MATRIXSYNTH

PNW2008: Carbon111 Demos the MMM, Creature and Six-Trak

YouTube via matrixsynth.

http://carbon111.com

"Carbon111 demos the Mattson Mini Modular, Serge Creature and Six-Trak at the Pacific Northwest Synth Gathering 2008."

ThingaMunny (aka The Goblinator)

YouTube via SUBboy
"This is the ThingaMunny, aka "The Goblinator." It incorperates my two favorite DIY kits; Kid Robot's Munny, and Bleep Labs' Thingamakit. Thanks to Bleep Labs, Kid Robot, and HackADay. PS: Can anyone guess what I used for the jetpack?"

PNW2008: Idiotboy Demos the Future Retro XS

YouTube via matrixsynth

"Idiotboy demos the Future Retro XS at the Pacific Northwest Synth Gathering 2008."

Update: Just a quick note on these videos: They are not meant to be performances and they are not prepped. The gathering is very informal. People get together and just set up their gear followed by walking around, checking gear out and talking shop. After lunch (some good pizza) we typically go around the room one by one and just talk about the gear we brought. It's not scripted and it's not a performance, so don't think of these videos as "taped for YouTube." They are not. They are however meant to give you an idea of what these events are like. I went to the SIDY event in the UK this year and it was very much the same minus the talks.

BTW, if you gave a talk at the event and prefer I not put it up, shoot me an email. My contact info is on the bottom right of the site.

PNW2008: David Skinner Demos the KORG KAOSSILATOR

YouTube via matrixsynth

"PNW2008: David Skinner demos the KORG KAOSSILATOR at the Pacific Northwest Synth Gathering 2008."

machine drum beats

YouTube via 909techno. It looks like we have the first McCain synth content. You can see the Obama ones here.
"making beats on the machine drum. 20 minute session but mac photobooth only recorded 2 minutes for some reason.

kids: never, ever, question barack "the one" obama. you are too dumb to be responsible for yourself. hand all over to the mighty obama and the "progressive" left."

Custom KORG Poly-800ii

via Shepitology

Waldorf Blofeld Keyboard Preview

YouTube via audiomidicom (click for more videos by audiomidi)
"This is a preview of the prototype of the awesome new keyboard version of the Waldorf Blofeld synthesizer. The keyboard version adds 60MB of user sample memory (accessed via USB) and a solid semi-weighted keyboard. Coming this December!"

Moog Opus 3

images at this auction
"The MOOG OPUS3 consists of three 'fully polyphonic' voice sections - STRINGS, ORGAN & BRASS, as well as an overall voice modulation section, an overall simple amplitude envelope and STEREO mixer output section.

The STRINGS section allows you to dial-in either 16' or 8' pitched strings, with the ability to mix both together. This is routed through a separate filter which is switchable through Lowpass, Bandpass and Highpass settings, which is quite unusual on a Moog synth. Standard Resonance and Cut-Off controls allow you to change the strings from smooth moog sounding strings all the way to buzzy Jupiter 8 sounding strings. One thing to note here is the legends, as the filter Cut-Off is marked up as 'FREQ' and the filter is marked up as 'EQUALIZATION" both incorrect and a departure from Moogs normal FILTER and EMPHASIS.

The ORGAN section comprises a very simple array of flute footage's including 16', 8', 4', 2', 1' (even stops), plus an overall tone control. Not much good on it's own but mixed in with the Strings and Brass it adds a certain amount of weight to the sound... also it can be effected which brings the simple organ section into a class of it's own - more on that later.

The BRASS section comprises switchable 16, 8 and 4 pitched voices (only one pitch at a time) plus a selectable preset filter and envelope or the ability to routing through a separate standalone filter section. With the Brass filter switched to PRESET you get the usual 'blurp' synth brass sound but switching in the filter you have full standard synth controls including FILTER Cut-Off (CF) and Resonance (EMPHASIS) and filter envelope controls including ATTACK, DECAY & SUSTAIN. The Filter envelope RELEASE is controlled via a toggle switch, so it's either on, and it matches the same setting amount as the DECAY slider or it's off, emulating a simple organ envelope which stops on key off. Lastly there's an 'amount to filter' slider which MOOG call CONTOUR AMOUNT... Contour being Moogs name for ENVELOPE.

So here's the magical bit, and the functions that really set the tone of the OPUS3 apart from similar combi units from Crumar & ARP etc (IMHO). The STRINGS section can be routed through a very nice CHORUS unit with controls for effects depth, rate and delay... this effects unit really makes the strings sound vintage and lush and the ability to delay the effect adds a lot to live playing.

Now, in between the STRINGS and ORGAN sections is a horizontal slider which allows you to either route the STRINGS to the chorus unit or the ORGAN to the chorus unit (or a mix of both)... this allows you to then experiment with putting the ORGAN through the chorus... on top of that, between the ORGAN section and the BRASS section there's a similar slider which allows you to put the ORGAN through the separate standalone FILTER... put both sliders to the ORGAN section and you effectively have an additive synth, allowing you to dial-in the tone footage, put them through a filter and envelope and add chorus to fatten the sound. Quite a unique feature and one that can produce some real phat moog synthesizer sounds out of what is basically a combi organ!

All voice sections are put through an amplitude envelope which Moog call an ARTICULATOR... this is basically a simple ATTACK and RELEASE envelope with the ability to either have each note cut off sharply when a new note is played or have the sound sustain through the new notes, this is then routed to the MIXER section where you can control the output volumes of the 3 voice sections and pan them in a stereo mix.

Lastly there's the modulation section. Again this has controls for Amount, Rate and Delay and you can modulate either the filter or the pitch of the voices... which MOOG call FM but I wouldn't call it FM modulation... perhaps at the very fastest setting you'll get some clang?

And the sound... classic retro, sweeping lush strings, rasping brasses and full on organ tiones. All fully polyphonic but surprisingly very Moogy in sound... great live as this thing once warmed up (30 minutes) is very stable. There's much that can be done with this unit... phat moog bass lines, squelchy funk lead lines and rythmic drones with the Modulation section... not to be considered a boring combi organ but a full-on polyphonic Moog synth."

Yamaha SY20 with Japanese Labels

images at this auction

"2 banks of 8 presets.
Bank A: Flute - Oboe - Clarinet - Sax - Fagot - Violin - Violia - Cello - Contrabass - FX

Bank B: Trumpet - Mute Trumpet - Horn - Trombone - Tuba - Pizzicato Violin - Pizzicato Violia - Pizzicato Cello - Pizzicato Bass - Harpsichord "