MATRIXSYNTH: Tuesday, January 16, 2007

FLAME at NAMM

Remember FLAME? Looks like it will be making an appearance at NAMM.

Title link takes you to the FLAME site with audio.

Producer Timbaland rips song from finnish musician?

YouTube via timbalandrips. Sent my way via JM.

"In 2000 the Finnish demoscene musician Janne Suni (also known as 'Tempest') won the Oldskool Music Competition at the Assembly demoparty with his four-channel Amiga .MOD entitled 'Acid Jazzed Evening.' A Commodore 64 musician called 'grg' remade the song on the C64 (using the infamous SID soundchip); it is this that was stolen."

Synth content: C64 in the original track. Title link takes you to non synth details.
There's more detail in the description of the YouTube video.
Here's the TinyUrl referenced at the end of the video.

Jupiter 8 Versions

This came in on the AH list. Bookmarking this one for future reference.

According to the service manual there are NINE different versions:

Below 171700: OC-8 (optie) test production
171700 - 181899: D/A converter from 12 to 14 bit
---: OC-8 is optional for 12 en 14 bit models
181900: PROM compatibel with OC-8 PROM's
202100: Modulation circuit
202210: RAM Module Controller Board
242750: Brighter leds installed
272850: Button added to dimm Leds
282880: DCB Board standard

NB: the OC-8 board was the predecessor of the DCB Board

Update: Table of serial numbers.

x0xb0x Mod and Mp3

Title link takes you to the mp3 via greg.
mods:
bass boost (more like bass un-cut)
accent decay/min decay extension
vco output
filter input
filter input level/overdrive
resonance boost
env min, max extension
cutoff extension
vca decay
square, saw and vca to vcf FM
accent to filter extension

Virus TI OS 2.0 - Grain-table Synthesis?

Title link takes you to a pdf via this thread on HC.

"OS 2.0 for Virus TI has some new oscillator types:

"The new version features additional oscillator types, enhanced Wavetable synthesis and more wavetables. It allows you to see how expensive a chosen patch is and features Section Locking through Virus Control. Patches can be finally sorted by category and the onboard patch ROM contains addition 256 sounds by Matthew Stolley and Matt Picone.

We have included new oscillator modes, greatly expanding on the flexibility of these already powerful sound-sculpting tools.

The remaining oscillator modes all make use of a new technology for the Virus TI, called Grain Table. The basic idea behind this technology, is to take the existing wavetables, and apply similar techniques as those used in some granular sampling and pitch-shifting algorithms to open up a whole new world of possibilities. Each of the two main types: Grain Table and Formant Table are presented in both Simple and Complex formats. In each case, the Simple mode offers fewer parameters, and a higher polyphony than Complex, with the values of parameters common to each mode remaining constant.

It’s important to note that the characteristics of the Grain Table and Formant Table oscillators are quite different to those of traditional “granular” sampling/synthesis techniques, which tend to be associated with other-worldly “clouds” of sound. In the Virus TI, we have instead employed the technology to achieve a very musical result which should prove every bit as useful as the other oscillator types in all manner of musical projects."

I have no idea if this is real, but there it is.

Wiard Envelop MARF Model GR-1214A

Multiple Arbitrary Function Generator

flickr by M.M.

Title link takes you to more info on Muff Wiggler.

Details via Grant Richter of Wiard:

"After years of design and months of work I have a kind of working prototype of the Envelooper MARF. It works, but not perfectly yet. I am still getting the bugs out. This is targeted to the Frac-Rac format.

MARF stands for "Multiple Arbitrary Function Generator". One of the shortcomings of modular synthesis is the lack of complex controllers for modules. To generate a complex control function now, you have to sum together multiple envelopes and LFOs. The Envelooper allows you to draw complex control functions visually, with enough points to reproduce the effect of summing multiple envelopes and LFOs. It also stores pitches like a sequencer, and you can draw an envelope in channel 4 for each pitch.

The Envelooper is designed to support true "gestural" synthesis where a single key press or button push can produce control signals for a complete musical gesture. Multiple gestures are stored in different Banks and can be selected by voltage control. Using a black and white keyboard, you can select and trigger gestures with just the keyboard. The Envelooper also has a "Loop" switch that sets it to free running loop without needing a gate or trigger.

The Envelooper is modeled after an ADSR envelope generator. For the Envelooper, each segment of the A, D, S and R is four 256 byte pages stored in a PROM, for a total of 1024 bytes for each envelope. Four 8 bit outputs are produced simultaneously with a channel to channel skew of an inaudible 1 microsecond.

Each ADSR segment has an independent "playback" time control from 1 millisecond to 20 seconds. The shortest total envelope time is 4 milliseconds and the longest is 80 seconds.

The ouputs are calibrated like the Mini-Wave to 1 volt per octave. Two steps = 83.3 millivolts = a semitone. So the table programmer in Wave 256 can be used to program pitch information using actual note names.

The Wave256 software used to program the Waveform City and Mini-Wave is also used to program the Envelooper. The waveforms in a "Wave" are set up like this for the enveloopers four outputs; A1, A2, A3, A4, D1, D2, D3, D4, S1, S2, S3, S4, R1, R2, R3, R4.

The programming rules are as follows; A(ttack) pages start at -128 and end at +128, D(ecay) pages start at +128 and end at 0, S(ustain) pages start and end at zero, Release pages start at 0 and end at -128. Following these programing rules produce envelopes with no audible "splice" when the device switches from one segment to another.

The four outputs are mapped two different ways for East Coast and West Coast patches. For East Coast use, output 1 controls the pitch of the VCO, output 2 controls the waveform, output 3 controls the VCF (Boogie) and output 4 controls the VCA (Borg 2). For West Coast use, output 1 controls the pitch of the VCO, output 2 controls the waveform X, output 3 controls the waveform Y and output 4 controls the lowpass gate.

8 bits has a fair amount of zipper noise, for pitches we want this quantization, but it is a problem for VCAs and other inputs. One of the little known things about Vactrols is that they remove zipper noise. So running an 8 bit signal through a Vactrol smooths out the steps into continuous function. The VCO will have Vactrols or the equivalent on the waveform X and Y inputs to remove zipper noise. The Borg and Boogie filters are based on Vactrols and already remove zipper noise.

I just wanted to post a little note to let everyone know that Wiard R&D will continue to produce ground breaking designs not available anywhere else. For those REALLY interested I have posted the test PROM file in the files section called adsr4.256 Use the Wave256 software to view the segment designs. Please note this is just an experimental file to test ideas, NOT the final file which will ship with the module."

Again, check out Muff Wiggler for more module mayhem.

Click image for full shot.

Model 21 Milton Venti (The new Milton has arrived)
Model 25 Multi-tasking Audio Processor
Model 26 Multi-tasking Control Processor
Model 27 Digital Delay
Model 16 Spectral Multiplexer

Booth 1785

Go here for an audio preview

This is the first I've heard of the Model 25, 26 and 27.
This is the first showing of all five in their finished form.
Title link takes you to ear.

Previous Plan b posts
Previous Milton posts
Previous Model 21 post
Previous Model 16 posts

Light Show

Title link takes you to a 1.83M mp3 by daddio of Tapewarm Studio.

"some testing noise (not very musical): doepfer modular/MAQ (super simple patch), kaoss pads, and nord rackII/expressionmate"