This set of videos, from 1985, takes a look at The Secrets of Analog & Digital Synthesis.
It’s obviously dated, starting with the ”Listen to the sound coming from your VCR right now.” Nevertheless, there’s some solid coverage of synth basics and the videos also offer a vintage look at synths.
In this short interview, via MoogMusic, Chick Corea takes a moment from his 2011 tour with Return to Forever IV to discuss the role of various analog synthesizers in his on-stage sound.
Here’s an analog vs virtual analog comparison, via virtualoberheim, of the SonicProjects OP-X PRO-II virtual Oberheim VSTi software synth for Windows and a vintage Oberheim OB-X Rev.2.
The lower manual in the video is an USB MDI master keyboard (an Emu Xboard 61) which drives OP-X PRO-II hosted in Steinberg Cubase 5. No effects or any other treatments were involved, both OB-X and OP-X PRO-II were recorded directly to disk, OB-X over the line inputs of an RME HDSP 9632.
The video switches quickly back and forth between the two sources, making it easy to listen for differences.
Check it out and let us know what you think! Can you hear differences between the vintage Oberheim and its virtual recreation?
Pittsburgh Modular has introduced a Eurorack ADSR - a four stage envelope generator with independently adjustable Attack, Decay, Sustain, and Release stages.
Module Controls:
Sunday Synth Jam: Reader Chris Stack, aka experimentalsynth, improvises over a dark ambient drone backing.
For the backing, Stack used the Make Noise René Cartesian Sequencer, Maths and a variety of Moog synths.
Pittsburgh Modular has released this official intro video to their Analog Delay module:
The Pittsburgh Modular Analog Delay is “a brand new analog delay module designed around a pair of 4096 Bucket Brigade Delay Line (BBD) ICs to produce a distinct analog delay effect. The maximum delay time when shipped is set at 9/10ths of a second but this can be adjusted up to 2 seconds.
The Analog Delay offers voltage control of the delay time, feedback, and wet signal. A true bypass switch allows the delay to be enabled and disabled quickly.”
This is an informal demo of the Vaco Loco Zira synthesizer – a synth that, according to its designer, “came out of an idea I had to see how small I could build a synth and still get it to sound good.”
Features;
This is a sneak preview, the Zira is still under development. See the Vaco Loco site for details.
via VacolocoSynth:
A quick run through of Zira and it’s features.
Sunday Synth Jam: Here’s a mellow synth jam, via Andy Barrow, that brings to mind the space rock and synth music of the 70s.
Barrow shared these technical details on the piece, Solar Orbiter:
We start off with a brief intro using the Voyager XL and then the music begins with the Radias (Pads and the Lead Synth part way through the video) and the Moog Slim Phatty being used for the rhythm.
I then bring the XL in to play a moody lead synth (2 Osc’s used, the second used primarily for harmonic content). The Radias takes over later on and then we finish with Moog Slim Phatty and the Voyager XL.
Dubspot Instructor, DJ and producer Abe Duque takes a look at the Korg Monotribe and shares his thoughts on using it, in and out of the studio.
On a recent gig in Moscow, Duque added the Monotribe to his live setup, using it to cue in patterns on the fly during his set. Duque share his experiences and then offers a detailed overview of the Monotribe and a walk-through on how to update the OS.
via DubSpot
This set of videos, via Marc Doty (AutomaticGainsay) takes a look at the new Arturia Minibrute analog synthesizer.
The first section, above, is an introduction to the Minibrute.