Synth Rorschach #49: Roland JD-Xi synthesizer demo | sthlm2

Published on Mar 7, 2017 Woody Piano Shack

"My own Roland JD-Xi synthesizer pattern and demo with footage shot in Stockholm on a late summer day."

Synth Rorschach at 1:04. What does it remind you of?

Synth Rorschach #48: MULTICS is ALIVE - booting MR12.6e 6180 emulation

Published on Feb 19, 2017 Redmartian

"This panel came from the University of Michigan and likely hasn't been driven this way in well over 20 years. Here we see the 6180 Multics emulator reading the switches set on the panel to 024000717200 and the initialize button been pressed to boot the virtual machine. The 6180 Maintenance Panel is being driven by a Xilinx BASYS3 which in run drives two logic boards that are cabled into the 6180 panel wiring harness. All switches and lamps are available to the emulator and you can dial through the scroll to check the various states of the machine. Once Multics has booted you'll see the famous Idle Pattern (or snake). Multics lives once again!"

Reminds me of Digisound meets EMS, meets something else I forget at the moment.

See the Synth Rorschach label below for more.

Synth Rorschach #47: Modular Ford GT

Photo credit Kurt Bradley, via jalopnik.

Serge & Buchla jacks!

See the Synth Rorschach label below for previous posts.

Synth Rorschach #46: Box of Pot

A box of pot/cannabis/marijuana

What do you see?

Spotted this one on BoingBoing.

More Synth Rorschachs here.

Synth Rorschach #45: Historic Computers

This is just a handful of them.  See Creative Review for the rest. Spotted this one on Boing Boing.

Left reminds me of a Doepfer eurorack. The second pic below reminds me of colored banana jack DIY modules. The one below it reminds me of the Sal-Mar. Serge below it and finally the $40,000 Holland SM2000 Eurorack Modular Synthesizer bottom. Tagging them in the labels below just for reference.

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Synth Rorschach #44: AKAT-1 from 1950

via Boing Boing

Like someone meshed a Buchla Music Easel, EMS Hi-Fli, and Doepfer modules along with an oscilloscope.

See more Synth Rorschachs here.

Synth Rorschach #43: Rogue Wave - "What Is Left To Solve" (Official Audio)

Published on Feb 8, 2016 Easy Sound Recording Co.

Whole lotta synth rorschach going on in this one. What do you see? For me, the punch cards reminded me of the 1974 RMI KC-1 Keyboard Computer ; the switches as well for that matter.

"Official premiere for 'What Is Left To Solve' by Rogue Wave.
From the new album Delusions Of Grand Fur, out April 29th!
Download: http://radi.al/DelusionsofGrandFur"

Cool Guys Don't Look At Explosions - JJ Abrams on Keys

Uploaded on Jun 5, 2009 thelonelyisland

Told you he was into synths. This one in via skkatter in the comments of Synth Rorschach #44.

"Here's the song we made for the 2009 MTV Movie Awards. Featuring Will Ferrell and JJ Abrams.
Originally Aired 5/31/09"

Synth Rorschach #42: JJ Abrams Synth Reference in Star Wars The Force Awakens

So did anyone else catch the synth reference in The Force Awakens? Hint: It has to do with that planet in the right of the image on the left. If so, leave a comment, and please do not reveal any other spoilers for those who haven't seen it yet, although anyone that hasn't might be due for some punishment. I've seen it twice already in 3D and 2D - a note on which was a better experience for me is below. That said, if you haven't seen the film yet do not look in the comments, but see my note directly below.

And for those that do not know, JJ Abrams is into synths.

A small tip for those that haven't seen the film yet: I saw it the first time in IMAX 3D and again today in IMAX 2D at the same theater. I'm not sure if it was the theater, but both the audio and video quality of the 3D version blew the 2D version away. The screen was sharper, brighter and the audio was significantly better in the IMAX 3D version. I almost think something was just wrong with the 2D theatre, the quality was that much worse. It was like going from stereo to mono.

Update: someone got the answer in the comments below, so don't look if you still want to guess.

Update2: related via skkatter in the comments: Cool Guys Don't Look At Explosions - JJ Abrams on Keys

Synth Rorschach #41 Christmas lights..... or is it a rhythm sequencer

Published on Dec 21, 2015 organfairy

Literally turning a synth rorschach into a working synth device. Be sure to see the Rorschach and Holidays channels below for more posts in each category!

"I found this old telephone exchange device in my garage. I remember buying it quite a while ago. But for some reason I have not used it for something untill now.

I converted it to a kind of drum sequencer somewhat inspired by the Eko Computerhythm from the 1970s and it can control the little drum synthesizer I build some years ago.

The music is "No milk today" that was a major hit by Herman's Hermits in 1966. I play it on my Wersi Prisma DX-5 while the rhythm comes from another distinctive drum machine namely the Wersimatic II."

Telharmonic Drone 02

Published on Dec 17, 2015 Matthew Shaw

"Make Noise Telharmonic drone ( Variation on Telharmonic drone 01).
Telharmonic tonic set to a different tuning, Centroid set fully counter clockwise and modulated with a slow cycling envelope from a Intellijel Quadra. HLock modulated by a random burst clock from a Wogglebug. Telharmonic out sent to MMG and cutoff modulated by a slow QPLFO"

Bit of a synth rorschach at the beginning.

Synth Rorschach #40: "The Lives Of Others (2006)"

This one in via ronan casey.

Note only the rack to the left but behind on the right. A number of things come to mind for this one. Feel free to share what comes to mind for you in the comments.

What comes to mind for me: Fairlight monitor on the left, Akai racks with PPG buttons, Bit 99 racks, and finally a monome merged with a Triadex Muse in the back right.

See the Synth Rorschach channel in the comments below for more.

Synth Rorschach #39: Senator Palpatine's Office - Star Wars

Been meaning to post this one literally for years... It's always when I'm watching one of the films and then I forget. :)

So, what design cues do you see here? Hint, the designer recently announced a new hardware synthesizer limited to two runs of 20.

The design cues are also in different scenes in the original Star Wars films. I always wondered if the designer picked up some of his design styles from the films.

Update: a few more design cues from the original films added below. Oh, and ignore the Oreos, although, the size of an Oreo is roughly the size of one of the knobs on the particular synth I thought of. :)

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Synth Rorschach #38: an operator

via monsta poly

"I found something in my lovely old book (Richard Scarry, What Do People Do All Days)."

Note the little vocoder mike!  :)

The obvious rorschach is a modular synthesizer, but see if you can identify what brand and why?

Hint: it's yellow and has tubes.

Synth Rorschach #37: Vintage Beckman 999 IC Tester

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

This one in via Loscha via this auction.

This one should be pretty obvious. It appears to be the exact same part used in the synth I'm thinking about. If so, it would be interesting. It would mean the synth manufacturer either sourced it or produced it and made it available to other manufacturers. If anyone knows, feel free to comment. Update via Colin f in the comments: these were made by a manufacturer name Cherry. I actually posted some here previously.

"Here is a vintage Beckman model 999 IC Tester. Just what you need to test old TTL and other IC's."

See the Synth Rorschach channel at the bottom of this post for more.

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Synth Rorschach #36: CBTC: Communications-Based Train Control

Published on Jul 20, 2015 mtainfo

"Learn all about CBTC, the future of the New York City Subway."

This should be an easy one. What do you see? Hint: That's one long..

Synth Pacifier?

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

via this auction

Synth Rorschach #38

This one is a bit of a reverse synth rorschach. Usually it's a non synth item that reminds me of a particular synth or synths. When I saw the small thumbnail for this one, my first thought was what the heck is a pacifier doing in my synth feeds?! I guess it could be a little game piece or top as well. Steampunk eye piece? Synths are messing with my mind!.. That and it's a bit early for me. But no, don't use this as your pacifier, I'm guessing it's not food grade plastic.

Synth Rorschach #35: Largest Rubik's Cube - 17x17x17

What do you see in the synth world?



And the 7 hour version:

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Pinwale Sounds - From Soft Power To Unjust Peace

Published on Dec 17, 2014 Jacques Mongrel

"A futile exercise in relaxation combining a lethargic dance jam with scenes from Mamoru Oshi's movie Patlabor 2 which, amongst other things, ruminates on the notion that developed countries exist in a state of 'unjust peace'. Set in a near future Tokyo, where computer networks and large machines called "Labors" have lead to unprecedented economic prosperity, a terrorist attack is not all that it seems."

Notable Max For Live synths used:
Kasio, Opfour, Bassline"

via Patron Jacques Mongrel aka Pinwale Sounds.

P.S. Bit of a Synth Rorschach at 3:50.

Synth Rorschach #34: Twin Peaks

Twin Peaks' Sherilyn Fenn via Boing Boing.

What in the synth realm does this remind you of? Answer in the comments.