ARP Quadra Retrofit

A common problem with the ARP Quadra is that the membrane switches can go bad. These guys replaced the membrane switches with buttons. They also got a mention in this Sound on Sound article on the Quadra (look for Frankenstein in the More Reliabilities blue box).

Before

After

The Tannerin and Theremin Like Devices

It is a common misconception that the instrument used in the Beach Boys "Good Vibrations" was a theremin. It instead was an electro-theremin, a theremin like device with a keyboard. It was built by Paul Tanner in the late 1950s.

Paul playing the final version of the electro-theremin.

The Tannerin is a similar device recently built by Tom Polk for the Brian Wilson Tour.

Via Francois Dion on AH:

"That's definitely a very very crude martenot keyboard. Looks like one of the 1926 early revisions of the Martenot keyboard. Missing all the tonal and expression parts as found in the "drawer" on the later martenot. Missing also the floating keyboard (for the vibrato), and the references for the slider.

It is interesting to note that by 1931, there were at least 4 commercial instruments with heterodyne oscillators:

1- the theremin
2- the Ondes Martenot
3- Clavier a Lampe (Armand Givelet)

##### Update: The 4- Trautonium (Franz Trauntwein) did not use a heterodyne Oscillator. See comments link below. Also neither did the Tannerin according to another thread.

(The Audion Piano was never available commercially)."

The Ondes Martenot (it had a ring device on a string that scaled the entire range of the keyboard).

The Trautonium:

I couldn't find a picture of the Clavier a Lampe and we all know what a theremin looks like right? : )

Also check out the Theremax. Some good sound samples there as well.

For a controller similar to the Ondes Martenot, check out Analog Systems The French Conncection:

Synth Polyphony Broken Down

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jan01/articles/synthsec.asp

Carbon111 sent this to me. It's a great article from Sound on Sound that covers how digital technology was used to overcome the high expense of analog polysynths. It covers the Crumar Trilogy's cut-down paraphonic approach which I refered to in this post. The SOS article is a long and semi-technical read, but well worth it if you've ever wondered about how the different approaches to polyphony works on an analog synth. In pure laymen's terms you can essentially have a bunch of mono synths hooked up in a box to make a polyphonic synth or you can cust costs and increase stablity by having polyphony shared accross boards, this is the paraphonic approach. You start with one board for one note, say C, that covers all octaves of C. When you play more than one C, that same board is triggered. The obvious problem is the Envelope stage as well as other components are shared. So if you want a short attack while sustaining a C on a lower octave, it won't quite work as they are not independent. But you could have some interesting triggering effects which Gordon Reid notes in the article regarding the Crumar Trilogy. Note that most poly analog synths have separate components for each voice, so you esentially have x number of mono synths digitally controlled to keep them sounding similar. The great polysynths including the Prophet 5, Jupiter 8, Memorymoog and Andromeda A6 for example did this.

Twilight Electric - Tribute to Bob Moog

Patrick of Twilight Electric has taken down his website for a bit and put up a little tribute page fro Bob Moog. There are two tracks for download that he did in Bob's honor. They are done with softsynth moog modulars. Check it out! : )

LA Times on Moog

Another good obit', this one from the LA Times.

"His improved synthesizer, with the addition of a keyboard, did for the instrument what Les Paul and Leo Fender did for the electric guitar, said Trevor Pinch, coauthor of "Analog Days: The Invention and Impact of the Moog Synthesizer."

"The synthesizer "freaked people out," Moog recalled earlier this year. "One of the many things you could do was imitate vocal sounds — make it go 'Weeoooooww.' That really upset. The reaction was a bit like that of primitive cultures believing cameras could catch your soul."

"The Moog synth transcends technology, ergonomics and pop culture. It wasn't some novelty sound or gadget," Gavriluk said. "It was a continuously new sound that shook the entire music industry several times, in every decade, in every genre."

Moog - New Flickr Shot

via Flickr

Update: Via the comments, this is "the guy" from Toto.

I've seen this before, but I don't remember where or who that is. If you know, please share in the comments.

Update: Alan got it in the comments.
That's "totolly" the guy here:
http://musicthing.blogspot.com/2004/11/other-peoples-studios-4.html
The dude from toto.

I knew I saw that before. I track Music Thing all the time. Thanks Alan!

Spaceship - New Flickr Shot

Nice shot of the Korg Prophecy in via Flickr.

Anyware Instruments

Just ran accross this site searchin for more on the SEMtex. They make a couple of analog filter modules and step sequencer pictured below. Title link take you to their site with more pics and sound. I've also added them to my MFG link on matrixsynth.com.

Step Sequencer

Megapole Filter

Megapole Lite

SEMtex - New Analog Synth

Update in via the comments:

"here's the URL for the anyware Semtex:
www.anyware-instruments.com

I did some new tracks and demos recently, you can find it in the anyware section of sequencer.de

hope that one is of interest.."

Title link now takes you to the Anyware-Instruments site.

In via Vintage Synth Forums. Click through for more pics. Now off to see if they have a website...

Key points from the thread:
2 VCOs + 2 Suboscs incl. FM, Ringmod and Sync, 1 Multimode Filter with CV controlled morphing, 2 VCAs, 3 Envelopes (very very fast), 2 LFOs (very fast, too, CV controlled, syncable), 48 jacks for patching, MIDI with 4 CVs and 6 Gates (usable for other Synths, too, even for MS20 and the like)...

Cost: 1200 Euros. It´s new, it hits the market right now. Production has just begun.

1/4" jacks, with a very good feel to them. The knobs are excellent quality, too. The whole thing is very sturdy and heavy. It is available as 19", as Desktop, whatever you like.

There are two special pots for the filter, one morphs from Low to High Pass, one morphs from notch to bandpass. With these two combined, you can achieve a LOT of different filter characteristics.

Well, about a year from the first idea to the final unit.

It started as "Oberheim SEM clone", but was developed much further then.

Bob Moog Charitable Foundation

Just realized I didn't get to posting this. via http://moogmusic.com/?cat_id=84

"Family announces charitable foundation

Bob's family has announced the formation of The Bob Moog Foundation for the advancement of electronic music.

Many of his long time collaborators, including musicians, engineers and educators have agreed to sit on its executive board including David Borden, Wendy Carlos, Joel Chadabe, John Eaton, David Mash, and Rick Wakeman. For more information about this contact Bob's son, Matthew Moog, by email - mattmoog@yahoo.com."

And for those that would prefer a lighter good bye, this one just came in from the Suit & Tie Guy on AH. Perfect. : )

to quote the Slashdot poster: "So long and thanks for all the bass."

rest in peace, Doctor Moog.