The Akai S900 Blog

click here for a new blog on the Akai S900 by KONEY. Remember if you have an RSS reader like Bloglines, subscribe to it and you will get new posts as they come in.

There's a ton up on the Akai Blog already including a JoMoX X-Base 09 drum kit.

Electribe EMX-1, no faceplate

flickr by jimgskoop (click for some mouse-overs)

via JimG in the comments of this post. Click here for the set with more shots of the inside.

Moog prototype SL-8 synthesiser

flickr by Neil Vance
1983 - full size

You can find more info and another image here.

Update via Jared in the comments: "A nice first hand write-up of its development and how quickly it met its demise at NAMM can be found here."

Update: one more scan via Niel here. This one is a full article.

Update: another panel shot via Niel.

Update via rick in the comments:
"more pics here: Audities Foundation
its currently not on display."

Editing on the JD-990

"Shown is an edit screen from the JD-990. This is the "structure" page, which determines how the processing blocks are to be organized in a given patch. The ability to do this is one of the improvements that the JD-990 has over the JD-800; the JD-800's processing architecture is fixed in the configuration shown on the left side. On the right side, we see a ring-modulation type patch. Tone C goes through a TVA (equivalent to a VCA), and then is multiplied by tone D. (The "R" in the box represents ring modulation, which is implemented in the digital realm by simple multiplication of the individual samples from each input. Ring modulation is one of the few synth functions that is difficult to do well in analog circuitry, but trivially easy to do in digital synthesis.) The patch then passes through two TVFs (equivalent to VCFs), and a final TVA to shape the output." click here for the full post on Sequence 15.

Workspace and Environment: Yip-Yip

"What is your favorite piece of hardware?
Jason: Korg MS-10. I've had it for five years or so and it's the perfect synthesizer.
Brian: I just got a Moogerfooger freqbox, so I am pretty excited about that. My Synare PS-1 is probably still my favorite though."

click here for the full interview on trash_audio.

LL Electronics RozzBox thru Roland RE-501 Chorus Echo (tape)

YouTube via bigcitymusic
"Here's the new L.L. Electronics 5-voice Polyphonic Rozzbox running into a vintage Roland RE-501 Chorus Echo (tape echo). Sounds amazingly cool, huh? bigcitymusic.com"

Harmonic Hum

YouTube via Analogger
"This was just a happy accident I came across today. I was getting ready to do another video and I engaged the Pigtronix Attack Sustain pedal with the volume and harmonics knobs turned up. My guitar wasn't plugged in so I got this loud hum...made even louder by the Attack Sustain's massive compression. I engaged the HOG and it generated perfect harmonies relative to the hum. Instant drone. Pretty cool. I fed that into the Echolution and messed with the HOG's lowpass filter.

If you don't have the expression pedal plugged into the HOG then you can use the Expression Button which will alter a parameter depending on which expression mode you are in. I did all this before my wife got home from work. She has not yet discovered the zen-like quality of drones. Oscar, however, admits his very feline being has been immesurably enriched by the noise. I gotta go with Oscar on this one."

Analog Solutions Leipzig Monosynth

Image of the Leipzig in the flesh via Analog Solutions. You might remember the Leipzig from this post with specs. You can find the manual here.

click the image for a larger shot.

Yamaha CS-80 / Korg SQ-10 / Korg MS-50

flickr by Heath Finnie
(click for more)

full size

Update: ELP - Karn Evil 9 3rd Impression

I finally got around to watching this video in entirety. Yes, sometimes I don't even get to see everything I put up. :( Anyway, for any Skinny Puppy fans out there, check out the update.

Synth Scans

Synth Ollie sent me a motherload of 82 scans of various synth articles. I spent a good chunk of the day organizing them into individual flickr sets. Click on the following links for each corresponding one.

ARP 2600
ARP Odyssey
Beatboxes
KORG Mono/Poly
KORG MS20
Valley of the KORGs
Mellotron
Monologue Mono Synths
MOOG Memorymoog
MOOG Modular
MOOG Multimoog
MOOG Polymoog
MOOG Taurus
MOOG The Source



Oberheim SEM
Oberheim OB-Xa
Roland TB-303
Roland Jupiter-8
Roland MC4
Roland MKS-80
Roland SH-7
Roland VP330
Sequential Circuits Pro-One
Sequential Circuits Prophet-5
Sequential Circuits Prophet-600
Vocoders
Yamaha CS80

Pigtronix Attack Sustain & Electro Harmonix HOG

YouTube via Analogger.
"I used the external trigger input on the Attack Sustain to trigger the decay envelope - which gave me a rhythmic gating effect on my guitar. I fed that into the HOG which I had set to give a sort of organ sound. I used the expression pedal to open and close the filter on the HOG. The result is kind of like what Townshend got when he ran his Lowrey organ thru the VCS3. My expression pedal was taking the place of the VCS3's lfo.

On one midi track on my sequencer I triggered 8th notes on the Virus which was set to a bass drum patch. That was fed into the trigger input on the Attack Sustain - you don't hear that bass drum - it was just used to trigger the envelope on the Attack Sustain. On another midi track I wrote the drum pattern which was in sync with the 8th note trigger sequence.

I had just put new strings on my guitar and had not clipped the ends. The guitar is just out of frame but you'll see my cat Oscar as he climbs up on a table and starts playing with one of the strings. Sometimes Oscar will just lay there and watch me twiddle knobs. He also likes the blinking lights."

monome 4|5 Cycles {alpha preview}

YouTube via avanturb
"Preview of a monome layout for bidule, developed for use on the Heads project. http://avanturb.com for more info."

Korg X-911 w/ guitar - Pt 1

Korg X-911 w/ guitar - Pt 2

YouTube via ZonkOut
"Gary B lends more of his visionary guitaring--this time with detuned bass octave."

KORGS! SQ-10 KR-55 X-911

YouTube via ZonkOut
"KR-55 into the X-911 (dry and wet outputs panned left and right). KR is sending trigger pulse to step the SQ-10, which is sending CV to the X-911."

The synthesizer & electronic keyboard hanbook

via this auction

"by David Crombie, The Synthesizer & electronic keyboard handbook.Dates from 1984. Book is in excellent condition.Excellent articles on analog synthesis among other subjects and great pictures of vintage instruments such as the Mellotron, Fairlight, Moog modular, etc"

Maartist's Music Pack DX-II RAM 4 Cart

via this auction

"This is a Maartist's Music Pack DX-II RAM cartridge for Yamaha keyboards. It reads on the side of the box, "for Yamaha products using RAM 4 cartridges provides 256 RAM memories - 4 times standard cartridges." I believe that these work on DX series keyboards hence the designation of DX-II."

MOOG The Source

images via this auction
"*16 programmable patch memories
*Touch panel for digital precision
*Instant editing and program storage
*Pitch and modulation wheels
*Rear panel tun9ing and interface connections
*2 oscillators & dual ADSR control, Noise generator
*Single & multiple triggers
Two 88 note real time sequencers
*24 note programmable arpeggiator
*digital sample & hold
*programmable sequencing of voice changes
*program storage on standard cassette"

KORG VC10

images via this auction

"in April 1978, Korg unveiled the VC-10, the first vocoding musical instrument that was practical for use on the live stage. Much easier to operate than a synthesizer, anyone can use the VC-10 on the very first try. Just talk into the microphone while playing the keyboard and you'll hear polyphonic music with the unique characteristics of your voice. A wide range of controls lets you mix the "dry" microphone sound with the simulated sound, add vibrato, and even use the octave switch to change a male voice into a female chorus effect.
Instead of playing the keyboard, it's also easy to take any other kind of audio signal (synthesizer, electric guitar, tape recorder, etc.) and make it talk. This is unquestionably the most unique and exciting new instrument in years."


Margie Plays the VC-10 (previously posted here)

"Over a MS-20/Moogerfooger Delay percussion track."

Korg VC-10 "Vocoding itself!"

YouTubes via ZonkOut (BTW, do a search for ZonkOut on the top left of the site and see what comes up. You can do this for any name or for that matter, word on the site)