Matrixsynth on CafePress

Update4: Mine came out horrid! The font is aqua instead of green. So... Don't order one unless you want the "limitted" first edition. Heh. : ) I'm waiting on a couple of orders to go through (which I actually will refund and let them keep the shirt, because I feel so bad), then I'm closing the shop. If you order one after this update, I WILL NOT refund and just assume you actually want one as is. I'll be looking locally at making shirts next, and I'll be doing a quality check on my end before announcing anything. Sorry about this, but do know I will take care of those who stepped out and bought one first. Here is what it looks like; click for a bigger shot.



Update3: Looks like the $5 off coupons are only good on orders of $20. I upped the mark-ups for my two $19.99 items a penny to $20.00 so we can use the coupons. Other option would have been to pick up a mini-button for $1.99 or that thong. : )

Update2: Looks like I received five $5 off coupon codes when I placed my order. If anyone wants one send me an email at matrixsynth[]hotmail.com. Please don't ask unless you are ready to buy though. Also if you do buy something and get five discounts for others, send them to yourself and post a comment here so others can save a little; I'm not sure if you can use them yourself.

Update: I need to stress that the font will NOT be as sharp as the title in this blog. It has more of a retro Outer Limits/X Files blurry look to it from simply blowing up the title. I think it looks pretty cool myself. Here is a link to what it will look like full size.
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Yep, I did it. I've been wanting a black T with the Matrixsynth title and description above for a while now. I finally got around to checking out CafePress after seeing The Packrat Ts and shwag. I went for the whole shebang for the heck of it. Who am I to judge what others might be interested in. So if you want a Matrixsynth thong, go for it. I also have stamps. I'll be picking up a black T myself. BTW, I just grabbed the title of this blog, so if you do actually buy something please don't come after me if the quality sucks. As the used analog synth market sometimes goes, they are sold AS-IS, buyer beware. I'm honestly just doing this for the fun of it. The markup on each item btw, is one whole dollar. Woohoo! Anyway, I will post back when I get my black T and let you know what I think of it. The one thing I am a bit worried about is how the black border will look on the black shirt (see Update3 below, this might not be an issue after all). Also if I actually do sell more than 10 different items, I'll post back with the top ten sold. P.S. I wonder if I'm making history with the first synth related thong...

Update3: I went with the following printing option for my merchandise, so my concerns on black on black may not be an issue after all. Can't wait to see how it turns out.

"Direct Printing

With Direct Printing, we print direct-to-fabric with no transfers. The result is a matte image that moves with the garment because the ink is actually embedded in the fabric for ultimate wearable comfort. After a few washes, you will notice the great durability of Direct Printing. That means greater image staying power.

The benefits of Direct Printing
Great washability - no fading
No feel of ink on the fabric (the ink is in the fabric)
No cracking
No transfer lines"

Jean Michel Jarre - Oxygene 7-13 Electronic Press Kit

Title link takes you to a fascinating video on JMJ dated 1996 on YouTube. JMJ talks about how this album is like a "replugged" rather than unplugged work for him in that he goes back to his analog roots. I love his analogy to "kneeding sounds" like clay. There's a bit of ARP 2600 sequencing going on as well as other vintage gear. Definitely drool worthy. Make sure to check out the other JMJ videos.

Synth in a Month

Title link takes you there. Some good samples on the Media page.



"During the month of January, 2006, I built an analog modular synthesizer from the ground up. At Oberlin, where I go to school, January is a time for students to work on individual projects of their choice. It has always been a dream of mine to build a modular synth, as I not only wanted one but also thought of it as sort of the "next step" after pedal building. I started on January 4th and ended on Febuary 4th (at 2 in the morning no less!), so it really did take a month to build.

This page contains specifications of my synth, information about the construction, and various soundclips and movies. While building the synth, I created a daily journal of my progress with pictures posted for each day (see "journal"). I am hoping that this can be a learning experience for more than just me-I know there are not many people out there that completely understand modular synths, and hopefully the media can help that. I also know that there are gaps in information regarding the construction of the modular synthesizer, so hopefully my pictures can help with that too. And most of all, hopefully I can give back to the Internet's synth DIY community that has greatly helped me along the way."

Via the Synth and Piano blog - added them to my blog roll on the right.

Keyboard Stand Art

Trip. I keep expecting to see a Storm Tropper or speeder bike. Via ben shannon illustrator.

Roland SH-2

Title link takes you to shots pulled from this post for sale.

MPC60 - Online Virtual MPC 60

Title link takes you there. Only one pad works. Enjoy. ; ) Via ben shannon illustrator.



If you want some virtual drum machines that actually work, go here and scroll down.

MAM SQ 16 Shots

Title link takes you to shots pulled from this auction. Not the best shots, but it is a nice looking piece of gear. Nice wood.



For more on the Music And More SQ 16 and other MAM products, see the MAM site. The SQ 16 is currently out of production.

The Maximum Cheesecore Ultimate Casio VL-1 Super Site

Title link takes you to everything you'd want to know about the Casio VL-1, including how to edit it by entering various combinations of numbers. I remember playing around with one. The effects I got out of it reminded me of circuit bending a bit in that I was just randomly entering stuff to see what came out. Wish I had one.

Blacet Design Contest Results In

Well, the results are in. The grand prize of a $100 Blacet gift certificate went to KH's "Phase Spread Module". There wasn't a shot of it, so no image for this post.

Here are the details:
"The bottom jack is the input of an audio signal. The pot space is called "phase spread", and it controls the spread of phase shift in the 4 output jacks. Fully counter clockwise, all out 4 outputs are in phase. Fully clockwise, bottom #1 is in phase, next up is #2 at 90 degrees out, #3 at 180, #4 (top) back in phase at 360 degrees. Variable in-between. The outputs could be put through a mixer for filtering effects." Title link takes you to more.

Sonoric Instruments

Interesting. Title link takes you there. There are samples and some images. Note the site is still under construction and is missing a bit of content. This is your first look at what might be coming from them.



Update: According to this post on Sonic State, the Sonoric synths might actually be based on the Anadigm chipset. You might remember this post on Anadigm using the Andromeda A6 in there graphics as well as this one on Retro Thing speculating how Anadigm chips could be used in a low cost Polymoog.

Some notes from the thread:
"It's a synth that was built with a analog modular synth in mind for the first time, controlled digitally by software on a PC. In time, he realized that for start it would be better to have "scenes", rather than making it completly modular. I don't think he droped the idea, but right now he will make some default "scenes", this means that if you need for example Korg MS10 or 20 architecture you can have it. Or maybe Arp 2600, or Minimoog, or anything...I don't know what it would be, really. Of course it will not sound exactly like the original, but at least it will sound analog, not like a digital emulation. As you can easily hear on the website it's really fat. Or phat;) The cool thing is that the character of the filter can be changed from software.

The oscillators and multimode filters are analogue, the modulations digital (lfo's, env's). You can have a lot of filters and oscillators. 16 if I remember well. "