vintage synthesizers

Datarock visits Big City Music and checks out all the “antique synthesizers”.

Fairlight’s Peter Vogel has shared more info about the 30th Anniversary Fairlight CMI 30A:

The CC-1 can perform very complex algorithms and lots of them, with almost no latency. So yes, we are modelling the quirky hardware of the CMI. The sound of each CMI was subtly different, due to their analogue bits, so it won’t sound exactly like any one CMI, but lined up with a few CMIs you won’t be able to tell the difference.

The sound will be user selectable, to be like a series I,II,IIX, III etc. Or you can dig deeper and make it sound like nothing else.

One of the many nice things about the CC-1 is that it has no inherent bit width. “Normal” processors generally offer say 32 or 64 bit operations, where as the CC-1 can be configured to any number of bits. So if something works most effectively as 33 bits, so be it. And the bit widths can be mixed within the one signal path.

The “n” polyphony is achieved by “n” individual circuits set up in the FPGA working in parallel, as opposed to the software emulation model which is necessarily sequential. The channels can have different configurations is required; in any case there will be subtle coefficient differences between channels to reproduce the individuality of outputs that has often been cited.

How much polyphony? All we know at this time are the extremes – it will certainly be at least 16 like the original Series III but given that the Crystal Core when used in a DAW delivers up to 230 channels of mixing ALL of which have full processing (8 bands EQ, 3 stages Dynamics), you can safely assume a lot more than 16 will be possible.

Re pricing: yet to be finalised, but the choice to go with the CC-1 does come at a price. Although the CC-1 is not sold currently as a separate card (it would be no use without the software etc that goes with it), the retail price would be around the $5,000 mark. So you can do the sums, the CMI 30-A is not going to be price competitive with the mass-market synths which abound.

In case you’re wondering why anyone would get excited about a $5,000 recreation of a 25 year old synth, check out this video of Herbie Hancock jamming on the Fairlight CMI.

via Peter Vogel in the Fairlight User Group, via Failed Muso.

Jean Michel Jarre has announced dates for his 2009-2010 world tour.

Here’s the official tour info:

With his forthcoming “IN-DOORS” World Arena Tour, Jean Michel Jarre invites the audience to journey into his singular universe; to immerse themselves totally in his world of timeless music and vision, in place and time. He promises with this unique and brand new super production to share the energy of his macro concerts with the emotions of an arena experience.

With the fusion of analogue synthesisers, cutting-edge digital technology, oversize HD video projections, spectacular lasers design and lighting choreography, Jarre has conceived a show that encapsulates his signature expression and talent for creating milestone events.

Jean Michel Jarre is an innovative artist who has entertained and thrilled millions of people live and has broken several world records with attendance figures. His electronic music and singular performances have travelled the globe and left their imprint on major landmarks from Houston’s Skyline, to China, to London’s Docklands to the Pyramids of Egypt, to Moscow and…

He has just concluded a sell-out tour of Europe celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the release of his break-through multi-million selling album, Oxygene.

For his upcoming “IN-DOORS”, World Arena Tour, he has conceived a spectacular high-tech production especially tailor made for arenas where he will perform music from all of his best selling albums.

Jarre revolutionised the out-door concert format with his city-scale events. For this “IN-DOORS”, World Arena Tour he aims to break new ground and deliver yet again a unique concert experience.

Jean Michel Jarre tour dates below. Read more…

Retrosound, whose videos we’ve featured here frequently, has released a couple of albums of vintage-synth filled music, Ambient Traxx & Electro Traxx.

• Ambient Traxx features sound landscapes in the style of Vangelis, J.-M. Jarre, Tangerine Dream and John Carpenter. You an preview a track from Ambient Traxx, Cold Land, above.
• Electro Traxx features music in the 80’s styles of Kraftwerk, Yazoo and Human League.

Both feature the 100% virtual analog-free sound of vintage synths, directly played and recorded.

If you’ve listened to either of these albums, leave a comment with your thoughts!

Gary Wright – Love Is Alive (Midnight Special, 1976)

This video captures a great vintage synth performance by keyboardist and songwriter Gary Wright performing Love Is Alive on the Midnight Special TV show, 1976

His band features a young Steve Porcaro {keyboards for TOTO, Herb Alpert, Pablo Cruise, Brothers Johnson, etc.} on synthesizers along with a rockin’ lady cowbell player, dual keytars and some synth bass.

Wright’s best known for his synth-heavy track Dream Weaver.