MATRIXSYNTH: Tuesday, July 20, 2010


Tuesday, July 20, 2010

5 Years of MATRIXSYNTH!!!

It's that time again. Today is the five year anniversary of MATRIXSYNTH!!! I like to share a little bit about how the site ticks in these posts, some of the history for those that don't know it, some miscellaneous insights this year, and of course some numbers.

It all started back in July 20, of 2005, with a brief post wishing Dr. Bob Moog well. The brevity of the post was a bit of a foreshadowing of what the site would become.

I started the blog when the old site just wasn't cutting it anymore. I created the old site back in 1997 (before The Matrix movies ever existed BTW) as a personal portal for the various synth sites I used to visit. In 2005, blogging was just becoming popular. I found that I had a difficult time keeping track of things in email, my favorites list and the old site. The problem was many of the interesting bits were buried within sites, and possibly more importantly, a new method of sharing information was just emerging. Flickr (Feb 2004) and YouTube (Feb 2005) were just starting, Vimeo (Nov 2004) was relatively unknown, and SoundCloud (Aug 2007) wasn't even around yet.

In 2005, I created MATRIXSYNTH, the blog. I started tracking "Everything Synth". I let people know on various synth forums and email lists I belonged to about the site. In time it grew and people started sending things in. I realized what the site was becoming. It wasn't just a place for me to track stuff, but a place for anyone into synths. It was a daily heartbeat on what people were doing with their synths, not just a news site. In the beginning I posted every single image that came in on Flickr featuring a synth, and every single video on YouTube. It was fascinating at the time, because before then you never really saw what other people were doing, unless you knew them, or unless they had the means to host their own website. Flickr, YouTube, SoundCloud, Blogger, Word Press, and other hosting sites changed this. The site became a place for people to share and promote what they were doing. I received emails from people thanking me for connections they made because of the site. Many sites announced themselves here including DVDBORN (Jan 2, 2006), Muff Wiggler (Dec 4, 2006), TRASH_AUDIO (Oct 22, 2007), Analog Suicide (Dec 23, 2007), NOISESOURCE (April 22, 2008), and many others. The site currently gets over half a million pageviews a month. Think about that. More on the numbers in a bit. Before I get bombarded, I no longer post site announcements simply for the sake of site announcements. At 50 posts a day, it would be suicide and with the amount I post and I would take you all down with me. :) Posts have to be about specific synths, and via links are given.

There have also been a plethora of product announcements from manufacturers that read the site - too many to list. BTW, be sure see the MANUFACTURERS section on the right and the MANUFACTURERS page for a list of manufacturers that read the site and have taken the time out to send in a small 250px x 100px image. Note placement on this page is free. If you are a manufacturer, send me an image and I will add it. Note some dealers are listed there as well. Back to some history...

When I first started the blog, I wanted to put up a post at least once a week. It turned out to be more like once a day. I then wanted to put a minimum of five posts up a day, and then 10. I remember days when I didn't think I was going to hit it, and I remember days when I was so stressed out due to the sheer number and complexity of certain posts that I was ready to give it up. Every single post on this site is put up manually - there is zero automation. I now put up close to fifty posts every single day, seven days a week! With the exception of August 6, 2005, at least one post has gone up every single day since the inception of the site. If I only knew then what I know now I would have posted something on that one day. [Note: I thought I missed more than one day, but I couldn't find others - check out the archives in the right by clicking on the side triangles to drill down - if anyone finds another day I missed, let me know]. For those that are curious, it takes me anywhere between about four and six hours a day to do this. How do I have the time? Eight hours (usually less) of sleep, eight hours work, and eight hours for everything else (blog). I do contract-based work from home, so the entire day is pretty much spent behind my laptop working, with only a few breaks for food and a bike ride so I don't melt into my lazy boy. Weekends I get out and make time for my synths, friends, family, etc. The site pretty much is a full time job including weekends. How do I do it? I love it!!! That and there is a technique I honed over the years as crazy as it sounds. The more you do anything, the easier it becomes. It doesn't feel like work to me and even though things are not automated, I have a rhythm and a routine that I have relatively mastered. It took a couple of years to get that rhythm down. Now it's a bit of an addiction. That and with contract-based work I also work in surges, meaning some days are busier than others, and in between contracts I have more time on the blog. It all just works out. This brings me back to the note on that very first post back on July 20. At the time, I really didn't know what to say. It was an awkward first post but with the news that day, I knew that had to be the first post. I thought about what to write and I realized there was nothing I could say, other than providing the link, asking others to wish him well, and getting the heck out of the way. The post wasn't about me, it was about him. That has pretty much evolved into the theme of the site to this day. I want people to experience what others are doing, not my reflections on it. Once I realized that, posting became much easier. Part of this was also realizing that the number of posts going up can be difficult to consume, for myself included. The less I say the less time I waste. I try to keep things short, to the point, and myself out of the post. The site is a bit like conveyor belt sushi, a buffet, or tapas bar. Stuff constantly comes in and you can either take all of it in, or just pick what you want. The cool thing is everything is archived so you can come back to it later.

Some people ask me why Blogger? The reason is it's free and it's owned and hosted by Google. If I'm ever unable to run the site for whatever reason it will stay up. We have lost too many great synth sites over the years unfortunately. The excellent drummachine.com immediately comes to mind. If anyone remembers the site, it was the best site dedicated to drum machines - tons of pics, details and audio samples. It's now a promotion site. This is going to sound crazy, but the limitations of Blogger also keep things a bit more manageable and in check. I like the site as it is. It is what it is and that's what makes the site.

Time for some numbers. I'll try to keep it short this time. According to Google Analytics, since the inception of the site, there has been a total of 8,054,806 visits and 16,856,224 pageviews. That's up from 5,774,890 visits and 11,233,869 pageviews as of last year. If you look at the bottom of the site you will see Site Meter has me at 8,337,466 pageviews. This is because I started Google Analytics after Site Meter and I missed adding back the Google Analytics code a couple of times when updating my template. If you click on the map, you will see we are still missing a few countries. North Korea, I haven't said anything bad about you!!! It blows me away to think visits came in from some places. I chose the map for the image in this post because of this. This site is global. You get to see what people around the world are doing with synths on a daily basis. The site exists because of everyone out there who loves synths - you, me, and those that may not even know about the site yet. It's been a great five years and I look forward to the next. THANK YOU!!!

Update: Twitter: via Chris Carter!!!
http://chriscarter.co.uk/ @chris_carter_
http://www.throbbing-gristle.com/
http://www.chrisandcosey.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Carter_%28musician%29


HAPPY 5th BIRTHDAY MATRIXSYNTH from Chris Carter on Vimeo.


"Experimentally yours...

Chris Carter"

Update: I forgot to note the number of posts since the inception of the site. Including this post there was a total of 43,951.

Roland V-Synth & Juno-G


YouTube via SynthManiaDotCom | July 20, 2010

"A calm, ambient improvisation using the Roland V-Synth and Juno-G synthesizers. The V-Synth provides the pad, the Juno-G the drum machine and theremin sound."

Andy Wig - EML/Biscuit Signals & Cycles


YouTube via arthurpainter | July 20, 2010

"Here are sounds from my vintage EML 200 modular synth processed both internally and externally (by the Biscuit). Its drones are morphed into a random mechanical rhythm that is further filtered, delayed, and clocked for your audio/visual edification... oh yeah! The original signal also plays throughout "naked" as one knob on the Biscuit offers."

Moog Prodigy Monophonic Vintage Synthesizer

via this auction

Tara Busch Omnichord+moogerfooger cookin, mama...


http://www.analogsuicide.com/

Sequencer Synth


flickr by Unearthed Circuits
(click for more)

"The completed sequencer and synth."

Intellijel uStep demo


YouTube via EROEI | April 24, 2010

"Intellijel uStep tracks A and B go into Makenoise Maths inputs (ASR env is the result) which controls the level of two VCOs from the Cwejman S1mk2. TipTop Z8000 and Livewire Vulcan control the two S1mk2 VCF in a 2pole HPF 4pole LPF serial config. Abelton Live controls the clock and pitch via arpeggiator.

FX are Eventide H7600 and TimeFactor

http://soundcloud.com/mobtrans"

Logical Beat #1 - Intellijel Spock and Flip Flop

EROEI | July 19, 2010

"Electronic beat created by using XOR, AND and JK Flip Flop logic provided by the Intellijel Spock and Flip-Flop modules. Sounds sources are Eurorack Modular synthesizer. Logic is fed by Impulse machines on the Elektron Machinedrum, uStep, clock from Ableton and a VCLFO.

http://soundcloud.com/mobtrans"

n-forcer iPhone App (prototype)


YouTube via Denkitribe | July 20, 2010

"OSC app using two iPhones. Details TBA."

myVST Demo: COMBO MODEL V


YouTube via FreeVST | April 15, 2010 http://myvst.com/

"Combo Model V is a freeware virtual combo organ, modelled after a well-known combo organ from the 1960s.

Features
* 4-octave C-to-C keyboard
* Harmonic range 7 polyphonic octaves
* 4 footage drawbars
* 2 voice drawbars
* Vibrato unit with adjustable speed and depth
* Swell (volume) pedal
* Adjustable tuning per note
* Fully modelled (no samples inside)
* Model includes oscillators, dividers, crosstalk, filters, key contacts and key click
* Velocity-sensitive key contact attack and release
* Fully automatable
* 32 presets included"

hertz donut screaming


YouTube via DrOctave1 | July 20, 2010

"hertz donut screaming with a 4/4 and some hh"

PNW Synth Gathering this Saturday

Just a reminder. See this post for details. See the PNW Synth Gathering label below for videos and pics from previous years' events.

CRUMAR BIT-01 Rack Expander Model

via this auction

jen sx1000 synthetone

via this auction

"sx1000 synthetone from italian synth manufacturers jen

it's a single dco monosynth with three waves: saw, square and pwm. it has a 12db resonant analog filter with it's own dedicated envelope, an adsr volume control envelope, a single lfo, vibrato, glide, and white and pink noise

it's capable of a range of sounds from bright moog-esque leads, to very thick, dirty and dark basses. you can get some pretty cool squealing filter sweep effects. this was made pre-midi, but there are midi retrokits available online"

Synclavier 6400 Sampling PCI System VPK


via this auction
"Synclavier 6400 System with Keyboard, tons of Sounds + PCI cards

Synclavier PCI system configuration:
32 Poly Voices (PSV Cards)
32 Megabytes of Poly Memory (2 of 16 meg cards)
8 Multichannel outputs
Midi 1 in by 4 outs
SMPTE
Digital STM Sampling input
Velocity Pressure Keyboard
Mac G4 computer
Elco cable with multichannel output XLR's
PCI cards and cable
Cables are 25 feet

We will include tons of sounds on a 1 Terabyte drive!"

Oberheim Xpander w/MIDI

via this auction
The CV and Gate Ins give the Xpander an advantage over the Matrix-12 if you can use them.

"Serial Number 700XXX. The machine is 6 voices and come equipped with full MIDI capabilities. It can function in Mono, Stereo, or even as a 6 voice multi-timbral monosynth. It also has CV/Gate capabilities and can be used as C/V to MIDI converter for up to 6 channels of your old gear. The modulation and routing capabilities on this thing are incredible. The XPander is a highly sought after classic for good reason. Not many people are willing to part with them! "

OBERHEIM STRUMMER

via this auction

"Keyboard to guitar chord converter."

Plug your controller of choice in the MIDI in and plug the MIDI out into the MIDI in of your synth. The Stummer has a number of guitar-like playing styles that will take whatever you play in and play that out it's MIDI out jack. There are classic guitar strums and some other techniques as well. It's an interesting utility module from the Oberheim Perf series.

Oberheim DX Drum Machine Vintage Extra E-Proms

via this auction
"The sound chips currently contained in this unit consist of the following:
1. Kick position: TR-808 Kick
2. Snare position: Original DX Snare
3. Hi-Hat position: Original DX Hi-hat
4. Toms position: DX Electric Snare (purchased through Electrongate)
5. Cymbals position: DX Handclaps (purchased through Electrongate) (Note: Three blank chips are inserted so that all three triggers for claps give a sound, each with a different clap “pitch.” This is what Electrongate told me I needed to do and it worked perfectly).
6. Perc. Position: Cowbell/Rimshot/Percussion hit

In addition to these chips, the following five extra chips are also included with this DX:
-DX IF0 CRASH
-CRASH DX IF1
-CRASH DX IF2
-CRASH DX IF3
-ELECTRIC GUITAR

This is a non-midi unit but a new midi add-on kit is now available for about $100 through a company called Electrongate. Two GREAT things about this drum machine are the individual output for EACH drum position (see back photo) and the external tuning pots for each drum (they are internal on the DMX if I am not mistaken). I used the individual outputs to great advantage, running each through a separate input on a multi channel effects process (also for sale in a separate auction). This way I could add reverb to the snare, compress the hi-hat, delay the percussion hits, etc., etc"

oberheim ob-12

via this auction

"Made by Viscount. 12 voices, 4 part multitimbral. built-in arpeggiator and phrase sequencer. built-in effects. 4-octave keyboard with aftertouch. ribbon controller."

Vintage Synthesizer Yamaha CS-50

via this auction

"The Yamaha CS-50, a vintage synthesizer from 1976, is a scaled down version of the classic Yamaha CS-80 and CS-60 synths. It offers 4-voice polyphony, with 1 oscillator per voice."


Creamware Minimax Synthesizer


via this auction

"fantastic emulator of the famous Moog Minimoog. You won't believe how close this sounds to a real Minimoog. In addition to the old school sound, you get onboard effects, 12-voive multi-timbrality, presets, dependability without tuning drift, stereo outs, and many more features."

Yamaha CS 10 analog monophonic synth

via this auction

"A very nice monophonic analog synth with a very easy signal flow and great tweak-ability. Best for fat bass lines , leads and atmospheric sounds . Has a very nice filter resonance and an excellent slow to very fast LFO which goes right into the audio range."


Yamaha Cs10 sound samples by abertronix

ROLAND JUNO-6

via this auction

"A classic 6 voice DCO analog synthesizer combining the stability of Digitally controlled oscillators and analog warmth making this synthesizer a pleasure to use and create sounds on."

ANALOG SYNTH MODULAR SYNTHESIZER


via this auction

"MOTM FORMAT. THE PANELS ARE PLEXI GLASS AND THE BOTTOM ONE IS ALUMINUM. THERE ARE ABOUT 4 POWER SUPPLIES INSIDE WITH 4 AC TRANFORMERS WIRED PARALLEL TO USE ONLY ONE US WHITE POWER CORD. THERE IS AN ON OFF SWITCH TO POWER IT.

ALL JACKS ARE 1/4" PHONO SWITCH CRAFT.

THESES ARE THE MODULES:
(4) DELUXE RED VCO EACH WITH SAW ANIMATION.
(1) MIDI 2 CV CONVERTER-IT ONLY UNDERSTANDS GATE ON OFF AND PITCH CHANGE.
(1) OBERKONN VCF
(1) MFOS 12DB VCF
(1) POLIVOKS VCF
(1) MS-20 VCF
(2) TOM WILTSHIRE DIGI ADSR ENV
(2) MFOS ATTACK RELEASE ENV
(1) PLL PULSE MAKER. HAS INPUT AND 4 OUTPUTS
(1) PAD INPUT FOR PIEZO PADS
(1) AUDIO FOLLOWER
(1) TOM WILTSHIRE DIGI VCFLO
(1) MFOS ANALOG LFO WITH RAMP, SAW, SQUARE, TRIANGLE, AND SINE
(1) MFOS SOUNDLAB CIRCA LFO
(1) NOISE CORNOCOPIA
(1) NOISE DUST BIN MAKER
(1) 3 VCA'S

SOME CIRCUITS ARE ON THE SAME MOTM FORMAT PANEL. FOR EXAMPLE A VCF WILL HAVE A VCA ALSO... MOST OF THE PCB'S INSIDE WERE DESIGNED BY ME (Bluelantern), A FEW I GOT FROM MFOS WEBSITE."

Vintage ARP SEQUENCER mod.1611

via this auction

"The first version, with black panel and wooden profiles."

Arp 2600 Synthesizer

via this auction
"Early Grey Faced Arp 2600 for sale. Most likely manufactured in '72. 14.5 inch panel height with silkscreening around the fine adjustment pots. This Arp has all of the original 4027 oscillators and 4012 filter. Long 17" original spring reverb. I captured some pictures of the Arp internals. It is in excellent shape both functionally and cosmetically. There is some corrosion to the the case corners, and some expected tolex wear. Has matching serial number 3604p, tuning pot is sometimes a little scratchy."

RARE alphaSyntauri Synthesizer Keyboard

via this auction

"This keyboard for the Apple II is a real gem for any Apple collector!"

Note the alphaSyntauri is used in Chris Randall's new micronaut album resistor, posted here.

Oberheim OB-8

via this auction

"Recently gone over by EARS in NYC... This synth does not have midi. It does have the latest firmware, including the Page 2 options. The included manual documents the page 2 controls, but they are not silk-screened onto the control panel. I have put labels for the page 2 options on the control panel following the drawing in the manual. I can remove these for you if you like."


Ekdahl Quadmassager in 4 input "mix" mode


YouTube via mcess | May 07, 2010

"The Ekdahl Quadmassager is a quadrophonic panner and so much more. This video is very STEREO, but should be in Quad, but, well, that's not very practical, is it?, so please go do a show in quad or see one...in the meantime visit us at the webpage in the video, or come see us at the True Vine Record Shop in Hampden in beautiful Baltimore, the City that Reads. The Quadmassager was designed and built by Karl Ekdahl of KNAS and a little bit by M.C. Schmidt of Matmos."
via Zn'shñ Update: "Ekdhal Quadmassager official page: http://www.knasmusic.com/products/quadmassager/quadmassager.php"

Roland MC-505 Unrelased Grooves


YouTube via grooveproject | July 20, 2010

"This video shows some of my old unrelased grooves recorded on the MC-505 groovebox.... sounds 100% from this vintage machine :))
I composed this tracks long time ago (2000 - 2005) and i never official relased and re-recorded.... maybe i relase next vids with my old tracks...

Anyway, I want sell my MC-505.... anybody interested ?"

FoxRox - Aquavibe


YouTube via xtimehascomex | July 20, 2010

"http://www.myspace.com/time..."
FoxRox on Ebay

Circuit bent Alesis HR-16 by Strssmmnt


YouTube via stressmoment | July 20, 2010

"A too long, too slow and too shakey clip of my newly circuit bent Alesis HR-16. You could use real patch cables, but I didn't have any. The jacks are regular banana connectors."

Pocket RTA HD for iPad


YouTube via 4pockets | July 20, 2010

"This is a quick and dirty video showing our new product Pocket RTA HD running on the iPad. The video outlines some of the features specific to the HD version of the software."
Spectrum Analyzer/Oscilloscope for your iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch.
4Pockets.com
iPads on Ebay

Mugician for the Ipad


YouTube via JCRUDESS | July 19, 2010

"This is an app made by my friend Rob Fielding and it is called Mugician. http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mugici...
It's awesome.. It uses a similar kind of pitch handling that we use in MorphWiz.
Here I am with a little jam that I did in my hotel room in Virginia today. I recorded this with my Zoom Q3 video camera."
iPads on Ebay

MUGICIAN ROCKS

Hexaphone - Trance Demo


YouTube via hexaphonejam | July 19, 2010

"A brief demo of Hexaphone's Trance Scale, used to put down a set of two-note "chords" used as accompaniment for a hasty lead solo."

Hexaphone - Dance / Industrial

hexaphonejam | July 19, 2010

"A brief demo of Hexaphone's Dance Scale, used to produce an industrial-sounding riff."

Hexaphone - Dance / Latin

hexaphonejam | July 19, 2010

"A brief demo of Hexaphone's Dance Scale used to produce a latin-sounding riff and solo."
more vids here
I'm not seeing Hexaphone on iTunes yet.
iPads on Ebay

iPad ChipPad Mantaray - Smooth Operators - Owl Song - Cafe


YouTube via VJFranzK | July 19, 2010

It plays with iRig


YouTube via perfumepod | July 20, 2010

"Unskilled guitar. However, iRig is wonderful!!!!
http://www.ikmultimedia.com/irig/feat..."
IK
iPads on Ebay

minimoog plays hard techno : moog becomes mad !!!!


YouTube via cores303 | July 20, 2010

"see minimoog paying techno..."

RSF system


YouTube via scienceforce | July 19, 2010

"RSF Kbobol + RSF Programmer"

eml 400 ebay


YouTube via emssynthi100 | July 20, 2010

"eml 400/401"


via this auction

Update via the seller: "it has a factory fitted glide control which i have never seen on any other eml 400/401."

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