The warmth of the sun | An ode to Pivot & Bonnie

video upload by MIDERA

"On the way to the emergency vet, Pivot by my side. I remember the sun on her carrier. I hoped it had warmed her. Or if nothing else, I hoped the sound of my voice or my daughter's kept her company. Today was a hard day. It was time to put Pivot to sleep.

Pivot was very sick. Yesterday, she had thrown up multiple times and afterwards, just laid down and wouldn't move. I couldn't entice her to eat, not yesterday, not today - it's my litmus test for how my cat is doing. She, in fact, would move away from it. I had hoped over night she would feel better, but it just did not happen. She laid by a water bowl in the kitchen and occasionally drink from it (a sign, I thought, that she was improving), but she just seemed not well. I made the call. It had to be done.

Everyone said their goodbye's. My wife would stay home with our 2 year old who would not have handled the mood very well. However, to my surprise, my 6 year old wanted to come. I was glad. Pivot had laid with her for years. She would lay on my wife when she was pregnant with my daughter. She would lay by her carrier when she was asleep in it. She was always with her. Pivot was her fur mama. She loved my daughter.

It was a big gift that my daughter came with. When I cried, she would say "It's ok Papa." She was strong. Of course, she cried too. But the resilience of a 6 year old who, in 6 months, has had to deal with the loss of two of her favorite pets, is impressive. Tonight there was a lot of "I miss Bonnie and Pivot." I do too. We cried a lot.

I got Pivot in August of 2008, a week after I lost my last cat, Winchester. Pivot was best friends with Bonnie. Pivot was nuts. She would fly around my house and body slam cat scratch toys. She would lay down with rugs and kick them. But she would lay next to my face and fall asleep. If I was sad, I could make fake sad meow sounds and she would run to me. She always comforted me.

I did want to try to do an in-home service for putting her down. I thought that would be the kind thing to do, because she hated traveling, but ultimately, I knew it should be done sooner than later, and honestly, those home services are kind of a lot of money ($700+ instead of $400+). I feel a little bad that I chose the cheaper option, because Pivot HATED traveling (like she would pee herself when we'd leave the house). Today - hardly a peep. She did meow, but she had such little strength. I knew sending her off earlier was the better option too. Doing it away from the house at least made it so I didn't need to look at a spot and say "That's where Pivot died." Pivot let go of this life at 1:10PM, in my arms, full of love, all of which I hope she took with her.

So - here I am, alone now, everyone else asleep in the house. I wrote this as I sat here and felt the mood was fitting. I think of myself as the Rhodes Piano voice, a sad depressing tone, mixed in with the voice of Pivot, dancing around my sadness, as she really did so well. It begins and ends without her, the way our lives were entwined. She will be forever missed.|

Rhodes Piano in Strymon DIG
Prophet 10 in Strymon El Cap
All through Eventide Blackhole VST"

Update:

Bonnie

video upload by Mike Lewis

"Mar 13, 2023
This last weekend, on March 11th, I put my dear friend Bonnie (Flame Point Siamese cat) to sleep. She suffered a stroke (or had a growth in her brain) on Tuesday March 7th. We found her walking in circles, I think she was suddenly blinded. She was not well. I thought "if this is a stroke, cats can recover, even if she's blind." I tried to hold on to her, but something changed even further on Thursday night. That was the moment I realized that she had stopped purring when I pet her (she had been purring in the day). I think she may have had seizures, because I remember seeing blood on her paw pads, where her nails would have dug in (which were not there in the afternoon).

I think only one word really describes how I feel about losing her: Devastated.

She lived at least 15 years (with me) and was adopted in 2007, being about 2-4 years old (as a guess), meaning she was about 18-20 years old. That was a good long life for a cat. I had hoped she would have made it to 23 years old... dying in her sleep peacefully, but she (and I) didn't get that. I watched her suffer for a few days, but I think Thursday she stopped eating entirely. On Friday, I found her stuck behind the litter box and I knew that was time.

I don't know why I feel such guilt, but apparently that's a common feeling when you lose a pet. I think I feel guilty that I was kinda mean to her in the first year I had her. I even told people I didn't want her (note, that I could not ever bring myself to get rid of her). I don't know why I felt those things. I even said she was ugly (she did have a really funny weird brown spot on her nose that always made her look like she was snarling). I feel a lot of guilt for feeling and saying these things. I know she didn't understand them, but I wasn't kind.

What's strange is, all the things I found annoying or disliked, just now happen to be all of the things I miss. Like her tenacity to get in my lap and stop at nothing until she won (multiple times I'd get her off my lap, eventually she'd sneak in and win). Or her licking my arms. Or that funny snarl look on her face. These things... they just stick in my mind and I just absolutely devastated that I can't experience them now.

The hardest part for me was after realizing she was going to be put down - telling her what a good kitty she was, how I loved her so much, and that she was one of my best friends. Well, the hardest part was holding on to her as life left her. I knew she was no longer in pain, but I think that feeling will stay with me forever. We drove to the vet in the same car she came home in when I adopted her. I thought she'd like that. I talked to her in the car, telling her how beautiful it was outside with the thick snow falling gently in the grey sky. While she was probably deaf, and now blind, I hoped she could hear me, even just a little.

Now, she is gone. I look at the kitties and puppy I have left and tell myself that I need to be more present for them. I also tell myself, everything that bothers me about my pets will be the very things I will miss when they're gone. I need to be more present in general, for my wife and my kids.

There is the biggest hole in my heart, where apparently Bonnie resided. I had no idea how big that space was until she left me."

Novachord + Solovox | Cherry Audio

video uploads by Cherry Audio




"Novachord + Solovox is Cherry Audio's collection of two virtual synthesizer instruments emulating the forerunners of mass- produced synthesizers. Novachord is based on the revolutionary polyphonic instrument from 1939 that used a staggering 163 vacuum tubes and 1,000 custom capacitors. Solovox replicates a related monophonic keyboard instrument intended to provide organ-type lead accompaniment. Together, these now exceedingly rare instruments set standards for tone generation and synthesis techniques that continue to influence today’s electronic instruments.

Novachord + Solovox is available at https://cherryaudio.com and authorized resellers worldwide for the low price of $39 (list $59).

Novachord + Solovox is a bundle of two individual instruments provided as one download and installed in both standard DAW/host plugin and standalone formats. It is available in AU, VST, VST3, AAX, and standalone formats (individual for each instrument), and a free 30-day demo is available from https://cherryaudio.com."


And a video from CatSynth:

Novachord and Solovox from Cherry Audio: A detailed demo and tutorial

video upload by CatSynth TV

Merch: https://shop.catsynth.com
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/catsynth
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/catsynth

We take a detailed look at the new Novachord and Solovox from Cherry Audio, recreations of some the earliest electronic music instruments that were forerunners of modern analog substractive synthesizers. The Novachord was released in 1939 and the Solovox in 1940, featuring a novel architecture that used vacuum tubes for tone generators (oscillators) and filters. Their sound is unique and found use in film, popular music of the 1950s and 1960s, and can still be heard today.

00:37 History of the Novachord
01:36 History of the Solovox
02:12 Novachord Presets
05:38 Solovox Presets
07:57 Novachord Feature Walkthrough
15:00 Solovox Feature Walkthrough"

Update:

Press release via Cherry Audio:

Cherry Audio is ecstatic to unveil the sensational Novachord + Solovox collection, featuring two meticulously crafted virtual instruments that pay homage to the trailblazers of the synthesizer world. Novachord replicates the revolutionary 1939 polyphonic marvel of the same name, and Solovox reproduces the equally influential monophonic keyboard instrument. Cherry Audio is on a mission to reignite the vintage charm and distinctive tones of these timeless masterpieces that laid the foundation for contemporary synthesis methods.

Debuting at the 1939 World's Fair, the Hammond Novachord contained a breathtaking 163 vacuum tubes and over 1,000 custom capacitors. Its architecture predicted the ADSR envelope and utilized a resonant bandpass filter, similar to designs adopted decades later in modern polyphonic synthesizers. Novachord is remembered for its use in We'll Meet Again by Vera Lynn, and featured in decades of soundtracks, including "Gone With the Wind" and "The Maltese Falcon," and its otherworldly sounds heard in "Cat People," "It Came from Outer Space," The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits. Today, fewer than 200 Novachords exist, and it is said that only five remain in operation worldwide.

Hammond's 1940 Solovox was a small monophonic mini keyboard instrument attached beneath a piano to augment it with organ-type lead voices. Deriving its design from the Novachord's oscillator and divider circuits, Solovox had 18 vacuum tubes and produced a range of string, woodwind, and organ sounds widely used in light music into the 1960s. Unfortunately, the introduction of compact transistor organs released in the 60s marked the end of the Solovox's popularity.

Award-winning developer and DSP designer Mark Barton shared our fascination with these unique historical electronic instruments, and approached Cherry Audio with the prospect of teaming up to revive them and their unique mystical sounds. Mark’s expertise in circuit modeling, along with the invaluable assistance of vintage Novachord owners Joseph and Justin Fill, enabled Cherry Audio to recreate these masterpieces using virtual synthesis rather than sampling.

Cherry Audio's Novachord features 32 polyphonic voices; a resonant bandpass filter network of three resonators; the "Brilliant," "Deep," and "Full" tone settings of the original; seven Attack/Decay/Sustain envelope options; adjustable depth vibrato; and an integrated reverb effect with Room and Hall algorithms plus speaker emulation to replicate the Novachord’s built-in amp and speakers in an acoustic space. Novachord's interface is a magnificent recreation of the original, replete with white Plakson and black Bakelite keys, teardrop levers, and gorgeous cherry wood.

Cherry Audio's Solovox is a faithful virtual analog emulation of the monophonic keyboard attachment instrument, featuring combinable Bass, Tenor, Contralto, and Soprano switches; First Voice and Second Voice two-pole bandpass filters with level controls and variable center frequencies; "Deep," and "Brilliant" tone settings; adjustable glide and fixed-rate vibrato; a mute control to filter harmonics from the oscillator voice; and an integrated reverb effect with Room algorithm and speaker emulation. The exquisite Solovox interface features responsive vacuum tubes that light up and respond to settings.

The result is the fully immersive Novachord + Solovox experience - a breathtaking feast for both the ears and the eyes. With additional touches including over 100 combined presets, flexible MIDI mapping, and Cherry Audio's popular Focus zoom-in feature, Novachord + Solovox brings these Golden Age classics out of the past and into the 21st century.

The unparalleled combination of Novachord and Solovox presents an unbeatable opportunity for musicians. Cherry Audio introduces this exceptional package of two extraordinary virtual instruments at one jaw-dropping price of just $39 (list price $59). With the original hardware being exceedingly rare and priceless, this incredible offer allows everyone to delve into the origins of electronic music and experience their captivating sounds.

The Novachord + Solovox collection is available from cherryaudio.com and authorized resellers worldwide for Windows and macOS (including macOS 13 Ventura, native Apple M1 processor support, M1 Ultra). The bundle is provided as a single download and installed in AU, VST, VST3, AAX, and standalone formats. A free 30-day demo is available. Visit cherryaudio.com for additional product details, system requirements, and an extensive collection of awe-inspiring sound demos.

New England Synth Fest - Bill T Miller Synthesizer Performance @ Museum of Science Boston - 08.11.22

video upload by Bill T Miller

"Bill T Miller Synthesizer Performance @ New England Synth Fest @ Museum of Science Boston - 08.11.22. This BTM stereophonic improv performance features a CLASSIC SYNTH array... Buchla Easel Command 208-C, Korg ARP 2600, Moog Mother-32, Make Noise O-Coast and 4MS STS Sampler & Toppobrillo MiniMix.

Video Produced/Directed/Edited by Bill T Miller
Cameras: BTM & Sheri Hausey & Beth Moguel

BILL T MILLER, a chameleon of sonic exploration, is a multi-instrumentalist musician, composer, recording engineer, producer, filmmaker, photographer, artist, instrument builder and cat lover. From toy piano at two years old to starting a "band" with tennis racket guitar and trash can drums in the 60s to becoming a professional recording engineer / producer / live sound tech after graduating from College for the Recording Arts in San Francisco in 1976, his paths are always unfolding and looping. At recording college he took synthesizer courses with ARP 2600 and Emu synths and then worked (as live sound and recording engineer) in California until 1980.

Eventually ending up in Boston working as a freelance recording engineer and live sound engineer and then starting his own Headroom Recording Studios. While much of his "professional career" was devoted to recording and photographing OTHER artists, he was always working on his own weirdo music bands in the shadows. Some of these adventures include Out of Band Experience (OBE), Kings Of Feedback, Drum Army, Kings Of Slack, Zonkulator, and Orgy Of Noise with over 25 full album releases on his own DIY labels as an artist.

BTM's quest has looped back around to a nostalgic look forward incorporating ALL of the past adventures while moving sideways in time in to an unknown future think void. Living in Boston for 37 years and giving every moment to this insatiable desire to CREATE and SHARE is focus of his true path.

SEE: http://btmtv.com (this youtube channel)
HEAR: http://billtmiller.bandcamp.com
MORE: http://billtmiller.com/

On the Second Thursday of every month of summer 2022, the Museum of Science teamed up with New England Synth Fest for an incredible fusion of live synthesizer performances that took over the Charles Hayden Planetarium. Experience some of the best synth musicians and visualizers from New England like never before in the immersive full dome environment of the Planetarium.

LOBBY MUSIC 7pm
BILL T MILLER = outer space trip out synths
20 minute set - PLEASE LISTEN CAREFULLY.

LOBBY SYNTHFEST VENDORS
ARP Foundation (Alan R. Pearman's daughter DINA will be there) & SynthCube & Stompbox Sonic & coolpix and MORE

7:30pm in the DOME three were 20 minute sets back to back for first show...

introduced by the host of MOS SUMMER THURSDAY SERIES... JAMES MONROE ! - Asha Tamirisa
- LIMBC with visuals by Solid State Entity - Bob Familiar with visuals by cskonopka

+ following 1st dome show were two 20 minute LOBBY sets...
- Vizzie / Oxalis (Ed Guild & Richard Tarantio)
- Build (Nick Solarz)

The three lobby sets are hosted by Richard Tarantio in conjunction with Modular On The Spot Boston. Richard provided LIVE SOUND for all three lobby sets and played in a duo for the middle set.

+ 9:30pm in the DOME there was a repeat of the hree 20 minute sets back to back for second show. (see above.)

Boston Museum of Science Polage Art by Austine Wood Comarow !!!!!

Mega Thanx to NEW ENGLAND SYNTH FEST HOST... KENT LUNDBERT !
Super Thanx to MOS SUMMER THURSDAY SERIES HOST... JAMES MONROE !

Ultra Thanx to BUCHLA GURU TODD BARTON for KRELL WISDOM & FLUTE APPEARANCE via morphagene sampler.

Super THANX to BETH MOGUEL for footage.
Eternal THANX as always to SHERI HAUSEY & Tippi Cat & Ziggy Cat & Mel the Cat !!!!"

Prophecy Vol 2 - Sequential Prophet 5 & 10 - Patches 41 to 60.

video upload by GEOSynths

"Out Friday 24th June.
Back with another Bank of 80 Patches for the Sequential Prophet 5 & 10. Here I am demonstrating Patches 41 to 60, first dry and then with Chorus and Delay.

This time, it's a little more harder, little more experimental at times, but still with that fantastic Prophet Sound.

I've made FX Presets to go along with all 80 Patches, so you can reproduce everything you hear in the video. There are 2 Free Plug-ins which are available for both Mac and PC.

1 - Blue Cat Audio Chorus - https://www.bluecataudio.com/Products...
2. Valhalla Supermassive - https://valhalladsp.com/shop/reverb/v...

All you need to do is insert the Blue Cat Chorus, then Supermassive and match up the Patch Numbers...That's it.

They will be out soon on the following page, which already has Prophecy Vol 1 - https://www.geosynths.com/prophet5

00:00 - Intro
00:42 - 41. Violet GEO
02:25 - 42. Intervals GEO
04:29 - 43. Glide Pad GEO
05:36 - 44. Electro Lead GEO
06:19 - 45. Trad Poly GEO
07:24 - 46. Night Keys GEO
08:08 - 47. Juicy Lead GEO
08:58 - 48. Pulsate GEO
10:05 - 49. Sample Chord GEO
11:01 - 50. Saturated GEO
11:45 - 51. Sync Rate GEO
12:45 - 52. Red Line GEO
14:03 - 53. Phazerz GEO
15:17 - 54. Fanfare GEO
16:47 - 55. Sample & Hold GEO
18:01 - 56. Escape GEO
19:27 - 57. Dark Space GEO
20:40 - 58. Ripper GEO
21:51 - 59. Time Trip GEO
23:21 - 60. Fold GEO"

New S-CAT Stereo Analogue Filter w/ Phaser

Phaser section of the new S-CAT Analogue filter video upload by Space Cat Audio Technologies

"A short demo with strings running into the phaser section. The lfo depth and rate are manipulated as things move on. More details on our website. spacecataudiotechnologies.com"

"IN DEVELOPMENT - PRICE TBC

Stereo Analogue Filter:

We are currently working on a new analogue filter. This will have various filter types, including a phaser option."
The very first board test of the new S-CAT Analogue Filter.
video upload by Space Cat Audio Technologies

"Just a short blast of TR-909 through the circuit."

Suzanne Ciani on synthesizer

video upload by The First Cat in Space

"We saw her play live a couple of years ago in London, which was fantastic!
This is a recording of her in Paris in 1971"

Also see 17 Year Old Suzanne Ciani's Fish Music & More on Vinyl

You can find additional posts mentioning Suzanne Ciani here.

The Time Freek in fast mode with added LFO and hold function switched in and out.

video by Space Cat Audio Technologies

"Testing the first production unit."

Exploring The Baal 3080 VCF

Published on Dec 7, 2019 John L Rice

"The Baal 3080 VCF

Index:
0:00 - Beginning/Title Card
0:22 - Control Locations
1:10 - Waveform And Noise Testing (Dry, No Resonance)
3:10 - Noise With Resonance (volume warning!)
4:18 - Bandpass Tests
6:07 - Tracking Test
6:43 - Patch Test With Rhythmic Modulation
8:54 - Party At Baal's Place
11:22 - End

Most of the gear used is explained throughout the video but since the special music video Party At Baal's Place is more involved, here are some details:
The same patch that was at the soundtrack for the introduction of this demo is the same one that plays throughout the Party At Baal's Place music video. I used a Moon Modular 569 sequencer to control the MOTM-300 VCO pitch and to also control Baal's frequency cutoff, in addition to manually playing with the frequency cutoff and resonance knobs. Strymon Timeline and BigSky pedals were used as well as a Lexicon MX-400, all for reverb and delay.

Things were very simple, just what you hear on the introduction, until I thought, "hey, I could put a drum beat to this" . . . and from that point on it was days of "just one more quick little addition?"! (insert emoticons of a face-plant and burning banana! ;-) And there was no initial click track so . . . . .

All the drum-set parts come from a Roland Integra7 played from a A-49 keyboard, because it was the middle of the night and I wasn't setup to record acoustic drums anyways. The china/trash ride cymbal was recorded first, then the snare and bass drums in another pass, and crash/splash cymbals were added on a third pass. I dropped those into tracks and spent days cursing my sloppiness as I kept trying to tweak the timings. Some of the fills were actually created in the DAW by chopping up simpler parts and recombining them.

Next I started coming up with the lead/melody synth parts. The patch was almost all Synth Tech MOTM modules except for a Moon 526 mixer the Baal 3080 VCF of course. (2 x MOTM-300 VCOs, OTM-800 EG, MOTM-1800 EG, MOTM-190 VCA, MOTM-380 LFO, MOTM-650 MIDI to CV) I'm proud to say I played all of those parts by hand, even the fast parts, but it did take a lot of practice. The next day I started wishing I had used some distortion so I replayed it again through a Retro Mechanical Labs Electron Fuzz pedal and JHS Firefly fuzz pedal in series.

The rest of the parts were quick and easy. The choir voices are from a Mellotron M4000D rack (male chorus and boys choir combined). The chime is an actual acoustic Musser brand chime just recorded with a handheld flash recorder. And that's my voice at the very end. ;-)

Then came the video editing. I spent a while searching https://www.pond5.com/ for clips that might go well and I eventually developed a sort of "midnight party at Baal's place" sort of story for fun. ;-)

OK, thanks for watching, ratings, commenting and for reading this long description! If you've found this and/or my other videos useful or entertaining, please consider tipping me a few bucks?
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/JohnLRice"

"At its core, this is the CA3080 OTA based filter that was in the Original Rev-A version of the Octave Cat, before they switched to The SSM2040. It has been adjusted for modular level. The expo-Converter uses super-matched 3906’s and is temperature Compensated For upwards of 5-octave tracking.

Additionally, there is a 4-pole output, as well as a 1-pole output. These outputs are inverted from each other, so they can be mixed Together for Bandpass.

​18mA +15vdc
18ma -15vdc
Format: mu/dotcom
Size: 1 MU space. 2.25” depth from panel front
Panel: anodized aluminum
Inputs: 1 Audio (ac coupled), 1 CV (1v/oct), 1 CV with attenuation
Outputs: 1 4-pole, 1 1-pole (inverted)"

Mixing and Matching Synth Videos

Byron from zero11zero wrote in to let me know he was watching the AX80 video below when he decided to launch the S-CAT video below it, both posted earlier on the same page here. They went well together. He then started a third NuEVI video (also below) and it all came together. He said it reminded him of something that might have been on The Orb's first album. He asked me if I posted them up in order on purpose. Unfortunately I can't claim such brilliance, but I have definitely experienced it in the past while parsing and posting videos. I'll play something and accidentally start something else, thinking, wow this amazingly complex for what I'm seeing, only to realize that another video is playing along with it. Anyway, I thought I'd share this one with you all.  Start the first video, wait for it to pick up in volume and then launch the second, followed by the third shortly after.  You might need to pause and start the individual videos to get the timing to work, but it should come together. You can even adjust the "mix levels" with the speaker controls on the bottom left of the players. It's pretty damn cool.

AKAI AX80 + Strymon BigSky = Relaxing Ambient New Age Space Music 【SYNTH DEMO】

Published on Jun 26, 2018 synth4ever
Originally posted here.

S-CAT BASS-SYNTH cv Demo

Published on Jun 26, 2018 Space Cat Audio Technologies
Originally posted here.

NuEVI Wireless Option - Mark Steiner

Published on Jun 26, 2018 Mark Steiner
Originally posted here.

Arturia Buchla Easel V Comparison with Buchla 208P

Published on Jun 4, 2018 Tritone Guitars

"Heath Aldrich and Dave Anderson compare and discuss the Arturia Buchla Easel V with Heath's physical Buchla 208P. Video production by Jesse Bader"

I'm familiar with Roman Filippov's 208r clone, but not the 208p. I did a quick search and found the following: (Update: turns out the 208p is essentially a clone of the clone. Some info added further below)

Buchla 208p Music Easel First Sketches

Published on Mar 19, 2018 Heath Aldrich

Update regarding the 208p: "Papz put his version out earlier this year, and it has all the fixes implemented from Roman's 208. http://www.portabellabz.be/208pcb.html. I recommend this version of you want to build one."
You can find a few posts featuring Portabellabz in the archives here.

Playlist:

1. Buchla 208p Music Easel First Sketch

This is DIY Buchla 208 Music Easel that I built. It took me over 50 hours, and it still isn't perfect, but it is perfect for me. This synth has such a rich sound, and is so easy to change the voice of the patch, that it is hard to not be inspired by playing with it. I have always wanted one, and am so happy I had the chance to build one.

This is a idea that I have been working with since I started calibrating this beast. It is far from complete, but I like where it is going. All sounds were recorded direct from the 208p, no external processing, no external effects. Just a boy and his toy.

CLICK FOR MORE »

Behringer to Re-introduce an EMS SYNTHI and More, Much More

The list:

WASP DELUXE
ARP 2600
Octave CAT
SYNTHI VCS3
Roland SH-101 (3 colors)
KORG MS20

Details on each (no new pics in yet, but you might remember the MS-101 here):

CLICK FOR MORE »

Boomtown 2017 Strait-Jackit (Rehearsal)

Published on Jun 12, 2017 Space Cat Audio Technologies

"Thinking about using this as the first track, still lots to do but all in the name of Acid Techno. This is the setup for the live set as Strait-Jackit for this years Rave Yard stage at the Boomtown Fair 2017. Recorded to camera mic."

Note Space Cat is a maker as well: S-CAT on eBay

RIP Stanley Lunetta

Stanley Lunetta passed away on March 3 this year.  The first I heard of it was via Chuck Stephens in the comments on Ray Wilson passing away, posted yesterday. Lunetta was known for his Lunetta CMOS synth used in a number of synth DIY projects. You can find a collection of his work featured here on MATRIXSYNTH.

On his passing via The Sacramento Bee:

"Percussionist, composer, sculptor and much-loved icon of the local music community Stanley Lunetta relentlessly explored avant garde music while maintaining a legendary career. He died March 3 from brain cancer in Sacramento.

Lunetta played drums for Music Circus, missing only two weeks of performances until his retirement in 2008 after 54 years. He also served as the music contractor who assembled orchestras for Music Circus from 1973 until his retirement. He also was the principal timpanist for the Sacramento Symphony Orchestra, Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra, Sacramento Opera and Sacramento Choral Society and was an instructor of timpani and percussion at UC Davis and Chico State."

On Lunettas via MsModular:

"The Lunetta is an electronic instrument that uses primarily CMOS chips for gates, Boolean logic, and mathematical functions for sequenced sounds. A Lunetta is basically a simple rhythmic modular musical computer that makes abstract sounds in sometimes unpredictable ways. It is a beautiful experimental synthesizer.

Lunettas are most typically DIY instruments, although there are a few small boutique manufacturers that sell them. ElectroLobotomy for example sells a few simple Lunetta synthesizers on Etsy.

The most beautiful part of a Lunetta is that one can make one for themselves and experiment with its functionality and layout. The guide for making a Lunetta can be found here: Intro to Lunetta CMOS Synths. The introduction goes into Stanley Lunetta’s concept, and provides an introductory guide for making them. Every Lunetta though is made a bit differently, as they often reflect the makers preferences."

The image above is via electro-music.com. Stanley Lunetta's work was frequently discussed on the electro-music.com forums. I highly recommend doing a search on Lunetta there.

Updates via Chuck Stephens in the comments:

"Thanks for posting this. Stanley and Ray were huge! Their work showed me the direction to take when I started learning to build circuits. My lunetta synth has influences from both men, as well as Eric Archer, Forrest Mimms, Reed Ghazala, etc.- we stand on the shoulders of giants!

BTW- My lunetta cost less than $100 and has 36 modules (so far!). It's built into an old rifle case I found in a dumpster and the panels are cut from 4" square PVC fence posts from Home Depot. Steel nuts and bolts and alligator clip test leads handle patching duties. Save more- work less!"

Here's a noise piece from my lunetta synth:


Buster-Jangle by nepchune from chuck stephens on Vimeo.

"This is my Lunetta noise synth run through a Ross Time Machine digital delay. I love the sounds this thing makes. The video features Honey Boy the Cat doing what he does."

And here's a song from the same rig:


Confidence is High by nepchune from chuck stephens on Vimeo.

"This is 90-95% Lunetta with a tiny dab of Kaossilator and Korg R3 (the explosion sounds and the 'pip' on the fast part) and an Arduino based 'auduino' granular synth for the lead (say what you want about Arduino- this little granular synth sounds great and provides a nice 'live' element). The Lunetta part forms the basis of the song and it is completely unedited- this is how it came out of my machine. I used two of Eric Archer's Mini Space Rockers for the percussion sounds and they are completely Lunetta controlled. The drum sounds are routed through a Ross Time Machine digital delay and the spacey bass sound is created by routing my lunetta-integrated Atari Punk Console through a Korg Pandora guitar processor. The other 7 Lunetta voices are unprocessed. This track is the closest I've come to integrating my interest in generative music and my skills for arrangement and song writing. I set out to create a traditional song structure and sound and I'm really pleased with it. It shoes that a Lunetta isn't just a noise machine- although I love noise, too. I love what my Lunetta makes possible. Lightning in a bottle!"

@spaceprodigy w/ Cowboy Cat on Rainbow-Puking Great White Shark in Space, and a Moog Sub 37

Thanks goes to @spaceprodigy, for giving me the opportunity to post a title like that. :)

"@moogmusicinc @Moogfest Happy Phatty Friday! Sub37 was my first synth! #moog #synth #sub37 #switchedonkids"

Best. T-Shirt. Ever.

Not a bad synth as well. ;)

Carry on Avin it live set 2016 (Track 1) by S-CAT

Published on Jun 7, 2016 Space Cat Audio Technologies

"I took my hardware set up to a field in Glastonbury and this was the first track. Recorded straight to camera mic. The equipment is now being set up in the studio, full on recordings and releases coming soon.

Equipment list: Roland TR-909,TB-303, MV-30. Novation Bass Stn. & Drum Stn. Korg MS-10. Sequential Pro-1. S-CAT Analogue Dubsta Delay, Dub-Synth, Circuit Bent Harmonic Distortion. Mackie 24 8 Bus Mixer. Reverb, Flanger, Compressor and Me."

ANALOGUE ECHO Circuit Bent by S-CAT

Published on Jan 14, 2015 Space Cat Audio Technologies

S-CAT on eBay

"7 modification to an MN-3 series BBD device. The unit has been set up on the Aux send/returns of the mixer.
First part demonstrates echo applied to a Roland Juno-106 and followed by a Roland TR-909

S p e c i f i c a t i o n s

Use the controls in conjunction to create the classic dub sound

1. Delay Active (Button & LED)
2. Delay Level (Rotary Dial)
3. Rate 1 (Rotary Dial)
4. Rate 2 (Rotary Dial)
Governs the longest available delay time.
Some clock noise when approaching longest setting, as is usual for analogue delay.
5. Repeats (Rotary Dial)
6. Dub Echo (Rotary Dial)
Extended degenerating dub feedback
7. Dark Dub (Rotary Dial)
Rumbling sub-bass self-oscillating dub feedback
8. Input Mute (Momentary Push Switch)
Enables you to mute the input signal and leave trailing dub echoes until the button is released
9. Hi Boost (Toggle)
10. Trash (Rotary Dial)
11. Lo-Fi (Rotary Dial)

1/4" mono audio input jack socket
1/4" mono audio output jack socket

9v. Psu socket
(requires 9v. Dc psu with centre pin negative and 300-500ma)

Weight 1.5 kg un-packed

Dimensions 25 cm x 25 cm x 8 cm"

Happy New Year From MATRIXSYNTH! - A Look Back at 2014

Happy New Year everyone!

I want to start by thanking everyone that comes to MATRIXSYNTH and helps make it what it is - the readers, the supporters, and of course all the sponsors on the right.

THANK YOU and have a GREAT 2015!!!

This site is a labor of love and a ton of work. This site is ultimately meant to be an testament to everything synth in the making. We have over nine years of daily synth history captured here, 119,983 published posts. I can't wait to see what the future brings us in 2015!

That said, here are a few interesting bits from 2014 in the longest post of the year. ;)

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Final Set of A-Z of Analogue Synthesisers

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

via this auction

The listing is from the author Peter Forrest who states this is likely the last set.  These are great books and imo the most comprehensive.  Click on the pics to get an idea of what they are like.  Peter also has other items listed including The Museum of Synthesizer Technology and Synthesizer von Gestern II.

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Wildcat Modular Synthesizer System Diy by EFM

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated. via this auction
"We found this diy kit tucked back in a box in our tech bench when we bought our current studio space. I believe this is the first Wildcat Modular Synth Board and it appears to be semi populated and needs work by a experienced Synth builder. In the box is a zip lock bag of components and a static free bag of programmed chips and a notebook with printout schem and parts list. Their are also 6 Additional single modules From EFM (Electronic for music).

Description From Synthdiy: The Wildcat is a modular system designed to be flexible enough to to build many types of synthesizers as well as remain unique. The most comprehensive system is naturally the most expensive to build. However the Wildcat board can also be used to construct a much less expensive synthesizer. A full blown Wildcat Modular could cost more than $1000. The Wildcat Modular-1 was close to $600. About $100 went for ribbon cable and headerconnectors.

If you want to direct-wire and you already have or build your own case you can cut it down to under $500.

Contents Of This Bid:
* EFM WILD CAT MODULAR SYNTH REV: A
* EFM VCF2F model: H&L-1 1104
* EFM Midi to cv model: H&L-1 2805
* EFM 3508 - ADSR model H&L-1 1805
* EFM 3534 - Sample & Hold model: H&L-1 2805
* EFM 3541 - VCO H&L-1 model 2805
* EFM 3501 - PS ( Power supply model H&L-1 2805
* Large bulk Bag of components.
* Static free bag of Pre burned Chips."

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Simmons Digital Clap Trap Demonstration

YouTube Uploaded by 76420236 on May 1, 2011

"This video is a demonstration of the Simmons Digital Clap Trap. Watch, listen and be amazed as the Clap Trap adds hand clap and noise in sync with the audio input. The audio source used as the clap trigger is a music cue from a '60s TV show set in Hawaii and, later in the clip, from a movie that may have been about a cat from outer space. Source audio was sampled and looped with a Boss SP-202 (Dr. Sample). Both sounds are then run through the BOSS SE-50 stereo effects processor which is used first only as a dry mixer with a phase effect setting used at the end."