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

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

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.

Jean Michel Jarre 2009-2010 World Tour

04/05/09 – Debrecen, Hungary – F?nix Csarnok (Phoenix Hall)
Venue Capacity: 8,500 – Time: 20:00 – Tickets: HUF
Tickets On Sale – http://www.ticketpro.hu/events.php?event=233

05/05/09 – Ostrava, Czech Republic – CEZ Arena
Venue Capacity: 12,000 – Time: 20:00 – Tickets: CZK
Tickets On Sale http://www.ticketpro.cz/jnp/

06/05/09 – Wroclaw, Poland – Hala Stulecia (Centennial Hall)
Venue Capacity: 6,000 – Time: 20:00 – Tickets: Zloty 175/195
Tickets On Sale – www.livenation.pl

08/05/09 – Aarhus, Denmark – Atletion – NRGi Arena
Venue Capacity: 4,740 – Time: 20:00 – Tickets: Kr 595/695/795
Tickets On Sale – www.billetnet.dk

09/05/09 – Herning, Denmark – MCH Messecenter Herning
Venue Capacity: 5,200 – Time: 20:00 – Tickets: Kr 550/750/775/975
Tickets On Sale – www.billetnet.dk

11/05/09 – Malmo, Sweden – Malmo Arena
Venue Capacity: 15,000 – Time: 19:30 – Tickets: SEK 470/570
Tickets On Sale – www.ticnet.se

12/05/09 – Goteborg, Sweden – Scandinavium
Venue Capacity: 14,000 – Time: 19:30 – Tickets: SEK 470/570
Tickets On Sale – www.ticnet.se

13/05/09 – Oslo, Norway – Oslo Spektrum
Venue Capacity: 9,700 – Time: 19:30 – Tickets: NOK 450/550
Tickets On Sale – www.billettservice.no

14/05/09 – Stockholm, Sweden – Hovet (The Court)
Venue Capacity: 9,800 – Time: 19:30 – Tickets: SEK 570/670
Tickets On Sale – www.ticnet.se

16/05/09 – Helsinki, Finland – Hartwall Areena (Helsinki Arena)
Venue Capacity: 12,000 – Time: 20:00 – Tickets: € 68.70/73.70/78.70
Tickets On Sale – www.lippupalvelu.fi

20/05/09 – Glasgow, Scotland – SECC – Clyde Auditorium
Venue Capacity: 3,000 – Time: 19:00 – Tickets: £40/£50
Tickets On Sale – www.secctickets.com & www.seetickets.com

22/05/09 – London, England – Wembley Arena
Venue Capacity: 12,500 – Time: 19:00 – Tickets: £45
Tickets On Sale – www.secctickets.com & www.seetickets.com

23/05/09 – Manchester, England – Manchester Evening News (MEN) Arena
Venue Capacity: 22,000 – Time: 20:00 – Tickets: £43.50
Tickets On Sale – www.ticketmaster.co.uk

24/05/09 – Birmingham, England – National Indoor Arena (NIA)
Venue Capacity: 13,000 – Time: 20:00 – Tickets: £43.50
Tickets On Sale – www.seetickets.com

26/05/09 – Amsterdam, The Netherlands – Heineken Music Hall
Venue Capacity: 5,500 – Time: 20:00 – Tickets: € 59/64/69
Tickets On Sale – www.livenation.nl

27/05/09 – Brussels, Belgium – Vorst Nationaal (Forest National)
Venue Capacity: 7,000 – Time: 20:00 – Tickets: € 50/55/60/65/75
Tickets On Sale – www.sherpa.be

28/05/09 – Koblenz, Germany – Sporthalle Oberwerth (EXTRA DATE)
Venue Capacity: 5,000 – Time: 21:00 – Tickets: € 49/59/70/80
HOTLINE: 0180/5001812 (14CENT PRO MIN/ MOBILFUNKPREISE KÖNNEN ABWEICHEN)
www.noisenow.de – www.bonnticket.de
Tickets On Sale Now – www.eventim.de

30/05/09 – Zurich, Switzerland – Hallenstadion
Venue Capacity: 13,000 – Time: 20:00 – Tickets: CHF 77/88/99/110/130
Tickets On Sale – www.hallenstadion.ch

Note to Jean Michel Jarre: How about some North American tour dates?

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.

A Tour of Andy Whitmore’s London Studio

Description:

This video captures a tour of Andy Whitmore’s Greystoke Studios, which claims to have “the largest working vintage keyboard/synth collection in Europe”.

Whitmore is a record producer with 14 UK top ten hits so far, with artists such as Lemar and Atomic Kitten.

Are you drooling yet?

via AndyWhitmore, audiolemon

via Thomas Bloch:

Formule is one of the most virtuosistic piece written for solo ondes Martenot, composed by and played here by the French multi-instrumentalist Thomas Bloch (ondes Martenot, glassharmonica, cristal Baschet), who has played as well with Radiohead, Gorillaz and John Cage.

Video recorded live in the Barbican Center, London (October 2007).

Other names : Ones Martenot (Catalan), Ondas Martenot (Spain, Portugal), Martenot waves (English), Onde Martenot (Italy), Fale Martenota (Poland) – wrong name : Martinot

The Farfisa Syntorchestra is an Italian analog keyboard/synthesizer from 1975. It was used by Klaus Schulze on his album Moondawn, by Ash Ra (Ashra Tempel) and by Vangelis.

Basically, it is a simple monophonic synthesizer with some presets which can be modified and a polyphonic section. These two sections can be also combined and slightly detuned (intervals are also possible) to sound like a 2-VCO monophonic synth. 

Resources:

• An overview of the Farfisa Syntorchestra
• Overview of the Farfisa Syntorchestra at SynthMania
• Farfisa schematics

video via AnalogAudio1

A small tutorial, with a commentary in French, explaining how to program the basic functions of the EMS Synthi AKS: use three oscillators modulate OSC1 and OSC2 by the oscillator 3 as LFO, insert them in the envelope.

Un petit tutorial avec un commentaire en français expliquant comment programmer les fonctions de base de l’Ems Synthi Aks : utiliser les trois oscillateurs, moduler l’osc1 et l’osc2 par l’oscillateur 3 en tant que LFO, les insérer dans l’enveloppe.

Click here to view the embedded video.

A short video on the release of the first two oscillators Ems Avs. The patch is a basic simplicity, just the sort with the sinusoidal and the sawtooth in A3 and C3 oscillator 1, the square and the triangle oscillator 2 A4 and C4.  Note that the Shape button that controls the level of harmonics added.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Second patch simply on the envelope Ems Avs. The OSC1 and OSC2 are inserted in the envelope is in D3 and D4, the output is in A12 and C12.
A note is the small meter at the top left of the Avs is on A13. It provides up-cycle of the envelope. Precision, setting “off” is the gap between the end of one cycle and the new of the envelope.
A 1minute 57, noise is inserted in the filter H7, the filter is controlled by the OSC3, as in Lfo N6.

Deuxième patch tout simple concernant l’enveloppe de l’Ems Avs. L’osc1 et l’Osc2 sont insérés dans l’enveloppe soit en D3 et D4, la sortie étant en A12 et C12. A noter qu’A13 correspond au petit vu-mètre situé tout en haut à gauche de l’Avs. Il permet de suivre le cycle de l’enveloppe. Précision, le paramètre « off » correspond à l’écart entre la fin d’un cycle et le nouveau de l’enveloppe.
A 1minute 57, le noise est inséré dans le filtre en H7, le filtre étant contrôlé par l’Osc3, en tant que Lfo en N6.

via deb76, via Califaudio

This poster for Clits & Tits has it all:

• Explosive fireballs!
• 70’s Tits & Clits logo!
• Sexy legs in thigh-high boots!
• Vintage synths! and
• Classic boomboxes!

Electro/club/house producers Clits & Tits (Benjámin Kalászi & Csaba Bernáth) claim the Korg MS20 as an influence and “do it for the girls and the money.”

via Trash Menagerie

The Casio VL-1 was the first synthesizer of Casio’s VL-Tone product line, and is sometimes referred to as the VL-Tone.

Released in 1981, the VL-1 is notable for its kitsch value among electronic musicians, due to its cheap construction and its unrealistic, uniquely low-fidelity sounds.

Features:

• LCD display capable of displaying 8 characters. 
• Real-time monophonic music sequencer, which could play back up to 99 notes. 
• 10 pre-loaded rhythms, which included waltz, samba, swing and bossa nova.

Roland Juno-106 Analog Synthesizer

Description:

via Retrosound:

The beautiful…Roland Juno-106 Analog Synthesizer (demo of various filter and envelope settings, PWM, VCF and DCO Modulation and more).

The Juno-106 is triggered by the MFB Step-64 step sequencer; drums: Roland TR-707This video demo is not a musical statement, only demonstration of the sound possibilities of the instrument.

More info: http://www.retrosound.de and http://www.myspace.com/retrosound72

Video of the Swiss Synthesizer Meeting in 2007. The image quality isn’t great – but gives you a taste of the Synthesizer Treffen Schweiz.

A little synth porn, via Jean Michel Jarre.

The shot of the Arp 2600 is especially nice. Please don’t drool on the keyboard.

Twenty Systems features 20 tracks made on 20 synthesizers spanning 20 years, accompanied by 60 page color book with a foreword by Robin “Scanner” Rimbaud.

Brian Eno describes the release as ”A brilliant contribution to the archaeology of electronic music.”

His 10th solo album, the project combines an audio CD of new music with a hardbound full color book containing photos and diagrams of the electronic instruments used, along with a detailed history documenting the development of synthesizers between 1968 and 1988.

The purpose of the record is to demonstrate the development of the synthesizer from the first commercially available systems in the late 1960s to the introduction of fully digital systems in the late 1980s. Although not intended to be a comprehensive history of synthesizers, the listener will hopefully gain some insight into the character of each instrument, and on a more general level experience the evolving sound of synthesis over the years. 

via Matrix

Proof that people love synths everywhere – or at least that there are synth geeks everywhere.

Så här kan det se ut om man åker till Oslo för att kolla på synthesizers.

This is a video demo of the Korg Polysix analog synthesizer.

Polysix analog synthesizer

via fystasjoppheng:

Korg Polysix is a 100% analog synthesizer with 6 voices. It came in 1982.

The PolySix was a milestone because, along with the Roland Juno 6 which appeared almost simultaneously, in 1981 the PolySix was the first opportunity ordinary mortals had to get their hands on a proper programmable polysynth. Up until then, you had to be loaded to afford a Prophet 5, Oberheim OB-Xa, or Roland Jupiter 8.

It had a lot of great new features such as 32 memory patches, 6 voices of polyphony, cassette backup of memory, even programmable modulation effects and Chorus, Phase, Ensemble! The Polysix has warm-sounding real analog oscillators, softer and brassy-er sounding that the Juno. Engage the built-in Chorus on a simple single-oscillator sawtooth patch and you were pretty darned close to that expensive Prophet sound.

But the big ace in the Polysix’s hand was the Ensemble effect. Instant Mellotron-like strings.

Unidentified Sound Objects has posted pictures that offer a sneak peak inside the Radio Italiana Phonology Studio, a pioneering Italian electronic music studio:

In 1955, the Radio Italiana (Rai) established the Studio di Fonologia Musicale at RAI Center in Corso Sempione 27, Milan (Italy). Physicist Dr. Alfredo Lietti builded the famous “nine oscillators”, the white noise generator, the amplitude selector, the dynamic modulator, the ring modulators, the frequency shifter, the pulse modulator, the electronic fader, the “toc” generator, the cathodic comparer, the octave filters and the third octave filters.

Almost half a century later, the museum of Musical Instruments in the Castello Sforzesco now houses the equipment on which Luciano Berio and Bruno Maderna conducted the first experiments in electronic music.

It’s fascinating stuff about on of the lesser-known pioneering electronic music studios. There are also a series of videos that look at the Studio di Fonologia Musicale:

• RAI Studio of Musical Phonology: historical footage #1
• RAI Studio of Musical Phonology: historical footage #2
• 2007/04/rai-electronic-music-studio
• 2007/05/rai-studio-of-musical-phonology-pt-2
• 2007/05/rai-studio-of-musical-phonology-pt-3

Here’s a little Saturday morning synth porn for you!

Can anyone name that synth?

via Maschinenraum

It looks like Matrix has died and gone to synth heaven.

He’s posted a massive synth porn gallery at Flickr that explores Synthorama – a synthesizer museum in Switzerland.

Each room in the museum has a theme based on manufacturer, and the majority of synthesizers are playable.

Yowza.