Concert of the 24 May 2019

Published on Apr 14, 2020 RADIOKLOW

You might remember previous posts featuring performances by Marc-Henri Arfeux, aka RADIOKLOW, and his students here on MATRIXSYNTH. Marc-Henri wrote in to share this last concert. A ninth was scheduled but unfortunately it will likely be canceled due to the current state of things.

"This concert was given Friday 24 May 2019 at Lycée Edouard Herriot of Lyon, France, by the Philosophy and Electronic Music Workshop I created in 2010.

During this eighth season, we worked around the question of memory.

The concert was performed by:

Victor Barbé: synthesisers, harmonica, voice
Candice Blache : Minimoog Voyager
Julie Breuil : Access Virus TI, voice
Athénaïs Franck : Voice,
Antoine Grimaud : Guitar, voice
Paul Saric : Minimoog Little Phatty, voice
Marc-Henri Arfeux : Minimoog Voyager, Access Virus TI
"Mauvais Garçon" : Introduction to the audience"

Winterbloom Sol & Big Honking Button Eurorack Modules

Note this is the first post to feature Winterbloom. They are also a new supporting member of the site, which is extremely appreciated.

Winterbloom is having a giveaway for their Sol & Big Honking Button eurorack modules. You can find details on how to enter on Twitter here.

The following are details for each module.

Sol via Winterbloom

"Sol is a uniquely customizable USB MIDI to CV/Gate module. It's designed to be useful right out of the box but flexible enough to accommodate a ton of different CV/Gate generation needs. It is an unusual module, though- Sol is the first Eurorack module that can be re-programmed using CircuitPython. It's designed from the ground up to be customized by you. You are not limited by what we’ve programmed the module to do and you don't have to become an embedded developer to impart your own magic into this module.

Manufactured in the United States.

Preorders placed in April will ship in May."

Priced at $169


Big Honking Button via Winterbloom

"It is a lovely day in the studio and you have captured a horrible goose and put it into your synthesizer.

Big Honking Button is, well, a big button that honks. Okay- okay, before you run away- it’s actually a simple sampler in a very silly package. It has pitch CV, gate in, gate out, and you can store up to 4mb of samples on it.

Manufactured in the United States.

Preorders placed in April will ship in May."

Priced at $169

KORG Collection 2: Refined

Published on Apr 15, 2020 Korg
"Evolution Designed and Refined for the Modern Music World. A synthesizer collection beyond the ages. More about KORG Collection 2 at: http://www.korg.com/korg_collection/

The KORG Collection series, which reproduces some of KORG’s greatest synthesizer keyboards as software, are renewed as KORG Collection 2. The six legacy plugins: MS-20, Polysix, Mono/Poly, M1, WAVESTATION and MDE-X each have a completely revised user interface that is scalable and high resolution. In addition there are new effects algorithms and preset programs for MS-20, Polysix, Mono/Poly and MDE-X. The KORG Collection 2 showcases these classic synthesizers to set new sound and performance standards."

"Fifth Avenue Menace" - Yamaha RS-7000 + Prophet 6 + Prophet REV2 + Korg MS-2000

Published on Apr 15, 2020 Patrick Manderson

"Recorded live late afternoon on April 5th, 2020 using a Yamaha RS-7000 MIDI Sequencer and a room full of MIDI synthesizers & drum machines. The sequencer was painstakingly programmed to play all instruments as well as automations, modulation, volume & patch changes. The instruments ran through 3 mixers and a rack of compressors and outboard effects. All parts were mixed and recorded in a single take. This video was recorded and edited afterwards.

The initial inspiration started with the Korg DDD-5, Korg EX-8000 & Sequential Prophet 6. Later the vox parts were developed on the Korg MS 2000. The Korg Radias would likely do a better job making voice-like sounds but the MS 2000 was more convenient in the early stages. Instead the Radias provided a custom kit of percussive noises, sweeps and plucks.

The Korg EX-8000 is a beautiful sounding synth, unfortunately one patch was used to play bass and nothing else. However the pitch wheel was assigned filter cutoff - giving it the right texture during parts of the music. Art Tube Channel provided its EQ and compression.

The Prophet 6 plays the dominate piano progression in the first half and later takes a minor role filling in space once the intensity kicks in. This patch was very expressive with both envelopes mapped to velocity.

The Korg Minilogue has double-duty with the main melody and layering the bass parts in the first half. Its filter has lots of sweet spots and can be dialed in just right when inspired.

Sequential REV2 and Roland JP-8080 are quite busy filling in various swells, stringy pads, portamentos and spacy atmospherics throughout. The REV2's deep programming allows it to fit perfectly where it needs to.

The BassStation plays a duet of solos in the last 3rd along with Minilogue and MS 2000. Its programming is very flixible for solos using mod wheel, pitch and channel aftertouch. The multi-mode filter give you lots of flexibility to dial in the right sound. A vintage 8bit digital delay added epic sound to the most important parts of the BassStation.

The Roland JX-03 has a minor role doubling a channel with the Radias however the Roland SH-01A is more prominent role filling in necessary chords and melodies.

The Electribe ESX-1 wasn't originally part of this music until later when a need for more punchier beats for the second half.

Accoustic drums came from an expansion card installed in the Roland XV-5080. It was easy to male good use of the multitimbral key-range mapping with a number of arpeggiated plucks drowned in reverb and delay.

The Radias provided additional distorted noises thru bit-reductions at the very end.

Additional reverbs were generated by the Ensooniq DP/4. The Lexicon MX200 pitch shifted the kick and snare on the DDD-5 while the Quadraverb engulfed the drum bus with gated reverb.

All MIDI ran through the MOTU MIDI Timepiece MTP AV.

The camera is an old Panasonic Lumix LX7 point and shoot. Editing was done in Davinci Resolve."

iOS synth TAL-U-NO-LX (Juno-60) ambient jam

Published on Apr 15, 2020 Nathan D Farrell

"This jam is loosely inspired by Nils Frahm “Says”. TAL-U-NO-LX is an excellent recreation of the Juno-60 synthesizer.

Apps used: AUM, Modley delay, TAL-U-NO-LX, Alteza reverb

Edited in luma fusion."

Yamaha AN1x Panel Undercoat

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

via this auction

Thought this was interesting from the perspective of what's underneath the surface coating. I assumed it was the same shade of blue throughout. It's actually a lighter blue, like the CS1X, underneath. Note the knobs are custom as well.

From the listing: "The corner piece had cracked off from a previous shipper but was super glued back on very strongly. The lighter colored area is where stickers were removed and the solvent did take some paint off. The text along the top edge of the synth (midi in, midi out, etc) is faded but still visible. The battery has been replaced in the last 2 years. The display has good intensity as pictured."

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Hohner ADAM Advanced Digital Synthesizer

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

via this auction

See a demo of one here.

You can find additional posts featuring the A.D.A.M. here

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TR-808 + Sherman Filterbank + Analog Heat

Published on Apr 15, 2020 Honeysmack

"Getting nasty with the sound of a pure TR-808 into the Sherman Filterbank and Elektron Analog Heat MkI. All improvised and unrehearsed jam, no other audio processing. Includes some Korg Volca Keys for little extra something!"

NYC Pause

Published on Apr 15, 2020 d9n9c9

This one is in via d9n9c9: "I’m using the Akai Miniak in this video, performing a song I wrote about the current state of my life under quarantine in NYC."

A Special Message From Eric Persing of Spectrasonics - Stéphane Bonvallet Passed Away From COVID-19

A Special Message From EP Published on Apr 15, 2020 SpectrasonicsVIDEO

"A Special Message to our Community from Spectrasonics Founder Eric Persing."

Stéphane is the first person in the synth industry that I'm aware of who has passed away from the coronaviris / COVID-19. He was too young.

via Spectrasonics:

"Stéphane Bonvallet is truly Spectrasonics’ French Connection.

It all started with a D-50 and an explosion of music programming around the planet. Stéphane was one of the first to own this legendary synth in France. His addiction to it and all things audio secured him a position in the dawning of this age of musical programming. Some say he could often be seen programming sounds with his eyes shut in a state of audio nirvana.

It's this kind of passion that keeps Stéphane the eternal optimist in all things pertaining to music and destiny. The allure of the industry eventually lead him to pursue a Masters in Sound Engineering. Studying music arrangement and jazz at the CIM, considered the premiere jazz school in Europe, Stéphane built his skill set through countless studio hours. His talents found their first home in French television work for Les Enfants de la Télé and La Fureur du Samedi Soir.

His association with Spectrasonics spans nearly a decade as a consultant, demonstrator and as a member of the renown sound development team for Omnisphere and Trilian."