Niall's Mattson Mini Modular "Laptop"

via George Mattson

"Custom 24 module bookmatched fiddleback maple case with a serious attempt at continuous perimeter grain.

The customer wanted it to open up like a laptop."

via George Mattson on Muff's:

"Basically, the case is two horizontal cases hinged like the standard cases. I made them out of fiddle back maple and did my best to match the grain around the perimeters and bookmatch the pattern on the opposite case.

Since he wanted to use it "laptop" fashion, I made power connectors accessible from the right rear sides rather than put them on the back panel.

The depth of each cabinet is 1/2" less than my standard cabinets. 3" rather than 3.5" deep. i tried to get them as narrow as I could without having the back of the modules run into the power distribution boards and leave enough front lip to where the panel components wouldn't breach the front edge case plane.

I stared at the boards for a long time before I actually started cutting..."

via Niall on Muff's: "My Mini has arrived! I'll spare you the unboxing photos, because I think George has better photos than I can provide [pics in this post]. I haven't had the opportunity to play with it, having been waylaid happily for the evening, but I can comment on a few salient points:

It's bigger than I thought it would be, which is to say not too small. The controls aren't that much more cramped than functionally dense small format modules. It's beautiful. I had asked George if he'd consider designing a cabinet to be used in a "laptop" fashion. He thought about it for awhile, asked questions, thought some more, asked some more questions, and after some back and forth, made this case. It's awesome, can I can't wait to stuff the other side. It's a wonderful confluence of function and aesthetics - in other words, good design.

George was very generous with his time and materials. He's made a lifer of me.

Now, I just gotta get the Evenfall in shouting distance of it, and make some noise."

CLICK FOR MORE »

A Syntar Family Shot

The Syntar, SWAN and Mattson Mini Modular Pheonix Series. All three were designed by George Mattson.

The Syntar was the first keytar ever produced. It had a unique extended controller on the neck that essentially consisted of nine small wood blocks you could increasingly press for varying degrees of modulation. It's like having nine assignable pitch bends not limited to pitch.

The SWAN is the Syntar Without A Neck (the only one in existence).

The Pheonix is the new Mattson Mini Modular risen from the ashes of the Syntar.

If you've been following the site, you will know that the SWAN and a Syntar are up for auction on VEMIA. Click on the links for each to get to the posts.

If you have seen the posts already, check out the updates. Someone actually listed the SWAN on Ebay! It was of course a scam as the only one in existence is available on VEMIA. There was some heated discussion on AH.

Also, if you haven't already, be sure to check out the history of the Syntar on Carbon111. There are some fascinating bits concerning MOOG and NAMM. You can also find an interview and some history here. Finally you can click here for all posts featuring the Syntar. If you appreciate synths you will appreciate this unique, rare bit of synth history. It really is a fascinating story. A bit of MATRIXSYNTH trivia: I remember the first time I saw the SWAN. It was at George Mattson's place and Carbon111 was going to borrow it for bit. We drove it back to his place and when doing so, I thought how crazy it was that the only SWAN in existence was floating up the I-5 in the back of my CRX. It was a surreal moment for me. And yes, we took extremely good care of it. We all love synths.

EML Refurbishment Progress by George Mattson of Mattson Mini Modular

via George Mattson:

"My EML refurbishment project is moving along slowly.

I now have all of the panel components and PC boards mounted. All panels are wired except for the right half of the middle.

I completed the sub structure and tacked the panels to it to give everybody a concept of the form factor.

I still have to make a base that will span an 88-key MIDI keyboard, add at top cap, make the cosmetic housing, install the two analog keyboards in a "drawer" configuration, install the power supplies then, go through and tweak everything in as well as build the inter-cabinet cables and I/O.

It's going to take a while :)"

http://mattsonminimodular.com/
See the Mattson EML label for more.

Performance Music Systems SWAN via VEMIA

"[VEMIA note: If you thought the Syntar was rare, how about this unique instrument?] S.W.A.N Vintage One-of-a-kind very rare monosynth with flight case. The S.W.A.N. is a vintage monosynth built by Syntar inventor George Mattson [of the Mattson Mini Modular]. The S.W.A.N. is literally a Syntar-Without-A-Neck or, a desktop version of the Syntar without the left-hand controller system. This system is owned by George Mattson and it is labeled 'Prototype 1' even though the electronics are stock Syntar circuits. George built it because dealers were inquiring if they made a 'desktop' version. So, he made one. This is the only S.W.A.N. in existence and is a fully functioning system. George has recently replaced all of the caps and tuned up the system. Information and a better picture can be found at Carbon111 The weight is in its flightcase; outside it is 8.2kg. NB Like all of the lots so far in this particular auction, it is being sold as a non-VAT registered item. But if you import anything from outside the EC into the EC, you may be liable to VAT as a form of import tax." You can find it listed on VEMIA - click on Auctions, Search, and then search for 5881.

Update via Stephen Jones in the comments:
"I've played this very synth about a year ago. It has features unlike any mono synth ever made. I really hope this goes to a good home. I'd estimate that its auction value will be about $7400 and even that would be a steal.

It has a Pratt-Reed gold double buss bar keyboard with a good solid feel. (not J-Wire or membrane carbon contacts like everyone else was using)

Its got two oscillators, a ring mod second, noise, an LFO that does audio rates and the same SSM filter that makes the Prophet-5 Rev 2 sound so good.

Good luck and I hope it goes to a good home."

I played this one as well. Amazing synth, amazing piece of synth history. This was a hard one to put up.

Update: someone actually had the gall to list this on Ebay. The auction was quickly pulled.

An Afternoon with George, James and Greg

Update: George sent me an MP3 of one of our jam sessions and I just put up a post here with details.

George Mattson, creator of the Syntar, invited me, James(Carbon111), and Greg (Alpha Wave Movement) over for an afternoon jam session and get together. We had a great time, and I finally got to see and hear the Syntar along with George's EML semi-modular. We spent most of the afternoon in a "tangerine dream" playing along to Greg's rhythms and a very nice sequence George patched up on the EML. After the session we had some delectable sandwiches and brownies made by George's wife Celeste. Thank you Celeste! We had a great time. Definitely not a bad way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Title link takes you to a ton of shots I took and a couple of short AVIs; unfortunately the audio did not come out. George has promised to send us a few mp3 of the session, so I'll put them up when I get them. Apologies for the quality of some of the shots - the room was dimly lit (great atmosphere), but the tranlsation was lost in many of these shots.

That's James in the Green T, George by the EML and Greg up front.

George and Syntar Prototype #2

MMTA SYNTHFEST - Now That's What You Call a Modular

via Asher Fulero on Facebook

"Next to us... making it hard to stay focused! — with George C Mattson, Matrixsynth Jones, Steve Turnidge, James Husted and Scott Rise." And John L Rice! to the right. :)

Incredible shot featuring George Mattson reaching the top of his custom EML modular (See the Mattson EML label below for more posts on the system). That is one massive system with some custom work from George.

To the immediate right you can see three cases of his Mattson Mini Modular Phoenix series. They pack a ton of power in a small space.

The system further to the right belongs to John L Rice and includes modules from Moon Modular, Modcan, and others. I'll have some close-up pics coming, and of course check out the previous post for some close-ups via Larry Kleinke aka Computer Controlled.

Be sure to see the MMTA SYNTHFEST label below for all posts on the event.

http://www.mostlymodular.com/

George Mattson and The Syntar

I recently engaged in an email discussian with George Mattson, creator of the Syntar. That's him next to Bob Moog who's trying out his Syntar at the 1980 Chicago Summer NAMM Show. The discussion we had was fascinating and private, and I thank him for sharing his story with me. As it was part of synth history I asked George if it would be ok to put up a post here, as I'm sure other synth enthusiasts would enjoy this bit of synth history as well. He gave me the go ahead, so here it is. Note that this was originally private and not meant to be a post - this was just me and George going back and forth. The references to Starship are to Jefferson Starship. Many thanks to George for taking the time to share this with me, and for letting me put this up.

"I was born as a non-Mormon in Salt Lake City, Moved to Anchorage, Alaska in Sept '64 3 weeks before my 10th birthday. Graduated from High School there in 1973. That Fall I moved to Moscow, Idaho where I enrolled in the School of Mines studying Mining and Metallurgy. Bought my first synths at that time-the 101 and 200 when there were only 3 manufacturers. ARP, Moog and EML. I liked the versatility of the EML line and went that route. That was the days that you had to send a certified cashiers check for the full purchase amount and they were made to order. Went to College 5 semesters and stayed a freshman with a 1.18 GPA. My older brother moved down and had a bunch of recording gear so we started a recording studio trying to break into commercials. I had picked up a Poly-box by then and my Yamaha YC-45D. Then bought the EML sequencer and a 300. Couldn't stand the clutter and built the box for the sequencer, Told EML what I was doing. They bought the original cases back from me and credited that against another 416 panel and another 300 just to fill 2 big gaping holes in the box. I had most of the synth panels on one side of my bedroom and all of the keyboards (including a Baldwin upright, a Rhodes and a friends EML 500) including the 101 keyboard on the other side of the room. We'd hire musicians to play the tunes and I ran/programmed the synths. Oct. 04 1978 I was alone in the room running back and forth between the consoles and the keyboards when I said to myself: "what I need is...." and the concept of the Syntar hit me. Then I said "somebody should make one of these" Then I said: "Hey, I could do this!" (I talked to myself a lot.) Jan '79 I moved to Bend, OR. Moved in with my folks and tried to find investors. I built a hand-made prototype using EML circuit modules and went to the 1979 Atlanta NAMM lugging this thing around trying to get a manufacturer to go for it and hire me as a team leader on the project. The only person that had any emotion about it while talking to me was Herb Deutsch from Norlin. He said he'd talk to his Board of Directors and call me. In Jan '80 I went to the NAMM winter market in Anaheim with Michael Garrison (He landed his distribution agreement with Ariola on the way down) and Mike asked if I saw the Moog booth. He took me over and we saw the prototype of the Liberation strapped onto a mannequin. I went home devastated and my folks put up the investment money to get started. They're no slouches; both my Mom and step Dad have electronics degrees. I advertised the Syntar in the mags a month before Moog advertised the Liberation. The thought was if I could beat them to it, at least people couldn't say I copied them. That never worked. They had a little bigger budget than I did. But, anybody researching it will find that I had it first. No big deal now. I had to close shop because we were broke and were facing a takeover. So, I closed it down, called Starship, told them I needed a job and got hired. A year and a half later They wanted me to move to San Francisco rather than flying me back and forth from home. I didn't want my 4.5 and 3 year olds growing up in the California rock and roll scene and moved here in July of 1983. Went out one more time with Starship in Aug/Sept 1983 and told them I was leaving. Been here since doing different things."

"Well, that's the way it went down. Can't change the facts. Of course, I would loved to have made money from all of the work I put into it. The sad part is that I still can't play keyboards. I'm a guitar player since I was 10. Hey, right after I moved to Anchorage."

"That picture was taken in June of 1980 at the Chicago NAMM. That's me next to him- I was 26 YO. Notice that he's playing prototype #3.( The first was the one I hand built from EML circuit modules, the second used forked plasic keys over fluted shafts-that one was later modified and used as a LASER controller by the guy doing the LASER shows for Blue Oyster Cult and Tangerine Dream)) The Syntar hanging in the background is just a panel and cardboard simulated left hand keys. The prototype Bob is playing has curved aluminum keys that dragged a resined string over a pulley. The final (and production)version was much more aesthetic and worked like a charm."

Thanks again George. Fascinating story. I really can't play either. : )
BTW, George also provided the EML Poly-Box Samples in this post.

Update: George later made up the 1.18 GPA with a 3.8 GPA with his AA in Electronics. : )

Electronic Music Laboratories Modular Restoration Project

via George Mattson of Mattson Mini Modular: "This is my Electronic Music Laboratories sequencer. It is actually a compilation of assorted EML synthesizers I own that I stuffed into a common case.

In 1978, I was tired of trying to stack all of these and decided to compile them into one unit. At the time, I owned: The Electrocomp 400 sequencer with the 2x16 sequencer panel, The EML 200 "Modular" And, the EML 300 controller. I also own an EML 101 and an EML Poly-Box but, they didn't stack. I built the case out of 1/2" plywood with wood mounting rails and stapled black vinyl around the case. The case measures 4' wide x 3.5' high x 1' deep. Since I had a couple of extra holes, I ordered another 2x16 sequencer panel and another EML 300 without a case to fill it up. After 32 years, I've decided to refurbish this compilation and give it a new house.

The plan: Besides the panels in the case, I also have the EML circuit modules that I had purchased from EML in order to build a 'proof of concept' Syntar in 1979 [Update: see this post]. I also have a few left over 3-octave Pratt-Read keyboards from my old Syntar stock along with some old Syntar circuit boards. I want to determine what I have that is still working or, easy to fix. Once I have an inventory, I'm going to design a modular panel to fit between the 300's and the top portion and incorporate the working modules into the system. I'm also going to add the two 3-octave keyboards. Below those, I will put my 88-key M-audio MIDI controller keyboard and add a couple of MMM MIDI/CV controllers. Anything that I feel I need to fill out the signal paths and patching structure I'll just pull from my DIY module stock.

After the "modular" section is defined, I'll refurbish, re-cap the existing EML panels, calibrate them and clean/lube all of the panel controls that aren't sealed. Any sealed pots that are noticeably bad in an audio path will be replaced with something newer.

It should be a fun refurbishing project.

To be continued…."

George Mattson"

The Performance Music Systems Syntar II

Pics of the Syntar II prototype. This is a follow-up to my last post from my recent visit to George Mattson of Mattson Mini Modular.

The Syntar II never made it past the prototype stage. The first Syntar was the first synthesizer enclosed in a keytar case. Previously only remote controllers for external synths existed. See this post from 2006 for interesting background of The Syntar including Bob Moog. Also check out The Syntar on Carbon111. See the Syntar label for more.

Key features of the Syntar II:
"It had two full ADSR's. It was polyphonic in the sense that the entire keyboard was connected to two, parallel banks of top octave dividers that could be slightly detuned for a phase roll in addition to the two VCO's. The polyphonic board worked but, I couldn't squeeze it into the case. The VCO's had a hard sync. The filter had VC resonance and a mode switch above the filter that let you go continuously either from LP-BP-HP, LP-Band reject-HP or, LP-notch-HP. It also incorporated an internal digital delay."

Unfortunately the Syntar 2 never made it beyond the prototype stage and is beyond salvation. Fortunately, a part of it will live on. According to George Mattson: "I'm going to be pulling out all of the hand-made boards and turning them into modules. It was made with Curtis CEM chips.

Those modules will be built into cabinets that will hang on the side of the sequencer. I'll put 'em to work." See this post for reference. I have some exclusive pics of the refurbishment in progress and will post them in time.

CLICK FOR MORE »

New Mattson Mini Modular / Division 6 Sequencer Videos by hewstigator

mattson mini modular / division 6 sequencer key-change (minor to major) demo

Published on Jan 24, 2013 hewstigator·24 videos

"a demo using the mattson mini modular / divison 6 sequencer's individual stage gate outputs to change particular notes of the sequence (here, the minor 3rds to major 3rds) on the fly...

in this case i took the gate pulse from each stage where i landed on a minor 3rd to tell the modular to transpose that minor 3rd to a major, with a switch to turn the transposing on and off as desired. the flinty-eyed observer will note that i am also taking a gate pulse from the stage AFTER each 3rd - this is to tell the modular to stop transposing (to leave the rest of the notes of the sequence in their normal places...

additional flinty-eyed observation will note that i am not using the sequencer's run/standby switch - instead, i leave it in the run position but have the clock generated by an external metronome"

using the mattson mini modular sq816 sequencer on part of "only the vulture knows" by the new lines

Published on Jan 24, 2013 hewstigator·24 videos

"having just delivered our masters to our mastering dude, mat @ mobtown studios, i thought i would send over, for posterity, a little snippet i captured of using an early mattson mini modular sequencer SQ816 prototype on one of the songs from our second LP, "fall in line" due out on moon glyph later this year...

i believe george mattson is currently just waiting for a lump of sequencer parts to arrive before production of these things begins in earnest... the sequencer is the top cabinet, and at the bottom with all of the glowing lights are my beloved division 6 jacklights (which plug into a 1/8" jack and light up to tell you what voltage they are seeing)... here they are glowing red with each clock pulse coming from my korg metronome which i had been using to make sure the sequencer stayed in time with the rest of the song on my computer. (this was before i realized i could just take an extra output from the computer to deliver clock pulses much more precisely)... dreck!"

George Mattson, Synthrotek & Circuit Shaman Coming to the Denver Synth Meet!

George Mattson, Synthrotek & Circuit Shaman are scheduled for the Denver Synth Meet on March 14.  Mattson and Synthrotek will be showing their new MST line of modules and Circuit Shaman will be showing their new VERT, SPECTRA MIRROR and SWITCHES eurorack modules.

You'll find full details on the event at:

http://denversynth.com/

George Mattson's EML Sequencer Refurbishment Pics

Some pics I took while at George Mattson's.

Mattson Mini Modular and the EML custom synth panel.

"Dimension Shift"

Left joystick panel

See this post for general info on the project.

Synthrotek MST 07 Buffered Multiple Eurorack Module

Published on Apr 9, 2015 Flux302 of Fluxwithit.com

"http://www.synthrotek.com/products/ms...

Synthrotek is pleased to offer a complete line of eurorack synthesizer modules, power, cases and accessories in both complete units kits and panels & pcbs. We now offer a very complete analog modular monophonic voice with many accompanying utility modules. This new complete voice is the product of a collaboration with synth guru George Mattson, who now joins us in releasing our new MST (Mattson – Synthrotek) line of premium modules. The ’07 Buffered Multiple Module is the original buffered mult. designed and invented by George Mattson in 2007.

The MST ‘07 Buffered Multiple is a PRECISION buffered mult that is perfect for for 1V/O CV sources. A signal plugged into Input 1 will be available from all 14 outputs. Break the chain by adding a second signal into input 2; signal 1 comes out 4 outputs and signal 2 is available at the remaining 10. Plug in as many as 4 inputs, each split 3 or 4 times. What you put in you GET OUT!

Features:

4 Channels

Channels 1 and 2 are 1 to 4

Channels 3 and 4 are 1 to 3

Cascaded inputs: CH 1—CH 2—CH 3—CH 4

Specifications:

Current draw: V+ max 23.3mA, V- max 23.1mA

Depth: 1.5 inches

Width: 9HP"

Retro Synthrotek Ad

Via Synthrotek

How cool is that?  Steve Harmon of Synthrotek on the left and George Mattson of Mattson Mini Modular on the right. The ad reads:

"The modular systems of tomorrow are being built by you today.

Synthrotek has teamed up with George Mattson to bring you the highest in Eurorack quality.  With the flexibility of factory assembled units & kits, you can now afford to make huge sound on any budget.  Compromise no longer & try a  MST today."

MMM Demos

Just some fiddling with the MMM. No music, just sound. Be sure check out the Mattson Mini Modular Forum for a note from George on the one year anniversary yesterday. If you missed it see this post for images. Note the following all feature the Syntar SSM 2040 filter. The final filter is the last remaining item. I do have to say the quality of the system has come a long way since it was first announced. If you remember it was messaged to be a bare-bones, budget modular with a finish on the panels meant to be replaced. It now has a very proper finish (same panel overlays as DSI and Moog) and it feels rock solid. The oscillators are new and based on the Syntar, EML style OSCs. To be honest I was a little worried the new OSCs would not live up to the Syntar's. To my surprise they do and they are much more stable, tracking a full six octaves. With just two OSCs it actually gives my Voyager a run for the money. These are very bold oscillators. The final filter will of course have to prove itself, however if the OSCs are any sign, I am sure they will come through. This is a very nice modular system. Again, the following is just some tinkering. You can see prior posts for more demos and videos by clicking on the MMM label below. Apologies for the heavy reverb on the first couple of demos. http://mattsonminimodular.com/

CLICK FOR MORE »

Exclusive Syntar Shot

Two more shots of the Syntar sent my way via creator George Mattson. The shot to the left is a close up of the left hand keyboard. Click each for a bigger shot.

"Here's a nice shot of the Syntar, and for the DIY-ers, a close-up on how the left hand keyboard worked. A matrix exclusive. I never showed this to anyone. But you can see, it literally is fish hook shanks, hat pins, tie wrap ends used as bell cranks and airplane hobby springs." George

Amazing. Thanks again George.

Don't miss the earlier post on
George Mattson and The Syntar.

Inside Synthesis EP3: Introduction to Modular Synthesizers (2007)

Inside Synthesis - Introduction to Modular Synthesizers

YouTube Published on Apr 29, 2012 by insidesynthesis
Update: re-named 12/30/2018. Was Inside Synthesis - Intro to Modular Synthesizers w/ the Mattson Mini Modular.

A blast from the past. You might recognize the system used in this video as the Mattson Mini Modular prototype. Be sure to see my notes after the video description directly below in quotes for some interesting history.

"Episode 3 from the original series - a very basic introduction to modular synthesizers.

Correction #1 - I refer to modulating the amplitude of an audio signal with another audio rate signal as Ring Modulation (RM). I should have said Amplitude Modulation (AM).

RM is certainly related to AM, but there's a distinct difference. RM is implemented in such a way that the carrier and modulator's frequencies are eliminated from the signal. You only hear the sums and difference frequencies of the carrier and modulator, but not the original carrier and modulator frequencies.

Interestingly enough, the AC-coupled circuitry that does RM is ring shaped.

Correction #2 - Neither RM nor AM add harmonic frequencies. They add sidebands of inharmonic frequencies - hence the metallic and dissonant sound."

Some interesting history on the MMM used in this video:
Yes it was originally going to be cream colored, as introduced in this post. It turned out the printing on the more durable adhesive could not get the color right and rather than settle, George Mattson came out with the updated black color scheme. I actually had the option to go with the original color scheme or the more durable updated black with my Production Prototype #1. As you can see I went with the black. The first MMM post on MATRIXSYNTH? Here you go: Mmm.... People got pretty worked up with this one and the posts that followed (note these are in reverse order so scroll down to the bottom).

Also worth checking out:
Mattson Mini Modular MMM Debut @ PNW Synth DIY 2007
FIRST PRODUCTION MATTSON MINI MODULAR SYNTH DEMO MINUET IN A MINOR

Mattson SQ816 Sequencer - Eurorack

via Division 6 on Facebook

"Now with more Eurorack!"

http://division-6.com/

If you don't get the "more eurorack" reference, until now, non-rendered shots of the Mattson SQ816 have been in the Mattson format. Here it is in Divison 6 Euro glory. The sequencer is a joint project between George Mattson of Mattson Mini Modular and Scott Rise of Division 6.

The Syntar Turns 35 Today

via George C Mattson (inventor of the Syntar & Mattson Mini Modular) on Facebook

"35 years ago today I was trying to stretch between a keyboard and a control knob. A patch cord jumped out of a jack, stared me down and told me I needed one of these....

The Syntar was born...."

You'll find a write-up on Syntar on Carbon111 here.
And an exclusive interview with George Mattson on the Syntar posted here back in 2006.
And of course see the Syntar label below for mentions in posts over the years.

via George: "A rare pic of the prototype I was lugging around..."

"The prototype was made of wood and steel. It weight 26 Lbs. Therefore, "lugging" is an active verb. Production models were 14 Lbs. Much lighter..."

Performance Music Systems Syntar

Gorgeous shot of the Performance Music Systems Syntar by George Mattson. Click the image for the full size. Also see these previous posts featuring George Mattson. Be sure to check out this post by Carbon111 on Synthwire and this exclusive interview on Matrixsynth.

Man, it would be awesome if George would come out with something new! I was fortunate enough to play with this as you can see in the previous posts and it sounded incredible.