Modal Electronics Goes Eurorack at NAMM

Some pics sent my way via effegee on the NAMM floor. Click each for the full size shot. You'll see what appears to be a GC YNC? MIDI module and 3 008 VCF modules in black, clearly from the Modal 008 hardware synthesizer. In white, below you'll see five modules based on the Modal 002 - two 002 NCO modules, and three 002 VCF modules.

The module on the top right is the Folktek Matter.

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cocktail party effect - Eurorack Jam (Folktek, make noise, mutable instruments)

Published on Jan 14, 2016 Cocktail Party Effect

"A jam using Folktek's 'matter',

https://soundcloud.com/cocktailpartye..."

MakeNoise Tempi-Samurai Beats

MakeNoise Tempi-Samurai Beats from Richard Devine on Vimeo.

"Sneak peak first patch with the TEMPI module by MakeNoise. TEMPI is a 6 channel, polyphonic, time-shifting module. It provides an intuitive method for the creation and recalling of complex clocking arrangements within a modular synthesizer system.

The primary user interface and programming elements for the module are six large, illuminated buttons:

BUTTON-1 through BUTTON-6, and two smaller illuminated buttons:PGM_A and PGM_B. The module is able to store up to sixty-four clock/timing scenarios called "STATES", arranged in four BANKS of sixteen. An LED is used to indicate the current BANK by <COLOR> and changes in STATE indicated by <FLASHING>. There are INputs for External TEMPO, a Gate INput for MOD, and STATE Selection via a CV INput (with Combo pot for attenuation) and / or GATE INput.

The primary goal of this module is to have the maximum amount of artist-controlled musical variation with a minimum amount of data inputs.

Specific notes about the patch:

All the beats are being sequenced by the Tempi module. There are several stackable cables going out to two Addac Wave players, each playing 72 samples each, and the main drums are coming from the Nord Drum 2, which is then split into two signals one being processed by a Mungo g0 dual delay/storage strip clocking through different delay feedback presets. Then the outputs from one of my ADDAC 101 waveplayer's was then being processed by a Qu-Bit RT-60, and another RT-60 was processing the output of the other ADDAC 101 waveplayer. Running both at the same time and then using one of the Gate outputs 5, and 6 from Tempi to switch through different effects on the RT-60's and at the same time triggering different samples. This is what was creating the different effects processing happening at specific time intervals. Snare noise sound coming from the Hex Inverter new Snare module. Other modulation coming from the OmniMod module from Macro Machines, going out to the Folktek Matter module adding in some of the extra tiny glitches and textures. The drone chords come from the ALM's ALM011 / Akemie's Castle running into the TipTop Z-DSP halls of Valhalla card using program 8. The bassline is from a Modcan FMVDO running into a MakeNoise Optomix. The high harmonic notes played via a Mutable Instruments Ring Module, sending out a clock from channel two from Tempi into X clock input on Rene. Everything was recorded in one take."

Folktek "Matter" eurorack module demo and tutorial

Published on Dec 16, 2015 Sir Folktek

"Exploring how to make a drum patch and touching on some basic functions.
New to demo giving so excuse the mistakes and nonsense :)
Available here;
http://folktek.com/instruments/modula..."

"With Folktek’s Matter you can modular your modular"

Follow-up to this post.

Introducing the Folktek "Matter" Eurorack Module

Published on Dec 11, 2015 Sir Folktek

"Matter - the first Eurorack module by Folktek. Available on folktek.com:
http://folktek.com/instruments/modula...

Here it's played as a drum synth to create little sounds and big sound.
This video is a little pointless as a visual and better treated as a sound presentation of Matter. Matter has the same synthesis as Folktek "Materia". The patch being played is simple and intended to showcase Matter...if it were a song it could certainly use a few things. I'm also just a few weeks new to modular and have no oscillators to speak of.

All sounds coming out of Matter except the reverberated and filtered wave part which is Aether (Folktek instrument) being lightly sequenced by the tiptop z8000. Matter is treated with reverb and delay in a few parts (which are self evident) but otherwise straight to the mixer. All triggers by the arturia beatstep pro, two of which are triggering 4ms peg with the adsr cv being sent to Matter - the end cycle for the adsr is being sent to intellijel adsr and triggering another Matter patch and another end cycle is being sent through Matter's vactrol modulation and jumpered. Otherwise, straight gate signals from the Arturia and direct to Matter patches.

Matter modulation is sending cv to the koma filter."

"Matter is the first of an ongoing series of modules and what will become an entire folktek system. This one starts from the dirt - the beats.

Officially up for sale now. One video is presented here and sound files to come (currently having some recording issues). The video is definitely not the greatest thing in the world. The initial price includes shipping worldwide. Each module comes with jumper cables, power connector, screws, manual and a special something.

**Note that each individual module is treated with a patina (aging) of the copper which results in the blue and green coloring. Givin that each is hand patinated, the look of each module with differ.

***There will be future add-ons available for this module which plug in to the front panel and direct the sound and function to a specific purpose. Future add-ons are discussed below.

*The first folktek module for the eurorack system will be hated for its standing at 23hp.
______________

"Matter" is drum wave synthesis. While it could simply be called a drum synthesizer, the method of play is designed equally as much to make the analog drum-based synthesis playable as waves as it is to make triggerable drum sounds. This means Matter can take a "kick" oscillator, for example, and use it to generate a bassline, a "snare" can create washes of noise with peaking resonance and so on. This allows for a very broad complexity of rhythm because triggering is not confined to a single point. That said, this module specializes in clicks and cuts style beats - little clicky sounds.

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Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone!!!  I hope 2012 treated you well and I wish you the best in 2013!

As I do each year, I thought I'd reflect a little on the past year.  These posts are always difficult to write, and I always wing them, so bear with me.  It's impossible to justify a whole year's worth of synth coverage in a single post.  The following is just a small bit of what comes to mind when looking back.  You'll find a top ten list of posts with the most page views followed by my picks for the year further below.  Apologies if I miss anything, and of course, if you have anything to add, feel free to leave a comment below.  I'm curious what you, the readers of the site, felt stood out in the world of synths this past year.

First, I want to begin this post with a HUGE THANK YOU!!!  If you are reading this it obviously means you have come to this site and some of you have been coming here for years! Thank you for sticking with me. This site is a journey I hope to continue for years to come. Thank you to everyone that has taken the time to showcase their synths, and thank you to those that share what they find! Thank you to those that link to the site and help spread the word on MATRIXSYNTH via Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and your own websites! And of course, THANK YOU to all the sponsors on the right who believe in the site enough to support it!

A nod to previous New Years posts, pictured to the left is the MATRIXSYNTH world domination map. :)  I always think it's worth taking a look at who's watching the site.  Synths are global and you are looking at a map of the readers of MATRIXSYNTH.  Everything you see in green represents a visit from that country.  The darker the green, the higher the number of visits.  This is just for the year, but for the life of the site, we still haven't gotten a single hit from North Korea!   I don't know what they have against synths!  ;)   You'll find the top 10 visits by country further below.

This is the eighth New Year the site has gone through!  The focus for the site this year has been the same as previous years, and I plan to keep it that way.  This site is about showcasing specific synths, not just synths in general, and not just news and press releases.  The focus is on the individual synths that have existed throughout history, the technology behind them, and the lives they lead with their odd owners, myself included.  :)  Yes it is about the gear, their makers, and their players.  It has always been my opinion that synths in general have a tendency to be undervalued. Compared to say collectible guitars, they are often discarded and devalued in favor of next year's model, next year's technology.  It has always been my opinion that every synth has something of value to offer,  something specific and something unique that gives it its character. I built this site to showcase that.  This site is about the history of synths as their history unfolds - videos and images of synths being played and used, by both those that make them and those that play them.  Vintage synths being offered in the second hand market, being exchanged from one sonic explorer to the next. It really is a wondrous thing. Think of the magic synthesizers bring into your world. That is what this site is ultimately about.  Some posts may not seem to make sense now, but they will in time, because they will be a look back in time. A day in the life of a particular synthesizer.  I love analog and I love digital. I love all synths and this site celebrates that.

And now for a little reflection on the year. This year we had a total of 16678 posts including this one.  That comes out to roughly 45.69 posts a day.  Not a single day of the year went without a post.  So what dominated the synth year?  Mobile, modulars and a few dedicated hardware synths.

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