2X4 Lap Steel Meets Drum & Bass Machine (with some organ for good measure)

video upload by Musical Miscellany (Poorness Studios)

"I meant to do something like this for Jamuary but just didn't get around to it and I don't want to wait a year to try it. Here's a little improv with a 2X4 DIY lap steel and Volca Beats/Bass/Mix trio. I also threw in a little Hammond B3 organ via soft synth."

ReSynthesizer (Autonomous Synthesizer Installation at MIT's PSFC, Spring/Summer 2018)

video upload by ParadisoModular

"In December of 2017, as part of the 50’th anniversary celebration for MIT’s CAVS (Center for Advanced Visual Studies), I was invited to install my large, custom built-and-designed modular synthesizer system into the experimental hall where Alcator C-Mod was residing, MIT’s most recent tokamak reactor used in plasma fusion research. Known as being a pioneering melting pot for art and technology during the 60s, 70s and 80s, the CAVS was a place where scientific fields like physics would commune with performance and music. Modular synthesizers, as used there by early adopters like Paul Earls, were part of the Center’s original vernacular, and after many decades they are being enthusiastically re-discovered, re-embraced, and in many way re-invented by the current young generation of electronic musicians. Such reflected synergy into the present led to my invitation (as well as this installation’s name), as did the match between the aesthetic and technical grandeur of a large heavily-patched modular synthesizer and the huge mélange of custom, elegantly-kludged electro-mechanical systems that surrounded the tokamak. Similarly, the researchers’ quest to manage the chaotic nature of an energetic plasma (as expressed inside the tokamak’s torus during the peak of plasma confinement) resonated with my efforts to ‘sculpt’ my autonomous and likewise chaotic huge synthesizer patch into a definable aesthetic.

As I have my PhD in high-energy physics (having worked at CERN at various times between the late 70s and early 90s) in addition to having designed, built, and used electronic music systems of various sorts over the last 45 years, I was anticipating having access to actual Alcator data and using it in the patch that I would compose when the installation would go live in late March of 2018. My plasma physics colleagues resonated with this idea, and I was provided with several waveforms coming from various sensors on the tokamak acquired during its record-breaking run from a few years ago, when Alcator C-Mod had attained the largest recorded plasma pressure. Listening to this data as audio, I was immediately transfixed. This didn’t sound like bland digital noise, but instead felt alive – some strange kind of muted rattlesnake here, burbling life forms on a weird water planet there, perhaps other samples evoked the barely scrutable control room of an alien spaceship. These sounds, played at various rates and filtered into audible bands, were strongly otherworldly. This dictated the flavor that I’d strive for in my patched composition. Accordingly, I loaded banks of Alcator’s waveforms into an array of Eurorack samplers that I could control from processes running in my synthesizer. While most of these signals were used as direct audio, some were adopted for modulation envelopes and slow control – the tokamak cycle exhibited a variably noisy build-and-release structure as the magnetic fields were ramped up to concentrate the plasma before it went terminally unstable, which worked well here.

My patch evolved considerably during the installation, which ran from late April through late August of 2018. I worked on it weekly, and it achieved its ultimate balance between form and complexity by the beginning of July. At the end, I used every patch cord that I owned (on the order of 700) and nearly all modules in the synth, in addition to an assortment of outboard effects and commercial Eurorack modules that I coaxed to work with my system. Towards the end, when I was starting to run out of cords and hardware capacity, I resorted to kludging in simple wires and electrical components hanging in the air between modules to attain effects and sounds that I still wanted but didn’t have the modules available to make. This was the most extensive and ambitious synthesizer patch that I’ve yet composed – it pushed me to extremes of being simultaneously a composer, synthesizer musician, engineer, and scientist. Having designed, built or custom-modified nearly everything in my setup creates a special rapport for me that goes deeper than interaction with commercial synthesizer equipment – my system has its own unique capabilities and quirks that reflect my personal audio nuances and what I want to achieve with them.

At various stages during the 4-month run of this installation, I digitally recorded the patch’s stereo mix – in all, I have archived probably on the order of 60 hours of audio. The excerpts provided in this video all came from different sections of this long set of recordings. Aside from cross-fading between different excerpts, there was no manual intervention or overdubbing in these clips – the sound was made entirely from the patch running on its own after I set it on its way, with updates and augmentations I made every week or two based on ideas I got while listening to it stream online. The video also features a brief example of some of the raw plasma data sounds that I used."

And in the studio:

Synth Patch For Chaos Unit, Sitar Pedal, and NightSky'ed Keyboard (August 2021)

video upload by ParadisoModular

"In the summer of 2021, I put in a synth patch to test out my newly-arrived Sitar Pedal as well commemorate the tweaking/repair of my voltage-controlled chaos module. This was a very simple patch compared to my usual - nothing too deep or thought out, and the master sequence is a bit shallow - but it has its vibe. Plus, at 2:30 in, I added a keyboard line over what the patch was doing. This was all live - the synth patch ran autonomously and I just recorded as I played - no preparation, overdubbing, or refinement here - hence it's raw and not even close to what I'd term finished or a 'demo' - but I kinda like its intrinsic 'hopeful' feel.

The basic sequence is running through the sitar pedal, which locks on fine (it can separate the drone sounds and re-synthesized lead into separate channels). I'm running a fixed tone also through my chaos generator, which I move in a complex way into and out of stability - it locks onto subharmonics or devolves totally/partially into noise as it sweeps. This sound goes through several signal processing paths that periodically fade in, involving filters, unstable phase-locked loops, and a Boss guitar synthesizer pedal (which does wonderfully noisy gyrations as it tries to lock onto the chaos signal between stable moments).

At that time, as opposed to collecting Eurorack modules, I was slowly accumulating and modifying pedals - pedals are all about modifying an input sound in interesting ways, and which generally appeals to me (I hack them, of course, to accept voltage control in different ways).

The only keyboard sound here (aside from one chord and arpeggio at the end) is from the little cheezebox Casio 'toy' that the Minskys gave me at a Media Lab event some years ago - I abandoned my more sophisticated synths for this one in this piece, as it fits easily on your lap (that's how I played it in the excerpt here) and it sounds amazing if you feed it through one of the new complex reverb/echo/delay pedals like the NightSky or Micropitch (those pedals can put any sound into an evocative space).

The video is indeed of this patch and me playing atop it (shot while I was holding the phone in my other hand), but it's not the live segment that you hear in the piece, so pardon if things don't line up entirely, but you get the vibe.

OK - I figured I'd let this one get a bit of air in case it hits some resonance... It radiates a bit of melancholic positivity, which is something we all relate to these days."

Elektron Officially Introduces the New Syntakt 12 Track Drum Computer and Synthesizer

video upload by Elektron

This post is developing. Check back for new videos and updates below.

Street price appears to be $999. See dealers on the right for availability. In via Alex Timchak.

"We are delighted to announce the release of Syntakt – the 12 track drum computer and synthesizer that fuses digital and analog synthesis together in one music megabox.

Enter this sonic metropolis and experience epic sounds from the past, while pulling others into existence from the future. Syntakt is a drum specialist, full of percussive possibilities, but its four analog and eight digital tracks can be used for melody, harmony, and bass sounds too, giving you a musical melting pot with dozens of machines at your disposal.

Affect the sound of each machine with the intuitive and playful graphics. Add analog distortion and filtering to your mix or separate tracks, using the FX block. Run wild and free with the four expressive modifiers. Access a variety of different scales via the keyboard mode. And create dynamic soundscapes with its phenomenal sequencer.

The streets of Syntakt are never-ending, the neon lights are never-dimming, its underground is fathomless. Discover worlds within worlds."


video upload by Elektron

"Syntakt is a sonic metropolis of machines, fusing digital and analog synthesis together in one drum and melody megabox. A 12 track drum computer & synthesizer melting pot like Syntakt needs a majestic guide. Let the intrepid Elin Piel show you around the many features at your disposal."

Baseck Plays : Elektron Syntakt : 12 Track Analog & Digital Synthesizer / Drum Computer

video upload by Perfect Circuit

"Elektron's newest device is finally here : The Syntakt ! A 12 Track Synthesizer and Drum Computer!
Let's see how far our friend Baseck can push this new machine.
Grab one NOW : https://bit.ly/3EEzgOE

Read our Signal article dissecting the Syntakt : https://bit.ly/37Cj446

0:00 - TUFF ACID TECHNOLOGY
1:19 - GLITCHIN' N FINGER RIPPIN'
2:24 - DETUNED DRUM DESTROYER
4:39 - SYNTAKT STEPPPPUHH
6:10 - THE ENCHIRIDION LIVE"

Elektron Syntakt : Analog & Digital Synthesizer and Drum Computer : Walkthrough with Mario !

video upload by Perfect Circuit

"Our pal Mario from Elektron came down to the Perfect Circuit HQ and walked us through the ins and outs of their newest Synthesizer and Drum Computer : Syntakt

0:00 - Intro & overview
1:30 - Machines & Visual Language
3:27 - Beats To Melt Brains To
3:59 - Modifiers
7:40 - FX Track
11:50 - Outro Jams

Elektron Syntakt Analog & Digital Drum Machine

video upload by Reverb

"Elektron's new instrument, the Syntakt, is a powerful combination of analog drum sounds, digital synthesis, and new performance features not seen on any other Elektron product. In partnership with Elektron, watch as our host Fess breaks down these features."

Getting Started With The Syntakt

video upload by EZBOT

"In this video I show you how to use the Elektron Syntakt. This tutorial requires no prior experience with an Elektron product.

Get yourself a Syntakt here and help support the channel at no extra cost to you: https://shrsl.com/3hm0m

Step up your game with 1 on 1 lessons: https://www.ezbot.live/"

Syntakt and Octatrack Performance - The Ultimate Duo

video upload by EZBOT

"In this video I perform one of my new tracks using the Elektron Syntakt and the Octatrack MK2. All the sounds in this video are from the Syntakt, I am using the Octatrack with my performance template.

Get my Octatrack performance template (among other rewards) by joining my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ezbot"

Syntakt Demo and Overview

video upload by Patchwerks

Learn more about the Elektron Syntakt here: https://bit.ly/pw_syntakt

Elektron Syntakt. Techno and Electro Patterns

video upload by Adam Jay

"Some patterns I’ve made with Syntakt. No processing.

Things I love: The machines! The flexibility!

It can be so many things.
8 tracks of Model cycles chord machines with deeper control, 2x LFO per track, full envelopes, dual filters, p-lockable FX track. Or half a Rytm , plus new digital drum synth and bass/lead synth machines.

Or a mix between.

All with a tasty chunk of analog Heat drive, filter, and EG, but p-lockable!

There is an inverted envelope shape in the analog fx that I use as a master compressor. The drive is lovely. I also love using some of the analog kicks with a bandpass filter for textures. Can even get kinda of vinyl pops and clicks out of these.

Can have up to 3 simultaneous analog DVCO machines."


video upload by loopop

TIMELINE:
0:00 Intro
1:35 Overview
4:35 Connectivity
5:30 Project scope
7:05 Panel layout
10:10 Digital machines
17:45 Analog machines
23:10 Analog FX Block
25:15 FX sequencing
26:45 Trig mods
28:50 Sequencing
29:30 Patterns & scales
30:50 Grid rec
31:30 Live rec
31:50 Step rec
32:45 Param locks
34:20 Conditional trigs
35:40 Filters
37:05 LFOs
38:45 Digital FX
39:55 Mixer
40:10 MIDI sequencing
42:00 Sound banks
42:35 Expression
43:20 Misc combos
44:05 Pattern chains
44:45 Pros & cons
48:05 Factory patterns

Elektron Syntakt : Live remake of "The Last V8" - C64 SID chiptune

video upload by tubesockor

"The brand new Elektron Syntakt is here!
I'm doing a brief overview, followed by a SID emulation rendition of Rob Hubbard's theme music for the C64 game 'The Last V8' from 1985. Then it grows into a live jam, using all the 12 digital and analog tracks of the Syntakt, including the features such as analog distortion.

0:00 Intro
1:50 Song starts
3:57 Live jam!"

Full details:


12 Track Drum Computer & Synthesizer

Enter a sonic metropolis with Syntakt. Analog and Digital synthesis. Drum and melody. In full fusion.

All your sound crafting, sequencing, and performance needs are fulfilled, in an all-round music mega box that fits in your lap. Syntakt is a drum specialist, full of percussive possibilities, but its four analog and eight digital tracks can be used for melody, harmony, and bass sounds too. Experience epic sounds from the past, pulling others into existence from the future.

The streets of Syntakt are never-ending, the neon lights are never-dimming, its underground is fathomless. Discover worlds within worlds. Adore now. Explore forever.

Meet the machines
There are 35 sound-generating machines to call on, covering a wide range of drum and melodic sounds. Some machines have been reimagined from Analog Rytm and Model:Cycles, with deeper sound control for the latter, while others are entirely new to the world.

For you to create and personalize your sound, we’ve made sure you’ve got a set of parameter controls tailor-made for each machine. They let you quickly tweak the nature of each type of sound, showing you just the relevant options. Comprehensive without being overwhelming. Let loose with analog or digital overdrive, depending on the tracks you’re playing with.

The graphics more than play their part too, with plenty of animated icons offering visual guidance and extra clarity on how each parameter affects the sound. The joys of tweaking shouldn’t only be for the ears after all.

Special effects
Syntakt lets you route any of your synth tracks or external audio sources through the FX block. This gives you analog distortion and filtering, and a couple of LFOs to go to town with. Additionally, you can also call on Delay and Reverb as powerhouse send effects.

And all of the above effects can be sequenced with the FX track. Have them kick in at just the right moment. Add accents and dramatic changes to the selected tracks or external audio. Or use it as a master track for ducking and gating effects.

Modify the moment
Wield a little extra trig craft using the four modifiers, offering four varied levels of expression. Configure the first two modifiers to give you the retrig or velocity behavior you desire, and use the other two to access custom intensities of other parameters. They’re ready for action regardless of which synth track you’re using.

And the best bit is that they don’t just give you that extra playability fun in the here and now, you can also capture the moment by recording to the sequencer.

The keys to the city
Syntakt’s keyboard mode gives you a whole bunch of different scales to play with.

There are some familiar faces and some maybe a little less familiar for you to try out, helping you discover new places and taking things to another level.

Play across a single octave like on a piano keyboard. Or use fold, and have several octaves laid out in front of you.

Deep sound-shaping
Syntakt comes full of filter and envelope goodness. All tracks have a Multimode filter to put to use allowing you to emphasize different parts of your sound, with the digital tracks also able to call on Parametric EQ and a Base-width filter – an additional filter giving you even more sonic control.

Choose from two amplitude envelope types to define the ideal contour of your sound. Try out the ADSR envelope – for your wicked synth lines – or the simpler AHD envelope – perfect for transient percussive sounds.

CLICK FOR MORE »

Sinister Strumming (2X4 Lap Steel Meets Modular Synth)

video upload by poorness studios

"I've been wanting to pair one of my 2X4 lap steels with my modular synthesizer for quite some time. I decided it was time and the result is pretty crazy. It sounds like a Halloween soundscape.

See the 2X4 lap steel build video here:"

DIY Project #41: Red 2X4 Lap Steel

Teenage Engineering OP-Z jam and review - 3 days, 7 patterns, and first impressions

Published on Dec 4, 2019 Payton Carter

Teenage Engineering OP-Zs on Amazon

"I got an early Christmas present two days ago. I thought I would show you some of the patterns I’ve created so far, and give a quick 'first impression' review of the Teenage Engineering OP-Z.

I’m coming from the Novation Circuit, which I’ve loved, but I was starting to feel the limitations of the two synth tracks and canned presets. I chose the OP-Z so I could expand the number of synth tracks, allow full control of the synth engines without a computer, and use its awesome, esoteric sequencing capabilities.

I’ll start off with some of the things I like. First, the synth engines sound wonderful. They are very usable and musical sounds. I’ve found myself spending less time trying to find the right sound and more time writing music, because the sounds just work in almost every context. I feel like I could use the same set of sounds across diverse genres equally well. I’m able to focus more on melody and composition, rather than sound design, which helps me be a lot more productive.

The step sequencing and punch in effects are fantastic. I haven’t used it enough yet to be comfortable using the punch in effects live, but the step components are great at adding elements of variation and surprise. You can make it so you’ll never hear the same 16-step pattern twice, but the parameters have enough constraint that it never feels chaotic (unless you want it to).

It’s super portable, and the built in battery is convenient. I’ve only had to recharge it once in the two days of use. I don’t think it’s too small to use comfortably, and it’s actually quite nice to just use it on your lap. I can fit the whole thing in my pocket easily. The buttons feel good to play.

The interface is surprisingly intuitive. It took about 2 hours to feel comfortable with the interface, and now I feel like I can perform most of the tasks without consulting the manual. I only have to reference the step component parameters every once in a while. I have an Android phone and didn’t realize until the second day that TE had just released a beta app. Honestly, I didn’t find it too useful. I prefer using it without a connected screen.

The sampling capabilities are great, especially now that you can sample directly through the microphone or USB audio. I’ve been going through my music collection on my phone and building sample packs from them right into the OP-Z. You can use samples as one shots or sources for a synth track, so the sonic capabilities are now pretty much endless.

Here are some of the things I don’t like. First, the reverb is terrible. I don’t know what TE were thinking. There’s only one reverb algorithm, and it’s very digital and harsh sounding. There’s almost no tweaking of the sound. The maximum decay time is much too short. It’s almost useless at adding large space, so I’ve found it really only works as a stereoizer. It works in some cases, but I don’t find myself using it very often.

I’m slightly concerned about build quality. I bought mine used off Reverb, and when I received it, I was disappointed to find that the encoders were popping right out. I scoured the forums and found a little Teflon thread tape around the encoders should fix the problem. It worked wonders and I haven’t had problems with that since. The back panel is a little loose. The buttons do double trigger every once in a while, which makes me worried for their longevity.

The synth engines, while great sounding, are a little limited. There’s not much tweaking of the sounds, so everything ends up sounding pretty similar. This is less of a con than I thought, because the sounds are very usable and work across many genres. I’ve always held that composition much more important than sound design, anyway.

I wish an analog of the mixer interface on the app was available on the device. You have to go to the fourth page of parameters on each track to change its volume. That’s not very practical in a live setting.

There’s no excuse for how little memory is on board. 32 Mb is just unacceptable in 2019. As great as the sampling capabilities are, there’s only room for 4 different six-second samples per synth track, so you have to pick your favorites unless you want to constantly shuffle samples back and forth from your computer.

Despite its limitations, I’m in love with this thing. It’s my desert island instrument for sure. I am super productive while using it, I can take it anywhere and make music anywhere, and it’s just plain fun to use. Mine was supposed to get wrapped and put under the Christmas tree, but I don’t think I can let that happen."

Behringer Introduces the POLY D - 4 Voice Paraphonic Polyphonic Minimoog Keyboard Synthesizer

Published on Nov 24, 2019 BEHRINGER

Apparently Behringer is on Amazon now.

Update2: Playlist with three user videos (you can skip around on the top right or bottom left):



Sonic Lab: Behringer Poly D! - sonicstate
Behringer Poly D -solo sonidos / only sounds - FutureMusic.es
Behringer POLY D - MrFirechild
Behringer POLY D: Review, Tutorial and Patch Ideas // Auto-damp explained - loopop

Update: post updated with larger pics. Click them for the detail.

Note the POLY D is more like a Mono/Poly in how you stack/route the oscillators. There are 4 VCOs, so you can set them to trigger one at a time for 4 voice paraphonic polyphony. Paraphonic in that they share the same filter, envelopes, etc. You can't have a fully separate voice with independent filters, envelopes, etc like on a truly polyphonic synth. This is not a Memormoog or Moon One. That said, it is a step ahead of a standard Minimoog - 4 vs 3 VCOs with the ability to play paraphonically. If it's light enough, you might even be able to kick back on a couch with it. An original Minimoog on the lap would get heavy fast.

Side note: Apparently Behringer is on Amazon now.

Details from Behringer:

"Analog 4-Voice Polyphonic Synthesizer with 37 Full-Size Keys, 4 VCOs, Classic Ladder Filter, LFO, BBD Stereo Chorus, Distortion, 32-Step Sequencer and Arpeggiator"

The 1970s spawned the first truly portable analog synthesizer, and while it was quickly adopted by lots of renowned musical artists including Jan Hammer, Chick Corea, Rick Wakeman, Jean-Michel Jarre, Isao Tomita and Keith Emerson to name a few, it was somewhat temperamental and very expensive. An ultra-affordable homage to that iconic synthesizer, with all the features of the original and then some, the Behringer POLY D lets you conjure up virtually any monophonic or polyphonic sound imaginable with incredible finesse and ease. The pure analog signal path is based on authentic VCO, VCF, VCA and ladder filter designs in conjunction with a dedicated and fully analog triangle/square wave LFO. Owning a POLY D is like having your own personal time machine, enabling you to freely embrace the past – or shape the future!

CLICK FOR MORE »

AION MODULAR Introduces a Mini Model 15 - Legendary Modular Synth in 3H Eurorack Format

Only 16 inches tall!

A Mini classic Moog Model 15 in eurorack format.


"AION MODULAR is introducing the legendary SYNTHESIZER MODEL 15 in 3HE format! It is ready for shipping.

Kind regards from AION MODULAR, CLUB OF THE KNOBS, and Kazike & team!"


Curious how deep it is.

Could make for a great couch / lap synth.

Update:

"The case is 11 cm (4.3 in) deep without front cover, and 14 cm (5.51 in) with front cover closed.

Launch price is 2900 euros (plus VAT, plus shipping)." 2900 euros currently comes out to $3,243.50.

Teenage Engineering OP-1 (Part 1): Kidding around with a simple loop

Published on Jan 22, 2019 Synth & Sundry

"The Teenage Engineering OP-1 (which I hear is relatively in-demand these days) on its own on my lap. I put together a simple drum loop that ran through some delay for syncopation, then just added bass layer and other melodic elements courtesy of the Dr Wave, Pulse and String modules. Additionally, everything is run through the Grid Effect.

Here are three more OP-1 based videos:"

Wonky Sketch w/ Teenage Engineering OP-1
Teenage OP-1 Adventures
OP-1 Voltage Synth (loud!)

Critter & Guitari - Arp-II & Arp-III for Organelle

Published on Nov 20, 2018 Critter & Guitari

"Today we released two arpeggio patches that use probability to control whether or not an arpeggiated note plays.
Arp-II has two independent arpeggiators that feed notes into a multi-synth. Choose one of nine synth voices from the multi-synth and let the ocean of arpeggiated notes lap onto your beach and/or capsize your boat!
Arp-III has three independent arpeggiators that are fed into a subtractive synth. While not as 'synth-y' as Arp-II, the additional arpeggiator makes up the difference!

Both patches are Link enabled for tempo syncing with other devices on a shared wireless network. (WiFi adapter required; sold separately.)"

KORG EM-1 w/ Circuit Bent Pitch Mod SN 004192

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

via this auction

"KORG EM-1 Circuit bent with Pitch mod and Alloy bottom door.

Does Drums + twin bassline synths

has a new fx selector fitted , short stem , has box .

Pitch mod , allows real time pitch mod of the whole unit without slowing down tempo, handy coz its not really tuneable , you can slow the thing down till it crashes, two toggle switches and a control pot for complete access to the Pitch mod , may need rebooting after crashes, some setting wont work , its a glitch thing… also does a mean organ chord tone. youl find it..

The bottom heavy steel plate has been replaced with a light weight alloy one cutting the KG’s for lap playing bliss.

However the original bottom cover is included..

Want a demo ? This unit was used on our Acid Mornings track , and still has some of the patterns from the track loaded on it..amazingly Rare.. [on Spotify]

track two..bass part

is Working Order with minor issues.
has been played live by len303 of the youtube.com/kenspocket , paintwork tatty.

PSU Lead

Boxed

2 x Sample DVD’s 4GB+ each for DAW use.

SoundwaveSamples drum machines 909 808 etc and synth notes hits 4GB.

Access Virus samples 4GB

Music CD as per demo - One Life Album :)"

CLICK FOR MORE »

Opening Box and Functions Demo - Yamaha REFACE DX Portable Synthesizer

Published on Jun 3, 2018 Sangah Noona

"I just received my Yamaha Reface DX! In this video I'll be opening the box and going through a demo of some of the sounds and functions on this portable synthesizer."

---
Lap synth.

New Lap Synths

I posted the following on Twitter and thought I'd capture them here as well.

"Huge thx to @Perfect_Circuit for scoring me a brand new @accessmusic Virus TI2! Fired it up for the first time last night. Blown away. Incredibly diverse. That's it on my lap with an @ArturiaOfficial KeyStep. :) Also with my new @dsiSequential OB-6! Two amazing synths!"

They both are truly amazing.  The OB-6 replaces my OB-Xa and in my opinion, it is just as warm and full sounding, more-so actually.  It's easy to get engulfed in the raw sound of it, and it can actually take a little work, or rather will power, to mellow it out like the OB-Xa.  The OB-Xa, an amazing synth in its own right, of course, is actually a very simple synth in architecture.  The OB-6 appears just as simple on the surface, but I'm finding it capable of so much more.  That said, it does lack the silkier 4-pole filter of the OB-Xa.  The 2-pole SEM based filter sizzles, but it can be tamed.

The Virus TI2, on the digital side of things, is an absolutely astounding sounding synth.  I was expecting it to have that typical sheen that colors many other VAs, but it doesn't - it sounds incredibly  direct and present. It has that certain clarity you typically only find in higher end synths.  I've always wanted one new but I kept holding out for the latest model. They are getting harder to find, so I figured it was now or never. I checked the shop sites on the right, here on MATRIXSYNTH, and saw that Perfect Circuit Audio was the only ones that had them listed as available for order. I reached out to them and they ordered one directly from Access for me. It took a couple of months as they are on back order, but mine finally arrived! P.S. Huge thanks to Meryam and Brad at Perfect Circuit - they were great to deal with!

As you can see below, I also picked up a few other lap synths as well.  Why lap synths?  I've been finding I'm having less and less time to make it into the studio, so I'm spending more time with smaller synths on my lap.  :)

CLICK FOR MORE »

Modular Synth - Koma Komplex + Circadian Rhythms Sequencers

Published on Mar 11, 2017 isvisible / isinvisible

"Here's me working on a new track. The main focus I guess is on the Tip Top Audio 'Circadian Rhythms' and the Koma 'Komplex' sequencers, and not forgetting the old workhorse, 'Pamela's Workout' by ALM. All of which work perfectly together.

Audio as follows:
Bass - WMD 'PDO'.
Plinky Plonk - Livewire 'AFG'.
A fairly passable lap steel guitar type sound - Mutable Instruments 'Rings'.
Percussion - Folktek 'Matter'."

Soundscape "White Lodge"

Published on Jan 16, 2017 Jurren Mekking

"Improvised ambient music by Bart Knol & Jurren Mekking

Arpeggiator synth:
Dave Smith Instruments OB-6

Pad/soundscape synth:
Korg ARP Odyssey
Strymon Timeline
Strymon BigSky

Bass synth:
Moog Sub37

Guitar:
Recording King Lap Steel
TC Electronic Sub'n'Up octaver
EHX Soul Food
Xotic SP compressor
Strymon Mobius
Strymon El Capistan
Strymon BigSky
Thermionic Culture - Culture Vulture"

Boogie Serge Blues Guitar

Published on Sep 3, 2014 Todd Barton

"serendipity dumped this cool patch in my lap -- just a Serge synth with very minimal knob tweaking. for better audio:"

Yamaha PSS-570 - Demo

Published on Sep 3, 2014 Synthbug

"Synthbug.com
Free samples from this keyboard are on my webpage at
www.synthbug.com/Yamaha_PSS-570.html

This is a demo of the Yamaha PSS-570 synthesizer.

It actually is quite a flexible little synth. In it you have a drum machine, a preset FM keyboard, and samples that can be played manually across the keys. It also has auto cord and manual control FM. So you can create limited but good FM sounds.

The PSS-570 can be used with an adapter or batteries so you can head out and play this thing as if it were an iPad app. Put this puppy on your lap next time you take a flight anywhere and see the stares you'll get!"

1986 Linn Electronics LinnDrum Midistudio Ad

via Retro Synth Ads where you'll find the full write-up.

"Linn Electronics LinnDrum Midistudio 'Put a complete studio in your lap.' colour advertisement from page 19 in the February 1986 issue of Keyboard Magazine."

Synthesizers.com Box11 Pics & Overview

Update: video here.
Some images of my new Synthesizers.com Box11 System. Click on the pics for the supersize / wallpaper shots.

Three things stood out when unpacking this beauty: build quality, attention to detail, and oddly, how surprisingly svelte the system is. Yes svelte. It's thin, beautiful and sleek. As most of you know Synthesizers.com modular systems are in the larger 5U Moog format which are not typically known for being sleek. The Box11 is and it is beautiful.

As for length and width 5U systems do take up more space, and the Box11 is no exception, but what you get in return is a solid system that feels more substantial in terms of build quality and interface.  You get full size knobs and full size 1/4" jacks with zero cable movement when you patch them. There is no give, no patch wobble, just a rock solid connection. The knobs feel substantial and there is plenty of space not only to see things, but to also feel what you are doing, whether you have larger or smaller hands. Some people swear by the larger 5U/MU format. I understand why. [BTW, if you are confused by the 5U vs. MU format. 5U refers to 5 units of height. Think of a thin rackmount unit like the Yamaha TX81Z, or the various Emu Proteus line of racks. They are 1U, so 5U is the same height as five of them stacked one on top of the other. MU is 5U in height, but the M stands for Moog format which means modules in MU format like Synthesizers.com are compatible. There's also Synthesis Technology/MOTM's 5U format which has the same height but different horizontal spacing for the mounting screw holes. To see them side by side along with other modular formats, click on the image in this post.]

From left to right, the Box11 comes with the following modules:

One Q174 MIDI Interface which includes some interesting advanced functionality for a MIDI module: "Three modes of operation offer a variety of outputs for one or two MIDI channels. Outputs include standard 1V/Octave Pitch outputs with 10-octave ranges, 5V Gates, Trigger pulse, On and Off Velocity, Channel Pressure and several Continuous Controller outputs. Complete control over Note Priority and Gate modes provide virtually any type of keyboard response emulating virtually all vintage and modern keyboards along with some that are unique."

Two Q106 Oscillators which include Sine, Triangle, Saw, Ramp, and Pulse waveforms with pulsewidth modulation from any patchable modulation source. There's Hard Sync to synchronize the oscillator to other sources, not only to have oscillators in sync to prevent beating, but also to produce some interesting effects. There are two frequency mod sections, Linear Frequency with one input jack and level knob, and Exponential Frequency with two 1V/Octave inputs and a third input with level knob. The Q106 will also go into LFO range to act purely as a mod source.

One Q150 Transistor Ladder Filter which is based on the famous Moog ladder filter. Both 12db and 24db slopes are available via a switch and one pole and three pole settings are available via a jumper internal to the module. What's interesting is there are two audio inputs and two CV inputs with level knobs for each. This allows you to bypass a mixer for the two oscillators on the Box11 and plug each directly into the filter with the ability to adjust the levels for each. In addition to the two CV inputs with controllable level, there is a third input for 1V/OCT. This allows you to use a keyboard to scale the filter while still having two additional modulation sources adjustable by each level knob.

Two Q109 Envelope Generators with standard ADSR (Attack Decay Sustain Release) settings. The release is set for 12 seconds at max value but can be set to 30+ seconds via a jumper internal to the module. Attack and Decay can also be extended to 30+ seconds. A nice added feature to the Q106 is a Gate button which allows you to trigger the Envelope on it's own. This will be great not only for sonic exploration of drones sans MIDI controller, but also for manually triggering envelop effects on things like filter cutoff or pitch. Note the top Gain knob in the VCA will also bring in volume without the need of a trigger.

One Q108 Amplifier with two audio inputs, two CV inputs, and two audio outputs (one inverted). There's a switch for linear vs exponential response curves of the control inputs. The top Gain knob can be used to open the VCA without a trigger for drones.

Finally we have the Desktop Box11 case with two sets of four way multiples. There is also one blank panel where you can install an additional module of the same width.


Note the above is just a high level overview of each module and how you might make use of them out of the box. For a more detailed overview of each module as well as additional modules see Synthesizers.com

BTW, you might notice one of the pics has the system lying flat on a table.  Call me crazy, but one thing I wanted to try is using the Box11 as a lap synth up close while relaxing on the couch/recliner.  With the wood panels attached it was about an inch or two too wide for mine.  When you remove the wood panels the sides are exposed so I used some construction paper to cover them.  One other thing to note is the power cable connects to the back of the unit so you will need the side panels or other for support if you plan to lay it flat on a table (I'll be using a pillow for the recliner).  Synthesizers.com does offer straight panels in addition to the angled panels I have.  Personally I prefer the angled panels as that allows the Box11 to stand upright while patching in the studio.

A few side notes: in one of the pics you can see an iPad.  That's an iPad Mini Retina, not a full blown iPad for scale.  I love the iPad for sequencing on the fly so I was testing out the system with StepPolyArp (a nice feature with the app is it has a built in keyboard you can play with the sequencer off).

In regards to attention to detail, be sure to see the pics of the cables and packaging.  The cables are high quality and have Synthesizers.com logos on them. I thought this was a nice touch and added to the overall cohesiveness and quality of the system.

The packaging included detailed notes on each module.  Many manufacturers would just refer you to the website, so  I thought it was worth calling out as a nice added touch.

Sticky rubber feet to put under the wood panels so you don't scratch them were also included.  Note the panels do ship intact, so you do not need to do anything but plug the Box11 in and patch it up when it arrives.

The Box11 truly is a beautiful system.

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The Om Guitar

Published on Jun 20, 2013

"An introduction to the 'Om Guitar'. A modified lap steel guitar played with an unusual technique.."

I almost didn't post this one as it is a guitar and not a synth, but listen in at 1:29. It sounds like a drone synth. It also sounds very Dead Can Dance. It's almost like Lisa Gerrard coming in at 1:39.

Of course the Moog Guitar and Vo-96 Acoustic Synthesizer also come to mind.

Get fat, honky cat

Get fat, honky cat by are.kay.more
"A little "what would it sound like" track. I wanted to play with lap steel and jangly electric guitar with a buzzy synth bass line [PAiA Fatman]." Also a Rhodes piano.