iOptigan - Optigan for iPad & iPhone - Demo Song - BEEBO - Optiganally Yours

Published on Nov 29, 2017 optigandotcom

iTunes: iOptigan - Stefan Stenzel

"Pea Hicks of optigan.com and Stefan Stenzel of Waldorf present... iOptigan!

PLEASE NOTE: if you're listening to this demo on a mobile device, you may have trouble hearing the keyboard part in the right channel, due to a YouTube quirk. For best results, please listen on a regular PC.

This is a demo of iOptigan running on an iPad Air. The music is 'Beebo' by Optiganally Yours, which is an old song that appeared on the album 'Spotlight On Optiganally Yours.' The disc used is 'Big Organ & Drums.'"

Urban Outfitters and a Sequential Circuits Prophet-5

This one spotted by Pea Hicks

Pea Hicks 1

YouTube via MellotronMovie | January 30, 2011 |

follow-up to this post

2009 Remastered Vako Orchestron Disc - SAXOPHONE

YouTube via peahix. Details including ordering info at this post.
Comments disabled here to keep them in the prior post.

Update: better quality on Vimeo:

2009 Remastered Vako Orchestron Disc - SAXOPHONE from Pea Hicks on Vimeo.

Newly Remastered Vako Orchestron Disc - SAXOPHONE

"Newly Remastered Vako Orchestron Disc - SAXOPHONE

As soon as we have 15 pre-orders, we'll go to press and start shipping. It's unlikely that there will be sufficient demand to do a second run of 25 of these discs, so your best bet is to buy as many of these as you need while you can! Any future additional copies will most likely be done as one-offs, which are twice as expensive to produce, and thus will cost twice as much.

PLEASE NOTE: This disc WILL NOT play properly in an Optigan! They WILL play, but the sounds will NOT be mapped correctly to the keyboard- they will be mapped mostly haphazardly across the chord buttons. Please don't order this disc expecting to easily use it in an Optigan. In the future we will be porting the Orchestron sounds to the Optigan- please be patient! :)

This is not a simple photocopy of an original vintage Orchestron disc, it's completely re-mastered and re-created from scratch, using the original sounds from the Orchestron master tapes. In other words, this disc won't sound 100% exactly like the original discs in every tiny detail. Specifically:

-Since there's usually no way to precisely identify the exact 2-second excerpt that was originally used from each sustained note on the master tapes (some of which can be 8-10 seconds long), we've simply chosen 2-second excerpts that sounded good in our editing situation.

-Our Saxophone disc has a little less low-end and a bit more high-end than the original. These can both be easily adjusted with EQ if you're trying to precisely duplicate the overall tonality of the original discs.

-The loop joints on our disc are very smooth and for the most part don't pop/thud the way the originals do.

-We've staggered the loop joints evenly across the disc (instead of placing them all at 12 o'clock), so that no two notes hit their loop joint at the same time.

-Some of our discs may have very slight periodic crosstalk on some notes (mostly noticeable on higher notes), owing to miniscule variations in the center hole punching tolerance. Said crosstalk should be well within the acceptable limits that Orchestron users are accustomed to.

So, will our disc satisfy the absolute purist? Probably not, and we won't attempt to argue otherwise. But despite the differences, to the more casual player our disc sounds very much like the original. We're confident that you'll love the sound and quality of this disc, but if you're not totally satisfied, we're happy to offer a 100% money-back guarantee. This is a labor of love for us, and we want to make sure you feel the love too!

Since the original discs came in plain white jackets, so will ours. We will be replicating the original printed paper sleeves- spelling/grammar errors and all.

Soon we will have all eight of the original Orchestron discs remastered, as well as a few brand new titles. Stay tuned!

Also, don't miss our new Optigan disc - MOD ROCK!
http://shoptigan.ecrater.com/product.php?pid=3876420

For more information, please visit http://www.blogtigan.wordpress.com or http://www.optigan.com"

Update:

2009 Remastered Vako Orchestron Disc - SAXOPHONE

2009 Remastered Vako Orchestron Disc - SAXOPHONE from Pea Hicks on Vimeo.

Sylvia's Super-Awesome Maker Show: Episode 01, Drawdio

YouTube via SuperAwesomeSylvia — May 21, 2010 — "Super Awesome Sylvia builds the Drawdio by Jay Silver from the kit by Adafruit! This doesn't include a complete tutorial on bulding the kit, as Ladyada has done such a good tutorial @ http://sn.im/drawdio_build"
via Pea Hicks

Kenwood KR-6170 Stereo Receiver with Built In Drum / Rhythm Machine

via this auction
Don't miss the video below!

"A vintage/original Kenwood Model KR 6170 "Jumbo Jet" Stereo Receiver w/just about every gizmo you could think of - including Guitar Inputs, a Reverb Unit, Foot Switch Jack and a Electronic Rhythm Composer aka Analog Drum Machine/Beatbox. You can check out this YouTube demo video to see a similar working unit (not the one I have listed) in action (you may want to scroll towards the end of this video & skip the intro.)"

This one spotted and sent in via Pea Hicks.








Kenwood KR-6170 stereo receiver demonstration part 1

YouTube via WhoSaidTyler | February 11, 2010
Audio comes in at the six minute mark. Rhythm demo comes in at 6:30.
"Here is a demonstration of a Kenwood KR-6170 that has been in our family about 30 years.

Also shown are the cabinet and speakers. I made an error in the narration when I said the speakers are TEAC. They are in fact Sansui speakers."

VAKO Orchestron Model Double D

via this auction

"This unit was most likely the last unit built by the company which was called Technical Research Institute, Inc at the time it was manufactured. Orchestrons were formerly built by a company called Viking, and prior to that, they were called VAKO. The extremely brilliant and talented former Moog sales rep David Van Koevering started and operated the three companies, all of which existed within three-four years of one another and were basically the same company with different investors.

There were two or three odd one-off prototype models (model X for example) that were never fully realized or fully functioning, however this super rare Model Double D was actually a Standard Model and fully realized. It is also perhaps the most usable and reliable model, and only two are known to exist that were made under the Technical Research Institute Inc label. There was one (not as nice) made and labeled VAKO (built for the band America).

This particular example I am offering was never sold by the factory as the company dissolved soon after its completion and this unit remained in limbo while the company was dissolved. It has also never been played or used by anyone. Its retail price in 1976 was $7,000. I own and have owned many Orchestron instruments. The Model D versions are the best designs and any double drive / double keyboard Orchestron is especially useful. This unit is the most desirable and rare of all Orchestrons built and it is literally new old stock. The unit has sat unplayed its entire life and may require some tweaking and general servicing. It is being sold without warranty or statement of operating condition. Sold in “AS IS” condition only with NO RETURNS BEING OFFERED.

Fortunately the wonderful Pea Hicks at optigan.com offers remastered, remanufactured disks of all original 8 Orchestron sounds plus 6 additional sounds (14 total). Unfortunately some of the remastered disks are already out of production, however for $100 each I will agree to sell one new copy from my collection of any or all of the 14 remastered disks to the buyer of this unit. I have already had a crate made professionally (see pics) which may be useful for transportation. Anyone wishing to have the unit freight shipped will be offered the unused crate for $375 in addition to the purchase price..."

CLICK FOR MORE »

1963 Bell System Analog SPEECH SYNTHESIZER Kit

via this auction

"This is a very cool vintage 1963 Bell & Howell Speech Synthesis Science Experiment kit. It's NOS, totally unused, and even comes in its original shipping box. Everything is in NM condition. This is an analog electronics kit that makes a simple vowel synthesizer. Could be a great platform for circuit benders or other DIY'ers to make a cool and unique sound generator of some sort. Please see pics for further details.

Please see my other auctions for more interesting items, and save on shipping if you win multiple lots."

via Pea Hicks of optigan.com

Update: New title and listing. This is actually from Bell Systems, not Bell & Howell as originally listed.

CLICK FOR MORE »

Another Ralph Dyck Synth Recovered

"Encouraged by the recovery of his Carson Graham synth, Ralph went in search of another synth he made around the same time for the UBC. Bob Pritchard of the UBC Music Dept. confirmed that the synth was still sitting offline in his office, and after a quick consultation with the school’s administration, it was decided to gift the synth back to its original creator! Ralph has been working on the synth for a few months now. Here’s a bit of Q&A about it, along with some pics and sound examples."

You'll find them on Pea Hicks' Roland MC-8 Micro-Composer blog here. Ralph Dyck is considered the godfather of the Roland MC-8. See the Ralph Dyck label below for previous posts.

Bill Wesley- I Pledge Allegiance

YouTube via arrayorchestra. via Pea Hicks
"Music Board Improvisation. Solo Hardcore Symphony"

Some info on the MusicBoard (MBoard) via the Array Instruments website:

"A harmonic array of electronic touch buttons mounted under a smooth surface for playing music while using computers or electronic synthesizers to make the sounds. Fingers, thumbs and palms as well as hand held implements such as sticks and picks may strike pluck or strum across the playing field to activate the notes. The closest moves produce the most consonant harmonic changes."

Vako Orchestron - Kraftwerk - Trans-Europe Express & Radioactivity

YouTube via dietervanmarcke | March 02, 2010 |
via Pea Hicks of http://www.optigan.com/
"Playing some snippets of "Trans-Europe Express" by Kraftwerk letting you hear the Orchestron's "Violins" sound.
The sound you hear is the actual sound used by Kraftwerk."

Vako Orchestron and Eminent 1600 Orchestra - Radioactivity (Kraftwerk)

YouTube via dietervanmarcke | February 25, 2010 |

"Playing some snippets of Radioactivity (Kraftwerk) demonstrating the "Vocal Choir" sound of the Orchestron.
This sound is the exact sound (not a replica, it IS this sound) Kraftwerk used on Radioactivity and a small number of other songs.
As you can hear, I've got some problems with pitch stability. This is due to a worn out belt that connects the motor and the wheel that actually spins the record.
More info about the Orchestron: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orchestron

The thing underneath the Orchestron is the Eminent 1600 Orchestra. This is not the intrument used by Jean-Michel Jarre (that's the 310U) thought it features the same sounds, and has a built in String Ensemble which is more or less the same than the Arp Solina String Ensemble. As you can see, I've got some problems with the contacts of the bass pedals.
It's also a pity that you can only hardly hear the sound of the bass pedals. That's because I captured this with my Nokia N900, the audio and the video...

And, sorry for the bad playing. :-)"

Vako Orchestron Inside

dietervanmarcke | March 02, 2010 |

"The inside of a Vako Orchestron Model C."

Yamaha CS01II Plays BIG MUFF by Depeche Mode by Pea Hicks Cubase Capture

Yamaha CS01II Plays BIG MUFF by Depeche Mode - Cubase Screen Capture

Published on Dec 4, 2012 by peahix

"I've had several skeptics weigh in on my various Depeche Mode covers done all on my Yamaha CS01II synth, so I thought I'd make a screen-cap video showing the Cubase session for my rendition of "Big Muff." Here's the mastered version I posted previously: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IiZlvr7fXs [posted here]

In this version, you can see all my parts, and I solo all the different bits throughout so you can hear how it all comes together. Note that for several sounds there are actually two different tracks that play together to form a composite sound. The CS01II is a pretty limited synth, and in order to more accurately achieve certain sounds, I had to split things into their component parts. The channels that remain muted throughout are just the MIDI parts, which aren't outputting to anything here, since each MIDI track was recorded one at a time via the CS01II to an audio track. Anyway, hopefully this is useful or interesting to someone!!"

Click here for a search on "Peahix Depeche Mode" that will bring up more covers featuring only the Yamaha CS01 mkII.

User Manual for Ralph Dyck’s Home-Brew Digital Sequencer

You can find the full scan on the on Pea Hicks Roland MC-8 Micro-Composer blog here.

Ozzy - Bark At The Moon

YouTube via dan11789 — January 29, 2007 — "Music Video of Bark at the Moon. In the Albums Bark At The Moon and The Essential Ozzy Osbourne." Yamaha CS01 spotted by Pea Hicks: "this is a stretch, since it's so brief, but as a big fan of this synth, i thought i'd point it out anyway, especially given the unlikely context. it's at the 1:30 mark"
Awwwwe yeah...
See Ozzy man handle an ARP 2600 here. Mother f'er..

iOptigan - Optigan for iPad & iPhone - Demo Song - PATIO - Optiganally Yours

Published on Nov 28, 2017

"Pea Hicks of optigan.com and Stefan Stenzel of Waldorf present... iOptigan!

Now available in the iOS app store!
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/iopti...

PLEASE NOTE: if you're listening to this demo on a mobile device, you may have trouble hearing the keyboard part in the right channel, due to a YouTube quirk. For best results, please listen on a regular PC.

This is a demo of iOptigan running on an iPad Air. The music is 'Patio' by Optiganally Yours, which is an old song that appeared on the album 'Spotlight On Optiganally Yours.' The disc used is 'Bossa Nova Style.'"

Roland MC-4: The 1981 Music Computer

video upload by Alex Ball

"A look at the Roland MicroComposer / MC-4 from 1981.

In 1977 Roland introduced the first ever microprocessor controlled digital sequencer, which was the MC-8 designed by Ralph Dyck. The MC-4 was the successor and was one of Roland's few CV/Gate digital sequencers before they moved over to MIDI shortly after.

Both when it was new and many years after it was seemingly obsolete, numerous artists swore by it and they're now sought after. In the video we explore why.

With thanks to Pea Hicks for the MC-8 footage and images.

0:00 Intro Jam
0:41 Origin of the MC series
2:54 Interlude
3:31 Demonstration of how it works
10:20 The end result
10:47 Summary of the experience
12:09 Others ways to program
13:16 Experiments & explorations
19:03 MC-4b etc
19:39 Who used it, when and why?"

Quilter - Panoptigon w/ 14 Discs

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

via this auction

"This listing includes 14 disc's as follows:

-Harmonium
-Darksophone
-Organ
-Wurliscape
-Vibrascape
-Minimalism
-Guitarscape
-Flute
-Oscillations x 2
-Vocal Choir
-Singing Rhythm
-Glitchedelica
-Marimba
-Radioaktivox

The Panoptigon represents the culmination of years of research and development that carries an awesome vintage instrument into the modern era. Redesigned from the ground up, the Panoptigon empowers the artist with MIDI, modern effects, and a deeper and more thorough feature set than ever dreamed of before.

The original Optigan program discs came in many popular styles, and our new disc mastering system has enabled us to create and release never-issued discs from the master tapes rescued and preserved by Pea Hicks. In addition, we have mastered original discs, some of which go much further in exploiting the cyclical nature of the playback loop, resulting in loop libraries with endlessly entertaining combinations.

Maximum Polyphony: 60 Voices (Tracks) Current Draw: 650 mA , 24V Dimensions (W x D x H): 17.6" (447 mm) x 16.75" (425 mm) x 5.25 (133 mm) without cover 17.6" (447 mm) x 16.75" (425 mm) x 5.50 (140 mm) with cover Weight: 13.4 lbs. (6.08 kg) without cover 15.1 lbs. (6.85 kg) with cover Accessories: Dust cover, PS24 Power Supply

Connectors: MIDI (IN, THRU) Headphones (3.5mm) Audio Output x 2 (1/4" phone): LEFT-MONO SUM, RIGHT-TRS STEREO Output Impedance: 1 kOhm 24 VDC Power (5.5mm barrel, 2.5mm pin, tip positive) SYNC IN (3.5mm), SYNC OUT (3.5mm) Power Supply PS-24 (24 VDC, 3A)"

CLICK FOR MORE »

Captain & Tennille MUSKRAT LOVE

Uploaded on Jan 9, 2009 Darren Q.·106 videos

"Here are the Captain & Tennille performing one of their BIG HITS on the Toni Tennille Show in 1980."

via Pea Hicks of Optigan.com: "epic use of white face arp odyssey" :)

Oberheim OB-1 on top of an ARP OMNI in there as well, but not played.

EaTheremin - Musical utensils #DigInfo

YouTube Uploaded by Diginfonews on Mar 15, 2011

"DigInfo TV - http://diginfo.tv

10/3/2011

Ochanomizu University
EaTheremin"

via Pea Hicks

Update via spunky toofers in the comment:

Electronic Chopsticks-ADACHI Tomomi

YouTube Uploaded by aaaxt on Jan 10, 2007

"Performance with self-made electronic instrument. Metal chopsticks works as registance and conductor. Peformed and built by Japanese performer/composer ADACHI Tomomi.
http://www.adachitomomi.com/"