Con Brio

via Dave

"Beautiful shots of old computers in a Wired gallery today... Brain was
there with one of his two Con Brio systems"

"Behold, the Con Brio Digital Synthesizer! Only four of these babies were ever made, explained Brian Kehew, who is now the proud owner of two of them. Despite their unique design and formidable musical abilities, the units never attained commercial success.

Con Brio synthesizers were originally designed during the late 1970s and housed five 6502 microprocessors. The innovate interface provide a CRT display with both graphics and text to allow composing and editing down to the waveform."

Eric Clapton and Phil Collins - Behind the Mask

YouTube via MeanAuntie

OK, I'm stretching it with this one, but this is truly bizarre. YMO's Behind the Mask with Eric Clapton and others. For reference see these posts. Spot the synths.
"Prince's Trust circa '87 - Clapton, Collins, Midge Ure, various others... Behind the Mask"

Update via tim in the comments:
"Clapton's cover came about because of Greg Philliganes being his keyboardist at the time. He did a version on his 1984 album Pulse, with uncredited backing vocals and added lyrics by Michael Jackson. And I think Jackson had considered doing it on Thriller after Quincy Jones pointed out the original to him."

And some fascinating info from the AH list:
"I don't think anyone's spoken up about lyricist or how that song got to Clapton;-)

Okay. First off Yellow Magic Orchestra was meant to be a more or less one-off concept project in Japan (1978) it was meant to be as if Martin Denny's music was played by Kraftwerk. In other words taking the West's notion of inauthentic but cool "Oriental" music and give it the edge of modern technology (the impression Westerners had of Japan).

A&M Records liked what they heard, moderately remixed it to their tastes and YMO were ready to tour and promote the album. They did a lot of promotion in LA, then swung by NYC, London and Paris. The year was 1979. Back in Japan they were doing well though not chart topping. They eventually did gain real chart success in Japan. Their success was more moderate in the US though their use of video games and electronic beats was influential. They took 1982 off for Sakamoto to work on "Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence" and then reformed in 1983 with the understanding that they'd disband at the end of the year. They really did want to go their own ways but it was a great marketing tool to really make them iconic in Japan. They reformed 10 years later for a one-off album and concert.

They started to work together again on and off in the 2000s. They have a show next weekend in London. Definitely a one off thing. I guess they were asked nicely by Massive Attack to do a show. They aren't promoting anything new or doing more shows. I sort of wish I could go.

As for gear, it's ironic that they played maybe 90% American synths. Early on - lots of Moog Modular. Later on lots of Prophet. Always: Arp Odyssey. They do sound very different in 1983 versus 1978.

Okay now for the weird part of the Clapton story -- Michael Jackson took an interest in high tech music in the early 80s. He was trying to get Kraftwerk to work with him but nothing came of it. What did happen was YMO's song "Behind the Mask" originally only had "chorus" vocals so he wrote new lead lyrics and kept the chorus. I assume he wrote the song for himself to sing, but he had lots of (all original) material then so it was offered to Clapton. It did quite well in terms of Clapton's career. Sakamoto, who wrote the melody (Chris Mosdel did the chorus lyrics) liked the new lyrics and the then prestige of Michael Jackson' additions. There is a mid 80s EP of Sakamoto's solo band doing it. He was trying to do a more contemporary R&B sound back then (not intended to be ironic). YMO's label commissioned Human League to do a remix version in the early 90s, instead (apparently) they did a cover version.

nick
http://technopop.info"

Better Than a Kick in the Nuts... and in stereo too!

YouTube via bigcitymusic
"Here is a little spaz out with the Dave Smith Prophet '08, Korg KP3 and the Metasonix TM-7 Scrotum Smasher!

The Prophet '08 was sampled with he Kaoss Pad, then run into the TM-7.

In the stereo version, one side of the audio is coming direct from the output of the TM-7. The other side is coming from the SM-57 miking the little Fender Champ amp.

http://www.bigcitymusic.com
http://www.myspace.com/bigcitymusicdotcom
http://www.bigcitymusicblog.blogspot.com"

Yamaha CS10

images via this auction

Waldorf Blofeld

via this auction

box shots

Studio Electronics SE-1x

images via this auction

remember to click the image for a full size shot in auction posts.

POLIVOKS

via this auction

this one in the US.

"This auction includes:
- Polivoks Synthesizer
- Three Polivoks-specific audio cables (DIN5 to Phono plug)
- Power cable
- Voltage converter

Manuals and schematics are available online: link

Some More Information
There are 4 octaves on the keyboard. The inclined desk is divided into the following functional sections: Modulator, Generator #1, Generator #2, Mixer and Amplifier.

There are 3 internal audible signal sources in the instrument: to broad-ranged of the Generators with changed form of oscillations and a noise generator for creating a non-musical sounds such as wind, surf, whine, etc.
Possibility to connect an external audible signal sources to the synthesizer is provided for (e.g. guitars, electropianos and electroorgans). Sounds of different external sources are combined separatly in the mixer in any ratio. There is a filter in the synthesizer with cutoff frequency control and resonance to change colour of timbre of audilble signal over a wide range."

Roland System 700

via sequencer.de where you will find more hi-res shots.

Oberheim OB-Mx

via sequencer.de

Wi nøt trei a høliday in Sweden this yer?

flickr by _mpd_

full size

"My new Access Virus was defective (and I had a bad experience with their support department) so I replaced it with a Nord Stage Compact instead.

One of the cool things I’ve done so far is split the keyboard with the Left playing Organ AND my Moog LP, and the right hand side playing Rhodes. With the Moog’s new firmware, it can arpeggiate bass over the chords, which is really spiffy. If you bring in the drawbars slowly from nothing it kind of sounds like the intro to the original Star Trek.

Fun."

scribble synth and fin

flickr by KittyL
(click for more)

"for the group Describbles."

scribble synth full size
fin full size

Bent RX Drum prototype 01 by LameBoy

"Just finished up the 1st of 3 RX-17 drum machine bends. this one is the prototype. I will be getting the front panels powder coated black on the other two units. You gotta hear this thing!"

more info on GetLoFi

Synthi-A

flickr by david™

full size

Sequentix P3

images via this auction

"The unit is mint... fresh as the day I opened the box.
1. It has the rack ears and the unopened wooden cheeks.
2. The P3 MemX - Memory Expansion Board still in the packet.
3. The original manual.
4. An extra printed and bound copy of the manual with plastic cover.
5. A printed and bound copy of the user guide with similar plastic cover.
6. The adapter is of course included and original.

1. Serial number 1094, one of the last few built I believe. Perfect working order no issues, no problems, bright LCD.
With any luck another sequentix sequencer will be available in a few years... when I'm not neck deep in studies.

About the P3
The P3 Sequencer is an 8 track, hardware MIDI sequencer, with a user interface comprised of knobs, keys and LEDs. A sixteen character by two line PLED display provides confirmation of pattern data and access to advanced features and configuration options.

P3 allows real-time control of track mutes and simple pattern or pattern chain selection across multiple tracks, plus analogue-style editing of patterns. Each of its 384 patterns has independent values for note, velocity, tie, gate, length, gate delay, and a combination of up to four MIDI controllers, extra notes, or 'auxiliary events', per step.

P3's unique auxiliary events allow the creation of dynamically self-modifying patterns. They can grab values from other tracks, randomise steps, alter track and global settings, and much more. There are three modulation 'accumulators' per track, that can be used as LFOs, perform arpeggiation effects or enable complex pattern progressions.

Furthermore, you can assign front panel knobs to modify or mask these events in real-time, allowing you to create interactive patterns that change predictably as you adjust the knobs - varying in complexity, controlling levels of randomness, even 'morphing' from one pattern to another.

A Force-to-scale option provides preset and user-defined scales to keep everything in key (but defeat-able per pattern step if required), and a configurable 'change mode' allows patterns with different lengths and/or time-bases to free-run, or be synced to a global bar.

Read More:
Sequentix
Sound on Sound
MATRIXSYNTH"

Via brian c.

Sequential Circuits Prophet-600

images via this auction

with original SCI flight case

303909x0x

YouTube via wyllytesla. via CDM

909808x0x303


One more posted here.

Just testing the arpeggio function

YouTube via ledlardo
"I'm just messing with the arpeggio. The sh-101 is a great little synth."

x0xbox vco problem

YouTube via janvanvolt

x0xb0x speaker & battery mod

YouTube via accenter
"this x0xb0x is modified to run with 9VDC, 9VAC and batteries. There is also a little speaker inside. Category: Music"

MI7PC Part 2: Yoshihiro Okudaira soundchecks

YouTube via Percussa
"A few videos from the propellerhead reason producer's conference held in Tokyo and Osaka by MI7 Japan last week. Most performers were using AudioCubes."

EDP Wasp Gallerie

on Aliens Project

Ensoniq SQ-1+ Deep Purple Style

YouTube via rmenga
"http://www.menga.net - For those interested, it's "Organ 1", a stock preset with COMPRESS+DIST+VERB effect."

mc303 mis-use: stepsequencing software with the groovebox

YouTube via se7ense7
"I used the mc303 to step edit some drums. Nothing special or out of the ordinary. BUT I didn't use the internal sounds. All the drums you hear are samples in the Ableton Drum Rack, all the drum mutes are performed from the MC303 and no audio cable was plugged into the MC303.

Why would someone do this?

I dunno. It makes for a great looking midi-controller, and in fact it's a sequencing midi-controller. Ideal for live use.
Imagine a sequencer triggering a synthesizer (MPC triggering Virus or something), and you want to be able to change the drums while the MPC keeps sequencing the virus. But you hate the sound of the MC303. Then you just assign the midi from the MC303 to a program on the MPC with cool drums, and you switch around on the MC303...

That's gotta make sense right?"

ARP Odyssey + Roland Juno-60 + EHX Delay by RetroSound

YouTube via retrosound72

"vintage synth demo by RetroSound

bassline: ARP ODYSSEY III (osc sync, sample/hold, ring-modulation, frequency-modulation), triggered by the SCI Pro-One internal sequencer and sync with the TR-707
delay effect starting on 1.52: Electro Harmonix "Memory Man Deluxe" Analog Delay (ARP Odyssey)
pads: Roland Juno-60
drums: Roland TR-707

no overdubbing, no playback, no sequencer software used"

KORG DS-10 #003

YouTube via aqi

Midi flame + nord modular g2

via Дмитрий Морозов

http://files.realmusic.ru/files/480/474480.mp3

my music roland g70

YouTube via azyo2008. "impro roland g70"

extrabiksoulz on roland sh 201

YouTube via 3ponacid. "first try out using the sh 201 and the es mk2"

[KORG DS-10]はじめてのシンセサイザー第1日目「PITCH（ピッチ）」

YouTube via aqi

[KORG DS-10]はじめてのシンセサイザー第2日目「VCO」

Experimental Hardware Neurons

"Faceplate of the experimental device. 4.5" x 5.25" Frac-Rac faceplate. Banana jacks used for stacking with parallel 3.5mm outputs. Left side of symbol contains 3 position "threshold" switch. Right side of symbol (white half) contains an LED which flashes when the 'cell' fires. Blue jacks are 'excitatory' inputs, black jacks are "inhibitory" inputs, red jacks are 10 volt pulse outputs."

more info and samples here. follow-up to this post.

Rui Pereira's Tranformable Uber Interface for STardom

YouTube via wired
"Developed at NYU's Interactive Telecommunications Program, Rui Pereira's thesis, the TUIST is a 'multi-mode musical interface for super-star wannabes incapable of playing musical instruments.'

Or in laymen's terms, as Pereira told Wired.com, 'This is a musical instrument for people who don't know shit about music.'"

Piero Umiliani - Musica Elettronica Vol. 2

you can find the track listing and links on 36 15 MOOG