EMS VCS3

XILS-lab has announced XILS 3, a new matrix-style synthesizer based on the architecture of a classic modular matrix synth, the EMS VCS3.

You can preview audio samples at the XILS-lab site.

Features :

• Three aliasing-free oscillators: sine, ramp, square, triangle.
• One 2/4 poles low pass filter (a 3 pole self-oscillating mode is also planned).
• One envelope, based on two different designs, trapezoid and ADSR.
• One spring reverb.
• One ring modulator.
• One 128 steps sequencer.
• Two output static filters.
• One joy-stick.
• Three connection matrix.
• One input gate.
• One input envelope follower.
• One pitch tracker.
• One transient tracker.
• Mono/Unison/Polyphonic playing mode, up to 18 voices of polyphony.
• All parameters MIDI controllable.
• Many presets made by famous sound designers (Kevin Lamb, Chris Pitman, Cliff Douse, to name but a few )

XILS 3 will be available soon for both Mac (AU/VST/RTAS) and PC (VST/RTAS) at a price of €220.

Pete Townshend, in his studio, explains how he achieved the “arpeggiated” organ sound from the classic Who track, Won’t Get Fooled Again by running the organ through the filter of an Electronic Music Studios EMS Synthi VCS3, aka The Putney,

KX77FREE’s KX-Synth-X16 is a free virtual analog modular synth plug-in based on the EMS VCS3 structure, but with some additional features.

KX-Synth-X16 Common features:

• Three variable shape oscillators.
• Noise generator.
• Ring modulation.
• Two external inputs.
• LP filter; 18 db per octave with self oscillating.
• Same structure of the matrix (16*16).
• XY joystick.

Added features:

• Modern skin with notepad and variable color background.
• Keyboard controls to the oscillators and filter; -10 volts to 10 volts; useful for keyboard scaling.
• You can adjust the response curve of the oscillators.
• 256 mini knobs to adjust the plot modulation (0 to 1).
• The original ASR (trapezoid) is extended to 2 ADSR with Host synchronization.
• Delay fx with Host synchronization.
• MIDI controllers.

KX-Synth-X16 is available for Windows as a VST instrument plug-in.

via VSTCafe

This image of the EMS VCS3 and friends was taken at A Concert of Music and Psychogeography at Glasgow University, 28th January 2009, a series of works by composer in residence Drew Mulholland.

More wonderfully evocative images of the event in JC_Phosphene’s flickr stream.

Radiophonica (WFRP001) is the first title in UK sound designer Ian Boddy’s Waveforms series of independent downloadable sample libraries.

Radiophonica provides a library of sounds that recall the BBC Radiophonic Workshops early work on seminal TV programmes like Doctor Who; as such, they embrace those appealing analogue, organic, retro scifi sounding characteristics of early synthesiser soundtracks.

All 200 samples 24-bit/44.1kHz mono WAV, crossfade looped where appropriate were created using Boddy’s personal collection of old(er) and new(er) analogue synthesisers (Roland System 100-M, Analogue Systems RS Integrator, Doepfer A-100, Analogue Solutions Concussor, EMS VCS3, Moog Minimoog, Metasonix TM-2) and recorded directly into an Apple Mac running Logic Studio via an RME Fireface 400 FireWire audio interface with additional EQ or compression processing provided where appropriate using Audio Ease PeriScope, Waves Renaissance Compressor, and Waves L1 Ultramaximizer. All audible flanging, phasing, reverb, or echo effects are from the various analogue components of the modular systems themselves for absolute audio authenticity. Read more…