Ninstrument Prototype I
“We are excited to announce the Ninstrument. This prototype includes two original Gameboys and a Nintendo Entertainment System. Some systems have to be heavily modified to fit into a 2U form factor. We believe this form factor will allow an expansion in use of these unique sounds in studios across the world. Here is the prototype video we promised. This video contains no Chip Maestro sounds. We wait patiently. If you have any questions or comments or ideas, let us know on our website.”
www.absolutextremes.com/ninstrument
What is a Ninstrument?
A Ninstrument is a custom built rack mountable sound module that can accommodate any number of vintage gaming systems to produce unique era centric sounds. We use only ORIGINAL HARDWARE in our systems. We don’t use emulators or knock-off type products.
You can choose what systems you would like to have in your Ninstrument. Each system is custom made and tailored to you specifically. As you can imagine, having it personalized for you, means we build it for you. As such we are not shipping you a ready made product off of the shelf. It can be built in as little as four weeks, or take up to four months to build and test.
These original gaming systems are approaching 30 years in age. Due to this we sort through a lot of bad or malfunctioning gear to pick out the absolute best possible electronics to put in our systems. This also can mean we have a unit or system that can malfunction or stop working. We offer a service plan that will insure a trouble free working unit.
We use the best components possible to build our systems. Steel cabinets with aluminum and polycarbonate sandwiched front panels insure gig ready durability. High quality reverse printed, screen-printed Lexan front covers are one of the the most durable surfaces you can buy.
Zynaptiq PITCHMAP: Changing Melodies and Harmonies in Musical Recordings in Real-Time via Live MIDI
Video demonstration of and step-by-step tutorial on changing melodies and harmonies of a mixed musical recording in real-time, using the Zynaptiq PITCHMAP AudioUnits Plug-In controlled by live MIDI input in Apple Logic Pro. Original recording provided courtesy of absolutesongs.com
Soundmachines
the-product.org/soundmachines
An instrument for performing electronic music
Three units, which are resembling standard record players, translate concentric visual patterns into control signals for further processing in any music software. The rotation of the discs, each holding three tracks, can be synced to a sequencer.
The Soundmachines premiered on the Volkswagen New Beetle stand at the IAA motor show in late Summer 2011. In cooperation with the sounddesigner/producer Yannick Labbé of TRICKSKI fame, we developed three unique discs, each controlling one track of an Ableton Live Set exclusively made for the Event. The show was supported by a set of realtime generated visuals, running on a 25m wide LED wall.
One/One oneone-studio.com
Waveforms – Synths Explained
Discover the basics of synthesis and get a guided tour of the synth and the waveforms used to create sounds.
This awesome series by synth master Russ Hughes covers everything from the basics right though to complex sound design including subtractive, FM, wavetable, granular and sampled based synthesis. The series is aimed at anyone who lacks the confidence to start taking control of their synths.
This collection is useful to anyone using synthesisers in their productions and is not limited to any one product. Even better, much of the training is done using the Fxpansion DCAM: Synth Squad synths, specifically so that users can download a fully working 30 day trial and use them to follow along with the video examples.
MPV Synthex Interview
In this video, developer Jim Heintz (Way Out Ware) demos and explains his SynthX software synth for the iPad.
Heintz is also the creator of TimewARP 2600, KikAXXE and several other apps for desktop and iOS.
You can chose to play using the intuitive XY mode that automatically makes every touch tuned to the selected scale, grid mode where you explore harmonies in a fun new way, and the keys mode that provides a standard piano keyboard. Built using Way Out Ware’s award winning virtual analog technology and heavily optimized for the iOS operating system, SynthX delivers a great looking and sounding analog experience to the iPad.
A mathematically modeled synthesizer, SynthX contains no samples. As a result, it is very small in size, yet it has an extremely large and professionally design sound library. An effects chain including distortion, flanger, delay and limiter are included. Additionally, a separate identical effects chain is provided to process an external signal connected to the iPad’s audio input. SynthX has been designed from the beginning for the iPad and multi-touch. It has a comprehensive MIDI implementation using CoreMIDI including MIDI Note send and receive and MIDI Beat Clock LFO sync.
You can also record your performances within SynthX and use Sonoma Wireworks AudioCopy to share your performance with other iPad apps. It also supports iTunes file sharing which allows you to drag your performances in full quality into your favorite digital audio workstation.
Up close with the Solton SM 100
Here we have a demo of the Solton SM 100. It is the expander version of the Project 100. Drums are made with the Roland TR 808.
The SM 100 is a polyphonic synth with 12 DCO’s ( 2 per voice, 6-voice polyphony ) and a 24 dB filter. 4 waveforms : Pulse with Pulse Width + Saw + Wide Pulse. 2 ENV’s + 1 LFO. Analog Chorus FX.
Multitrack recording with some external effects.
Italian company Solton – probably more well known in electronic home keyboard, auto-accompaniment / accompany rhythm or add-on modules for home organ. Their digital / PCM / GM stuff are still widely available today. Synthesizer wise, the SM100 (and the keyboard version, Project 100) are believed to be the only analogue synths they have ever made. In fact both are not very common, i.e. they’re fairly rare, but it’s not ultra difficult to find one because, due to the poor presets, limited controls and usually the lack of a user manual, most people tend to resell them.
The SM100 is not that unknown because it’s one of those synths that uses Curtis SSM synth chips. In fact, the SM100 is actually a big monster – 6 voice poly, with 12 DCOs! The size of the SM100 is also pretty huge – it’s supposed to be a desktop module – but it’s a lot longer than a standard 19” rackmount, higher than 2u, and quite deep too.
signals from space – teaser for upcoming soft synth
Uploaded by AnalogueSolutions on Jan 27, 2012
recently declassified footage from former USSR
Feel free to guess and leave your thoughts on what Analogue Solutions are up to
Cool video anyhow 
And here’s some more associated stuff from Analogue Solutions:
Telemark is a Oberheim SEM inspired synth like the Anyware Tinysizer, the Semtex XL and the Analogue Solutions Semblance are…
now, there’s a keyboard version – or well – this is some rendered graphics – maybe triggered by Minibrute and other new synths? they all know, we want to play? a good thing! maybe consider there’s 3 and 3.5 octave keyboards as well, but for a mono synth it’s not a bad thing, hope there will be octave switches, because it’s quite hard to play just 2 octaves without having those switches easy to press while playing and maybe also playing another synth (at least I’d think so).
Charlie Chaplin through a Bode Vocoder
http://youtu.be/0u2HbzfF1fM
Charlie Chaplin speech from The Great Dictator run through a Bode Vocoder. SCI Prelude used as the carrier signal.
In 1979 Moog released a vocoder of their own, although its design and architecture is almost identical to the Bode 7702 vocoder. It’s a 16-band analog vocoder which separates a given synthesizer sound (carrier signal) into seperate frequncy bands ranging from 50 to 5080 cycles per second. It does not have any internal oscillators so it is designed to be used as a processor for external carrier and modulator wave sources. The modulator is typically a vocal or drum beat used to modulate the carrier/synth sound being processed.
It has microphone and line inputs as well as 16 synthesizer inputs (1 for each frequency band) and 16 outputs. This 16 channel cross-matrix patching system is cumbersome, but useful during the modular synth era, allowing for full external patching between synth and vocoder sections. Other features include a high-frequency bypass, a short 6ms response time for capturing fast percussive sounds, sample-and-hold, and a global bypass switch to turn off the vocoding effect. Unfortunately there is no output mixer, MIDI or CV/Gate.
Grain Science — Quick Overview
A quick tour of our new iPad synthesiser, in which I make a lot of strange loud noises.
The intro tune was created in Grain Science itself by using the built in performance recorder on each track, and sending them to our Hokusai Audio Editor for mixing and mastering.
Grain Science is out now in the App Store: http://itunes.apple.com/app/id487233637
For more info: http://www.wooji-juice.com/products/grain-science/index.html
Grain Science is an iPad Synthesiser that makers, Wooji Juice, say is designed for musicians, soundscape artists and SFX engineers who want to go beyond their Sylo Synthesiser. They say that Grain Science is built on similar principles of granular synthesis, but is vastly more powerful.Here’s what they have to say about it…
Use the built-in waveforms, or record or import your own — then use the sophisticated grain engine to create something completely new from them! Grain Science is easy to get to grips with, but offers lots of depth to explore: instead of offering one or two LFOs, almost any parameter in the system can be programmed to vary over time in complex ways.
Using new optimisations available in iOS 5, we can provide two grain units per voice, which you can combine for morphing or complex modulated sounds, then send through a configurable FX chain. Pick any 4 from the collection of FX units (including various types of distortion, high- and low-pass filters, phaser, resonance and echo), and connect them up in any order. Other audio tweaks include soft loop, reverb, glide and supercharger controls, and the ability to affect granular synthesis in realtime (live grainbending).
Also featured are an arpeggiator with both chord and step-sequence modes; Core MIDI support, including “tap & twist” learning for setting up controls; and a customisable performance screen with a collection of XY Pads and wheels.
Rounding it off, Grain Science plays nicely with others: Dropbox, Twitter and email integration are all included, for sharing or exporting your waveforms, recordings of your performances, and instrument (patch) designs.
Pricing and Availability:
$9.99
New synth from Mode Machines called SID
Here’s an upcoming box from Mode Machines called SID. Apparently there’s some controversy over it’s design (link). Chris Randall took the photo above at NAMM. It should go for about $600 USD.
“SID is an 8-Bit desktop synthesizer with a double personality. It’s simplistic layout and ease of use delivers pleasure at the first touch and it’s familiar step sequencer will have you programming patterns and beats in no time. 3 expression knobs control the key features of each Patch for instant results. But don’t let it’s simplicity fool you: The supplied SID STUDIO SOFTWARE enables you to tweak every parameter under the hood! Draw and design your patches with instant feedback from the SID. Also check out the NERD-PANEL, a powerful interactive blueprint which enables you to address the chip one pin at a time – also a great educational tool.” – modemachines.com
For more info: modemachines.com
DATAMASKIN
