Hataken Interview

Back on March 31, I put up a post on Hataken, a Japanese DJ artist who primarily uses analog synths. At the time, Shane Chisolm, the manager of Don Juan Dracula mentioned Hataken was working on a remix version of DJD's "Take Me Home". Shane asked me if I'd be interested in doing an interview with Hataken, and I thought why not. It would be interesting to hear his perspective on the world of synths as a live DJ artist. The following is the result of that interview. Note, this is a long one. You will want to use page down to scroll through. If it is too long for you, I recommend reading one or two questions each time you visit the site. Each DIY item below would typically have been a separate post. There is a lot of interesting stuff here. That said, I start with an introduction followed by asking Hataken how it all started for him. Note the focus is primarily on synths as this site is about everything synth, and Hataken delivers. The gear he has both worked with and designed to meet his specific needs is overwhelming. There's also an interesting interlude on experimenting with frequency counters to produce specific frequencies of sound known to have healing properties, and of course there is a bit of the age old discussion of digital and analog.

Before we start the interview, I want to thank Hataken for taking the time out for this, and I want to thank Shane for suggesting it. It's a fascinating history of a DJ synth artist with interesting perspectives that I'm sure I will come back to over time. Be sure to check out the video and link to more at the end. And of course be sure to check out Hataken's website.

1. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

CLICK FOR MORE »

Industry Tributes to Dave Smith

Some tributes from those in the indsutry. If there are others, feel free to leave them in the comments section below and I will add them to this post. I wanted to start with this one via @BirdKids from a post here on MATRIXSYNTH back in 2006, the year I actaully started this version of the site. It was the top pic from that post and I thought it fitting to start with it as it features a hidden message from Dave Smith.

via @BirdKids

"'May Peace prevail on Earth' Image via @matrixsynth matrixsynth.com/2006/09/on-ins… That's a Sequential Drumtraks (1984) How cool is that!?!? Thank you for everything Dave Smith and @sequentialLLC — your legacy, not just the machines, but the music and people it inspired, endless!"

via @WeAreNovation

"We're extremely sad to share that industry legend, Dave Smith, founder of fellow Focusrite family members Sequential, has died. We're heartbroken, but Dave was with his family, and doing what he loved best. To share your thoughts and memories, please visit http://sequential.com"

via @RolandGlobal

We are deeply saddened to learn that Dave Smith of Sequential has passed away. As a true synthesizer pioneer, he was very much admired and respected by Roland and others. We offer our condolences to his family, friends, colleagues, and fans worldwide.

via @WeAreElektron

"We are terribly saddened to hear the news of Dave Smith’s passing. He has been such a pioneering giant of our industry, and his creativity and innovation will forever be part of the story of electronic music. Our thoughts are with his family & the entire @sequentialLLC team. RIP"

Note all three above used the image released by Sequential also featured in my post here. I grouped them together for that reason.

via @moogmusicinc

"Thank you, Dave, for all that you have given to our shared community. The world wouldn't sound the same without you."

via @SoulsbySynths

"RIP Dave Smith, thanks for the pioneering synths (including my Pro One which I love!), MIDI & so much more."

and via @tiptopaudio

"Rest In Peace Dave Smith. You brought so much happiness to this world, the sounds of your instruments touched the souls of so many of us. @sequentialLLC"

And via Roger Linn Design

"On May 31, 2022, Dave Smith, my dear friend of many years, passed away. His legacy of excellent synthesizers will last well beyond his years, as well as the positive influence on music that his instruments have had.

I first met Dave in the late 1970s at a trade show in Anaheim, California. He was showing his new Prophet 5 synthesizer, which I believe was the first polyphonic, programmable analog synth. I marveled at his creation, as did everyone else in attendance. Dave was full of energy and ambition, and well understood the new technology of microcomputers and software programming that was starting to change the world. He decided to use this new technology to change musical instruments. Of course the Prophet 5 went on to become a huge success, used on countless hit recordings in the 1980s.

Unlike me, Dave was an avid athelete, cyclist and triathlete. He actually participated in the Hawaii Ironman Triathlon in his younger years, an astoundingly difficult physical endeavor. He even enlisted me in some of his strenuous hikes, including Mount Whitney, the back side of Yosemite's Half Dome, and Mount Shasta. I named our climb up Mount Whitney 'Iron Man and the nerd'. :)

Our friendship continued over the years, and in 2011 I had the pleasure of collaborating with him on the Tempest analog drum machine. It was fun working with Dave and I learned a lot from him. He had a deep understanding of analog synthesis circuitry and the many design choices that are necessary in order to insure that the final instrument meets the demands of golden ears. He was also good at pushing me a little to bring out my best.

Sadly, the healthiest of atheletes are no match for the roll of the genetic dice, and Dave developed some medical problems in his later years that no doubt contributed to his being taken from us earlier than many. I feel privileged to have known and to have enjoyed a friendship with this extraordinary and creative individual. I miss my dear friend.

Roger"

Update: there's a brief mention of Dave Smith's Hawaii Ironman Triathlon in this article on the development of the Prophet VS (also captured here). He was there during development.

Update2: KORG pays tribute:

via @KorgUSA

"Korg USA wishes to pay respects to the family, friends, and legions of fans of Dave Smith. We've lost a true pioneer and wonderful human being. From the roots of MIDI to Sequential, Dave leaves behind a legacy of innovations that have forever changed the way we create music."

korg prophecy virtual analog synthesizer

Published on Feb 7, 2015 bulishearth

KORG Prophecy's on eBay

The video description comes from Sound on Sound

"It's not a new synth -- it's seven! Korg's amazing new Prophecy offers analogue and FM synthesis, and physical modelling, and still costs under £1000. Unsurprisingly, SOS staff have been dying to review one ever since it was unveiled at this year's Frankfurt Musik Messe. Lucky man GORDON REID won the toss...

This is the story as it was told to me... In 1987, the former Sequential Circuits design team (responsible for classics such as the Prophet 5 and Prophet VS) began working for Korg. The company immediately bundled them out of sight, locked them in a room full of computers and said "design something for us". Locks were locked, bolts were bolted, and most people forgot that they had ever existed.

Years passed. Every day somebody from Korg would shove some food and water through a hole in the door. Then, one day, there was a timorous knock from inside. Locks were unlocked and bolts were drawn. When the door was opened, a pasty-faced individual peeked out, blinked in the light, and said, "We've designed something. It's called a Wavestation". "What does it do?" asked the guys from Korg. "Well, it's sort of a wavetable synthesizer, with vector synthesis, and wave sequencing". "Not bad" said the guys from Korg. "Now get back inside and design something else".

Years passed. Every day somebody from Korg would shove some food and water through a hole in the door. Then, one day, there was another timorous knock from inside. The door was opened, and an even pastier-faced individual peeked out, blinked in the light, and said "We've designed something else". "What does it do this time?" asked the guys from Korg. "Well, it does analogue synthesis" said the pasty-faced one. "And FM. Oh yes... and physical modelling of plucked strings. And brass. And reeds. And it can be programmed to handle any new synthesis techniques that may come along in the future... and it does them all simultaneously. We've called it the Open Architecture Synthesis System, or OASYS for short."

The executives at Korg were delighted, and instead of shoving the team back into their room, bought them dinner at an expensive Japanese restaurant. But there was a problem. At £10,000, the OASYS was expensive. Very expensive. So Korg turned to the developers and said, "Sorry guys, we've got to put you back in your room. We need something cheaper, something that will appeal to the average musician. Something, to be blunt, that we can sell in the mass markets."

Months passed. Every day somebody from Korg would shove some food and water through the hole in the door. Then, quite recently, there was a knock from inside. An extremely pasty-faced individual peeked out and said, "We've done what you asked". "What does it do?" asked the guys from Korg. "Well, it does analogue synthesis" said the pasty-faced one. "And FM. Oh yes... and physical modelling of plucked strings. And brass. And reeds. And, before you shove us back in the room... it does all that for less than £1,000." Thus did the Prophecy, as they say, come to pass.

OUTSIDE AND IN

Externally, the Korg Prophecy is a light but robust 37-note monosynth with a velocity- and aftertouch-sensitive keyboard. The styling is, to my eyes, new and refreshing, although a few people have commented on its similarities to the Yamaha VL1... A 2 x 40-character backlit LCD dominates the control panel, and is surrounded by buttons to the left and right, and knobs underneath. Conventional modulation and pitch-bend wheels, plus the 'log' (a combined mod-wheel and pressure-sensitive ribbon controller), round off the package. Most people will either love it or hate it. I love it...

Round the back, you'll find the inevitable MIDI In, Out and Thru, alongside inputs for an expression pedal, an on/off (sustain) foot-switch, and a socket for an EC5 MIDI controller. This can be used for patch selection when your hands are otherwise occupied. There's also a socket for a RAM card that will store arpeggiator patterns as well as patches. And, finally, there are the stereo audio outputs.

Internally, the Prophecy is just a computer, although it boasts no fewer than five processors. Three of these are the Texas Instruments TMS57002 DSPs used in the Korg G-series effects. The other two are for housekeeping: an NEC V55 looks after the user interface, key-scanning, and display, and a Toshiba H8 (which I've never heard of) looks after the three DSPs."

AMSynths March News Letter

"Newsletter March 2013
Latest News: At last a new AMSynths newsletter after nearly 6 months! We can only say we have been really busy....here is the latest news and plans for 2013.

Xmas was a busy time and we shipped over 25 modules to customers and completed the design of the AM8328 Mirage Filter - which has been shipping since early January. Customer demand has increased in 2013 , so we are we have restarted our sales to the SDIY market with panels, and blank PCB's now in stock and on sale in the online store. We have also added a free online reservation system here from the web store, so customers can be sure they will get a module. Production volumes have slipped back in February due to various holidays and a busy day job, but March and April will see more modules shipping and new products arriving.

Module Plans
The popular AM8012, AM8075, AM8071 and AM8109 filter modules are in production but there is a queue of reservations to satisfy before they will appear in the online store in large volumes. The new AM8328 Miarge Filter will see another 10 modules built in March, along with the arrival of the AM8044 VCF & VCA which has cleared testing and is going into production. It is the first module we have implemented with both a filter and final stage VCA, so all it needs is a dual ADSR and dual VCO to create some fantastic sounds. A special Dave Rossum tribute VCF, the AM8040 will be launched as a PCB sets for the SDIY market initially. It will have both 2 and 4 pole modes, and can use either a rare SSM2040 chip or the HM2040 replica. If there is sufficient customer demand it will be introduced as a completed EuroRack module based on the HM2040 chip, it will have the same panel design as an AM8109 JP8 VCF and provides the sounds of the SCI Prophet 5 early models as well as the original E-mu Systems Audity 16 voice synthesizer.

The versatile dual SVF filter, the AM8060SE, is completing it's first production PCB build this weekend and if this goes ok we can start manufacturing modules for a 24 March 2013 launch. I have put some photos of the prototype on the web store, and I will add some new demos soon. The Dual ADSR AM8140 is the other product launch for late March, with a first production build to check everything is ok. Then there is the AM8005 Diode VCF to finalise on 12V and get into production, I know alot of customers are waiting on this module, so it is top of the list!

The dual VCO's remain in development with the ARP version (AM8027) about to go into a final production stage, the reason for the delay is we had to find some switched vertical jack sockets that fit the design, which we now have. The JP8 Dual VCO is at design stagee with a few more months work to get all the extra features loaded, such as the quantiszed picth knob (using a PIC) and the in-built analog LFO. The VCO designs have been switched to dual rather than single to reduce the overall costs of 2 VCO's, which everyone needs.

A set of new modules planned for 2H2013 are waiting on the arrival of the right log response vertical pots from Small Bear. This includes a dual linear and expo response VCA (AM8164) and the AM83272 Ambient VCF (using the CEM3372). The AM8706 LFO can now more forward with the right vertical jack sockets, so expect this module and the AM8019 ARP style VCA to appear by mid 2013.

Customer Feedback
AMSynths really appreciates customer feedback and ideas. Just send an email to me at sales@amsynths.co.uk. The recently launched AM8328 Mirage Filter was all down to one of our customers, Adam, asking us to make this module using CEM3328 chips. This had led onto the idea of a Key Track pot on some new modules (AM8040) which enables filter cutoff to be varied up or down by the note played on the keyboard. So do let me know of the features and modules you would like to see. For example we have new ideas floating around at AMSynths HQ, for an audio mixer, ring modulator and noise source module, which kinda replicates the middle of an Roland SH-5 (AM8002) and a programmable ADSR with 64 patches which can be voltage controlled (AM8056). And if anybody on the list writes coolt DSP code, we would love to launch a Z-plane digital filter.

Future Plans
Our biggest problem is manufacturing enough modules to meet the increasing customer demand, and that is before we do any press marketing or shows! So we are completeing reaseach into larger scale assembly and manufacturing for some modules, to see what it does to the margins and retail prices. AMSynths have launched a partnership with SynthCube, where you buy my designs in MOTM, FracRac and other non-Euro formats. The AM4023 2 pole OTA filter is the first SynthCube module to hit production, but many more will follow in 2013. The web store will move to a new platform in late 2013 to provide a better presentation and more features. We will continue to operate 2 web sites, one as a secure store and one as a blog and information portal. And Finally, many thanks to all our customer for purchasing AMSynths products and your patience in trying to buy more. I will get more newsletters out this year, timed with product launches."

Left: "AM8328 VCF PCB Set

This is a PCB kit for the AM8328 Mirage VCF which enables you to build a EuroRack Module with a 16-pin 12V Doepfer Bus power connector. It may also work on 15V but I have not tried it out.

The AM8328 is a 4 pole Low Pass Filter that uses the CEM3328 filter chip to produce a amazing sounding VCF.

Project Notes:

Kit Components
The AM8328 PCB kit contains:
AM8328 POT PCB (ROHS compliant, blue solder mask).
AM8328 VCF PCB (ROHS compliant, blue solder mask).
You can also purchase Pot Brackets (x7), Jack PCB and an AMSynths factory AM8328 EuroRack panel.
Kits EXCLUDE the CEM3328 chip. You will need to locate one on eBay. An Ensoniq Mirage has 8x inside."

Above: "AM8328 The Mirage Filter

This module is based around the CEM3328 4-pole Low Pass Filter chip that was released in 1984, as one of the last filter chips and with some great features. It has differential signal inputs, an accurate exponential scale over 14 octaves and voltage controlled resonance. It has a unqiue feature, the signal level is automatically increased as the resonance goes up, thereby avoiding the usual signal level dropping off as resonance comes in. The CEM3328 was late onto the analog stage, just before digital filters appeared, so it only made it into the BIT01 and Ensoniq Mirage (and a few drum machines). So this chip has never really seen action, and was never under analog pot control, just lonely digital parameter access! In the Mirage it was not even allowed to oscillate…..We just love giving it a new lease of life in a new analog module!"

The First Synth to....

Update: The new home for this list is now here. You can add to the list there or comment here and I will update both lists. Note that the complete list however will be there as I do not plan on updating this list with updates made there. That would be too much work and would compete with me being able to put up new posts here. Can't let that happen. : ) Related but separate from that list also see https://120years.net. That said...

If you are going to add to the list in the comments, use the same format.

Year - Manufacturer - Model - First at
1837 - C.G. Page (Salem. Mass) - first to produce electronically generated sound (not necessarily associated with a musical instrument). After inventing the Volta in 1800 (an early battery), in 1837 Page was doing experiments with coils and realized when certain coils were attached to a batter they omitted a ringing sound. While he initially thought the ring came from the electrical current was interrupted (battery disconnected), what was actually taking place was the induction through the coils was causing them to vibrate. via Peter Grenader
1885 - Person and Ernst Lorenz -'Elektrisches Musikinstrument' - the first musical instrument designed to produce electrically generated sound. It used electronic vibrations to drive an electromagnet that were connected to resonating boards, which translated these vibrations to sound. via Peter Grenader
1897 - Taddaeus Cahills - Telharmonium - electromechanical instrument.
1936 - Oskar Sala - Mixturtrautonium - first synth using Subharmonic synthesis
1939 - Homer Dudley invents the Parallel Bandpass Vocoder (VODER) - A manually key operated speech synthesizer
1940 - Homer Dudley invents the The Voder speech synthesizer - A device which used the human voice and an artificial voice to produce a composite
Both were researched as a way to transmit speech over copper wires (id est, telephone lines)
1948 - Hugh LeCaine - Electronic Sackbut - First voltage-controlled synthesizer
1948 - Dr. Raymond Scott - Wall of Sound - First polyphonic Sequencing Worstation (electromechanical) and the Electronum - first sequencer.
1950 - CSIR - Mk 1 - The first known use of a digital computer for the purpose playing music
1956 - Louie and Bebe Barron - Produced the first all-electronic musical score for a major motion picture - MGM's 'Forbidden Planet'
1957 - Max V. Mathews at Bell Labs - MUSIC - the first digital synthesizer. Technically, it was a computer program, though it set the stage for every digital synthesizer that proceeded it. See Laurie Spiegel with one here.
1963/64 - Buchla - model 100 modular - 1st "modern" modular synth
1967 - Moog - Moog modular synthesizer I, II & III - 1st commercial modular synth.
1969 - EMS - Synthi VCS-3 - first non-modular mini-synth
1970 - MOOG - Minimoog - 1st Mono Synth with keys (non-modular)
1971 - Tonus/Arp - Soloist - 1st preset mono synth
1971 - John Chowning - developed FM synthesis using the MUSIC-IV language (source), a direct descendent of Mathew's MUSIC program. FM synthesis was later licensed by Yamaha, and used in popular synths such as the DX-7.
1972 - Triadex Muse - first digital synth
""is the first digital musical instrument and was produced in 1972. It was
designed by Edward Fredkin and Marvin Minsky at MIT. It is an algorithmic
music generator: it uses digital logic circuits to produce a sequence of
notes based on the settings of various parameters. It has four small sliders
in that control Volume, Tempo, Pitch, and Fine Pitch. It is not known how
many were made, but they are considered extremely rare.
The Muse is the subject of U. S. Patent 3610801"
1973 - Coupland Digital Music Synthesizer - First Digital (Triadex beat it?) Update via Peter Grenader: "No time to read through all these posts to see if it's come up yet, but the Coupland was vaporwear...it never existed. I met Mark Vail, who's now a friend, by writing him a letter informing him that his story about the Coupland in his Vintage Synthesizers book (GREAT book) which mentioned it's only recorded showing was at the AES show in LA in 1978 was a farce. I was there - at their booth and their suite in the Hilton where the instrument was said to be. I was there on the first day, I was there on the last day. The only thing they had was a small model - about six inches across, sitting on a table. The booth was amazing - this radial orb multiple people could sit in, with a cover that came over each person which played what I remembered was a very impressive demo which swirled around four speakers inside the box. I, and everyone else, were blown away. They kept saying...'it will be here tomorrow, it'll be here tomorrow'...so I showed up the last day just to see it, figuring by the then it would have arrived...it didn't. I did see the frst Synthclavier at that show however. Their suite was across the hall from the Coupland folk. That completely kicked the crap out of everything else shown that year."
1973 - Dartmouth Digital Synthesizer - NED - Synclavier prototype - first digital synth
1974 - Roland - SH-3A - first commercial additive synth
1974 - RMI - Harmonic Synthesizer - first commercial additive synth
1975 - Buchla 502 - six voice polyphonic with minicomputer and ability to save patches to tape drive. Development on the 500 series began in 1969.
1975 - Oberheim FVS - four voice polyphonic with Polyphonic Synthesizer Programmer. Not sure if the Buchla 502 or FVS was released first.
1976 - PPG - PPG 1003 sonic carrier - 1st programmable mono/duo synth with patch memory (this, along with the model 1020, might have been the 1st synths to use DCO's as well)
1977 - Yamaha - CS50/CS60/CS80 - first single enclosure polyphonic keyboard synthesizers with the CS80 to be the first synth with poly aftertouch
1977 (late) - Oberheim - OB-1 - 1st commercial programmable mono synth with patch memory
1978 (late) - PPG - Wavecomputer 360 - 1st wavetable synth
1978 - Sequential Circuits - microprocessor control the SCI prophet 10 (briefly) and the P-5 --- again based on existing E-mu tech stuff
1979 - NED - Synclavier - First FM
1979 - Fairlight CMI - First Sampler, First Workstation
1980 - Performance Music Systems - Syntar - First self contained keytar
1982 - Sequential Circuits - Prophet 600 / First Midi Synthesizer (though some argue the Prophet 5 rev 3.2 is pre-MIDI MIDI)
1983 - Yamaha - DX7 - Digital takes over, FM goes mainstream
1983 - OSC - OSCar - First real-time additive with analog filters
1984 - Sequential Circuits - SixTrak - first multitimbral
1985 - Casio - CZ-101 - First battery-powered all digital mini-synth
1987 - Kawai K5 and Technos Axcel - first additive synths
1989 - E-Mu Systems - Proteus - First dedicated ROMpler
1992 - Seer Systems - first host-based software synthesizer in 1992
1994 - Yamaha - VL1 - first physical modelling synth
1995 - Clavia - Nord Lead - 1st Virtual Analog
1996 - Rubberduck - still not the first softsynth but came before Seer Systems Reality.
1996 - Steinberg - VST - Ok not a synth but enabled a lot to be written as plug-ins and used simultaneously
1997 - Seer Systems - Reality - First Modular Soft Synth
2002 - Hartmann Neuron - first neuronal synth
2912 - KalQuestoTron - the first genetically engineered synth. Each cell is an oscillator, filter, and neural sequencer. Can be delivered via injection to always play 'hold music' in your head.

I thought it might be fun to have a "first synth to..." post. There's been a lot of buzz over Sonic State's Top 20 Synths of All Time with good reason. What exactly is a "top synth?" Is it it's influence on the music scene? It's rarity and lust appeal? The number of synths sold? According to Sonic State their list was the result of Sonic State reader's voting for their favorite synths. Blame the voters if you don't like what you see. Based on what has come up on the list so far, the E-Mu Proteus and Roland JV-1080 for example as well as the Roland Jupiter 8 not even making the top ten, I'm guessing a bit of it has to do with the vote and... possibly the most influential/ground breaking synths for their time. The JV1080 and Proteus? Not super sexy in this day and age, but what they offered in their time? Who knows. It's obviously subjective. But there is something that isn't. The most influential synths of all time not because they were super sexy or utilitarian, but because they offered something that was not previously available.

I thought what might be interesting to create a list of the first synths to feature a particular technology or feature. For example what was the fist synth to bring FM to the table? Was it the DX7 or a predecessor? What was the first digital synth and when? The first additive synth? I have a good idea and could probably look it all up, but that wouldn't be any fun, so.... You tell me. I am going to make this an open post that will live over time. You get to participate by putting an entry in the comments. I will update the list and when I do I will change the time stamp of the post to keep it current. That said, for the archives, this post went up with a time stamp of 4/11/07 7:20 PM PST. I'll start the list (btw, do correct me on the MOOG, what model should we be talking about here? The A, B, C or D or all of them?).

Year - Manufacturer - Model - First at
1970 - MOOG - Minimoog - 1st Mono Synth with keys (non-modular)
1978 - Sequential Circuits - Prophet 5 - 1st Programmable Polyphonic Analog
... List continues above.

Update 3/34/12: Also see the first synthesizers to offer patch storage here.

elmacaco on the Alesis A6 Andromeda

elmacaco posted the following on AH. I asked him if it would be alright to put this up here and he gave me the a ok. As an A6 owner myself, I have to agree with his assessment. What's interesting is the behavior of the envelopes always stood out to me as being less direct compared to my other synths. I never thought about how the range for each step might be the reason. The A6 is an incredibly deep synth. That said, here are some words from elmacaco.

"I have to say, I love my Andromeda. I didn't like it when I first tried it in the store, but unseen forces brought it to my attention and about a year and a half ago I got one. It's been my main synth since then, never really messed with the presets, always making sounds on it. The first couple of months I would get lost in playing it and not record much, same thing happened with my wurlitzer, which is a good sign. It has such flexibility that it even can fix my modular jones most of the time (and I have a modular for that).

I think what throws a lot of people is that with it, you have to think about more than with the classics. The range of the controls is huge, and that changes a lot for most people. This is particularly true with the envelopes. A pot that goes from zero to 10 seconds has a different feel than one that goes from 2 seconds to 10 minutes, and can make it less imediate. Envelopes are usually an aspect that you don't have to think too much about, but with the Andromeda it becomes more complicated, which is a double edged sword, and one aspect i don't like so much, I wish I could limit those controls to a more usable range for me. Same with the mixer levels, once you get a bit of a handle on it it becomes part of the process, but it is none the less an extended process, which won't be to the liking of many people.

As for the comparion to older polies, well, they all have something, the andromeda is much more broad, so t can be a lot of things, but it wont be breezy to get it like them, but there is more. I remember after a year of having one I would play P5's and memorymoogs at friends houses, which i love in so many ways, but I would be locked into some avenues that used to seem broad but now I see as rather narrow.

The sound of those synths can make you need a variety of synths, to get out of it, but the Andromeda has a way of taking over, other synths will sound better in some places, but head to head, unless that is something you always need, the Andromeda can cover that territory pretty well. Which makes comparisons difficult, because it can more easily cover all your bases than any other synth. I've only recently began to mess with my xpander again, since the A6 can just take over. I have synths I prefer for bass, but I can get something great out of the Andromeda so staying in front of it can be very appealing. I remember thinking the osc tone was better on the roland mono's, then I tried to match them, and I actually matched them closer than i have matched anything else simply by filtering them imperceptively, remember the moog filter on the Andromeda goes up to 40,000Hz, drop it to 20k or 18k, and the high end sheen is gone but is still sounds like a raw waveform, I was pretty astounded at what I didn't know, and that happens a lot.

Realisticly speaking, even if you have a bunch of other synths, the Andromeda can satisfy the needs of a broad range of synthesists regardless of what they are, better than any other analog poly can. Just an andromeda for music means so many more possibilities than just a JP-8, or just a Memory Moog.

Just the multitimbrality coupled with such a deep engine alone puts it into a class of its own. But it will require more thought, it's one of the synths that will make you feel like you are not the bad ass synthesist you think you are, whereas sitting in front of a Jupiter-8, Prophet 5, CS-80, or memorymoog, a good working knowledge of synthesis is enough to explore all the dimentions of it infinitely. Not everybody likes that experience, kinda like how serge and buchla can be like learning a new language and force you out of your comfort zone. The Andromeda can make you feel like a novice again, I still get the sense that I won't ever fully grasp all its features in decades, but what I do grasp gives back in spades."

Prophet ’08 polysynth continues to be bestseller for DSI

A DSI press release just sent my way. Note it's pre-NAMM. Saving it for the archives.

"SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, USA: In 2013, sales of Dave Smith Instruments’ award-winning Prophet ’08 eight-voice analog synthesizer was greater than all previous years, with the exception of its inaugural year.

'The Prophet ’08 has been a remarkably consistent seller for us since 2007,' confirms company founder and renowned designer Dave Smith. 'Part of that is due to lack of competition in the analog polysynth market, but it’s also attributable to our general design philosophy. In an age where electronic devices are largely disposable — and that includes some musical instruments, we don’t develop our instruments to be supplanted by ‘next year’s model.’ Though we always strive to improve in some way with each new product, the goal is always excellence. An instrument should be intuitive and inspiring in two, five, ten, or twenty years, and not obsolete. And it should sound great, regardless of age or cost. There shouldn’t be a different standard for electronic instruments than there is for acoustic instruments in that regard.'

As an eight-voice synthesizer keyboard with a 100% analog signal path; four-on-four splits and layers; 16 x 4 gated step sequencer; and a full-size, 61-note, semi-weighted keyboard, the Prophet ’08 marked a turning point for Dave Smith Instruments in more ways than one — not least that its introduction coincided with Smith hiring his first two employees to help move the company and its increasing line of illustrious instruments forward. And anyone with an appreciation of synthesizer history could hardly help but notice that the innovative individual responsible for the pre-eminent Prophet-5, the world’s first programmable polyphonic synthesizer back in 1978, as well as playing a pivotal part as the driving force behind MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface), had transported the prestigious Prophet name to the present day.

As a direct descendant of the Prophet-5, the Prophet ’08 keyboard and its 2008-launched space-saving tabletop (and rack-mountable) module counterpart (that can be used as an expander to increase the polyphony of another Prophet ’08 keyboard or module to 16 voices) are both capable of reproducing the still-sought-after sounds of their legendary ancestor. But both boast more modern features like a greatly expanded modulation matrix and additional modulation sources — such as three envelopes and four LFOs per voice — that take them way beyond vintage instruments as equally worthy and unique additions to the Prophet family tree.

Says Smith: 'In 1978, I never envisioned people playing my instruments 35 years later. I just wanted to make great synths. But the reality is, if an instrument sounds good and invites interaction with the player, it will continue to inspire creativity and be useful.'

Creativity is surely priceless, yet six years after its inauguration, and showing no signs of slowing down, the Prophet ’08 still represents remarkable value and continues to make musical waves worldwide.

Dave Smith Instruments’ present-day Prophet range will be being demoed and displayed in Hall B, Booth 5400 at the 2014 NAMM Show, January 23-26 in Anaheim, California.


The Prophet ’08 keyboard and Prophet ’08 module have an MAP of $2,309.00 USD and $1,699.00 USD, respectively, and can both be purchased from any authorized DSI dealer."

Moogfest 2014 Presenters Include Makers Roger Linn, Dave Smith, Tom Oberheim, Don Buchla, Forest Mims & More

"Moogfest 2014 Announces Daytime Presenters Including Futurists, Musicians, Scientists, Authors, Filmmakers, and Pioneers of Electronic Music Instrument Design

Phase 1 tickets start at $199 for 5-Day General Admission, and $499 for 5-Day VIP Admission while supplies last through December 19 when Phase 2 GA tickets go up to $299. All prices exclusive of applicable fees.

ASHEVILLE, NC – November 14, 2013 – Moogfest is a five-day festival dedicated to the synthesis of technology, art and music. Since its inception in 2004, Moogfest has been a magnet for artists, engineers, and enthusiasts of Bob Moog. With an experimental lineup of daytime conference programming featuring cultural, artistic and technological luminaries and punctuated by a diverse line up of landmark nightly performances, Moogfest honors the creativity and inventiveness of Dr. Robert Moog and pays tribute to the legacy of the analog synthesizer. This is no ordinary festival.

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Prophet REV2 | In the Valley

Published on Jun 13, 2019 Alex Ball

"A demo that a number of people have been asking me to do for about six months, so I'm hoping it does the instrument justice.

The DSi Prophet REV2 (2017) is the successor to the Prophet 08 (2007) that was itself the comeback Prophet synth after Sequential had closed their doors thirty years prior.

Its heritage is legendary with the Prophet~5, Prophet~10, Prophet T8 and Prophet VS being a few of its relatives. It's also in good company with modern siblings such as the Prophet 12, Prophet~6 and Prophet X/XL.

Whilst it can do decent "classic" analogue sounds, retro patches would underplay all the modern things the REV2 can do. The 3 envelopes / 4 LFOs and comprehensive mod matrix combined with modern connectivity and synchronization make it a very convenient workhorse and I imagine players and engineers would have dreamed of functionality like it when the original Prophets were in their heyday.

You can stack patches, but the voice count halves when you do that. As mine is the 8-voice version that leaves me with 4-voices in that respect, but I worked around it. There's a kit to upgrade to 16-voice which is on my (long) list of things to do.

I used a combination of my own patches, some tweaked factory presets, some live playing, some midi and some tempo-synced grooves from the poly and gated sequencers. I used some onboard FX but also recorded some parts dry and added FX in my DAW.

Instruments used:
Prophet REV2 (all synth sounds)
Abbey Road Modern Drums (Drums)
Some miscellaneous drum samples

Some of the pictures of the other Prophets were taken by others back when we did "The History of the Prophet Synthesizer" last year. If you haven't seen that one:" The History of the Prophet Synthesizer

Sequential Circuits Prophet 5 SN 3610 with MIDI

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

via this auction

"You are looking at a really nice Prophet 5 Synthesizer, version 3.3 with MIDI installed. The unit works perfectly with no issues. In the past year, it's been to Wine Country Productions for the installation of a new battery and a general health check up and calibration. About 3 years ago, the keyboard bushings were all replaced, so the keyboard plays as good as possible. The wood is good to excellent in condition with a few minor scratches here and there. One small gouge on a bottom corner also - not really seen. Front panel, as shown, is also excellent with only one small scratch along the top. Comes with factory patches installed and with the Prophet 5 Technical manual, a 3 ring binder with tons of info on servicing and maintenance."

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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"

Waldorf Q Cosmos, real time programming session

video uploads by Snupps Synth channel

Note the Prophet style knobs.

Use the player controls to skip through videos.

Playlist:

1. Waldorf Q Cosmos, real time programming session

Atmospheric, experimental real-time programming session based in one of my patches on the Waldorf Q synthesizer, that was done in one take. With only internal reverb/delay from the Q itself.

2. Cosmic Trek in search for Q (Waldorf Q synth solo)

Synth solo with one of my lead sounds on the Waldorf Q run through and amp modeling plugin, over a synth driven prog oriented groove/backing track that I made while testing out Ableton live.

3. Waldorf Q 3 OP FM demo (Sine waves)

Two sounds recorded over two tracks, modfied in real time. Both sounds are only sine waves + FM with oscillator sync being used, and one combfilter. The Q is capable of some very complex and moving sounds.

4. Waldorf Q Sand Dunes Ambient sound demo

An ambient sound demo of 4 of my Waldorf Q sounds, that I tweak and program in real-time. Only internal reverbs and effects was used.

5. Waldorf Q Realtime programming session, after the storm on planet Imit93N3

outtake from a Realtime programming session under the name, Storm on Imit93N3. This are from the last 16 minutes of that session.

6. Waldorf Q realtime Programming session 1

Realtime Programming session/Impro out of a sound i made with my newly acquired Waldorf Q.

7. Waldorf Q, Highlands

Another impro/programming session.

8. The Q album | Ambient album

A remaster and rerelease of the Waldorf Q ambient album that I made for just around one year ago. The Q album or "the leaf album" is an ambient project inspired by Hiroshi Yoshimura's Green, made only with waldorf Q sounds. The Album is available for sale at Bandcamp with better sound.
https://willsopp.bandcamp.com/releases"

PNW06: John Bowen and Stephen Play the Prophet 5 Rev 1 and 3

John and Stephen play and talk about the SCI Prophet 5 Rev 1 and Rev 3 at this year's Pacific Northwest Synthesizer Meeting. The Rev 1 is on the left.

Warning: For those of you that complained about the last Creamware/Prophet 5 video, you might want to skip this one as well. This is synth geek material.

New Batch of Synthfest UK 23 Videos

video uploads by sonicstate

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.

Trigon 6 Desktop Price: $2,499

https://www.sequential.com/

2. Synthfest UK 2023: Calc And the Prophet X

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

Looking for some more info on the Prophet X? Check out Sequential's official page: www.sequential.com/prophet-x/

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KORG POLYSIX Analog Synthesizer 1981 | HD DEMO

YouTube Published on May 10, 2012 by AnalogAudio1

"The Korg Polysix is a classic analogue polyphonic synth. It was the best sold analog synthesizer. Roland answered one year later with the Juno-60.

The Korg Polysix has per voice:

1 VCO + suboscillator (PWM possible), 24 dB lowpass filter, 1 ADSR envelope, 1 LFO (sine waveform only). It also has an very useful FX section, which lets you forget that you have 1 VCO per voice. ENSEMBLE, CHORUS and PHASE effects are possible. The Polysix has the same useful ARPEGGIATOR like the Mono/Poly. It is synchronisable with drum machines, sequencers,...

The Polysix has 32 RAM memories for your patches. With the tape interface, the whole RAM memory can be stored on tape/cassette. Of course you can save the memory data as WAV files as well. The Korg Polysix was inspired by the Sequential Circuits Prophet-5 - in fact, the Polysix has SSM chips like the early Prophets. For this reason, it has a warm, "american" analog sound...

The Polysix can produce fat pads with the "ensemble" effect, which reminds me on old string machines. It also can produce great bass and lead sounds in unisono mode. Weird sounds are possible with the arpeggiator in combination with filter resonance.

The hardware is solid, well made - except the original internal battery, which tends to leak. Especially when the Polysix is not turned on for a long time.

The audio signal was recorded straight from the Polysix' output, without any additional effects or dynamics.

_______________________________________________________________

THE SOUND PROGRAMS IN THIS MOVIE:

Do you have a Polysix and want to play with the powerful sounds heard in the video?

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Performance Music Systems SWAN via VEMIA

"[VEMIA note: If you thought the Syntar was rare, how about this unique instrument?] S.W.A.N Vintage One-of-a-kind very rare monosynth with flight case. The S.W.A.N. is a vintage monosynth built by Syntar inventor George Mattson [of the Mattson Mini Modular]. The S.W.A.N. is literally a Syntar-Without-A-Neck or, a desktop version of the Syntar without the left-hand controller system. This system is owned by George Mattson and it is labeled 'Prototype 1' even though the electronics are stock Syntar circuits. George built it because dealers were inquiring if they made a 'desktop' version. So, he made one. This is the only S.W.A.N. in existence and is a fully functioning system. George has recently replaced all of the caps and tuned up the system. Information and a better picture can be found at Carbon111 The weight is in its flightcase; outside it is 8.2kg. NB Like all of the lots so far in this particular auction, it is being sold as a non-VAT registered item. But if you import anything from outside the EC into the EC, you may be liable to VAT as a form of import tax." You can find it listed on VEMIA - click on Auctions, Search, and then search for 5881.

Update via Stephen Jones in the comments:
"I've played this very synth about a year ago. It has features unlike any mono synth ever made. I really hope this goes to a good home. I'd estimate that its auction value will be about $7400 and even that would be a steal.

It has a Pratt-Reed gold double buss bar keyboard with a good solid feel. (not J-Wire or membrane carbon contacts like everyone else was using)

Its got two oscillators, a ring mod second, noise, an LFO that does audio rates and the same SSM filter that makes the Prophet-5 Rev 2 sound so good.

Good luck and I hope it goes to a good home."

I played this one as well. Amazing synth, amazing piece of synth history. This was a hard one to put up.

Update: someone actually had the gall to list this on Ebay. The auction was quickly pulled.

Sequential Circuits Prophet 5 Rev 3.3 + Kenton Midi + Flight Case

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

via this auction

"Serviced one year ago by Berlin specialists this Prophet 5 Rev 3.3 is in amazing condition! Higher price than normal as it comes with professionally installed Kenton Midi Kit by Andy Horrell from EMIS music in Bristol. Means you can hook it up directly to your DAW and control note on and off, filter cut off, modulation pitch bend and lots more!"

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The Beginnings of the Arp Quadra?

I love finding jems like this. This came in on a Vintage Synth thread on The Weather Report and Zawinul's use of the Quadra. Apparently he was the first to ever use one (probably not counting ARP of course).

"Speaking of the Quadra, did you know that Zawinul was the first artist to ever use
a Quadra? well, now you know it.

Quote from an article on Zawinul & the Quadra appearing in the June '79 issue of the Arpeggio newsletter:

"With the help of Alan Howarth* (Joe's keyboard tech between 1977-1979), then working as sales manager for Arp, Joe got his first look at the Quadra in 'August of 1978 when the original prototype was bought to L.A. for his evaluation. A few months later, Joe received the 1st test-run Quadra for use in a Weather Report concert in Havanna, Cuba"

Zawinul (commenting on the Quadra):

"It's got such a big and full sound" ...
"an excellent bass sound"

* the same Alan Howarth who a year or so later would find himself working with composer/director John Carpenter on soundtracks like "Escape From New Yourk" (late '80) Halloween II ('81) Halloween III ('82) etc."

"More Quadra info:

The original idea to build the Quadra came from a friend of mine, the owner of Pi Keyboards in Cleveland, Dave Yost. Sometime late 1976, Dave devised a circuit that allowed him to control an Arp 2600 from an Omni keyboard. The Arp factory rep came by the store and saw the keyboards, and was blown away by what Dave had done. A week later, we got a call from Phil Dodds, in product development at Arp, who wanted to know more about what Dave had done. (The same Phil Dodds who played the 2500 in Close Encounters). Dave sent a copy of the schematic to Phil, and the Quadra was born. Months later, at the July '77 NAMM in Atlanta, Dave was introduced as the "father of the Quadra", when the Quadra was introduced at the show.

I bought one of the first Quadras about that time and it was heavily modified by myself with the guidance of Dave when I worked at his store. It was lost in a fire in the 80's, (along with a Prophet 5), and I sure wish I still had that today.

Dave also did work with Wendy Carlos on her Moog Modular, including a just intonation module which was custom built at Pi in Cleveland."

MOOGFEST 2017 UNVEILS FULL SCHEDULE OF 100 WORKSHOPS & MASTERCLASSES

via Moogfest

"- Moogfest attendees engage in an ecosystem of ideas, experiments, and specialized skills

Durham, North Carolina (April 5, 2017) – Today Moogfest unveils the full schedule for the expansive four-day festival. Exploring the future of technology, art, and music, the festival includes more than 300 musical performances, daytime workshops, conversations, masterclasses, film screenings, live scores, durational sound installations, and interactive art experiences.

The full schedule can be found online at http://moogfest2017.sched.com

*Please note, the full schedule can be viewed on Sched; however, registration and adding sessions to your personal schedule won't be available until sign-up opens Friday, April 7, at 12:00 noon ET for Engineer ticket holders; Tuesday, April 11, at 12:00 noon ET for VIP ticket holders; and Tuesday, April 18, at 12:00 noon ET for all ticket holders.

Moogfest celebrates the legacy of Bob Moog, a visionary engineer who pioneered the analog synthesizer and other technology tools used by artists like Stevie Wonder, David Bowie, and Kraftwerk. This year’s program will feature over 260 innovators in music, art, and technology -- from Flying Lotus, Animal Collective, Suzanne Ciani, Gotye and Princess Nokia to Dr. Kate Shaw, an experimental particle physicist working on the ATLAS Experiment at the Large Hadron Collider, and Joe Davis, a pioneer in creating art with genes and bacteria at MIT Media Lab. Moogfest takes place in Durham, North Carolina, a fast-growing capital of technology, culture and entrepreneurship.

Happening Thursday, May 18 - Sunday, May 21, with hundreds of artists, speakers, and sessions across downtown Durham, Moogfest contains a vast galaxy of discovery. Workshops are an essential part of the Moogfest program, as the platform prioritizes intimate spaces for collaboration and creativity. In these open learning environments, participants interact with technology tools that allow humans to creatively express themselves in new ways, so that we can design the future we want to see and hear.

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Sequential Prophet-10 Demos by Postmodern Machine

Playlist:
1. 5 Pixels of you - A Holiday Meditation [Dec 25, 2020]

Thinking about how grateful I am for reflective time, and the seasons.
I miss so many of my favourite humans this year. I wish you all peace and reflection.
'Remember to extend grace because we're all just walking each other home.'

Prophet 10 / Meris Polymoon / AwTAC channels / AwTAC compressors / Elysia Xpressor 500 / Burl Mothership / Reaper / Kush Audio

2. Low Cyan - Sequential Prophet 10 / MFB Tanzbar / Arturia Keystep Pro

Sequential Prophet 10 / MFB Tanzbar / Arturia Keystep Pro / Meris Polymoon / AwTAC Channels / AwTAC Compressors / Elysia Xpressor 500 / Chandler TG Channel / Burl Mothership / Reaper / Kush Audio / Soundtoys

3. Typo Negative - Prophet 10 / Arutria Keystep Pro / MFB Tanzbar / Meris Polymoon

My second day jamming with the new Prophet 10!

Prophet 10 / Arutria Keystep Pro / MFB Tanzbar / Meris Polymoon / AwTAC channels / AwTAC compressors / Elysia Xpressor 500 / Chandler TG Channel / Burl Mothership

4. Triple One - first sounds on the prophet 10

I received the prophet 10 yesterday. it's an inspiration / motivation machine / time portal. what a stunning instrument!

Prophet 10 / Strymon Deco / Meris Polymoon / AwTAC channels / AwTAC compressors / Elysia Xpressor 500 / Burl Mothership / Reaper / Kush Audio