Oxygene Part 2 (re-recorded with freeware VSTi's)

YouTube via SplitTheBeam
"This was an experiment to find out if I could re-create Jarre's Oxygene Part 2 using only freeware VSTi plugins (this is a recording I made using Cakewalk Sonar 4). None of the sounds I have used come from commercial applications, they are all freeware and cost me nothing. My respect and admiration goes out to the people who created these plugins. There are NO samples taken from the original recording. This recording runs about 5 bpm faster than the original.

For the general Pad sound I used the J M Jarre Pad setting on the SuperwaveP8 VST.

The string sound is also a SuperwaveP8 preset called (not surprisingly) J M Jarre Strings. The trick with the Jarre string sounds is the phaser effect you apply to them. Jarre used an Electroharmonix Small Stone phaser, I found a pretty good emulator called the Classic Phaser* (see TECH UPDATE at bottom of page). There is also a short mixed back delay to give a feeling of openess to the sound.

The Wind sound was generated by the NK1001 VST analogue synth emulator.

All the laser shot FX were generated by using the retrofex setting on the NK 1001 then adjusting the LFO frequency pot manually to create the desired effect. Using this method you can recreate the short pings as well as the long descending tones you hear prominently in the intro. To complete the effect I passed it through a stereo delay, dry sound 100% to the left, delay feedback 100% to the right. This makes the laser sound skip across the speakers like the original.

The bass sound was created using a VST called Transcender with a short delay so the bass notes bounce back. This underpins the rhythm.

The intro sequence was created using the KaoS VST sine-pad. However, three notes from the sequence are picked out and played on the Transcender bass set up only in a high octave, this sound is run through a delay to give it the spacey beep you can hear mixed in with the main KaoS sequence. The advantage of this is you can keep the beep going after the intro sequence has faded out.

The pizzicato (or 'pluck') style sound used for the main melody in the first half is an Eminant 310 sound font played through a sound font player. The font came from a thread on BlahBlah café, a discussion forum dedicated to Jarre and his music. The font player I used was the Fontaminator.

BlahBlah Café was also the source for the Korg Minipops 7 wave files. This came as a complete set of individual sounds that I loaded into the SR 202 drum machine VST.

The flute sound used for the main theme in the second half is created by the Synth1 VST. This uses a similar delay to the bass sound only slightly longer causing the main sound to hang back off the rhythm. The effect of this is a more organic feel to my performance. The real genius of Jarre is his ability to make electronic music sound so expressive.

The french horn type sound under the flute in the second half of the track is made by the Crystal1 VST.

The Mellotron choir at the end is made by the MellowSound VST, an excellent Mellotron emulator.

The sea-shore effect under the second half of the track is the General MIDI standard sound preset 122, any number of freeware synths will give you this effect. I simply used the MIDI voice on my sound card.

The key to creating Jarre sounds is in the work you do to the finished track. Once you have got the sounds close enough you can add effects and EQ, also the final mix will change how they interact and behave sonically. Dont be afraid to experiment and try things out but most of all, enjoy.

*TECH UPDATE: If you are looking for the Jarre string sound I've found some great resources. The Nomad Factory have ceased support of their 'Warmer Phaser' and have made it available as freeware. It has an adjustable valve simulator which creates fantastic warm tones just like the Electroharmonix Small Stone phaser. Used in conjunction with an Eminent 310 string sound font or the Stringer VST (also freeware) it's possible to create an exact sonic replica of the sound Jarre used on Oxygene.

Eminent 310 soundfonts can be found at www.perkristian.net/Eminent_310_Unique_S oundfonts.htm

(the Oxygene pt. 2 'pluck' soundfont can also be found here).

A BIG thank you to the wonderful people involved with this project for keeping the 310 sounds alive, I strongly recommend you check out the rest of the website dedicated to the E 310!"

The Flying Machine and The Time Warp Sound Clash System

Title link takes you to a Google translated version of shimomura-onkyo. The Flying machine appears to be an all analog modular effects unit. The original comes with analog delay, an LFO and filter. You can then snap in additional modules listed on this page. If anyone knows what these modules do, please feel free to comment. via ben shannon illustrator.

Also check out the Time Warp Sound Clash System while there. From what I could make of it, it's a stone from the archipelago housed in this box. It makes a sound every 1 in a 1000 times. : ) File this one under Sand Dunes, Nature Dioramas, and Saturn.

"The strange stone that was celebrated western calendar 1003, with the island which has the [arimantado] archipelago it puts out 1 time sound in 1000. As for the timbre of that stone there was a reporting that also making the heart of the people dance can also make be softened. And that when just puts out 1 time sound in 1000, incident occurred. The hoodlums who come from the direction east took that stone from the inhabitant, carried back to your own country. But after that, no one those which know the news of that stone as for was .......
These 2 human groups which are pulling before the man where the heart that is easy it exceeds the time and it has the stone which puts out day and the sound which have 2003, appeared. With the [motemote] being wild with [avuangiyarudo], these 2 human groups which are pulling to invent the device which works the timbre of that stone skillfully, being the cheerful and being sexy with the honest person whose generosity is good these 2 human groups which are pulling turned in the country with that device and made the heart of the people my [zu] biting. And now that device is placed in here, (it continues). Sound of 1 times, please enjoy in 1000. Pushing patience. Killer."

AJH Synth Patch of The Week Videos

video uploads by AJH Synth Official

Videos by supoorting member, DreamsOfWires.

Playlist: 1. Patch of The Week: The Sonic XV's Wave Folder - So many tones from just 1 VCO's Triangle wave

'Sonic Arps': The Sonic XV Transistor Diode Ladder Filter has a built-in Wave Folder, and in this video I'm using an arpeggiator in random mode to show the many subtle flavours of sound it can achieve from just a simple triangle wave from a single VCO. I will also pull a huge variety of timbres from a sine wave in a similar fashion.
The filter is a re-creation and expansion of the VCF from the Musonics Sonic V (5) synth of the 1970's (predecessor of the Moog Sonic Six), and shares a similar character to that of the EMS Synthi and VCS3, also being early diode filters. Bearing that in mind you might expect it to produce aggressive tones and chaotic feedback, which it can do well enough, but you might not have expected that it can also be very subtle, organic and warm in character, particularly well-suited to melodic arps/patterns and percussive sounds. With the added wave shaping functionality that wasn't present on the original, along with 24dB and 6dB low pass modes, and band pass filtering, this module packs a lot of tone shaping into 14hp.

Index:
00:00 'Sonic Arps'
00:34 Introduction
01:01 Assembling the patch
01:39 Sounds & Settings
04:33 Patch Sheet

A PDF file of the patch can be downloaded here: https://kvisit.com/8AE/xfUG

Patch notes:
Green dots show approximate pot and switch positions. Where a pot has two dots, this illustrates the range I move them during the video. Pots and switches that do not have green dots are not used in this patch, and should be left at their zero or off positions.
I'm using the VCA as a mixer so that I can use the outputs from both the BP and 6dB outputs of the Sonic XV. Notice in the video they are set at different volumes at different points depending on the sound - you will need to adjust this too, as different combinations of IN LEVEL, IN MIX, IN WAVE, and filter settings can make a significant difference to volume levels.
Modules used from left to right: Vintage Transistor Core VCO, Sonic XV, Contour Generators, Discrete Cascaded VCA.

2. Patch of the Week: 'Schulze School' - Melodic Eurorack performance + 'how-to' guide & patch sheet

This week's patch makes use of the V-Shape wave shaper/wave folder to sculpt the great analogue tone of the MiniMod VCO to create some delicate timbres that reminds us of Klaus Schulze's mesmerising sounds created on his sequencer-driven Moog modular synth systems in the 1970's. It also makes particular use of the Ring SM as a sub oscillator generator, and the rich tones of the Sonic XV diode filter.

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

3. Patch of the Week: 'Singing Gemini' - Dual Analogue VCF as a Dual Sine Wave VCO How to & patch sheet

This patch uses each of the 2 analogue filters of the Gemini as a dual VCO, self-oscillating, so that they produce sine waves and can be sequenced melodically using the Korg SQ-1 or any analogue step sequencer. This guide shows you how to make this patch, along with a patch sheet at the end. It is one of the many ways you can use just a couple of Eurorack modules to make music, as modular synthesis can be rewarding even with a minimal gear list.

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KORG Introduces The New microKORG - A New Origin

video upload by Korg

The microKORG 2, 8 voice synth and vocoder engine. 4 voice in dual/layered mode.

"The microKORG, one of the most iconic and recognizable synths in the history of music, revolutionized the music world with its unique form factor and unmistakable sounds, making it an industry standard for musicians everywhere. Renowned and loved by musicians, sound engineers, producers and gadget buffs everywhere, the microKORG has now evolved to a more powerful, more flexible and richer level - the new microKORG.

While retaining some of the iconic aspects of the original , including the convenient portable size, easy to play mini keybed, the large dial for selecting program genres or the vocoder with dedicated mic, the new microKORG offers a completely new, powerful sound engine, many more useable programs, a visually astounding user interface, and so much more."

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Aphex Twin UNIQUE SUPER RARE RSF SD-140 VINTAGE Drum Machine ?

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.
video upload by urgobenz

"Original samples and patterns by urgobenz.

Pattern n°1 : RSF SD140 (no effect)
Pattern n°2, 3 and 4 : RSF SD140 (with reverb).
Pattern n°5 : RSF SD140 + Korg 700s
Pattern n°6 : RSF SD140 + Chroma Polaris"

03 DMX Krew - Sppoookey [BREAKIN RECORDS]

video upload by edmx

via this auction

This one was spotted and sent in via xonox who noticed the following: "No mention is made in the auction but there is AFX scratched on the surface of the machine. According to Ed DMX (DMX Krew), Aphex Twin used one on his early tracks. Interview here. It is not my auction, i have no insider knowledge on anything either. Is it possible it's indeed one of AFX's drum machines or is it some classic AFX prank ?"

The SD140 has only been featured on the site twice before this post.

The following is the full description from the listing saved for the archives:

"Up for sale a unique extremely rare vintage drum machine. impossible to find it in another place. Many years ago I found this diamond and made the service in a professional workshop. Please note - this is an old gear for the collection and synth enthusiasts, this drum machine is in working condition, but I will not accept any returns and no compensation after the sale - please accept it. These are the first innovative electronic music devices and therefore you can see in the pictures the old technology of plastic coatings and touch buttons have traces of use, but all functions and buttons are well work.- It runs on 220 volt AC.The sound of this beast is very unique, the sound structure and flow are capable of creating incredible emotions and creative potency. The sound is incredibly relevant, I give a detailed description below. The package will be sent internationally, I pack the electronics well — a double strong box and a lot of bubble — look at my seller feedback.

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Tiptop Audio Officially Introduces “ONE” Sample Playback Eurorack Module

Tiptop Audio "ONE" from Tiptop Audio on Vimeo.

"ONE brings organic sound and super low latency sample playback to the modular. It differs from other sample players in that it handles the digital audio bits as a continuously manipulated electrical flow, a feature inspired by our analog knowhow. This unique core makes ONE truly integral within the Tiptop percussive modular ecosystem thanks to a lightweight and responsive digital circuit with a very analog feel.

ONE brings a world of colors to the modular right out of the package. We have invited some of the best sound designers in the Industry to create professional sound libraries with content tailored to the unique sonic framework of the modular synthesizer and that fully takes advantage of ONE’s unique qualities. To start with, ONE comes with a SD card loaded with a free set of 60 sounds designed by Glitchmachines. More cards are available to purchase separately each containing carefully selected material with up to 256 sound files. Using your own sample libraries or recordings is easy too, just copy 16 or 24bit mono WAV files onto the SD card, pop the card into ONE and go.

ONE offers several modes of operation, with the primary being the super low latency Trigger mode that retrieves audio data off the SD card adding no artificial processing such as click removal, crossfading, eq or gain normalization. In this mode, it’s a highly transparent player up to 24 bit 96kHz with no interpolation of the audio data: what you put in is what you get out. With a delay as low as 0.25ms from the moment the trigger hits, ONE offers harmonically dense, clear and detailed audio with a great rhythmic feel.

ONE handles external CV through a user selectable multifunction jack. Pitch is the main control with two modes available: Free pitch allows for fine tuning of the playback rate, great for adding subtle vibrato or wild tape speed effects; Quantized pitch maps CV to the standard 12 tone system over 3.5 octaves and is ideal for melodic content. CV can also be used to sequence through files off the SD card allowing far more varied sounds from a single source; almost like an entire percussion section behind the slim panel.

Although originally designed to play tightly with our analog drums and envelopes, ONE’s rich sound quality encouraged us to make it work in a variety of other applications that are less demanding of sub millisecond timing response. The extra headroom at the core level allows features such as Gated playback, Looping, and Triggering with fades in and out to accommodate different types of sound sources from drum loops to polysynth chords to noise sources and other yet unimagined uses.

ONE offers another useful dimension since it can play CV signals too. Drop in a card with LFO signals, random CV, slopes and envelopes for a whole set of new control and modulation possibilities.

ONE is as simple to use as it is affordable and plays extremely well with it’s analog cousins - our vision for bringing samples into the modular world.

**********************************

VCTRS: Lets Get Started

Type: One Shot

Character: Mixed material

ONE includes a card called VCTRS featuring 60 carefully chosen sounds from the 5 sound banks developed by Glitchmachines. We have included some of the most compelling material from each bank in order to showcase ONE’s strengths and demonstrate the broad range of sounds available on the PERC, SBSTRT, KERNL, HYBRD and BENT cards which are available separately from Eurorack retailers.

VCTRS and the other Glitchmachines cards include the entire sound set sampled at 48kHz, 64 kHz and 96kHz. The 48k rate allows for easy pitching up of one octave, 64k offers some pitch upward while maintaining much of the fidelity of the 96k source and full 96k offers the purity of the source as well as the lowest latency possible for great performance.

Forthcoming cards from a wide array of sound designers, artists and producers will expand the range to include poly and mono synth tones, field recordings and even CV source material."

Update: cards added below:

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Open Sound Control (OSC) for Kyma

"Bidirectional communication between Kyma, iPad, Lemur, and other OSC-enabled devices & software

CHAMPAIGN IL-March 2, 2010-Symbolic Sound Corporation has expanded the list of real-time controllers and software that can communicate with its Kyma sound design environment by adding support for Open Sound Control (OSC) to its Paca(rana) sound engine.

By connecting a Paca or Pacarana to the Ethernet, sound designers, musicians, and researchers using Kyma on Windows or Macintosh computers can establish bi-directional communication with OSC-enabled devices and software on the network to control parameters of Kyma sound synthesis and processing algorithms. Open Sound Control is an open communications protocol that delivers higher speeds, greater resolution, and more flexibility than is afforded by the standard MIDI protocol. (For a partial list of software and hardware currently supporting the OSC protocol, please see http://opensoundcontrol.org/implementations).

Doug Kraul, CEO of Harmony Systems, Inc. is enthusiastic about Kyma's new OSC technology. "OSC is a brilliant addition to the already stellar Kyma sound design workstation", said Kraul. "It immediately enables exciting new ways to use Kyma on stage or in the studio. But the true impact of this forward looking technology is the new, innovative controllers and applications that OSC makes possible for the Kyma platform".

Plus Bidirectional MIDI Streams Over OSC
Don't have any OSC-enabled devices or software yet? Not to worry! You, too, can benefit from the faster speeds, higher resolution, and reduced cable-count of OSC by using Symbolic Sound's protocol for sending bi-directional MIDI streams over OSC. Symbolic Sound is happy to announce that several third-party development partners are concurrently announcing new software that supports bi-directional communication with Kyma over OSC:

OSCulator: Known as the Rosetta Stone of music controllers, Camille Troillard's Mac OS X application OSCulator (http://osculator.net) is already familiar to Kyma users who utilize it for sending individual MIDI controls, OSC, and HID control data over FireWire to Kyma. Now, in OSCulator 2.9.2, you can also send OSC messages directly to the Paca(rana) over the network. OSCulator 2.9.2 also implements Symbolic Sound's Bi-Directional-MIDI-streams-over-OSC protocol, enabling you to send streams of MIDI events from your software directly to Kyma without need for a MIDI interface on your computer and without having to map each controller individually in OSCulator.

vM2 and PacaMidi: Harmony Systems, Inc. is offering two new Mac OS X applications in its Delora product line, vM2 and PacaMidi, that incorporate Kyma's new "MIDI-over-OSC" technology to further enhance and facilitate real-time interaction with Kyma. vM2, a "virtual MotorMix", enables JazzMutant Lemur owners to enjoy automatic, fully integrated tactile control over Kyma's Virtual Control Surface. Recently updated to include several exciting new features, vM2 2.0 employs "MIDI-over-OSC" to eliminate the complication of physical MIDI cables and interfaces. PacaMidi, Harmony's newest product, uses "MIDI-over-OSC" to create a "virtual MIDI interface and patchbay" that adds three merged MIDI inputs and one MIDI output to a Paca(rana). This expands Kyma's connectivity options, while saving you the expense and complexity of using physical MIDI interfaces, hardware mergers, and numerous cables. For more information see http://www.delora.com.

Max & M4L: If you are one of the many artists using Kyma in conjunction with Ableton's Live and/or Cycling74's Max, you'll be happy to hear that Andrew Capon has written a Max external for bidirectional MIDI communication over OSC that works with both Max and Max For Live. For more details, please see: http://www.symbolicsound.com/Learn/AndyCaponMaxExternalOSC

For software and hardware developers
Starting from the Open Sound Control definition of a MIDI data type, Symbolic Sound has published additional details that make it possible to define a bidirectional stream of MIDI events sent as OSC messages over a network. Software and hardware developers planning to add MIDI-over-OSC capabilities to their applications or devices are invited to utilize this protocol to ensure compatibility with Kyma and Symbolic Sound's development partners: http://www.symbolicsound.com/Learn/BidirectionalMIDIStreamsOverOSC.

For developers utilizing pure OSC who would like to ensure compatibility with Kyma, please see:
http://www.symbolicsound.com/Learn/OSCSoftwareDevelopers

Who can use OSC with Kyma?
Anyone using Kyma on a Windows or Macintosh computer with either the Paca or Pacarana sound engine can utilize the new OSC features.

Sound artists will find this new feature of interest primarily due to the new opportunities it affords for controlling Kyma using OSC-enabled software running on devices such as the newly announced Apple iPad (and compatible iPhone and iPod Touch), the award-winning JazzMutant Lemur multi-touch surface, and numerous other OSC controllers and software.

This new feature may also be of particular interest to research labs and researchers developing data-driven virtual environments. Using the Open Sound Control protocol, researchers can write their own software for updating sound parameters while running experiments or for streaming data from networked computers to the Paca(rana) to update sound synthesis parameters in real time in response to external controllers, experimentally generated data, streams of data from remote sensors, or synthetically generated data based on computer models.

Pricing & Availability
OSC-enabled Kyma X.74 is a free software update for registered Kyma X owners. OSC communication requires the Paca or Pacarana sound engine. Kyma X.74 also comes with additional features, including an 11-times speedup in the Virtual Control Surface, support for the MOTU UltraLite Hybrid mk3, TC Electronic Impact Twin, and Prism Audio Orpheus converters, track-pad compatible menus, refinements to the Tau resynthesis, and more.

Symbolic Sound's innovative Kyma X environment features a unique set of sound synthesis and processing algorithms and a powerful way to easily re-combine these algorithms to create sounds that have never been heard before."

EMS SYNTHI HI-FLI PROTOTYPE 1 of 10 *Serviced* David Gilmour Guitar Synth

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

via this auction

"A very rare prototype Synthi Hi-Fli, dating from 1972, in excellent condition following a full overhaul by EMS earlier this year.
One of only ten pre-production units made in 1972. David Gilmour reputedly still owns two of them…

Ultra-rare prototype EMS Synthi Hi-Fli – this is a knob-twiddler’s dream of an effect and the ultimate in hens’ teeth: your guitar will never sound the same again.

Different sound and spec to a standard Hi-Fli – this is the second such unit we’ve had and it broke my heart to sell the last one (I’ve been a committed HiFli nut since I bought my first one many years ago and have always had at least one in the studio ever since).

The prototypes don’t have the growl function, which was introduced about 18 months later. Production Hi-Flis all have the Buzz switch, but only the first ten prototypes had the Fuzz switch, which adds some interesting colouration to the up and down-octave sounds.

Ten production prototype Hi-Flis were made in 1972 but a redesign quickly followed the launch at the Frankfurt Fair to try to reduce the factory cost (the prototype design is not especially ergonomic for a guitar player to use – you have to lean back somewhat to access the pedals underneath the main unit). This original design features a removable aluminium pole which plugs into the underside of the main console and the top of the base unit, acting both as a stand and a conduit for power and signal connections (pole not included with this unit). The heavy-duty nylon-dipped base houses the power supply and sturdy twin pedals.

Dave Gilmour of Pink Floyd is reputed to still have two of these original units, which, according to Phil Taylor were first used for the Dark Side of The Moon tour that started in May 1973 at Earls Court. Opinion is divided as to whether a Hi-Fli featured on the DSOTM recordings: I can only say that it certainly sounds like it did.
Number one in Analogman Tom’s list of rare guitar effects from his excellent book.
Used by David Gilmour – see this Gilmourish blog for further details – he bought a prototype in 1972 and from what he recalls it was “very, very expensive”; Gilmourish also suggest it was used during the recording of Dark Side Of The Moon

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Showcasing the String Armonica: Live Demo of a New Electro-Acoustic Synthesizer

video upload by The Sound Stone

"We are thrilled to showcase our new prototype: The String Armonica. This new electro-acoustic synthesizer employs electromagnets to resonate twelve distinct strings. Using the power of harmonic resonance, we've managed to design it to play up to 48 notes of full polyphony using a MIDI controller. All the sounds that this instrument produces originate solely from the vibrations of the strings themselves. Nested within the body of the instrument lies a a polyphonic synthesizer, which outputs notes that resonate the strings and they're octave harmonics.

The String Armonica works differently than how a guitar sustainer works. In a sustainer (Sound Stone, Ebow, etc), it will resonate a string regardless of its tuning. In order for the String Armonica to correctly work, the strings must be tuned so that they match the resonant frequency of the internal synthesizer. By adjusting the tuning pegs, you're able to 'voice' the loudness of each octave and can make certain octaves louder than others or of equal volume.

When you listen through headphones, the stereophonic output becomes evident as one set of strings is panned to the left and another to the right, creating a rich, immersive experience. However, a monophonic option is available as well.

The name of the instrument, 'The String Armonica,' pays homage to the rare Glass Armonica, an exquisite crystal glass instrument invented by Benjamin Franklin. The resemblance in the sound produced by our instrument to that of a Glass Armonica is very similar which is why we thought of this name.

In our improvisation demonstration, we explore the instrument's potential by adjusting the volume with an expression pedal and using the mod wheel of the MIDI controller to generate a staccato tremolo effect.

It's important to note that this is a prototype. In its current state, it may appear a bit rough around the edges due to several adjustments and changes we've made along the way. The final manufactured version will be significantly more refined and less crude.

For those interested in owning one of these innovative instruments, we encourage you to add your name and email to our pre-order list. Once we are ready to commence manufacturing, we will send you additional information and a purchase link.

Here's the pre-order link:
https://forms.gle/WXX5UcmotZFMAE9p7

We appreciate your interest in our creation.

Best,
Will from Merkaba Electronics

www.soundstone.co"

The Crow Hill Company Announces Availability of SMALL STRING GESTURES

The best string sound I have ever heard!! video upload by The Crow Hill Company

Press release follows:

TCHC announces availability of SMALL STRING GESTURES as toolkit to dial up musical personality with intimate interpretative band behind each key

EDINBURGH, UK: having ‘softly’ set out its software stall late last year with a low-key launch of STRING MURMURATIONS that saw decades of award-winning experience in the music tech sector and at the composing coalface distilled into an easy- to-use, intuitive, and comprehensive sample-based virtual instrument plug-in and GUI (Graphical User Interface) introducing the cutting-edge concept of Gestures (whereby an orchestra interpreting its user’s composition and making it into music and art lies behind every key played), music-making community tools-maker The Crow Hill Company is proud to announce availability of SMALL STRING GESTURES as the latest incarnation of that concept — creating a set of tools where individual instruments and the playing style, strengths, and frailties of the intimate interpretative (3, 3, 3, 3) band behind each key are available for the user to dial up the personality of their composition, created from a collection of master recordings that have been mixed and edited into a sample-based virtual instrument plug-in with a GUI and preset browser that are as easy on the eye as they are in use — as of January 26…

An armada of strings can create awe — an epic tidal wave of human emotion, of scale, of wonder. While STRING MURMURATIONS makes it easy and intuitive to make music that sounds human thanks to three distinct palettes of expressions, each designed to feel like the user is collaborating with an orchestra of real musicians, creating endless harmonic possibilities that inspire from the moment a key is touched, sometimes music-makers need it to be intimate, truthful, personal, human — hence The Crow Hill Company creating SMALL STRING GESTURES as a set of tools where individual instruments and the playing style, strengths, and frailties of the instrumentalists involved are available for the user to dial up the personality of their composition. Cue humanity, in other words.

With this in mind, The Crow Hill Company specifically selected a 3, 3, 3, 3 — three Violin 1, three Violin 2, three Violas, and three Cellos — band size that ensured its sampling style brought every individual within that ensemble into beautifully detailed and intimate focus for SMALL STRING GESTURES. This toolset is provided with a different lens and aperture to play through.

The Crow Hill Company collectively likes to keep things moving, so while this latest incarnation of its Gestures concept is very much related to one of those distinct palettes of expression available in STRING MURMURATIONS, it is worth highlighting hysteresis — dictionary-defined as the phenomenon in which the value of a physical property lags behind changes in the effect causing it, such as when magnetic induction lags behind the magnetising force, for instance — in relation to SMALL STRING GESTURES. Getting in on the act of creating sample libraries involves always asking the instrumentalists involved to perform musical material that is incredibly easy to play in order for the end result to always be ‘together’. That is fine for programming or composing simple stuff since that would sound true to real life, but it becomes harder, however, for players to remain totally locked to each other’s tuning or timekeeping when playing more difficult passages. Pure sound becomes more problematic as a result — reduced fundamental meaning more character, which is why a lot of sample-based music used in films, games, and TV sounds ‘characterless’. Clearly the samples involved therein lack hysteresis as they were easy to play, yet playing something difficult with them does not sound natural, real, or human. Indeed, it is fair to say that what makes musicians ‘hysterical’ is speed — faster playing means looser playing that is less in time and also less in tune; reach — the wider the gap between the notes, the further they have to reach, resulting in less perfectly in tune playing; and pitch — the higher a player plays, the harder it becomes as it involves more intense accuracy from string players performing on fretless instruments.

It is for this reason that The Crow Hill Company decided to get its players to perform the hard stuff — not compositions, but mere fragments, which is why anyone working with SMALL STRING GESTURES will not feel like they are playing phrases; instead it is rather like having a string band under their fingertips. For Gestures are the very real sound of reach and performance. But by not giving the musicians behind SMALL STRING GESTURES simple stuff to play prevented them from getting bored. Better still, SMALL STRING GESTURES users are accessing the sound that musicians make when they are smiling... hysterically!

It is also fair to say, therefore, that the effect of hysteresis on a large string section — including that which was involved in the creation of STRING MURMURATIONS, for instance — is a silky, blurry sound. An audible example of this might be the fast string runs in John Williams’ ‘Hedwig’s Theme’ from Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone — ditto the closing bars of ‘Mars, the Bringer of War’ from Holst’s The Planets suite. Saying that, though, there are times when music-makers do not need awe, epic, and huge scale in pursuit of their compositional craft, but instead seek something more intimate, more personal, more human. The theory that led to SMALL STRING GESTURES revolved around if The Crow Hill Company could get a string band small enough then the impact of hysteresis would not be a musical blurring, but rather an exposure of each player involved in its creation — their own style of bowing and vibrato, their own fragilities to help the user’s audience connect more with the human nature of their music.

Making that happen meant designing SMALL STRING GESTURES to make its users approach composing and making music from a totally new angle, one where it feels like there are musicians at their fingertips — not samples. SMALL STRING GESTURES is a collection of master recordings — made by world-class producers and engineers at Glasgow’s Clockwork Studios, a new custom-designed scoring stage for the UK comprising of a large hall for full orchestra (up to 80 players) with a balanced and focused sound ideal for modern orchestral recording, as well as a smaller dry space in Studio B (up to 15 players), with the world-class Scottish Session Orchestra playing some of the finest instruments through the finest microphones and mic pre-amps — that have been mixed and edited into a sample-based virtual instrument plug-in with a GUI and a preset browser that are as easy on the eye as they are in use. Ultimately, it works within anyone’s favourite DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) with 25 presets — presented as six Gestures, four Longs, 10 Presets, and five Bonus — and additional hand-crafted Selects designed by The Crow Hill Company team. There are three mix-ready stereo signals — namely, CLOSE, WIDE, and AMBIENT, as well as unique REVERB controls and a granular effects processor.

Duly designed by professional composers with the sonic connoisseur in mind, The Crow Hill Company’s collective conclusion certainly rings true, stating, “We’re a small team and have worked hard to make everything as intuitive as possible.” Put it this way: with SMALL STRING GESTURES it is perfectly possible to make music that sounds intimate, truthful, personal, human! Hysteresis, of course, comes into play here, albeit with the desired effect — exposure of each player involved in its creation.

Clearly, then, big messages come in small packages when it comes to working with the diminutive-sized SMALL STRING GESTURES as another easy-to-use and intuitive virtual instrument plug-in from The Crow Hill Company, one which is also easy on the wallet for those wishing to step into this new world of gesture-based sampling.


SMALL STRING GESTURES is available to purchase — as an AAX-, AU-, VST-, and VST3-format-compatible sample-based virtual instrument plug-in comprising 8 GB of uncompressed material (compressed losslessly to 4.4 GB) that loads directly into a DAW — for £49.00 GBP (including VAT) directly from The Crow Hill Company here: https://thecrowhillcompany.com/small-string-gestures

SMALL STRING GESTURES is available for free until February 29, 2024 when purchasing STRING MURMURATIONS for £199.00 GBP (including VAT) directly from The Crow Hill Company here: https://thecrowhillcompany.com/string-murmurations/ (Note that SMALL STRING GESTURES is also available for free to existing owners of STRING MURMURATIONS until February 29, 2024.)

Watch The Crow Hill Company founder and composer Christian Henson’s must-see SMALL STRING GESTURES walkthrough video here: [video up top]

Free sounds for all are available by simply signing up to become a Crow Hill member here: https://thecrowhillcompany.com/join-crow-hill/

---
Video side note: Analogue Solutions Colossus in the background.

An Interview with Barry Schrader

Hi everyone! As you know Barry Schrader will be giving his farewell concert at CalArts on September 26. The following is the beginning of my interview with him. I opted to post the questions and answers as they come in.  New QAs will get a new post so you do not miss them and they will be added to this post so we have one central post for the full interview. This should make it easier for all of us to consume in our busy lives, and it will allow you to send in any questions that may come to mind during the interview process.  If you have anything you'd like to ask Barry, feel free to send it in to matrixsynth@gmail.com.  This is a rare opportunity for us to get insight on a significant bit of synthesizer history, specifically with early Buchla systems, and I'd like to thank Barry for this opportunity. Thank you Barry!

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“Flux meets Jupiter-4 13 - The voice of the Stone” by Friendly Noise

video upload by Friendly Noise

Friendly Noise Jupiter-4 posts

"Video sections:
00:06 Part 1
01:43 Part 2
03:11 Part 3

This is number 13 of a video series combining the best of vintage sound and the best of the modern sequencer technology in eurorack: Roland Jupiter 4 and IO Labs Flux. There will be a new short video every week.

The Jupiter 4 is always recorded in mono, which makes the internal chorus very subtle. Reverb is added in Cubase to make the sound wider. There is no clipping in the recording chain. If you hear anything close to distortion, it’s all in the sound coming out of the Jupiter 4.

The Roland Jupiter 4 has been rediscovered and established as the most full of character among the Roland polyphonic synths. Although limited in number of voices and straight forward sound architecture, it shines with an unique sonic print which no other synth can emulate. There are lots of great video demos and information on the web, so that no detailed description will be provided here. But it’s important to mention some unique features which will be showed extensively in this video series:

- The Jupiter 4 filter goes into self oscillation. Big guys like Yamaha CS-80, Jupiter 8 or Oberheim OBX-a can’t.
- The LFO is fast enough to get into audio range.
- There is a very noticeable internal saturation when the VCA slider is raised.

Don’t expect nice bass sounds and classic analog leads. The Jupiter 4 is perfect for that, but this has already been done before in many records and internet demos. What you are about to hear is the extreme side of the sound. Be prepared for drones, massive low frequencies, cracking saturation, ultra fast notes and unusual scales. Many sounds will remind you of modular synthesizers, but they were all created by direct recording of the Jupiter 4. :-)

In fact, the VCO is switched off and you will be hearing only the self oscillating filter in almost 80% of the video series. Only in the last videos you will hear the VCO. That means that 80% of the sounds you will hear couldn’t be made with other classic polyphonic synths, unless the filter self oscillates.

Luckily this Jupiter 4 was modded with CV and gate inputs and outputs per voice (and then some). Using this level of control per voice you can use the Jupiter 4 as a vintage monophonic synth, or drive individual voices differently. For example, applying vibrato or slide per voice. In this video series, only three voices were used.

The amazing sound of this Jupiter 4 can break the traditional boundaries specially when driven by the Temporal Modulation Synthesis sequencer Flux, made by IOLabs: https://www.tmsynthesis.com/ Flux is the most advanced tool for rhythm creation ever made. Ever. Trying to explain Flux is few words is not possible. Please look for information on the web."

ROLAND JUPITER-8 ANALOG SYNTHESIZER WITH ELECTRO HARMONIX PHASER MK II

Published on Oct 16, 2015 Dubois Christophe

"My own patches and sounds effects with The Electro Harmonix Small Stone Phaser MK II, like we can listen at the end of 'Oxygene Part 2' and in the beginning of 'Oxygene Part 4' and at last, in the beginning too in "Equinoxe 4" in China Concerts.

For examples, i have used this Small Stone Phaser with the Jupiter-8 on my music album 'ATMOSWAVES' on 'PART 2 - ELECTROCEANS' with a patch i have created (number 85 on this video) and on 'PART 7 - OCEANIC THUNDERAIN' to make gusts with a sound effect (number 88 on this video).
At last, the wind sound effect number 87 can be listened on 'PART 4 - COLD WIND' without the phaser.

I also used the Small Stone Phaser on my new music album 'COSMOCEANS' on 'PART 8 - INTERSTELLAR WINDS' to make gusts with a sound effect i have created (number 88 on this video).
At last, the patch number 85 can be listened on 'PART 7 - COSMOWAVES ' without the phaser.


(Really sorry for the popping noise when the phaser is engaged. I couldn't increase more the sound level from my monitors because the microphone on my small usb camera is very sensitive and the sound level would have been too saturated).
It's just a little video that aims to listen the Jupiter-8 with and without the Small Stone Phaser.
Thank you for your understanding).

Hope this video will be useful for you.

Chris."

Moogfest Panels Feature Mavericks, Legends and Pioneers

"Moogfest History and Technical Panels Draw on Deep Legacy and Industry Connections

The Bob Moog Foundation is bringing together top minds in history, technology and education for this year’s history and technical panels. Experts, ranging from Bob’s colleagues in the seminal days of synthesis to the more contemporary sound sculptors of today, are coming from around the country to share their ideas and vast experiences. The Bob Moog Foundation will be responsible for the historical content at Moogfest, including items from Dr. Bob’s Archives such as rarely seen vintage photographs and historic audio clips from recently restored reel-to-reel tapes.

All panels, demonstrations, and workshops will take place between Noon and 6:30 PM EST at the Moogaplex, located at the Haywood Park Hotel complex at 1 Battery Park Avenue in downtown Asheville, just a stone’s throw from many of the music venues. They are first come, first serve for those who bought either weekend passes or have a pass for that particular day.
Convergence – Hardware and Software Integration in the 21st Century & The Award of OMG-1 One-Of-A-Kind Synth (Friday, 3pm)


The One-Of-A-Kind OMG-1, designed by Eric Persing

The creation of electronic music has always relied on exploring all technologies available. In the modern context, that often means transcending the divide between the tactile experience of hardware devices and the ever-increasing capabilities of computers. An incredible panel of sonic explorers moderated by Spectrasonics’ founder Eric Persing will investigate the challenges of how electronic instruments can reach their ultimate potential through the convergence of multiple technologies.

During this panel, Persing will be awarding his one-of-a-kind OMG-1 synthesizer to the winner of the OMG-1 Contest, Torley Wong. You won’t want to miss this historical moment!

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Analogue Synthesizer Demos by Synthe_64

Published on May 6, 2016 Synthe_64

"Here is a small demo of my analogue synths. They are all connected via Control Voltage; I never use midi. Enjoy the sound of Moog Minimoog, Korg Polysix, Roland SH2, Korg Monotribe, Arturia Microbrute, Pittsburgh Modular and Doepfer Darktime. Recorded in one track. Stereo delay comes from my Behringer Xenyx 1202FX mixer, Polysix Phasing comes from EHX Small Stone. If you have any questions about the demo please send an email to synthe_64@yahoo.com"

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Rob Papen produces extras for The 4 Element Synth book/DVD set

"ECHT, THE NETHERLANDS: virtual instrument and plug-in developer Rob Papen Soundware’s namesake founder/Managing Director Rob Papen is proud to announce additional online content for The 4 Element Synth subtractive synthesis instructional book/DVD set...

Last year globally renowned sound designer Rob Papen published The 4 Element Synth book with four accompanying DVDs totalling over 10 hours of tutorial content to critical acclaim. According to fellow sound designer Ian Boddy, “The whole package comes in a beautifully packaged book. Superbly bound and elegantly printed, it has the feel of a quality coffee table book — it even has such nice details as a silk bookmark and pull-out 4 Element Synth chart, complete with four DVDs stuffed to the brim to watch in conjunction with the contents of the book.”

Appropriately subtitled The secrets of subtractive synthesis, this 200-plus-page enlightening tome was many years in the making, effectively dating back to 2001 when Rob Papen started teaching exclusive masterclasses in synth sound design in his well-stocked studio using the likes of his beloved Roland Jupiter 8 programmable polysynth and seminal Korg MS-20 semi-modular monosynth alongside other vintage analogue classics and more modern counterparts. Here he developed an approach to working with subtractive synthesis that he termed The 4-Element Synth© — hence the book/DVD set’s title. As implied by name, the book basically breaks subtractive synthesis down into four digestible and distinct chapters or elements: Element-1 / Oscillators, Element-2 / Filter, Element-3 / Amplifier, and Element-4 / Modulators — each of which receive their own equally easy-to-follow DVD treatment, thanks in no small part to the talented author and presenter’s easy- going onscreen persona.

No teaching technique needs to be set in stone, however; there is almost always room for improvement — or even additional content, as is the case with The 4 Element Synth. The beauty of online content is that it can, of course, be updated far faster than print or physical media, which is exactly what Rob Papen has done by uploading two additional Element-4 / Modulators chapter-related bonus videos here: http://www.robpapen.com/book-a-dvds-extras.html

Anyone who has already purchased The 4 Element Synth book/DVD set is invited to thereby (re)read the LFO and Element-2 section (p152) and then watch an all-new accompanying video about LFO and resonance modulation. Meanwhile, the Three points to keep in mind using an envelope section (p107) also benefits from additional demonstrative video content; as Rob Papen himself says, “There’s another important point about envelope modulation of the filter. As we’ve said already in the Element-2 chapter, many producers and synth players often use only the cutoff knob; they forget that there is also an envelope amount and the envelope settings that can change the sound — and not just a little bit! Keep these three points in mind when you’re working with the filter section of your synthesizer.”

Speaking of synthesizers, apart from those aforesaid analogue classics and a rather impressive looking (and sounding) ‘Moog-alike’ System-22 modular system from Synthesizers.com — all of which make musical onscreen appearances throughout The 4 Element Synth DVDs, Rob Papen also makes much use of his own company’s Predator — a ‘phat’ sounding killer soft synth that combines inspiring presets and first-class features to create the perfect ‘go-to’ synth for contemporary music production. Predator and Predator RE users can also download the preset banks used on the DVDs from here: http://www.robpapen.com/book-a-dvds-extras.html

Needless to say, anyone wishing to literally uncover the secrets of subtractive synthesis should surely look no further than The 4 Element Synth book/DVD set — now more enlightening than ever, thanks to these latest enhancements!

The 4 Element Synth book/DVD set can be ordered online directly from Rob Papen within the EU for €74.00 EURO (including 6% VAT) or outside the EU for €69.00 EURO — plus shipping (where appropriate) — from here: http://www.robpapen.com/buy-dvd-sound-design.html

Rob Papen is also delighted to announce availability of The 4 Element Synth from US dealer Sweetwater, as well as via various European dealers."

NEW APPS AVAILABLE FOR THE LINE 6 MIDI MOBILIZER

"—Transforming your Apple® iPod touch™, iPhone™ and iPad™ into a complete music production studio—

CALABASAS, Calif.—November 18, 2010—Line 6, Inc. (line6.com), the industry leader in digital modeling technology for music-creation products, is proud to announce a dozen new apps for the MIDI Mobilizer™, the only MIDI interface for Apple iPod touch, iPhone and iPad.

“Developers are doing an amazing job of harnessing the power of the Apple devices and turning them into serious music-making MIDI machines – all made possible by MIDI Mobilizer,” remarked Chris Grigg, Mobile Products Manager at Line 6. “Prepare to be completely amazed at how much you can do with such tiny, affordable gear.”

MIDI Mobilizer is the most simple, compact, and portable Line 6 device yet. It easily connects directly with any Apple iPod touch, iPhone or iPad and coupled with MIDI Memo Recorder (a free app available for download on the Apple App Store), it allows musicians to conveniently play, record, and backup MIDI data any time, anywhere.

Following the announcement earlier this summer of the free MIDI Mobilizer Third Party Developer Program, over 70 app developers around the world are working on new apps that will support MIDI Mobilizer. In addition to MIDI Memo Recorder, there are currently a dozen apps available for MIDI Mobilizer: NanoStudio, NLogSynth Pro, NLog MIDI Synth, Music Studio, Pianist Pro, StepPolyArp, MIDI Surface, Little MIDI Machine, MIDI Live, bs-16i, and S1MIDI Trigger. [brief descriptions on each further below]

NanoStudio, for example, is a techno-styled, full-featured virtual recording studio complete with 16 sample trigger pads, a comprehensive sequencer, a sample editor, a mixer and 10 FX units. Another is NLog Synth PRO, which is a professional virtual analogue synthesizer with 192 factory sounds, powerful synth features, and more. Pianist Pro, an 88-key virtual piano for the iPad, has been highlighted in Apple commercials and recommended by the New York Times, Rolling Stone magazine, and others.

These apps are just the beginning – many more are in development and will be available soon.

MIDI Mobilizer is compatible with millions of MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) devices, from classic to modern, including synthesizers, digital pianos, effects processors, and Line 6 guitar amps and POD® products.

MIDI Mobilizer is available now, with an estimated street price of $69.99."

iPads on eBay
iPads on Amazon

iPod Touch on eBay
iPod Touch on Amazon

Be sure to see the Line 6 label below for demos of apps supporting the Line 6 MIDI Mobilizer.

Update: brief descriptions on each app (links take you to iTunes where you'll find full info):

NanoStudio
"NanoStudio is a virtual recording studio for iPhone/iPod Touch. It has 4 virtual analogue synths, 16 sample trigger pads, a comprehensive sequencer, a sample editor, a mixer and 10 effects units all integrated into a single application.

Record samples using the built-in microphone*, resample NanoStudio's own output or upload your own samples over WiFi using our NanoSync tool for Mac or Windows. NanoStudio comes with a range of samples, loops and drum kits to get you started...."

NLogSynth Pro
"The N E X T L E V E L of IOS musical instruments:
- A PROFESSIONAL GRADE synthesizer in your pocket with extreme value
- 192 IMPRESSIVE FACTORY SOUNDS
- including fresh new soundset by the trance producer 7 Skies (www.7skies-music.com)

- ENDLESS options for SOUND EDITING
- Over one 150 parameters and options
- More than your beloved hardware synths might offer
- Store up to 96 own edits in 3 user banks
- Exchange sounds with your friends by email

- STUDIO QUALITY sounds
- Professional 44.1 kHz Stereo CD quality
- Internal 32bit floating point engine
- Highly efficient sound algorithms
- Enabling maximum CPU performance of your iPad..."

NLog MIDI Synth
"This app is an extended version of the famous "NLog Synthesizer" app providing external access from MIDI keyboards or other MIDI controller. The synth engine has been rewritten to provide polyphonic realtime response. Now you have a real synthesizer out of your IOS device which you can play with your keyboards. A MIDI interface is needed to operate with external keyboards. This version supports Line6's Midi Mobilizer. Other interfaces like Akai's Synthstation will be supported in future updates once they become available. The app is also usable without MIDI interface with on-screen keyboard..."

Music Studio
"Music Studio offers a complete music production environment on the iPhone/iPod touch with features and a sound quality previously only known to desktop applications and expensive audio hardware.

It combines a piano keyboard, 40 studio-quality instruments with sustain, a fully fledged 128-track sequencer, extensive note editing, reverb, real-time effects and much more on a user-friendly interface."


Pianist Pro
"As featured in the latest Apple "iPad is Musical" TV Ad, recommended by The New York Times, The Independent, The Daily Telegraph, Rolling Stone Magazine, and played live by legendary band Squeeze on the Jimmy Fallon show (NBC).

Pianist, the ORIGINAL iPhone piano, turns Professional in an all new iPad-only app with photo-realistic graphics and an unbelievable sound. Pianist Pro was the number one music app for the iPad at release and has remained high in the charts ever since."

StepPolyArp
"StepPolyArp is a midi step polyphonic arpeggiator. The arpeggiator does not play any sound itself, it transmits midi notes to a Mac or a PC to be used in combination with any sequencer, virtual instrument (VSTi, Audio Unit) or midi synthesizer.

The arpeggiator can transform chords into sequences of notes played one after the other in several ways. A matrix polyphonic step modulate arpeggiated notes in time and pitch. The main controllers (velocity, modulation, panning, volume, aftertouch, and pitch bend) are also programmable through a step editor. The integrated keyboard automatically adapts to the selected musical scale."

MIDI Surface
"MIDI Surface is a full-featured MIDI control surface for iPhone and iPod touch, brought to you by the minds at Audiofile Engineering (creators of FiRe - Field Recorder, Backline Calc and other essential audio apps). Designed for use with the Line 6 MIDI Mobilizer hardware accessory, MIDI Surface allows users to easily create and save their own customized MIDI control surfaces. It delivers seamless touch-screen control of MIDI-enabled instruments such as keyboards, drum machines, software synths and more."


Little MIDI Machine
"Little MIDI Machine is an analog-style MIDI step sequencer app for the Line 6 MIDI Mobilizer interface. This app requires you own the hardware Line 6 Mobilizer MIDI interface hardware accessory for full functionality.

Little MIDI Machine gives you the step sequencing power of a hardware analog sequencer on your iPad! Program two independent sequencers that send note and velocity MIDI data out on two MIDI channels to control your hardware synthesizers. LittleMM includes many of your favorite hardware sequencer features such as mute and un-mute notes, skip steps, reverse the sequencer, adjustable clock speed, etc. If you do not have a Line 6 Mobilizer, LittleMM can generate very basic melodic sounds in place of sending MIDI. This will let you play around with the app and try it out, but it is not a feature that will be developed further and is not the primary purpose of the app. LittleMM is intended to be a MIDI sequencer driving external hardware.

With Little Music Machine you can use your Line 6 MIDI Mobilizer interface along with your favorite hardware synth and your iPad to create mind-bending loops and sequences."

MIDI Live
"This application is designed for live performance using the Midi Mobilizer from Line 6. It provides realtime modification of midi file parameters including:

* Song Tempo
* Key Change
* Instrument Assignment
* Song Cue
* Mixing Parameters

It is possible to alter these parameters while the song is playing or save for future playback. Playlists are also supported. Songs can be freely downloaded from the internet or loaded from your laptop.

Note: This application does not make sound on its own, it requires the Midi Mobilizer from Line 6."

bs-16i
"bs-16i is a 16 multi-timbral playback sampler. It supports SoundFont, and can be used for keyboard instrument, MIDI sound module, and MIDI player.

The sampler engine is ported from bs-1 / bs-16, which is developed as professional plug-in for Logic (Audio Units) and Cubase (VST instrument).
Using SoundFont libraries, you can play with your great number of Instruments.
It supports all standard MIDI messages, so it also can be used as a GM (General MIDI) sound module.

As a keyboard instrument, you can play with scalable keyboard, pitch bend wheel, and many control change controllers.

Internal MIDI player supports SMF (Standard MIDI File) format."

S1MIDI Trigger
S1MidiTrigger turns your iPad or iPhone into a customizable touchscreen MIDI controller that can replace hardware devices costing hundreds of dollars. Connect wirelessly to audio workstation applications on the PC or Mac, or use Line 6's MIDI Mobilizer hardware add-on!

You can use the built-in controller screens or design your own, with touch pads (for drums and other instruments), sliders, X-Y pads and more. (Note: This requires a MIDI application -- it does not play music by itself.)

S1MidiTriggger is compatible with the open-source DSMidiWifi server, but for even faster response you can download our free S1 server software for PC or OS X. (A fast wifi connection is recommended.)

Don't worry if you don't have the best musical skills! With S1MidiTrigger, it's very easy to just tap some pads to play simple notes or even complete chords.

Watch a demo of version 3.2 on YouTube" [posted here]

The Eternal Now

video upload by davidryle

"American Format (5U) modular synthesizer performance in real time to a stereo track in Cubase.
For an atonal wash I used the Dove Audio Waveplane and WTF vco's through an Oakley Sound Systems Ring Modulator. I then sent it through A dotcom Q150 transistor ladder filter and a Lower West Side Studio Multimode Filter/Resonator and on to a fixed filter bank and a Frequency Central Stasis Leak digital delay. This drone wash comes in at the final section and ending.
The opening reed sound and accompanying organ sounds were derived from the Synthetic Sound Labs/Mutable Instruments (Braids) Woven Spirits module.
The initial reed sound is from the AUX output of the Woven Spirits through an SSL/Ian Fritz 5 Pulser and Oakley Sound Systems State Variable Filter. The filter is stepped with a random S&H from JNP Electronics.
The secondary organ chord sound is the Main direct output of the Woven Spirits in Chord mode. The combination of both elements are sent to an Electro-Harmonix Grand Canyon in DMM mode. Feedback is applied as needed for the drone sustain throughout the piece.
The bass line comes in next with a pair of STG Soundlabs Oscillators through a Dove Audio D502 Multimode filter in -24dB LP mode. The pitch voltage is from the upper Q960 step sequencer. It's timing is from a Catgirl Synth Master Divider, clocked from a custom Dual LFO/Analog Shift Register of Ken Stone (Catgirl Synth) design. An additional tap from the STG oscillator through a Corsynth C103 Frequency Divider/Multiplier module for a sub-octave feed.
The melodic line blended into the latter section is from a pair of Q106 dotcom vco's which are pitch controlled by the lower Q960 sequencer. Each vco pitch is from a separate row of the Q960. The Q960's shift timing is from the CGS Master Divider module. The output is routed through an Empress Reverb pedal in Blue Ghost mode. Panning is from the LWSS/Yusynth Panning Mixer.
All pitch quantitization is through a Moon Modular 565 series setup.
Additional voltage modulation to the Woven Spirits module are from the STG Soundlabs voltage mini stores, and vaious LFO's etc. Timing for the additional sequencers is also managed by the Moster Divider."

How Not to Fry Your Modular Gear & 7 Semi-Modular Ideas, Tips and Tricks for Synths

7 Semi-Modular ideas, tips and tricks for synths like MatrixBrute, Mother-32, MiniBrute 2 and more Published on Jul 11, 2018

1:00 TIP #1: Safely connecting CV to the Expression inputs of synths and guitar pedals using a floating ring cable

6:45 TIP #2: Using external envelopes to vary your synth sounds

9:25 TIP #3: Using MIDI to CV for sound layering and external control

11:45 TIP #4: Modular sequencing

15:05 TIP #5: Extending your sequencer with internal patching

16:55 TIP #6: Combining multiple mod sources

18:40 TIP #7: Adding external modular effects

Here's the clip I reference in my video: [embed further below]

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Native Instruments Introduces STRAYLIGHT - Granular-Based Instrument

Published on May 23, 2019 Native Instruments

"STRAYLIGHT is a granular-based instrument, perfect for lush pads, soundscapes, and tones. In this walkthrough we give you an overview of all the main features, and illustrate how you can quickly create and customize evolving sounds, and modulate them so they fit into your scenes and scores with ease."

Playlist:
1. Introducing STRAYLIGHT | Native Instruments
2. STRAYLIGHT Interview with Paul Haslinger | Native Instruments

We talk to Hollywood composer and former Tangerine Dream member Paul Haslinger about his experiences and process creating scores for Hollywood films, and how he implements STRAYLIGHT into his creative process.

3. STRAYLIGHT Walkthrough | Native Instruments

AT A GLANCE

Product type: KOMPLETE Instrument
Instrument type: Real-time cinematic texture instrument
For use with: The latest version of the free KONTAKT PLAYER. Download via KOMPLETE START.
Number of sounds: > 350 master Snapshots
1 NKI that includes: 319 grain source sets
50 sample sets
Sound categories: Atmosphere, Pad, Lead, Transition, Keys, Effects, Subs, Pulses
Download size: 2,47 GB (3,86 GB uncompressed samples)
System requirements: STRAYLIGHT needs a fast CPU to run and requires an Intel i7 processor or higher.

"STRAYLIGHT was built in collaboration with Frank Elting and The most human colors, a boutique instrument and sound design agency. The instrument was also developed in consultation with composer Paul Haslinger (Underworld, Minority Report, Fear The Walking Dead, Rainbow Six: Siege).

Craft unique cinematic soundscapes, transitions, and ambient tones in real-time. Built for sound designers and film, TV, and game composers, STRAYLIGHT is ideal for everything from post-apocalyptic sci-fi to gritty thrillers. It combines specialized grain and sample playback modules with carefully captured sound sources, effects, and a powerful performance-based X-Y modulation matrix, allowing inspirational dynamic performance and sound design, direct to picture.

THE GRANULAR ENGINE

STRAYLIGHT has a bespoke granular engine that places the source audio into a powerful and specialized – yet easy-to-use – interface. Harness lush, organic timbres that can defy time and pitch, yet still retain the pristine character of the source sounds (strings, glass, stone, membranes, and more), and sonically evolve over time (risers and transitions can adapt automatically to project tempo).

Small sounds can be vastly magnified in size and scope without sacrificing their sound quality or character. The granular engine is then paired with a layer from the sample module, offering the same level of editing and modulation.

PERFORM REAL-TIME MODULATION

STRAYLIGHT’s modulation and effects sections ensure a fast, creative workflow. The precise X-Y control enables expressive direct-to-picture performance and detailed control over intensity and timing. Apply and modulate up to 14 different effects – taken from nine different categories: Filters, dynamics, EQs, gaters, drivers, modulation, delays, utilities, and reverbs. STRAYLIGHT even includes specially captured reverb impulse responses, selected to complement its audio content and granular engine.

Easily assign MIDI CC to the XY matrix, and use it in conjunction with master effects to ride intensity, direct to picture.

Both the granular and sample modules offer deep editing possibilities for personalizing the source sounds and intelligent randomization for generating new sounds quickly.

Use tempo-synced grain cursor speeds for creating perfectly timed transitions and risers.

Select up to four different effect types each for the grain and sample layers, plus four additional master effects, and two send effects – and you can assign parameters from all those effects to macros or the X-Y matrix.

Tag based browsing for both presets and sound sources makes it easy to find what you’re looking for. Tags even apply when randomizing the modules."