Roland Model 101 + VM Superdelay = Old meets New
Little improv of the model 101 going through the superdelay on “tape” mode.
The System 100 is a great and classic analog synth! It’s a beautiful semi-modular monophonic synth consisting of 5 module components: the Synthesizer 101, Expander 102, Mixer 103, Sequencer 104, and Monitor Speakers 109. The Synthesizer 101 section is the heart of the system, from which you could add-on any of the other modules of your choice. Different combinations of these components can be used to create systems of varying potential.
The Synthesizer 101 section is a fully self-contained analog mono-synth. It features a 37-note keyboard (with no performance controls, velocity or aftertouch), and lots of sliders to tweak. Its design is similar to the SH-series analog synths. Controls for the VCO, LFO, VCF lowpass/highpass filters, VCA with ADSR, Noise, and Portamento/Glide effects are all within hands reach. There’s also a handy A-440Hz tuning oscillator, like on the Minimoog.
Hardware:
Roland System 100 Model 101
Empress Effects Vintage Modified Superdelay
Software:
Valhalla Room
New multi-format sound library based on original DAT tape recordings
Cluster Sound has announced Vintage Techno DAT, a true vintage multi-format sound library based on original DAT tape recordings dated 1996.
Vintage Techno DAT is a huge loop collection extracted from personal DAT tape recordings dated 1996 and created by a young Antonio Dilillo, the man behind Cluster Sound.
The library consists of 1.2 Gigabytes of remastered basslines, synth loops, percussions, noises, effected kicks, HHats, snares and everithing you need to add a retro look to your techno tracks.
Vintage Techno DAT features
- 1.2 Gigabytes.
- 400 WAV Loops & Sequences.
- 388 REX Loops.
- 485 WAV Samples.
- 7 Kontakt Drum Kits.
- 7 Ableton Drum Kits.
- 106 IR Samples.
- 106 Kontakt Convolution Presets.
Vintage Techno DAT is available to purchase for 24.95 EUR.
Background : the 1996 was a very exciting year. Techno music passed beyond the “old school” era and producers diffusely started creating complex sounds, emotional athmospheres and rich structures. In that period the modern meaning of computer music was at its early stage and everyone tried to do his best with the few instruments at his disposal. The result took the form of hundreds of innovative labels (Primate, Soma, Nova Mute, Evolution, Plus8, just to mention few) that laid the fundations of modern techno music.
The source : The original loops and sequences had been created with several hardware synthesizers, drum machines and by sampling vinyls and radio signals. All the loops were initially sampled, edited and processed with a glorious Creamware TripleBOARD, the first “Hard Disk Recording” system for PC, and then recorded on a Tascam DA-20 (basically used as storage medium because of the small hard disc capacity).
Novation at Musikmesse 2012
A view of the Novation product range on show at Musikmesse 2012, including information on the new Daniel Fisher sound pack for the Ultranova.
Time machine: Roland Juno-60 “March1982”
30 years back – March 1982 – one of the greatest analog synths was born – the Roland Juno-60
Among the first in Roland’s amazing JUNO family! Six analog voices of polyphony and patch memory storage!! The JUNO-60 sounds great, however, like the JUNO-6 it lacks MIDI control. The JUNO-60 includes 56 patches of memory storage. The JUNO-60 is still popular due in part to opinions that it sounds better (punchier) than the JUNO-106. The JUNO-6 and 60 are very rich sounding synthesizers and are great analog machines as long as you can withstand the absence of MIDI control. The JSQ-60 sequencer is an external sequencer controller for the JUNO-60 and is usually worth acquiring. Of course nobody can deny that the wooden side panel look is a true sign of Vintage status!
all sounds: Roland Juno-60
arpeggiator triggered by the TR-808
recording: multi-track without midi
fx: a bit delay
drums: Roland TR-808
SpaceLab Synth Review // IOS iPad
An overview, sound examples and review of SpaceLab v1.0.1 for iPad.
SpaceLab is a monophonic synthesizer. It has four ways to play: keyboard, graph, guitar, and wind controller. Underneath those interfaces is a fully programmable subtractive synth with oscillators, filters, envelopes, effects, FM, presets, an arpeggiator, full MIDI control, and much more!
“Korg-asbord” – new Ableton Live rack
Live performance of a new track by AfroDJMac “This is on Your Mind.” Performed in Ableton Live using an APC40, Launchpad, OP-1, MPK Mini. Track Originates from a jam in the iPad app Korg iMS-20.
Check out http://bit.ly/freesynth52 for an Ableton Live Set download with the sounds used to create the track!
Background details:
After creating the basic tracks using the Korg iMS-20 app for the iPad, I brought the track into Abletonto “take it to the next level.” This week’s download features sampled instruments created with the Korg iMS-20.
The track is relatively simple, based on just one chord, two synths and three drum sounds. All of those sounds have been taken out the Korg iMS-20 app and placed into Ableton Instruments with their own effects and controls. The beauty is that Ableton allows us to take those sounds to sonic places impossible within the app. The Korg iMS-20 really sounds great and I hope you will find these instruments useful in your own productions.
As a bonus to these three most excellent instruments, I also created another instrument using the new Korg Monotron Duo (hence the title “Korg-asbord”). These samples were graciously sent to me by Hamtone. (This was extremely kind of him, so please check out his site and Like his Facebook page). I took some of those samples and stacked them up, along with a sine-wave-Operator synth, in an instrument rack. This allows you to mix all three sounds together to create some exciting timbres. If you checked out my 13th download, with the original Korg Monotron, you know not to be fooled by the diminutive stature of this synth; it is a deep, thick, heavy beast!
Now as if that is not enough, our friend JM-DG (the man who supplied the samples for the Dirty Trumpet and Shakey Muted Trumpet Packs) has sent me an incredible instrument rack made with an upright bass. I didn’t even touch the rack and give it to you just as he gave it to me, because it is incredible! It has controls to change from bowed to pizzicato, arpeggiating delay, distortion, basically everything you could want. I’m sure that this instrument will find its place in many productions down the road, amazing!
Introducing Reactable 2.0
Reactable Systems has announced an updated to Reactable Mobile, introducing a new social networking feature, Reactable Community.
Here’s what’s new in Reactable 2.0
- Direct access to Reactable Community
- Save and View Performances
- Direct table upload
- Table Meta data
- Brand new menus
Reactable is a performance oriented synthesizer that combines modular synthesis, sampling, digital audio effects and DJing with multitouch control.
Reactable Mobile is $9.99 in the App Store.
Oberheim releases two modern recreations of synth classics
Synth pioneer Tom Oberheim has announced the Oberheim Two Voice Pro Synthesizer, a modern recreation of the 1975 classic.
Oberheim says “It is similar to the original from 1975, but with some very interesting upgrades.”
Features:
- Mini-Sequencer is enhanced – you still generate a sequence with the knobs ( up to 16 positions ) but you can store sequences from the knobs into flash memory (up to 99 sequences stored)
- Two sequences can be played simultaneously (or play one sequence while also playing on the keyboard, like the old one)
- After sequences are stored in flash memory, you can edit them to add 2-way, 3-way or 4-way ratcheting and you can program the gate length from zero (like a rest) up to almost the complete step length
- Sequences can be chained into songs, and each step in a song can be programmed for sequence number, transpose amount and number of repeats
- Sequencer syncs to Midi Clock
- Keyboard outputs velocity and pressure
- Each module (both SEMs, Mini-Sequencer, Keyboard Control) has mini-jack patch points (over 50 patchpoints)
- Pitch and Modulation wheels
- Pan pots
- Headphone output
- Separate Vibrato LFO
The Oberheim Two Voice Pro Synthesizer is expected to be available in June, priced at $3495.
u-he demos Reason Rack Extensions
The well know soft synth developer u-He, was one of the first companies to sign up to provide “plug-ins” to the new Reason Rack Extension program, here’s a demo where they show how.
Propellerhead’s new Reason Rack Extensions are currently the talk of the music technology town, and u-he is one of several developers that has already signed up to create them.
We caught up with u-he’s Urs Heckman as he showed us exactly how Rack Extensions look and feel when they’re running within Reason.
By the way here’s another video showing some of the new stuff from u-He:
Checking out StudioLogic’s Sledge Polysynth
Here’s a new video featuring the Sledge at MusikMesse:
For many synthesizer enthusiasts, it is the particular interaction of the sound engine and user interface that makes a great instrument. A quick look at Sledge shows you the generous set of controls available to interact directly with the sound engine. When you touch the knobs and switches of the front panel, you will instantly be aware of the meticulous attention to detail our engineers have refined, during many decades building the best electronic keyboards.
You will experience the logical set-up of the synthesizer modules, mirroring the signal flow of a classic analogue synthesizer. But what really distinguishes any synthesizer is its sound. Fortunately, our friends at Waldorf Music have happily shared their experience and know-how on this crucial part of the Sledge Synthesizer.
DATAMASKIN
