COMMODORE SX-64 dual SIDs, 4 pot controller, Prophet-64 and Messiah

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.
Published on Jul 20, 2015

"This SX-64 is forsale on ebay. The music you hear was generated by this SX-64 in real time recorded directly from the stereo output." Update: Be sure to listen in stereo!  There are different things happening on each channel on this one.

via this auction

Note this is Redmartian's system. He also has a Roland TR-808 and Early OSC Minimoog Model D listed.

"VINTAGE COMPUTER ANALOGUE SYNTHESIZER COMMODORE SX-64 SID PROPHET MIDI CONTROLLER

This listing is for a modified Commodore SX-64 Executive Portable Computer
It has the following modifications:
JiffyDOS (a switch on the back allows you enable CBM DOS or JiffyDOS v6.01)
SID2SID (This allows two MOS Technology SID chips to be installed version 6581)
Ray Carlsen's reset circuit
A 3.5mm stereo (SID1 and SID2) audio jack next to the JiffyDOS switch.

What it included in this listing:
Commodore SX-64 with the modifications listed above
A prophet-64 catridge (Sequencer, TB303 clone, Drum machine and Mono synth)
A Messiah cartridge with midi (Sequencer, TB303 clone, drum machine, mono synth and wave player)
Commodore SX-64 manual
Commodore 1351 mouse
A small project box with a Sequential PROPHET nameplate and 4 pots mounted for use with Prophet-64 and Messiah
The little Prophet 4 pot controller box works in conjunction with the keyboard to let you
select various functions and then tweak sounds in real time. They can be used mainly with
the TB303 clone (bassline) and the mono synth and the drum machine.
It has one epoxy repair where the keyboard cable connects. The repair is solid."

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FIRST PRODUCTION MATTSON MINI MODULAR SYNTH DEMO MINUET IN A MINOR

YouTube via redmartian
Update: I originally had the VIMEO version up, but it wouldn't play, so here's the YouTube one.

"This piece showed up as being by anonymous in Apollo's Banquet (1670) but is actually by Henry Purcell. A sounds/noises made by the MMM production model number one. The pictures are mostly taken from the 2007 PNW Synth DIY with the original MMM Pre-Production Prototype. Last photo is of Seattle at dusk on Saint Patrick's day."

Note this is demo number eight of the Mattson Mini Modular by Red Martian. I thought I'd put up demos one through seven for reference and a look back in time. Some of these originally went up as YouTube videos so the quality here is better. The following is in order starting with the first.

FIRST PRODUCTION MATTSON MINI MODULAR 07A-0001 SYNTHESIZER from RED MARTIAN on Vimeo.

"Here is the first production model Mattson Mini Modular analogue synthesizer serial number 07A-0001.

All sounds in this recording were produced on the MMM using the production run modules.

The percussion sounds were sampled and arranged on an Akai MPC-1000. The bass line was sequenced in Logic and the saw leads were recorded as performed.

The bass and lead sounds are produced using three oscillators in tune with various setting differences. The Jim Patchell filter is run with both LP and BP outputs run into stereo VCAs.

The only effect used is reverb from a t.c. electronic M-One."

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New Wave Modular Synthesizer PNW AES Meeting Pics

flickr set by matrixsynth
(click for more)

New Wave Modular Synthesizer Meeting at the PNW division of the AES, at MS Studios in Redmond WA. Manufacturers represented:

http://www.theharvestman.org/
http://flightofharmony.com/
http://mattsonminimodular.com/
http://synthwerks.com/
http://division-6.com/

Modular cases by:
http://monorocket.com/
http://synthwood.com/
http://doepfer.com/

Performances by http://redmartian.com/"

The PMS Syntar and acidlab Miami also made an appearance.

Also see the Syntar and MMM pages on Carbon111.com.

More vids will be coming. See the PNWAES label for all posts on the event.

Update: Left to right in the top shot: Scott Jaeger of The Harvestman, Stephen Jones of Red Martian and Synthwood, Scott Rise of Division-6, flight of flight of harmony, George Mattson of Mattson Mini Modular, James Husted of Synthwerks, and Steve Turnidge of Synthwerks and chair of the PNW AES section.

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Blue Light Curtain

Blue Light Curtain's Laura with KORG MicroKORG

more pics here

Blue Light Curtain on Facebook
http://www.myspace.com/bluelightcurtain


BLUE LIGHT CURTAIN - MADELINE FERGUSON - 02/20/2010 @ RENDEVOUS JEWELBOX THEATRE
YouTube via redmartian.
"Last Act Theatre put together a Steampunk theatrical show which we were honored to play. Instrumentation is Danelectro Baritone guitar, Fender Bass VI, Korg Micro, Roland JX-3p, drums and electrovibe."

Mattson Mini Modular MMM Debut @ PNW Synth DIY 2007

YouTube via redmartian.

"This is a little montage of footage shot at the PNW Synth DIY in Renton, WA. The music was composed entirely on the MMM by William Horne of inside synthesis aka williamroh."

Update via William in the comments: "I posted a much high quality version at http://insidesynthesis.com, since the YouTube compression hardly does it justice.

Only delay on the lead bits, and a highpass on the hihat were used. No chorusing, phasing, reverb, or compression/EQ, so it's overall a pretty raw sound.

I double-tracked the lead and bass parts for stereo width.

I'll make a more modern, less 80's song later. Assuming I have time - I'm only borrowing the prototype for a few days."

Thre is also a great shot of George and William in the post. Be sure to check it out.

ROLAND SYSTEM 100M VINTAGE ANALOGUE MODULAR SYNTHESIZER

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.
Published on May 15, 2016 Redmartian

"Roland System 100M using only internally generated CVs, gates and triggers."

via this auction

"This listing is for a vintage Roland System 100M analogue modular synthesizer. It features 3 x 110, 1 x 140, 1 x 150 and 1 x 191J modules.

The 100M is unique from other modulars in that it has a integrated signal path for CV, Trig and Gate which be used without (or with minimal) patching.

This is a Buy It Now listing, but offers are welcome.

110: VCO (Pulse, Saw, Tri), VCF and VCA. Two have a reversible mod that allow the low output to be used as a SYNC input (see video)
140: Dual EG / LFO
150: Sample/Track and Hold, LFO, Noise Generator
191J: Integrated multiples (40 jacks, 6 cv/gate/trig in/out, keyboard input, expansion output)

The original sides were made from an imitation wood contact sheet on particle board. The wood sides in this auction are made of solid African Bubinga hardwood.

The 191J is for the japanese market and runs off of 100v. Provided is a USA 115v to 100v step down converter. An assortment of 21 1/8" patch cables are included."

Glow in the dark slider caps as well!

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Roland Jupiter-6 Bender Circut Board Modification PXL2000

YouTube via redmartian
"A pretentious video demonstrating a Jupiter-6 with a modified bender board which allows the LFO-2 to have a much larger and useful range. See http://roland-jupiter.org/bender/ for further details."

Pacific Northwest Modular Manufacturers to Present in PNW Division of AES

via the Pacific Northwest Section of the Audio Engineering Society:

"Meet the Seattle Area Modular Manufacturers

Wednesday, February 17, 2010 - 7:30PM
Microsoft Studios
4420 148th Ave NE, Redmond WA 98052, Building 127

Our February meeting features some of the rising stars of the new wave of Modular Synthesis giving demonstrations of some innovative new products as well as showing off some of the more tried and trusted, but never completely predictable, modular delights. This will be a great opportunity to play catch-up for those of you who may be new to the world of modular synthesizers - a world of infinitely variable possibilities that started in the early 70s when modular synthesis was pretty much the only way to go. If you're old enough, think back to the Buchla, Moog 900-series, and the ARP 2600 synthesizers. If not...

In the beginning, there were several separate modules, each responsible for a specific aspect of sound creation: Voltage Controlled Oscillators (VCOs), Voltage Controlled Filters (VCFs) and Voltage Controlled Amplifiers (VCAs). It wasn't too long afterwards that Low Frequency Oscillators (LFOs), Sequencers/Arpeggiators, and Envelope Generators joined the party, creating a broad range of wonderful synthesized sounds. The flexibility of such a system was tremendous - primarily because the modules were connected together by patch cords, encouraging sound exploration and design. That flexibility came at a cost - complexity and price. The modular synths of the day were well out of range of all but the most serious musicians and academia. In addition, the different manufacturers had proprietary sizes and interfaces for their equipment.

This complexity led to an integration of functionality - the standard modules and patches that create sounds were put together and pre-patched, with control mainly of the parameters of the components, but not their order/configuration... These units incrementally came down in price until the pendulum swung furthest in the mid to late 80s. Here we had synthesizers whose human interface consisted of a couple of 7 segment LEDs and a data slider. The majority of the "patches" (named for the earlier use of patch cables to build a sound) were pre-set and canned. Much of the joy the synthesist derived from creating and manipulating their own sounds in real time evaporated. On the other hand, for live performance, a synthesizer with presets was really the only practical solution, because there was no way for a modular synthesizer to change patches quickly during performance.

Fortunately, with lead of several visionaries in the field, modular synthesis has been revived and the costs have dropped enough to become accessible to the general audience. There are new modular standards that provide opportunities for many manufacturers to make modules that interoperate seamlessly and inexpensively. On February 17th, we'll meet several of those manufacturers. Come and learn the history, state of the art, and future trends in modular synthesis.

Confirmed guests include:

* George Mattson, Mattson Modular www.mattsonminimodular.com
* James Husted, Synthwerks www.synthwerks.com
* Kevin O'Neill, Flight Of Harmony www.flightofharmony.com
* Scott Rise, Division 6 www.division-6.com
* Sebastian Jaeger, The Harvestman www.theharvestman.org
* Performance by Stephen Jones member of Red Martian http://redmartian.com

Interviews with the featured guests and more information about the new wave of modular synthesis can be found on electronicmusic.com

Steve Turnidge
AES PNW 2009-2010 Section Chair"

SEQUENTIAL CIRCUITS PROPHET-10 ANALOG SYNTHESIZER DEMONSTRATION

YouTube via redmartian
"This is a demonstration of the Sequential Circuits Prophet-10 Synthesizer."

DSI Prophet '08 Polymod Sample

Via Stephen Jones:

"Here is an example of how well a P'08 can do a polymod filter routing. I spread the output just because you can. I think it sounds quite good."

http://redmartian.com/p08/p08filtmod.mp3

Update: more samples and info here (scroll for the samples when you get there).

RED MARTIAN - YOUR COMPUTER [1993]

YouTube via redmartian
"Recorded at Hot Traxx (Garland, Texas) in 1993. Yes, I brought everything into a heavy metal recording studio in the back of an El Camino (thanks to Brian Rogers). Here is the equipment list:
- Roland SVC-350 Vocoder
- Roland Alpha Juno (bass line)
- Sequential Circuits Prophet T-8 (additional bass and solo)
- Sequential Circuits Six-Trak (lead)
- Sequential Circuits Prophet-600 (lead)
- Ensoniq Performance Sampler (ERROR 144 - REBOOT?)
- SDF-3 running BSDI BSD/386
- Telebit Trailblazer TB+ plus (calling 'adaptex' over UUCP)
- Pascal Blin (Official French Guy)
- Drums sampled from Kraftwerk's Computer World record
- Vietnamese vocal by Hoang Oanh from Hon Von Phu

The Telebit was sampled live in the studio because I did not have a SCSI interface on the EPS. The song was supposed to be released on an 'Analogue Heaven' compilation that never materialized and sat on DAT until 2004 when I remastered it and added Pascal Blin's vocal to fill in what I felt were empty spots. Pascal did not know what the words meant but was very concerned about pronouncing them correctly."

FIRST PRODUCTION MATTSON MINI MODULAR DEMO NUMBER THREE

YouTube via redmartian. Part 1 Part 2
"Here is demo number three. In this one I wanted to show the sound of the filter and oscillators.

The filter's LP and HP outs are taken and then stereo spread using two VCAs. I have three oscillators tuned at intervals and I'm using an EG to sweep the filter and VCAs.

A jupiter 6 shows up, but its only used as a MIDI controller.

The drums are the same kit used in the other two demos and are sequenced on an MPC-1000. A note, I'm not using any filtering or processing (other than setting the start/end points) on the samples. They are dry and are directly from the MMM. On this tune I only used the stereo pan effect on the knitting needle sound.

The background and towards the middle you'll hear filter frequency modulation coming in and then fading out. I'm using one oscillator and running it into the filter's modulation input and then recording on the LP output of the filter.

There are two small melodies - one uses two saw tooths and the other uses a single saw with filter modulation by an LFO.

The video footage is just me being silly, sorry. (yootoob requires visuals, which is why demo two is on vimeo only)"

BILLY CORGAN'S ICHABOD - A MATTSON MINI MODULAR - ONE NOTE ORCHESTRA - DEVIL'S TOWER

YouTube via redmartian
"This one was done back on the test bench. I wanted to make a morphing polyphonic sound that could be played with a single note. There is a part that is chromatic part that is played first and then step glided later. I believe I only used 6 oscillators with a mixture of various wave forms using the Voltage Controlled Control Voltage mixer for movement.

The picture was taken at Devil's Tower Wyoming."
http://mattsonminimodular.com

MATTSON MINI MODULAR INSIDE AND OUT

YouTube via redmartian
"Here is a short piece of music performed on the Mattson Mini Modular as well as several pictures of my personal system."

Pacific Northwest Synth 2009 - The Harvestman

YouTube via matrixsynth.

http://www.theharvestman.org
click here for all PNW 2009 coverage.

Update: transcription via redmartian on muff's:

"Hi I'm Scott from the harvestman I've got a few new modules to show this year.

The first is the Hertz Donut digital oscillator, its a dual digital oscillator with an internal modulation buss, which is sort of inspired by the Buchla 259e in arrangement and interface .. it does its own thing .. take a listen to it.

You know you can do a nice clean sine wave .. there is also a waveform discontinuity parameter which is kind of a simple wave shaper .. here is what it sounds on sine. But its a bit more interesting on a triangle wave. Its pretty simple on the sawtooth. You know you can .. there is also a completely separate modulation oscillator both halves of the module track 1 volt per octave but you can assign the modulator to frequency modulate the primary which is through zero or you can also modulate the waveform discontinuity and there is also a simple amplitude modulation and combinations of the three. There is also a pitch tracking mode where you can have frequency and modulator track the primary there are different settings and lagging in different .. and going on all .. that accurate which gets interesting when you start frequency modulating it will jump all over the place.

There is also .. There is also a clean tracking mode with no lag which is useful for having a set interval for the frequency modulation and double start loops or whatever. So yeah, just last night I complete the 2.0 firmware with an algorithm which adds a few new features first of all the maximum sampling rate is doubled. The maximum bit depth is now up to 10 bits from 8. The bit depth is also disabled when the internal wave shaper is on because some of the feedback modes it can cause it to walk up without producing audio so instead of having the bit depth control in that mode do other interesting modifications .. here is the sweep of the bit depth .. and the sampling rate. lets run through the wave shape .. this is just a sine wave. So yeah thats how the module sounds now.

I also added a feedback input jack on the Time Safari delay which makes the expansion a lot more interesting. can now be feedback into the module without having to use an external mixer. Also my feedback console is now complete adding to the quad pedal preamp is a 4x4 matrix mixer which allows you to make a feedback network out of four guitar peddle chains. So this this pedal board over here just has delays, pitch shifters and ... no input signal at all its just feedback. "

SEQUENTIAL CIRCUITS PROPHET-5 REV 2 SN 1090

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated. SEQUENTIAL CIRCUITS PROPHET-5 REV 2 - SEVERED HEADS - DEAD EYES OPENED

YouTube Uploaded by redmartian on Sep 3, 2012

"Showing that this rev 2 Prophet-5 works and sounds like it should." via this auction More pics at the auction including some of the inside below. See the seller's other items for more. "This auction is for a working Rev 2 Sequential Circuits Prophet-5 analogue synthesizer. The synth was recently serviced by Greg Montalbano of Analog Synth Service and has had several updates done: Cassette Mod (allows for programs to be transfered using AFSK) Power supply mod: eliminates the +12 and -5 DC supplies for better stability +5v ROMs installed, final version, digital board modified for this (part of power mod) power supply recap, trim, digital and analogue calibration Includes a new pack of keyboard bushings (the bushings are currently good, no clacky keys) digital and analogue board power rails have been recapped battery shows 3.0v The previous owner had a remote keyboard and pedal setup for this unit. That required additional jacks be mounted in the back, including a 5 pin DIN style connector. The modification was removed by Greg and two of the jacks were used for the cassette mod. The DIN connector is still installed, but not wired. This could be used for a MIDI IN connection at some point in the future. The pitch wheel has also been modified so that it change the pitch UP by two octaves. In the video I try to demonstrate the following: All notes trigger, no double triggering factory programs load and sound as they should manual mode: near zero beat tuning between oscillator 1 and 2 unison tuning filter harmonics (the rev2/SSM is famous for this sound), slow LFO sweep poly-mod VCO 2 modulating PW of 1 (rev 2 is also famous for this as the SSM VCOs tend to be less stable than the CEMs in the rev 3)..."

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The MMM Mattson Mini Modular TAKE 2!

YouTube via redmartian.
"Mattson Mini Modular Portable Modular Analogue Synthesizer." Follow up to this post.

TOM ELLARD MEETS THE PDP-12 AT THE LIVING COMPUTER MUSEUM

Published on Sep 24, 2015 Redmartian

"Tom was introduced to the PDP-12 while Stephen Jones was working through the restoration effort in the summer of 2013. Stephen sent videos to Tom and it made an appearance in the interactive fiction game [H.H.] Here Tom is experiencing the PDP-12 for the first time running a program called Kaleidoscope in which the user manipulates two dials (X and Y) which are then sampled and used in producing the image on the screen. The -12 has a speaker and every time accumulator 0 is used a flip flop generates a pulse or square wave. Based on how quickly this occurs you will usually hear this square wave in the audio range. The speaker has been amplified for this video."

I asked Red Martian when the PDP-12 came out and how it produced audio:

"1971, though it goes back to the LINC and LINC-8 computers starting in 1960. It has an analog to digital converter which can sample from 8 multi-turn pots and 8 1/4" jacks as well as a bank of 6 relays for switching things. The tone you hear is a flip flop producing a square wave at a frequencing in the audio range everytime accumlator 0 is used. So depending on how busy the system is doing the calculations for plotting points on the X/Y display in kaleidoscope you get a different frequency, sometimes FMish sounding.

I bypassed the speaker and wired in an amplifier for the sake of Severed Head's visit."

PDP stands for Programmed Data Processor. Wikipedia has page on it that goes through the history of the PDP line. On the PDP-12: "Descendant of the LINC-8; with slight redesign, and different livery, officially followed by, and marketed as, the 'Lab-8'."

http://www.livingcomputermuseum.org

MMM MATTSON MINI MODULAR AMPLITUDE FOLLOWER TEST

YouTube via redmartian http://mattsonminimodular.com/
"I'm using a new prototype Amplitude Follower module with the source being a Gibson Les Paul. The AF triggers a gate based on a threshold level. There is also a secondary gate which can be delayed by several seconds.

The patch is very simple: Two VCFs swept by two ADSRs on the two gates (one slightly delayed) from the AF. One VCF is LP and the other is HP and panned stereo."

THE HARVESTMAN PISTON HONDA DEMONSTRATION AES PNW SECTION 2010

YouTube via redmartian

"The Harvestman demonstrates the Piston Honda at the AES PNW Section Meeting February 2010"

THE HARVESTMAN HERTZ DONUT DEMONSTRATION AES PNW SECTION MEETING 2010

"The Harvestman demonstrates the HERTZ DONUT module a the AES PNW Section Meeting Feb 2010"