Novachord + Solovox | Cherry Audio

video uploads by Cherry Audio




"Novachord + Solovox is Cherry Audio's collection of two virtual synthesizer instruments emulating the forerunners of mass- produced synthesizers. Novachord is based on the revolutionary polyphonic instrument from 1939 that used a staggering 163 vacuum tubes and 1,000 custom capacitors. Solovox replicates a related monophonic keyboard instrument intended to provide organ-type lead accompaniment. Together, these now exceedingly rare instruments set standards for tone generation and synthesis techniques that continue to influence today’s electronic instruments.

Novachord + Solovox is available at https://cherryaudio.com and authorized resellers worldwide for the low price of $39 (list $59).

Novachord + Solovox is a bundle of two individual instruments provided as one download and installed in both standard DAW/host plugin and standalone formats. It is available in AU, VST, VST3, AAX, and standalone formats (individual for each instrument), and a free 30-day demo is available from https://cherryaudio.com."


And a video from CatSynth:

Novachord and Solovox from Cherry Audio: A detailed demo and tutorial

video upload by CatSynth TV

Merch: https://shop.catsynth.com
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/catsynth
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/catsynth

We take a detailed look at the new Novachord and Solovox from Cherry Audio, recreations of some the earliest electronic music instruments that were forerunners of modern analog substractive synthesizers. The Novachord was released in 1939 and the Solovox in 1940, featuring a novel architecture that used vacuum tubes for tone generators (oscillators) and filters. Their sound is unique and found use in film, popular music of the 1950s and 1960s, and can still be heard today.

00:37 History of the Novachord
01:36 History of the Solovox
02:12 Novachord Presets
05:38 Solovox Presets
07:57 Novachord Feature Walkthrough
15:00 Solovox Feature Walkthrough"

Update:

Press release via Cherry Audio:

Cherry Audio is ecstatic to unveil the sensational Novachord + Solovox collection, featuring two meticulously crafted virtual instruments that pay homage to the trailblazers of the synthesizer world. Novachord replicates the revolutionary 1939 polyphonic marvel of the same name, and Solovox reproduces the equally influential monophonic keyboard instrument. Cherry Audio is on a mission to reignite the vintage charm and distinctive tones of these timeless masterpieces that laid the foundation for contemporary synthesis methods.

Debuting at the 1939 World's Fair, the Hammond Novachord contained a breathtaking 163 vacuum tubes and over 1,000 custom capacitors. Its architecture predicted the ADSR envelope and utilized a resonant bandpass filter, similar to designs adopted decades later in modern polyphonic synthesizers. Novachord is remembered for its use in We'll Meet Again by Vera Lynn, and featured in decades of soundtracks, including "Gone With the Wind" and "The Maltese Falcon," and its otherworldly sounds heard in "Cat People," "It Came from Outer Space," The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits. Today, fewer than 200 Novachords exist, and it is said that only five remain in operation worldwide.

Hammond's 1940 Solovox was a small monophonic mini keyboard instrument attached beneath a piano to augment it with organ-type lead voices. Deriving its design from the Novachord's oscillator and divider circuits, Solovox had 18 vacuum tubes and produced a range of string, woodwind, and organ sounds widely used in light music into the 1960s. Unfortunately, the introduction of compact transistor organs released in the 60s marked the end of the Solovox's popularity.

Award-winning developer and DSP designer Mark Barton shared our fascination with these unique historical electronic instruments, and approached Cherry Audio with the prospect of teaming up to revive them and their unique mystical sounds. Mark’s expertise in circuit modeling, along with the invaluable assistance of vintage Novachord owners Joseph and Justin Fill, enabled Cherry Audio to recreate these masterpieces using virtual synthesis rather than sampling.

Cherry Audio's Novachord features 32 polyphonic voices; a resonant bandpass filter network of three resonators; the "Brilliant," "Deep," and "Full" tone settings of the original; seven Attack/Decay/Sustain envelope options; adjustable depth vibrato; and an integrated reverb effect with Room and Hall algorithms plus speaker emulation to replicate the Novachord’s built-in amp and speakers in an acoustic space. Novachord's interface is a magnificent recreation of the original, replete with white Plakson and black Bakelite keys, teardrop levers, and gorgeous cherry wood.

Cherry Audio's Solovox is a faithful virtual analog emulation of the monophonic keyboard attachment instrument, featuring combinable Bass, Tenor, Contralto, and Soprano switches; First Voice and Second Voice two-pole bandpass filters with level controls and variable center frequencies; "Deep," and "Brilliant" tone settings; adjustable glide and fixed-rate vibrato; a mute control to filter harmonics from the oscillator voice; and an integrated reverb effect with Room algorithm and speaker emulation. The exquisite Solovox interface features responsive vacuum tubes that light up and respond to settings.

The result is the fully immersive Novachord + Solovox experience - a breathtaking feast for both the ears and the eyes. With additional touches including over 100 combined presets, flexible MIDI mapping, and Cherry Audio's popular Focus zoom-in feature, Novachord + Solovox brings these Golden Age classics out of the past and into the 21st century.

The unparalleled combination of Novachord and Solovox presents an unbeatable opportunity for musicians. Cherry Audio introduces this exceptional package of two extraordinary virtual instruments at one jaw-dropping price of just $39 (list price $59). With the original hardware being exceedingly rare and priceless, this incredible offer allows everyone to delve into the origins of electronic music and experience their captivating sounds.

The Novachord + Solovox collection is available from cherryaudio.com and authorized resellers worldwide for Windows and macOS (including macOS 13 Ventura, native Apple M1 processor support, M1 Ultra). The bundle is provided as a single download and installed in AU, VST, VST3, AAX, and standalone formats. A free 30-day demo is available. Visit cherryaudio.com for additional product details, system requirements, and an extensive collection of awe-inspiring sound demos.

Novachord sound using Rhizomatic Plasmonic

video by Anthony Distefano

"Novachord preset I made using Plasmonic"

Electronic Music Experimentation in the Films of Alfred Hitchcock

video by Reverb

"From the start, Alfred Hitchcock took a keen interest in the music in his films—and, indeed, musical motifs featured in the plotlines of some of his biggest '30s successes (Read more on Reverb). Watch along as Joe discusses the music in his films and how electronic experimentation was explored to be the sound of some iconic characters and bizarre situations."

Samuel Hoffman on Johnny Carson:


Johnny Carson Plays THEREMIN video by Peter Pringle

Trautonium:


Nieuwe elektronische piano: Het Trautonium (1941) video by Nederlands Instituut voor Beeld en Geluid

Mixtur Trautonium:


Oskar Sala - Live-Konzert 1991 - Mixtur-Trautonium video by Trautonist

And a playlist of Oskar Sala performances from 1997 uploaded by Trautonist:

Oskar Sala „Gesprächskonzert" 1997 - Teil 01-10


See the labels below for additional posts on each.

Hammond Novachord Model H Tube Polyphonic Synthesizer Organ

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this auction

“PHYSICAL CONDITION: Fair- There are numerous broken keys in the very lower register, including a missing middle B key. The on-off switch is broke off but it still can be flipped on and off. WORKING CONDITION: Non-Functional- The power amps are not connected and the unit is presumed to be non-functional. All major components are intact. There are numerous scratches, dings and general wear on the wood housing but overall it remains solid and sturdy. This unit is still worthy enough as a major restoration project or to be used for parts."

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Vtg Hammond NOVACHORD, The RAREST Polyphonic Tube Synthesizer / Organ No 260 (?)

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this auction

I almost skipped posting this one due to the condition, but reader Joe Klaw spotted it and sent it in. You don't see these often. If you don't know what a Novachord is, see here for additional posts.

via the listing: "Cosmetic wise the Amps are in Excellent Shape. I have no way to test them.
On November 20, 2019 I add the following about the amplifiers ("It appears that one of the 4A7 tubes (or whatever the number is) is missing from one of the amplifiers, I will look around here to see if I can find it. For now consider it to be missing and bid accordingly."

The exterior of the galleys show rust as seen in pics. The Inside of the the galleys are much nicer. The underside of the galleys appear excellent. There has been no "leakage" of the electronics anywhere as far as I can see. The cabinet was "Antiqued" when I got it. Much of that on the top flat surfaces is gone and it is down to the raw wood, so refinishing would not be as difficult as when I first got it....

Top of the cabinet is rough, but it is all there though some of the thinner sections have come unglued I saved everything so it could be rebuilt, It came apart as I tried to lift the lid off to view the cabinet electronics. The base appears to be sound though the legs are showing come cracks at their longitudinal glue joints. One Foot is damaged as seen in the picture.

Both Jensen Speakers are there, but the cones are of course gone.

Black and White Keys all have good "action" and "ping" nicely. I did not try to operate any of the console levers.

It's all here, just ready for some serious TLC.

Labels that were on the backside of the top cabinet are rough.
I could not find the Plate with the serial number. I am guessing it is 260 because that number is stamped on the inside right side of the cabinet. I remember last time I moved it I took photos and had pics of the plate but that camera is long gone.

I have owned it about 20 years and bought it at a local estate auction."

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Champagne SuperNova - Novachord Inspired Soft Synth for Reason

Romantic Interlude (from a 50s Monster Movie) Published on Mar 1, 2018 JiggeryPokerySound

"A quick improv on the Champagne Supernova Rack Extension, using the extra vintage settings."

And a video overview from thesoundtestroom:

Champagne SuperNova 1930s Vintage Synth - Rack Extension for Reason - Brilliant

via Propellerhead

"Introductory Offer until 31st March. Only €39.

Developed in the late 1930s by the Hammond Organ company, the Novachord was an instrument that, despite using a vacuum tube oscillator and divide-down circuits, was perhaps forty years ahead of its time. Many of the Novachord's features would not be seen again until the mid to late 60s, or even into the 80s!

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NOVACHORD

Published on Aug 13, 2013 fabio Dattoma

"Ejemplo de Novachord"

Hammond Novachord with Sweetwater's Daniel Fisher

Published on Jan 10, 2017 SweetwaterSound

"Daniel Fisher, Sweetwater’s full-time synth fanatic, gives an in-depth tour of the Hammond Novachord, which is widely regarded as the father of the modern polyphonic synthesizer. It debuted at the 1939 World’ Fair and featured 72-note polyphony, oscillators, filters, envelopes, and frequency modulation, which were used to craft its organic and otherworldly sounds.

After a close look at all of the Novachord’s parameters and internal components, Daniel gives an impromptu performance while sweeping through all of the parameters’ values. Then, as an example of what it would sound like in modern times, Fisher plays the Novachord through an Eventide H9 Multi-Effects Processor.

Only five fully restored Novachords are known to exist today.

Joseph Fill and his son, Justin, poured more than 2,000 hours of work restoring this 1941 Hammond Novachord. They replaced countless components, rewired all the connections, and then cleaned and polished the internal and external surfaces by hand.

Please feel free to contact Joe Fill if you wish to inquire about purchasing this beautifully restored piece of musical instrument history: hangarjoe@sbcglobal.net"

See the Novachord label below for more.

Fully Functional Hammond Novachord For Sale

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

This one in via MATRIXSYNTH reader J. Louise. Details and contact info follow.

"Hammond Novachord made in 1939. Considered by many to be the first synthesizer commercially available. Bob Moog was five years old when this came out. I believe there are less than ten of these working in the world. It has an unmistakable, and instantly recognizable sound which was featured in movies such as "Gone With The Wind", "The Twilight Zone", "The Ten Commandments", "The Outer Limits" and even "Hawaii Five-O".

The Novachord has full 72 note polyphony, envelope control, two presets which mechanically operate the front panel controls, and a six channel vibrato making for rich chords as each note in a triad has its own vibrato of a slightly different speed, emulating the sound of real string players. It has a built in amplifier and two 12" speakers. Completely vacuum tube operation, no solid state anything. The tubes are mostly originals as they run at conservative heater voltages for long life.

It took me over three years and lots of searching and talking with people to find this instrument. This particular instrument originated in Detroit, Michigan where it was used for the background music of radio dramas in the 1940s. It was then stored in the transmitter room at the station where all the cool old stuff like this got tossed aside when the next great thing came out. I acquired it in 2005 from the station engineer.

This instrument has been fully, painstakingly restored to working condition using modern components that should last a long time. It took over 300 hours of skilled labor and a shop full of test equipment and tools to bring this back to life.

The speakers are original Jensen A12 field coils and have been re-coned. The amplifier power tubes are new Sovtek 2A3s, and some tubes in the power supply have been replaced with new old stock tubes of high quality.

The instrument has been stripped and refinished in the same color it was originally but it is a satin texture and not a professional high gloss lacquer finish. It looks great in person and I get a lot of compliments on the finish. The nameplate area above the keyboard has not been refinished to preserve the original Hammond logo above the keys.

Included are the original service manual, original playing guide, lots of original Sylvania green leaf spare tubes which were from another Novachord so they are period correct, and a magazine ad from 1940 for the Novachord.

I will gladly spend time with any serious buyers to go over the technical details of the restoration, show you how it works, and answer any questions you may have about it.

I can be contacted at jessie@newoldsounds.com."

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Electric Dream: Twelve Instruments ⚡︎ One Girl

Published on Oct 26, 2015 Clara Venice

"'Electric Dream' now available on iTunes ⚡︎ http://apple.co/1Mfidy5

⚡︎

Go behind the scenes with me at the National Music Centre as I record my newest EP, "Electric Dream" using some rare electronic instruments from their collection (and one not-so-rare instrument from mine!)

⚡︎

Instruments used:

1. Chime-a-tron
2. Linn LM-1
3. Oberheim Four Voice
4. Buchla Lighting
5. EMS Synthi Hi-Fli
6. Stylophone
7. RCA Theremin
8. Ableton Live
9. Oberheim OB-Xa
10. T.O.N.T.O.
11. Hammond Novachord
12. Neumann U-87 "

Valley of the ARPs

via Richard Devine on The MATRIXSYNTH Lounge

CMS modular in the middle. CMS stands for Cirocco Modular Synthesizers at discretesynthesizers.com.

CMS has 3 main divisions: CMS Discrete Synthesizers, CMS Technical Services & Upgrades, & The Novachord Restoration Project.

Phil Cirocco is likely the worlds leading ARP tech.  I'd say leading expert as well, although I don't know if that would be him or David Friend working on the new KORG ARP Odyssey clone, and of course Alan R Pearlman is still around.  Philip Dodds however has passed on.

THE MAGIC OF THE NOVACHORD Collins H Driggs 3 x 78 LPs

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this auction

"For sale is a vintage 1941 shellac LP copy of The Magic of The Novachord on 3 x 10" records (Victor, P-57). This album features some of the earliest recorded electronic music from the Hammond Novachord. Far ahead of it's time the Novachord premiered at the 1939 New York World Fair, and within 3 years manufacturing of the instrument ceased. Perhaps the Novachord's 500 lb weight or the featured 160 vacuum tubes and nearly 1000 capacitors contributed to poor sales of this synthesizer and it's decline. This set is perfect for sampling from or to add to your growing collection of antiques synth LPs."

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HAMMOND NOVACHORD SN 1253

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this auction - learn how to sell on eBay here

"The Hammond Novachord, often considered to be the world's first polyphonic synthesizer, debuted at the 1939 World's Fair and represents a major milestone in electronic keyboard musical instrument history. It uses many circuit and control elements found in modern synthesizers, particularly subtractive synthesis, in order to generate tones.

In particular, its divide-down oscillator architecture, based on vacuum-tube monostable circuits, permit all 72 notes to be played polyphonically by deriving several octaves of notes from twelve top-octave oscillators. A similar design was adopted in polysynthesizers released more than 30 years later by Robert Moog and A.R.P. The Novachord is very well suited to producing rich,"otherworldly" timbres than range from dense sustained string-like and vocal-like timbres to the sharp attack transients of a harpsichord or piano. With over 150 vacuum tubes inside, this synthesizer has a thick, harmonically rich sound that you can't get elsewhere.

An incredibly rare find, only around 1,000 Novachords are said to have ever been made, and it is estimated that there are fewer than 200 Novachords still in existence. Commercial sample libraries of this instrument alone cost $300; that's how rare, complex, and musically useful this instrument is!

This Hammond Novachord is priced to sell quickly, as we are looking to raise cashflow to cover certain impending expenses. We usually sell these for $8900 and up.

This Hammond Novachord was ordered from Hammond by a high-end Chicago hotel in the early 1940s with custom fluted legs and the original blonde-and-black finish, both of which it retains, as seen in the pictures. It also should be noted that the silver control panel faceplate is factory original, custom ordered in a brushed silver/steel. Regular Novachords have a brown control panel faceplate. This is the only Novachord with a custom factory finish and design that I have ever seen, other than the white Novachords that were at the 1939 World's Fair. This Novachord is in good cosmetic shape for its age.

When we bought this Novachord, it came with a folding dolly that was custom-built for the Novachord of the electronic music pioneer Paul Beaver in the 1960s. This dolly is the only dolly we have ever seen of its type, and its construction is ingenious. It has a hinged platform that unfolds outward in front of the main platform, which allows the player to set a bench on top of it, such that the Hammond Novachord never has to come off of its dolly in order to be played. The buyer of this Novachord will have the opportunity to purchase this dolly from us, as well as a spare Hammond Novachord power supply (see the picture of the spare power supply sitting on the concrete), for a reasonable additional price.

The inside electronics all appear to be original. The amps were removed at one point for purposes of additional safety during transport and are now back in place, but have not been plugged back in. We have not tested the Novachord and are leaving that to the buyer of this instrument, so we are selling this Novachord as is..."

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VINTAGE HAMMOND NOVACHORD DOCUMENTS

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this auction - learn how to sell on eBay here

"The Hammond Novachord, often considered to be the world's first polyphonic synthesizer, debuted at the 1939 World's Fair and represents a major milestone in electronic keyboard musical instrument history. It uses many circuit and control elements found in modern synthesizers, particularly subtractive synthesis, in order to generate tones.

In particular, its divide-down oscillator architecture, based on vacuum-tube monostable circuits, permit all 72 notes to be played polyphonically by deriving several octaves of notes from twelve top-octave oscillators. A similar design was adopted in polysynthesizers released more than 30 years later by Robert Moog and A.R.P. The Novachord is very well suited to producing rich,"otherworldly" timbres than range from dense sustained string-like and vocal-like timbres to the sharp attack transients of a harpsichord or piano. With over 150 vacuum tubes inside, this synthesizer has a thick, harmonically rich sound that you can't get elsewhere.

For sale here are two rare documents for a Hammond Novachord, and these documents ONLY. We have the Novachord listed for sale in a different ebay listing. The two documents are the Maintenance and Installation Instructions, and the Guarantee placard. These documents are extremely rare, we have owned several Novachords (which are already rare themselves!) and never seen these documents before..."

Mark Mothersbaugh's Tour of Mutato Muzika

Published on Jun 4, 2013 keyboardmag1·273 videos

"In this archival clip from May 2010, Mark Mothersbaugh gives us a tour of some of the vintage synths in Mutato Muzika, DEVO's headquarters in L.A."

EMS SYNTHI AKS, Oberheim TVS, Moog Memorymoog, Minimoog & Sonic Six, various circuit bent gear, EMS VCS3, custom DIY modular Aries Modular, EDP Wasp, Novachord, Electronium, TONTO, EML 500, Polybox, Octave CAT, Pink Floyd's Ondioline, Sequential Circuits Prophet-5 & more.

Update via Michael Hewel in the comments: "the modular around 08:00 is an Aries"

Hammond Novachord SN 1416

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this auction

Note the tone wheel in the third pic below.

"A partial restoration was performed recently on the main cabinet. It appears to be missing 1 amplifier and the speakers need to be replaced. Own a rare piece of history. The organ can be pickup up locally in Denver CO, or can be crated and shipped via a preferred carrier of your choice."

Pics of the inside further below.

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HAMMOND NOVACHORD SN 1539

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this auction

"The introduction of the Hammond Novachord, the world's first polyphonic synthesizer, at the 1939 World's Fair is a major milestone in electronic keyboard musical instrument history. With over 100 vacuum tubes inside, this synthesizer has a thick, harmonically rich sound that you can't get elsewhere. The instrument is incredibly rare (only 500 are said to have ever been made, and who knows how many remain in existence). Commercial sample libraries of this instrument alone cost $300; that's how rare, complex, and musically useful this instrument is!

This Hammond Novachord is in great cosmetic shape for its age, better than all four of the Hammond Novachords we have sold in the past. However, according to the prior owner, the power supply needs to be restored before the Novachord will work properly. It probably won't be a difficult repair. We have not tested it, and are selling it as-is, no returns, because obviously the buyer will need to spend many hours repairing it in order to have it play perfectly..."

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Working Hammond Novachord Video Demo

HammondNovachord Published on Dec 7, 2012 AntiquityMusicLLC·11 videos

Hammond Novachord SN 1137

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this auction

"Up for auction today is one of the great pieces of musical history, the Hammond Novachord. When these were originally made in the late 1930's and early 1940's, they cost as much as a house! The Novachord is recognized as the first production synthesizer, decades ahead of everyone else. If you've ever watched an old sci-fi or horror film from the 1950's then you've heard a Novachord. There are only several hundred of these in existence out of an original production of just over 1000. The value of these will only GO UP. This is one piece of musical equipment that is rare enough to be considered as a true financial investment.

This particular Novachord does turn on and play. We put new 2A3 power tubes in the power amplifier, and tested all of the other tubes. We ended up replacing roughly 14 tubes, the rest tested ok. The notes above middle C all seem to work well. 90% of the notes below middle C do not work. My guess is that the frequency dividers for those notes need some work. All of the knobs turn freely. The vibrato works and most other functions work to SOME degree. This being said, THIS NOVACHORD WILL NEED WORK. This is NOT A 100% fully working unit! There are a few websites out there that have great information about how to restore a Novachord. This unit has the original preamplifier, speakers, and power amplifier. I believe that the bench is original but I'm not 100% sure. The finish is rough and will need attention. One support that connects the left front leg to the left rear leg is cracked and will need to be glued. There is also a crack in the wood on the faceplate that will need to be glued. The speakers are original but do have some small tears and punctures. I'm sure that there are other nicks and dings on this instrument but the pictures should give you a pretty good idea. Overall this is a very nice instrument that is just waiting for the right owner!!!"

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Hideaway Studio S-VX Hybrid Library for Kontakt Featuring Novachord & More

"Complex Analog Oscillators with 12-bit Crunch into Curtis Filters…

For a while now I've been curious about the infamous AKAI S900 into VX90 combo and after building a 13 pin connection cable and installing an HxC virtual floppy drive in the S900 I decided to give it a go.

The results were very promising so I decided to put a new sample library together offering complex warm analog oscillator sources transposed over 5 octaves with a touch of 12-bit crunch shaped with classic Curtis VCFs and VCAs!

Raw complex oscillator sources were sampled in 12-bits on a recently refurbished AKAI S900. Sources were mainly 1976 Minimoog model D but also included ARP Omni-2, Philicorda GM751, 1939 Novachord, Juno-106 and three tube oscillators fed into a tube waveshaper.

32 complex oscillators were captured on the S900 and stored as virtual disk images on SD card.

Patches were programmed into the VX90 to modulate the Curtis filters and VCAs and the results multi-sampled as a library of 376 generously long 24-bit samples.

32 instruments were programmed up in Kontakt to form the basis for a 4-voice layering engine complete with scripted user interface.

32 example editable patches were created.

Here is a link to more background, sound demos and download page for what I think you will all find is a very tempting Christmas offer of £10:

http://hideawaystudio.wordpress.com/

All the best,

Dan Wilson, Hideaway Studio."

You can find the set including pics of the gear used on Hideaway Studio here.