Station X and Y and (Z) Tereshkova
Analogue Solutions has unveiled three new (semi) Modular synhtesizers. First is the Station X minimodular Synthesizer fully patchable modular synth, second the Station Y minimodular Expander fully patchable modular synth and last the Tereshkova suitcase modular analogue synthesiser
Station X is a compact “mini-modular” synthesiser. It contains all the essential ingredients to form complete synth patches. Think of it as a mini Red Square or Tereshkova (two other, larger modular synths we produce). In fact, a mini Red Square is a good analogy. If has the same filter and similar key features (though Red Square is 2 VCO). Station X is ideal for beginners who want to dip their toes into the world of modular synths, the travelling producer who wants to take a true analogue modular synth around to different sessions, or home musician who perhaps is limited for space.
Station Y is a compact “mini-modular” synthesiser expander, ideal partner for the Station X. The Station series of minimodulars are ideal for beginners who want to dip their toes into the world of modular synths, the travelling producer who wants to take a true analogue modular synth around to different sessions, or home musician who perhaps is limited for space.
All modular
Closer look at the VILFO module:
Breaking in our new VILFO module by Pittsburgh Modular. Other modules in the signal chain: Piston Honda, Hertz Donut, AFG, e340 Cloud Generator, K8415 Pattern Generator. Not the best quality, but we are working on getting a new cam.
Jamming the DIY modular synth
Inverse Room interviews Trevor Pinch, author of “Analog Days” and other books about the history of technology, who demonstrates the DIY modular synth he built in the 1970’s.
Trevor Pinch, a professor at Cornell University and the author of Analog Days, a documentation of the early days of electronic music, is shown here playing with an Ithaca, NY band on the Commons last may.
Heard of the Sport Modular?
Sport Modulator.is sort of a random s/h module which is very buchla as most of the newer ones – if buchla stands for random. don’t know where they get those names but it is real:
Dewanatron Triple Slice synth module
This is a preview, via bigcitymusic, of the new Dewanatron Triple Slice synth module:
Here is the incomparable Dewanatron Triple Slice eurorack module being modulated with the Kilpatrick K4815 Pattern Generator. We start out with the SINE VOLUME on the Triple Slice all the way down, then push it up full.
We are controlling the amount of STIR in the Triple Slice with the beautifully illuminated mod wheel on the Analogue Systems rs600 Performance Wheels module, which controls the amount of LFO. We start the video with no STIR, then add a little at slow and medium speed. The Triple Slice sounds beautiful straight, but really comes alive with a bit of STIR added!
Random audio madness in Reason
The RAM (Random Audio Madness) system is a modular synthesis system used within Reason 4 or Reason+Record 1.0 and above where you can load your own sounds, and then process them through a series of effects that resemble insanity in a can. Enable or disable any effect, and then shape the sound using the other rotaries and buttons.
DXi brings FM to your phone
Yamaha’s interpretation of Frequency Modulation synthesis needs no introduction. It’s a sound splattered across many ’80s synth classics, and recreated by various soft synths.
DXi brings FM to your phone, but it’s closer to the DX27 than the legendary DX7. There are four operators rather than six and polyphony is reduced from 16 to three, from what we can tell. DXi also offers a neat 16-step sequencer and an effective XY performance pad, to mix operators and patterns in real time.
Sound editing is primitive. You can flick between eight algorithms and edit a four-stage amplitude envelope for each operator, but you can’t listen to frequency and feedback changes as you make them – you need to press Audition again for these to be heard.
While DXi does sound good, and you can recreate many classic sounds, it lacks versatility for the experimentalists, and completeness for the purists, sort of defeating the point of it being a synth and not a ROMpler.
Dewanatron, stirred not shaken
This is a quick demo video of the new Dewanatron Triple Slice Eurorack synth module, an interesting new option for modular synth owners.
The Triple Slice is a stable 1v/octave waveform generator that creates complex waveforms through “slicing” of sine waves.
In the video, the Triple Slice is being modulated with the Kilpatrick K4815 Pattern Generator.
Here’s what Big City Music has to say about the demo:
We start out with the SINE VOLUME on the Triple Slice all the way down, then push it up full.
We are controlling the amount of STIR in the Triple Slice with the beautifully illuminated mod wheel on the Analogue Systems rs600 Performance Wheels module, which controls the amount of LFO. We start the video with no STIR, then add a little at slow and medium speed. The Triple Slice sounds beautiful straight, but really comes alive with a bit of STIR added
Teaser of the MacBeth Studio Systems
Ken Macbeth offers this sneak preview of the MacBeth Studio Systems modular synthesizer:
Here’s a quick demo that I put together of the the prototype modules that I have been working on. This video features 2 x Mk1 VCOs, 1 x Mk1 8 Input Mixer, 1 x 24dB/Octave all transistor VCF and the Dual ADSR EG module with built in Gilbert Cell VCA…I hope you enjoy! Ken
MFOS modulator running Nitzer Ebb
A DIY MFOS modular – the Modulator – playing Isn’t it funny how your body works by Nitzer Ebb. The 16-step sequencer’s gate outputs trigs two ADSRs for bass drum. Clock out is sent to slave 10-step sequencer and to two ARs controlling filter cutoff and VCA. 16 step seq CV out gets patched to both VCOs. The stereo auto panner is used during the last few seconds.
DATAMASKIN
