MOOG Sonic V Brochure

via
this auction. via Bill.

"Extremely rare brochure from the early 1970's. 8 1/2 x 11", 2 pages. I wonder if these ever even made it into production? I've seen lots of old Sonic 6 synths, but never one of these. And what happened to the Sonic 1 through 4 models?"

According to the book Analog Days (p. 254): “In a nine-month period between December 1971 and September 1972 Van Koevering recorded 121 different sales in 107 different cities in 25 different states. In this period he sold 86 Minimoogs and an additional 168 synthesizers (Sonic V, Sonic VI, and Satellites), plus a range of accessories, including Moog T-Shirts.”

You can find the book on the right Synth Books section of this site.

Moog Sonic V Part VI - Before and After

Published on Jul 12, 2013 New England Analog LLC·20 videos

"This is the final video in out six-part series detailing the restoration of a Moog Sonic V synthesizer. We start by showing some footage of the synth when we got it, and then conclude with footage of the synth after having all of the op-amps, polarized capacitors, bridge rectifiers, regulators, and amplifier components replaced. The difference is stunning. No audio processing was done on either set of clips. This video also shows the dramatic difference that can be made by upgrading components like op-amps, capacitors, and voltage regulators. A good deal of electronic troubleshooting took place to solve the problem of the high pitched whistle. It ended up being components in the regulator circuit that had drifted out of spec, causing the LM723 to oscillate."

All parts here.

Moog Sonic V synthesizer vintage leaflet from 1972

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

via this auction

"Up for sale is a (1) vintage Moog Sonic V synthesizer leaflet from March 1972 with information about it. The leaflet, 1 page in English, is in used condition (see photo's)."

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Dr. Bob's Collector Pack from Arturia

"ARTURIA and the BOB MOOG FOUNDATION announce the release of Dr. Bob’s Collector Pack

Asheville USA, Grenoble FRANCE– May 10th 2011

ARTURIA and the BOB MOOG FOUNDATION are proud to introduce Dr. Bob's Collector Pack.

This luxurious box set includes Arturia's award-winning Minimoog-V and Moog Modular V, a DVD of

the Moog documentary, an archival book featuring unreleased material curated by Michelle Moog-Koussa entitled From Bob Moog's Private Archives, and an official Bob Moog Foundation button.

Quantities are limited to 1000 copies worldwide. Profits will be donated to the Moog Foundation to benefit their projects and help carry Bob Moog’s legacy forward.

To celebrate this event, Arturia is also organizing a contest to win a 1975 Minimoog synthesizer on their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/arturia2.

"We are delighted to partner with the BMF and bring to musicians Dr. Bob, a pack that will be of high value to everyone interested in Bob Moog's legacy. Years ago, Arturia was extremely lucky to work with Bob Moog on the re-creation of some of his most famous synthesizers. Today we are extremely happy to support the BMF and give a little back, while bringing to the market a great collector box."

— Frederic Brun (President of Arturia)

“"The Bob Moog Foundation is proud and delighted to share many items from our archives for the one-of-a-kind From Bob Moog's Private Archives booklet included in Dr. Bob's Collector Pack. The items gracing these pages, many of them rarely seen, illuminate pivotal junctures in the rich history of the Moog legacy. From Bob Moog's Private Archives is the first published collection of images from the vast trove of materials that Bob accumulated over the length of his 50-year career; it serves as the ultimate complement to the materials in the Pack. Our thanks to Arturia for highlighting the sonic, historical and human legacy that Bob Moog left for us all to enjoy."

— Michelle Moog-Koussa (Executive Director of the Bob Moog Foundation)"

Original Sonic Six Owners Manual & Sonic V & VI Technical Service Manual

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

Owner's manual via this auction

"This is an original spiral bound owners manual (not a copy) published by Moog Music when they were in Williamsville, NY. It was written by Tom Rhea, PhD. In good condition (for its age) with no written notes on the 70 pages contained. A great compliment to you Sonic Six owners who want the original manual and not a copy."

Service manual with schematics via this auction.

"Moog Sonic V and VI Service Manual in good condition. This is an original manual (not a copy) for those that insist on having the real deal, especially if you own one! This edition was published in 1978. All 29 pages intact and clean with no written notes."

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MOOG MuSonics Sonic V 1972 vintage synthesizer demo

Published on May 26, 2017 OFR

"It took me some time to appreciate how amazing this synth really was. I had a Sonic Six for a long time, which has the same basic circuitry, but I never quite got it sounding as good. The only demos I could find show very basic and minimal synth sounds.

However, the Sonic V has amazing routing options, making it more like a modular system than almost anything around that time. With only 2 oscillators and a non-Moog filter, it certainly does not sound like the Minimoog. Yet it does SO much more, that I prefer the Sonic V now. It has so much range and possibility. You can leave it running on endless self-generating soundscapes..."

AJH Synth Patch of The Week Videos

video uploads by AJH Synth Official

Videos by supoorting member, DreamsOfWires.

Playlist: 1. Patch of The Week: The Sonic XV's Wave Folder - So many tones from just 1 VCO's Triangle wave

'Sonic Arps': The Sonic XV Transistor Diode Ladder Filter has a built-in Wave Folder, and in this video I'm using an arpeggiator in random mode to show the many subtle flavours of sound it can achieve from just a simple triangle wave from a single VCO. I will also pull a huge variety of timbres from a sine wave in a similar fashion.
The filter is a re-creation and expansion of the VCF from the Musonics Sonic V (5) synth of the 1970's (predecessor of the Moog Sonic Six), and shares a similar character to that of the EMS Synthi and VCS3, also being early diode filters. Bearing that in mind you might expect it to produce aggressive tones and chaotic feedback, which it can do well enough, but you might not have expected that it can also be very subtle, organic and warm in character, particularly well-suited to melodic arps/patterns and percussive sounds. With the added wave shaping functionality that wasn't present on the original, along with 24dB and 6dB low pass modes, and band pass filtering, this module packs a lot of tone shaping into 14hp.

Index:
00:00 'Sonic Arps'
00:34 Introduction
01:01 Assembling the patch
01:39 Sounds & Settings
04:33 Patch Sheet

A PDF file of the patch can be downloaded here: https://kvisit.com/8AE/xfUG

Patch notes:
Green dots show approximate pot and switch positions. Where a pot has two dots, this illustrates the range I move them during the video. Pots and switches that do not have green dots are not used in this patch, and should be left at their zero or off positions.
I'm using the VCA as a mixer so that I can use the outputs from both the BP and 6dB outputs of the Sonic XV. Notice in the video they are set at different volumes at different points depending on the sound - you will need to adjust this too, as different combinations of IN LEVEL, IN MIX, IN WAVE, and filter settings can make a significant difference to volume levels.
Modules used from left to right: Vintage Transistor Core VCO, Sonic XV, Contour Generators, Discrete Cascaded VCA.

2. Patch of the Week: 'Schulze School' - Melodic Eurorack performance + 'how-to' guide & patch sheet

This week's patch makes use of the V-Shape wave shaper/wave folder to sculpt the great analogue tone of the MiniMod VCO to create some delicate timbres that reminds us of Klaus Schulze's mesmerising sounds created on his sequencer-driven Moog modular synth systems in the 1970's. It also makes particular use of the Ring SM as a sub oscillator generator, and the rich tones of the Sonic XV diode filter.

Check out the AJH Synth playlists for more 'Patch of The Week' videos, which will be either performances or 'how to' guides detailing a range of sounds, some familiar, some less so, and each containing a patch sheet at the end to show you how to construct it for yourself.

3. Patch of the Week: 'Singing Gemini' - Dual Analogue VCF as a Dual Sine Wave VCO How to & patch sheet

This patch uses each of the 2 analogue filters of the Gemini as a dual VCO, self-oscillating, so that they produce sine waves and can be sequenced melodically using the Korg SQ-1 or any analogue step sequencer. This guide shows you how to make this patch, along with a patch sheet at the end. It is one of the many ways you can use just a couple of Eurorack modules to make music, as modular synthesis can be rewarding even with a minimal gear list.

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Nick Copeland Bristol Synthesizers Emulations on Android & Linux

Linux apps on SourceForge here [you might remember the page form this 2007 post]. The following are available on the Android Market

"muSonic Sonic-V

This is an emulator of the muSonic 5, a synthesizer originally designed by one of the Moog engineers Gene Zumchek (possibly the real father of modern synths), he proposed then eventually designed and built the prototype Mini Moog, the first fixed configuration portable monophonic. After leaving Moog he created the muSonic who themselves eventually bought the bankrupt remains of Moog and released this synth with a few changes as the Moog Sonic-6. The dual LFO configuration is very rich and there are lots of modulation possibilities as well as direct mix and in this emulator some mild stereo reverb.

Interface zooming can be done either with the trackball (Nexus/HTC have them) or enable multitouch via the menu then tap the screen with two fingers at the same time - this will zoom the interface in/out. If you tap with two fingers but keep them held you can move the screen around. This kind of helps out with the dense graphics.

Patches are saved on the SD card along with factory sounds, there is an export and import option to exchange patches.

The emulator will, per default, attempt to run with a set of options that will give reasonable quality and the lowest possible latency/lag. The quality of the audio can be tuned with the menu options however the lowest possible latency for pretty much all Android devices is currently 42ms, on my HTC Desire it is 70ms. If you understand what this means then the value might seem quite high but the app is still a lot of fun.

Twitter @bristolaudio"

"Classic ARP Axxe Synthesizer Emulator

The is an emulation of the ARP Axxe synthesiser, single oscillator, noise, mixer, filter and envelope generator fully emulated in software with modulation. The app supports pressure sensitive touch screens, X/Y accelerometer for pitch and mod wheel, multitouch and zooming interface facilities. The original was a monophonic instrument however the emulator can operate as a polyphonic (duophonic) synth via multitouch when it is enabled. The interface has options for fat-finger, analogue filters and rich oscillators however these will consume extra CPU cycles. The interface also has a full piano keyboard setting.

Interface zooming can be done either with the trackball (Nexus/HTC have them) or enable multitouch via the menu then tap the screen with two fingers at the same time - this will zoom the interface in/out. If you tap with two fingers but keep them held you can move the screen around. This kind of helps out with the dense graphics.

Patches are saved on the SD card along with factory sounds, there is an export and import option to exchange patches.

The emulator will, per default, attempt to run with a set of options that will give reasonable quality and the lowest possible latency/lag. The quality of the audio can be tuned with the menu options however the lowest possible latency for pretty much all Android devices is currently 42ms, on my HTC Desire it is 70ms. If you understand what this means then the value might seem quite high but the app is still a lot of fun.

Tested on HTC Desire/2.2, Emulator hires and lowres. The Axxe is one of a family of emulators."

"Augur-52 Synth

This version of the bristol augur synthesizer is in stereo with a flanger effect to widen out the sound,

This is an emulator of a 80s classic analogue poly synth, the emulator is just dual voice for multitouch. It has dual oscillator, noise, lfo, mixer, filter and a pair of envelope generators. The app supports pressure sensitive touch screens, X/Y accelerometer for pitch and mod wheel, multitouch and zooming interface facilities. The interface has options for fat-finger, analogue filters and rich oscillators however these will consume extra CPU cycles. The interface also has a full piano keyboard setting.
There is an emulator 'Unison' switch which will play both voices on a single note to pad out the sound.

Interface zooming can be done either with the trackball (Nexus/HTC have them) or enable multitouch via the menu then tap the screen with two fingers at the same time - this will zoom the interface in/out. If you tap with two fingers but keep them held you can move the screen around. This kind of helps out with the dense graphics.

Patches are saved on the SD card along with factory sounds, there is an export and import option to exchange patches.

The emulator will, per default, attempt to run with a set of options that will give reasonable quality and the lowest possible latency/lag. The quality of the audio can be tuned with the menu options however the lowest possible latency for pretty much all Android devices is currently 42ms, on my HTC Desire it is 70ms. If you understand what this means then the value might seem quite high but the app is still a lot of fun."

"BME-700 Synthesizer

The is an emulation of an esoteric German synth known as the BME 700, very few in existence and using a unique dual filter design, one tracking the envelope and one resonating at a fixed frequency. The envelopes are also interesting, there are two A/R or A/S/R that can be mixed to create ADSR and other ingenious combinations.

The app supports pressure sensitive touch screens, X/Y accelerometer for pitch and mod wheel, multitouch and zooming interface facilities. The original was a monophonic instrument however the emulator can operate as a polyphonic (duophonic) synth via multitouch when it is enabled. The interface has options for fat-finger, analogue filters and rich oscillators however these will consume extra CPU cycles. The interface also has a full piano keyboard setting.

Interface zooming can be done either with the trackball (Nexus/HTC have them) or enable multitouch via the menu then tap the screen with two fingers at the same time - this will zoom the interface in/out. If you tap with two fingers but keep them held you can move the screen around. This kind of helps out with the dense graphics.

Patches are saved on the SD card along with factory sounds, there is an export and import option to exchange patches.

The emulator will, per default, attempt to run with a set of options that will give reasonable quality and the lowest possible latency/lag. The quality of the audio can be tuned with the menu options however the lowest possible latency for pretty much all Android devices is currently 42ms, on my HTC Desire it is 70ms. If you understand what this means then the value might seem quite high but the app is still a lot of fun.

Tested on HTC Desire/2.2, Emulator hires and lowres. The BME700 is one of a family of emulators.

Twitter @bristolaudio"

via Moonbuz

MUSONICS ACQUIRES STG SOUNDLABS, SHIPS 902 VCA REVISION

muSonics is back.

First a little background from Wikipedia:

"1971–1977: Moog Musonics, Moog Music, Inc.

In November 1971, rival company muSonics bought R. A. Moog, Inc. and relocated the company to Williamsville, New York. An old factory at the north end of Academy Street was purchased. The company was renamed Moog Musonics, then Moog Music, Inc.[3]

In 1972, former televangelist and successful salesman David VanKouvering joined the company as VP of Marketing, creating a network of retail stores throughout the United States and then the entire world.[5] Despite the increased commercial success the company saw with the introduction of the Minimoog than with previous products, competition with contemporary manufacturers such as ARP Instruments, Oberheim Electronics, and Electronic Music Studios drove the company steadily deeper into debt.[6][7] Moog Music, Inc. was ultimately sold to Norlin Industries in 1973. At this point, rival companies such as the aforementioned ARP Instruments were producing both monophonic and polyphonic synthesizers that rapidly outpaced the Moog in popularity. By 1975, ARP owned 40% of the synthesizer market share, effectively boxing out Moog Music, Inc.[8]

In 1976, Norlin moved the company to a facility on Walden Avenue in Cheektowaga. In 1977, once his contract with Norlin expired, Robert Moog officially left the company to pursue his own ventures, founding the firm Big Briar.[9]"

---

And the press release for the new muSonics:

For Immediate Release

January 23, 2023

Chillicothe, Illinois - muSonics has acquired very failed Eurorack manufacturer STG Soundlabs in a private equity trade valued at 6 million Dogecoin. Based in the greater Buffalo area, muSonics is America's oldest synthesizer company whose first instrument, the Sonic V educational synthesizer, is highly-regarded as one of the most reliable analogue instruments of the 1970s.

Suit & Tie Guy, former STG Soundlabs president and newly appointed CEO of the merged company, STG muSonics, was quoted as saying “I’m excited to be an important part of a history-rich American brand such as muSonics, which exists in a unique category alongside names like Abercrombie & Fitch, Montgomery Ward, and Radio Shack."

The first STG muSonics product, the Voltage Controlled Amplifier in the American modular synthesizer format, is currently available at Noisebug of Pomona, California. It is the final revision of the Voltage Controlled Amplifier made by muSonics in the early 1970s as part of their very famous and well-regarded modular synthesizers. Updates and improvements include 15 volt power support, selectable AC coupling, and a new shallow profile of less than 2 inches behind the front panel.

Pending the completion of the acquisition, muSonics will be moving from their current office, a vintage dumpster located behind the Wegman’s grocery store in Williamsville, New York, to downtown Chillicothe, Illinois, making it possibly the only company moving to the state this year.

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Moog muSonics SONIC V (1971) - test du 21/08/22

video upload by MOS-LAB

"test du Sonic V, lors de la visite estivale de Stephen (NR-Synth) au studio Mos-lab.
Stephen travaille sur un son de basse en première partie, puis Seb teste les possibilités de bruitages sonores de la machine dans la deuxième partie de la vidéo."

"Sonic V test, during Stephen's (NR-Synth) summer visit to the Mos-lab studio.
Stephen works on a bass sound in the first part, then Seb tests the sound effects possibilities of the machine in the second part of the video."

Moog muSonics V project A

video upload by MOS-LAB

"The sonic V is a synth developed around 1969/1970 by ex Moog employee Gene Zumcheck
(the idea of a portable synthesizer had been refused at the time by Robert Moog).
This synthesizer was built by the company muSonics when Gene Zumchek join them, and was released "officially" when the company bought R.A Moog in 1971 under the Moog muSonics badge.
There were less than a hundred units built (mine has serial number 18).
Unfortunately, very few models are still in existence today, making it a very rare instrument. Not having been exported at the time, it was mainly
intended for universities in USA.
Its successor, the Sonic 6 is an improved and portable version, but with a different filter (Moog ladder filter)
So it doesn't sound quite the same."

Thief (1981) complete "Igneous" scene (music by TD)

video upload by kovalmoog

"The whole scene of Thief (1981) with TD's re-edition of 'Thru Metamorphic Rocks' theme, renamed as 'Igneous' in the OST release.
The film version is by far more extensive than Thief CD version.
Enjoy that sequence !"

TD = Tangerine Dream.

Curious what they were using back then. According to this thread, they used the following on tour during that time period:

Live in East Berlin, 31st Jan 1980

Chris Franke:
Custom modular synthesizer (comprising of about 50% Moog and 50%
Projekt Electronik):
Moog Oscx2/R.M./VCF/VCAs
Projekt Elektronik VcEnvx2 & Proj. Elek. 2VCO/W.Noise/R.M./Waves (for Drums)
Digital sequencer & trigger selector
Programmer for above (SCI model 700 programmer)
Synth sound bank (for above)
Moog 960 sequential controller x2
Projekt elektronik sequence controller x2
Moog 3-band parametric
Moog 12 stage phaser
Moog 920 programmer
Moog 16-channel vocoder
Rhythm robot sequencer
Emu Oddity voice card
12 analogue drum sounds
Drum envelope unit
Drum EPROM sampled sounds
and more...

Oberheim OB-1
Prophet 5 (rev 2)
Minimoog
Korg PE-2000 polyphonic Ensemble
Elka Rhapsody 610 string machine.

Edgar Froese:
custom Moog modular synthesizer (3 box units comprising Moog modules and sequencers plus sequence controllers from Projekt Electronic)
Prophet 5 rev 2
PPG Sonic Carrier 1003 programmable duophonic DCO/DCF/DCA based synthesizer
PPG Wavecomputer 360 polyphonic digital synthesizer
PPG 350 keyboard sequencer
Arp Pro-DGX monophonic preset synthesizer
Korg PE-2000 polyphonic ensemble
Roland MC-8 microcomposer
Roland VC-10 vocoder
Arp/Solina string ensemble
Mellotron mk V

Johannes Schmoelling:
- Minimoog
- Yamaha CP-80 electric grand
- Oberheim 4-voice
- Elka Rhapsody 610
- Polymoog
- Korg PS-3100
- Synthanorma sequencer

-----------

European tours (Nov-Dec 1980 & Jan-Feb 1981):

Equipment used:

Chris Franke:
Moog/PE modular tower as above
Minimoog
Arp Odyssey mk III
Elka Rhapsody 610
Prophet 5 rev 2

Edgar Froese:
Projekt Elektronik modular synthesizer & sequencers (used by Peter Baumann during '76 and '77)
PPG 340 A Generator Unit, PPG340 B Processor Unit, PPG380 Event Generator, PPG x 2 Terminals, PPG x 2 Computer Keyboards,
Oberheim OB-X

He may have used some more keyboards during these tours but I'm not sure which ones (possibly the Arp pro-DGX, the PPG Sonic carrier or the PPG
360 wavecomputer?)

Johannes Schmoelling:
Moog modular synthesizer (usually handled by Edgar Froese on stage)
Minimoog
Polymoog
Prophet 5 rev 2
Yamaha CP-80 electric grand

-----------

British Isles tour (Oct-Nov 1981):

Equipment used:

Chris Franke:
Moog/PE modular tower as above
Minimoog
Arp Odyssey mk III
Elka Rhapsody 610
Prophet 5 rev 2

Edgar Froese:
PPG 360 wavecomputer
PPG Wave 2
Arp Pro-DGX
Korg PE-2000 poly-ensemble
PPG 5-octave keyboard controller
Custom sequencer (by Helmut Groethe)

Johannes Schmoelling:
Minimoog
Oberheim OB-X (handled by Froese on previous tours)
Custom sequencer (like Edgar's)

AJH Sonic XV filter drone (analog Eurorack modular)

Published on Mar 27, 2018 DreamsOfWires

"AJH Synth Sonic XV analogue filter for Eurorack modular. A simple drone using one AJH Transistor Core VCO (triangle out) as sound source, and another to provide audio-rate modulation of the filter cutoff frequency. An additional slow LFO was used to modulate the input waveshaper (a feature that makes this filter particularly unique). The input level, cutoff, and cutoff modulation level are being adjusted manually. A very simple patch, plus a bit of Audio Damage EOS reverb.
The Sonic XV filter is based on that contained in the Musonics Sonic V synthesizer from the early 1970's, which was the predecessor to the Moog Sonic Six.
My music is available here: https://tomorrowthecure.bandcamp.com/"

Arturia Introduces V Collection Classics

Published on Apr 1, 2015 Arturia Web

"Arturia launches legendary soft synth classics collection to lead into musical temptation

GRENOBLE, FRANCE: following in the footsteps of its super-successful V Collection 4 premium software collection, launched to critical acclaim late last year, music software and hardware developer and manufacturer Arturia is proud to announce availability of V Collection Classics — conveniently rounding up five of its most sought-after Analog Classics soft synth emulations of five legendary analogue synthesizers from five legendary brands into a musically tempting, competitively-priced package — as of April 2...

ARP, Moog, Oberheim, Roland, and Sequential Circuits... classic analogue synthesizer-manufacturing names all. And all of those classic companies — past and present — have produced at least one legendary instrument that truly impacted the music industry throughout the Seventies and into the Eighties and beyond. Indeed, the sought-after sounds of these instruments still resonate today. Think ARP 2600 (1970-81), MinimoogTM (1970-81), Synthesizer Expander Module® (1974-79), Jupiter-8 (1981-84), and Prophet-5 (1978-82). And Arturia has played a not inconsiderable part in bringing these still- sought-after sounds into today’s computer-centric recording and performance workflow thanks to TAE® (True Analog Emulation), an advanced proprietary technology allowing accurate modelling of analogue circuitry behaviour on personal computers. Conveniently, all five of Arturia’s award-winning Analog Classics soft synth emulations of those analogue classics are available to musically tempt as a must-have, competitively-priced package... please welcome, V Collection Classics! Come join us, then, as we make the musical introductions...

Arturia’s ARP 2600 V is a truly versatile sound creation tool with a massive musical bite; indeed, its raw and dirty character is perfectly suited to creating massive drum ’n’ bass stabs to growlin’, funky bass lines and spaced-out drones, with much in-between. From the starship funk lead lines of the Seventies to the gangsta whine of mid-Nineties hip-hop, the ever- present MinimoogTM has been making its phat presence felt for four-plus decades; Arturia’s award-winning Mini V even offers polyphony and additional modulation options, effectively turning it into an authentic-sounding Memorymoog emulation... well, sort of. Oberheim’s Synthesizer Expander Module® (SEM) started life as an add-on synthesizer module for fattening up Minimoogs before becoming a sought-after sound in its own right, with up to eight embedded in Oberheim’s groundbreaking Seventies-vintage polysynths; still sought-after today for its stunning-sounding multimode filter, Arturia offers all this and more in its outstanding Oberheim SEM V emulation. The runaway success of Roland’s then-flagship Jupiter-8 programmable analogue polysynth took the synth world by storm upon its 1981 release, boosting its already superlative sonic capabilities by adding an arpeggiator that helped make many mega hit singles shine forth musically — think Duran Duran (‘Save A Prayer’) and Howard Jones (‘New Song’); similarly, Arturia’s Jupiter-8 V is a real musical workhorse, capable of creating a very versatile range of sounds — stretching from fat to ‘crystalline’ — while going above and beyond the capabilities of the original instrument, thanks to its additional modulation possibilities and inbuilt effects. Last but not least, the Prophet-5 is truly a legend in its own lifetime as the world’s first fully-programmable polyphonic synthesizer; again, Arturia’s Prophet V faithfully brings back to life those historic and superlative sounds, together with those of the 1986-vintage, California-created classic Prophet VS Digital Vector Synthesizer, Sequential’s first digital design (and, alas, the final synth, sadly, from the iconic innovative instrument manufacturer). Must we say more?

Maybe just one more thing, then: thanks to V Collection Classics"

$220,736.00 / 160,000.00 Euro Synth Auction

via this auction

This one spotted by Adrien.

The list:
"1. ARP AXXE
2. ARP PRO DGX
3. ARP QUADRA
4. MOOG Realistic MG 1
5. MOOG Polymoog Keyboard
6. MOOG Polypedal Controller
7. MOOG Taurus II mit Pedal
8. MOOG Keyboard Controller 950
9. MOOG Memorymoog
10. MOOG Satellite
11. MOOG Sonic Six
12. Korg Trident MK II

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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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IK Multimedia's Syntronik for iPad Released

iTunes: Syntronik - IK Multimedia

"Play the vibe. Hear the magic. Syntronik is IK’s cutting-edge synthesizer that features the sound of the most iconic machines to ever grace the planet.

Syntronik comprises 17 powerful virtual synths recreating the legendary sonic signature of 38 of the most sought-after classic analog synthesizers and string machines ever created, recognizable by their elegantly designed, easy-to-navigate interfaces.

Thanks to IK’s exclusive DRIFT™ technology, which emulates the way real analog circuits behave over time, the astounding circuit-modeled filters and the multi-sampled oscillators, Syntronik is the most authentic sounding analog virtual synthesizer to date and is the one-stop solution for musicians, discerning producers and synth aficionados demanding utmost sound quality and extreme playability both live and in the studio.

Our team of developers and sound designers worked relentlessly to capture each machine’s “DNA” for the most realistic and flexible instruments possible that maintain the real character of the originals while extending their creative potential even further.

Syntronik offers Multis with 4 parts. Each part has its own synth, dynamic arpeggiator and a dedicated 5-slot effect section for unprecedented sound design flexibility, allowing for highly sophisticated sonic palettes.

The instruments available in Syntronik cover an incredibly wide range of sounds, triggering inspiration right from the start with 1200 instrument presets, easily accessible with a smart browser, 200 multis*, 129 arpeggios and much more.

Features:

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More Synth Shots

Roger Manning of the Moog Cookbook, Jellyfish and Imperial Drag recently had these on the bay. I pulled them up and saved them for posterity. Thanks to Martin for sending this my way.

Arp Quadra
Arp Odyssey Pics SN 0300
Moog Sonic Six
Moog Opus 3
Moog Source SN 4373 B

Moog Opus 3 Mods:
The pitch wheel was replaced with a custom-made clear wheel, lit by a Forest Green high intensity LED.

The LFO was modified to go both faster and slower than stock.
It can go so fast at maximum, that audio rate FM'ing is possible with the pitch or filter.
Its LED was changed to violet, as well.

Arp Odyssey style "gel cap" slider caps were added in the same Opus 3 color scheme.

Additional 1/4" input jacks have been added.

1. VCF Audio input
2. VCF CV input
3. Chorus/Delay Audio input
4. Envelope/LFO delay Gate input

These inputs allow external sounds to be processed through the Moog filter and analog delay sections.
The filter can be swept or modulated externally now.
An analog sequencer controlling the filter while playing organ chords is amazing, btw. : )

Finally, a gate input (standard V-trig) allows the unit to be used as a triggerable unit for external processing.
The external gate will trigger the envelope generators and the LFO delay.

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Happy New Year! The Year in Synths 2013

Happy New Year Everyone!

What a busy year it has been in the world of synths.

This is going to be one doozy of a post, so bear with me. This post is a review of the year in synths for 2013. We begin with Tributes to Those We Lost This Year, followed by New Manufacturers & Makers, Older Manufacturers Added to the Site, New Gear Announcements, Top 10 Posts by Traffic,  My Standout Posts for the Year, and finally This Years' Synth Events. I did my best to keep things as short and concise as possible.

Let's begin with the hardest part of the post.

Tributes to Those We Lost This Year

RIP Bernard Parmegiani - Electronic & Acoustic Composer
Lou Reed RIP
RIP Dick Raaymakers aka Kid Baltan
RIP George Duke - DreamWeaver
RIP Ralph Dyck, Sept 28, 1941 – May 20, 2013
RIP Ray Manzarek

All missed and never to be forgotten. Take a moment to remember them.

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New Manufacturers & Makers

Starting last January, I decided to keep a running list of every new manufacturer and maker introduced to the site during the year.  This is something I haven't done before and I thought it would be interesting to see how many there were in the year.   It's easy to focus on the big synth announcements throughout the year, but what about all the new makers and brands? I shouln't have to go considerably into the significance of new designers on the scene, so I'll just say two things regarding them.  One, the number of new makers is a direct reflection on the interest in our scene, and two, these are the creators of new gear which directly translate into new designs not previously available to us.  Think about that for a moment.  These are makers and designs that did not exist before.  They are part of our synth history.  So what is the total count of new synth designers for the year? A whopping 113. Think about that a bit. One hundred and thirteen new synth designers and brands this year alone.

Here they are (note a handful date back to 2012, but 2013 marked their momentum and availability):

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AJH Synth Low Pass Filters Compared: 3 Eurorack VCF's - Sequences & Sweeps (dry audio/no talking)

video upload by AJH Synth Official

"A purely functional video this week - we're sometimes asked which filter we'd recommend, but really it's a subjective thing, so here's some examples of the current 3 AJH Synth Low Pass filters compared, with both a sequence and static sawtooth sweeps. The settings are mostly kept similar, bearing in mind that it's impossible to get an exact match with different VCF designs. The video timeline has an index, so you can skip to particular sections by using the links below, or by hovering the mouse over the timeline on the video player.

Filters featured:
Transistor Ladder Filter (based on the R.A.Moog Minimoog)
Sonic XV Diode Ladder Wave Filter (based on the 'muSonics' Sonic V)
Gemini 2412 Dual Vintage State Variable Filters (based on the Oberheim SEM)

INDEX:
00:00 Intro
00:29 Video Overview
01:20 Sequence + 1VCO - Ladder Filter
02:18 Sequence + 1VCO - Sonic XV 24dB
03:16 Sequence + 1VCO - Sonic XV 6dB
03:57 Sequence + 1VCO - Gemini 12dB
04:26 Sequence + 1VCO - Gemini 24dB
04:58 Multiple VCO's
06:33 Fast sequence
09:03 Filter Sweeps - Ladder Filter
10:25 Filter Sweeps - Sonic XV
12:56 Filter Sweeps - Gemini 2412

Video by DreamsOfWires

vcf comparison analogue voltage controlled filters compared analog filter shoot out no talking dry audio only examples no fx transistor ladder filter vs sem filter vs diode filter"

See the AJH label below for more.