Channel A:
CV - V/oct of Polygogo and multed into Natural Gate’s Control input to open up the decay time. Set to User Scale.
Gate - Right-hand side Hit input on Natural Gate.
Channel B:
CV - Various modulation inputs on Polygogo. Set to 2v unquantised.
Gate - Left-hand side Hit input on Natural Gate.
Clock input, set to CV.- from @makenoisemusic Function EOC output.
PolyGogo X and Y outputs are split into separate sides of the Natural Gate so they can be independently gated. It’s all running through the @busycircuits MFX for some stereo glue and then onto the delicious Sealegs by @intellijel for delay vibes.
PlayGuide:
We start by setting each channel’s time division to different settings. Then we record a 16 step loop of both channels simultaneously, creating nice polyrhythms. Then we play around with the record arm of CV and Gate, essentially decoupling them so we can record just CV over the gate patterns in the Loop buffer. Then we overdub some different gate patterns by setting the channels to different divisions. We even play with 24ppn which is crazy fast but gives a nice effect. We overdub that again showing how you can endlessly play over your recordings.
And we use Latch a lot, because we love Latch… a lot! Latch allows the CV output to be played live with the faders, over the top of the buffer contents. A quick double-tap of Latch releases the CV from the live fader position, and back to whatever’s in the Loop buffer.
Available for Pre-order now ❤️
In our next PlayMates video, PlayFader meets @noiseeng BIA & @michigan_synth_works SY0.5 - things get seriously wild..."
2. PF Clocked redux
PlayFader has dark side, don’t be fooled by all pretty colours 🙃
Our 2nd PlayMate video shows the less conventional and, frankly, crazy side of PlayFader. Hard to explain in detail what happened here but the main idea was to explore playing with the speed of the clock input. Recording patterns at slow clock rates and speeding up really fast. Huge thanks to Paul’s Alex Bow for the idea!
Channel A is playing with BIA by Noise Engineering and Channel B is having fun with Michigan Synthworks SY0.5 and both are running into the mighty M T2D dual triode distortion by Sonocurrent.
Channel A: CV - to the pitch and various modulation inputs on BIA via the fabulous Ochd by DivKid and Instruo. Set to 5v un-quantised range. Gate - BIA trigger input
Channel B: CV - pitch input on the SY0.5 Set to 5v un-quantised range. Gate - to trigger input of SY0.5
Hard to explain, but things go nuts. Due to the fact the looper and clock divisions are always tight, cool patterns emerge and when you speed the clock up you get interested low bit res waveforms and glitchy mayhem.
3. PlayFader PlayMates Pt2
Another little snippet of these PlayMates having fun. Slowing the clock coming into PlayFader allows you to record more into the 16 step buffer when it’s set to faster decisions. We then speed up the clock and all kinds of interesting happen.
In case you didn’t already know, we’re open for pre-orders. Link in bio. And stay tuned for more episodes of PlayMates coming soon. If you have any suggestions of friends you’d like OlayFader to meet, let us know in the comments.
And if you can’t quite figure out what PlayFader is doing, check out the PlayData manuals on our website.
While we wait for the 30th though, check out their Ambient Sound & Music Retreats. Yes they know about the acronym, but they don’t like to shout about it, of course...
Set in a lush villa in Mallorca, this is not like other retreats. It’s a holiday for, well... people like us!
With your very own Field Kit of wonderful music devices to play with for the whole week, guest facilitators, sound walks, workshops, performances, an instrument library and full catering… it really is unlike any other retreat we’ve ever seen.
Check the website for more information and all booking details for their next sessions in November ’23 and Spring ’24. You can also sign up to their newsletter on their website to get exclusive previews of PlayFader and special offers on the Ambient Sound & Music Retreats.
Ninth Electronic Music Festival comes to Birmingham and once again it includes an all-day free electronic music event featuring talks, demonstrations, interactive sessions, synth manufacturer attendance, a room for attendees to set up and show off their synth gear and a number of free live performances!
The festival once again sees the addition of a ‘raffle’ to the all-day free event in aid of Drake Music who are the leaders in music, disability and technology.
In March of 2020 the ninth ‘The Seventh Wave Festival of Electronic Music’ takes place across three days. For a relatively small festival The Seventh Wave continues to get some of the biggest names in electronic and progressive music.
This time around you can feast your eyes (and ears!) on no less than three either current or former members of global electronic giants Tangerine Dream.
On Friday evening, the headliner is Ulrich Schnauss, who as well as being a distinguished solo performer in his own right is a ‘modern day’ member of Tangerine Dream. Ulrich will be playing a rare live set alongside the founder of Engineers, Mark Peters. On the same bill you also get psychedelic electronic rock behemoth’s Teeth Of The Sea.
On Saturday evening, the headliner is Tangerine Dream ‘bandleader’ Thorsten Quaeschning who will also play a set alongside Ulrich Schnauss in which they will perform tracks from the ground breaking “Synthwaves” album as well as material from their new album. If that wasn’t enough, there will also be a very rare solo alto flute and loops ambient set by Theo Travis of Soft Machine/Gong/King Crimson.
On Sunday, Mark Jenkins performs “50 Years of Tangerine Dream” where the instrumentation will literally go from “metal stick” to “cash register” to modern day “Synths” in an all-encompassing show.
To cap it all, the Festival finishes with Steve Jollife (who played in one of the earliest incarnations of Tangerine Dream) and he will be performing the Tangerine Dream album Cyclone ‘in-full’.
Tickets can be purchased for the individual paid events from Skiddle at
https://www.skiddle.com/groups/theseventhwave/ and for the free event which runs from 10.00 am until 5.00 pm people can just turn up on the day, stay for a few minutes, or get hooked and end up of staying all day!"
#jamuary2020 Day 9 - Arturia MiniBrute 2S, Korg Monologue and Volca Kick
Published on Jan 9, 2020 Oscillator Sink
See the Synthuary label for more. Synthuary because these are the Jamuary synth videos. More below.
"There was another jam all ready to record before this one came about, but at the last moment I pulled a creative hissy-fit, tore the patch down and went in a very different direction.
The Minibrute is heading through the trusty Zoom MS-CDR70 providing two lots of delay (to add rhythmic interest) and a reverb (because reverb). The Monologue is heading through the Digitech Polara reverb (because reverb) and the Volca Kick is dry as a bone (because I ran out of pedals)."
"Time to have some serious fun with the Play All Day PlayFader. A 2 Channel CV & MIDI Performance Sequencer that provides new opportunities for performance and sequencing, seamlessly merging them into a single workflow. A device that connects to pretty much anything on stage, studio or laptop!
"W.A. Production promotes updated InstaChord 2 MIDI processing plug-in as chord creation and sequencing tool taking music-making to next level
PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC: W.A. Production, producers crafting creative plug-ins to help anyone achieve studio- quality processing speedily and easily, is proud to announce availability of the InstaChord 2 MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) processing plug-in — initially inspired by how chords are played on a guitar and applying that technique to experience the same feeling from a MIDI controller keyboard and DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) without memorising chord shapes and holding down all the notes to make the chords ring true, then taking the concept to the next level of music-making with notable new features as a chord creation and sequencing tool — as of July 28…
Today marks the seven year anniversary of MATRIXSYNTH! The original matrixsynth.com actually launched way back in October of 1997 as MATRIX SYNTH. I never took it down, BTW. Click here to see it in all it's old school glory. If you thought there was too much green on this site, just check that baby out. BTW, check out the manufacturers list under MFG. I stopped updating it about the time I started this site in 2005. You can see what modular manufactures, and of course others were around back then. It's an interesting look back in time... Kind of why I started this version of the site actually. I'll get to that further below.
Last year I skipped the site stats and kept the anniversary post relatively short. I used to post stats for the site and a general blurb on what makes the site tick, but it began to feel redundant so I skipped it last year. Well, I kind of missed it, and I know some of you enjoy the stats thing, so I'm bringing it back. And CatSynth did it for their six year anniversary post yesterday, so there you have it. Actually I was planning on including stats before I read that post, but I do like CatSynth. The site has grown quite a bit and we have a ton of new readers who don't really know the background of MATRIXSYNTH so I thought I would share some of that as well. I've also had a few people ask me to do personal interviews. I always turn them down as I do my best to keep myself out of the site so I don't ruin it for anyone. It's kind of like the whole Wizard of Oz thing. Enjoy the Oz in MATRIXYSNTH, and don't let the wizard ruin it for you is my only advice. That said, I decided this year to reveal a little more about my synth history than I normally do. Don't worry though after this post that's it. This site is about the gear only. I see it as my job to bring it to you unbiased and get the heck out of the way. Seriously though, I really do my best to present what is out there free of bias for you to consume and form your own opinion. I do this for three reasons; one, out of respect for the person that created the content, two, so I don't accidentally prevent you from getting your own experience out of the post, and three, because of how much goes up on a daily basis - it saves you and me time.
But, in the anniversary and New Years posts I do tend to make up for my lack of words big time, so bear with me or just skip to what you like.
Before I begin with the stats I do want to give a big thanks to everyone that visits, supports and contributes to the site. THANK YOU!!! It really is a tremendous amount of work, so all the kind words and support make a huge difference. Every single post you see here is hand posted. There is no automation. The site takes roughly four to eight hours on average a day (closer to eight) and sometimes up to ten hours. This is every single day, including weekends. Out of the seven years running the site I have only missed one day (by accident - more on that below), and the only day I take off is Christmas day when I put up only one post, which surprisingly can be torture in not posting. The posts you see here are a combination of stuff I find out there on my own and stuff people send in, which is quite a bit. The site started as a hobby and has fortunately grown into a small business with the help of sponsors. Note sponsors are always on the right. In the history of the site there has never been a paid post on the main site, and if there ever is, I will be sure to call it out in the post. That said, THANK YOU SPONSORS! It's one thing if the work only consumed my time, but it in turn consumes my family's time, so every little bit helps. THANK YOU! You make the site possible!
First the stats!
We still haven't reached world domination. Everything you see with a shade of green is a visit to the site. Check out Africa! The few in white mean no visit came in. The top map is for the seven year history of the site and the bottom is for this last year. Click on each for the full size shots. As you can see they are pretty much the same. Still no hits from North Korea.
On the other hand we had 122 visits from Syria within the last year along with traffic from other war torn countries. Incredible! Please keep safe out there! You are in our hearts, thoughts and prayers.
The top 10 visits by country:
1. United States 982,943
2. United Kingdom 258,070
3. Germany 183,138
4. France 168,649
5. Canada 142,553
6. Italy 109,605
7. Japan 84,202
8. Sweden 76,948
9. Australia 73,881
10. Netherlands 72,680
And the overall stats:
Source: Google Analytics for the year (July 20, 2011 - July 20, 2012):
32,734,610 pageviews (18,557 average per day)
15,658,114 visits (7,822 average per day)
Google Analytics (started April 5, 2006):
30,795,628 pageviews
14,313,210 visits
4,258,879 unique visitors.
Note unique visitors can be a bit misleading as I believe it's based on the individual browser and cookies vs. IP Address or individual, so for people checking in on multiple devices and even multiple browsers on the same machine, each one counts as a unique visitor. The numbers are likely lower.
Unfortunately I do not see a top posts for the last year in Blogger so we will have to go with the top posts for all time:
Deep Space Chordal Loneliness // #JAMUARY2020 Day 7
Published on Jan 7, 2020 DivKidVideo
See the Synthuary label for more. Synthuary because these are the Jamuary synth videos. More below.
"For day 7 of Jamuary I delved into some deep space ambient and chordal loneliness. Channelling feelings on loneliness in ourselves or within the random chord shifting ... romantic, emotional discussions aside I really enjoyed creating and then sitting within it's sound world for some time letting it play."
You all know what this is, but for those that don't, or need a refresher here's the product info:
"Intuitive hands on sequencing for your MIDI and CV/Gate synths and sound modules!
The Orb is an easy to use, single track, step-based digital sequencer, ideal for controlling the XS semi-modular synthesizer as well as other analog CV/Gate or MIDI synthesizers. The Orb is also a perfect solution for controlling 303 clones which often lack the essential sequencer.
Playlist: (you can use the player controls to skip around)
1. Synthfest UK 23: Sequential - Trigon 6 Desktop
At SynthFest UK 2023, we had the opportunity to chat with Chris from Sequential, a part of the Focusrite group. Chris introduced us to the Trigon 6 Desktop, the latest addition to Sequential's synthesizer lineup. This compact desktop version of the Trigon 6 packs a powerful punch, offering three oscillators and a distinctive Dave Smith ladder filter. Designed for those seeking a space-saving solution without compromising on sound quality, the Trigon 6 Desktop retains all the features of its larger sibling, including patch recall, a versatile effects section with various modulation possibilities, and the distinctive feedback control that allows you to sculpt sub-harmonic richness.
At Synthfest UK 2023, we caught up with Calc from Sequential, and he gave us the lowdown on the Prophet X. Now, you might be thinking, Prophet X? Haven't we seen that before? Well, you're right, but this hybrid instrument has been quietly making waves in the music world. It combines digital and analog elements, with digital oscillators and a unique twist in the form of multi-sample-based instruments. Yes, you heard that right, it's not just your run-of-the-mill synth; it's a full-on sampler too, boasting an impressive 50 gigabytes of memory for your custom samples. You can treat it like a rompler, a sample player, or even use those samples as oscillators, creating a whole new realm of sonic possibilities.
Plus, it's packed with stereo goodness, allowing you to explore a wide soundstage with ease. It's not your typical synth, and that's what makes its a favourute of Calc's
"SUPERBOOTH19 is the biggest trade fair for electronic musical instruments. 250 exhibitors, 30+ concerts each day, workshops and DIY.
Tickets now on sale at superbooth.com
__________
SchneidersLaden presents SUPERBOOTH19"
"Besides the 250 exhibitors from all over the world, SUPERBOOTH19 offers more than 30 concerts and workshops every day. International artists from all genres of electronic music will be present in the three-day program accompanying the trade fair.
Daniel Miller (Mute Records) will play the full version of his modular live set, Robert Lippok (Raster-Media) will be there, as will Scottish musician and instrument maker Ken Macbeth together with T.Raumschmiere (Shitkatapult). Caterina Barbieri plays a Gesprächskonzert for Frap Tools. Christian Vogel, Barbara Morgenstern, Lucid Grain, CYRK, Kebu, Kypski, Tilted Circle, POND – the keyboard electronics classic of the GDR – and more will be playing on the many stages at SUPERBOOTH19. The winners of Ick mach Welle, a music project that enables people with disabilities to play electronic music, are also represented in the program of SUPERBOOTH19.
Educational Saturday
Saturday at SUPERBOOTH19 will be dedicated to education and thus reflects the tradition of the event space FEZ Berlin. The workshops on Modular Synthesizers and DIY offered especially for pupils and students make Saturday particularly attractive for young people. That applies in particular, because of the special pricing for educational institutions, which can apply for strongly discounted ticket contingents. But also for all other guests there are different educational opportunities in the program on all days of the event.
Although the event offers a daily program until 11 pm, there are still several official aftershow-events to celebrate the rest of the night. The C-Base as a publicly accessible and official venue is complemented by three company events in the OHM-Club – for both locations there is currently a program with a lot of live music in the making. C-Base and OHM can be reached very comfortably with the regular boat shuttle.
Boat-trip to SUPERBOOTH19
The free shuttle service runs several times a day between FEZ and Mitte and ensures a relaxed journey to SUPERBOOTH19 and also back to Mitte. This is a great opportunity to make new contacts, talk shop or enjoy the unusual perspective of Berlin.
Visitors with a trade visitor ticket can enter the fair at 10 am. All other guests can buy full-day tickets, which are valid from 1 pm to midnight and will give you access to the C-Base for the after-show events. If you only want to see the evening program, you can buy tickets from March onwards which allow admission from 6 pm. Children and young people up to the age of 16 can attend the event free of charge."
"Superb for TB303 style acid sequencing, and with the addition of swing to the 303's accent and glide it's arguably superior to the X0X sequencers it's based on.
The Orb is an easy to use, single track, step-based digital sequencer, ideal for controlling our XS semi-modular synthesizer as well as other analog CV/Gate or MIDI synthesizers. The Orb is also a perfect solution for controlling 303 clones which often lack the essential sequencer.
Based on our highly successful Revolution concept, the Orb provides an intuitive interface that we feel most accurately represents the principles of time and music. From ancient sundials to modern day analog clocks, time has been represented as the circle, a cycle which never ends. For time itself is nothing more than our perception of the revolution of planets as they journey through their celestial orbit. It is this motion that we call time that can be measured, divided, and arranged to provide the foundation of music. This circular cyclic theme can furthermore be found throughout music in everything from song structure and repeating rhythms to the fundamentals of sound itself, being the sine wave. With this understanding we must conclude that music is cyclic and should so be represented in its natural form.
Continuing our tradition of hand building quality products, this sleek compact unit is housed in a rugged aluminum chassis with a high contrast white on gun metal grey finish for superior viewing of controls in dark environments, and bright blue LEDs all around. New spherical switches allow quick selection of multiple steps by sweeping through the surface of step keys.
"In this special episode, I'm joined by the head honcho at Go Play All Day [Hadj] who will be taking us into a deep dive of the newly announced PlayFader - a 2 channel CV & MIDI performance sequencer!
Also joining us is Mr Gaz Williams himself! Gaz who is an amazing electronic music producer and performer as well as master bass player! And now a record label owner at Rack Records!"
Published on May 19, 2016 ARTURIA - Update: new video uploaded May 30, 2016
Update: Clarification: the NED Synclavier is not an emulation but a port of the original software:
"this is not an emulation - it is the real thing, the real mccoy. Cameron Jones himself ported the original Synclavier code to run on PC/MAC/VST etc.
- you have the choice of playing each patch either in the original 8-bit depth, or change it to 4-bit (!), 10-bit, 12-bit, 14-bit, 16-bit, 18-bit, 20-bit, 22-bit or 24-bit depth.
- resynthesis: not implemented in the current release but there may be plans to put it in a future release. However some of the original factory patches included (83 total) are resynthesis-based
- the partials/timbre frame functionality was vastly expanded"
Video description:
"The new V Collection 5 is a giant leap forward in our quest to create the greatest legendary keyboards collection ever, including 5 new softwares instruments: Piano V, Synclavier V, B-3 V, Stage-73 V, Farfisa V.
Special thanks to:
Altius Prod
Stéphane Schott (http://www.lyynkstudio.com/)
Studio Question de Son (http://www.questiondeson.com/)
Underground Records (http://www.undergroundrecords.fr/)
Garbage & Greg Kaplan (https://www.garbage.com/)"
Arturia announces the Synclavier V
Published on May 19, 2016 ARTURIA
Update:It's not clear if the Synclavier V supports sampling resynthesis (see above), although it does take the FM and additive synthesis with partials to a new level. For reference, you can find the history of features for the original Synclavier on Wikipedia here.
"Arturia announces the Synclavier V, the first recreation of the legendary digital synthesizer made in collaboration with Cameron Jones, the inventor of the original instrument.
The Synclavier V faithfully recreates the elite digital synthesizer/workstation that started it all, powering some of the biggest hits and film soundtracks of the early ‘80s with its unique rich, edgy sounds.
While the Synclavier V expertly brings this historic instrument to life, we’ve improved it dramatically by taking advantage of today’s processing power. We’ve also infused into it everything we’ve learned over 16 years of developing award-winning software synthesizers. The result is a thoroughly modern, cutting-edge instrument that stands alone among hardware and software synths alike.
Update: some details on the synth engine:
Timbres consist of up to 12 Partial Timbres
Much of the magic of the original Synclavier owed to the ability to build Timbres (presets) by creating and layering four completely different sounds or Partial Timbres to realize massive, complex sounds. With the Synclavier V, we’ve taken the number of Partial Timbres to 12, dramatically expanding the creative possibilities. Since each Partial Timbre is a complete sound, that means that you can stack many different sonic elements into electrifying Timbres resounding with rich complex textures brimming with subtleties.
Partial Timbres are each compete synth engines
Each of the 12 Partial Timbres has two digital oscillators that combine the principles of both additive and frequency modulation (FM) synthesis. Rather than using filters to subtract harmonics from simple oscillators, additive synthesis builds up complex sounds by selectively adding harmonics in this case. The Synclavier V goes way beyond that, combining these oscillators in an FM architecture where the carrier (main) oscillator is modulated by the second harmonic oscillator. The fusion of additive and FM technologies make for a stunningly diverse and unique universe of cinematic pads, epic leads, evolving bass lines and more.
Time Slices animate long passages
Time Slices allow you to specify up to 50 snapshots of the 12 Partial Timbres of additive and FM synthesis goodness, and animate through them over time. For each Time Slice, you can set the volume, pitch, FM modulation amount, and delay. The ability to set parameter crossfades of up to 30 seconds between Time Slices—over a total time of 5 minutes—makes it possible to create long evolving ambient pads and cinematic cues of incredible complexity.
Improvements make a great instrument even greater
We’ve made a lot more improvements beyond boosting the sound engine from four Partial Timbres to 12. Where the original modulation oscillator was only a sine wave, now you can also choose sawtooth, square, or triangle—or graphically build your own waves comprised of 24 phase-controllable harmonics. These enhancements allow you to create outrageous textures never possible before. Each Time Slice can now even have a separate FM modulator waveform. Variable bit depth between 4- and 24-bits, on-board effects, and a MIDI Learn feature are just some of the many examples of the new options available to you in Synclavier V.
With the Synclavier V, digital synthesis meets total creative and performance expression.
Sure, all synths have LFOs, but the vibrato section of the Synclavier V is exhaustive, giving you control over LFO attack, phase, quantizing, bias and more. Things get even more interesting when you apply the LFO to the FM harmonic oscillator that, in turn, modulates the carrier. Let that sink in for a minute!
Want to take your listeners on an animated journey? Add extra energy to your pads and soundscapes with the stereo modulation section. It actually takes the form of separate linkable tremolos for each channel, making for unique spatial animation effects that will have everybody’s heads spinning.
Imagine performing with expressive nuances never possible before. Press harder on the keyboard to change the amount of FM modulation. Ride the expression pedal to affect the frame speed of your Time Slices. Grab the mod wheel to rock the FM modulation ratio. These are just some examples of what’s possible when you use the modulation matrix to easily map any of your favorite MIDI controllers to dozens of sound engine parameters—discretely for each Partial Timbre."
Update: the official press release for the entire V Collection 5 [Note: The Analog Lab press release below was the first to go up. Apologies for the all the updates, but this is how it comes in, and posts here on MATRIXSYNTH are about capturing that]:
"Arturia advances industry-standard V Collection of virtual classic keyboards
GRENOBLE, FRANCE: music software and hardware developer Arturia is proud to announce availability of V Collection 5 — the latest incarnation of its impressive industry-standard collection of authentic-sounding virtual instruments, expanded and updated to include five all-new additions alongside new versions of ‘old favourites’ (plus Analog Lab 2) — as of May 19…
With no fewer than 17 virtual instruments that recreate hard-to-source synthesizers and classic keyboards, V Collection 5 represents really remarkable value on many musical levels. At an attractive monetary level, it’s a no-brainer! Bringing something special to the 21st Century performance and production table, five all-new authentic-sounding additions lead this latest V Collection charge.
B-3 V beautifully recreates the distinctive tones of the B-3 tonewheel organ, one of the most iconic and influential instruments of all time. It truly transcends time and place by bringing this still-sought-after sound to the computer-based music-making masses. Meanwhile, Farfisa V virtually puts players in the driving seat of the sound that drove the hits of several decades as a superb software simulation of the famous Farfisa Compact Deluxe organ. Pushing the physical boundaries of an acoustic piano, Piano V meticulously models the sound and behaviour of one of the most important instruments history has yet thrown up — albeit not as one but rather nine virtual instruments rolled into one! An authentic-sounding software simulation of the Seventies-vintage Stage and Sixties-vintage Suitcase 73-key electric pianos, Stage-73 V is the sound of the Sixties, the sound of the Seventies… the sound of today, the sound of tomorrow! Thanks to Arturia’s close collaboration with original Synclavier® software developer Cameron Jones, Synclavier V takes everything the trailblazing Synclavier® could do as the most powerful additive and FM synthesizer ever created and makes it more powerful!
Put it like this: thinking about all those thousands of new sounds and styles in V Collection 5 that are available at the touch of a (virtual) button beggars belief, but Arturia’s aim is true… to create the tools that lend a helping hand to today’s musicians, taking inspiration from the past to (re)invent the music of tomorrow. The 12 remaining virtual instruments in V Collection 5 — ARP 2600 V, CS-80V, JUP-8V, Matrix-12 V, Mini V, Modular V, Prophet V, and SEM V analogue synthesizers; Prophet VS digital synthesizer; Wurli V electric piano; VOX Continental V electronic organ; and Solina V string machine — do just that, too. All are updated with resizable (Retina/4K-compatible) GUIs that truly have to be seen to be believed! But digging deeper, Native Instruments’ new NKS® (NATIVE KONTROL STANDARD) — allowing advanced integration with third-party software instruments — naturally features across the board. As does AU, AAX, VST2, and VST3 compatibility, standalone operation, plus MIDI Learn (to easily map all parameters to a MIDI CC).
Continuing Arturia’s quest for absolute authenticity through TAE® (True Analog Emulation), physical modelling, and additional technologies, anyone prepared to dig deep into V Collection 5’s treasure trove of hard-to-source synth and classic keyboard recreations will be musically rewarded in kind. Conversely, Analog Lab 2 is a powerful yet painless way of accessing a broad selection of sounds from across V Collection 5 within a single application. As it supports Arturia’s many MIDI controller devices natively, it adapts to reflect their physical controls when they are connected… connect with V Collection 5, then, and accept Arturia’s helping hand to today’s musicians, taking inspiration from the past to (re)invent the music of tomorrow!"
The Analog Lab press release:
"Arturia advances Analog Lab composite virtual instrument to include V Collection 5 sound selection
GRENOBLE, FRANCE: music software and hardware developer Arturia is proud to announce availability of Analog Lab 2 — an all-new incarnation of its composite virtual instrument that gathers together a broad selection of sought-after sounds from its V Collection 5 software bundle — as of May 19...
Analog Lab 2 is a powerful yet painless way of accessing a sought-after selection of sounds from all 17 of Arturia’s authentic-sounding virtual instruments as a single application. Included are sounds from eight emulated analogue synthesizers (ARP 2600 V, CS-80V, JUP-8V, Matrix-12 V, Mini V, Modular V, Prophet V, and SEM V), two digital synthesizers (Prophet VS and Synclavier V), two electric pianos (Stage-73 V and Wurli V), an acoustic piano (Piano V), and three electronic organs (B-3 V, Farfisa V, and VOX Continental V). Those virtual instruments recreate hard-to-source hardware synthesizers and classic keyboards of the past and conveniently transport them to the present-day desktop.
Analog Lab 2 invites instant exploration as an AAX-, AU-, VST-, and VST3-compatible plug-in in any DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) or as a standalone version. Its redesigned, resizable (Retina/4K-compatible) GUI (Graphical User Interface) is as easy on the eye as it is to use. Studio View shows the original historic hardware, helpfully bringing up the best presets from each instrument in question. But there’s a whole lot more to Analog Lab 2 than good looks alone.
Accessing those sought-after sounds at the speed of sound is simple, thanks to a new preset browser. Browse presets by TYPES, BANKS, sonic CHARACTERISTICS, and INSTRUMENTS (crossing categories). Create PLAYLISTS. Or simply Search for presets by NAME. Needless to say, with 4,500-plus presets to choose from there’s always a sound to suit every mood, every ambiance, and every music style — sounds that transcend time and fashion.
For those wishing to dig deeper then the dual-instrument MULTI feature with independent MIDI settings panel for each instrument will make their musical day. Drag and drop splits and layers of those presets to take ownership of the sound. Sounds and Multis can be organised in the PLAYLISTS area for instant recall via program change messages, making Analog Lab 2 a best friend in the studio and a pillar of live performance.
Put simply, Analog Lab 2 is so much more than just a sound library. It’s a substantial sound design tool and an amazing live performance instrument integral to immeasurably improving everyday workflow. When connected to one of Arturia’s many MIDI (Musical Digital Instrument Interface) controller devices, Analog Lab 2 will automatically adapt to reflect their physical controls. Generic MIDI controllers of course can also be used with MIDI learn to easily map all parameters to a MIDI CC (Control Change).
Changing the sound of Analog Lab 2 is even easier thanks to two EFFECTS slots with pre/post fader switch per instrument. Included Bitcrusher, Chorus, Delay, Destroy, Dub Delay, Eq4, Flanger, Overdrive, Phaser, Pitchshift, Reverb, Roundpanner, and Vocal Filter effects ensure that Analog Lab 2 always sounds the way you want it to.
Take your sound and workflow to another level with Analog Lab 2, an easily-accessible environment at an easy-to- swallow price point. What’s not to like?"
Arturia B-3 V Tutorial
Published on May 19, 2016
"The B-3 V delivers the most authentic tonewheel organ and rotary speaker experience you’ll find anywhere, plus customizations that open up new creative opportunities."
"Arturia pulls out all the software stops to realistically recreate tonewheel organ combo classic
GRENOBLE, FRANCE: music software and hardware developer Arturia is proud to announce availability of B-3 V — an authentic-sounding software simulation of the classic B-3 tonewheel organ and Leslie rotary speaker combo — as of May 19...
B-3 V realistically recreates the special sound of the B-3 tonewheel organ. One of the most iconic and influential instruments of all time. One which has graced many of the greatest recordings of all time. Today Arturia brings this to its award-winning Analog Classics family of virtual instruments that recreate hard-to-source synthesizers and classic keyboards.
Keyboard players have made their mark in all forms of popular music with the B-3, back from its inception in the Fifties way past its discontinuation through to today. Procol Harum’s hit ‘A Whiter Shade Of Pale’ proved particularly memorable with a melancholic countermelody displaying an altogether softer side to the B-3. But raucousness remains the order of the day for the blues, jazz, and gospel genres with which it first found favour. After all, it had historically been aimed at churches as a more compact and affordable alternative to conventional pipe organs.
One saying springs to mind: Pulling out all the stops — to hold back nothing — is an allusion to organ stops being pulled out to turn on each set of sounds in a pipe organ. The B-3 effectively ‘emulates’ this with its drawbars. Doing this and a whole lot more is what B-3 V does best, thanks to Arturia pulling out all the software stops to make it happen!
Thirties-developed tonewheel technology originally made that special sound happen. An electronic current is created when rotating a metal tonewheel near an electromagnetic pickup and amplifying that signal. The B-3 has 91 of those tonewheels with each key connected to a fixed set of tonewheel outputs. Drawbar settings control how these are mixed together. The tube preamplifier subsequently shapes the sound a little further — filtering and distortion take hold here — while factoring the position of the expression pedal. This not only acts as a volume control but also affects the frequency response of the preamp which is connected to a speaker.
Speaking of which, B-3 V faithfully simulates the favoured Leslie tone cabinet, containing a power amplifier that drives a rotating horn and a stationary woofer firing into a rotating drum reflector. Spellbinding spatial and frequency-shifting effects above and beyond the sound-shaping effects of commonplace loudspeakers are all perfectly possible!
B-3 V brings this classic combo — complete with the inherent imperfections that made that tonewheel technology sound so unique — to the present-day desktop as an AAX-, AU-, VST-, and VST3-compatible plug-in in any DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) or as a standalone version. Visually, things couldn’t get clearer, thanks to the resizable (Retina/4K-compatible) GUI (Graphical User Interface) that’s as easy on the eye as it is to use.
Under the hood, things couldn’t be better with MIDI control of many parameters and insert slots for ANLALOG DELAY, CHORUS, FLANGER, OVERDRIVE, and PHASE effects, as well as ADVANCED SETTINGS for upper and lower manuals and rotary speaker behaviour. B-3 V boasts a built-in step sequencer, allowing anyone to easily set an amount of modulation for each step of the sequence! Naturally, Native Instruments’ new NKS® (NATIVE KONTROL STANDARD) allows advanced integration with B-3 V.
All of the benefits of the original iconic instrument are available to modern music-makers with B-3V, but without the heavyweight hassles. Where anyone chooses to take it musically is anyone’s guess, but bet your bottom dollar that special sound will be being heard for many more years to come... courtesy of B-3 V!"
Arturia Stage-73 V Tutorial
Published on May 19, 2016
"The Stage-73 gives you actual authentic modeling of both Stage and Suitcase versions of the most popular electric piano on the planet —completed with unparalleled control of virtual mechanics, a complement of effects pedals, and built-in classic amps."
Update: And the official press release for the new Farfisa-V:
"Arturia augments Analog Classics collection with faithful Farfisa Compact series software simulation
GRENOBLE, FRANCE: music software and hardware developer Arturia is proud to announce availability of Farfisa V — faithfully modelling the famous Farfisa Compact Deluxe electronic organ with additional features from its Duo Compact series sibling — as of May 19...
Arturia’s award-winning Analog Classics family of virtual instruments recreate hard-to-source synthesizers and classic keyboards. As a worthy addition, Farfisa V virtually puts players of today in the musical driving seat with a still-sought-after sound that drove the hits of several decades: Farfisa’s famous Compact Deluxe electronic organ, one of a series of iconic instruments manufactured in Italy between 1964-1968. A staple of Sixties-produced popular music, they made their musical mark with a wider-ranging sound than that of their main VOX Continental competitor. With more bass waveforms and an expanded percussion and vibrato section sales soared.
Speaking sonically, Farfisa Compacts are almost more top octave synth-like than organ-like, thanks to a rudimentary envelope that allows for attack and decay control that went way beyond the typical organ sound of its day. Little wonder, then, that they proved popular with musicians throughout the Sixties (‘Sam The Sham’ and The Pharaohs, Percy Sledge), Seventies (Jean-Michel Jarre, Kraftwerk), Eighties (B-52s, Blondie), and beyond. But unlike heavyweight Hammond tonewheel organs, transportation to performances was trouble-free. For the fortuitous Farfisa form factor included integrated legs that could be folded up and stored within the body of the instrument itself, surely sealing many purchasing deals!
Today, though, finding and maintaining an original Farfisa has become both difficult and costly. Farfisa V solves such problems by bringing all the benefits without any of the hassles to the present-day desktop! Developed using an original hardware organ for reference, it meticulously models the original circuits and sounds of the famous Farfisa Compact Deluxe. Features from its Duo Compact series sibling are also included alongside an authentic combo amp simulation. Standalone instrument operation on Mac OS X and Windows is a given for performance purposes. Plug-in support for all major formats inside any DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) with easy MIDI-learn functionality provides hands-on control of many of its parameters and automation support for considerable creative control. Naturally, Native Instruments’ new NKS® (NATIVE KONTROL STANDARD) — allowing advanced integration with third-party software instruments — is there for the taking.
As always, recreating an instrument in software provided an opportunity to add a number of more advanced features fit for the 21st Century. Cue the special USER WAVE position, allowing anyone to create an additive waveform. Why not use the ToneDraw feature to create a new waveshape based on the graphical look of the sliders? Having modelled the original built-in spring reverb, Arturia added other reverb IRs (Impulse Responses). Reorder the additional ANALOG DELAY, CHORUS, FLANGER, OVERDRIVE, and PHASER effects. Easily-accessible individual voice tuning, PARA (paraphonic) and POLY (polyphonic) modes, ATTACK and RELEASE envelopes for upper and lower keyboards, BASS WAVE (waveform selector), TONE control for bass section, TREMOLO SYNC, and REPEAT SYNC round out this all-new Analog Classic. Hearing is believing. So is seeing, thanks to the resizable (Retina/4K-compatible) GUI (Graphical User Interface) that’s as easy on the eye as it is to use.
Ultimately, then, whether you’re set on recreating a distinctive and powerful organ sound of the past or forging ahead with a new organ sound of the future, Farfisa V does it all. But best of all... legs no longer play a part in sealing this must-have musical deal!
via the adafruit x0xb0x forums (be sure to read the full thread before updating). The following is the feature change log.
"MarOS 1.3
Change Log (Features only):
MarOS1.3 – 11/21/2012
- Parameter Adjustment mode to adjust swing, gate length and all automatic variation parameters
while playing, with the tempo knob. Enter/Leave the mode by pressing the tempo knob, in pattern play
modes.
- Randomizer functions constantly accessable after entering randomizer mode by pressing CHAIN one
time (and not holding it), in pattern edit mode, while playing. Press again to leave mode.
- 2 new automatic variation parameters: Octave down, Rest
- UN-DO: all randomizer changes get reverted (back to pattern as stored) by pressing E1-Key, former
“Dark”-scale-function is removed.
- Classic / non-classic MIDI mode state is stored in internal memory and restored “the next day”.
MarOS1.2 – 11/10/2012
- Variable Gate Time – adjustable with CHAIN-PREV / CHAIN-NEXT in pattern play modes
- Automatic Variation – Runtime random variations of slides, accents, octaves - adjustable in USER-B
mode with PREV/NEXT (Accent) - RUN/CHAIN (octaves) - DOWN/UP(slides) – You can see on the bank LED
what is currently setup
- Re-activated USER-A / PAT.EDIT(MIDI) mode to have simple MIDI sync while editing
- KEYBOARD mode simplified to have more space for the things above
MarOS1.0.1 – 10/30/2012
– F#1 key to toggle MIDI-Start behaviour
– CHAIN-PREV → simplify pattern by looping parts of it
– CHAIN-NEXT → randomize slides
Slideshow of Richard Lainhart's lecture at the Bellingham Electronic Arts Festival (BEAF), Friday, May 6, 2:PM PST, 2011 (mentioned in this post). Below is a video of the Buchla and Haken Continuum portion of the lecture followed by a performance of Olivier Messiaen's Oraison written for the ondes Martenot at the 48:00 mark (see this post for the original version and this post for another performance by Richard). You will notice Richard makes references to earlier parts of the lecture. These included his training on the CEMS modular synthesizer system and the ondes Martenot (don't miss this post and this post on the CEMS). See the labels at the bottom of this post for more info on each. I will upload those videos at a later date. They were background to Richard's experience with early modular synthesizers and controllers that eventually lead him to the Buchla and Haken Continuum. It was a great lecture and I hope you enjoy it. Be sure to bookmark this one. I also want to thank Richard Lainhart for doing lectures like these. They are a rare treat.
YouTube Uploaded by matrixsynth on May 19, 2011
The following is a full transcript. BTW, if anyone is interested in transcription services, let me know.
"RICHARD LAINHART: BUCHLA AND HAKEN CONTINUUM LECTURE
Speaker: Richard Lainhart
Lecture Date: May 6, 2011
Lecture Time: 2:00 p.m. PST
Location: Western Washington University
Event: Bellingham Electronic Arts Festival 2011 (BEAF)
Length: Digital AVI recording; 57 minutes 32 seconds
[Beginning of recorded material]
Richard Lainhart: Okay. What I want to do now is actually talk a little bit about the system itself here and about the design of the system and explain what's actually happening here and why it's designed this way, and again, my focus on, on expression. So this is, as I mentioned, this is the Buchla 200E. This is a current electronic music instrument that is still being made now by Buchla. Don Buchla again was a contemporary, or is a contemporary of Bob Moog, and he took a very different path than Moog did. And one of the reasons I think that Moog's instruments became so popular, of course the Mini Moog was like the first real break-out electronic music synthesizer, was that Moog's instruments had keyboards on them. They had black and white keyboards. And you could use them to play, you could use them to play rock and roll with them basically because you could plug them into a really loud amplifier and it could be louder than a guitar. And it could be a bass, you know, it could be louder than a bass and all that sort of stuff. And of course a lot of, you know, a lot of wonderful music was made with that instrument.
SUPERBOOTH19 - Trade fair and festival for electronic musical instruments and electronic music
First announcements for the program of the international trade fair for electronic musical instruments
Besides the 250 exhibitors from all over the world, SUPERBOOTH19 offers more than 30 concerts and workshops every day. International artists from all genres of electronic music will be present in the three-day program accompanying the trade fair.
Daniel Miller (Mute Records) will play the full version of his modular live set, Robert Lippok (Raster-Media) will be there, as will Scottish musician and instrument maker Ken Macbeth together with T.Raumschmiere (Shitkatapult). Caterina Barbieri plays a Gesprächskonzert for Frap Tools. Christian Vogel, Barbara Morgenstern, Lucid Grain, CYRK, Kebu, Kypski, Tilted Circle, POND – the keyboard electronics classic of the GDR – and more will be playing on the many stages at SUPERBOOTH19. The winners of Ick mach Welle, a music project that enables
SUPERBOOTH19 - Trade fair and festival for electronic musical instruments and electronic music
people with disabilities to play electronic music, are also represented in the program of SUPERBOOTH19.
Saturday at SUPERBOOTH19 will be dedicated to education and thus reflects the tradition of the event space FEZ Berlin. The workshops on Modular Synthesizers and DIY offered especially for pupils and students make Saturday particularly attractive for young people. That applies in particular, because of the special pricing for educational institutions, which can apply for strongly discounted ticket contingents (see below). But also for all other guests there are different educational opportunities in the program on all days of the event.
Although the event offers a daily program until 11 pm, there are still several official aftershow-events to celebrate the rest of the night. The C-Base as a publicly accessible and official venue is complemented by three company events in the OHM-Club - for both locations there is currently a program with a lot of live music in the making. C-Base and OHM can be reached very comfortably with the regular boat shuttle.
The free shuttle service runs several times a day between FEZ and Mitte and ensures a relaxed journey to SUPERBOOTH19 and also back to Mitte. This is a great opportunity to make new contacts, talk shop or enjoy the unusual perspective of Berlin.
Visitors with a trade visitor ticket can enter the fair at 10 am. All other guests can buy full-day tickets, which are valid from 1 pm to midnight and will give you access to the C-Base for the after-show events. If you only want to see the evening program, you can buy tickets from March onwards which allow admission from 6 pm. Children and young people up to the age of 16 can attend the event free of charge.
Future Retro 512 Touch Keyboard Playing the Arp 2600
Published on Jun 2, 2016 FutureRetroSynths
"Simple test to show the Future Retro 512 keyboard controlling the Arp 2600 modular synthesizer."
Update: New video with the Buchla Music Easel added:
Future Retro 512 touch keyboard playing Buchla Music Easel:
Published on Jun 2, 2016
"Simple demo of the Future Retro 512 keyboard controlling the Buchla Easel. The 512 has an adjustable CV output so you can achieve .469V to 1.34V per octave control voltages to control a wide variety of synths including the common 1V/Oct synthesizers, and this 1.2V/Oct Buchla. Works with EML and EMS synthesizers too!"
"The 512 is a capacitive touch keyboard, packed with a unique blend of truly musical features to enhance your creative experience. The 512 is available with or without the optional rack ears that allow it to fit in a standard 19" rack enclosure, taking up only 4u spaces.
Why is capacitive touch better? Quite simply, eliminating mechanical moving parts found in traditional keyboards makes a product that will never wear out, as mechanical keyboards do. No more intermittent key contacts, or failed aftertouch circuits to worry about! In addition, capacitive touch provides a much faster response time for playing notes, and allows multiple forms of expression to be executed by the performer.
There are five main functions of the 512. It can act as a keyboard, arpeggiator, sequencer, MIDI to CV converter, and MIDI to MIDI converter. The 512 can control both MIDI and CV/Gate synthesizers simultaneously. Pitch, Pitch Bend, Mod Wheel, Gate, Velocity, Aftertouch, and Clock are all available in both their MIDI and CV form. CV's follow the 1V/Oct standard with positive polarity Gate signals, allowing the 512 to control the majority of analog synthesizers both past and present.
KEYBOARD
The 512 provides 9 octave ranges for the 29 full-sized keys (although shorter in length than typical keys) with response to Velocity and Aftertouch. Users can define one of five different Velocity and Aftertouch curves to apply to the keyboard, and dial in the range for each curve to customize the response. The Pitch Bend provides positive and negative pitch bends, and the bend range can be adjusted for full or half range. Mod Wheel is also provided as a modulation source.
"Introducing the Orb... the first offering in our new line of XS-ories.
The Orb is an easy to use, single track, step-based digital sequencer, ideal for controlling our XS semi-modular synthesizer as well as other analog CV/Gate or MIDI synthesizers. The Orb is also a perfect solution for controlling 303 clones which often lack the essential sequencer.
Based on our highly successful Revolution concept, the Orb provides an intuitive interface that we feel most accurately represents the principles of time and music. From ancient sundials to modern day analog clocks, time has been represented as the circle, a cycle which never ends. For time itself is nothing more than our perception of the revolution of planets as they journey through their celestial orbit. It is this motion that we call time that can be measured, divided, and arranged to provide the foundation of music. This circular cyclic theme can furthermore be found throughout music in everything from song structure and repeating rhythms to the fundamentals of sound itself, being the sine wave. With this understanding we must conclude that music is cyclic and should so be represented in its natural form.
Continuing our tradition of hand building quality products, this sleek compact unit is housed in a rugged aluminum chassis with a high contrast white on gun metal grey finish for superior viewing of controls in dark environments, and bright blue LEDs all around. New spherical switches allow quick selection of multiple steps by sweeping through the surface of step keys.
Let's start with the sequencer....
As you can see, the sequencer's interface is circular, which provides several benefits over the traditional linear-style step sequencers. Visually, it is easier to divide a measure of music into equal parts. The circular interface also provides a more intuitive way of displaying patterns playing as cyclic loops, either forwards or reverse, and will help you better understand the underlying geometric symmetries used throughout our Remixing process. This design also allows the user to carry out all sequencing functions with a single hand.
There are 256 recordable patterns available, each recording note duration, pitch, accent , glide, loop point, time signature, and swing amount. Pattern editing features include copy/paste, pattern shifting, pattern transposing, multiple pattern cueing for chaining patterns together live, and LED chase. In addition, all pattern editing and recording can be done while the sequencer is running, and it will automatically save all your edits so you don't have to stop creating!
The Orb also provides the ability to play patterns forwards or backwards, as well as remotely select patterns to play using MIDI program change messages.
There are 16 songs to arrange the patterns in, each recording its tempo, the bank/pattern for each step, the transposition of each step, and the song's loop point. Each of the 16 songs can contain up to 3,580 measures, and multiple songs may be chained together so they play sequentially.
In addition, the Orb provides our unique Remix feature which gives 256 variations for every pattern and song, for more than 65,000 possible patterns right out of the box. Whether you're improvising during a live set, creating variations for other parts of a song, or simply have a case of writer's block, our Remix feature is sure to inspire you and speed up your creative process.
Patterns and songs can be backed up via SysEx dumps to other Orb units, Revolution units, or your computer. In addition, all patterns and songs created in the Orb can be played in the Revolution units, just as all Revolution patterns and songs can be played in the Orb.
Interfacing....
The Orb provides separate 1/4" jacks for the CV out (1V/oct standard) with adjustable Glide Time control, Gate out (positive polarity type, 0 to +12V), and Accent out (positive polarity type gate, 0 to +10v) for playing most analog synthesizers. Or if you prefer, the Orb can act as a MIDI to CV converter allowing any MIDI keyboard/controller, or sequencer to contol an analog synthesizer. It's also possible to sync most pre-MIDI analog sequencers and arpeggiators to MIDI clock by using the Gate out signal as a programmable clock source.
MIDI In/Thru/Out are all provided for syncing playback with external sequencers, playing MIDI sound modules, or using the Orb as a MIDI to CV converter."
$550 available now. More info and images here.
Rough Trade East In-store - SYNTHESIZER DAY WITH SCHNEIDERSBUERO & WOLFGANG SEIDEL
"NO WRISTBAND NEEDED, JUST COME DOWN ON THE DAY/NIGHT
SchneidersBuero will celebrate a Synthesizers Day at Rough Trade East in London. There will be several workshops on tools and instruments all over the shop just for one day - apart from usual activities around their glass cabin, aka the testsalon. Moving through RTE will be a new adventure for the audience. All installations will be in sync with each other giving you beats and atmosphere all over the shop from a live performance, differing on where you are and what just happens.
At the front of the shop, HerrSchneider himself will moderate a workshop on several modular systems that will generate an experimental atmosphere of sounds and beats. You are welcome to join him. In other corners of the shop there will be fresh UK based manufacturers of electronic devices playing and presenting their own products in time: Steve Jones, director of Cronic will be playing on his VXXY and The Alphasphere, a controller for beats and performance will be presented by its inventor Adam.
The testsalon itself will, as always, be filled up with modular and desktop synth gear to play and will be performed by several clients and users over the day. Onur Oezer from Istanbul, T.Raumschmiere from Berlin and other artists are asked to come, still t.b.c. The very best moments can be heard over the shops audio system as they are performed live and visible from the cabin.
And as the highlight of the day and the usual daily rough trade instore live act, we are very much looking forward to a performance by Wolfgang Seidel a.k.a. Sequenza and the partner of Conrad Schnitzler (R.I.P) both headliners of the Krautrock era. Wolfgang has also been a headliner of this years Transmediale Berlin and is usually playing jams with old friends or tape concerts in memorial to his dear friend Conrad Schnitzler."
