MATRIXSYNTH: Monday, August 29, 2005


Monday, August 29, 2005

Virtual Drum Machines Online

In via AH. Wow, check out this list! I can't wait to check these out. There are also a few virtual keyboards including The Rheem Kee Bass, Technosaurus Microcon, and the Mattell Bee Gees Rhythm Machines. Bee Gees. Woot! ; )

List of drum machines:
Boss DR-55
Univox Microrhythmer
Electro-Harmonix Rhyth
Wurlitzer Swing Rhythm 5020
Maestro Rhythm MRQ-1
Oberheim DX
Roland TR-33
Roland TR-330
Seeburg Rhythm Prince
Yamaha MR-10
MXR Computer Rhythm 185
M.P.C. The KIT
Bos CR-110
Korg Mini Pops 35
CONN Min-O-Matic
Electro-Harmonix DRM-16
Electro-Harmonix DRM-15
EMU E-Drum
Rhythm Box Tronix
Rhythm Box Austin
ELI Computer Rhythm CR-7030
Boss DR. PAD (DPR-I)
Boss DR. PAD (DPR-II)
Boss Dr. PAD (DPR-III)
Suzuki RPM-40
Roland TR-66 Rhythm Machine
Siel MDP-40
Seeburg Select-A-Rhythm
Roland PB-3000 Rhythm Plus
Electro-Harmonix Space Drum
Synsonics drums by Mattel
Boss DR-220a
Univox Microrhythmer 8
Boss DR-220e
Yamaha EM-90a
Roland TR-55

KVR

One last post on virtual synths. If you haven't checked out KVR yet, do so. It is the most comprehensive source of software synths I have come accross. A lot of these are free.

PPG Realizer - the first virtual synth


The PPG Realizer was the first digital virtual synth. Pictured below you will see a number of knobs with lines for each making it's way to the green monochrome monitor. In that monitor you might recognize something very familiar - the Moog Minimoog. That's right. The PPG Realizer was to have a model of the Minimoog back in 1986! It was to be the ultimate synth in its ability to host software versions of other synthesizers. Unfortunately it never made it to production and it put PPG out of business. Click here for more and make sure to check out the rest of the site. It is a fantastic PPG resource.

Amazingly ahead of it's time:

"'An impressive exhibit from PPG was the Realizer (about $50,000). This consists of software versions of familiar synthesizer configurations. It allows you to design your own analog, FM digital, and sampled sounds, patch any of the components of one instrument into another instrument, and then sequence or sample the resulting sound. Wolfgang Palm, designer of the Realizer and head of PPG Instruments, earns the quote-of-the-show award for explaining how he designed it: 'I copied the circuit diagrams into software.' No easy task."

Seer Systems - First software synth

Boot up that copy of Win98! : )

"Seer Systems invented the software-based 486 music synthesizer in 1993. From this experience grew the RealityTM, SurRealTM, and reMixerTM professional-strength software-based synthesizer engine for Win98. By making the instrument as well as its sounds distributable, the comprehensive, patented SeerMusic system (U.S. #5,886,274) accomplishes everything that is needed for the music delivery system of the future.

Please note that all Seer Software runs on Windows 95 or 98™. An XP™ version is in preparation but no release date can yet be offered. You can try to set up a "dual-boot" system. But committing a fast legacy Win 98 machine with digital output from Reality™ is still justifiable in many cases. "

BTW, check out the history page on Dave Smith Instruments. Dave Smith founded Sequential Circuits, is responsible for the Prophet 5, Prophet VS, MIDI, the Korg Wavestation and this. He also worked at Yamaha where I wouldn't be surprised if he worked on the Yamaha TG33 Wavetable synth.

Phoenix


Interesting connection to Syd which I posted about earlier. Antonio Tuzzi, author of a software synthesizer named Phoenix developed in 1997 for the Mac, dropped by to post a comment on the Syd.

"I think I've seen for the first time Syd in 1996. Was my inspiration: I wrote a couple of emails to Jim and after that I decided to write a virtual analog real time synth and by the 1997 I had Phoenix up and running on MacOS9.
Phonenix is (was) a very powerful tool! It was used in couple of schools.
If you have a powermac still running MACOS9... let me know
the url contains a snapshot of Phoenix running"

I find the very first software synthesizers fascinating. I remember when I saw Dave Smith's Seer Systems Reality for the first time. I thought this is it. The time has finally come for synthesizers in software, the realization of the PPG Realizer. I remember thinking the next step would be less powerful but more accessible shrink wrapped synths in software. Now we have thousands of software synthesizers available to us, many even free.

Update: you can get the software here: link. Install and use at your own risk. Antonio Tuzzi sent this my way with the following comments:

"Hi M,

attached phoenix...

remember, was a development stage application (used in digidesign in
1997~1998...)

is written for MACOS9 (but still run with some chocking on MACOSX calssic mode)

is a RAR file that contais a DMG image, file should be copied in
alocal directory on the final computer

there is pratically no documentation. but the synth is still able to
create real time AIF files that can be reused in samplers or in
composign software (ProTools ?).

implemented oscillators tables filters string filters delays reverb
analyzer and room simulators


ciao
antonio"

Buchla Complex Oscillator

In via AH:

"I've been gathering some bits for a web page on the Buchla Music Easel
which isn't done yet. However, I've posted an example of the complex
oscillator here:
http://www.alt-mode.com/buchla/sounds/Waveshape_Example.mp3

There are 9 sounds in this example. Each sound has the "timbre" swept
by the pulser. The sounds are in groups of three for each position of
the waveform switch (narrow pulse, square, and triangle). For each of
these waveforms, I recorded the sound with the waveshape knob fully
counter-clockwise (sine), 12 o'clock, and fully clockwise. [I hope that
made sense.] No filters were used in these examples at all and it is
just one oscillator!

Anyway, the complex oscillator in the Music Easel is like nothing else I
have ever heard. This basic example shows just some of the possibilities.

Eric"
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