Modcan 3VCO Polyphony
Seeing if the 3VCO can be used effectively as a polyphonic device playing chords. It can if you use a MIDI-CV device that can send 0V on the unused channels when needed. This is because the second and third oscillator of the 3VCO can only be offset from the first oscillator, not individually controlled.
Working the Oberheim Matrix-12
About the Oberheim:
Oberheim’s Matrix 12 is a legendary analog synthesizer from the mid-eighties that is still the king of analog sounds. One of the fattest, roundest, pleasantly analog synthesizers around! It’s long been known for creating some of the thickest and best analog pads, sweeps, buzzes, basses and textures. It features Matrix Modulation for extremely wild virtual patching for almost unlimited range of sounds and modulation capabilities!
The Matrix 12 is similar to the Xpander and the lighter Matrix 6. But the Matrix 12 is much fatter and more programmable than either. Every control can have an effect on some other parameter thanks to Oberheim’s flexible design. For example, there are 15 types of LFOs and VCAs per voice! And there’s plenty of diagrams drawn out on the front panel of the synth to help you figure out some signal routing.
In this video:
This is sound demo of the Oberheim Matrix-12 synthesizer. All but two of the patches are my original creation and hopefully shows some of the ridiculously flexible sound architecture that is possible with this board. I’m playing some riffs both of my own original music and from some of the bands that have influenced me. The last bit, Intro to Gunslinger, while it is short it DID take a couple of weeks practice to get it right and is backed by a Machinedrum.
A summary of song riffs played:
G-Storm – Miranda (By The Sea)
Radiohead – All I Need
Depeche Mode – Enjoy The Silence
G-Storm – Cerulean Deraileur
Jimmy Van M ft. Terra Deva – bassline from Love Like Sleep
G-Storm – Spaced Out Beauty
New Order – Blue Monday
G-Storm – Aerial
808 State – breakdown from In Yer Face
Garbage – You Look So Fine
Sasha – Mr Tiddles
Go West – intro to Call Me
G-Storm – untitled track
G-Storm – Expectations (a really old unrecorded track of mine)
Spaced Out Beauty
M83 – You Appearing
Expectations
Immersion Domain – 1000 Images (I used the same Limuidz factory patch on the Xpander for that track)
Van Halen – I’ll Wait (Eddie used an OB-Xa, I believe)
G-Storm – Descendant
Vangelis – Blade Runner (Opening Titles)
G-Storm – Gunslinger
G-Storm – intro to Gunslinger
Recorded via Alesis Multimix-8 and into Macbook w/ only occasional additional effects from the Multimix added for select sounds.
Cool online drum machine
This online drum machine emulator is an interactive pattern oriented audio sequencer , has an automatic composer, automatic sound assignations, a custom drum kits with a vintage drummachine like the famous TR-808.
The orDrumbox is a software drum machine, designed to a creative pattern based way of drum programming with automatic music composition capabilities. You can compose beats even with polyrhythms, bass line and complete songs using included drum kits with the audio sequencer functions.
An electro minimalist tune is generated
– New color scheme and bug fix too.
Visit: ordrumbox.com
Tabletop -new iPad music making app
Retronyms has announced a new iPad music making app called Tabletop, which it describes as a modular audio environment
The idea is that you’re given a range of devices – keyboard, sampler, mixer, sequencer, effects etc – that can be connected up to form a complete iPad music making studio. Currently, you get nine of the 15 available devices as standard, with others being available as in-app purchases (more are in development).
Today Retronyms, makers of iOS apps DopplerPad, ReBirth, Recorder and Synth, released Tabletop, a modular audio environment app for iPad. Tabletop is the first app built for iPad featuring audio devices that users can mix and match. These devices emulate hardware found in tabletop DJ and producer setups: instruments, samplers, effects, mixers, sequencers, turntables, and more. One simply drags the desired device to the tabletop surface and wires it up to a mixer as they would with real-world hardware.
Tabletop is built exclusively for the iPad to be expressive, playable and fun. Both professional artists and those with no knowledge of music production can jump right in and start sketching out ideas or composing entire songs. Electronic musician Paul Salva says, “It took no time at all for me to acclimate. I had literally never touched Tabletop before, and within minutes I had some crazy stuff rocking.” To answer any questions about how the app or any of its devices function, Tabletop comes with a built-in user guide.
The full Tabletop press release is below, and the app itself is available now from the App Store for £2.99 (this is the 9-device ‘launch bundle’ price).
ARP Odyssey – new sample library for Kontakt 4
Binary Music has announced the release of ARP Odyssey, a new sample library for Kontakt 4.
Consisting of 101 patches made up of over 1,400 samples, this is a detailed representation of a classic analogue synthesizer. The patches cover a wide variety of sounds, including a selection from the original patch book and a set of multi-sampled patches where different filter settings are mapped to velocity.
There were three main versions of the Odyssey. The first white-faced models were manufactured from 1972, then the black and gold face from 1974.
The model that we’ve sampled is a black and orange faced 2821 from about 1979. This has the advantage of more stable oscillators – though nothing like the stability that we take for granted in modern gear. The Odyssey has attracted an eclectic mix of players: Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, George Duke, Portishead, Pink Floyd, Kraftwerk, Ultravox, Gary Numan and Abba!
ARP Odyssey is available for download purchase now, priced at £12.00 (approx. $20 U.S.). There is also a free version with a small selection of patches.
The full version of Kontakt 4 is required to use this library.
sonaur: an ambient echo toy
The creator of this app wanted to create an app that lay somewhere between an ecosystem and a musical instrument. The hope is that sonaur requires less attention both, and still provides a reasonable amount of intrigue.
Sonaur contains three distinct lifeforms. You can interact with them individually, or together; creating new sounds and visual patterns for your enjoyment.
Girl going modular
Background info:
My girlfriend taking over the Modular while I’m at the gym.
*************************************************************
Gear used:
Synthesizer: Theis Modular System
Sequence: Doepfer MAQ 16/3
FX: TC Electronic M300
Just Listen!
The second in a series of tutorials about nwdlbots, a suite of generative modules for Ableton Live.
This episode demonstrates the way in which nwdlbots can interact within a Live Set using two modules called “noodle control” and “noodle send”. By attaching noodle sends to each EventBot in a set, you can relay MIDI information to the control module, which collates the information and then feeds it back to the EventBots, informing their decisions regarding onset and pitch.
This allows the bots to work together controlling the density and harmony of the set.
nwdlbots are available for download at sundaydance.co.uk
(Ableton Live and Max for Live required).
Coming Sep. 1st: Komplete 8 – get your mouth full of sounds
Assuming you have a huge amount of free space on your hard drive:
The studio standard: 27 fully-fledged products, 11,000 presets and over 100 GB of samples – get the premium collection for musicians, producers and sound designers.
“Never before has KOMPLETE offered such a comprehensive and inspiring collection of highest-quality tools for musicians, producers and sound designers. With outstanding range and quality, the name KOMPLETE speaks for itself — the studio-standard bundle for musicians and producers, for studio and stage.
KOMPLETE 8 will supercharge your musical creativity with 27 fully-fledged products, 11,000 presets and over 100 GB of samples.
KOMPLETE 8 includes the brand-new KONTAKT 5 and GUITAR RIG 5 PRO, both updated and enhanced to the very pinnacle of state-of-the-art software technology. REAKTOR 5.6 racks up alongside MASSIVE, ABSYNTH, and FM8 for the ultimate synthesizer array. And the very latest and greatest NI instruments and effects, including TRANSIENT MASTER and the groove powerhouse STUDIO DRUMMER, are also on board.”
Under production the MacBeth Micromac synth
Ken MacBeth, of MacBeth Studio Systems, is working on a new synth, the MacBeth Micromac desktop analogue synthesizer.
MacBeth says:
Behind the scenes I have still been concentrating on the MacBeth Micromac desktop analogue synthesizer!
Here is a picture of the casing that I have just received from a German metalwork company that will ultimately be the the Micromac enclosure. I have place a PCB layout diagram (partially complete) on the top surface to guage positioning…
Feature overview:
- 3 x VCOs with multiturn pots
- 1 x LFO
- Mixing
- X-Modulation
- 24dB/O?ctave Filter
- 2 x Transistor based EGs
- MIDI
DATAMASKIN
