This video, via synthjunk, is a celebration of all that is good – with an emphasis on the pure analog electronica power, using classic synths, sequencers and drum machines.

via synthjunk:

Influenced by electronic music of the 70’s 80’s & 90’s.

Recorded using Ableton live with minimal overdubbing.

Robot featured is home made.

Synthtopia regular MirlitronOne created what could be the low-budget music hack of the year – turning a $6 LED kit into a 8-stage step sequencer.

He started with a Vellemen MK107 LED kit – which are available all over the place for less than a fast food lunch, making the kit a great risk-free starting point for music hacking.

In this video, MirlitronOne shows you how he did it and how this DIY music sequencer works.

via MirlitronOne:

How to turn a cheap Velleman LED kit into a simple eight-note analogue voltage sequencer for a synthesizer, WSG etc. The whole thing could be built for under £10 and has a novel function for playing subsets of the selected notes for ‘related’ arpeggios. This electronic music project comes to you from the bench of Mirlitronics, Inc., suppliers of low-tech gadgetry to “The Mirlitrons” – check us out on iTunes.

via Make

Torley does his thing with Camel Audio Alchemy, demonstrating some extreme arpeggiator pattern programming.

via Torley:

GET ALCHEMY @ http://www.camelaudio.comI conjure magic and show you how to cook up a wickedly gorgeous, crazy-spinning arpeggiated sound in just a few minutes… from scratch! This makes a lovely foundation for more complex sounds you can achieve within the single synth powerhouse, Alchemy. Let’s dive into the arp settings, stacked sources, a touch of modulation, and even layered effects for spice.Yes, the opening ditty was made entirely with Alchemy in about 5 min.DISCLAIMER: I’m not professionally affiliated with Camel Audio. I just reckon they rock (both product and service-wise). I’m one of those people that uses CamelPhat like salt.

This video captures a session with the Korg Electribe EMX.

via StudioF:

Just a session with the Korg EMX what a wonderful little machine.

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.

While it has a much simpler architecture, it offers a relatively inexpensive option for getting the classic Yamaha CS sounds.

If you’ve used the Yamaha CS-50, leave a comment with your thoughts!

Resources:

• Yamaha CS-50 at VSE
• Old Crow’s Synth Shop
• Video via lovesvintagesynth

Sunday Synth Jam: this video captures an ambient synth jam, Annunaki, on a Synthesizers.com modular synthesizer.

via davidryle:

A live take. Trance induced polyrhythmic ambient piece. It reminded me of something old – hence the name. The Watchers from the Sky. The Annunaki are the ones of Heaven and Earth in the Sumerian lore.

The synthesizer is an Arrick modular.

The delays are a Lexicon MX200 and a T.C.Elecronic D-TWO.

Six oscillators are used. Two are tone generators and four are modifiers. I also used a noise source for the random sample & hold to an instrument interface which generated odd accent timings for the noise source through a Cyndustries Quad Low Pass Gate.

The moving line is the sequencer run through a Suit & Tie Guy Soundlabs Sea Devils diode ladder Filter module.

The monotone drone is through an Arrick Q150 Transistor Ladder Low Pass Filter. The drone timing was designed by using two low frequency oscillators’ pulse waveforms into a Ring modulator (balanced modulator). The syncopated output was sent to an envelope generator that fired the amplifier and filter.

The resonant octave-sweeping sound is a manually modified FM oscillator tone fed through an Arrick Q107 State Variable Filter in band-pass mode.

No attempt was made to synchronize the various oscillators and sequencers. This gave me a polyrhythmic feel that seemed organic.

A Pan/Fade module sweeps the sounds in stereo for a dimensional effect.

Kyle Evans created this electronically modified digeridoo.

Details below.

via yakthekyle:

I created this instrument to experiment in the combination of the organic sound qualities of a didgeridoo with the advanced signal processing capabilities of modern computer programming and sound synthesis.

This custom built didgeridoo features externally mounted modules that allow the performer to process and manipulate the sound of the instrument in real time. All control data is transmitted wirelessly via blue tooth and is controlling several audio processes created in a custom-built software environment.

This can’t end well.

You create a synthesizer-controlled Frankenstein robotic dog, and pretty soon you end up as dog food.

via SpillerNo:

How to controll a frankenstein robot dog with animatronics using a toy synthesizer. Fra programmet «Tekno» som går mandager 21:30 på NRK 2

This is an audio demo of Analogue Solutions’ Vostok matrix synth.

Matrix panels alone do not allow interfacing with external synthesisers & signals, so the Vostok also provides a full complement of front panel jack socket patch points for additional internal & external patching & interfacing.

The Vostok is not a Synthi and not intended to be or sound like one. It is an independent synthesiser in it’s own right.

The Vostok may at first glance look like an EMS clone, but it is not. It may share the matrix panel and suitcase style design concept, but that’s where the similarities end. The Vostok has more features, packing a powerful amount of modular synthesiser power into a small suitcase. It also has a different sound and uses different circuitry.

According to Peter Nagle’s SOS review:

This is a synth with a specialised appeal and the Vostok’s behaviour, range of sounds and performance undoubtedly does bears comparison with those classic EMS instruments. It scores by being slightly cheaper and having such extras as a MIDI interface, a sequencer, mini-jack connections and more. The VCOs sound fine, the filter marvellous and even the digital oscillator could be the source of some very strange sound effects or funky, wave-changing sequencer loops. I mean it as no insult to say that it could be an awesome self-contained sound-effects machine. In that context, the Vostok could do just fine.

Features of the Vostok:

• Pure analogue voice circuitry.
• Suitcase style design.
• 22×22 matrix pin panel.
• Rugged Steel construction. Quality chrome catches and cool steel spring handle.
• Stuffed full of electronics. No front panel space is wasted.
• Joystick, retro-VU meter, MIDI, jack socket patch points, more, more, more!

The Voxtok matrix synth retails for UK £1549.

via kickitagainagain:

VOSTOK is an Analog Solution’s “Suitcase Type” Analog Modular Synth.

Sunday Synth Jam: Simonsounds’ Macbeth’s Ghosts is an exploration of the sound generating possibilities of the Macbeth Studio Systems M5N semi-modular synthesizer.

via simonsound1:

Just got this synth (on loan) yesterday and I’ve spent the day exploring its functions. So far I’m loving the built in spring reverb (watch/listen to what happens when I shake it!) and the voltage controlled panning. Here is a very short clip of some spooky halloween sounds. Looking forward to using this in some tracks and for some FX in the upcoming Simonsound podcast mix.

Don’t forget, The Simonsound cover of Tour de Mars is out on the 2nd of November!!!!

Sunday Synth Jam: Voltage Controlled Passacaglia, Pages 1 & 2, by Paul Hembree (Premiere)

Performed on the CRuNCh lab 1972 Moog Modular synthesizer, with video projection of an attached oscilloscope.

Executed from a score with parametric envelopes assigned to different performers. Rough synchronization is achieved with stop-watches, and four short sections in the piece (each about a minute long) allow for some controlled improvisation.

Paul Hembree, Chris Rippey, Steve Snowden, and Curtis Peel, performers.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Voltage Controlled Passacaglia, Pages 3 & 4, by Paul Hembree

via PHIntermedia:

Can anyone figure out what the ground-bass theme is?

Also thanks to Brandon Vaccaro and Sean Brady for help with the MAX panning patch (the only digital aspect of the work… sadly we didn’t have enough voltage controlled amplifiers, nor enough mixer channels on the Moog to produce 4 channel spatizalization).

This has been on MySpace video for a while because they do not have a ten minute time limit. However, I figured I should expose this work to YouTube, so I cut the piece in half and I’m posting both chunks.

Saturday Synth Porn: This video is a quick demo of the very sexy Moon Modular M569 Step Sequencer.

The M569 is a Moog-style step sequencer, but offering up to 32 positions, arranged in four rows.

Each row can be controlled independent from each other, so that the user has practically up to four separate sequencers at his disposal, each with its own clock- and reset-input jacks, and – at the same time – different running directions (up, down, random and “ping-pong“).

via JohnLRice:

I just couldn’t resist playing around a bit with my new Moon M569 sequencer! It has so much great potential for doing interesting sequencing it’s really exciting!

Pepe Mogt’s Tenori-on + Oberheim Four Voice Sequencing Exercise features some great analog sounds and amazing HD visuals.

Wacka chicka wacka chicka!

Patch details below.

via pepemogt:

this is a Sequencing Excercise using the Tenori-on and Oberheim Four Voice only, conected trough the Roland MPU-101 and couple of Analogue Systems Joysticks for Filter and LFO control.

extracted from www.vintagesynth.com :
Oberheim Four Voice
A big step forward after the initial Oberheim SEM and Two Voice synthesizers came from the bigger and better Four Voice. Four dual-oscillator SEM modules each with its own filters and envelopes are joined together along with a simple analog mixer and 49-note keyboard to give you a polyphonic/polytonal Obie-beast!

This combination gives you eight oscillators and four voices of polyphony because there are basically four discrete mono-synths all connected together. This has its pros and cons. What is cool is that this was a lot of simultaneous voices for the mid-seventies. And the ability to craft a different sound on each voice led to some diverse and complex sounds. However, it also meant you have to program each voice independently. Each voice also has its own independent audio output.

The Polyphonic Synthesizer Programmer, released in 1976 and added to the Four Voice stores 16 patches per voice (all of which can be different). The Four Voice could accommodate an additional four SEMs, making it just like the Eight Voice model which officially appeared in 1977.

Unfortunately the Four Voice was blown out of the competition by the release of the polyphonic Sequential Prophet-5, which offered true polyphony with a single set of sound shaping controls and comprehensive patch memory. The Four Voice has been used by 808 State, Depeche Mode, Styx, Latinsizer, The Shamen, Fussible, Gary Wright, Joe Zawinul and John Carpenter.

This is a quick look at amSynth, a Linux-based software synthesizer.

amSynth stands for Analogue Modeling SYNTHesizer.

It provides virtual analogue synthesis in the style of the classic Moog Minimoog/Roland Junos. It offers an easy-to-use interface and synth engine, while still creating varied sounds.

Features:

• two analogue-style audio oscillators, featuring:
  • sinusoidal, saw/triangle (with adjustable shape), square/pulse (with adjustable pulsewidth) waveforms
  • white noise with or without sample & hold
  • hard sync
  • of course, detune and range controls
• mixer section with ring modulation
• analogue-style low-pass filter
  • 24dB/octave curve
  • dedicated ADSR envelope
  • cutoff and resonance control
  • keyboard pitch tracking
• amplifier with dedicated ADSR envelope
• modulation LFO
  • up to 58Hz modulation
  • routable to all sections (pitch, filter, amplifier)
• Effects
  • High quality stereo reverb (freeverb)
  • Distortion/crunch
• Easy navigation and manipulation of presets

via metalx1000

This video looks at Zynaddsubfx, a Linux software synthesizer.

Features:

• Realtime synth
• Polyphonic synth (allows playing more than one note at once)
• Mutlitimbral synth (allows playing more than one instrument at once)
• Microtonal capabilities with any scale, up to 128 notes per octave, and key mapping
• Three synthesizer engines:
  1. “ADsynth” or “ADnote” is a complex engine which makes sounds by adding a number of voices. Each one has filters, envelopes, LFOs, morphing, modulation (Ring Modulation, Phase Modulation… the modulators can have any shape), resonance, etc. Each voice includes a very powerful waveform generator with up to 128 sine/non-sine harmonics. You can use Fourier synthesis or if you don’t like it you can wave-shaping/filtering of functions. This engine includes anti-aliasing.
  2. “SUBsynth” or “SUBnote” is a simple engine which makes sounds through subtraction of harmonics from white noise
  3. “PADsynth” or “PADnote” is engine that makes very beautiful pads and other instruments. (these instruments can be exported for use with other programs too)
• Legato, Poly, and Mono modes
• Instruments can be organized in kits, which allows you to make drum kits or layered(mixed) instruments; this makes possible to use more than one instrument for a single part. It is possible to choose what items from the kit should be processed by the Part’s effects.
• Effects:
  • Reverb, Echo, Chorus/Flange, Phaser, AlienWah (it’s a kind of vocal morpher), Distortion(Wave-shaping), EQ, DynamicFilter
  • The effects can behave as System Effects or as Insertion Effects; this allows to use many effects at the same time. You can put any insertion effect on any part(or more insertion effects to same parts, if you like so) or you can put the insertion effect to Master output (very useful if you use the EQ effect). Also, you can have instrument’s effect (which save with the instrument).
• Filters up to 60dB/octave (or more..); filters can be analogic (LPF,HPF, BPF,etc.), formant(advanced formant filters) and state variable (SVF)
• Envelopes can have ADSR (or ASR, etc..) modes or can be free modes (with any shape)
• Many settings have a “randomness” option, which you can make instruments that every time produces a subtle different sound; this produces a very pleasant effect (like analogue synths or natural instruments that can’t produces exactly same sound twice). Because of this, even if it is digital synthesis, it sounds “warm”. Listen the ogg vorbis demos from this page to hear this effect.
• The specifications can be easily changed, so (for example) if you want to change the number of voices or parts to a higher value or to allow a higher number of effects at the same time, there is necessary to change only a single value from the source file (globals.h) and to recompile the program
• Intuitive and easy to use User Interface with Clipboard and many objects has user presets
• Midi support (supports many controllers) and (if you want) JACK support
• A built-in Virtual Keyboard which let you to use it even if you don’t have a real midi keyboard
• The graphical user interface can be completely disabled if the user need so
• It is a free program, licensed under version 2 of the GNU General Public License
• LASH support
• DSSI audio output
• Over 300 high quality instruments included
• Many other features… It is is impossible to describe all this program’s features in just a page

via metalx1000:

http://filmsbykris.com/

A Half-Remembered Sentence from The Quiet Man

via jonathanbarnbrook:

Text + Voice : John Foxx | Sound + Vision : Jonathan Barnbrook | Made for the recent DNA exhibition in London featuring the works of artists influenced by pioneering electronic musician John Foxx.

This animation takes one sentence from Foxx’s written work ‘The Quiet Man’ and illustrates it with a dreamlike quality reminiscent of the nature of the text and the main characters approach to the idea of the city.

A longer, more ambient version of this video will be uploaded in the next few weeks.

David Biel of the Schaum Music School in Mequon, Wisconsin takes a look at the (very) basics of the synthesizer and how he used it to put together one of his compositions.

via schaummusicschool

Vangelis Tribute – To The Unknown Man

via mik300z:

Another of my Vangelis improvs.

Nothing to do with the original vangelis track by the same name.

Big use of the Cs80 brass sound from the ESQ1 , hope you like it! My own composition, has a theme running through it, very scattered but hopefully his style with my awful piano skills lol

Casper Electronics has announced that it’s now taking pre-orders for the Drone Lab V2, a 4 voice analog drone synth, rhythm generator and FX processor.

Description:

The Drone Lab is capable of generating rich, textured soundscapes, hypnotic drones and complex rhythmic sequences. It features a series of filter and distortions circuits as well as an audio input jack. This allows it to be used as an effects processor for external audio signals.

The Drone Lab retails for $50 for the PCB only, $200 for a PCB and parts kit, and $350 fully assembled.

via bubagoo:

PCBs and complete parts kits will be available starting October 20th.
This is the new Drone Lab analog drone synthesizer by casperelectronics in collaboration with Electromagics.

Ordering info is available at casperelectronics.com
For more info on Drone Lab features go to:
http://casperelectronics.com/finished…

Electromagics: http://www.electromagics.com/

Questions and comments welcome at pete[at]casperelectronics[dot]com.

The Drone Lab is a 4 voice analog drone synth, rhythm generator and FX processor.
The Lab has an external input with pre amp which accepts audio signals from any audio source including microphone, guitar, keyboard and other Drone Labs. External signals can be mixed with the existing drone and run through the lab’s filter and distortion circuits.
The Lab also features a clock interface which allows the internal rhythm clock to be linked with a variety of external clocks.

It’s Sunday! That means we take a slight break from the non-stop electronic music news coverage and break out the Sunday Synth Jams – new and classic examples of musicians making interesting music with synths and electronic music gear.

You may have seen this one before, because it’s a vintage synth jam from 1977. But it’s Klaus Schulze at his Moogtacular prime…..

If you ever need a definition of Berlin School electronica, this is it!

Tune in, turn on and space out as Klaus Schulze plays live, WDR Köln 1977.

For Schulze fans only: Leave a comment and let me know what your favorite Schulze album is!

via OtixIbiza:

One of my first works as soundtechn. at german television WDR Köln 1977.