Schulte Compact Phasing "A" Analog Stereo Phaser

via this auction 

"This is one of the most famous effects units that were produced in the 70´s. The Compact Phasing "A" was made in Berlin by Gerhardt Schulte, and this thing was heavily used by Krautrock bands and electronic musicians not only in Germany: Kraftwerk, Tangerine Dream, Oskar Sala, Jon Lord, Rubycon, J.M. Jarre, Pink Floyd... It´s possible to use it in a very subtle way, but it´s more interesting when you play with knobs to get more deep, dramatic and esoteric tones. This is the rare white version which i bought some years ago from the first owner. The thing is in very good condition and comes with the original footswitch. You need the switch to get the Leslie-like brake sounds as you can start and stop the LFO with it. It uses 220V power, but there´s a jumper inside that you can switch to 110V."

 

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LepLoop Arpopone Specs & Details

Some details just in via LepLoop. Be sure to see previous posts for demos.

"The Arpopone AKA HARP'O'PHONE is a melody/bass line generator with a chord and rhythmic section, available in desktop and eurorack format.
It is based on analog ramp divider, similar to those used for the Multicassa which are inspired to Oskar Sala's Mixtur Trautonium, an early electronic musical instrument, each divider generates a voltage ramp starting from a master clock (internal or external) a potentiometer is used to set the number of steps and thus the division ratio with a minimum of 1 there are ten of such divider in the different sections of the instrument:

- 2 for the rhythmic section (trigger pulses 1 and 2)
- 2 for the scale generator, these have a ramp output that forms the melody line
- 6 for the audio dividers, the 2 prescalers are chained with 4 note dividers, one for bass and 3 for chords
A further divider comes into play if external clock is selected, in this case the BPM control acts as a clock divider making possible the synchronization with other instruments (at maximum speed divider=1)

Specification :

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Synthesizer von Gestern (Synths of the Past) II, sealed

via this auction

"Classic hardback book about classic synthesisers, in German, but with loads of superb illustrations - the most beautiful book about synths ever made.

Sealed, brand new. This is Book II, which is bigger than Book I, and includes authoritative text and diagrams and gorgeous photos.

The book starts with an in-depth interview with Oskar Sala, inventor of the Mixtur-Trautonium (used for the entire soundtrack of Hitchcock's 'The Birds'). Fantastic photos of his studio and various Trautoniums.

Other synths and electronic instruments covered in detail include:- Jorgensen Clavioline, ARP 2500, EMS Synthi 100, Moog Sonic Six, Emu modular, EMS Synthi Hi-Fli, ARP Pro Soloist, Steiner-Parker Synthacon, RMI Harmonic Synthesizer, EMS Synthi E, Birotron, PPG 1002, Moog Taurus, Liberation, Prodigy; Roland System 700, Synlab Modular, Yamaha SY1, Oberheim OB-1, Roland SH-7, Steiner EVI, Crumar DS-2, Yamaha CS-30, DX7; Korg Sigma, VC-10, Poly 61, Poly 800; ARP Quadra, Roland RS-505, VP-330, SPV-355, SH-101, TB-303, TR-606, MC-202, Jupiter 6; Fairlight CMI, Realton Variophon, Oberheim OB-Xa, OB-SX, Xpander; Gleeman Pentaphonic, RSF Kobol, Blackbox; Emu Emulator I, DK Synergy, SCI Prophet 600, Prophet T8; EEH Banana, Boehm Soundlab, OSC OSCar.

A beautiful quality coffee-table book - high production values, great illustrations, hardback, and as rare as some of the rarest synths it contains! Still sealed!"

SCHULTE COMPACT PHASING A - RARE GERMAN KRAUT ROCK PHASER

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

via this auction

"The Compact Phasing "A" was made in Berlin by Gerhardt Schulte.

This rare item was used heavily by Krautrock bands and electronic musicians including:
Kraftwerk, Tangerine Dream, Oskar Sala, Jon Lord, Rubycon, J.M. Jarre, Pink Floyd...

It´s possible to use it in a very subtle way, but it´s more interesting
when you play with the knobs to get more deep, dramatic and esoteric tones.


This is the rare white version. The unit is in very good working condition and comes with a footswitch.
You need the switch to get the Leslie-like brake sounds as you can start and stop the LFO with it.

The red light on the left strobes in time with the effect !

Amazing sounding !

It uses 220V power, but there´s a jumper inside that you can switch to 110V."

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An Interview with Bruno Spoerri on Astronauta Pinguim

Update: in case you read this post when it first went up, be sure to give it another look for a few updates.  It's a bit convoluted with quite a few tangents, but that's how it goes sometimes.

Read the full interview on Astronauta Pinguim here.

The following are some excerpts and tie-ins to other bits of synth history.

-----

Initially a saxophone player, Bruno Spoerri explored electronic music in the 1960s on.

"In 1964 he was invited to a job in an advertising agency and began to work with electronic music using a Ondes Martenot and, after, using lots of synthesizers and also experimenting with electrified/synthesized saxophones..." "As a saxophonist and jazz improviser I always looked for ways to play without a keyboard."

Pictured above is Bruno with his EMS Synthi 100 (videos previously posted here and here).

On the Synthi 100: "I bought the Synthi 100 in 1971. In 1987 I gave it to Felix Visser (Synton) in exchange for a Fairlight CMI; some years he had to sell it at an auction, and I don't know where it is now (I would recognize the instrument, as I did some small changes on it)."  It was listed on Vemia back in 2009 posted here and here. Click though for pics.

In 1974, he recorded the album 'Iischalte (Switched-on Switzerland)'.

Bruno Spoerri - Le Ranz Des Vaches


Uploaded on Jul 25, 2011 Aura Archange Maudit·57 videos

"Bruno Spoerri - Iischalte (Switched-on Switzerland)
1974

Imágenes de la película La lunga notte di Veronique (1966)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0183441/

Video made by Aura Archange Maudit"

-----

"On 'Voice Of Taurus' (1978), Bruno Spoerri experiments a lot with electrified wind instruments and also with jazz-rock and rock."

Bruno Spoerri - Hymn Of Taurus (Taurus Is Calling You!)

Uploaded on Nov 19, 2009 MrJJBonanza·29 videos
Re-Published on Sep 30, 2014 Bruno Spoerri - Topic

"First track of Bruno Spoerri's 'Voice Of Taurus'
1978 Gold Records, Switzerland
Cat# 11 061 (Vinyl, LP)

Bruno Spoerri on 'Hymn Of Taurus':
"The rhythm track was created with my very first primitive ring modulator (4 diodes and 2 transformers) that is why it is so dirty The voice went of course through the EMS vocoder, the choir was created through the VAKO Orchestron."

-----

Again, don't miss the full interview with Bruno Spoerri on Astronauta Pinguim here. There's some fascinating history there including Ginette Martenot and the Ondes Martenot, Oskar Sala with his Mixturtrautonium, and Joel Chadabe. Regarding his original gear, "most of my analog gear is sold (most of it to the remarkable Swiss Synthorama of Martin Hollinger), but I still have my first synthi, the EMS VCS-3 (from 1970), the ARP 2600 with sequencer and the Lyricon I and II. I use the lyricon quite often in performances, the other gear mostly for demonstrations to visitors."

I was fortunate enough to visit Synthorama back in 2008. You can find my pics and videos from the visit here. See the Synthorama label for other posts including a one of a kind modular, the Airböurne, created by the curator of the museum, Martin Hollinger.

For more posts featuring Bruno click here and scroll.  Check him out on the Synthophone and Gesture Based Synthesis here.

via Fabricio Carvalho aka Astronauta Pinguim on The MATRIXSYNTH Lounge

You can find links to additional interviews with synth history's early influentials by Astronauta Pinguim here.

Synthesizer von Gestern (Synths of the Past) Volume 2

via this auction

"This is a brand new sealed, unopened copy of the rare classic synthesiser book, 'Synthesizer von Gestern' by Matthias Becker. It is the second volume, which (at 146 pages) is larger than the first, and includes an incredible array of classic synths. Unlike the A-Z or Museum book, this is a beautifully-bound hardback, and is printed on very good quality paper. It is the first and only edition of this rare book. The picture is of another book, but it is identical.

When this book was out of print and no longer available, copies were changing hands for 100GBP-plus. Then the publishers found one last pallet of books in their warehouse, gave them to the author in lieu of royalties, and I drove to Koeln in Germany to bring back all I could.

It is in German, but so much of the book is taken up with beautiful full-colour photos and excellent illustrations that that isn't as important as you might think, if you don't speak German. It's a great coffee-table book, but full of serious information too - and the photos are in a class of their own. Crisp, beautiful, detailed, professional!

The book starts with an in-depth interview with Oskar Sala, inventor of the Mixtur-Trautonium (used for the entire soundtrack of Hitchcock's 'The Birds'). Fantastic photos of his studio and various Trautoniums.
Other synths and electronic instruments covered in detail include:-

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Two Performances on The Ondioline

YouTube via BeeldenGeluid | Oct 16, 2010 | 4 likes, 0 dislikes\

The Ondioline
"De Fransman Jenny heeft een electronisch muziekinstrument uitgevonden. Hij komt, toetsenbord onder de ene arm, draagbare versterker in de hand van de andere, een geluidsstudio binnen, installeert het toetsenbord en sluit de versterker aan. Daarna demonstreert hij, samen met drie andere musici
(saxofoon, banjo, viool), hoe goed zijn uitvinding echte muziekinstrumenten kan nabootsen en speelt tenslotte samen met een violist een duet op de melodie van 'Plaisir d'amour'.
Jouw TV-favoriet op DVD bestellen?
Ga naar: http://www.beeldengeluid.nl/tvfavoriet"

Googlish:
The Frenchman Jenny has an electronic musical instrument invented. He comes, keyboard under one arm, portable amplifier based on the other, a sound studio in, install the keyboard and connect the amplifier. Then he demonstrates, along with three other musicians (Saxophone, banjo, violin), how good can mimic real musical invention and finally with a violinist playing a duet on the melody of 'Plaisir d'amour.
Your favorite TV on DVD order? Jump to: http://www.beeldengeluid.nl/tvfavoriet "

via elgauchoandres in the comments of this post on Oskar Sala and the Mixtur-Trautonium.

And via Andres: "The video on BeeldenGeluid channel [above] shows a very early model of the Ondioline like the one is on the Museo de Ureña in Spain [here].

This other video: [below] shows three different models of Ondioline on minute 8, featuring Jean-Jaques Perrey and Gershon Kingsley. As here.

In the case of interest here's the schematic: http://www.danacountryman.com/Jenny/Repairs.html and lots of info in http://www.ondioline.com/"



Electronic Musician Jean-Jacques Perrey on "I've Got a Secret"
YouTube via rrgomes | Mar 20, 2010 |

"Electronic music pioneer Jean-Jacques Perrey appears on "I've Got a Secret" (November 21st, 1966) with host Steve Allen and panelists Betsy Palmer, Bill Cullen, Bess Myerson, and Henry Morgan.

After several other musicians are introduced along with their instruments (violin, French horn, bagpipe, clarinet) we learn that Perrey's secret is "I play one instrument that can sound like all of these."

After the game, that instrument is revealed to be the Ondioline, an early synthesizer-like keyboard instrument. He demonstrates that it can indeed mimic the sounds of the others and make unique sounds of its own.

Perrey and his collaborator Gershon Kingsley, with whom he recorded the 1966 album "The In Sound from Way Out", then play one of their compositions."

Also see this post and of course the Ondioline label below for more.

Formant arpeggios patch breakdown: a classic Falistri patch!

video upload by Frap Tools

"Arpeggios without an arpeggiator? That's no magic, just the power of sub-harmonics!

We've been doing this patch for quite some time now, but we never released a complete, step-by-step tutorial on YouTube.

By using Falistri as a frequency divider, we can obtain perfect intervals in the minor scale by sweeping the rising and falling stages. It's roughly the same principle as Oskar Sala's Mixturtrautonium!

00:00 Intro
00:18 Using Falistri as a frequency divider
05:03 Using Sapèl to sweep through the sub-frequencies"

Doepfer A-104 Trautonium Filter

via this auction

"A-104 is a fourfold formant filter as used in the Mixtur Trautonium by Oskar Sala. It is made of four parallel resonance filters, each filter can be switched to low pass or band pass or off. Frequency, resonance and level are controlled for each filter separately (no voltage control). The frequency range for the filters is about 50Hz...5kHz. The filter audio inputs are very sensitive so that distortion may intentionally be used to create new sounds - if desired. The A-104 is a versatile module for sound modification. In the first place it is used for reproduction of resonances (e.g. the vocal-like effects known from the Trautonium). In combination with the subharmonic generator A-113, the Trautonium Manual A-198 and some other A-100 modules one obtains a Trautonium replica."

The First Synth to....

Update: The new home for this list is now here. You can add to the list there or comment here and I will update both lists. Note that the complete list however will be there as I do not plan on updating this list with updates made there. That would be too much work and would compete with me being able to put up new posts here. Can't let that happen. : ) Related but separate from that list also see https://120years.net. That said...

If you are going to add to the list in the comments, use the same format.

Year - Manufacturer - Model - First at
1837 - C.G. Page (Salem. Mass) - first to produce electronically generated sound (not necessarily associated with a musical instrument). After inventing the Volta in 1800 (an early battery), in 1837 Page was doing experiments with coils and realized when certain coils were attached to a batter they omitted a ringing sound. While he initially thought the ring came from the electrical current was interrupted (battery disconnected), what was actually taking place was the induction through the coils was causing them to vibrate. via Peter Grenader
1885 - Person and Ernst Lorenz -'Elektrisches Musikinstrument' - the first musical instrument designed to produce electrically generated sound. It used electronic vibrations to drive an electromagnet that were connected to resonating boards, which translated these vibrations to sound. via Peter Grenader
1897 - Taddaeus Cahills - Telharmonium - electromechanical instrument.
1936 - Oskar Sala - Mixturtrautonium - first synth using Subharmonic synthesis
1939 - Homer Dudley invents the Parallel Bandpass Vocoder (VODER) - A manually key operated speech synthesizer
1940 - Homer Dudley invents the The Voder speech synthesizer - A device which used the human voice and an artificial voice to produce a composite
Both were researched as a way to transmit speech over copper wires (id est, telephone lines)
1948 - Hugh LeCaine - Electronic Sackbut - First voltage-controlled synthesizer
1948 - Dr. Raymond Scott - Wall of Sound - First polyphonic Sequencing Worstation (electromechanical) and the Electronum - first sequencer.
1950 - CSIR - Mk 1 - The first known use of a digital computer for the purpose playing music
1956 - Louie and Bebe Barron - Produced the first all-electronic musical score for a major motion picture - MGM's 'Forbidden Planet'
1957 - Max V. Mathews at Bell Labs - MUSIC - the first digital synthesizer. Technically, it was a computer program, though it set the stage for every digital synthesizer that proceeded it. See Laurie Spiegel with one here.
1963/64 - Buchla - model 100 modular - 1st "modern" modular synth
1967 - Moog - Moog modular synthesizer I, II & III - 1st commercial modular synth.
1969 - EMS - Synthi VCS-3 - first non-modular mini-synth
1970 - MOOG - Minimoog - 1st Mono Synth with keys (non-modular)
1971 - Tonus/Arp - Soloist - 1st preset mono synth
1971 - John Chowning - developed FM synthesis using the MUSIC-IV language (source), a direct descendent of Mathew's MUSIC program. FM synthesis was later licensed by Yamaha, and used in popular synths such as the DX-7.
1972 - Triadex Muse - first digital synth
""is the first digital musical instrument and was produced in 1972. It was
designed by Edward Fredkin and Marvin Minsky at MIT. It is an algorithmic
music generator: it uses digital logic circuits to produce a sequence of
notes based on the settings of various parameters. It has four small sliders
in that control Volume, Tempo, Pitch, and Fine Pitch. It is not known how
many were made, but they are considered extremely rare.
The Muse is the subject of U. S. Patent 3610801"
1973 - Coupland Digital Music Synthesizer - First Digital (Triadex beat it?) Update via Peter Grenader: "No time to read through all these posts to see if it's come up yet, but the Coupland was vaporwear...it never existed. I met Mark Vail, who's now a friend, by writing him a letter informing him that his story about the Coupland in his Vintage Synthesizers book (GREAT book) which mentioned it's only recorded showing was at the AES show in LA in 1978 was a farce. I was there - at their booth and their suite in the Hilton where the instrument was said to be. I was there on the first day, I was there on the last day. The only thing they had was a small model - about six inches across, sitting on a table. The booth was amazing - this radial orb multiple people could sit in, with a cover that came over each person which played what I remembered was a very impressive demo which swirled around four speakers inside the box. I, and everyone else, were blown away. They kept saying...'it will be here tomorrow, it'll be here tomorrow'...so I showed up the last day just to see it, figuring by the then it would have arrived...it didn't. I did see the frst Synthclavier at that show however. Their suite was across the hall from the Coupland folk. That completely kicked the crap out of everything else shown that year."
1973 - Dartmouth Digital Synthesizer - NED - Synclavier prototype - first digital synth
1974 - Roland - SH-3A - first commercial additive synth
1974 - RMI - Harmonic Synthesizer - first commercial additive synth
1975 - Buchla 502 - six voice polyphonic with minicomputer and ability to save patches to tape drive. Development on the 500 series began in 1969.
1975 - Oberheim FVS - four voice polyphonic with Polyphonic Synthesizer Programmer. Not sure if the Buchla 502 or FVS was released first.
1976 - PPG - PPG 1003 sonic carrier - 1st programmable mono/duo synth with patch memory (this, along with the model 1020, might have been the 1st synths to use DCO's as well)
1977 - Yamaha - CS50/CS60/CS80 - first single enclosure polyphonic keyboard synthesizers with the CS80 to be the first synth with poly aftertouch
1977 (late) - Oberheim - OB-1 - 1st commercial programmable mono synth with patch memory
1978 (late) - PPG - Wavecomputer 360 - 1st wavetable synth
1978 - Sequential Circuits - microprocessor control the SCI prophet 10 (briefly) and the P-5 --- again based on existing E-mu tech stuff
1979 - NED - Synclavier - First FM
1979 - Fairlight CMI - First Sampler, First Workstation
1980 - Performance Music Systems - Syntar - First self contained keytar
1982 - Sequential Circuits - Prophet 600 / First Midi Synthesizer (though some argue the Prophet 5 rev 3.2 is pre-MIDI MIDI)
1983 - Yamaha - DX7 - Digital takes over, FM goes mainstream
1983 - OSC - OSCar - First real-time additive with analog filters
1984 - Sequential Circuits - SixTrak - first multitimbral
1985 - Casio - CZ-101 - First battery-powered all digital mini-synth
1987 - Kawai K5 and Technos Axcel - first additive synths
1989 - E-Mu Systems - Proteus - First dedicated ROMpler
1992 - Seer Systems - first host-based software synthesizer in 1992
1994 - Yamaha - VL1 - first physical modelling synth
1995 - Clavia - Nord Lead - 1st Virtual Analog
1996 - Rubberduck - still not the first softsynth but came before Seer Systems Reality.
1996 - Steinberg - VST - Ok not a synth but enabled a lot to be written as plug-ins and used simultaneously
1997 - Seer Systems - Reality - First Modular Soft Synth
2002 - Hartmann Neuron - first neuronal synth
2912 - KalQuestoTron - the first genetically engineered synth. Each cell is an oscillator, filter, and neural sequencer. Can be delivered via injection to always play 'hold music' in your head.

I thought it might be fun to have a "first synth to..." post. There's been a lot of buzz over Sonic State's Top 20 Synths of All Time with good reason. What exactly is a "top synth?" Is it it's influence on the music scene? It's rarity and lust appeal? The number of synths sold? According to Sonic State their list was the result of Sonic State reader's voting for their favorite synths. Blame the voters if you don't like what you see. Based on what has come up on the list so far, the E-Mu Proteus and Roland JV-1080 for example as well as the Roland Jupiter 8 not even making the top ten, I'm guessing a bit of it has to do with the vote and... possibly the most influential/ground breaking synths for their time. The JV1080 and Proteus? Not super sexy in this day and age, but what they offered in their time? Who knows. It's obviously subjective. But there is something that isn't. The most influential synths of all time not because they were super sexy or utilitarian, but because they offered something that was not previously available.

I thought what might be interesting to create a list of the first synths to feature a particular technology or feature. For example what was the fist synth to bring FM to the table? Was it the DX7 or a predecessor? What was the first digital synth and when? The first additive synth? I have a good idea and could probably look it all up, but that wouldn't be any fun, so.... You tell me. I am going to make this an open post that will live over time. You get to participate by putting an entry in the comments. I will update the list and when I do I will change the time stamp of the post to keep it current. That said, for the archives, this post went up with a time stamp of 4/11/07 7:20 PM PST. I'll start the list (btw, do correct me on the MOOG, what model should we be talking about here? The A, B, C or D or all of them?).

Year - Manufacturer - Model - First at
1970 - MOOG - Minimoog - 1st Mono Synth with keys (non-modular)
1978 - Sequential Circuits - Prophet 5 - 1st Programmable Polyphonic Analog
... List continues above.

Update 3/34/12: Also see the first synthesizers to offer patch storage here.

Oskar Sala's Mixtur-Trautonium at the Musikinstrumenten-Museum

More pics and the full write-up at the Nervous Squirrel

"During a visit to Berlin for the Worldtronics 2013 festival, I popped in to the Museum of Musical Instruments for a look around. They have an awesome collection of acoustic instruments, musical machines, musical walking sticks, microtonal pianos, Hammond organs, a "serpent", a VCS3 with sequencer and a violin in the shape of amoeba. I'd previously read about the Trautonium, and was aware of it being "something like an Ondes Martenot", but the one at the museum invited a much closer investigation..."

Synthesizer Von Gestern - Roland System 700 Recording

This one via Jeff and Mark Pulver on AH. The direct link to the recording is here, courtesy of Jeff and posted on the MIDIWall gear page by Mark Pulver. Be sure to check out the MIDIWall gear page for more synth goodness. You might recognize the name Synthesizer Von Gestern from these prior posts.

Update via peterwendt in the comments:
"Great. I have the vol. 1 and vol. 2 CDs that include this track. I love listening to them and I think they give a good account of the characters of the instruments that I know. Vol. 2 includes the System 700 and a wonderful performance by Oskar Sala on his Mixtur-Trautonium.

There is a vol. 3 disc that I really want (Buchla, Prophet VS, ...).

The German CD label has interesting pages on the CDs and the project here:
http://www.originaltonwest.de/vintage%20synths%20vol.1.html
http://www.originaltonwest.de/vintage%20synths%20vol.2.html
http://www.originaltonwest.de/vintage%20synths%20vol.3.html

Dang. If only I had bought that System 700 cheap in Japan."

links also via Jeff on AH.

New LepLoop Lumanoise 808 Cymbal Drone Generator

Pictured: Chris & Cosey of Throbbing Gristle fame & more.
http://www.chrisandcosey.com

via Leploop where you'll find additional details. The following are the three versions of the Lumanoise (Update: you can catch a video of the Lumanoise in this previous post):

"Lumanoise V1

The lumanise V1 have one square osc, one 12bit sawtooth osc.
The oscillators pitch is controlled by a photo resistor, each oscillator have a volume pot.
A 12 db low pass resonant filter, specially developed by LEP for the project lumanoise, the filter cut-off can be controlled by the potentiometer or the photoresistor.

Lumanoise V2

The lumanoise V2 heve one square osc, one 12bit sawtooth osc. and 2 trautonium like sub oscillator.
We were inspired by the great Oskar Sala Trautonium synth oscillator.
We use one master oscillator under LDR control and 2 sub oscillator, where you can set the frequency.
The oscillators pitch is controlled by a photo resistor, each oscillator have a volume pot.
A 12 db low pass resonant filter, the filter cut-off can be controlled by the potentiometer or the photoresistor.

808 cymbal drone generator

The 808 cymbal drone generator use 6 fixed frequency square wave oscillators.
The oscillator frequency came from the cluster oscillator circuit used in the TR808 drum machine for creating cymbal sound, in fact these are the harmonic frequencies of the sounds of metal plate.
Each oscillators have a volume pot. and the 12 db low pass resonant filter, the filter cut-off can be controlled by the potentiometer or the photoresistor.

The Lumanoise box are made of plywood 3mm laser cut, different textures will be available soon."

Leploop Lumanoise V2 Desktop Analog Noise Synthesizer

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

via this auction

"Great little analog desktop drone synth controlled by light.

From the official website:

Lumanoise v2 has:

- one square oscillator, one 12bit sawtooth oscillator, and 2 trautonium like sub oscillators.

- inspired by the Oskar Sala Trautonium synth. We use one Trautonium tmaster oscillator under LDR control and 2 sub oscillator, where you can set the division frequency of the tmaster oscillator.

- oscillators pitch is controlled by a photo resistor, each oscillator has a volume pot.

- has a 12 db low pass resonant filter, the filter cut-off can be controlled by the potentiometer or the photoresistor.

Lumanoise works with voltage between 9 and 12 volt
direct current DC, central +"

CLICK FOR MORE »

APPARATUM - the installation inspired by the Polish Radio Experimental Studio

APPARATUM - the installation inspired by the Polish Radio Experimental Studio from ◥ panGenerator on Vimeo.

APPARATUM

THE INSTALLATION INSPIRED BY THE POLISH RADIO EXPERIMENTAL STUDIO



Analog sound generators, based on magnetic tape and optical components controlled via graphic score composed with digital interface.

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Today's Google Doodle Is a Step Sequencer!

This one in via Joel B.

Check it out:

https://www.google.com

Click the play button when you get there.

Some pics saved here for the archives.  Pretty cool nod to the visual as well:

"Music is not limited to the world of sound.  There exists a music of the visual world."

-Oskar Fischinger, 1951

CLICK FOR MORE »

Moogtonium Documentation Discovered in Bob's Archives

via The Bob Moog Foundation

"As you all know by now, one of our three projects is preserving and protecting Bob's extensive archives. The archives are full of various mediums, but today we focus on letters and schematics that have given way to an exciting discovery about a little known instrument that Bob worked on in 1966.

Visit our website to read the full article on this amazing discovery.

We recently uncovered a stack of letters, notes and schematics describing Bob's work on a version of a Mixture-Trautonium, which he and the musician-collaborator Max Brand deemed the "Moogtonium". You can read much more about this fascinating instrument in a blog post written by Michelle Moog-Koussa, Brian Kehew and Clemens Hausch.

You can hear the sounds of this instrument on the newly release album "Kabelbrand: Sounds from the Max Brand Synthesizer", with compositions by musicians devoted to Brand's musical legacy and by Max Brand himself. We are offering this CD as a gift with a $30 donation to the Bob Moog Foundation. Get your copy today."

You might remember the Max Brand synthesizer from this post and this event featuring the system back in November of 2009. Also see this performance by Oskar Sala on the original Trautonium. As always, you can find additional posts via the labels below. Do not miss the full Bob Moog Foundation article on the Moogtonium.

Oskar Sala - Zeilgalerie in Frankfurt, 1993

YouTube via djaiyo.

via rustyanalog Don't miss this bit of synth history.

"From christian moeller's website, www.christian-moeller.com

Sala, a pioneer of electronic music played his Trautonium, an early electronic musical instrument invented in Berlin in 1930.
For this live performance, his concert was displayed as a gigantic video projection above the urban flow. The metal façade of the Zeilgalerie was turned into a giant TV screen in the public space."
This one originally posted at 7:19 PM, 3/2. Moving on top for a bit. Don't miss this.
See the Trautonium label directly below for more.

Update via Rick Jelliffe:
"The thing is that Sala extended the Trautonium (a playing device) with his own synthesis system: subharmonic synthesis. It is a Mixturtrautonium!

This allows much more chord-like notes to be created, with four subharmonics. So while he can only play one note at a time on the lower manual, that note goes to four subharmonic generators. He can select different sets of subharmonics (/12, /13, /14 etc) with a knee controller, if necessary. Because these can be written down, it allowed him to set up patches and replay compositions much more quickly than later modular VC systems.

The subharmonic system favours some kinds of chords (dim 7s for example), which explains some aspects of his compositions.

I have made a free VST using subharmonic synthesis that is available on the WWW. Like Sala's it has a frequency shifter, reverb and some resonators, and can switch between sets of subharmonics. The Neumixturtrautonium VST is available from lots of places on the web, and it has a sound of its own.

I believe Doepfer have a subharmonic module too, as may some other people.

Cheers
Rick Jelliffe"

Haken Continuum Firmware 8.00 Update

What's New in Continuum Firmware 8.00 from Edmund Eagan on Vimeo.

Firmware 8 Selected Presets from Edmund Eagan on Vimeo.

A demonstration of many of the System Presets new in firmware version 8.00.

"FIRMWARE VERSION 8.00

Firmware 8.00 is the latest and greatest version of the Continuum firmware. There have been many improvements included in this release. Even more improvements are coming in the near future!

Firmware 8.00 includes over 120 new System Presets, designed by Edmund Eagan and other Continuum Fingerboard sound designers.

System Presets are now organized by Category making a particular preset easier to find.

Description bubbles offer patch information and suggestions for playing techniques.
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Even More Ways to Play the Continuum
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Introducing Markus Jägerstedt Sound Bank for Nord Stage 4

video upload by nordkeyboards

"Acclaimed Swedish keyboardist/producer Markus Jägerstedt has designed a creative patch collection for Nord Stage 4 based on the Scandinavian pop sound and his work with Swedish artists like Robyn, Seinabo Sey and Loreen. Download for free at nordkeyboards.com.

'This collection is mixed in two categories where one is very basic pop sounds and the other is more experimental. I guess you can use them for whatever style you like but I have done them mainly for pop, electronic pop and a bit of jazz'

Stockholm-based Markus Jägerstedt is an established keyboardist/producer/songwriter and one of Sweden’s most hired musicians. Markus has worked with artists such as Robyn, Loreen, Seinabo Sey, Röyksopp, Veronica Maggio, Miriam Bryant, Little Jinder and Oskar Linnros.

Download the Markus Jägerstedt Sound Bank for Nord Stage 4: https://www.nordkeyboards.com/sound-l..."