Peneplain

Published on Feb 8, 2016 voltlife

"An ambient piece that drifts through darkness and light with minimal human intervention. The tones are mostly conventional, but the interesting part is the way that structure can be given to what could be an endlessly self-running generative patch.

The main drone is a Verbos Harmonic Oscillator through Doepfer A189-1 (in short delay mode) and uVCF (slightly resonant LP). Slow modulations affect the width and centre inputs of the HO, the BC input of the A189-1 and the filter cutoff: interactions between the harmonic movements from the oscillator, A189-1 delay time and filter cutoff produce ever-changing textures ranging from slow swells to softened digital glitches.

The quasi-melodic part is Braids in PLUK mode, with the semi-random melody coming from an A149-1, quantised to a pentatonic scale by Braids, while Klasmata generates Euclidean triggers to drive the plucks. I usually find the pluck mode a bit harsh on Braids, so I used an R52 to warm it up and a Serge Resonant EQ to roll off the lows and vaguely emulate a resonant body from an acoustic instrument. Both drone and plucks go into Erbe Verb set to massive, spacious, on-the-edge-of-oscillation mode.

There's also a couple of plonky tuned percussion parts that come in during the middle section. These start with two individual harmonics from the HO, so they'll always be in tune with the drone. These go through two channels of Optomix (though one is first ring-modded against itself to double its pitch), into Wow and Flutter for some quick warbly delays, then into a Vox Delay Lab for a longer stereo delay with reverse effects.

The structure is all driven by a Verbos Voltage Multistage, which is clocked by a uLFO to get longer step lengths than the VM can do with its internal clock. CVa controls the density of Klasmata's rhythms, from one pluck per bar through to livelier patterns in the middle. CVb controls Erbe Verb's mod depth, pushing it up into shimmer mode at various stages to create a choir-like backing. Two VM gate outs drive a sequential switch to turn the Optomix percussion on for a few stages then off again. The uLFO's sine out controls the uVCF cutoff, subtly reinforcing the stage movements with filter swells.

Within that structure, the generative elements come from the A149-1 and a Turing Machine, combined with switches and logic. The Turing's Pulse 1 out clocks the A149-1, thus controlling when new notes are generated. Its Voltage out controls pluck length while the main output controls the R52 cutoff to further mute the shorter plucks. The timing of the percussion also comes from a combination of the Turing's Pulse outs with logic and clock division. Given the shift-register-based quasi-randomness of both the A149-1 and the Turing, combined with the Klasmata rhythms, this gives subtle structure to the melodic patterns."

Merry SYNTHMAS and Happy Holidays to All from MATRIXSYNTH!!!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone! I hope you are all having a great holiday season. One thing we all have in common of course are our synths!

As has become tradition here on MATRIXSYNTH, I like to share a few festive pics of some gear I picked up throughout the year. This year was a bit low key, but I did manage to score a super nice Moog Sub Phatty, a much needed iConnectivity iConnectAUDIO4+, and a Division 6 VM, along with some goodies from The Bob Moog Foundation. Not pictured is a synthesizers.com modular puzzle currently waiting under the tree for my daughter. :)

As always, today should be a pretty relaxing day on the site as I spend time with my family. I will be off and on throughout the day posting holiday themed items that come in, so do check back.

I want thank all of the readers who enjoy MATRIXSYNTH and make running the site more than worthwhile! I run MATRIXSYNTH solely for my love of synths, and it is more than rewarding knowing that others out there appreciate it.

I want to send a special shout out to all of the sponsors featured above and on the right of the site for all of their support, and I want to give a HUGE THANK YOU to all my Patreon supporters that signed up to directly support MATRIXSYNTH. You all make running this site possible!

Happy Holidays Everyone!

cheers,
matrix

Update: added a pic of synthesizers.com puzzle, along with another surprise under the tree - a cool nanoblock keyboard! There were a few extra pieces so I added a few knobs. :)

Be sure to check out the holidays channel for more!

Roland Museum Germany Massive Synthesizer Selloff - Most Gear for Sale in a Single Auction

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

This one in via Marko of Retrosound.de.

26.000,00 Euro gets it all.

via this auction

Someone needs to contact the Guiness Book of World Records. Longest list of gear for sale ever:

CLICK FOR MORE »

VM (VoltMeter) Module: Display Mode Demo

Published on Sep 2, 2015 Division6Labs

"This video shows how VM displays signals, ranging from various DC voltages to different speed/voltage triangle waves.

It also shows what the little light shows look like as you switch between various inputs.

Find out more about this handy module here:
http://www.division-6.com/products/vm..."

The VM stands for Vitameatavegamin

via @division6labs

"The VM stands for vitameatavegamin. (Old people reference)"

http://division-6.com

Meng Qi VM & Ciat Lonbarde Plumbutter play bass episode #3

Published on Jul 11, 2015 Purple Tonal Central 3000

Mu5ca diN3 late night modular patch bonus track for RiSP HD

Published on Jul 5, 2015 DETUND™

"Modular track I recorded late last night. Everything clocked from one intellijel Dixie to a Doepfer A-160,161, MakeNoise Brains, Pressure Points X 2. Clock division gates sent out from the 4ms SCM, and RCD. Beats courtesy of the CycleBox II and TipTop BD808 kick. Make noise phonogene processing the cwejman S1 analogue percussion zaps. String layer and and lead created with a Cwejman VM-1 and VCO2RM with the help of a intellijel uScale quantizer/MMF-1/ washed through a bit of reverb from the Eventide Space, and Tiptop Z-DSP, Z-5000. finally the Op-1doing light sine tone sprinkles...
Get the full download of the track on the digi-release of RiSP
Note: No drum machines or computers used in this video."

Division 6 VM Light Show

Published on May 27, 2015

Left channel audio only. White noise burst warning (on both channels) at :13 for those that play it loud!

"Why have one VM module when you can have a whole bunch of them!

VM is a 2HP voltmeter module for Eurorack synthesizers. You can learn more about these handy modules here: http://www.division-6.com/products/vm..."

Ciat-Lonbarde Plumbutter II with Meng Qi Voltage Memory episode #2

Published on Apr 30, 2015 Purple Tonal Central 3000

"VM is controlling PB II flawlessly :)"

Division 6 VM for Eurorack Now Available to Order

via Division 6

"See exactly what your signals are doing! VM is a super-skinny (2HP) volt meter utility module for your Eurorack modular synthesizer. It offers a bar-graph display that gives you a quick, easy to read indication of what your signal's voltage is and where it's going, even from across the room. It can indicate voltages between -12.9V and +12.9V, with one LED per volt (and per 0.1 volt). The meter lights red to indicate a positive voltage and blue to indicate negative.

VM offers 4 different display modes, which can be cycled through by pressing the pushbutton on the front panel:

Dot Mode: One LED lights at a time, indicating voltage to the nearest volt.
Precision Dot Mode: Up to two LEDs light at a time. The solid one indicates volts, and the dim/flashing one indicates tenths of a volt.
Bar Mode: All LEDs up to and including the indicated voltage light up.
Precision Bar Mode: Like bar mode, but one of the LEDs flashes to indicate tenths of a volt."

New VM Functions 2015-04-04 SeqReset & 6TrackGateSeq

Published on Apr 4, 2015 Meng Qi

"for new firmware please contact mengqimusic [at] gmail [got] com

New Manual : https://copy.com/wDblGBhvNcwPnaJ7

mengqimusic.com"

New Division-6 VM Panel Layout

via @Division6Labs

"New VM panel layout. All the LEDs. More jacks. More buttons."

http://division-6.com

Meng Qi 孟奇 - A Sequence In VM 记忆电压中的一条音序

Published on Feb 15, 2015 Meng Qi

"It is very fast to write sequences in Voltage Memory :
http://mengqimusic.com/voltagememory

System : http://www.modulargrid.net/e/racks/vi...

mengqimusic.com"

New Synth Gear and Makers in January 2015

After this year's massive New Years post, I thought it might be interesting to see how many new makers and new gear announcements we received in a single month.

This may or may not become a monthly theme on the site depending on interest.  If you think it's worth while, leave a comment.

At a high level we had 12 new makers, one new old maker previously never featured on the site, and a whopping 193 new synth related products. Check out the module list below.  The list is a combination of what was either announced or released this month.

The list in order of appearance:

CLICK FOR MORE »

Meng Qi VM Kalimba

via Meng Qi, via @Earthnik

"The VM Kalimba, electro-acoustic integrated digital multimode programmer, performing interface and sequencer."

Vintage Oregon Scientific WAV DJ VM-108

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

via this auction

CLICK FOR MORE »

Surachai - Form Thirty Five

Published on Aug 12, 2014 Surachai

"More Information: http://trashaudio.com/2014/08/suracha..."

"This summer has been busy but managed to find a some moments to piece together this patch. Overall the patch is 6 channels with some sub mixing.

Channels 1 & 2 – Harvestman Piston Honda MKII > Tip Top Audio ZDSP running Valhalla Shimmer DSP chip.
Channel 3 – Tip Top Audio BD808 + RS808 + HATS808
Channel 4 – Cwejman VM-1 + Synth Tech E350 + > Make Noise Optomixes
Channel 5 – Mutable Instruments Braids + WMD Gamma Wave + Tip Top Audio Z3000 > Make Noise QMMG
Channel 6 – Blue Lantern Asteroid BD

Sequencing was performed on Mutable Instruments’ Grids, Tip Top Audio Z8000, Harvestman Stillson Hammer, 4ms RCD/SCM, Doepfer A155/154."

Cwejman VM-1 Eurorack Voice Synthesizer Module

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

via this auction

"The manufacturer write up is below, but this is essentially a full blown Cwejman synth in one module. The great thing is that you can either bypass the internal VCO, or plug in another sound source to mix with the VCO and use the VCA and Envelope(s) from the VM-1. It's an unbelievable module. I have since gotten some other individual Cwejman modules and do not need this one at this time. You can see it in the bottom right row of the listing photo.

Cwejman makes his modules in extremely small batches and (after some inquiries about other modules) the VM-1 is not on the current list of modules in the pipeline.

The manual is on the cwejman website.

The VM-1 is a complete voice module with an oscillator, multi mode filter, amplifier and 2 envelope generators. The OSCILLATOR can produce seven basic waveforms. The pitch is controlled manually by the 'COARSE' and 'FINE TUNE' controls, and also by the variable CV1 and CV2 inputs. The pitch CV inputs are carefully trimmed for 1 Volt/octave sensitivity.

The pulse width can be controlled by the 'PULSE WIDTH' control and by external signals inserted into variable input "PWM". The SYNC is provided by an external signal to input SYNC.

The 4-pole Multi Mode Filter consists of an audio mixer (MIX), filter and modulation controllers for cutoff, q-peak and output morph. The MIX control mixes two signals; oscillators output and external audio signal (AUDIO). The MMF is a 4-pole multi mode filter.

The low pass, band pass and high pass mode are mixed at filters output by morphing function; knob MODE MORPH and controllable by an external CV signal MORPH and outgoing level is attenuated by a voltage controlled amplifier."

One Finger Melody: Make Noise DPO + Pressure Points

Published on Jun 27, 2014 blwvideo·41 videos

"Further adventures in Euroland: First patch with my Make Noise DPO and Pressure Points. Also featuring the Cwejman VM-1 filter section, RG-6, and Modcan Dual Delay. Your laptop or cellphone's speakers probably won't like this one."

Oh How She Dances: Cwejman VM-1 + Modcan Dual Delay

Published on May 21, 2014 blwvideo·40 videos

"Sounds from Cwejman VM-1 and Modcan Dual Delay, sequence built with Moon 554 Octal Divider and VCA's, and burlesque dancing by some lady."