The ??????

"The ?????? (we don't know what to call it, ask Lyle Workman from Beck who had this custom designed to his specs) I think this guitar came from somewhere in space. We received the coveted KNOB AWARD for this guitar. It sports a Sustainac Sustainer and a built in Kaoss Pad FX with red to gold color shifting finish. We lost a bit of sanity on this project."

via MJ Guitars under Custom Shop. via A.

Oberheim Xpander programming

YouTube via 123synthland.
"As vintage synth dealers, we get to play with a lot of fun toys, but you already know this... I love the Oberheim Xpander! Here's me programming a patch or 2 on the next Xpander we plan to sell. I started out with Oberheim's initialized patch. Though the Xpander isn't as tweak friendly as an analog synth with 1 fader for every parameter, it's still an amazing and deep tool that can be programmed pretty quickly once you're familiar with the layout. Enjoy, and email me anytime at minime123@onebox.com"

Midibox MB-6582 Basic Test 1

YouTube via karnlund. via Nusonica.
"This is probably the first video of a midibox MB-6582 project that contains 8 commodore 64 SID synthesis chips. Visit http://www.midibox.org/ for more information on open source, community built synthesizers, sequencers, and other midi projects."

Moog Prodigy Minimal setup

flickr by g e o ff r e y.

full size

Minimoog Display Case

images via this auction

"Alright you Moog fraks, check this out! This is a display case designed and built specifically for the Minimoog. Show your Minimoog with pride in this display case. It has a plexiglass window, veneer covered wood panels, foam padding on the inside walls, a spot for a cooling fan, and some ventilation slats in the back. SWEET! There is one corner that is a little rough but it could be fixed very easily with some glue or a tack. Local pickup in Los Angeles area only!"

For the true collector in you, or as Nick who sent this to the AH list called it, it's the "Minimoog Bubble Boy." Seinfeld fans should get that one.

Apparently its an old "dot matrix printer noise isolation box."

Simmons SDSV with MFB SEQ-01

"If you own a Simmons SDSV drumbrain and asking yourself what to do with some of the free module slots (if any), here’s the idea how to fill it: Use a MFB SEQ-01 drum sequencer and create a stand-alone Simmons drum machine. This will be a really fun device!"

click here for more info.

BTW, this is from the same site, quadratschulz, as the previous post. Be sure to check it out for more synth goodness.

Quadratschulz Korg SQ10 Extention

"This handcrafted device is intended to extend the capabilities of a vintage KORG SQ-10 without the need of opening or modifying this valuable device. The QUADRATSCHULZ SQ10 EXT provides loads of step switches (3 channels à 12 switches) and advanced
synchronization capabilities using the ROLAND Sync-24 format (sometimes also referred as DIN Sync). This device fits perfectly on top of the KORG SQ-10 so that the step switches of the SQ10 EXT are perfectly aligned to the CV potentiometers of the KORG SQ-10.

Using the Sync-24 format allows to sync a KORG SQ-10 to other vintage gear, e.g. the ROLAND TR-808. It’s also easy to synchronize with your MIDI equipment using a standard MIDI/Sync interface (e.g. from DOEPFER, KENTON, etc.)."

click here for more info and shots.

When One Yamaha CS80 is Not Enough

Image of Vangelis via Vangelis Movements.

Update via Doug in the comments:
"Do they have his ass mic'ed up or something? Look closely at the largest frame... "

Nice catch. Good thing its not a cup.

The Ensoniq VFX - "Vintage Digital"

Carbon111 just put up an Ensoniq VFX Page. His pages are always informative filled with info and images, so do check it out.

"A recent discussion got me thinking about older synths that are overlooked, still very powerful and available dirt-cheap these days. The one that came first to my mind is the wonderful Ensoniq VFX released back in 1989. It was the synth that followed up their hugely popular ESQ-1 and SQ-80 models and had more "features" but has now faded to general obscurity. Its current disfavor probably stems from the fact that it was Ensoniq's first all-digital synth and the User Interface looks rather uninviting - a forgivable misconception as you will soon see.

...you could do things like sweep the flanger with an envelope or modulate delay time with an LFO, syncing FX to the rest of the synthesizer - this was an Ensoniq "trademark" feature that they continued in their subsequent synthesizers."

Also posted on SYNTHWIRE.

Polyphony Magazine

"The years from 1975-85 saw electronic music realize the promise of the previous decades as monophonic voltage controlled synthesizers evolved into the polyphonic, multi-timbral music workstations of today. The pages of Polyphony magazine documented this time of great change with innovative DIY and theory articles, interviews with the artists and engineers who helped shape the future and much more.

There are a limited number of copies of less than 20 issues of Polyphony remaining, far too few to continue offering a complete set at a reduced price. This page will soon have the list of back issues that are still available and the complete list of all Polyphonys and their table of contents. Archive copies are available for photocopying either completely or by article."

Available via PAiA. Also check out Synapse.