Flickr Update

Interesting. Flickr doesn't do stemming so synths is not the same as synth. Each term is discrete - it's up to the image poster to use multiple tags for the same picture. Read the following post below if you don't know what the heck I'm talking about. : )

Update:
I sub to the Flickr blog for updates on the site's features. They just introduced something called clustering which actually might help the above. Funny how that works sometimes...

So... if you append /clusters to what you are searching for you will get the other categories that come up for the pictures in the set. Try http://flickr.com/photos/tags/synth/clusters for an example. You will see different clusters for music, keyboard, korg, synthesizer and moog to start. Pretty cool. And no I have no affiliation to Flickr whatsoever.

Flickr Synth Porn Galore!!!

This is one of those, "I cannot friggin believe I didn't think of this before!!!!" moments. I'm an idiot! Flickr. A site dedicated to hosting pictures that people tag with different keywords like... synthesizer, or moog, or analog. You can search for these terms and all the pictures from all the people posting pictures on Flickr will come up! You can then subscribe to them via your favorite reader, Bloglines for me, and you will get notified whenever there are new pictures up. So search, look at all the pictures, then sub and just wait for more to come in without having to check back. Your reader will let you know so you can relax knowing that if any new gear porn comes up you will be sure to be notified.

Tip on using Flickr: Instead of searching for terms you can just replace the trailing tag with whatever it is you want to try. For example start with http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/synth, then change synth to something else like moog: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/moog. Some tags are better than others. For example Roland will bring up a bunch of pictures of guys named Roland along with the Roland products we want to see. So... Be carefull seeking your porn out there.

Some I'm starting with:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/synth
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/synthesizer
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/moog
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/oberheim

Coffee Table

MC's Polymoog coffee table via AH. Oh yeah baby.



via Retrosynth

Moog Voyager NAMM Video - OS 3.0 Update

In via AH.

Some updates:

• Available for all versions of the Voyager



• Ups presets from 1 bank of 128 to 7 banks of 128



• 768 presets from the sig and anniversary sets and others



• Midi enhancements for interfacing with older gear - option to transmit 7-bit or 14-bit and touchpad can send less midi CC so older gear can keep up
  Input volume knob can now act as a preset knob allowing you to run through presets more easily than having to press the inc and dec buttons

Very Cool!

CMS - Discrete Synthesizers

Phil Cirocco of CMS is considered to be the best when it comes to ARP repair and service. He also makes his own discrete analog modular synths which are considered to be the best of the best. Title link will take you to his site which has a great section on ARP history in the Arptronics page and more info on his synthesizers in the Discrete Synthesizers page.

The following image courtesy of Analogue Haven's schism (this was recently posted on AH for $3000):

Pulse Samples

In via our friend Stefan Trippler via AH. Man, I miss Waldorf.

Waldorf Pulse:

Decibel Festival

For those of you in the Northwest during September 22-25, make sure to check out the Decibel Festival. It will be held in Seattle's Capital Hill district. Great location with quirky, shops, food, booze and plenty of coffee. My coffe recommendation is Espresso Vivace. Just get a hazelnut or other flavor of choice latte there and see for yourself. For the best Pho, check out the little hole in the wall called Asia Express. Super cheap and damn good Pho and other dishes.

Ionic Performer - Synthi AKS clone

Many know the EMS Synthi AKS as THE synth used in Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon. The low bass sequence loop in "On The Run" is the Synthi. The Synthi AKS is one of the most coveted, rare and expensive analogs of yore. Few know of the Ionic Performer. The title link will take you to a great site on the synth with pictures, samples, and some great email threads on the history and relation to the Synthi. From the site:

"Somewhere in my collection of EMS material I have a lurid photo of the Ionic Performer you mention. I remember attending a NAMM show in Chicago in the early seventies where Ionic Industries had a small booth and were exhibiting the Performer. You are correct that it was a repackaged VCS3 with an integral keyboard. Instead of the pin matrix it had rows of rectangular push-button switches - like an early ryhthm box. What really struck me about it was the publicity leaflet which brazenly announced 'No skill required' in its operation, before expanding further on this theme. It still had the familiar vernier dials for tuning the oscillators. I spoke to Steve Mayer on the stand but no Alfred. Dealings with Ionic were soon curtailed and from about 1972 the US side of the business was handled by Dr. Everett Hafner and his company EMSA from Amherst, Mass."

Pic of Synthi AKS from an Engadget post (absolute beauty):


Pic of Ionic Performer from Ionic site:


There is also a VSTi of the synth on the Ionic site:

Sealed's Deep Synthesis Page - Samples

I refered to this page in my post below, but I figure it warrants a separate post to make sure you don't miss it. This is a great page full of samples of various synths.

Kawai K1 Samples

Got this from a thread on Vintage Synth Explorer discussing the K3 vs. the K4. Wow. I never realized the K1 sounded this good. I previously dismissed it as just a low end rompler. I really like the way it sounds. Make sure to check out the rest of Sealed's Deep Synthesis Page for more samples of other synths.