Yamaha PSS-570 vs Warp Factory Vocoder
Background video description:
Running the 1987 FM BEAST through the Electrix vocoder unit. The keyboard is a little dusty.
Triggering some sounds, making some tweaks. This is recorded direct form the vocoder, no FX!
SirenAudio Wash (Free M4L Audio Device)
Wash is a Max Audio Effect that uses comb filters to create a reverb style effect. The aim of the device is to create dense washes of sound (akin to a watercolour wash).
You can read more about Wash here:
http://sirenaudio.co.uk/blogs/sirenau…
Parameters:
- del fb (delay feedback) : determines the amount of feedback, with higher values producing longer sustains.
- del time (delay time): changes the length of time of the delay.
mod freq (modulation frequency): controls the frequency of the sine wave modulation oscillator. - mod depth (modulation depth): changes the depth or amount of the modulation.
- jitter var (jitter variation): This modulation stage uses low pass filtered white noise, and the variation sets the cutoff frequency of the lowpass filter, with higher values producing more erratic variation.
- jitter depth: This parameter controls how much jitter is added to the delay time.
- low cut: attenuates low frequencies from the effect
- damping : attenuates high frequencies from the effect.
- dry wet : fades between the dry and effected audio signals.
ef. gain (effect gain): scales the gain of the effect. This parameter is useful when the effect has high feedback settings as the volume can build up quickly. - clear button : In between the final two parameters is a button that will clear audio from the delays.
Note that changing the delay time, jitter, and modulation parameters will affect the pitch of the effected audio.
Check out Arpeggist the universal MIDI arpeggiator for iPad
VirSyn has announced the release of Arpeggist, a universal MIDI arpeggiator for iPad.
Arpeggist is a MIDI Note arpeggiator with a very flexible step matrix editor for programming and a unique “rolling dice” random arpeggio generator.
You can build arpeggios from scratch or use one of the factory arpeggios as foundation. You can also create an unlimited number of user arpeggio presets. Just play a chord or a single note and it gets transformed into a grooving monophonic synth line or a rhythmical chord pattern.
Arpeggist features
- Full featured programmable Arpeggiator
- Uses programmable sequences with up to 32 steps.
- Can trigger single notes and chords.
- Unique randomizer generates Arpeggios with 100% usability.
- 40 Arpeggios included, unlimited user arpeggios possible.
- For each step you can program tie, accent, transposition and note order.
- Live
- Play trigger notes live with the onscreen keyboard.
- Optionally use CoreMIDI compatible hardware keyboard.
- Chord generator plays complex chords on one finger playing.
- Internal sound generator.
- Dozens of scales selectable.
- Selectable Arpeggiator MIDI Output port.
- Variable Keyboard layout for scale optimized playing.
- Global
- Audiobus 2 compatible (Input slot).
- Inter App Audio.
- Exchange user presets with File Sharing in iTunes.
- Support for virtual MIDI input/output connections.
Arpeggist is available for purchase for $4.99 USD.
Titan 2 – new virtual instrument library that emulates no less than 266 synthesizers
Best Service has announced the release of Titan 2, a virtual instrument library that emulates no less than 266 synthesizers.
TITAN 2 outshines its predecessor by doubling its sound-library, adding countless new presets, a fully redesigned user-interface as well as sound shaping potential exceeding even the originals!
The content covers the full spectrum of this instrument’s glorious history. Here, you will find everything of distinction, ranging from the 70’s until today, covering every kind of sound synthesis. This plug-in includes the latest virtual instruments, analogue classics, legendary modular systems, prominent digital synthesizers, powerful workstation as well as unheard rarities.
The sonic spectrum of 45 years synthesizer-history makes TITAN 2 an instrument that is unmatched and unique in diversity.
The developers have taken the challenge to preserve the incomparable character of the original instruments. At the time, TITAN 2 is dedicated towards its potential to create individual and entirely new soundscapes.
New in Titan 2
- Faster loading times of no more than one second.
- Increased CPU efficiency.
- Fully redesigned user-interface.
- Controllable random-function for sound shaping.
- Attacker-tool for fast altering of any sound’s attack phase.
- Additional multimode-filter.
- 1,800 up-to-date drum- and FX-sounds.
- 1,500 rhythmical sequences.
- Integrated convolution reverb with 1,000 high-end impulse responses and FX-section.
- Unlimited multimode.
Titan 2 is available for purchase for 199 EUR / $199 USD / £149 GBP. The upgrade from Titan is 99 EUR / $99 USD / £75 GBP.
Roland AIRA EFX Eurorack Modules – First Look
David Ahlund shows us the four new digital Eurorack modules (Bitrazer, Scooper, Torcido and Demora) plus the Configurator editor.
Prophet 5 Rev 1 Demo Video
This is the Sequential Circuits Prophet 5 Rev 1, Serial #122. It belonged to Greg Hawkes of The Cars, and was famously used on the Cars song “Let’s Go!” as well as numerous other Cars songs and albums.
This synthesizer’s electronics were expertly restored by Greg Montalbano ofhttp://analogsynthservice.com. He is one of the few techs in the world with the knowledge to repair a Rev 1 Prophet 5. This particular Prophet had serious issues with its power supply, including numerous blown capacitors. Greg M. rebuilt the power supply, repaired a bad IC, and thoroughly calibrated and tuned the instrument. I oiled the wood, cleaned the keyboard, repaired a faulty keyboard contact, and carefully repaired a crack in the wood. Given her age, and the fact that she played countless stage shows and studio sessions, she’s in wonderful shape and sounds fantastic.
GentleDrivez by Synthetic Brain – free effect plug-in for Mac
Bedroom Producers Blog has introduced GentleDrivez by Synthetic Brain, a free effect plug-in for Mac based on a gentle saturation/distortion algorithm suitable for warming up synthesizers, electronic drums and other digital sound sources.
GentleDrivez comes with a simple and easy to use GUI, with no more than four parameters. There’s the Drive knob for controlling the amount of distortion being applied to the processed signal, the Mix knob for easy parallel processing, and the Input and Output knobs for gain staging.
The plugin is optimized for subtle distortion (and this kind of effect really does sound nice in the demo video), but it can also be pushed harder to achieve some more devastating distortion types.
GentleDrivez for Mac (VST/AU) is available for download from Bedroom Producers Blog.
New material from Psyk
Psyk (a.k.a. Maan or Manuel Anós) is an audio technician who makes good on his name; each of his new releases acting like a steely sonic probe to be launched into the as-of-yet uncharted depths of the psyche. His newest release for the Mote-Evolver label (following last year’s Time Foundation album and the EPs Aracade and Distane) is solid and elemental techno as ever: it fits neatly into the label’s stylistic template of mesmerizing precision yet never forsakes individuality in order to do so. Like Psyk’s other offerings for this label, the new EP works its magic on the central nervous system with a perfectly interwoven blend of up-front anxious sequences and mysterious luminous undercurrents, making for an experience whose energizing effect lasts well after the record has stopped spinning.
Where records like Distane rolled over dancefloors with a metallic, cardiac thump not unlike that shown on other standout M.E. releases (e.g. Marcel Fengler’s Thwack), [title here] spins its enveloping cocoon of sound around the listener in a less aggressive – but still enjoyably intense – manner. With its crystalline mesh of bass kick, jittering hats and persistent 8th-note percolations, the opener “Human” immediately lays a foundation which will command listeners’ focus, but soon enough a whole new substrata of strange, beckoning noises can be heard beneath this impermeable layer of technoid sound. This ‘more than meets the ear’ strategy is the key to this new release’s infectiousness, and it’s once again employed to strong effect on the b-side’s “Powder” (which adds driving ride cymbal and a cleverly subtle filtering to the mix.) An additional b-side, “Aumento,” features a gorgeous interplay between a high whistling oscillator and its lower pitched counterpart, bringing on the trance state so strongly that you can almost see pulsing concentric circles and whirling form constants as you shut your eyes. For purchasers of the digital EP, a bonus mix of “Human” provides an encore performance of the lead-off track with an additional helping of deft filtering, insistent handclap and percussive depth.
Psyk’s basic mission – to map out and expand consciousness with dense corporeal music – is an exciting one to be a part of, as well as a necessary and timely one. In a teeming electronic music galaxy where many producers still mistake a bag of sonic tricks for a wealth of insight and sophistication, Psyk and Mote-Evolver just shrug their shoulders and continue to show what genuine growth and progress sound like.
Kraftwerk on the Kraftzwerg – The Model
This is a remake of Kraftwerk’s The Model done almost entirely on the MFB Kraftzwerg (except for the choir sound). Recorded each part into Ableton Live where final arrangements were made.
SynthMaster Player for iPad – the mobile player version of the SynthMaster synthesizer instrument
KV331 Audio has announced SynthMaster Player for iPad, a mobile player version of the SynthMaster synthesizer instrument.
It is targeted towards users who prefer to use presets rather than designing their own sounds during music production. Although it is a preset based player, users can edit the following parameters:
- 8 easy parameters assigned by the sound designer
- 2 XY Pads assigned by the sound designer
- Effect bypass states and send amounts
- Layer bypass states and volumes
- Master volume, polyphony
The free app comes with 100 factory presets. When users complete registration by entering their names and email addresses they receive another 100 factory presets as a bonus. After completing registration, users can upgrade to the Pro version of the app by purchasing the “Factory Presets” bank via In-App-Purchase (IAP) for $9.99. With the Pro Upgrade all of the 800 factory presets are loaded and also the following features are unlocked:
- Users can save the changes they have made to the presets
- Users can purchase additional preset banks via In-App-Purchase (IAP)
- Existing SynthMaster users can download their previously purchased SynthMaster preset banks inside the app, so that they don’t have to purchase them again
- Existing SynthMaster users can export their own presets in SynthMaster v2.7 and import them into SynthMaster Player for iPad using iTunes.
The app is available for download for iOS 7 and higher.
DATAMASKIN
