Ralph Dyck's 1970s DIY Synth Recovered From Pawn Shop

You might remember Ralph Dyck as the Godfather of the Roland MC-8 MicroComposer. His home-brew sequencer served as the basis for the MC-8. See this post for a video featuring a track he wrote titled "Odd Rhythms" that was included in the MC-8 manual. Ralph Dyck was also featured for his DIY modular work in this 1972 news article.

via Pea Hicks on the Roland MC-8 Micro Composer blog:

"A couple years ago, Ralph mentioned to me that in the early-70s he had built a couple of custom analog synthesizers for local schools – UBC and Carson-Graham Senior Secondary. I attempted to contact the music departments of both of these schools. The UBC music department still had theirs, but the Carson-Graham synth was missing in action. Fast forward to a few weeks ago, and I get an email from Ralph that an acquaintance of his in Vancouver recognized Ralph’s handiwork in a craiglist ad for a homebrew synth- it was the long-lost Carson-Graham synth!

The asking price was only $75, but try as he might to recover it, Ralph was too late, and it was purchased by a young guy interested in making 'bloopy synth sounds.'"

Click here for the full story including audio and pics.

Side note: Pea Hicks aka peahix who wrote the article is also the man behind Optigan.com.

ARP 2500 Routing Matrix

Pic via It's Full of Stars

Note these are sliders that "notch" into place rather than Ghielmetti style pin matrix patch bays like you find on EMS.

Korg Trident SN 331622

via this auction

FEATURES:
(Quoting from manual)
"Includes the full capabilities of 3 complete key-boards in one: 8 voice programmable polyphonic synthesizer, brass & strings."

"Memory equipped polyphonic synthesizer section's two memory banks store a total of 16 different tone color programs instantly selectable at the touch of a button. Also there are presets for acoustic piano, electric piano & clavi."

"Keyboard split controls let you assign each section ( synthesizer, brass, strings) to either the upper or lower ends of the keyboard or both. So you as much or more flexibility and variety as playing two separate keyboards !"

"The brass section is equipped with additional VCF and EG modules independent from the polyphonic synthesizer controls. The string section features a unique and original bowing effect that lends surprising realism."

CLICK FOR MORE »

Analogue Solutions SY02 Multimode Filter w/ VCA

Korg MS20 Clone Filter Module

YouTube Uploaded by rezfilter on Feb 22, 2012

"The beating heart of the VOSTOK MATRIXSYNTH!

The SY02 is as close a clone of the MS20 filter as is possible without digital modeling. It uses the same circuit design. It uses all the same components, except for 2. 1 of which will not affect the sound, the other has been superseded by a part that is essentially the same. In all other respects they are the same.

Not all MS20s sounds the same, and for the same reasons not all Filtered Coffees or SY02s will sound identical to each other or the MS20. Reasons could be trimmer setting variations, component tolerances, but these are the consequences of buying analogue! We believe that the FC and SY02 do sound like MS20 filters, if you don't it must be imagined!

Controls

CLICK FOR MORE »

Wolfgang Palm's perPLEX - Video by Smark

perPLEX by Smark

YouTube Uploaded by SmarkProductions on Feb 22, 2012

"Demonstration of the automation and soundflexibility of the PLEX 2 restructuring Synthesizer by Wolfgang Palm (PPG). Song and Video by Smark (Markus Stadelmann). Thanks for watching and commenting. Enjoy!"

Squidfanny - "Amen Bent" Circuit Bent Casio RZ-1 Sampling Drum Machine

YouTube Uploaded by squidfanny on Feb 22, 2012

squidfanny

"This is a quick demo for my Circuit Bent CASIO RZ-1 Sampling Drum Machine (circa 1986).

I've installed a pair of custom ROMs inside the machine, containing some chopped up Amen Break and a little squelchy Acid.
Also loads of circuit bending / glitch & a pair of precision oscillators to seperatly control pitch of the beats and samples...

Yes, this is a very primative sampler - It'll allow you to record just over 1 second of audio which is spread over 4 pads.

What's great about the RZ-1 is it's big phat old-skool sound....
It's so chunky! Seriously, try NOT to tap your feet... It's impossible.

This is another one of those ongoing projects, which never seems finnished. Future mods include some kind of joystick controller for complex rolls and patchable glitch & Additional ROMs with a decent (and hackable) ROM switcher, so that I can work around the RZ-1's limited soundbank.

Credits go the EX-FADE and ELECTROMODS."

Live performance at the Brussels Modular Meeting (Belgium)

YouTube Uploaded by GruithuisenCityMan on Feb 22, 2012

"Live performance at the Brussels Modular Meeting in the Café Central (Belgium)
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Gear list :
- Analogue Solutions Telemark
- Doepfer Dark Energy
- Moog CP-251
- Boss DD-7
- Prodipe 25C
The sound was LOUD !!!"

Moog Animoog iPad / iOS Video Tutorial Pt 2: Advanced Modulation + Routing

YouTube Uploaded by DubSpot on Feb 22, 2012

"More info - http://bit.ly/xKwZEj
In part two of a three-part tutorial on Moog's Animoog iPad app, Dubspot Instructor Matt Cellitti shows you how to creatively use Animoog's modulation parameters to achieve complex sounds.

Now that we have looked at how to break down Animoog into a basic initial state, I would like to examine the instrument's creative options to make more complex sounds. Animoog has a clearly labeled and easy to use modulation area, allowing us to add several modulation parameters to the sound at the same time. We are able to use traditional modulation sources like mod envelopes, filter envelopes, and low frequency oscillators, but there are some hidden gems in here as well. For instance, take control of the Touch Keys to manipulate sounds in ways a traditional keyboard is incapable of. By using the the modulation control of "poly-pressure" to manipulate a destination of filter frequency, the areas of the touch key will activate modulation of the filter's cutoff frequency. So you can create filter sweeps just by moving your fingers up and down a single touch key. Furthermore, as if the path and origin controls of the X/Y pad weren't enough, you can use mod controls to effect these parameters even further. It never ceases to amaze me how much flexible control this app has. - Matt Celetti"

Part 1 here.



iPads on eBay
iPads on Amazon

iPod Touch on eBay
iPod Touch on Amazon

Using the Buchla 291e Triple Morphing Filter as an Oscillator

291e Feddback Osc-2

Uploaded by vgermuse on Feb 22, 2012

"Continued rudimentary explorations into feeding back the filter outs to ins on the Buchla 291e triple filter to create three oscillators. This time just the 291e and the 281e with the 281e controlling the VCAs in the 291e."

Buchla 200 Triple VCO 291e Patch

YouTube Uploaded by djangosfire on Feb 22, 2012

"So someone mentioned using the Buchla 291e Triple Morphing Filter as a VCO....

To do this you feed the output of each channel back into itself.... Then you have 3x feedback VCO's....

The VC part comes from the ability to externally control each of the filter frequency stages via a CV source....

On top that fun, the 291e module allows for things like:
- 8x stage step sequencing
- 3x VC Bandpass Filters per stage
- per stage, per VCF external modulation control via am/bw/fm
- per stage, per VCF: VCA
- and loads more!!!!

SO this vid is a really short test of these feedback VCO's, so that you can hear how rich they can sound and behave.

The sequence is created on the 291e - but I also patched the 255 into the Freq inputs to allow per VCO external pitch control - also using a Eardrill Source Selector (along w/ 077 Pendulum Ratchet & the 255 again) for sequence transposition

Other things happening (as this vid is a short 'for fun' demo) but just to be clear: you are hearing ONLY the 291e patched as a TRIPLE OSCILLATOR in the sequence . . . . . pretty cool possibilities here!"

I Dream of Wires IndieGoGo Update & Limited Boxset w/ Unedited Interviews

via IDOW on Facebook

"Hi - just a heads up: We now have less than two weeks left in our 2nd run of IndieGoGo fund raising. In this round we've raised another $8G, putting our grand total at $24G so far!

We haven't yet decided whether this will be our last round or not, but most likely it will be, so if you are planning to contribute, now is the time. Also note - we have sold half of the DVD-R BOXSETs ["Hand-assembled and signed, containing full unedited interviews, plus hours of bonus content, some exclusive to this set. Limited to 50 numbered copies"] - if you want to own one of these, they will only be available to purchase through this IndieGoGo campaign."