Casio VZ-1 the forgotten answer to the DX-7

video upload by synthlegends

"The Casio VZ-1 was released in 1988 after the successful CZ line and became Casio's flagship synthesizer, replacing the CZ-1 at the top end as an ansewr to the DX-7 from Yamaha. The VZ-1 takes a hybrid approach to its sound generation. Where the CZ line used Phase Distortion Synthesis and the Yamaha DX line used Phase Modulation (incorrectly advertised as FM), the VZ-1 uses Phase Distortion for ring modulation and waveform generation but true Frequency Modulation Synthesis to generate harmonics. It is very complicated to program. The results are quite metallic sounds, very nice for bells and for PPG wave similar tones, just without that nice resonance filter from the PPG. It has basically 8 operators and you can layer 8 saw waves and get wide stereo spread sounds. It definitaly has its own character and sounds different to the DX line and less warm then the CZ line. But it is much more versatile than the CZ synths. In this video I did not use any FX just to demonstrte the raw tone of the Caiso. When using a bit reverb or delay, it really shines and the synth can sound also quite modern and useful in present productions. It is a very underrated synth which you can find for less than 200 bucks."

KORG Introduces the microKORG Crystal 20th Anniversary Special Edition

video upload by Korg

Buy now: on Reverb

Note auction links are affiliate links. See the site's privacy policy for more info.

"Crystalizing two decades of the microKORG legacy.

In 2002, the compact, mini-key microKORG synthesizer was introduced, presenting musicians with ready-to-use lead synth and string pad sounds, arpeggiators, a powerful Vocoder, and portability with battery-power operation.

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of its release, the special edition microKORG Crystal offers a unique and stylish take on this beloved synth - now a classic in its own right. It features a semi-translucent chassis that lets you see the electronics and internals. Even the controllers are semi-transparent, including the knobs, dials, and wheels! It has a stainless mirror-finish front panel blurring the limits between you and your instrument and aluminum side panels for a sturdy feel, and clean and depurated look.

The microKORG Crystal includes a dedicated carry bag made of transparent vinyl, showcasing the transparent body of the instrument so that you can show off your microKORG on and off stage.

The track you hear in this video is by Natalie Chami aka TALsounds www.talsounds.com. All sounds used are from the microKORG."

microKORG Crystal: two decades of microKORG legacy

video upload by Korg

"The microKORG was originally released in 2002 and has remained strong for two decades. Countless tracks and artists have made use of the amazing possibilities of the microKORG magic, so that it continues to be one of the most popular choices for musicians on stage and in the studio.
microKORG Crystal is the ultimate reincarnation of this iconic synth - don’t miss it!"

Additional details and pics:

"A shining homage to two decades of microKORG legacy

The instruments that musicians recognize as “classics” are those that are loved and always in use, regardless of times and trends. The word “classic” symbolizes musical instruments that are revolutionary in their field. There may be imitations of a classic, but the distinct character of the original shines more brilliantly and is only enhanced by time.

Two decades ago, the portable, battery powered microKORG was born with a radical new micro-keybed, a powerful Vocoder and ready-to-use sounds ideal for contemporary genres delivering countless hit performances, and instantly revolutionizing the way musicians played and! This compact sound monster introduced synthesis to a vast number of non keyboard playing musicians and created a way of making music we now take for granted: a small keyboard resting unassumingly atop a larger one onstage, made for use by hobbyists and pros alike and finding itself front and center of studios worldwide from the smallest bedroom to the largest pro recording facility.

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of its release, the special edition microKORG Crystal offers a unique and stunningly stylish take on this beloved synth - now a classic in its own right.

20th anniversary model

The microKORG was originally released in 2002 and has remained strong for two decades. Countless tracks and artists have made use of the amazing possibilities of the microKORG magic, so that it continues to be one of the most popular choices for musicians on stage and in the studio. microKORG Crystal is the ultimate reincarnation of this iconic synth - don’t miss it!

“Skeleton” type semi-translucent chassis, with matching knobs and controls

Previously unchanged, the microKORG Crystal features a new take on the structure of the microKORG, with a semi-translucent chassis that lets you see the electronics and internals. Even the controllers are semi-transparent, including the knobs, dials and wheels. As a commemorative model, the microKORG Crystal is great fun to look at from any angle, and as its name suggests, it “crystalizes” the energy and feelings of the KORG team behind its birth.

A panel with a beautiful sheen

The microKORG Crystal features a stainless mirror-finish front panel that blends perfectly with the semi-translucent knobs and dials, blurring the limits between you and your instrument and providing a cosmetic impact never seen in any other musical instrument.

Aluminum side panels for a sturdy feel

The original microKORG featured wooden side panels that suggested a retro feel, serving as an elegant accent to the analog modeled synth engine. This new special microKORG features sleek aluminum side panels for a clean and depurated look.

Dedicated transparent carry bag included

The microKORG Crystal includes a dedicated carry bag made of transparent vinyl, showcasing the transparent microKORG Crystal body, so you can show off your microKORG on and off stage.

Included items:

AC adapter
condenser microphone
dedicated transparent carry bag
All other specs are the same as for the microKORG."

Priced at $529.99

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Live Hardware Electronic Music Featuring Rascal Rae and Ea5e95

video upload by Patchwerks

"Live electronic music featuring Seattle artists Rascal Rae and Ea5e95.

Rascal Rae likes pushing buttons and musical boundaries within the world of electronic music. They enjoy playing live with an ever-evolving cast of hardware devices to deliver joy on the dance floor through their whimsical approach to music production and performance. Known for their Digitakt chops, Rae's love of sampling shines through no matter what musical styles they're playing.
soundcloud.com/thatonerae
Instagram: @‌rascal_rae

Ea5e95, member of an international art collective from the 2000's called OKIZOO. Japan based under music and creative expression expression crew. Emcee, Dj and now producer/artist. Art, love and life is way. Influences include Jazz, triphop, underground hiphop, and many others soundcloud.com/jQWnCA3CFSr1Y5oY8

/ @robertbrowniejr .
Instagram @‌ea5e95

https://www.patchwerks.com
Video by: Steven Ly and Matthew Piecora"

ARP Solus Monophonic Analog Synthesizer with Built-in Case SN 2353329

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

via this auction

"1980 Arp Solus monophonic analog synthesizer in excellent condition. All sliders, keys, inputs, outputs, knobs and functions work as intended. The synth was regularly serviced and calibrated. The Arp Solus is light and built into it's own hard shell case, which makes it optimal for touring.

Only 500-600 of these were made. This one is serial# 329 (2353 is the model # followed by the 3-digit serial). This was the last monosynth that Arp produced before shutting down in the early 80s.

I'm going to say something controversial - I think the Solus is both unique from and superior to the Odyssey. It was designed with synth leads in mind - probably to appeal to touring musicians who wanted a lightweight, compact synth to put on top of their big CS80s and PolyMoogs. In my opinion, the quality of sound is where the Solus shines. The design of its filter is the result of years of learning from bugs and mishaps on the Odyssey filter. The Solus includes truly explosive FM, ring modulation, and reverse envelope capabilities in place of the Odyssey's S/H circuit. The Solus' oscillators are also variable waveforms, unlike the Odyssey's square or sawtooth waveforms. The Solus is very loud and present in a mix - perfect for bass lines and leads, whereas the Odyssey sits a bit further back in a mix."

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Sounds of the Yamaha TG77 Synthesizer

video uploads by silverlight2004db

Playlist with 30 videos starting with: "An ambient journey on the Yamaha TG77 synthesizer. With it's layering capabilities and long looping envelopes the TG77 shines on complex evolving soundscapes. All sounds from the TG77, played in one take and routed through the Lexicon PCM80 effects unit. PCM80 effects designed by Italo De Angelis. Recorded on New Years Day in Bali 2020 (March 25th), otherwise known as Nyepi or 'Day Of Silence'. Hope you enjoy!"

You'll find some programming demos as well.

The ADSR - Why do you need one? Understanding ADSR Envelopes, their behaviour and uses in Eurorack

video upload by AJH Synth Official

"There are many forms of envelope generator, and simpler forms of EG are popular nowadays, for convenience and space-saving, but is the good old Attack/Decay/Sustain/Release or ADSR envelope still worth having? All forms of EG have their pros and cons, so here we'll take a look at how the ADSR works, and some examples of why you might want at least one in your Eurorack case. The focus here is on usage with a keyboard, as this is where a full envelope really shines, since it can also do the same job as simpler forms, such as AD, AR, etc.
The DH-ADSR featured in this video is an expanded version of a single envelope from the Contour Generators module, and so it is also based on the classic all-analogue Minimoog EG section, and shares it's characteristic behaviour. It adds a separate control for Decay and Release, along with an inverted output, with two voltage ranges set by an internal jumper. It also has a 'Slow' mode, for very long envelope times, and a looping/repeating re-trigger function, meaning that it can be used as an LFO, with custom rise, hold, and fall times, or as a delayed envelope for use in conjunction with another EG in order to create complex, evolving envelopes.
See our User Guide video for more about this module:

The AJH SYNTH Eurorack range consists of high-end modules, all hand-made in the UK, most of which are based on classic, vintage designs, authentically recreating the circuitry of much sought-after analogue instruments and technologies of the past, whilst greatly expanding them, and bringing them to modern Eurorack levels of convenience, limitless flexibility, and reliability.

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

Video by @DreamsOfWires"

Polyend Play + Eurorack jamming (IDM or something)

video upload by sucik

"Polyend Play is playing drums and sequencing all eurorack stuff via Polyend Poly 1:). Drums samples were also preprepared by me (sampled from Elektron A4)
Eurorack is responsible for all the melodies.
Play shines when it comes to sequencing. The fact that it's very simple and straghtforward + nice visual feedback (you can see all 8 tracks at once) boosts creativity."

Oberheim OB-SX - 56 brand new presets - available as sys ex and EPROM image file

video upload by The Synth King

"New sounds for a preset synth ??

Breathe new life into your trusty Oberheim OB-SX !! You´ll get 56 brand new synth preset sounds as midi sysex file (for MLAB magic box user) and as EPROM image file replacing the old factory presets.

Honestly, this synth can do more than flutes, trumpets and clarinets. In my opinion it shines with juicy pads, cutting leads, fat unison basses and brassy synth sounds and that is exactly what you´ll get with this sound set.

https://www.particular-sound.de/downl...

Enjoy the video and support my channel !
Best wishes for 2023 !
Bernd"

Black Corporation ISE-NIN: Just the Presets (No Talk, No Reverb!)

video upload by Mostly Synths and Keyboards (Logan)

"ISE-NIN with no reverb, compression, EQ, or any other processing. Just the volume was raised.

This video was recorded during my first couple days with the ISE-NIN, which is the best sounding polysynth I've ever owned. I started with the presets and I'm partial to the 'vintage' bank. I did this video in a hurry so I apologize for it being unpolished- I was just so excited to get some sounds of the ISE-NIN online because there's not enough demos of it.

The synth is not without faults (mostly little bugs that could maybe be fixed in a firmware update) but I'm glad I bought it. It's an outstanding instrument of the highest caliber. I'm hoping its quality shines through my amateurish video."

Hypnotic jam with Arturia MiniFreak, Dreadbox Erebus, Mystic Circuits IDUM, and other eurorack drums

video upload by Jay Hosking

"Please support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jayhosking
A live, semi-improvised synth jam performed entirely on hardware.

I had the MiniFreak and Erebus set up for an exploratory livestream on my Patreon, and totally stumbled across this combination of MiniFreak drone and Erebus bass with fifths. I'd also been tinkering with modifications to my eurorack drum setup, so I decided to quickly integrate the two together and capture something loose and fun. This came together extremely fast and I love how easy it was to get into the flow.

The MiniFreak and new Erebus are both brand new to me, and early impressions with both have extremely positive. I try a lot of gear and expect that I won't connect with much of it, so I was pleasantly surprised when I found myself saying, "Oh, yeah, this is great" for both of them.

The MiniFreak shines in its oscillators (especially those from Noise Engineering!) and its robust effects section, with three effects slots and far better sound than most integrated effects on big fancy flagship synths. There are so many bread and butter sounds the MiniFreak can give you, but it can also give you some wonderfully weird and warbly unique sounds that I haven't been able to get from a hardware synth.

The Erebus is exactly what I want in a desktop mono synth: small profile, huge sound, what-you-see-is-what-you-get settings, flexibility in sound design, great bass, and fun to explore. This one seems like a no-brainer if you're on the market for a desktop mono synth for a hardware setup, especially if you need something to contrast against Moog monos. Thanks so much to Michael for building this Erebus for me! (They have/had both DIY and pre-built kits.)

And then there's my eurorack drum machine, which continues to be my favourite way to add drums to a track. Two recent additions include the Mystic Circuits IDUM (to add a lot of hectic variety to the drum sequence) and the WMD Fracture (which is my new favourite clap/perc module). Really liking where this drum machine is going, though I'm going to try at least one more configuration.

All in all, this one really captured a moment in time and was a blast to explore. I may leave this setup on the table for a little more exploration.

Thanks for listening.

Arturia MiniFreak - Drone pad
Dreadbox Erebus with Source Audio Ventris - bass
Eurorack drums:
- ALM Busy Circuits Pamela's New Workout - clock and many LFOs
- Prok drums (3) - kick, snare, hats
- WMD Fracture - clap/perc
- Mutable Instruments Grids - drum sequencing
- Mystic Circuits IDUM - drum sequencing spice/character/glitch
- Intellijel Mixup and Duatt - drum mixing
- Happy Nerding FX Aid XL - drum colour/compression
- Endorphin.es Golden Master 1U - compression & EQ
- Intellijel Mixer 1U - final drum mix out

Performed and recorded live, with EQ, compression, and limiting on the master.

https://jayhosking.bandcamp.com"

Rare Original Roland SH-3

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

via this auction

"Rare Roland Sh3, not to be confused with Sh3 a.

This version is rumored to have less then 30 units in circulation, which is why I hesitate to let it go.

Fantastic rival to my SH5, more raw and organic sounding then the Roland synthesizers that came afterwards.

The VCS3 diode filter really shines through on this instrument.

From my understanding this instrument has had a service history according to the previous owner.

The instruments plays and functions perfectly so I believe the previous owner about it’s service record considering this instrument is from 1974."

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Korg M500 Micro Preset - Synthesizer Demo

video upload by NGC0 Music

"Finally got my hands on this one, a bit rare these days, vintage mono little beast from the 70s (late 70s I think) made by Korg. It's a bit unconventional, as it's from the times when there was no real standards on synth nomenclatures, so each company had their own "words" for stuff like "Cutoff Filter". (Here it's a horizontal fader called "Traveler", which also controls the resonance). I hope you can hear on this video how beautiful this thing sounds, in. my opinion, it really shines on leads with vibrato, it can get very expressive, for something with so little controls.

The M500 is going straight to my audio interface, there it's going to an emulation of a tape echo (UAD Galaxy Echo)."

::OUTERSPACE VOYAGE:: on space cruiser PULSAR 23

video upload by kapillarkraft

"Well, the Pulsar 23 does a good job being a drum synthesizer/machine, but this time it shines at being a spaceship AND time machine. It can instantly sound like 60ies electronica, so it took me back to my favourite retro science fiction fantasies and influences.
Plain Pulsar 23, no overdubs, no external fx.
Thanks for tuning in!"

Korg Nautilus – STR-1 plucked string sound engine

video upload by Korg UK

"Based on Korg’s history of physical modelling, the STR-1 sound engine within Nautilus uses struck and plucked string modelling to produce sounds that respond to a player’s touch in a way simply not possible with traditional PCM sound generation.

This sound engine shines at producing sounds whose tone responds to your touch in ways that are difficult for a PCM sound engine to reproduce: acoustic guitar, electric guitar, harpsichord, clavinet, harp, bell, as well as ethnic instruments. It also goes much further, allowing you to synthesize and modify sounds that do not exist in reality. This is a sound engine of the future, one that allows the synthesizer programmer to construct truly new sounds."

Lite2Sound listening to the highway lights

video upload by EA78751

"There are hidden layers of reality for example the sounds of modulated light. We're on the highway listening with a Lite2Sound photodiode amplifier. A few decades ago you wouldn't be hearing so many types of interesting tones and frequencies. But now almost every light is modulated and it all blends together like a free ambient soundtrack. On the highway there is also the sound of air turbulence, you hear it whenever a light shines towards the sensor while passing through turbulent air in the wake of a vehicle. I'm disappointed though, this was supposed to be a stereo recording, but by accident the camera only recorded in mono. Location: San Antonio (2022). Rarewaves.net / Lite2sound.com"

Lemondrop and West Pest Synth Combined: Complex and Simple

video upload by Axis of Wold

"Hi!
In this video I try to show you how to make the best of Lemondrop from @1010music and West Pest from @Cre8audio. I send the audio and midi from West Pest through Lemondrop, and it gets very complex sonically without sacrificing simplicity for the musician. I think the combination shines!
IMHO, they make possible a complex sonic world that would have appealed to Don Buchla, the inventor of the so-called West Coast synthesis.

I really enjoyed making this video and my hope is that you will enjoy it, too!

Cheers!"

White Model Philips PMC 100 Synthesizer Composer SN 0033020 w/ Original Box & Manuals

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

via this auction

"From the designer of the SFX peripherals for the Commodore 64, came this curious little box — the Personal Media Composer (PMC) 100. It's got a Yamaha two-operator FM chip, a membrane keyboard (flat, but not capacitive like the EDP Wasp) and its most striking feature, the built-in cassette deck. This allowed you to save your compositions as either sound or data, or it could function as a Walkman or dictaphone. The PMC 100 came in black or (a much rarer) white.

The main voice is monophonic, with simple preset accompaniment rhythms (with 15 options for the rhythm's voice) controlled by the 'Gling' safe-note system. This heavily limits its potential as a solo instrument, not only because the beats are laughably thin but because the accompanying voices are fixed in their patterns.

There are 100 preset melody voices, mostly the standard Yamaha PortaSound two-op noises, but there's also a surprising amount of useable sound effects and slow, evolving (but moving in very obvious digital steps) pads. It's charming in its own incredibly lo-fi way.

The real area where it shines, though, is the step sequencer. It's visualized on an LCD screen in full stave notation with rock-steady tempo, adjustable to insane degrees! Notes can be edited in or out of the sequence at will. If this thing had MIDI out it would have become a cult classic.

Sadly, though, it was a flop in terms of sales. It's not that hard to understand why; even by the mid-eighties this thing would have been considered comical and there's little hope of understanding the architecture without a manual. Still, it's a great curio to have in any synth collection and can even be useful for some styles or when buried in a mix."

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Circuit Bent Camera - Pocket Glitchamatic demo

video upload by LoFiFuture

"The Pocket Glitchamatic is available to pre-order for one last time here! https://lofifutureshop.square.site/pr...

Since this is the last batch I'll be making of this design I thought I'd put together another collection of footage from the camera, this time footage filmed out of a train window. It was filmed in the cameras 640x480 VGA resolution which I think looks quite nice!

The LoFi Future Pocket Glitchamatic is a re-housed circuit bent camera based on a currently produced generic branded 5MP digital camera (capable of recording 720p AVI video files)

The circuit bends are brought out onto the new front panel in for form of six push buttons (5 latching one momentary for the GLITCH! function)

The Effects...
The pair of latching buttons labelled NEON result in a pink and green colour pallet that capture bright scenes in a surreal light. One of these buttons turns the effect on and off, while the other switches between two effect types. The dual-coloured led signifies the selected mode by either shining green, or red and will not illuminate when the effect is turned off.

The other pair latching buttons labelled BANDING create banding effects across the image. There are two types of banding and can both be selected at once. The bi colour LED here shines red for one mode, green for the other and orange when both are selected at once.

The latching button labelled NOISE introduces a cool lofi, grainy noise with a blue/purple hue. The single colour LED signifies when this effect is on or off.

All of the effects mentioned above reliably produce valid video files and pictures just like it was originally intended with the unmodified camera.

The GLITCH! button however creates unexpected, heavy glitches that veer into the unstable and experimental. It is a momentary button for this reason. In video mode it produces major frame drops in the recorded footage (you wont see this apparent on screen at the time of recording) Used sparingly in video mode, it can produce some great corruption effects. but go to heavy with it and it will spit out an unplayable video file!

In photo mode the GLITCH! button is a much more usable tool, though it sometimes will create a corrupt image file, it has a much better success rate in creating glitch imagery you could never have imagined! Its a truly experimental effect for the adventurous artist willing to accept the odd corrupt file for some heavy glitch gold!

Specifications:
Video: AVI (1280 x 720 or 640 x 480 resolution)
Photo: JPEG (2592 x 1944 or 2048 x 1536 resolution)
USB web cam mode resolution up to 640 x 480
Internal rechargeable battery life (3+ hours of use on a single charge, or can be powered externally via USB)
MicroSD card slot (up to 32GB)"

V.A.I. 56 Elka Wilgamat / Multivox MX-3000

video upload by Vintage Audio Institute Italia

"With a little help from external effects, the Wilgamat auto accompaniment machine really shines brighter than a lot of the other Tanz-nite units out there.
It's a good match with the rare Multivox MX-3000 in our opinion, lots of wonky tones you really don't get out of your standard Roland / Korg gear.

The Multivox synthesizer is really a 4 section divide down string machine and poly synth with an added Monophonic synth section.
It's a little reminiscent of the Crumar Composer but the polyphonic section really has more going on - with a great filter, slide and glide modulation, two different choruses and on and on.
We're still exploring the complete set of possibilities of this beast of a string machine / mono combo. It might even make a great cappuccino.

Vintage Audio Institute is a gear vendor and recording facility in Florence Italy - we make these videos for fun in our spare time."

Simesky+Fritch - Such Imperfection

7" Radio Edit - Glorified Lyric Video video upload by Alex Simesky

A new track from supporting member Alex Simesky who had the following to say about the release:

"The genesis of Such Imperfection comes from a demo tape that I did a few years ago. At the time I had eliminated the computer from the studio to get back to my roots - recording synth demos on cassette tapes. The original groove was recorded with Roland TR-505, MS-20 and electric guitars. This idea was then expanded using some of Arturia's V Collection synths like the SEM V (bass), CZ V (pads) and Emulator II V (drums and bass). A once in a lifetime encounter with Fritch lead to the finished track, for which he came up with the lyrics and the vox."

And the description with links from the video:

"A future retro love-letter to gloss-polished pop, neon nu-wave and cool indie.

As the decades collide from The Cure, Peter Gabriel and Brian Eno to Tears for Fears, Royksopp and Robyn, every sweetly honed sonic shines sultry. And in extending that love letter to the best lost tradition of A-side and B-side 80’s vinyl, the 7” edit arrives with a full 12” mix that weaves synthwave with prog-glam and grandeur. This is lo-fi turned hi-fi and glistening.

Living in Belgium, United Simesky Institutes has worked with Budapest Scoring Orchestra and scored high with releases of sweet 80’s synthwave amongst the ranks of Vice & We Write About Music. Fritch comes from Wales, and comes fresh from an album that gained 5-star comparisons to Bowie’s Blackstar and Scott Walker. This is music that moves across boundaries, this is UK and Belgium combined.

But right here a new cult is created. Right here is a new sound entirely.

With shared production, shared writing, shared artwork, shared visions, the debut single from Simesky+Fritch is a celebration of a meeting of minds. It’s a lean synth-kissed passion for pop.

Spotify pre-save here (single out on the 1st of July 2022): https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/sim...

https://simeskyandfritch.com/"