MATRIXSYNTH: Wednesday, August 17, 2005


Wednesday, August 17, 2005

Ensoniq FIZMO

This is one whacked out synth. I was going through my swiffer wipe down on it (dusting it), and I hit the arp, twisted a couple of knobs and this thing comes out of it. It's like a whacked out orchestra tuning up in limbo and forever stuck there in a loop. Just whacked! See my old post for more on the FIZMO and misunderstood synths. Back to dusting... Click here for a 1 minute mp3 at 1M.

Circuit Bending

Retro thing has a post up on Reed Ghazala's new book titled, "Circuit-Bending: Build Your Own Alien Instruments." I'm with James of Retrothing in not messing with the old and increasingly rare vintage synths. Circuit bending is NOT synth modding. Modding usually ads functionality to a synth maintaining it's original sound and design - think adding audio input, midi or adding PWM to a synth. It ADDS to the synth. Circuit bending usually completely alters the device by creating bridges between circuits that weren't meant to be there. In a sense it's mutilating the device into something completely different. Interesting, but not something I'd want to happen to old synths. I always cringed when Trent Reznor trashed a synth on stage, well I guess DX7s were ok. : ) Joking aside, fortunately circuit bending has been relatively limitted to toys and cheap home keyboards.

Click here for Reed's Ghazala's circuit bending page. Make sure to check out his home page for more of his work and an interesting home page. : )

From his site:
"Circuit-bending is an electronic art which implements creative audio short-circuiting. This renegade path of electrons represents a catalytic force capable of exploding new experimental musical forms forward at a velocity previously unknown. Anyone at all can do it; no prior knowledge of electronics is needed. The technique is, without a doubt, the easiest electronic audio design process in existence.

The circuit-bent instrument, often a re-wired audio toy or game, is an alien instrument: alien in electronic design, alien in voice, alien in musician interface. Through this procedure, all around our planet, a new musical vocabulary is being discovered. A new instrumentarium is being born."

For fun I searched for "circuit bent" on the bay. Check out this circuit bent SK-1 currently up for auction.

Yamaha MK-100


It's funny. Every few months my parents-in-law come up to visit for the weekend or we go down to visit them. Frequently they go "garage sailing." I always tell them to look out for keyboards with knobs especially any "broken ones" that only play one note at a time. They typically come back saying no knobs, just Casio's and Yamaha home keyboards and I dismiss these thinking good, didn't miss out on anything by skipping that trip. Well... Now I'm beginning to think maybe I am missing a few gems out there - those home keyboards that offer that little extra. I knew about the Casio SK-1, but I just recently read about the Yamaha MK-100. Not only does it allow you to adjust the OSC waveforms and Envelope patterns, but it actually has a built in analog drum machine! And... It sounds good. I'm left wondering how many other home keyboards are out there like this. Yes there is the Radioshack Concertmate MG-1 Moog, but come on, we all know that is a real synth, a Moog Rouge repackaged. : )

Click here for Sealed's Deep Synthesis page on the MK-100 with some samples, and overview section and more. Now off to check out some circuit bent stuff.

Update: How could I forget about the Yamaha DJX searies! : )

WERSI Matic CX1


More on the WERSI Matic CX1 sent my way. It's a synth, rhythm box in one. Cool little thing, isn't it?

Audio: WERSI Matic CX1 MP3

New JPG:

Heathfinnie


This demo track came in on AH. It features an ARP 2600, Minimoog, Fender Strat, and Line 6 DD4. Amazing track. It's a good showcase of the 2600 and Minimoog in this setting. BTW, it's a great track for blogging zen. : ) Click here for Heath's homepage with more.

Update: Some background on them. I thought Heathfinnie was the name of the band, but it's not. They don't have a name yet. I was trying to place the track above and I realize it put me in the same mood as Michael Brook, one of my favorite musicians. I remember seeing him open up for David Sylvian. Amazing show. It's good to have more music like this out there. I hope there's more to come.

From Heath:
"The band is just me and a friend of mine, Jamie. We both play guitar and synthesizers so we can trade off on a lot of things. On this track he played guitar and I did all the synth parts. It was a live and done improv. Most of our songs to this point have been done inprov almost as demos since we are still writing songs in preparation of doing a release and some shows.

Basically this track started with Jamie playing a pattern on the guitar and I was just playing the filter on the 2600. So all the synth you hear in the first 10 minutes or so is just the filter of the 2600. No oscillators at all. I was just raising and lowering the resonance to be in pitch with him. After a while I set up the filter to modulate to the lfo and set up a hold so that freed me up to play the minimoog.

We don't even have ourselves a name yet."

The Beginnings of the Arp Quadra?


I love finding jems like this. This came in on a Vintage Synth thread on The Weather Report and Zawinul's use of the Quadra. Apparently he was the first to ever use one (probably not counting ARP of course).

"Speaking of the Quadra, did you know that Zawinul was the first artist to ever use
a Quadra? well, now you know it.

Quote from an article on Zawinul & the Quadra appearing in the June '79 issue of the Arpeggio newsletter:

"With the help of Alan Howarth* (Joe's keyboard tech between 1977-1979), then working as sales manager for Arp, Joe got his first look at the Quadra in 'August of 1978 when the original prototype was bought to L.A. for his evaluation. A few months later, Joe received the 1st test-run Quadra for use in a Weather Report concert in Havanna, Cuba"

Zawinul (commenting on the Quadra):

"It's got such a big and full sound" ...
"an excellent bass sound"

* the same Alan Howarth who a year or so later would find himself working with composer/director John Carpenter on soundtracks like "Escape From New Yourk" (late '80) Halloween II ('81) Halloween III ('82) etc."

"More Quadra info:

The original idea to build the Quadra came from a friend of mine, the owner of Pi Keyboards in Cleveland, Dave Yost. Sometime late 1976, Dave devised a circuit that allowed him to control an Arp 2600 from an Omni keyboard. The Arp factory rep came by the store and saw the keyboards, and was blown away by what Dave had done. A week later, we got a call from Phil Dodds, in product development at Arp, who wanted to know more about what Dave had done. (The same Phil Dodds who played the 2500 in Close Encounters). Dave sent a copy of the schematic to Phil, and the Quadra was born. Months later, at the July '77 NAMM in Atlanta, Dave was introduced as the "father of the Quadra", when the Quadra was introduced at the show.

I bought one of the first Quadras about that time and it was heavily modified by myself with the guidance of Dave when I worked at his store. It was lost in a fire in the 80's, (along with a Prophet 5), and I sure wish I still had that today.

Dave also did work with Wendy Carlos on her Moog Modular, including a just intonation module which was custom built at Pi in Cleveland."

Yamaha FX1 and FX3


Yamaha FX3 image from Ron The Music Maker

After reading about L. Ron Hubbard's love for the Yamaha FX3 (picture below), I decided to do a bit of searching to find out more about it. Most sites refer to it as an organ that is entirely FM based. I found this Sound On Sound article on the Yamaha DX line of FM based synths. There is a caption section on the FX1 and it's smaller offshoots, the FX3, FX10 and FX20. FX3, pictured below a "smaller" offshoot? Dang. Apparently there is only one working FX1 in the UK. It originally sold for £36,000 in 1986.

Update via the comments:
"Concerning the FX1 Yamaha, I purchased one new in, I believe, 1986, in Florida. I think I paid over $30,000 plus a 7" Knabe grand piano trade-in. I was a professional, playing a B-3 for years. When I saw the FX1, like L. Ron Hubbard, I was intrigued by the new line of FX's by Yamaha. I used the FX1 for a year on the job. Although I loved playing the FX1, I missed the B-3 Hammond. I have continued playing the B-3 since 1988. When I moved from Florida, I was going to sell the FX1, but decided to bring it with me to Missouri. I have kept it, and it's two matching speakers in climate control to this day. Yep, I still have it. It's in great condition and it worked perfectly the last time I played it two years ago. The organ is so unique, I just couldn't sell or trade it. I called Yamaha, and they didn't even have one in their possesion. If you want to reach me, I will answer."

Contact info is in the comments.

WERSI Synthesizers


Turns out the grey synth in my last post is the WERSI Matic CX-1. I always think of organs and music auto-accompaniment devices when I think of WERSI. They also made a few synthezisers including the following two:

WERSI Synthesizer


MK1

Michael Leicher's Amazing Synth Collection

Update: Comments in fromt the Man himself! Thanks Michael!

"Hello together, yes parts of the Collection were sold to some people - i need more space for my Organs - i bought a lot of new (old) Organs. My heart belongs to the Organs - i play over 25 Years. Many of my Synths were never used by me - so i sold some of then to People who had fun and can use the Maschines in any case. My EBAY account is closed after selling some Synths. Now i collect Stars for my new TV Show. Until 2 weeks i meet Richard Clayderman in Paris - the most succsessfull Pianist in the World with over 100 Mio. sold Copys for making an Interview. Ok, thats all...

Regards and have fun on my page www.michaelleicher.com

Michael Leicher - Bochum "

Update: just in case you miss the numerous comments comming in. Unfortunately the majority of these synths here where not kept in the best functional and sometimes physical condition. Read the comments for more. Most of these were also auctioned off.

I was searching around for more info on the Yamaha FX3 and I ran into this site. Click here for the collection list. This link will take you to the photo gallery. Wow. Absolute insanity. There are things in there I've never seen before and things I never even knew existed in the synth world. For example, what is this grey thing?



Also check out this Jellinghous DX Programmer for the Yamaha DX7

And off his homepage. He looks like a young German Liberace. Check out that Yamaha EX-1! Man he's got Sparkle! ; )

PREVIOUS PAGE NEXT PAGE HOME


Patch n Tweak
Switched On Make Synthesizer Evolution Vintage Synthesizers Creating Sound Fundlementals of Synthesizer Programming Kraftwerk

© Matrixsynth - All posts are presented here for informative, historical and educative purposes as applicable within fair use.
MATRIXSYNTH is supported by affiliate links that use cookies to track clickthroughs and sales. See the privacy policy for details.
MATRIXSYNTH - EVERYTHING SYNTH