MATRIXSYNTH

at 10/22/2007 09:05:00 AM

Click here to check out a new blog via surachai. They are currently featuring artists and their workspaces. Pictured:

Richard Devine:
"I have been working on music for almost fifteen years now. I started when I was 16 just recording tons of strange sounds and things to tape, then I eventually moved to working with digital samplers in the early 90’s. From there I progressed to working with computers and digital signal processing. I have always considered my self more of a sound collage artist. Dealing more with sound design, and creating an unusual space or experience for the..."

at 10/22/2007 09:02:00 AM

via Scott Stites on this electro-music thread. Keep an eye on the thread for updates. If images or samples come in, let me know.

"I guess I better extricate this from the Clangora thread before it derails that fine conversation. I hope I don't sound like I'm hyping this thing unnecessarily, but I truly am buzzed by this design. This one has been as hard to keep quiet about as the Mankato Filter. In fact, I often think about this as the Mankato of drum voices, it's that good. I'll start at the top:

This summer (summer 2007), Thomas quietly developed a drum voice that just sat me back in my seat. I'm not sure I've ever seen him work so hard on a single design - I'm sure he has, but in my experience breadboard testing things, I'm certain this one took more work than I've experienced with any other project. He literally designed this thing from the ground up, and we very thoroughly rung it out.

In the Clangora thread, Thomas mentioned how versatile it was (and it is extremely versatile). On top of that, the sound of this drum voice for me is simply stunning. A good deal of that is due to an innovation Thomas threw in there; it's something that I've never seen on any other drum voice. It was an idea that he picked up from an interview with Roger Powell years ago (it was Roger Powell, wasn't it Thomas? I'm kinda fuzzy here). It has to do with the impact circuit - I swear, it literally sounds like someone is striking this think with a real stick/mallet/hand/sledgehammer (depending on how it's tuned).

Just to give a rundown of the elements: the voice has three oscillators, a noise source, a balanced modulator (that can be unbalanced as well), three envelope generators, two VCAs, a noise source, a LP/BP switchable resonant VCF, and a versatile mixing section with send/receive loops. This one is a blast to tweak as it plays, BTW. It's the only drum voice I've played that can dissolve from a cowbell to a landing alien craft in a very non-seventies, non-disco-era Simmons way (though it can do that, too, if that's your thing).

Fortunately, Thomas designed it, so it is a very elegantly designed circuit (translation, it will fit on a single PCB). There are a lot of controls, so it won't be a small panel.

Right now, the target for the project is as the next electro-music PCB series, in the same vein as the Klee project. We're working on drafting a certain man from Nambucca Heads to crank out a PCB, and we're going to Klee team it to make sure what you get will be the best quality PCB we can offer. The documentation part already is very well done - can't beat those Thomas Henry schematics! I'm hoping to avoid the whole reservation process which is really a pain, but this is all in the prelim stage so far.

Expect samples. Very Happy

Cheerio,
Scott"

at 10/22/2007 08:52:00 AM

YouTube via SillonS. Follow up to these posts: SillonS Prodyssey, Creamware Prodyssey Videos and MP3s.

at 10/22/2007 08:21:00 AM

Matti posted the following on the Analog Heaven List. I asked him if I could put up a post and he gave me the ok along with a few more audio samples to put up. Thanks Matti! The Sunsyn is probably the one high priced synth I still really, really want. I was fortunate enough to play with one in person and I really liked the sound of it. What's interesting is it reminded me of the early Oberheim SEMs as well. That said here are some words and samples from Matti:

"In short, I love the Sunsyn. If I had to compare it to an another synthesizer, well... Like you all know, talking and writing about how one experiences sound isn't that easy, but I'll give it a shot.

IMHO, the Sunsyn has a little bit of that early discrete Oberheim sound, but the tonality also reminds me of some modular systems. I have never played an early Obie and I have only a little experience with modulars, so this is opinion is largely based on recordings and demos I've heard.
In general, the sound is clear, defined and very much "alive". It doesn't always sound very "vintage-ish", but the sound is 110% pure analogue (unless you use the RCOs). One thing that makes the sound comparisons a bit hard, is that the filter is very configurable. You can easily make different timbral variations (softer, harder) of the same sound just by tuning the individual filter poles. Here's a couple of softer, PWM Sunsyn sounds:

If you are thinking about buying a Sunsyn, I really recommend trying before buying. Although I really love the sound and interface, I know there are people who don't. Some people have even compared it to a VA. My main gripe with it is that it's very picky about the MIDI signal it's receiving. some controllers and sequencers just don't go too well with the sunsyn. Otherwise, I haven't had any problems with it. Not even with the multimode. For me, the price was totally worth it.

- Matti"

You can also grab the mp3s here.

at 10/22/2007 08:11:00 AM

Remember the JH Triple Chorus (post with samples)? It is now available for order. via JH:

"Hi,

I'm now ready to take orders for the Triple Chorus PCBs.

(See this link for details about the project.)

Pricing is EUR 27.00 per board,
plus a single EUR 4.00 shipping flat charge for worldwide shipping, regardless how many boards you are ordering and where you live. It does *not* include any customs fees or tax that you may (or may not) have to pay in your county.

What you get is a double-sided printed circuit board with component overlay, approx. size 160mm x 100mmm.

You have to buy the electronic components for this, and build the device, yourself. (Check the above website regularly for updates and building hints, bill of matrials etc. A PDF with the component overlay is already there.)

Most components are easily available and cheap standard parts. In addition to that you need 3 (three) TDA1022 chips. These are BBD chips that are no longer in production, but which are still available as I type this.

Important: I am having these PCBs custom-made to your order - it's likely that there will be only one single production run. If you're in, you're in - if not, you're not. I have no influence on the availability of TDA1022 chips, however, so if you place an order, I expect you to actually buy the PCB, and make sure for yourself that you get the required ICs.

I'll wait for the orders to come in for about 2 weeks from now, so you can check the availability of the ICs.

Estimated time line:
2 weeks for taking orders
2 ... 5 weeks for PCB manufacturing and verifying
Call for payment (don't pay before you get that mail!)
Shipping of boards when payment arrives

If you want to place an order, please send me an email (bottom of this page) and use the FOLLOWING FORM (fill in your data instead of [], for instance: "2 Boards" instead of "[quantity] Boards")

===== Start of Email Order Form ===============

Subject line: Triple Chorus PCB order: [quantity] boards

Email text:

I'm ordering [quantity] pieces of the Triple Chorus PCB
for EUR 27.00 per board + EUR 4.00 single shipping flat charge for any
number of boards.
I'm aware that I may have to pay additional amounts of customs and tax in my
country.

My shipping adress is

[Your Name]
[Your street, number, city, ZIP code, in exactly the form
that is generally used in your country]
[your country]

My paypal adress is [your paypal adress].

I have either already bought the required TDA1022 chips, or I'm confident
I'll get them in the future; I will buy the ordered PCBs in any case.

[your name]

===== End of Email Order Form =========

Looking forward to hear fom you :)

JH."

at 10/22/2007 07:57:00 AM

Back in the earlier days of the Analog Heaven mailing list, two synth compilations were made, one in 1994 and one in 1995. You can listen to each track in the compilation here. Be sure to check out the Liner Notes for synths used.

via swissdoc.

at 10/22/2007 07:48:00 AM

YouTube via marychild.

The question as to what synths were used for the end of Bowie's Ashes to Ashes came up on this VSE thread. The below was uncovered. I'm curious if this is actually in reference to the main line that runs through the song. Note Steve Strange of Visage (who also included Midge Ure and Billy Currie of Ultravox fame) is the left most extra of four when they first appear.

via Marching Pig on the VSE thread:
"Wiki has this to say:
'Perhaps Bowie's most sophisticated sonic work to date, its choir-like textures were created by Chuck Hammer with four multi-tracked guitar synthesizers, each playing opposing chord inversions; this was underpinned by Bowie's dead-pan, chanted background voices.'

Though, I've also read that they recorded it, and made 4 copies on tape; 2 were played "right side up", one backwards, and 2 were played with the "wrong/bottom side" up, again, with one of these backwards. Though, just thinking about that makes me think it's just plain wrong.

the page on Chuck Hammer, it says this:
"In March 1980, Hammer recorded guitar-synth tracks for David Bowie on the album Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps), including multiple textures across "Ashes to Ashes", 'Teenage Wildlife' and 'Up the Hill Backwards", all of which marked the earliest use of guitar-synth in Bowie's catalogue. The actual instruments utilized on these tracks included a Roland GR-500 with an Eventide Harmonizer. Textural tracks such as those on 'Ashes to Ashes' exhibited a multi-layered, approach, to recording and composing with the guitar.'"

at 10/22/2007 07:39:00 AM

YouTube via BugBrand.

"Here's the 1st demo of the new AudioWeevil. This demo is just using the internal speaker, so the sounds are quite gnarly! Also, the soon-to-be-released version will have a few more features in there (mainly adding to the modulation LFO).

The demo begins with no-input Weevil-ing & touchyness and then moves on to plugging a Hohner Pianet through the box for filtering and noisy ringmod action.

Visit www.bugbrand.co.uk for further details of the AudioWeevil - there's diagrams and such-stuff..."