AH Bay Area Gathering 2007 - Cary Roberts' Serge and Blacet

YouTube via therealretrosynth.
"Cary Roberts' Serge, Blacet, and MFB gear driven by Doug T's Serge TKB at the Analogue Heaven Bay Area gathering in Oakland CA on Sept 9 2007."

Roland Juno-106

images via this auction.

BX-13 V3 Expanded Bus Converter Version 3

images via this auction.

"For about ten years, Roland Corporation and other manufacturers produced a range of unique, very high quality 24-pin guitar synthesizer controllers. With the advent of the contemporary Roland 13-pin standard, vintage guitar synth owners could only access the latest in guitar synthesizer technologies with the incredibly rare, hard-to-find Roland BC-13 Bus Converter.

The BX-13 V3 is the answer for vintage guitar synthesizer players who want to access modern guitar synthesizer technology while playing their treasured vintage guitar synth controller. The BX-13 V3 is more affordable than the typical "collector" prices on the Roland BC-13, and it has more features.

This diagram shows how the Roland BC-13 uses the Resonance knob to switch guitar and synth on and off. The BC-13 uses the Resonance Knob (CV#2) in a way that is very similar to the Mode switch on the vintage GR-series guitar. But rather than having a three-position switch, the knob has three "zones." The first zone is guitar only, the middle zone is guitar and synth, and last zone is synth only. Confusing? Yes.

As you can imagine, it is almost impossible to quickly and accurately turn guitar and synth signals on and off.

The BX-13 V3 improves on the BC-13 by adding two dedicated foot switches with LEDs instead of using the Resonance knob. One foot switch is for Synthesizer Output, and one is for Guitar Output. Nothing could be simpler for controlling the outputs of your Synth and Guitar signal. In addition, the BX-13 V3 in enclosed in a rugged, stomp-box type enclosure. The BC-13 is an inline design, basically a giant lump in the middle of your guitar cable, much like the AC transformers popular with some manufacturers.

Top Panel Controls
The BX-13 V3 adds top panel controls for synthesizer and direct (humbucker) guitar output, plus a switch to select from guitar or hex fuzz sound for Roland G-202, G-303, G-505, or G-808 players. All three outputs can be accessed by selecting the hex fuzz sound with the BX-13 V3 and using the 1/4” Guitar output jack on the guitar.

A look at the schematics of various Roland guitar controllers reveals that no two are wired exactly the same. Likewise, the internal circuitry of a Roland GI-10, GI-20 and GR-20 differs with each unit. As a result, maximum volume levels can change with different guitars or different synthesizers. The original BX-13 used a "one-size-fits-all" calibration like the BC-13. Now, the BX-13 V3 adds a top panel control to easily fine-tune to synth volume output for maximum sensitivity and maximum output.

The BX-13 V3 also adds a top panel control for the direct (humbucker) output of the guitar as well. With the original Roland BC-13 and BX-13 this volume was fixed. Also, if you are using a Roland G-202, G-303, G-505, or G-808 you can also select the hex fuzz guitar output instead of the direct (humbucker) output. And, by plugging a Roland EV-5 volume pedal into the BX-13 V3 you can control the volume of the direct (humbucker) or hex fuzz output.

Buffered Electronic Connections:
The early Roland Guitar synth controllers, such as the G-202, G-303, G-505 and G-808, do not buffer the output of their volume controls. Later guitars, like the Roland G-707 and the Ibanez IMG2010, added a buffer stage to their volume controls. As a result, early guitars tend to "load" the input to the Roland BC-13, resulting in only 80 to 90 percent of the full volume output.

The BX-13 V3 solves this problem by adding an electronic buffer stage for the volume signal. The electronic buffer stage isolates the volume control signal so that any vintage guitar works smoothly with any modern guitar synthesizer.

Inputs and Outputs
Like a Roland BC-13, the BX-13 V3 has a 24-pin Guitar Synth a 13-pin Guitar Synth output connector. With only the 24-pin cable plugged in, the level of the direct (humbucker) guitar sound is controlled by the top panel guitar volume knob, and by the optional EV-5 volume pedal. If you want to vary the level of the direct (humbucker) sound using the volume knob on the guitar, then a second cable is connected from the 1/4” Guitar output jack on the Guitar Controller to your mixer or amplifier.

Compatible with Vintage Bass Guitar Synthesizers:
The BX-13 V3 has also been thoroughly tested with the vintage Roland bass guitar synthesizer controllers like the G-88. To test for compatibility, the G-88 was plugged into the BX-13 V3, then the BX-13 V3 was connected to a GI-20. The Roland GI-20 supports bass guitar synths with a switch on the back panel for bass operation.

Other Roland guitar synths, such as the GR-50 may not work properly, since they were not designed to handle to lower frequencies of a bass guitar.

Roland Vintage Guitar Service Manuals - 1978-1989

images via this auction.

"econd Edition! With BX-13 Series Schematics! Plus Complete Technical Specifications, Parts Listings, Schematics and More of ALL Roland Vintage Guitar Synthesizer, Controllers! Vintage 24-pin and Earlier Synthesizers Included! Almost 300 pages!

# Guitar Synthesizer/Guitar:
# 001-030 GS-500/GR-500
# 031-054 SPV-355
# 055-072 GR-100
# 073-098 GR-300, G-303/G-808

# 099-122 GR-33B/G-33/G-88
# 123-150 GR-700
# 151-180 GR-77B
# 181-200 GM-70

# Guitar:
# 201-210 G-202
# 211-222 G-505
# 223-232 G-707
# 233-238 G-77

# Other:
# 239-244 GK-1
# 245-266 LPK-1/STK-1
# 267-268 US-2
# 269-272 BC-13
# 273-276 NEW This Edition! BX-13 Versions 1, 2 and 3

Be sure to check out the sellers' other items.

Roland GR-88 Bass Guitar and GR-33

images via this auction.

"This is a complete Early 1980's Roland GR-series bass guitar synthesizer system. Included is an Ibanez-built G-88 bass guitar synthesizer controller with original hardshell case, Roland GR-33B bass synthesizer, 24-pin cable, and original manual.

The G-88 was Roland's deluxe neck-through-body (ash and walnut) model, with a maple and mahogany neck with an ebony fretboard, polycarbonate nut, active EQ, Gotoh tuners, 34" scale, one single-coil pickup, and one Roland synth pickup. Neck width is 1-11/16", body width 13", body depth 1-3/4" and overall length is 45-1/2".

For more specs visit this great Roland synthguitar website (includes video demonstrations!). This bass has both regular 1/4" and 24-pin Roland output plugs, so it can be played as a conventional electric bass with a standard cord, and as a synthesizer controller guitar (standard guitar sounds also pass through the 24pin cable). Please note: this is not a recent GK guitar, it will not work with recent GK-compatible Roland guitar synthesizers as it does not have a GK2 or GK3 pickup. There may be some Roland adaptor units available, you will have to do the research on this.

The GR-33 is a fantastic-sounding synth with an awesomely resonant multimode filter (reminds me of a 303), plug in a voltage control pedal (not included) for some mindblowing hands-free sweeps and wah sounds! The controls for filter cutoff and resonance are on the bass so these settings are right at your fingertips. The synth is housed in a rugged, gig-worthy steel casing. As noted all synth functions work exactly as they should, this system is quite inspiring to play and the synth-response is lightning fast!

You can download the GR-33B manual here"

Mochika Sequencer Synth

"This synth features one square and saw waveform VCO (voltage controled oscillator) with a huge pitch range, from subsonic to ultrasonic sound One square and triangle waveform LFO (low frequency oscillator), that modulates the VCO for the vibrato effect creating old school arcade Atari-like sounds."

More shots and info on AtomoSynth.


YouTube via atomolab.
Mochika analog sequencer synth
"this is the new analog sequencer syhthesizer by Alfredo Aliaga"

MMM 4 X Mixer

Mattson Mini Modular 4 X Mixer

Voyager Mahogany Lunar 002

flickr via ikazlar

click here for the full size shot

JH. Compact Clone

"If you listen to German records from the 1970's, you often hear a rather unique phasing that comes from a device called "Compact A Phaser" from the Berlin company "Gert Schulte Audio Elektronik". It's often referred to as "Schulte Phaser", and I have heard it being called "Krautrock Phaser", "Schulze Phaser" (because it's prominent on many early KS albums), "TD Phaser" (because of Tangerine Dream). In my opinion, this phaser has been important to the sound of these early electronic musicians almost as much as the synthesizers the used."

More info including a nice shot of this in a "Moogerfooger" type encasing and samples can be found here.

Terratec Audio System Waldorf microWAVE PC Synthesizer

via this auction. I haven't seen one of these in a while.

Google translated (Whale Village is Waldorf):
"The audio system EMS 64 is the consistent advancement audio maps - of the best-seller EMS 64. The function range so far ungeschlagene in this Preisklasse, by 64stimmiges the Sampling, digitally I/O, outstanding transducers, effects and software package co-ordinated in the detail with the hardware is available, through whale village DSP unit microWAVE of the XT-Synthesizers again by so far undreamt-of possibilities one extends. The exclusive extension module contains complete electronics of the legendary Kultsynthesizers whale village microWAVE II. Additionally by the EMS admitted digital and MIDI interfaces integrated, it are available also still all possibilities of the map together with the new sound production: Sampling, effect processor, Harddiskrecording, digital and similar entrances and exits etc. The 10stimmige Wavetablesynthese supplements the Samplerteil with its typical and alive sound outstanding and inserts themselves smoothly into the concept of the audio system EMS. The associated software with Look & Feel '' the original '' - hardware in 19 '' - format unites clear and comfortable programming with the possibilities it modern PC-Recording-system. Necessary operating system: Windows 98 /ME/2000/XP. Drivers, manuals and federation LED applications are free of charge available with Terratec."

via Inteliko.