ARP Hexaphonic Guitar Pickup

Title link takes you to shots of what is in the box.

via this auction.

Details:
"In 1977 ARP pushed into designing a synth that could respond to in-coming guitar signals using pitch-to-voltage technology. This gave rise to the Avatar, which in turn, was such a dud it practically sank the whole company before ARP finally sold off it's last and would-be greatest project - the Chroma - to CBS Musical Instruments. The Avatar was too expesnive for its own good ($3,000). It did seem to work, however; you use a hex pickup for your guitar which allows the guitar to play the synth sounds. Today the Avatar is used more like an expander module (as pictured above) with other ARP and CV/Gate type synthesizers.
It has two oscillators and is very much like the ARP Odyssey in terms of its sounds, programming and interface. Many of the features that make the Odyssey great (oscillator sync, ring modulator, sample and hold, portamento, envelope follower and more) can be found on the Avatar. The Avatar makes a great and more affordable way to get Odyssey sounds. Use it to fatten up you're current Odyssey or incorporate it into you're synth studio as an analog synth module via CV/Gate."

via Dave.

Graziano Mandozzi - Bach Handel 300

Another one synth album. This one apparently is 100% PPG. A tribute to Bach. You can find it on Amazon (affiliate link), or you can search for it.

Bring Back Our Knobs: Analog vs. Digital

Title link takes you to an interesting article on Popular Mechanics that focuses on the dying trend of using analog knobs in automobile controls, by Glen Reynolds. What's interesting is the author makes references to synths! Bringing synths to mainstream. Woot!

"One of the most dramatic examples of the return-to-analog controls comes from the field of electronic music. I own a 1980s Roland Alpha Juno 1 synthesizer. It's a sleek machine, controlled with minimalist buttons — a classic. But most musicians will tell you that it's hard to perform while you're trying to squint at the Roland's LCD display and navigate its nested menus.

The synthesizer I'd like to own is the Alesis AG [A6] Androm­eda. Unlike the Roland, the Alesis puts many key functions on dedicated knobs — so many, in fact, that it looks like the cockpit of a B-17. And that's why musicians love it — knobs are easy to grab in the dark. Knobs also make it simpler to transfer knowledge from one device to another. Once you know what a low-frequency oscillator does, you can use it on any device. But with nonstandard menus, you have to spend precious time finding, and remembering, how to get to the function you need on every new device you use."

Hmm... I wonder if the author knows about Matrixsynth. :)

Nord Wave Videos on Gearwire

Three vids up:
Intro
Walk through
Sounds

Circuit Bent Roland TR-505 with Arcade Style Controls

via GetLoFi.

Koopasynth

Via SuperKooper on this electro-music.com thread:

"Months ago i've finished my sound lab now i've enough time to post some pictures
It's a classic sound lab plus a VC Vactrol delay and an integrated PAIA theremax as VC source.It has also the guitar trigger and a microphone trigger."

Click on the image for a much larger shot. Check out the thread for more. Images backed up here.

Muskmesse Superbooth Shots

Click here for a few sets on sequencer.de including the building of the Superbooth at this year's Musicmesse.

Roland SH-2

Title link takes you to more shots.

via this auction.

via this Matrixsynth forum post.

Schippmann Ebbe and Flut Audio Deomo

Title link takes you to the demo.

Details via this VSE post:
DO NOT USE HEADPHONES!!!

First one is processing a machinedrum.

2nd one is processing nothing but it's own internal distortion and compression circuits, being sequenced by a fat controller to help provide movement. The Fat Controller is only sequencing the Cutoff Freq....not the Reso. The rest is all knobbery.

Please post comments on my myspace page if you are already a friend. Not the best demo, and very very limited in specific application.

you should hear what this thing does to guitars!!!

I have a gazzillion mb movie of jaming with the MDUW / Ebbe setup ...but have no way to send it or share it, lol. Idiot.

This was requested at least 2 dozen times. Sorry I didn't capture more, but it's 4:15 am and I have to work in 2 hours.

Shag"

4x4 SM Programmable Sequencer

YouTube via synthmonger. Click for more videos.

"This is a new kind of programmable sequencer. Each step can drive other sequencers or clock sources. For instance, in this video I am running one clock source into Row 1 -not into the other Rows. Each of Row 1's step outputs 1, 2, 3, 4, are sending a clock signal to Rows 2-4. Steps on Rows 2-4 are sending signals out to each other. I forgot the exact patch ;C

The Rows are CV'ing 4 simple ghettofied vactrol oscillators.

Here is an example: if you want Row 2 to advance one count everytime Row 1 hits it's 3rd step, you would run a patch from Row 1's 3rd step to Row 2's clock input. You can also run a patch out from Row 2 to Row 1 to allow even more crazy complex sequences.

I used banana jacks because I did not want to use multiple strips. It's 42HP Eurorack.

This is a very SMALL sequencer and I do have one planned for bi-directional sequencing, reset, step amount, etc etc etc. Basically the super duper version is going to be freaking huge -probably 80HP in Eurorack.

If anyone wants to buy it or find out more info on it, hit me up at synthmonger[AT]gmail.com"