MATRIXSYNTH

Electro Harmonix Sequencer

Rare Hagstrom Swede / Ampeg Patch 2000 Pedals

via this auction
"Hagstrom Swede Patch 2000 Guitar/Bass Background
The Hagstrom Swede Patch 2000 guitar is the world’s first production synthesizer guitar (guitar/synth hybrid). It was boldly conceived (years ahead of it's time) and manufactured in an innovative collaboration with Ampeg, who provided the on-board circuitry and accompanying pitch/glide pedals. Based on the Hagstrom Swede guitar, a total of 498 right hand models were produced from 1976 to 1979 along with 11 left-handed models being manufactured in 1977. There was also a small run of Hagstrom Swede bass and Hagstrom Jazz bass models that came equipped with the Patch 2000 system. In addition to the standard 1/4" audio jack located on the Hag P2K guitar/bass, you'll also find a 7-pin jack which allows it to interface directly to the Ampeg floor pedals being offered here.

The sonics produced by the Hagstrom Swede/Ampeg Patch 2000 system have been realized by the likes of Jazz/Rock Fusion wizards Allan Holdsworth (Swede), Larry Coryell & Darryl Stuermer (Genesis, Jean-Luc Ponty), Jazz master Herb Ellis and other guitar greats such as Frank Zappa, Bob Welch, John McVie (Fleetwood Mac, P2K bass), Steve Pacelli, Bill Nelson (Be Bop Deluxe) and apparently Carlos Santana - as well as many others.

* Ampeg Patch 2000 Pedals
These Ampeg Patch 2000 foot pedals were designed exclusively by Ampeg to work in conjunction with both the Hagstrom Swede Patch 2000 Guitar -or- the Hagstrom Swede Patch 2000 Bass. They allow the P2K guitar to interface (via control voltage) with analog synths such as Roland, Moog, Oberheim, Steiner-Parker, ARP, EMS, etc.. In effect, this gives the Hag guitarist the option of playing his P2K instrument either as a standard Hagstrom Swede guitar (though there's nothing 'standard' about the Hagstrom Swede's outstanding sound) -or- as a synthesizer -or- as a simultaneous real time combination of both - producing a myriad of sonic tones & colors.

See the Hagstrom Swede Patch 2000 Youtube Video Demo - highly recommended!!! [below]

* Pitch & Glide
This Ampeg device consists of two pedals built into a single floor unit. The pitch pedal is continuously variable controlled, which allows you to raise the pitch up a full octave over the range of the pedal (heel-to-toe). This allows you to actually change tuning as you play. In this way, the pedal can be used for "bending" effects - much like a synth keyboard player can achieve (i.e. Chick Corea style). The glide pedal controls the response of fret-to-fret changes - governing how much time it takes for the synth to "glide" from one note to the next.

* 5th Harmony Switch
The Ampeg pedals also include a '5th Harmony' function, which is activated by a single pushbutton switch located between the two pedals (see photo). This 5th function allows the controlled synth note pitch to become a fifth higher than the actual fretted note (the major dominant) for an additional sonic effect.

* Construction
The last thing you'll have to worry about is damaging these pedals due to heavy use or road abuse. This is simply the most ruggedly durable pedal unit you'll ever find! Extremely sturdy construction consisting of a thick (~3/16") all metal outer housing with a stamped sheet metal bottom (~1/16") - tooled upwards (L shaped) in order to also function as the back access panel (see photos). Both Pitch/Glide pedals and the 5th Harmony Switch are also of a heavy metal construct. All-in-all, Ampeg did it right - these pedals were designed to last!"

Hagstrom Guitars Patch 2000 Synthesizer Guitar Demo

previously posted back in 2006
YouTube via DeeCee333 — October 16, 2006 — "Steve Pacelli demo's the Hagstrom Patch Guitar system in the Umea Store (original footage from 1977) courtesy of Lennart Johnsson, presented by Hagstrom UK http://www.hagstrom.org.uk"

Christian Guenther's XR-1

I spotted this one on StromKult. It is currently sold out, but Christian is working on a new model. I couldn't find any additional info, so I contacted Andreas Schneider of StromKult and Schneiders Beuro via @SchneidersBeuro. I asked him if there was a website with more info. Currently there is not, but his work is out there and has been featured at the Musikmesse Superbooth. You can see an article featuring his work with Moritz Wolpert here in German (Googlish here). You might recognize the "steampunk" modular in the image from this previous post.

You can find some nice higher res pics of the XR-1 that just went up today on Aliens-Project here.

"Soundtüftler. Moritz Wolpert (links) und Christian Günther. - Foto: Doris Spiekermann-Klaas"

STS Januar 2010 - Ambient Jamsession

Update: videos now on a different YouTube account:
http://www.youtube.com/user/SwissSynthMeeting

YouTube via Metunar — June 17, 2010 — "Video of the Swiss Synthesizer Meeting/Ambient Jamsession in January 2010." via www.myspace.com/moondustweb

STS Oktober 2009 - Ambient Jamsession

"Metunar — January 02, 2010 — Video of the Swiss Synthesizer Meeting/Ambient Jamsession in October 2009."

chipPad 1.2 (More) Bit Mode

chipPad 1.2 (More) Bit Mode from earsmack on Vimeo.

"chipPad with Bit mode now allows you to create and mangle contiguous & discontiguous sub-loops - on the fly!

This video shows a closer look focusing mainly on features within Bit mode. Notice how you can easily tweak a simple drum track to give it some variation.

More information available at earsmack.com"

Remember you can search on chipPad on the top left of the site for all posts featuring chipPad.
chipPad - Earsmack Music on iTunes
iPads on Ebay

Electronic Dream Plant Wasp Synthesiser

via this auction

Eowave Persephone MKII

More pics on Aliens Project

Slow, Random - Modular Synthesizer

YouTube via nathanielscott — June 18, 2010 — "This is a short video I shot of a patch that was part of series of patches I was developing for a performance at the Boise Art Meuseum's members party for the Robot Exhibit last spring (2010).

I was going for an automatic mechanical theme. I had created long loops with a combination of sequencers and to increase the appearance of extra length I used a noise generator in conjunction with a sample and hold module to control some of the sequencer functions. This gives the patch a sense of endless progression. To create what I thought was a mechanical sound I was using oscillators at high frequencies to modulate the oscillators used for tone. The result is obvious."

NeoKitsch - Another Continuum Fingerboard Jam

YouTube via NeoKitschMusic — June 18, 2010 — "Danny at the NeoKitsch studio playing around with the Continuum Fingerboard and the Roland MC-505 Groovebox."