Novachord Restoration Project

I previously posted on the Novachord Restoration project back on 10/03/05. Looks like the project is finished! There are some amazing samples up. Title link takes you there. Phil Cirocco of EMS did a fantastic job in this. Listen to the samples and realize that this synth is from 1939. This is absolutely astonishing. This really is about as awe inspiring as it gets in the synth world.

Update: Via Michael E Calaroso on AH:
"John Hanert was the designer of the Novachord, who also brought us spring reverb and the scanner vibrato and percussion of B3 fame. Vail's Hammond book has an entire chapter devoted to the Novachord. Apparently the prototype was velocity sensitive, but that feature was omitted from production models following a demo to a Hammond executive where he decided he heard no difference whether velocity sensing was on or off. Now I would've like to seen how Hanert implemented velocity sensing in 1939 :)

Some info from Dave Kean here:

http://www.ffwdweekly.com/Issues/2002/0801/mus4.htm

MC"

Red Dragon - Free Virtual Synth

Intwesting.... Title link takes you to the news on Synthtopia.

Synth Overdose - New Flickr Set

Click here for a new Flickr set from WC Olo Garb. Nice!

Jessica Rylan - New Flickr Shots

Title link takes you to some more shots.

MAM RS3

Title link takes you to Chris Strellis' page on the MAM RS3 Resonator with samples and more.

More x0xb0x from Jiggity

Title link takes you to more samples on Jiggity's soundclick page. Via Colin Chung on AH.

Alesis Andromeda A6 CS80 Sample

In via Tom Remi Flygel on the A6 alias. Great sample of the A6 imitating that Yamaha CS80 patch. It's amazing that the A6 filters model the Moog and Oberheim, yet aside from maybe a Yamaha AN1X, it's the closest sounding synth I've heard to a Yamaha CS50, CS60, or CS80. It captures that amazing sound.

Zeroscillator FM VCO from Cynthia

Via Cynthia on AH.

"Announcing...

The revolutionary new ~Zeroscillator~ FM VCO from Cynthia.
Available now in a variety of popular modular synthesizer formats!

http://www.cyndustries.com/

***** PRESS RELEASE 12/08/05 *****

They said it couldn't be done...
but Team Cynthia went and figured it out anyway!

Cyndustries.Com announces

The Amazing New Zeroscillator!

A Liquid Smooth All Analog Through-Zero FM Oscillator for Modular Synthesizers. For the first time traditional digital FM synthesis is possible in an all analog signal path. http://www.cyndustries.com/

Features Include:

Through-zero Linear FM Operation.
AC & DC Linear FM Inputs with 4-Quadrant Dynamic Depth VCA.
Separate Outputs for All Traditional Waveforms.
Voltage Controlled Bi-Phasic Waveform Morphing in Four-Phase Quadrature.
Variable Synch.
Precision Ten-Turn Tuning Knob
Switchable Linear Bias
Modulation Depth and Polarity LEDs.
Unique Time Reversal Input!

What does all this mean?
It means incredibly rich and alive sonic textures are now available to you!
It means that brass, woodwinds, percussion and exotic electronic mayhem are just a
knob-twist away without need of filtering or other spectral post-processing!
It means a whole new, exciting way of synthesizing sound on your modular!

Advanced engineering and the very latest in exotic semiconductors enable the amazing
Zeroscillator to create classic (digital) Linear FM Synthesis on your modular with
reliable, all-analog ("Look Ma, no aliasing!") circuitry.

Physically, the Zeroscillator's design and build quality are stratospheric.
The finest components are employed using high-quality 4-layer circuit boards, NKK
Switches and Switchcraft connectors. All chips are in military-grade type gold
sockets, and gold connectors are used internally for years of trouble-free maintainance.

Sonically, Zeroscillators produce crystaline FM textures without the assorted noises and grit of digital. Zeroscillators increase the sophistication of your music because each use is a delightful journey into undiscovered, exciting new dimensions!

Learn for yourself what the "Through-Zero" & "Dynamic Linear FM"
buzz is all about using actual analog synthesizers. Sieze this opportunity
to invigorate your music with this breakthrough in electronic technology
by equipping yourself with exciting new Zeroscillators today!

- 30 -

Join the new Cyndustries List at Yahoo!

http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/The_Cyndustries_List/"

Mode Zero

Title link takes you to Modezero, a site dedicated to vintage audio effects including pics and samples. Via Ivan on AH.

This Blog

Thought I'd put up a post on what this blog is and what it is not. Why? I always find things a bit more enjoyable when I know what they are about, and I've noticed from a few comments that some might not know what this site is about.

What it is: A repository for synth stuff I come across on the web.
What it is not: a "News" blog.

Will there be news now and then? Yep. If I come across it and post it. Will I be the first to post stuff? Depends. If stuff is sent to me that's not currently on the web, or I come across it before others then yes, otherwise all of this stuff is already out there, even when I come across it first. What might be "news-like" is any additional information I might add and/or a different perspective. What is also news is anything someone might add to the post. It just depends. I'm not trying to be a news blog, but what's interesting is a lot of this can come across as news. What's really interesting is if it is news to you then it's just that, news to you. A lot of this stuff like Vogelscheiss' site or Tapelab.org have been around for some time, but I had no idea until I visited them. I'm not on all the lists and my guess is neither are most of you as we only have so much time in the day to explore the synth universe. So, I use this blog to track all of that. It's my pulse on the synth world and I hope you find some if not all of it worthwhile. Will there be posts you brush over? Of course! We all have different interests; some will overlap, some won't. You might be on some of the same lists as me and you might not. If you saw a particular post already, think of the others that haven't. What also fascinates me is that in the synth world, old news can be new news. Think of all the history that fascinates us. For example, recently someone on the Synth Sights list was trying to find the infamous OBMx and Gibson story. People remembered seeing it but didn't remember where to find it. Well, it so happened that I put up a post with a link to it a while back, so I was able to find it and send it quickly.

So what is this blog to you? A place where you can see stuff about synths, old and new. Every now and then I hope you find a nugget or two worth your wile. : )