Roger Arrick, the founder of Synthesizers.com, wrote a history of his business. It's a fascinating look at the inception of one of the first modular makers of the new gaurd. You can find the full the full article on his website here. The following are just a few excerpts. I included an interesting bit on an almost stolen system.
Use the player controls on bottom to skip around. You can find descriptions for each video below. You can find additional Synthesizers.com contest posts here.
Playlist:
1. O Z Hall: Zebra Synth
Dive into the enthralling world of synthesizers and witness O Z Hall's outstanding entry, "Zebra Synth", in the Synthesizers.com Composition Contest. Crafted with unparalleled precision and technique, this remarkable composition combines an array of captivating sounds that will take you on a breathtaking sonic journey.
Hall masterfully utilizes three distinctive patches in "Zebra Synth" to create an immersive soundscape. The first patch features a drone made using a Q106A oscillator, which is meticulously processed by a wave folder. Another oscillator, intertwined with linear FM from the wavefolder output, results in a fascinating "clang tone" that is beautifully amplified by a digital reverb.
In the second patch, a sequenced voice is artfully produced by employing two re-paneled Q106 oscillators. One output is channeled into the input of the linear FM, which subsequently provides intriguing timbral variations. The Q119A sequencer's 3rd row masterfully controls a Ratchet effect, adding even further depth to the composition. An expertly-applied digital delay effect enriches the output of this patch.
Lastly, the lead voice is ingeniously designed using the Q169 Dual Oscillator with Pulse Width modulation. O Z Hall skillfully manipulates the 24db/oct low pass filter in real-time to deliver an electrifying performance. The extended digital delay effect ties the entire sonic experience together. O Z Hall's "Zebra Synth" draws its arsenal of modular synthesis tools from the Synthesizers.com catalog, including Q106, Q106A, Q119A, Q171, Q148, Q127, Q169, Q168, Q167, Q114, Q174, and Q175A modules. The creative process has been meticulously executed, showcasing how these modules can be combined to engineer a rich and dynamic sound adventure.
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" The Q169 Oscillator++ module combines two audio oscillators offering an amazing array of cross-modulation possibilities, along with an LFO, envelope generator and sample-and-hold functions - all gracefully organized on a triple-wide 5U panel. Oscillator++ can be used as a dual oscillator in a traditional synth patch, as a stand-alone voice, as a pair of FM operators for additive synthesis, as independent functions, or as a complex modulation source. Go from tame to chaos with the turn of a knob. Both audio oscillators are paired with a VC amplifier, and each can modulate the others pitch, pulse width and amplitude at the same time and in variable amounts. A cross-modulation extravaganza!"
"This is a demo of the R24 sequencer. I wanted a portable sequencing solution that was fun to play. I mounted the GRP R24 sequencer in a Synthesizers.com QCP22 Portable Cabinet. I have a number of modules, including the new Synthesizers.com Q169 and Q168 Oscillator++ Combo, providing oscillator/env/amp as well as raw noise. I've also got two Z506 Swiss Daisy DSP modules, a well as bandpass filter, VCA, mixers, etc.
There are 4 voices total. Here are the voices in order of 'introduction':
1) Z506 Swiss Daisy DSP in voice/delay mode. CV/Gate from R24 Row 1.
2) The Q169 oscillator 1 processed through the Swiss Daisy DSP for VCF/VCA/ADSR. CV/Gate from R24 Row 2.
3) The Q169 oscillator 2 set to a noise waveform and processed through the Q169 VCA 2/AD envelope. Gate from R24 Row 2.
4) The noise from the Q168 is processed through a VCA/ADSR. The timbre is modulated by a multimode filter (mostly bandpass). Filter CV/Gate from R24 Row 3.
I hope you enjoy watching this as much as I enjoyed making the video!"
"The Synthesizers.com Q169 Oscillator ++ dual oscillator forms the main voice. Oscillator 2 is synced to Oscillator 1. The Voice of Saturn 10 step sequencer drives this jam. I'm manipulating the gates and the sequence length, as well as delay amount and time on the Swiss Daisy DSP module from Zebra Synth."
"This is a demo of the new Q169 Oscillator++ with Q168 Aid, new from Synthesizers.com.
The only additonal gear was 1) Digital Delay 2) Sequencer 4) LFO++ 5) passive attenuator.
Digital Delay provided by the Swiss Daisy DSP by Zebra Synth.
Note that for VCO2 (synced sound) I'm using the new 'anti-sine' wave.
'The anti-sine wave is like subtracting a sine wave from a triangle wave and produces interesting harmonics.' with the fundamental removed, the other harmonics are much louder."
The Q169 Oscillator++ module combines two audio oscillators offering an amazing array of cross-modulation possibilities, along with an LFO, envelope generator and sample-and-hold functions - all gracefully organized on a triple-wide 5U panel.
"I was looking at the @synthesizersdotcom Q167 LFO++ the other day and almost bought a couple more used Q106 oscillators last week. Meanwhile, I'm lucky enough to have gotten a message from James of Synthesizers.com to meet up with a few others for dinner while he's in town, and look at what he drops in front of me. Still very much a prototype, but what a powerful beast of a prototype! I'll be one of the first in line for one of these sets when it comes out. If you were on the fence about jumping into 5U, it's never been easier. Start with a Box4 or Box11 and get that QPS6+ power supply and start adding modules."
