Jennings – new Kontakt version of an early all-valve synthesiser designed in 1946
Rhythmic Robot Audio has released Jennings, a Kontakt software version of an early all-valve synthesizer designed in 1946.
The original Jennings Univox was played by The Beatles during their early sets at the Cavern in Liverpool, and by the Tornadoes, who used it to create the signature synth sound of their 1962 synth-pop hit Telstar.
It was designed by Tom Jennings who went on to form Vox amplifiers, and comprised a valve-based oscillator which could be run through a series of wave shapers, filters and EQs controlled by tab switches on its front panel, capable of creating over 2000 variations on the basic waveform. Vibrato added movement to the sound, while a knee lever controlling volume allowed the player to manage swells and tremolo wobbles in real time. The sound was output through a dedicated speaker cabinet into which the keyboard packed for transportation, making it a real alternative to other more cumbersome valve-based synthesisers like the Hammond Novachord for gigging bands.
The Jennings Univox was similar to the Clavioline, another valve-based portable synth, but differed in its use of a sawtooth variant as its source waveform where the Clavioline used a square-wave variant. It is this valve-based sawtooth, rich in harmonic overtones and minor valve instabilities, that gave the Univox its uniquely warm analogue sound.
The Rhythmic Robot software version of Jennings starts with a meticulous recreation of the original instrument based around 24-bit, 20-second chromatic samples of a professionally restored Univox and using a combination of multiple sample sets and convolved IR maps to simulate the behaviour of all of the Univox’s control tabs. Key click samples and a full sample set of the “Sub Octave” tab can be trimmed in level relative to the main wave forms, allowing more comprehensive balancing of the Univox’s tone.
For musicians wanting to explore the start of the synth era with complete authenticity, a “compliance mode” can be enabled to allow the user quickly and easily to dial in patches which conform exactly to the standards of the 1946 original. Patches designed in “compliance mode” sound indistinguishable from the original hardware Univox. However, for anyone wanting to go beyond the limitations of the original, Jennings extends the capabilities of the Univox considerably, adding polyphony, dual oscillators (drawing on different sample sets for a richer tone), a multi-mode resonant filter with LFO, precise control over envelopes (including attack curves) and a comprehensive effects section incorporating Chorus, Phaser, Echo, Rotary Speaker simulation and Amp Cab modelling.
Accessing these effects and additional controls allows the user to create patches using a familiar subtractive synthesis model, but drawing on Jennings’s front-panel tabs to create a base palette of over 2000 “oscillators”. Any tab combination can be used as the starting point for a patch and then doubled up, detuned, filtered, effected and so forth. The result of this versatility is that Jennings is capable of creating both authentic, 1946-accurate tones in “compliance mode”, and modern synthetic patches with a signature valve character, all from one clearly laid-out graphic UI.
Jennings is available now from www.rhythmicrobot.com priced at £59.95.
Features:
- 24-bit, 20-second samples of a professionally-restored Jennings Univox.
- All-valve waveforms.
- Convolved IR maps and multiple sample sets combine to recreate all front-panel tabs.
- One or two oscillators, with detune and Osc Spread control for stereo width.
- Multi-mode resonant filter switchable between 2-pole (12dB/octave) and 4-pole (24dB/octave), high or low pass.
- Filter and Amplitude envelopes; Amplitude envelope with specific attack-curve control (for “sucky” or “snappy” attacks).
- Filter LFO and switchable Amplitude (tremolo) / Pitch (vibrato) LFO, with adjustable ramp time.
- Full effects section with Chorus, Phaser, Delay, Rotary Speaker and Amp Cab simulator.
- Stereo Widening in combination with Osc Spread maps keys across the stereo sound field.
- “Compliance Mode” makes creating authentic 1946-style patches simple.
Jennings requires Kontakt version 4.2.3 or later (including Kontakt 5). Not compatible with Kontakt player.
(Via KVR)
Weekend synth jam – featuring Fender and Moog
Background information from Rheyne:
Download or stream the audio at SoundCloud: http://snd.sc/JOvWMs
A live looping improv jam with a Fender Rhodes, Moog Prodigy, and an Akai MPD26 controlling a custom kit in NI’s Kontakt. An iPod Touch is controlling the reverb mix on the Rhodes through Lemur, and the first loop from the Rhodes is recorded in Ableton’s looper controlled by a MIDI Fighter 3D. A Novation Launchpad is controlling the recording and playback of loops in Ableton Live. An MXR Wylde Overdrive is connected to the Rhodes. All audio is passed through a PreSonus 1818VSL connected to a Macbook Pro running Ableton Live.
All loops are recorded live.
‘Tronto’ from Tronsonic – Vintage Polyphonic Modular for Kontakt 5
A demonstration of some of the features and sounds from Tronto. The aim of this synth was to make it as analogue and characterful as possible, sampling the waveforms through vintage valves to quarter inch tape.
Available very soon from : www.tronsonic.com
Sign up to the site to be eligible for a 50% introductory discount (terms to be announced).
More sounds from Tronsonic:
Celebrate 10 years of KONTAKT
Never been a KONTAKT fan myself, but I guess it’s still worth celebrating 😉
Get more info and special offers here:
http://www.native-instruments.com/10yearsofkontakt
See some of KONTAKT’s most illustrious and high profile fans deliver
their birthday greeting to the industry-leading software sampler.
Includes testimonials by artists such as Jean Michel Jarre, Chris Lowe,
Roger Lyons, and Cliff Martinez, as well as sound design partners
Heavyocity, Abbey Road, Scarbee and Soniccouture.
PULSE – bass mayhem for Kontakt
Stretch That Note has announced the release of PULSE, a bass instrument for Native instruments Kontakt.
The idea behind this particular module was quite simple: to create a bass module that not only boasts some very distinct oscillators but also provides ‘layers’ to ..er…layer the primary oscillators with. These layers have been processed with comb filtering and some specific phase cancellation to provide acres of scope for layering sounds.
Married to this 7 oscillator facility comes a ton of warping and mauling tools. Ring, Scuzz, Chrome, Colour and so on, describe beautifully what the functions do and they came from a very disturbed place. And if that wasn’t enough, well, I threw in a detailed WOBBLE section for those of you that are into Dubstep. The rest is sheer saturation and distortion mayhem but in a clear kinda way…if you know what I ..er mean…
The Pulse library is available to purchase for $30 USD. Through June, 2012, a free bass module (LEWD or PULSE) is included with a purchase of the EPIC Series 1 bundle.
Soundiron Tuned Artillery review
http://soundsandgear.com/soundiron-tuned-artillery-review checking out a tuned percussion library from Soundiron called Tuned Artillery for Kontakt 4 and Kontakt 5. Helmets, grenades, and artillery shells all turned into musical instruments.
Sneak preview: HandySynth from Icebreaker Audio
HandySynth
HandySynth is a sample based re-creation of a custom circuit-bent Yamaha HandySound HS-200 for Native Instruments Kontakt 4 or 5.
- All instrument sounds chromatically sampled at 24-bit 48kHz
- 8 circuit-bent sound variations
- Convolution based emulation of the original speaker at various microphone positions
- Authentic emulation of the HandySound volume envelopes and tuning via custom scripts
- Additional Effects: Distortion, Filter and Spring Reverb
- Download also includes a copy of C-Bent Kit for Battery
Coming February 3rd from Icebreaker Audio
PortaSynth and Calc-U-Synth – new for Native Instruments’ Kontakt 5 platform
Icebreaker Audio has released the PortaSynth and Calc-U-Synth instruments for Native Instruments’ Kontakt 5 platform.
PortaSynth is an emulation of a circuit-bent Yamaha PortaSound PSS130 from 1987. It also includes PortaDrums – a drum machine based on the percussion samples from the same instrument.
Calc-U-Synth is a full emulation of the Casio VL-Tone’s programmable synth engine for Kontakt. It features faithful emulations of all of the VL-Tone’s parameters.
Both PortaSynth and Calc-U-Synth are included in the ToyBreaker Bundle, which also includes HandySynth – a sample based emulation of a circuit bent Yamaha HandySound. Not only does this bundle save you around 25% of the total price of buying the three products separately, but as an added bonus, ToyBreaker Bundle owners also get an exclusive battery kit of drum samples taken from several toy keyboards from the 80s.
PortaSynth features:
- All instrument sounds sampled chromatically at 24bit, 48kHz quality.
- Bent sound counterparts for each of the sampled sounds.
- Advanced speaker options.
- Distortion, filter and spring reverb effects.
- Key-Click and Background Noise controls.
- Also includes the PortaDrum drum machine.
Calc-U-Synth features:
- A full emulation of the Casio VL-Tone’s programmable synth engine.
- All waveforms sampled chromatically at 24bit, 48kHz quality.
- Additional filter, distortion and echo effects.
- Advanced speaker options, and key-click noise control.
Prices:
- PortaSynth: £7.50 (€9 / $12 approx.).
- Calc-U-Synth: £4.50 (€5.5 / $7 approx.).
- The ToyBreaker Bundle: £12.50 (€15.5 / $20 approx.) – a 25% saving over buying the three products separately.
Upgrade Prices: HandySynth Owners can upgrade to the ToyBreaker Bundle for £9 (€11 / $14) before the 1st September, 2012.
All products are available now from the Icebreaker Audio website.
Native Instruments GIANT Piano – Extended Video Review
As reported on yesterday – NI’s new instrument The Giant – here’s a fresh review:
Russ from Pro Tools Expert takes a look at the new Native Instruments GIANT piano.
See what he thinks in the extended review.
http://www.pro-tools-expert.com
Tech Vocals – new sample library in the Grid Machine Slice series for Kontakt
Channel Robot has released Tech Vocals, a sample library is the Grid Machine Slice series for Kontakt.
Here are Volumes 2 and 3 of the best selling Minimal Tech Vox – a fantastic collection of snipped, glitched, processed and tweaked minimal vocal samples, produced specifically for the dance music producer.
Whether you are making Tech, Electro, Deep or Mainroom Dance Music – these samples recorded by pro session singers have been mangled, chopped and edited to provide you with the building blocks for some awesome grooves.
Featuring a killer selection of one word single shot samples, glitched vox sounds, vox stabs, Fx Processed Loops, vocal hooks and re-sequenced parts which together form a formidable collection of samples for any producer looking to introduce the human element to loops and sections of their productions, and now you can further process cut, mix, slice and glitch to produce completely unique content in Grid Machine Slice.
The sound library is available to purchase from Loopmasters for £29.95 GBP.
DATAMASKIN
