Parallella: A Supercomputer For Everyone on Kickstarter

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/adapteva/parallella-a-supercomputer-for-everyone
If the Kickstarter video causes your mouse to disappear, click off screen and it should come back.

Note the video and project is not directly focused on synthesis, however the application (like the iPad as a synthesis platform) should be obvious. The following is a write-up on that potential in via reader cheater:

"I'm in no way affiliated with those guys, but this thing opens so many possibilities for the synthesis aficionado that I have to let you know what's in store. Why is this cool? Simply put, it's a Kickstarter for an open platform which could enable synthesis methods that are currently not possible, unless you lug around an expensive workstation, and put them in a desktop-module style case. For those intents and purposes it's a self-contained system with a 45 GHz CPU, the size of a DVD box.

Below are some examples of synthesis methods that could work out thanks to the radically different way this thing works. Each of those is slow on current PCs and because of the parallel nature of the chip in question are tons faster to execute on it:

1. granular synthesis. Ever try to run one of those in VST? They sound better the more parts you can have. Current PCs can only run so many parts, and you need thousands per voice. This thing could easily run a polyphonic synthesizer.

Here are some demos of what you can do with a granular synthesizer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgcVr6lTzDs
http://www2.camelaudio.com/music/AlchemyAnalysisDemo02.mp3
http://www2.camelaudio.com/music/Alchemy-PresetDemo-JohnLehmkuhl.mp3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTODhn-UROc

See how Alchemy only allows 10 grains per voice? You could have an order of magnitude more, with each grain bank (Alchemy has 10) modulated separately.

More:

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Boomstar 4075 Demo

Published on Sep 30, 2012 by StudioElectronics

"Studio Electronics Boomstar 4075 - ARP Filter Sneak n' Peak (Take 2)

Get the .aif.zip here: http://studioelectronics.com/assets/Audio/boomstar/Boomstar-4075-GSR-1.aif.zip (for you listening pleasure only).

Greg St. Regis' clever twists and turns launched the first 4075 Boomstar past "the surly bonds of earth," via a cheap audio interface that happened to be around. More Boomstar filter type demos, live footage and markedly superior D/A Converters to follow.

Headphones mandatory. Production units are mere weeks away!

MSR

Greg St. Regis comments:

We've spent the last month debugging the prototype pcbs and perfecting the analog circuits. At this point, I felt it was good enough to give you all a sneak preview of the sound. It has about 90% of it's hardware functional. Still to be implemented is the software LFO. This is raw BoomStar recorded though a Focusrite Scarlett interface (nothing special), into Reason with a Macbook Pro. We did this in about 20 minutes, one take. I played a small Akai controller with a built in arpeggiator with my left hand and turned knobs with my right. It's "kinda cool.

It was originally about 11 minutes long; Marc did a small amount of normalizing and edited it down to 8 minutes 30 some seconds.

Put some decent headphones on and listen to huge low booms end and searingly crisp filter sweeps. I tried to take it though a full compliment of waveforms, xmod, rmod, oscillator sync, feedback looping, resonance squeals and overdrive. There is quite a bit more to come when the LFO gets in on the action.

The chassis are getting screened this week. We'll post more demos in the days to come with video included. And no, this is not an SE1X or ATCX! They sound quite good, but there is nothing like the clarity and impact of pure discrete analog with hardware envelopes.

Enjoy!
GSR

p.s. Expect to see these in the shops in about 30 days... we're in love with this little beast.

Previous MSR comments:
'Four Boomstar hardware circuits: crossmod, ringmod, feedback, AND distortion are at play here at one time or another. The idea was to stretch out... and let things get greasy and messy.'

'The "feedback" feature (a la the Minimoog) is employed throughout this track so that distortion is an effect. If you are attempting to listen to this through your laptop speakers they will be overwhelmed quickly.'"

Synth Tease

Published on Sep 30, 2012 by Cynosure48

"This video was taken with a spy camera that was hidden in the laboratory of a mad scientist. The video was smuggled out at the cost of the lives of many good men. It contains signals and sounds from a top secret weapon of mass sound that is in development. I can't even imagine what chaos and destruction would ensue if this device was unleashed upon the world."

Soviet EFFEKT-1 FLANGER ESTRADIN SN 97874

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this auction

mechanical animals

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Coron DS-8 Analog Percussion & Drum Synth

Published on Sep 30, 2012 by xeniaturaba

"... the original DS-8"

MacBeth Touch Capacitance Keyboard Update

via Ken MacBeth on Facebook

"Just a quick snap of '1 Octave' of touch capacitance keyboard test! I designed and built 1 octave yesterday to see if my idea would actually work! It does- and does it perfectly...a great relief after years of trying various types including the recent stylus stuff! This really opens things up for me!"

''Meadow'' - demo with Simmons SDSV, Jupiter-8, TR-808

Published on Sep 30, 2012 by SynthManiaDotCom

"A moody, slower demo of the Simmons SDSV, the Roland TR-808, and Roland Jupiter-8 using some classic-sounding sounds. The TR-808 drives the Simmons and the JP-8's arpeggiator, the rest is improvised in real time. The filter of the JP-8 is set at -24dB and tweaked in real time. Again, due to my main audio interface being broken, I'm using the computer's internal audio card, sorry for the floor noise."

Follow-up to this post.

Roland SH-1000

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via this auction

"ITS OVER 40 YEARS OLD..."

Roland Jupiter-8 SN 22256 Owned by Real Life Up for Auction?

Uploaded by nzoz1983 on Aug 9, 2007

"Music from Australia and New Zealand in the year 1983:

Real Life's promo-video for the hit single 'Send Me An Angel', taken from the 1983 album 'Heartland'."

via this auction

Via the listing: "This jupiter was owned by Real Life and it was used on there world wide hit "Send me an angel" I bought it from Richard the keyboard player from the band. So it's a second owner and you have it history. It's famous and it sounds famous!!!! It has the Robin Whittle full midi mod and ready for connection to your studio. It is in perfect working order and it is in good condition. Comes with original owners manual"

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Akai "Micro Studio Systems" Service Manual Binders

via this auction

"Lot of 5 Binders for Akai Service Manuals. White plastic three ring binders with silver lettering and "Micro Studio Systems" printed on the binding. NO MANUALS, JUST THE BINDERS. They have tape, stickers and markings on them as shown in the pictures."

Anyone know what Akai gear these were for?