BLOW YOUR MIND – brain controlled synth module
The next module by the Italian company Soundmachines might BLOW YOUR MIND in multiple kinds of ways…
With their latest announced module you will be able to control your modular (or your synth) with your brain.
The Mindwave Mobile was chosen for its low cost and rather good EEG capabilities.
The headset is connected to the module via a Bluetooth link, so that NO wires are running from the modular to your head.
Soundmachines is expecting to release this module around June 2014.
Ototo: Make Music from Anything
The Ototo is an experimental PCB-based synthesizer, created by design and invention studio Dentaku.
Ototo allows you to combine sensors, inputs and touchpads to create your own electronic musical instrument. Ototo is designed to let anyone unpack a kit and interact with sound however they want to, no soldering or coding required.
Features:
- 12 key capacitive touch keyboard (1 octave) with connectors
- 4 sensor inputs, 5V analog input
- Onboard speaker and 3.5mm headphone output
- Powered by 2 x AA batteries or micro USB
- No coding required
- 128 Mbit Flash memory
Manikin Schrittmacher DEMO track
Second attempt on using the Manikin Schrittmacher step sequencer.
I created (very easy, without reading the user manual lol) 4 sequences and assigned to each one a MIDI channel to send it to Virus Ti2 2 in multi mode. Easy to remove or to silent the steps.
Many thanks to Dragos Manea (owner of the Schrittmacher).
More on http://www.albaecstasy.ro
Studio Electronics BoomStar synths at NAMM 2014
Gino Robair, tech editor, checks out the all-discrete analog BoomStar boxes from boutique analog synth maker Studio Electronics.
Vintage gear demo: E-MU Emax
all synth sounds: E-MU Emax SE Sampling Synthesizer (1986)
drums: LinnDrum (1982)
recording: multi-tracking including the Emax internal sequencer
fx: reverb and delay
The Emax is a classic sampler workstation from E-mu. It is sort of a next generation Emulator II, it’s not as good as an Emulator III but it’s more powerful than previous EII’s. The Emax can be found in several forms: the Emax, the Emax Rack, the Emax HD (built-in 20MB hard disk), the Emax HD Rack and the Emax SE (Synthesis Enhanced) with a built-in synthesizer section. The Emax’s editing system will be familiar to users of E-mu’s excellent ESI series.
The Emax has an extensive library collection of samples that can be loaded via the built-in 3.5″ hard drive. Or you can sample your own sounds. The Sampler is powerful, but lo-fi. It samples at 12-bit resolution with variable sample-rates up to 42kHz. The built-in memory is 512K which only gives you a few good seconds really. Sampling and editing is easy, complete and intuitive with auto sample placement, auto-looping, truncating, reversing, velocity cross-fade, etc. The Emax also features individual channel outputs and stereo outputs and extensive MIDI implementation.
The Emax features many common analog synth-type controls for easily shaping your samples. Tune, filter and shape the envelope or use LFO’s and chorus to liven up your samples. There’s also an on-board sequencer section. A real-time only 16-track, non-quantizable sequencer for basic scratch-pad use or simple arpeggios or patterns. The SE and SE Plus models, the most advanced of the 12-bit Emax’s, add a synthesizer section, newer advanced digital signal processors for sample editing and a SCSI port (standard on the SE Plus). The Emax instruments were the most advanced of the classic keyboard samplers of the late 1980’s.
The Emax II which was released in 1989 brought the Emax series up to modern specs with 16-bit sampling, 16-voice polyphony, 16 MIDI channels, stereo samples, 1MB RAM expandable to 8MB, SCSI, 8 assignable outputs and the SE’s synthesis functions. And finally, the Emax II Turbo came with 4MB RAM standard and a 4MB hard disk. Whichever Emax you choose, they’re all classic machines still capable of professional quality results when used in making the music of today.
Korg Gadget – a deeper investigation
Right from the beginning, KORG Gadget gives you 15 compact synthesizers and drum machines. Each Gadget possesses an irresistible presence and can function as the core of your electronic music productions. The parameters are carefully constructed to take you right to the sound that you want, and they’re ideal for producing all forms of electronic music. Even if you don’t play a musical instrument, no worries! Each synth offers a keyboard featuring a Scale function that makes it impossible to play wrong notes, combined with a sequencer that supports the function, Just download KORG Gadget to your iPad, and start exploring 15 Gadgets.
Background video description:
Here I take another look at the brand new app from Korg and attempt to unravel some of its hidden or less obvious functionality. You can read more about this app and me at my website www.gazwilliams.me
Daniel Miller (Mute Records) going through a Eurorack synthesizer
Mute Records founder and electronic music legend Daniel Miller talks modular synths and demos his own system at LEAF 2013.
4:25 What was your first synth?
6:24 Current resurgence of modular synths
11:00 Modular synth demonstration
Featured track: The Normal ‘T.V.O.D’ (Mute Records)
Buy on iTunes: http://ow.ly/t6kwT
More info on LEAF :: http://ow.ly/t1Y9O
STOCKHAUSEN – SPIRAL
An extract of my interpretation of Karlheinz Stockhausen’s SPIRAL (1968)
The shortwave radio is coming from the internet thanks to the Wide Band SDR made available to the public by the University of Twente (Netherlands), all the rest is performed at the modular synthesizer Make Noise.
The performance still is not perfect, the helmet does not make life easy while reading the score and using the synthesizer, nevertheless this recording is a step ahead in my understanding of this piece.
I hope you will enjoy it.
Please take with some humour.
Helmet made by FBFX London
Costume by Barbara Livecchi
The Score is published by UNIVERSAL Editions
NAMM 2014: Moon Modular Sequencers
NAMM 2014: Moon Modular Sequencers Guided tour of the large cabinet and sequencer
Checking out Verbos Electronics analog synth modules
New on the scene this year is Verbos, a maker of high-end and beautifully designed analog synth modules. Gino Robair checks ’em out!
DATAMASKIN
