Heavy Metal - Taarna (1981)

YouTube via laggos. Follow up to this post.
This is from the Spanish version of Heavy Metal. The English version is up but the audio quality wasn't as good. BTW, if you haven't seen Heavy Metal, see it.

Moog Touch Plates

via Peter Forrest:

"Three interesting Bob Moog touch plates from Felix Visser via the VEMIA auction - showing how Bob moved from a very Moog-like box to a much more Big Briar thing in three stages. Almost certainly all his own handiwork."

Matrixsynth by Gattobus

flickr by gattobus

Korg AM8000R

Access Virus Ti Desktop

click here for more shots including some of the inside, via Gattobus.

Yamaha DX7 Voice ROMs

Follow up to this post. I commented that I was curious to know what the others looked like, and DC, who has the complete collection, was kind enough to send in a shot of all of them. Thanks DC!

Update: SoundSets 107 and 108 below via Eric.

So that makes:
- VRC-101 Keyboard Plucked & Tuned Percussion Group
- VRC-102 Wind Instrument Group
- VRC-103 Sustain Group
- VRC-104 Percussion Group
- VRC-105 Sound Effect Group
- VRC-106 Synthesizer Group
- VRC-107 Special Selection "David Bristow"
- VRC-108 Special Selection "Larry Leuenberger"

7hz-studio-big

flickr by Nik K.

full size

"Akai mpc, Roland Jupiter 6, Technics 1210, Sequential Pro One, Arp Axxe, Korg MS10, Yamaha 01v96."

Bert Smorenburg - Motif XS

YouTube via DaiLafing. via Nusonica.

"Bert from Yamaha playing the Motif XS7... Alss Demonstrating the connectivity to Cubase AI4"

SEAMUS Goes Retro & Modular Format Chart

The October 2007 SEAMUS newsletter goes retro. click here for the pdf. It includes a full analog modular round up written by John Loffink of The Microtonal Synthesis and The Wavemakers Synthesizer web sites. Pictured in the article: Modular formats, left to right: Mattson Mini Modular, Eurorack (Plan B), FracRack (Blacet), Serge, Buchla 200e, MOTM, Moog (Synthesizers.com), Modcan A, CMS, Wiard 300. Be sure to click the image for the full size shot.

From the Editor, Kurt Stallmann:
"As we celebrate 50 years of musical computing we can’t help but notice that the analog technology that many predicted would be outmoded and replaced still hasn’t died! Not only that, in recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest in analog instruments in popular music and among many young instrument builders. New designs of analog modular synths have been released, some of which hybrid sophisticated digital control with analog sound engines (like Buchla’s recent release of the 200e). It is along these lines that we asked Chapman Welch to conduct an interview with German improviser/composer, Thomas Lehn, whose sole setup consists of a classic analog Synthi. We also asked the Austin-based Wavemaker specialist and analog enthusiast John Loffink to give us a quick overview of a few current analog synth makers. Going even farther back, and in response to our July interview with Max Mathews, David Mooney contributes an article tracing the history and influence of Henry Cowell’s Rhythmicon on a current generation."

via Grant Richter of Wiard on the Wiard list.
Update via John Loffink: "Article has a typo, mentions Analogue Solutions as having Bode FS and Putney tribute modules, should be Analogue Systems. That will be corrected in an errata."

Visual Tour of Native Instruments KORE 2

Create Digital Music has an extensive look at KORE 2.

"Native Instruments says KORE 2 is a ground-up recode of the first KORE, with a new development team in place. It also involves a substantially redesigned hardware interface, minus the audio features but with some important improvements. It’s too early to judge the full outcome of these moves without more hands-on time, but we can at least show you what the results look like and some of the new features." Click here for the full article on CDM.

Rhodes Chroma Voice Board Test Controller

"This is a preliminary description of a Rhodes™ Chroma™ voice card test and repair fixture that I have built. It is a hand wired prototype; no circuit boards have been designed, and there are currently no plans for production, although that may change. Meanwhile, if you work on lots of Chromas, you can build your own from these schematics." [link]. Note this device was built by Dave Wilson of the New England Synthesizer Museum.

synthesizer

flickr by davesneakers

full size

EMS Synthi with external touch keyboard. Anyone know more about the keyboard? I couldn't find it on the EMS site.

Update: it's the EMS TKS. See the comments of this post for more info. You can see some images of it here (do a find for TKS). Link sent my way via PIN.

New England Synth Museum

click here for more shots. This is a photo set taken during this visit. You can see previous posts on the museum here.

DEVO Live On Fridays

YouTube via FurionHazard. Sent my way via LDT. Spot the synths.
"-1981- (Adventures of the Smart Patrol/New Traditionalists era)
Devo Live, performing Theme From Adventures of The Smart Patrol and Jerkin' Back 'n' Forth."

KORG via VEMIA

More items currently up on VEMIA.

KORG Interface
KORG VCF
KORG MS50

midiCTRL VST Controller for Alesis Micron Synthesizer

SYSEX import + SYSEX mod's patch for micron.
MIDI LEARN support. (more 90 assignable knobs).
RESET button
SETUP channel mixer
FX control (FULL!)
MODULATION control (FULL!)

OS: Windows
HOST: VST (Cubase, Ableton, Fruity Loops, etc.)


Micron editor. That makes three editors. via sequencer.de

MOOG The Source

images via
this auction

"This is a later model unit, and as such has Roland-compatible DIN Sync input to control the on-board arpeggiator and 2 sequencer tracks."

RAJ MUSICALS SAARANG

images via this auction
"VINTAGE Electronic Tanpura Synthesizer DELUXE SAARANG RAJ Musicals
- Made by: Radel Systems , Bangalore
- Type No. TBR6
-SI. No. 266

Runs on 6 C batteries and for having such a small speaker can get painfully LOUD! Radel Saarang Electronic Tanbura

The 'Saarang' produces the plucked sound of a conventional stringed tambura (tanpura) used for classical Indian music. The sound is produced electronically without the use of any strings. The 'Saarang' plays by itself and does not need a person to play it.

Pitch tunable by more than octave and covers the range of male as well as female voices - from lower A to higher C (lower 6 to higher 1, Karnatic system or lower White 6 to higher White 7, Hindustani System).

The Tanpura
The Tanpura is a four to six stringed fretless instrument made of wood, and usually combined with gourd. It provides the performing artist(s) with a tonic reference and enriches the background with its unique harmonic drone. The strings are tuned in a manner that emphasizes the tonic and the dominant notes of the raag. The bridge is slightly curved to not only provide a buzzing sound (as the strings are plucked), but also to generate various harmonics that enhance the tonal quality of the instrument. The size (gourd and neck) of the instrument may vary depending on whether the artist is an instrumentalist, male vocalist, or a female vocalist. Tanpura was most probably included as a part of a classical music ensemble since the seventeenth century.

The Tanpura player plucks the strings one at a time, in a steady, repetitive, almost orderly manner, using the index and middle fingers.

These days "electronic" tanpuras <../elect/elect.html> have become commonplace, since they do not require a human player, are less expensive, simpler to tune, require minimal maintenance, and are easily portable. Many Indian professional musicians (including world renowned artistes like Pandit Debu Chaudhuri and Pandit Aashish Khan) are now touring without a tanpura player and are using the Riyaz Raagini <../elect/elect.html> sampled electronic tanpura machine as it sounds so very realistic. However, some artists prefer a natural instrument to an electronic one when available, and sometimes combine the two types. Electronic Tanpuras are, naturally, used by many students for practice as in this way the student can practice for long periods of time as and when needed without the need for a person to sit and play tanpura for them.

Electronic musical instruments are defined as instruments that synthesize sound from an electronic source. The origins of electronic music can be traced back to the work of Hermann Ludwig Ferdinand Von Helmholtz the German physicist, mathematician and the year 1860. While many instruments were developed in years to follow it was not till The Vacuum Tube Era (1915-1960) and Integrated Circuits time, that real muscle made it to world of electronic musical instruments. With travelling Indian musicians, good electronic instruments have been of great help both in performances as well as in Riaz (practice sessions).

David Courtney, musician, music theorist, divides these instruments into 3 classes, Shruti Generation, interments that replaced drone instruments like the Surpeti. Electronic "Surpetis" have been in use for about 20 years. In recent times the more refined Electronic Tamburas have become very popular. The 2nd generation are the Lahara Machines that provide repeating melodies to accompany drum solos. The 3rd category is the Theka Generation, or the Drum Machines, devices that provide sound comparable to the Tabla."

Udpate via Loscha in the comments:
"I have one of these, and it sounds like this:
http://www.loscha.com/music/Loscha-Tambura_Test.mp3
Well, almost the same. Mine is the "base" model.
The pcb look like this;
http://www.loscha.com/music/saraang-pcb.jpg
http://www.loscha.com/music/saraang-pcb-marked.jpg

I am adjusting an modulating the notes pitches in real time with this track.

The unit arpeggiates the tones in a 6 note sequence, and the notes are fixed, the root note on my unit has no fine tuning, only coarse.
You have notes on steps 1, 3 4 and 5 of the pattern. You can only turn on and off notes, and each note has a certain range, constrained by traditional patterns.
I think the Deluxe unit has 5 notes in the sequence, my base unit has only 4.

I corresponded with the creator a while ago, and this is the main section of what he wrote

'At the outset, please accept our apologies for this delayed response. For some unknown reason, we were unable to connect to the site referred to in your mail and we were not in a position to figure out which model you possessed. We were able to connect today and now know that you possess an obsolete version of the Saarang that went out of production seven years ago. We seem to have destroyed all the data connected with this model and are not in a position to furnish them to you. Considering that you are an electronics engineer, the following explanation should help you in trying out whatever modifications you may want to perform.

The four strings are synthesized through four oscillators based on 555 Timers. These signals are amplitude modulated through a capacitive charging and discharging circuit comprising two transistors, BC547 (NPN) and BC 557(PNP). Each of the four PNP transistors is triggered on by a
zero going pulse applied to its base, which results in an electrolytic capacitor getting charged to a peak value. This voltage acts as the amplitude modulating voltage for the square wave input. The triggering of the PNP transistors is controlled by a control circuit comprising another 555 timer, a counter and a demultiplexer.

We hope that this explanation is of use to you. With regards,

G. Raj Narayan'

My Tambura is one of my favourite things in the whole world, and it is in my top 5 musical things I'd never part with if I had to sell up everything I owned. "

Update: mp3 sample demo from Loscha here.

Roland System 100 Model 102

images via
this auction
"The Expander 102 section is a keyboard-less version of the 101, designed to stand upright and behind the main Synthesizer 101. More than one Expander 102 can be added to make your system fatter and fatter! The Expander is identical to the Synthesizer except that it replaces Portamento/Glide effects with a Sample-and-Hold feature for the LFO, the Noise gen. Is replaced by a Ring Modulator, and the A-440 tuning osc. Is replaced by weak/strong sync inputs and a mix-in jack. The Expander is an excellent way to add more oscillators and synth effects (the s&h and ring-mod) to a System 100. The oscillators can be synced if you have both modules. The 101 & 102 are already internally patched and ready to produce sounds, but that can be bypassed by external patching.""