KX77FREE’s Kx-Modulad 2.0 is a free “analog” style modular synth for Windows with stereo SF2 player and an additive synthesis WaveTracer to build waveforms.

Features:

• Stereo routing.
• 3 Polyphonic EGs with for each segment: curves, velocity and Kbd controls.
• 1 Monophonic EG with for each segment: curves, velocity and Kbd controls.
• Multiple trigger sources and sync for the EGs and the LFOs.
• 2 oscillators with 2 waveforms and 2 outputs with Phase modulation and Sync.
• 2 independent Sub Oscillators.
• 1 Stereo SF2 player.
• 2 Monophonic LFOs with 2 Rates and ASR EG.
• 2 Mulitmode VCFs.
• Mixer with 6 sources: Noise, Vco1 1-2, Vco 2 1-2, Ring, Vco1 Width, Vco2 Width and 3 outputs: VCF1, VCF2, VCA.
• Each mixer voice can be modulated by different sources.
• Noise Generator with an EQ.
• Sample & Hold.
• Ring Modulator.
• 6 host sync clocks.
• 2 Midi inputs.
• 1 Distortion.
• 2 Delays with sync, multimode filter and modulation oscillator with sync.
• 1 Scope with 100 ms of buffer size.
• Full Midi learn.
• Full NRPN implementation.
• 128 KX presets

via svartling

Image: Ricardipus

This is another fantastic shot of the Harmonic Synthesizer:

In the lobby of the McLennan physics building, University of Toronto. The pitches are actually labeled on the wooden blocks – Mi5, Re5, and so on.

This marvelous machine was used to dress the output of the large fork and resonator with a controlled set of overtones. Each fork is mounted in front of the appropriate resonator and driven by coils connected in series using the electronome interrupter tuned to the fundamental. A small keyboard opens the resonators.

It appears that the components of this apparatus have been redeployed, as the present set-up does not agree with the illustration in the 1889 catalogue and several pieces have been mounted with screws through the maker’s ark – an unlikely occurrence in the original mounting. This was probably done to allow operation of the keyboard from the back.

I really like that this has something called an “electronome interrupter”.

If you know anything more about the history of harmonic synthesizers, please leave a comment!

via the Synthtopia Flickr Group

This is a demo, by RetroSound, of the Kawai K5000 Advanced Additive Synthesizer.

The Kawai K5000 = Additive Synthesis + special PCM samples; the demo shows some typical K5000 sounds.

Kawai K5000R Specs:

• Polyphony: 32 voices
• Oscillators: Digital Additive Synthesis plus PCM samples; Harmonics: 64 per source;
• Effects: 4 effects algorithms with 32 different effects
• Filter: 128-band formant filter, 24dB/oct low-pass and high-pass; LFO : 2 (one for formant filter, one can be freely routed to other destinations); 1 ASDR per part, with key scale and velocity; Arpeggiator: 40 patterns, 8 user;
• Memory: 200 patches, 64 performances ;
• Date: 1996

Dave Cornutt has posted a great blog post over at Sequence 15 about moving in his Hammond organ:

About the organ: It’s an A100, one of the spinet styles that Hammond produced mainly for the home market. Despite that, it’s a full-up tonewheel organ, with exactly the same layout, sound generation, and controls as the venerable B3. In fact, if you are looking for that B3 sound but find the price tag daunting, you can pick up an A100 and get that exact same sound for $500-1000 less. I don’t know why it is that the A100 should sell for that much less than the B3 when they both use the same components. The only difference is that the A100 contains a built-in power amp (two, actually) and speakers, so you don’t have to have an external tone cabinet to play it. (Despite that, it does have a socket for connecting a Hammond tone cabinet, or with the proper adaptor, a Leslie.)

The A100 weighs about 350 lbs., and this one has a magnetic attraction for my toes. I actually dropped it on my toes once! So, of course, as we were moving it in, my shoe got stuck in a gap in the floor between the hallway and the room, and it nearly ended up on my toes again. 

Dave’s right – you can fairly regularly see A100’s going for a few hundred dollars. I think his second paragraph explains why – they weigh 350 lbs, but they don’t have the caché of a B3. 

His post also has some interesting A100 secrets and lots of extreme close up organ gear porn.

Image Line Software, creators of Fruity Loops and Deckadance, has released its latest synthesizer, Ogun.

Named after the god of iron*, Ogun is a powerful synthesizer for creating metallic sounds, although it’s not limited to this genre. Ogun’s synthesis engine can generate more than 32,000 harmonics, modulated by ‘harmonic mapping’ functions.

The ‘Additive synthesis’ engine that lies is in the heart of Ogun creates complex waveforms by combining sine-waves of harmonic multiples of the fundamental frequency and generates 32,767 harmonics.

Audio demos of Ogun are available at the Image Line site.

The Timbre section shapes the harmonic spectrum and controls change the weighting, or probability, that each harmonic in the spectra will sound.

One of the easiest ways to create new and complex timbres in Ogun is to use the resynthesis functions. Ogun can analyze an input sound and automatically recreate the timbral essence of the sound. Ogun can create unique harmonic mappings based on the start and on the end of the sample. By morphing between these harmonic mappings the original harmonic motion is reproduced.

Expressive performance is captured with the X-Y modulation window, freely assignable (to target synthesis parameters in Ogun) and can be quickly linked to any external controller.

Ogun comes with several effects: EQ, Chorus, Delay, Reverb, Filter, Unison.

Key features:

• A massive additive synthesis engine (up to 32,767 harmonics)
• Realistic metallic timbres through harmonic randomization or timbre analysis (resynthesis)
• Fast, precise tonal shaping through multipoint envelopes (of Sytrus fame)
• Advanced Unison engine
• XY modulation pad for live expressive control
• Effects: Filter, Chorus, Delay, Reverb and EQ
• Space-saving GUI

Ogun is a Windows VSTi. A FL Studio plugin version is in the works. Ogun is available at the Image Line Software web shop for US $ 79. A fully functional demo is available.

*In Haitian Vodou and Yoruba mythology, Ogun is a god and orisha who presides over fire, iron, politics, hunting and war.

VirSyn has released a new version of their resynthesizer, Cube 2.2.

Cube 2.2 comes with a vastly improved resynthesis for complex and inharmonic sounds. Also included is a free soundbank and some bugfixes.

You can preview the sound of VirSyn with the Vivaldi demo below.

Demo versions for Win/Mac are available, along with more sound demos.
What’s new in CUBE 2.2:

Features

• Spectrum analyser vastly improved for inharmonic/noisy spectra.
• Sound bank “Art of CUBE” with 64 presets.
• Library with over 40 new analysed spectra.

Bugfixes

• PC: manual morphing now possible again.
• Pitchbend problems fixed.
• Ableton Live: Crash on VST scan fixed.
• Ableton Live: GUI refresh problem fixed.
• pre VST 2.4 host compatibility improved.
• Freeze problem with analysis mode “Noise” fixed.
• Pitchbend/Modulation wheel on GUI exchanged.
• Mac: File dialogs remember last location according to file type.
• Modulation of Brightness via Modwheel fixed.
• Intel based Macs: Overdrive effect couldn’t change typ.

This update is free of charge for all registered users of CUBE 2.

Kjaerhus Audio

Spectra is a synthesizer plug-in which combines multistage additive synthesis with subtractive synthesis in an easy to operate and intuitive product. It provides a wealth of timbral possibilities, ranging from classic synthesizer sounds to re-synthesized instrument sounds and sound morphing. It features a 250 partial additive engine with up to 8 detune-able oscillators per Voice.

Up to 100 harmonies can be made on a timeline for re-synthesis and harmony morphing. An audio analyzer is available to convert wave files into harmonies. The subtractive part includes 12 analog modeled filters with resonance, two of those to self-oscillation. Two LFO’s are available for tremolo, vibrato and filter modulations. Five flexible multipoint envelopes with looping and timestretch capabilities are available to control amplitude, filter cut-off, pitch and modulation level for each of the two LFO’s.

The effect section features Chorus / Flanger, Delay, Phaser and Reverb. A two bank preset system is available for easy program handling; you can, for instance, browse through one bank and easily save your favorite sounds to the other bank. According to Kjaerhus “there is no latency”, which makes it ideal for real-time performance in the studio or on stage.

“Our goal was to make a musical instrument with new and interesting sound possibilities that was also easy and intuitive to work with. We have done our best to make this synth as logical and nontechnical for the user as possible, focusing on the quality and features that make a difference to the musician.” says Torben Larsen, founder of Kjaerhus Audio.

Spectra will be available for online purchase beginning January 3, 2006. The price will be $198.00, but until February 3, 2006 it can be purchased for only $158.00 as an introduction discount.

More information is available at the Kjaerhus site.

Cube 2 is a musical instrument and the ultimate tool for sound designers who wish to have instant and intuitive access to all principal components every imaginable sound is build from. Every sound can be decomposed in a sine spectrum representing the harmonic and inharmonic partials and a residual noise spectrum for the noise components. The spatial character of a sound can be represented by a pan spectrum. The temporal evolution of these three spectra is a very convenient way to describe every sound. Cube 2 is built around this model and allows you to manipulate the structure of a sound with all its components in a comfortable and musical way.

The main new feature of Cube 2 is the ability to manipulate the analyzed sound spectra in a variety of musically useful ways: Imagine for example drawing a comb filter structure freely into the spectrum ! And you can do this not only in the sine spectrum, but also with the residual noise spectrum and the stereo panning.

The analyzer of Cube 2 improved a lot and allows now specialized algorithms for different types of sounds. This includes harmonic / inharmonic and noisy sound types. The new residual noise generator of Cube 2 allows you to create evolving noise spectra in a way which was never possible before.

New Features:

• Improved Spectral analyzer with selectable algorithms optimized for different sound types
• 600 ready to use presets
• Graphical editor for direct manipulation of the spectral and spatial structure of the sound.
• Improved morphing algorithm
• Residual noise generator
• Volume envelope now independent from the Morph envelopes
• Switch off morph envelopes for manual morph control
• Modulation range for morph modulation added
• New modulation sources “Breath” and “Expression”
• Editor for MIDI assignment of user interface controllers
• Legato mode for monophonic sounds
• Reset function for source edits and resynth sources.

System requirements:

• Mac G4 > 400 Mhz
• PC Pentium III > 600 Mhz
• Athlon XP/MP
• 256 MB RAM
• Mac OX 10.2 / WinXP