendary 80’s new wave band The Cars, and played on their double-platinum 1981 album Shake It Up.

In Greg’s own words, Mercury-4 'sounds just like my old Jupiter! It’s nice to have it back.'"

Update: user video by Starsky Carr:

Cherry Audio Mercury 4 // Jupiter 4 plugin // review demo and walkthrough

video upload by Starsky Carr

via Cherry Audio:

Mercury-4 Features:

Authentically modeled oscillator with sub oscillator
All filter characteristics modeled, including powerful low-frequency resonance
Up to 16-voice polyphony
Over 400 presets, programmed by industry veterans
Exactingly replicated unique arpeggio section w/tempo sync
Carefully modeled wide-range LFO modulation with "inverted" mod characteristics
Drift control for increased analog realism
Precisely replicated stereo ensemble effect
Warm and organic tape echo with multiple reverb modes
Tempo-syncable LFO
Detunable unison mode
Single-key chord memory mode
Highly optimized coding for high performance with ultra-low CPU load
User-adjustable oversampling control
Advanced one-click UI magnification
Comprehensive MPE support
Full MIDI control and DAW automation for all controls
Mercury-4 is available in AU, VST, VST3, AAX, and standalone formats.

A free 30-day demo of Mercury-4 is available. This demo will play white noise periodically, but is otherwise unlimited.

macOS Requirements: macOS 10.9 or above (including macOS 12), 64-bit required. M1 processor compatible (via Rosetta 2). Quad-core computer with 8GB of RAM recommended.

Windows Requirements: Windows 7 or above, 64-bit required. Quad-core computer with 8GB of RAM recommended.

History:

Left: Greg Hawkes’s Jupiter-4, atop the Prophet-5 in the center, at The Cars’ Syncro Sound Studio, during the Shake It Up sessions, 1981. (Photo courtesy of Greg Hawkes)

Originally released in 1978, the Roland Jupiter-4 synthesizer was one of the earliest instruments to combine voice-assign polyphony with digital patch storage - that is, the ability to store and recall sounds to a digital memory and recall them at the touch of a button.

The Jupiter-4 rapidly became the go-to polysynth for numerous English and European acts in the 80's including Duran Duran, Thomas Dolby, The Human League, Simple Minds, and more, and for good reason: the Jupiter-4 sounded fantastic, with a raw, raunchy tone not found in any of the other beloved Juno and Jupiter synths. Its analog oscillators have a uniquely aggressive tone quality, the built-in sub oscillator adds girth, its oddly fast and deep LFO modulation capabilities allow it to create uniquely whacked-out modular synth-like tones, and Roland's famous stereo chorus "ensemble" circuit is beautifully implemented, adding a boatload of width and dimension.

Bottom Left: Greg Hawkes’s Jupiter-4 in the Cherry Audio lab, modeled for Mercury-4.

https://cherryaudio.com/instruments/mercury-4

The ARP 2600 Synthposium (Trailer)

video upload by Alan R. Pearlman Foundation

"TICKETS: bit.ly/2600-event

Join the Alan R. Pearlman Foundation online Saturday, September 18th, for a virtual Festival and Fundraiser honoring the 50th anniversary of the mighty ARP 2600, hosted by The Record Co. in Boston, MA!

This online celebration will feature live performances, live panel discussions, a 2600 synthesizer clinic, premiered videos of performances and interviews, special guests, a silent auction, and more. All proceeds will benefit the Alan R. Pearlman Foundation and the ARPs For All project. (For schedule please see below.)

Panelists include:
Alsún Ní Chasaide, Alison Stout, Antonio Guitterez (Antonus) BT, Brian Kehew, David Baron, David Friend, David Frederick Jr, David Mash, DJ CherishtheLuv, EMEAPP, Jack Hotop, Jennifer Hruska, Jean-Michel Jarre, Jon Carin, Korg, Lisa Bella Donna, Marie Ann Hedonia, Michael Bierylo, Michael Brigida, Richard Boulanger, Richard Devine, Steve McQuarry, Tom Piggott

New and exclusive content by:
Alex Ball (video performance), Berklee Ensemble (video performance), Bill T. Miller (video performance), David Van Pelt (video performance), DJ CherishtheLuv (video performance + interview), Don Slepian (video performance + demo), EMEAPP (video performance + Live Stream), Ernesto Romeo (video performance + demo),Renzo Torti Forno (video performanc),, Glen Harlock (2600 video patchbook)*, Jennifer Hruska (video performance with ensemble), Jim Mitchmerhuizen (interview excerpt), Lisa Bella Donna (video performance), Marie Ann Hedonia (video performance + interview), Steve McQuarry (video performance + interview)

The ARP 2600 is one of the most influential synthesizers ever created and has been played by artists such as Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock, Edgar Winter, Joe Zawinul, and sound designer Ben Burtt (as the voice of R2D2). Recently brought back into production by Korg, the ARP 2600 is once again a beacon of unlimited possibilities for a whole new generation of musicians.

The event will live stream from Boston’s own The Record Co, a community music workspace with professional recording and rehearsal studios. The event will focus on the ARP 2600, the iconic synthesizer that brought semi-modular synthesis to performers and educators around the world. It will feature panel discussions, performances, and interviews with world-renowned artists, technicians, engineers, and more. Participants will be able to interact live with panelists via Zoom.

Proceeds will benefit ARP Foundation initiatives, including The ARPs For All project, a joint effort by The Record Co. and ARPf, enabling anyone who rents studio or rehearsal time to use these incredible instruments at no additional cost.

Come join us!

CREDITS
Video Editing by Margot Bennett
Music by Omer Berger"

Reminder: THE ARP 2600 SYNTHPOSIUM is Coming Saturday, September 18TH

This is a follow-up to this post. You can purchase tickets at the event page here. For Group rates and free scholorship tickets see the admission section below.

"Join the Alan R. Pearlman Foundation online Saturday, September 18th, for a virtual Festival and Fundraiser honoring the 50th anniversary of the mighty ARP 2600, hosted by The Record Co. in Boston, MA!

This online celebration will feature live performances, live panel discussions, a 2600 synthesizer clinic, premiered videos of performances and interviews, special guests, a silent auction, and more. All proceeds will benefit the Alan R. Pearlman Foundation and the ARPs For All project.
Who
Panelists include:
Alsún Ní Chasaide, Alison Stout, BT, Brian Kehew, David Baron, David Friend, David Frederick Jr, David Mash, DJ Cherish the Luv, EMEAPP, Jack Hotop, Jennifer Hruska, Jean-Michel Jarre, Jon Carin, Korg, Lisa Bella Donna, Marie Ann Hedonia, Phil Cirocco, Richard Boulanger, Richard Devine, Steve McQuarry

New and exclusive content by:
Alex Ball (demo), Berklee Ensemble (video performance), Bill T. Miller (video performance), David Van Pelt (video performance), DJ Cherish the Luv (video performance + interview), Don Slepian (video performance + demo), EMEAPP (video performance + Live Stream), Ernesto Romeo (video performance), Glen Harlock (2600 video patchbook)*, Jennifer Hruska (video performance with ensemble), Jim Mitchmerhuizen (interview excerpt), Lisa Bella Donna (video performance), Marie Ann Hedonia (video performance + interview), Steve McQuarry (video performance + interview)

Why
The ARP 2600 is one of the most influential synthesizers ever created and has been played by artists such as Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock, Edgar Winter, Joe Zawinul, and sound designer Ben Burtt (as the voice of R2D2). Recently brought back into production by Korg, the ARP 2600 is once again a beacon of unlimited possibilities for a whole new generation of musicians.

How
The event will live stream from Boston’s own The Record Co, a community music workspace with professional recording and rehearsal studios. The event will focus on the ARP 2600, the iconic synthesizer that brought semi-modular synthesis to performers and educators around the world. It will feature panel discussions, performances, and interviews with world-renowned artists, technicians, engineers, and more. Participants will be able to interact live with panelists via Zoom.

What
Proceeds will benefit ARP Foundation initiatives, including The ARPs For All project, a joint effort by The Record Co. and ARPf, enabling anyone who rents studio or rehearsal time to use these incredible instruments at no additional cost.

Come join us!

When

EVENT SCHEDULE:
There will be an approximate 5-minute break after panels.

11:00am – Berklee Synth Ensemble (opening music)

11:30am – Opening Address

12:00pm – Panel 1 - ARP 2600: The First 50 years

1:00pm – Intermission (videos)

1:30pm – Prerecorded- The Next Fifty Years (remaking, restoring and reimagining)

2:00pm – Panel 2 – Maintaining Vintage 2600s in a Modern World

3:00pm – David’s 2600 Tutorial/Demonstration – A comparison of the original ARP2600, the new Korg ARP2600 FS, and the upcoming Korg ARP2600M Module. Demonstrations of some of the more esoteric capabilities of the 2600.

3:30pm – Intermission (videos)

3:45pm – Lisa Bella Donna

4:15pm – Panel 3- Artists using ARPs

5:15pm – Jennifer Hruska Group

5:45pm – Finding a New Voice

6:15pm – Live Stream from EMEAPP

6:30pm – Results from Silent Auction and Closing Remarks!

ADMISSION:
Students (Only): $10.00

Access to the Synthposium
Price of admission will increase to $12 on Sept 15th
General Public:

$20.00

Access to the Synthposium
Price of admission will increase to $25 on Sept 15th
$50.00

Access to the Synthposium
10% Discount off a t-shirt at our store
Special access to full length interviews & concerts
$100.00

Access to the Synthposium
10% Discount off a t-shirt at our store
1 ARP CD Download
Special access to full length interviews & concerts
Special access to tutorials

Synthposium Scholarship: In light of our challenging times, we can provide access to free scholarship tickets if circumstances dictate. Please send an email to dina@alanrpearlmanfoundation.org

Group Rates: For group rates, please email dina@alanrpearlmanfoundation.org

Interested in being a sponsor: For inquiry please email dina@alanrpearlmanfoundation.org"

SUPERBOOTH21 in 6 Weeks - Program and Special Event Tickets

SUPERBOOTH21 is coming this September 15 through 18. See https://www.superbooth.com/ for full details on the event.

Press release on the Program and Special Event Tickets follows:

Berlin, August 2021

SUPERBOOTH21 in 6 weeks - the program and the special event tickets

Many national and international exhibitors and their innovative synthesizers and effect devices attract thousands of music makers to FEZ-Berlin every year. Equally attractive are the numerous concerts and special events. These inclu- de many workshops that invite you to join in, the SchneidersLaden Tour and the comfortable arrival by boat shuttle from Berlin Mitte.

Stage program: This year, SUPERBOOTH21 will feature four stages. In addition to the auditorium and the seaside stage, two new venues will be added: the Finn- hütten and the Fuchsbau.

In the auditorium, there will be Gesprächskonzerte (lecture concerts) and talks - with Jean-Michel Jarre, Reinhold Heil, Atom TM and T.Raumschmiere among others. Early Wednesday evening, the Miller-Zillmer-Foundation will present it- self to invited guests in the auditorium, where it will celebrate its two-year an- niversary. This year the Miller-Zillmer-Foundation makes possible the workshop series with Gammon and his Modular Synthesizer Ensemble, as well as - in co- operation with Mute Artists Ltd. - the headlining concerts on the seaside stage every evening: Yann Tiersen, hackedepicciotto, JakoJako and Pole.

The past 18 months have left room for many artists to go into the studio and write new music. SUPERBOOTH21 is one of the first opportunities to bring the results of these processes on stage and so there are some premieres to see. Yann Tiersen (Mute, release date: August 27, 2021) presents his new album „Kerber“. Also from hackedepicciotto (Mute), st.raumen (release date:
30. August 2021) and Pole (Mute) there is something new to hear.

The seaside stage will also feature Maarten Vos, Bloody Mary, Carolina Eyck, Kitmun and Ain TheMachine X SBNH, among others. The stage at the Finnhütten will be hosted by the legendary Tresor. For the 30th anniversary of the Berlin club and label, there will be concerts every night at 8:30 p.m. by e.g. Z.I.P.P.O, Carlota and Artik.

The ever-popular Gesprächskonzerte will mainly take place at the Fuchsbau. On this new stage, SOMA Laboratory, Verbos Electronics, Haken Audio, Polyend, U-HE, Joranalogue and Bitwig, among others, will musically present their pro- ducts. In addition, you can also get involved yourself at the Fuchsbau and contri- bute to the musical background of the event at the Modular Carousel.
Workshops & DIY: The various DIY workshops will take place in the cozy ambien- ce of the DIY tent at the Fuchsbau. Workshops offered are from Befaco, Leaf Audio, Making Sound Machines, Touellskouarn and Shakmat Modular, among others. Due to the severe limitation of places, tickets for the DIY workshops should be booked early.

Other workshops include the Tapeloop Workshop on September 18 (for up to 5 participants), the Kreativ Klangsafari in cooperation with the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, and of course Gammon‘s Modular Synthesizer Ensemble, who will once again be working on a daily performance with students and presenting it at 1:30pm.

Tickets for many workshops can already be booked online and can be found here.

Livestream & virtuelle Gesprächskonzerte (lecture concerts): Those who are unable to attend SUPERBOOTH21 in person can look forward to the daily lives- tream. Here, the highlights of the various stages will be shown in a three-hour program. This also includes the virtual Gesprächskonzerte, which offer exhibitors who cannot come to SUPERBOOTH21 the unique opportunity to present them- selves to the audience simultaneously online and on site - live on screen in the auditorium. Among other things, the Gesprächskonzerte by and with Noise Engi- neering and Animal Factory Amplification will be presented here.

Boat shuttle: The boat shuttle departs daily from the old historic harbor in Berlin Mitte in the direction of FEZ-Berlin. The landing stage can be found at Mellow- park. From here there are precise signs to find the right way to FEZ-Berlin.

Tickets for the boat shuttle are available now and are very limited. It is advisable to be quick! Here you can get the tickets.

SchneidersLaden Tour: The tour offers a behind-the-scenes look at Germa- ny‘s most important synthesizer store - SchneidersLaden. For this tour Andreas Schneider has asked one of his first employees to tell interested guests about the history of SchneidersLaden, SchneidersBuero and Superbooth – and to provide insights into the current showrooms and behind the scenes of SchneidersLaden in Berlin Kreuzberg.

What‘s left to say? Stay healthy everyone and get vaccinated so we can spend a wonderful SUPERBOOTH21 together in September!

And: Day tickets for SUPERBOOTH21 are currently still available for all time periods on superbooth.com and can be combined at will with the special event tickets for workshops, boat shuttle and the exclusive tour through Schneiders- Laden.
Tickets for DIY workshops are only valid in combination with any day ticket for SUPERBOOTH21. All special event tickets are strictly limited and can only be booked in advance of the event.
All tickets are available exclusively via pre-sale on superbooth.com - there will be no box office to ensure a contactless transaction.

Please note that access to the exhibition grounds will only be granted with a daily negative rapid test, complete approved vaccination or convalescent status.

Polyphony in Eurorack with The Patch Pals

video by Perfect Circuit

"If you’ve ever thought about exploring polyphony in Eurorack, chances are you might have felt some level of intimidation in terms of which method of generating 'chords' and 'harmony' works best. But in reality, there’s no one right way to go about it, and in this video our Patch Pals Wes and Jacob share a few of their favorite ways to make polyphonic patches without too much fuss.

A modular synthesizer’s open-ended patching workflow encourages new ways to think about creating sounds, and polyphony is no different. From Supercritical Synthesizers’ MIDI-controllable Demon Core oscillator to a chord or multi-note oscillator such as the 4ms Ensemble Oscillator, or even making use of loopers or other effects to approximate polyphony, there’s no shortage of creative ideas waiting to be explored.

Read the article here: https://www.perfectcircuit.com/signal...

Modules Featured in this video:
- Demon Core: https://www.perfectcircuit.com/superc...
- Chainsaw: https://www.perfectcircuit.com/acid-r...
- Morphagene: https://www.perfectcircuit.com/make-n...
- Mimeophon: https://www.perfectcircuit.com/make-n...
- Ensemble Oscillator: https://www.perfectcircuit.com/4ms-en...

Timeline:

00:00 - intro
01:30 - overview
02:21 - super saw oscillators
03:43 - polyphony or paraphony
04:30 - Demon Core
05:37 - Chainsaw
09:00 - approximating polyphony
09:59 - looper (Morphagene)
11:00 - delay (Mimeophon)
12:18 - chord oscillators (Ensemble Oscillator)
14:51 - outro"

How to emulate '80s arpeggiators on modular sequencers

video by SynthMania

"Gear used:
Synthesizers.com Studio-88 'Brigitta' analog modular synthesizer
ARP Solina String Ensemble
Linn LinnDrum

00:00​ Introduction
01:01​ Create a bass patch
06:08​ Q119 Sequencer module
10:34​ ARP Solina & Modular Bass arpeggio
11:48​ LinnDrum sync to Q119
12:41​ Up/Down Arpeggio Jam
15:20​ LinnDrum sync in 16ths
15:47​ Set Q119 for Double Up/Down Arpeggio pattern
17:20​ Double Octave Up/Down Arpeggio Jam
19:16​ Conclusion"

Modular Synthesizer Performance with Project 32

video by Patchwerks Seattle

"In this video resident expert Steven Ly (aka Project 32) performs on his Intellijel 4U 107HP modular system at Patchwerks. This performance was centered around 4 voices: the 4MS Ensemble Oscillator, Intellijel Plonk, Intellijel Dixie 2+ with the Doepfer A-102-VCF9, and Mutable Instruments Plaits.

Learn more about 4MS Ensemble Oscillator here: https://bit.ly/ensembleosc

Learn more about Intellijel Plonk here: http://bit.ly/intellijel_plonk

Learn more about the Intellijel Dixie 2+ here: http://bit.ly/intellijel_dixie2_vco

Learn more about the Doepfer A-102-VCF9 here: http://bit.ly/3phdwii

Learn more about Mutable Instruments Plaits here: https://bit.ly/mutable_plaits

https://patchwerks.com/
Performance by: Steven Ly (aka Project 32)
Video by: Matthew Piecora (aka EZBOT)
https://www.ezbot.live"

Creating presets on the Rossum Trident using the Make Noise 0-CTRL

Patchwerks Seattle

"In this video resident expert Nick Bigelow of Patchwerks shares a few practical ways to the use the new Make Noise 0-CTRL with his trusty companion the Rossum Trident.

The Make Noise 0-CTRL is a patchable, clockable controller and step sequencer for voltage controlled synthesizer systems. Designed to be patch pals with the 0-Coast, it is a tabletop device whose inputs and outputs follow Eurorack standards, making it also a great partner for a modular system or another patchable tabletop synth.

- Fully analog and patch programmable, no menus or modes, what you patch is what you get!
- Sequence and Control the Pitch, Strength, and Time of your synthesizer voice, per step.
- Voltage control over Stop and Direction.
- Dynamic Reset, select Reset Step while sequencing.
- Pressure and Touch Gate outputs for human generated events and expression.
- Dynamic Envelope and Gate outputs allow for voice loudness/ strength per note.
- Gate output per step for patch programming sequence behavior and triggering unique events per step.
- Synchronize the 0-CTRL via the Clock In, or clock other machines with the Clock and/ or Gate Outs.
- Sequence your synthesizer and play it by hand simultaneously with Sequence Interrupt.

Order your 0-CTRL here: http://bit.ly/mn_0ctrl

The latest brainchild of synth pioneer Dave Rossum, TRIDENT is a 100% analog, triple oscillator module that opens up a universe of dynamic timbral textures.

CLICK FOR MORE »

Roland JD-800 Factory Presets & SL-JD80-04 Strings Ensemble List Demos

kerederoom78

Playlist:
(1/2) Roland JD800 factory preset patches sounds synthesizer シンセサイザー
(2/2) Roland JD800 factory preset patches sounds synthesizer シンセサイザー
(1/2) Roland JD800 SL-JD80-04 Strings Ensemble Sound Card preset patches sounds synthesizer シンセサイザー
(2/2) Roland JD800 SL-JD80-04 Strings Ensemble Sound Card preset patches sounds synthesizer シンセサイザー

CLICK FOR MORE »

m3ld by Takla Makan

New music from Tony Allgood, the man behind oakleysound.com, featuring the following:

Oakley Modular both 5U and Euro
Roland Alpha Juno 2
Novation Summit
Oberheim OB-Sx (mostly preset C3 and small edits thereof)
Oakley SRE330 ensemble and ADR30 delay effects

"Takla Makan is the artist name of Tony Allgood.

During the 1980s Tony played keyboards in a variety of bands including 'Cairo' and 'Not Before Time'. In 1986 he started producing his own synthesizer instrumental music under the name 'Takla Makan'.

His musical output is very much inspired by the work of Mike Oldfield, Vangelis, Jean-Michel Jarre and Tangerine Dream."

"I've got an overdrive module and I'm going to use it."

m3ld, pronounced 'meld', features two long format tracks, one in Dm (the saddest of all keys) and the other in Cm. And, yes, I probably did over do the overdriven synth lead sound on these two pieces. I just love a sawtooth VCO going into a highly resonant filter which then feeds an output limited high gain amplifier. There's something about the simplicity of that plaintive solo sound which gives it a wonderful and emotive ambience. I've long been inspired by the work of Mike Oldfield, and although I can't play guitar to save my life, I can't help but try to mimic the feel of his solo guitar work.

The other sound that I really like, and I've used it several times before as well as on m3ld, is the airy short vocal sound from the father of sampling, the Fairlight CMI. It's a 'preset' called 'ARR1'. When I was 15 I so wanted a Fairlight. Not only because Mike Oldfield and Jean Michel Jarre had one and it could do that sound, but also because it had a cool lightpen and a screen that had lots of wavy lines on it. Sadly, although I have fixed a few CMIs as part of my old day job, for my own compositions I have had to use samples of the real thing.

When I was younger I would spend hours writing album cover notes. And, at the end of these notes, would be the obligatory gear list. With pride I would write down a variety of home made gadgets (making them sound really quite mysterious) as well as my little Moog Rogue, Amdek RMK-100 and Roland RS-09. These days, I could write my gear on the back of a postage stamp; a small Oakley Modular, a Nord Lead A1, and a bunch of plug ins. However, for plug ins notable mention must go to U-He's Diva, Repro and Colour Copy, Synapse's The Legend, and Valhalla's Ubermod. Kids today don't know how lucky they are.

released July 16, 2020

Music composed and produced by Tony Allgood

https://takla-makan.bandcamp.com/album/m3ld

Modular Synthesizer Ensemble

Published on May 30, 2020 Modular Synthesizer Ensemble

Doepfer based eurorack modular system.

Formant Synth Dream

Update as of 9:26 PDT: I made a couple of minor updates in case you read it before then. Sorry!

A quick note on posts like this: I hope you enjoy them. If not, just skip them. When I first started the site I used to share my synth dreams but stopped. Personally I get a kick out of them. I won't share every one, just some of the stand outs. The last one stood out for the humor, this one stood out for the design of the instrument. It reminds me of different makers and their approach. As a maker, do you set out to design a synthesizer, an instrument, or both? Are you locked in by the tools, components, and paradigms of what makes a synth? In my dream both the musician and the maker (who never made an appearance BTW) didn't really know what a synth even was. The maker just designed an instrument and the musician just played it. This reminds me of Don Buchla's original designs and specifically the Buchla Music Easel. This was at the birth of synthesis as we know it. What's interesting is his designs weren't meant to be what they are commonly perceived as today. They were meant to be unique instruments, palettes for sound, hence the Music Easel. I heard even his modular systems weren't meant to be complete fixed instruments, they weren't meant to be mixed and matched. Think about that for a bit. They were modular in design, but they weren't meant to be modular in nature. They were meant to be wholly formed instruments. In the following dream the musician reminded me of Marc-Henri and Barry Schrader to an extent. Marc-Henri almost exclusively uses an Access Virus Ti as a music easel for his compositions. Barry Schrader started with Buchla and then moved to FM synthesis for his compositions. You can find an extensive interview with him here.


And the dream...

I had another synth dream last night. In this one I was at an ensemble event held in kind of a classroom/workshop/gym-type of open space at what felt like an old English or New England boarding school - lots of wood, flat tall ceilings, and windows along the length of the far wall. The ensemble consisted of maybe 18 people in a semi-circle with a small audience in front of them, mainly standing, which I was one of. The instructor had each member of the ensemble introduce their instruments. I was in front towards the left of the ensemble and noticed the last two instruments to be electronic desktop boxes sitting on a card table (synth gathering anywone?), both vintage and almost DIY looking in style. I remember thinking, "I know what these boxes are. They are synths! I can't wait to talk shop with the owners and check them out." Well the instructor starts going around the ensemble starting on the opposite side. Each member introduces their instrument and talks a little bit about them and their technique. There were some interesting brass-like instruments. I think there was one based on an alto trombone, but it was just a flat pipe and no horn at the end. Funny side note is my daughter is currently learning to play piccolo. She plays flute in high school band and decided to finally give the piccolo a try as a stretch goal. If you don't know what a piccolo is, it's a tiny flute for super high notes. She said there were tiny versions of most instruments including the trombone. I looked one up and sure enough there is. A tiny trombone not much longer than a foot exists. The instrument in my dream also bore a resemblance to the ribbon controller featured in the Nunomo QUN post, so I'm guessing that's where it came from - some bizarre mix of the two. Anyway, when the instructor/host got around to the last two instruments, it turned out the first was a theremin based synth minus the antennas. It was made of wood and looked vintage. It would have been interesting if not for the next box. That was something. It was black with white and silver sliders, levers, buttons, and knobs. It was a unique instrument custom made for the owner who knew the maker. The interesting thing was the musician wasn't familiar with synths and didn't even see the instrument as a synth. The maker also wasn't into synths. In the dream he was more like a luthier, more of an artist instrument maker than a synth maker. No offense to synth makers! :) Anyway, it was about the size of an EMS SYNTHI and was black with white levers and sliders and had a bunch of esoteric control blocks with non standard names/labels; similar to something like the Hartmann Neuron where controls are familiar but the names are completely different. For some reason it reminded me of a black Lassence uVentury, Modor NF-1, mixed with some MacBeth and Folktek in design, but again completely different. Again, this maker wasn't into synths. This was a unique instrument. After the talk was over the musician gave a little demo. The sound of it. It was like formant analog but the timbers coming out of it were rich and full, not thin or glossy like most formant synthesis. It sounded like nothing I've ever heard before. After the talks were over I walked over to it to check out the controls and design. I wondered if I could touch it and play with it a little and for some reason, as happens in dreams, I knew it was OK so I started playing with it. There was a thin ivory white reed-like lever about an inch and a half long that controlled a female formant timbre. It was amazing. There was an group of lever-type sliders that controlled a multi band formant filter block and I remember thinking, "Oh this is a filter!" There were envelop sliders and other familiar groups that I now forget, but there were a bunch of interesting controls on it that didn't quite match up to common synths. There were additional effects and shaping tools built into the design and everything just flowed like a natural instrument. Again it kind of reminded me in concept to a Hartman Neuron and Modor NF-1, with maybe a bit of Folktek, but it was more vintage and simplistic in design - just a sold black block with white and silver controls. It was definitely designed as a work of art instrument vs. a synth. Similar in concept to the Buchla music Easel as I mentioned in the intro to this dream above. So after checking it out a little and talking to the owner I realized I should take a video of it for the site! I got the OK to film it, pulled out my iPhone, and started trying to capture some of the controls and timbres it was capable of. When I got to that formant female slider it was gone! I couldn't remember what I did to get that sound and I couldn't find the control again. Damn dreams.... And as in many real world sessions I wasn't getting those rich timbres again. I got lost between timbres! I thought my readers would be disappointed in my programming chops for a split second, but then I reminded myself anyone into programming synths will understand and not care, so I kept tweaking. Well, right then, a foster kid boarding at the school distracted me and started talking to me. I hand gestured to him (no I did not flick him off) to hold off for a second because I was in the middle of filming the synth and trying to capture audio. He understood for like five seconds and started talking again. I asked him to give me a sec but he got upset and said I should be there more for people. I felt bad and wasn't getting anywhere with the instrument at that point, so I stopped filming to talk to him before he left.

And that was it! Everything felt right with the kid so that was good, but that instrument! It's gone forever...

ModularSynthesizerEnsemble GRG10 Laaerberg Gymnasium

Published on Mar 1, 2020 Modular Synthesizer Ensemble

Crazy to think how far modular has come. None of this existed when launching this site back in 2005. The market was limited to a smal handful of boutique manufacturers. Also see Modular Synthesizer Ensemble - Bigband Bugenhagenschule.

Modular Synthesizer Ensemble - Bigband Bugenhagenschule

Published on Jan 7, 2020 Modular Synthesizer Ensemble

Modular Synthesizer Ensemble

Elbphilharmonie - GAMMON (live)

Published on Dec 17, 2019 Modular Synthesizer Ensemble

Pretty cool to see a modular performance in a space and setting like this. The piece is minimal, but let it develop.

Modular Synthesizer Ensemble, Jugend am Werk - MakingOf

Published on Dec 5, 2019 Modular Synthesizer Ensemble

"Ein Projekt mit Jugendlichen der Produktionsschule STAR, Jugend am Werk, Wien."

"A project with young people from the Production School STAR, Jugend am Werk, Vienna."

Kilohearts Introduces Phase Plant Modular Hybrid Synthesizer Plugin

See the SUPERBOOTH video here.

"Kilohearts crosses threshold of New Era Synthesis as snapin eco-system pinnacle Phase Plant pushes creative sound design envelope

LINKÖPING, SWEDEN: new-generation audio plugins creator Kilohearts is proud to announce availability of Phase Plant — pushing the creative sound design envelope as a truly limitless hybrid synthesizer plugin, building on a modular system of GENERATORS, MODULATORS, and EFFECTS from the company’s acclaimed snapin range of small, single-purpose plugins that can be used either directly in a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) as VST (Virtual Studio Technology), AAX (Avid Audio eXtension) and AU (Audio Unit) audio plugins or as building blocks in a Phase Plant patch — as of May 29…

Phase Plant represents the pinnacle of the snapin eco-system that Kilohearts has been busy developing since the 2015 release of its award-winning Multipass modular multi-band host. Combining the power of snapin effects with new modules for signal generation and modulation, Phase Plant is a hybrid synthesizer capable of what has previously only been possible in classic modular setups. Indeed, it empowers users with more options than they can shake a stick at, allowing anyone to make their thing as big or small as they need it to be. But better still, it does all this on a single screen and with surprising ease.

CLICK FOR MORE »

THE RIVER Analog Polyphonic Synthesizer & More Handmade Miniature Synths

Published on Mar 30, 2019 Ronaldo Lopes Teixeira ROLT

And more: (I believe I've posted some of these in the past - here's the full set - see the miniature label at the bottom of this post for others)



Update: the list:
MINI KORG 2 - HANDMADE MINIATURE
HANDMADE CLASSIC KEYBOARDS COLLECTION MINIATURES by Rolt
Making a Mellotron M400 Miniature
MINI MOOG MODEL D - HANDMADE MINIATURE
ARP ODYSSEY HANDMADE MINIATURE
HAMMOND B3 ORGAN HANDMADE MINIATURE
FENDER RHODES SUITCASE PIANO - HANDMADE MINIATURE
PROPHET 5 - HANDMADE MINIATURE
WURLITZER ELECTRA PIANO (BEIGE) - HANDMADE MINIATURE
HOHNER CLAVINET D6 - HANDMADE MINIATURE
MOOG LIBERATION - HANDMADE MINIATURE
Celeste - CLASSIC HANDMADE PROG KEYBOARDS

CLICK FOR MORE »

Modular Synthesizer Ensemble - Kinetik

Published on Mar 25, 2019 Modular Synthesizer Ensemble

"Solenoids and DC Motors are controlled by a Modular Synthesizer."

Modular Synthesizer Ensemble - Ernst Krenek Forum 2019

Published on Feb 25, 2019 Modular Synthesizer Ensemble

www.krenek.at
www.modularsynthesizerensemble.at

Buchla 100 & eurorack system workshops.

"The Modular Synthesizer Ensemble consists of a fixed setup of 12 Modular Synthesizers and a repertoire of compositions written particularly for the ensemble.

The ensemble members are changing from project to project and will be introducing and guided by Gammon to present the musical outcome live as an ensemble. Furthermore the project offers the possibility to relate on the local sociocultural conditions and develop a individual format. The process of sound generation with the analog Modular Synthesizer can be experienced and created by by the participants themselves. Proceeding from the individual sound material we will experiment, invent, try out, improvise, interpret and compose. A simultaneous inventing and performing process of electronic music is emerging, with the aim to interpret compositions and present them live as an ensemble.
The Modular Synthesizer Ensemble enables a similar challenge to experienced musicians, modular enthusiasts or people with no previous knowledge because of its unique musical and social acoustic experience. The focus during this sensual and musical process is listening to each other and a collective ambition.


Af Zack
25th April – 28th April 2019 / Bolzano / IT

Superbooth 19
9th Mai – 11th Mai 2019 / Berlin

Ensembles Modulars
DOEPFER A-100 Modular System
Microphonic Soundbox / LeafAudio