MATRIXSYNTH

at 6/07/2006 12:00:00 AM

flickr by Jabberwalky.

at 6/06/2006 01:40:00 PM

"PHOENIX Jun 6, 2006 (AP)— Billy Preston, the exuberant keyboardist who landed dream gigs with the Beatles and the Rolling Stones and enjoyed his own series of hit singles, including "Outta Space" and "Nothing From Nothing," died Tuesday at 59."

"Preston not only inspired the Beatles to get along Harrison likened his effect to a feuding family staying on its best behavior in front of a guest but contributed a light, bluesy solo to 'Get Back,' performing the song with the band on its legendary 'roof top' concert, the last time the Beatles played live. He was one of many sometimes labeled 'The Fifth Beatle.'"

Title link takes you to the release on abcnews. Sad day.

at 6/06/2006 10:28:00 AM

I'm sure most of you have seen this before, but considering it's 6/6/6...

Update: Yep, I'm a synth geek; I actually found this video disturbing.
Reminds me of NIN trashing a synth in every show. Evil bastards.

Update: here it is:

Uploaded by s0ulever on Feb 15, 2010

at 6/06/2006 10:22:00 AM

For those of you celebrating 6/6/6 today. I wonder if the Open Labs Neko guys are sacrificing anymore synths *cough* PCs today. Title link takes you to the post on GetLoFi.

at 6/06/2006 10:16:00 AM

Title link takes you there. Via CDM. I almost went with the shot CDM used, but then I saw this bad boy. Yeah, baby...

at 6/06/2006 01:41:00 AM

I love the contrast in this shot. Title link takes you to more. via Sequencer.de.

at 6/06/2006 01:40:00 AM

Click the image for a bigger shot. That is one interesting piece of equipment. Title link takes you to the post on Chroniques de la Mao, translated to English here. You can find more on Pierre Henry on Wikipedia (translated).

at 6/06/2006 01:38:00 AM

Interesting drum pad made with circuit bent toys. Title link takes you to more info, shots, and samples. Via Sequencer.de.

at 6/06/2006 01:37:00 AM

flickr by sleepydisco. Reminds me of War of the Worlds.

at 6/06/2006 01:36:00 AM

flickr by Robot in Catford. : )

at 6/06/2006 01:35:00 AM

Electronotes is a newsletter like publication on DIY music synthesis that started back in 1972. I hadn't heard of it until Sneak Thief posted the following in the comments of this ASM-2 post:

"It sounds good because the ASM-2, synthesizers.com & several CGS modules are based on a series of DIY plans released in the early 70's electronics publication called Electronotes: http://electronotes.netfirms.com/

In 1975 the authors of Electronotes, Bernie Hutchins, wrote a book called the "Musical Engineer's Handbook" - both the Electronotes series and this book have basically been the reference and inspiration for a good portion of todays modular synths.

In fact, Don Buchla, Bob Moog and Serge Tcherepnin were all subscribers to Electronotes and were definitely inspired by the schematics, and even contributed their own to the magazine.

I would even go so far to say that almost every current modular manufacturer has "borrowed" designs from the Electronotes series ; )"

Fascinating. What's also interesting is the publication still appears to be running and has changed with the times:

"Specifically, our information relates to the technical details of music synthesis and other sound processing, both equipment and methods. In the 70's, we were involved with voltage-controlled synthesizers, and more recently, we are involved much more heavily in digital signal processing and digital sound synthesis. At the present time, we are involved with a comprehensive review of both analog and digital signal processing. "

Title link takes you to there.

at 6/05/2006 08:00:00 PM

Title link takes you to the pressmonome flickr set. I put up a link to the set on April 18th. It looks like there was an update with new shots including this one on April 25. That's Erza Buchla, Don Buchla's son with the Buchla 200e and three monomes. Pretty cool. Thanks to Music Thing for putting this shot up.

Update: Link to Erza's MySpace page. Via Doktor Future in the comments. Make sure to check out the comments.

Update: Ezra dropped by in the comments. It's worth noting that none of the music on his MySpace page (as of the time of this post of course) is 200e. Remember, unless the comments on a given piece of music specifically call out the synth used, never assume what it is.

at 6/05/2006 03:55:00 PM

Title link takes you to the news on Frostwave.com. Sad to hear it.

at 6/05/2006 03:48:00 PM

I finally got around to checking out the VX-352 Control Voltage Expander for the Voyager Rack. I was curious what it did vs. the VX-351 for the Voyager. Turns out the VX-352 adds CV inputs while the VX-351 adds CV outputs. Pretty simple. Title link takes you to more on Moog. Also check out this video of Brian Kehew of The Moog Cookbook giving a demo of the VX-351.

at 6/05/2006 03:39:00 PM

flickr by Heath Finnie.

click here for the set.

at 6/05/2006 03:34:00 PM

That's the Anyware SEMTex on top. Title link takes you to more shots.

Update: Be sure to check out Sequencer.de for more coverage of this event including more shots and video. Here's a 25M teaser.

at 6/05/2006 03:33:00 PM

Model 3M

Mini Rock

Title link takes you to more info.

at 6/05/2006 02:56:00 PM

Title link takes you to the article. Via Synth Ollie.

at 6/04/2006 09:57:00 AM

flickr by maskinbatterist.

at 6/04/2006 09:45:00 AM

Title link takes you to the post. There is a link to a video and the Hans Zimmer Worship Page. I wasn't able to check out the video as I'm using a Hotel computer at the moment with no audio and the video is coming back choppy. BTW,if you sent me email and I haven't replied yet, this is why. The hotel was supposed to have wifi, but apparently they turned it off. I'll get back to you Monday.

at 6/04/2006 09:41:00 AM

White Crow VST (phase distortion synth)

Crow Vintage Strings VST

Title link takes you there. Via Sonic State.

Update: Make sure to check out the comments in this post - comment link directly below.

at 6/04/2006 09:23:00 AM

Title link takes you there.

at 6/04/2006 09:22:00 AM

Rember the Screamers here and here?

All synth punk band from the early 80s. Click play to launch.

at 6/04/2006 09:21:00 AM

flickr by roland.

at 6/04/2006 09:20:00 AM

"Who is to blame for the creative collapse of Ethiopian music? The Communist regime and the synthesizer. The Communist government, which carried out a military coup in the mid-seventies, marked American soul music, which more than anything else had fueled the musical blossoming in Addis Ababa, as the music of the enemy, persecuted the musicians who continued to remain loyal to it, and directed the entire preoccupation with music to military-patriotic channels. The synthesizer, which captured the market in the 1990s, turned the wind instruments, the source of the vitality of modern Ethiopian music, into superfluous objects, and enabled untrained musicians, who were often untalented as well, to issue discs at one-tenth the price demanded previously. Abate Barihon calls the synthesizer "the cancer of Ethiopian music," thus expressing the feelings of many. "At a certain point, a few years before I left Addis, the entire city suddenly became filled with the cancers," he says."

Title link takes you to the full article. Via Synthtopia News.

at 6/03/2006 02:50:00 AM

Title link takes you to the building process including more shots and samples.

Update via Sneak Thief in the comments:

"It sounds good because the ASM-2, synthesizers.com & several CGS modules are based on a series of DIY plans released in the early 70's electronics publication called Electronotes: http://electronotes.netfirms.com/

In 1975 the authors of Electronotes, Bernie Hutchins, wrote a book called the "Musical Engineer's Handbook" - both the Electronotes series and this book have basically been the reference and inspiration for a good portion of todays modular synths.

In fact, Don Buchla, Bob Moog and Serge Tcherepnin were all subscribers to Electronotes and were definitely inspired by the schematics, and even contributed their own to the magazine.

I would even go so far to say that almost every current modular manufacturer has "borrowed" designs from the Electronotes series ; )"

at 6/03/2006 02:49:00 AM

What you are looking at is a CPU replacement board for the Rhodes Chroma created by Sandro Sfregola and David Clarke. Title link takes you to more info and shots on The Rhodes Chroma site. More vintage synths could use a group like this; I am continually blown away by them. I wouldn't be surprised if a poly-aftertouch kit came next.

at 6/03/2006 02:48:00 AM

Title link takes you to shots pulled from this auction.

via Brian Comnes.

at 6/03/2006 02:47:00 AM

flickr by Julio Martinez. BTW, if you are ever curious why these shots are title as such, click through the title link and see for yourself.

at 6/03/2006 02:46:00 AM

Title link takes you to a 27.2M mp3. Right click and save. Also saved off here. Great stuff. Enjoy. : )

at 6/03/2006 02:45:00 AM

Title link takes you to a 1.51M mp3 of the Polymoog by Heath Finnie.

Update via Heath in the comments:

"I have since done a better clip of it here

http://www.heathfinnie.com/media/polymoog2.mp3"

at 6/02/2006 07:38:00 PM

Nice shot of the Buchla Electric Music Box pulled from this VSE thread.

Also check out this shot.

Update via electricmusicbox.com in the comments:

"When I owned that case & a few of the modules in it, it was a half-working, chipped-laminate sad excuse for a system (though I made some great sounding music on it). After 5 years I tore out my favorite modules & sold it for 3 times what I paid for it. When it fell into the hands of "anonymous," it was transformed into a better-than-catalog version of itself. Long live the Buchla underground railroad."

at 6/02/2006 03:04:00 PM

Title link takes you there. Love the Hoover sample for some reason. : )

via Brian Comnes.

at 6/02/2006 02:57:00 PM

Title link takes you to more info. The board adds the following as well:

* Midi input and output
* Two analog outputs, can be used to midi control for example filter cutoff etc.
* One analog input, have not decided what to use it for. Maybe to send
midi data from pitchbend or modwhweel, or other analog signal

It's great to see people working on things that will bring new life to the old classics. There's the Juno 106 replacement ICs, the Old Crow's Polysix battery fix,and now this. Very cool.

at 6/02/2006 02:47:00 PM

And it's a synth one. Title link takes you to another shot and more info.

at 6/02/2006 08:33:00 AM

Title link takes you to more info on Sequencer.de.

at 6/02/2006 01:27:00 AM

A rack full of EAR, all for NIN. Title link takes you to a couple more shots.

Upate via rewire in the comments:

"I was over at Peter Grenader's this weekend while they were building and assembling this. Many modules in there are custom prototypes. I was surprised to learn it is not indended to be played by a keyboard, only triggered by a click track to play sequences."

at 6/02/2006 12:05:00 AM

Title link takes you to shots pulled from this auction.

via Brian Comnes.

at 6/02/2006 12:04:00 AM

Remember the Minisonic 2? Well, this is the original Minisonic. Title link takes you to the Minisonic Synth Site with more info, images and samples. Thanks Kris!

at 6/02/2006 12:03:00 AM

Title link takes you to #002 for sale (pictured) at Big City music which states only 13 were made. I didn't realize so few were produced.

I sent Big City Music an email asking about it and they quickly replied with the following:

"First Wowa Cwejman designed the S1 a few years ago. Later came the S1 Mk-II, which is very much the same synth with a few improvements.

Last year Wowa designed the S2, which is an entirely different synth, with two oscillators instead of 3 and no patch points, etc. The S2 did not sell well, despite the fact that it is a phenomenal sounding synth. Because it did not sell well it was discontinued. With only 13 made it is quite a rare synth."

at 6/02/2006 12:02:00 AM

Title link takes you to a short BBC video clip on modelling Mona Lisa's voice. It reminded me of the buzz behind physical modelling when it first came out. The ability to create a two story tuba and the like. I remember anticipating the Korg Prophecy and Yamaha VL1 thinking I'd be able to get lost creating these crazy physical models. Instead they came with predefined models you could tweak. It's too bad the software never allowed you to create a two story tuba or Mona Lisa's skull, but something tells me it would be a long and tiring road to actually get a peep out of something like that.

via Brian Comnes.

at 6/02/2006 12:01:00 AM

Thought this was a pretty cool looking case. The red is see through. Title link takes you to more info on GetLoFi.

at 6/02/2006 12:00:00 AM

Upcoming on BBC Radio 4. Should be available on Listen Again via the
interweb (www.bbc.co.uk/radio4):

BBC Radio 4 Saturday 3 June 2006
Sampledelica! The History Of The Mellotron
10.30-11.00am BBC Radio 4

"Launched in 1963, the Mellotron was the first music sampler - an
instrument that could capture and play back other sounds. In this
fascinating feature, which contains new interviews with Sir Paul
McCartney, Paul Weller and Tony Banks from Genesis, Mark Radcliffe
examines the history of the Mellotron and the part it played in British
pop music history.

The programme examines the history of the instrument, investigates its
impact on the music business as the earliest sampling technology and
particularly how it was adopted by bands in the early Seventies
progressive rock era. Tony Banks, the keyboardist with Genesis, talks of
his love/hate relationship with the instrument, which proved notoriously
difficult to take on the road. Other contributions come from Andy
Partridge and David Gregory of XTC, Ian McDonald, the keyboardist from
King Crimson, and Justin Haywood from The Moody Blues, who famously used
the instrument on Nights In White Satin."

via Jordan Gibson on AH

at 6/01/2006 10:10:00 AM

Title link takes you to shots of Dennis Verschoor's custom Oberheim Two Voice Modular. There's also a nice shot of someone's racked two voice. I saved the shots for when the thread dissapears into the ether, here: dennis, racked.

at 6/01/2006 01:47:00 AM

via this auction

via sizone in the comments of this post: "not related, but here's the link to an eml on ebay, cat included in one of the shots"

Thanks sizone.

Update via nick in the comments:

"I've got a 100 and 101. The blue is very pretty though can get a lot of nicks and dings in it over the years. The 101 aluminum(?) has all the legends etched and paint filled so it won't show wear like the 100's white painted legends on metallic blur.

Correct that the 101 has a ring mod and S&H. It has some diffferent waves and the different filter uniquely does LP->BP->HP->BR->LP using a pot rather than the 101 who's filter pot does LP->BP->HP. The 100 since it has slightly less features has some slightly more sensible jacks up top. Those familiar with the 101 will notice it's not quite as patched out as the first impression it gives."