MATRIXSYNTH: Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Blacet Design Contest Results In

Well, the results are in. The grand prize of a $100 Blacet gift certificate went to KH's "Phase Spread Module". There wasn't a shot of it, so no image for this post.

Here are the details:
"The bottom jack is the input of an audio signal. The pot space is called "phase spread", and it controls the spread of phase shift in the 4 output jacks. Fully counter clockwise, all out 4 outputs are in phase. Fully clockwise, bottom #1 is in phase, next up is #2 at 90 degrees out, #3 at 180, #4 (top) back in phase at 360 degrees. Variable in-between. The outputs could be put through a mixer for filtering effects." Title link takes you to more.

Sonoric Instruments

Interesting. Title link takes you there. There are samples and some images. Note the site is still under construction and is missing a bit of content. This is your first look at what might be coming from them.

Update: According to this post on Sonic State, the Sonoric synths might actually be based on the Anadigm chipset. You might remember this post on Anadigm using the Andromeda A6 in there graphics as well as this one on Retro Thing speculating how Anadigm chips could be used in a low cost Polymoog.

Some notes from the thread:
"It's a synth that was built with a analog modular synth in mind for the first time, controlled digitally by software on a PC. In time, he realized that for start it would be better to have "scenes", rather than making it completly modular. I don't think he droped the idea, but right now he will make some default "scenes", this means that if you need for example Korg MS10 or 20 architecture you can have it. Or maybe Arp 2600, or Minimoog, or anything...I don't know what it would be, really. Of course it will not sound exactly like the original, but at least it will sound analog, not like a digital emulation. As you can easily hear on the website it's really fat. Or phat;) The cool thing is that the character of the filter can be changed from software.

The oscillators and multimode filters are analogue, the modulations digital (lfo's, env's). You can have a lot of filters and oscillators. 16 if I remember well. "

The Vermona Mephisto

This one via Mr. Array in the comments of this post. Another synth that could have been. I wanted one of these bad. Gorgeous analog synth that was going to have motorized knobs. I say chuck the motorized knobs and release it for less. I can just see my daughter trying to hold one if its knobs in place while flipping through presets. Ouch... BTW, just realized Mr. Array has his own blog! Guys, you need to let me know about these things. I've added it to my blog roll on the right.

* 6 Stimmen
* 3 Voltage Controlled Oscillators (VCO)
* 1 Envelope Generator - Oscillators
* 2 Low Frequency Oscillators (LFO)
* 2 Envelope Generators
* Voltage Controlled Filter (VCF)
* Voltage Controlled Amplifier (VCA)
* Ringmodulator
* Noise Generator (pink/white)
* Sample & Hold
* Glide (Keyboard, S&H)
* Input für externe Signale
* 61 anschlagsdynamische Tasten
* 36 Motorpotis
* frei zuweisbare Wheels
* 100 Speicherplätze

http://www.vermona.de/htm/Mephisto%20-%20Features.htm

MIKMO DIY and Circuit Bending

Title link takes you there. Click on Synth DIY, followed by the links below for more, including how to make front panels and PCBs. Via GetLoFi.

"This is what the synth consists of so far :
* One +/- 12 V powersupply.
* Two VCO's.
* One Dual VCA.
* One ADSR envelope generator.
* One LFO.
* One state variable VCF.
* One sample and hold generator.
* One dual white / dual pink noise generator.
* One 1 in 4 out CV attenuator / distributor module.
* One 3 channel audio mixer.
* One dual ring modulator.
* One Steiner filter (almost finished, just need front panel).
* Two four position multi jacks, sharing frontpanel with the ringmodulators. "

Quasimidi Nucleus

Title link takes you to the source of the Nucleus shot below. I remember when the Nucleus buzz came out. People, including me, were drooling at the thought of this synth hitting the market. It was never released, and shortly after, the Polymorph was. It's still not clear whether the Nucleus was a Polymorph with keys, more, or something completely different. If you know, feel free to comment. In searching for more info I ran across SYNRISE's page on Quasimidi. It's worth checking out. They also list a QM-One and a Photon prototype Raven, along with the other Quasimidi synths.

Nucleus

Update via erminio in the comments back in 2006: "There's a Nucleus posted on ebay... the owner says there are only 3 pieces in the world. And it seems in good shape too!!! Hope it will serve you m8s"

However, via acemonvw in 2014 in the comments: "The Quasimidi Nucleus was planned as a Polymorph with more voices and a keyboard. What you see at that picture isn't a prototype - it's just the dummy. The Nucleus never reached the prototype level. The project was cancelled shortly after the musicmesse in Frankfurt, where the Nucleus was presented under glass. Does anyone remember the photon? Nearly the same story but a little bit earlier."

Polymorph

RCA Synthesizer MK II

via Analog Industries where you'll find a sample link.

Via 120 Years: "The RCA Synthesiser was invented by the electronic engineers Harry Olsen and Hebert Belar, employed at RCA's Princeton Laboratories, as a way of electronically generating popular music. Although it never fulfilled its inventors expectations it's novel features were an inspiration for a number of electronic composers during the 1950's."

Exotic Moog - New Flickr Shot

Shot by kevinfmason.

Exotic Moog by Martin Denny
Track Listing:
Cast Your Fate To The Wind
Let It Be Me
Quiet Village
I Talk To The Trees
The Enchanted Sea
Midnight Cowboy
Deulah
Let Go
Love Me Tonight
Was It Really Love
A Taste Of Honey
Yellow Bird

Synth DIY UK

"Synth-DIY UK 2006 is to be held on July 29th at Robinson College in Cambridge, the same great venue as we've used since 2003." Title link takes you there. Makes sure to click on the year links on the top right for the p*rn.

Jane Child's Fairlight Series III

Title link takes you to shots pulled from this auction. Some details saved below. Via Kevin Kelley of Audio Playground.

Includes:

Monitor
Keyboard
Fairlight Unit
CPU/Processor for Fairlight Unit
Stylus
Replacement Stylus & Stylus Pad
Optical Drive
Tape drive
SCSI CDRW Drive
32MB RAM
4GB Internal HD
3 Cables for Fairlight (as pictured below)
Custom fit Road Cases for EVERYTHING!!!!!!

2 User Manual Boxes that include the following:
•Reference Manual
•Tutorial Manual
•Fairlight Service Manual Binder (with blueprints)
•Command Summary
•CAPS - Midi Sequencer For Series III
•Cue List Timecode Sequencer For SoundFX
•Software Revision 5.4 Command Summary
•Series 111 STUDIO (Describes a lot of history behind the Fairlight)
•Rhythm Sequencer for Series III

Libraries:
Master Sampler Collection Rev 1.2 Strings
Prosonus Mono Library
Brass Reeds & Strings
Prosonus
EBN Sounds 2
Prosonus Disk Two
Fairlight EBN
Fairlight Sound Library
Fairlight Sound Library
MS Co Rev 1.2 Composite Strings & Drums/Percussion
Prosonus Disk One

Software Disquettes Include:

Electric Sound & Picture Revision Keydisk
Fairlight CMI Revision 9.34R Software SYS K2
Fairlight CMI Revision 9.34R Software USER K1
Fairlight CMI Revision 9.34R Software 0S9 K0
Fairlight Revision 8.30R Software SYS K2
Fairlight Revision 8.30R Software USER K1
Fairlight Revision 8.30R Software OS9 K0

Update via the comments: "Not that anyone cares, but I doubt that's Jane Child's Fairlight - the cases say M.S.P. (Maximum Sequential Potential) on them, which was Ned Liben's studio in NYC. Liben was "EBN" of the 80's synth duo EBN/OZN. Also, some of his sounds are listed as included with the auction."

Haven't Found The Perfect Sequencer?

Maybe this will help. A sweaty towel owned by none other than Keith Emerson! Wear it while you play for that extra perspiration, I mean inspiration, or take it to your local cloning lab and grow your own Keith Emerson. Details from the auction below (the seller sniffed it).

Via the auction:
"Keith Emerson's Towel
From Black Moon Tour
Here's a weird one. I was digging through my old boxes at my parents house and found my old concert t-shirts and this blue and white striped bath towel in a bag. It didn't take long for me to remember why I saved this towel in a ziplock bag - it was Keith Emerson's towel he used during the ELP concert I saw at Stanhope, NJ back in the summer of 1992.

My two brothers and I got to the show many hours early and I was lucky enough to get to stand against the wall in the front of the stage. I remember it being a very good show and that they played the classic song "Pirates". Keith used the towel the whole show to wipe his head and neck and threw in into the audience after the show was over. My entrepreneurial brother who was standing behind me actually caught the towel out of the air and then sold it to me for $15 on the ride home. (Nice brother, huh?)

After getting home, I placed the towel into a plastic ziplock bag and I NEVER washed it. (Pretty gross, I know) It has stayed in the bag ever since. It doesn't smell though- I sniffed it to check.

Well anyway, I'm not much of an ELP fan anymore, so I'm selling this piece of music memorabilia starting at the $15 price I paid for it 14 long years ago. You are welcome to use it as a bath towel, use it to cover your mini moog, hang it on your wall for inspiration, or somehow possibly extract Keith Emerson's DNA from it and make super keyboardist babies in the future! : )"