Analog Synth Control Review
We’re looking at the Expert Sleepers Silent Way software for controlling analog gear and the ES-1 and ES-3 audio interfaces . The Silent Way consists of 10 plugins in AU/Vst for Mac or VST for Windows. Its a download from the Expert Sleepers site and requires installation of a license manager – it was a pretty simple process for me on Mac 10.5.8 – once the license key was provided, the plug-ins showed up in Logic and Live no problem. The best place to start is with the SW Voice Controller- this is a fully featured Gate/CV with 3 envelopes and a velocity output and can use up to 6 outputs, though its pretty simple to use just CV and Gate to control the basic pitch and trigger of a synth.Full review text here: http://bit.ly/iqWSGY
Full review of Korg’s new Analogue Ribbon Station
Are you ready to open your wallet? The monotribe Analog Ribbon Station – bringing responsive realtime control to analog groove-making.
Monotribe highlights:
* The powerful sound of true analog synthesis
* 3-part analog drums, using discrete analog circuitry
* Popular Electribe-style sequencing
* Active Step and Flux features for realtime dynamic loop manipulation
* Advanced multi-function ribbon keyboard; Chromatic, Continuous, & Wide mode
* Auto-tuning provides stable pitch for accurate chromatic playability
* Selectable oscillator waveform, noise generator, and versatile LFO
* Uses the same VCF (filter) circuit as the classic MS-10/MS-20
* Sync In & Out jacks allows synchronized integration with multiple units
* Battery operation, built-in speaker and compact size deliver on-the-go groove-making
In a world seemingly ruled by digital, Korg created an analog sensation with the palm-sized monotron Analogue Ribbon Synthesizer. Korg has once again raised the analog banner with the amazing monotribe Analog Ribbon Station; a new form of synthesizer that packs an amazing array of features and technology into its compact body. Korg’s monotribe shares the monotron’s analog DNA, yet quickly delves deeper into the rich, organic, and often chaotic world of analog synthesis. In addition to analog synthesis, monotribe brings together intuitive ease of use and a three-part discrete analog rhythm section, plus the proven appeal of Electribe-style sequencing. Complete with a built-in speaker and battery power, monotribe is self-contained and highly portable.
In this video:
Full review of Korg”s new Analogue Ribbon Station.
Article: http://www.sonicstate.com/news/2011/05/26/sonic-lab-korg-monotribe/
Many thanks to those who posted questions in the comments here and on our site on the un-boxing video. I hope we answered all/most of your queries.
Virtual Piano Library Comparison – what to buy
This is the first in a series of demos of Grand Piano/Upright Piano/Elec Piano/Organ Libraries. I have assembled here a collection of Yamaha pianos, all demoed with the same MIDI file, “Grand Illusion” by Jordan Rudess. This song always impressed me with its incredible dynamic range, and I thought it a great clip to display the power of a Grand Piano. I selected this clip because of how it demonstrates the full range of dynamics across nearly the entire keyboard.
Sampletekk The Big One (Convolution IR added)
Sampletekk Seven Seas Grand (Convolution IR added)
Reason Pianos Yamaha C7 Close Mics (Convolution IR added)
Reason Pianos Yamaha C7 Jazz Mics
Native Instruments Alicia’s Keys (Dry w/ Convolution IR added)
Post Musical Instruments Yamaha C7 (Convolution IR added)
Mark Mosher reviews the virtual Poly KB
Our Colorado based friend Mark Mosher (Ableton guru) has posted a nice review of the Poly KB:
The video is intended to show what’s possible when you constrain your tool set and inspire others to extend their craft by “going deep” and transcending technology. Featured in this video is XILS PolyKBII which is a virtual analog modeled version which captures the sound and spirit of the legendary RSF PolyKobol Analog synthesizer. Unique features of this synth that make it great for one-patch-improvisations are the Dynamic stereo Modulation YX pad, Polyphonic Modulation YX pad, 8 part Polyphonic Sequencer with live recording, velocity editing, and continuously modulated waveforms (in an polyphonic analog model).
Fairlight – standard vs pro version
Perhaps as a reaction of our review on the regular version of the Fairlight app, this video has turned up 
Review: The Fairlight app, regular version
Anyone being casually interested in making synthesizer based music in the 80s have probably dreamed of owning and using a Fairlight. A complete workstation with sampling and synthesizing sonic capabilities, hugh sound library, muliti timbral, pattern and song sequencing, total recall, all in one computer and controlled by a light pen resembling of a miniature lightsaber. Only issue was that it costed as much as a house. A nice house. You could even have to add the garage. And a car.
Now fast forward 30 years and you can get all those features and capabilies for close to free if you happen to have a computer, a midi keyboard and Internet access. That’s progress for you. Still, the concept defined by the Fairlight inventors still applies apart from the lightsaber… the all integrated computer based workstation with a huge sound library still rules.
Last week the empire striked back and released the first Fairlight software only product in shape of an IOS app. It’s available in the Apple App Store for iPhone and iPad for 9.99USD, or in whatever currency you have. But unlike many other app developers that have a free or light version AND a full version in the App store, Fairlight have a only one version in the store. The uppgrade to the Pro version (as they call it) is only available from within the App itself. And the price for the Pro version is 39USD. It’s a bit of an easter egg approach.
The regular version gives you alot of vintage feel in terms of whirling floppy disc noise, load waiting time and 500 accurate sounds from the original Fairlight library including Orch 2 hits, Ahhhs and glass crash. Also the the original GUI using pages is used and fit’s like a glove in the IOS world. But from the original 20 pages the IOS app leaves you with 6 pages.
Once started you are confronted with a menu of 5 pages where one tells the history of the Fairlight. Head over to Wikipedia or Holmes page to get the full story though.
Page 2 and 3 is about loading sounds and combining them but as you can’t create or edit combinations (called instruments) page 3 is meaningless in the regular version. So what you can do is to browse though the library and load one sound at a time and then play it from the one octave keyboard. It’s here thing gets too limited, though. You get not only just one octave of keyboard to use, but it’s only from C to C. You can select which octave but is have to start with a C! This makes it hard to play just anything but tinkle little star. To load you own sounds you have to upgrade to the Pro version which I havn’t tried yet.
You do get the famous R page sequencer but you only have 2 demo songs to play – no edits, no save, no load. And the cool looking page D to inspect the waveform landscape is not only hard to use as you have to tilt the iPhone and keeping it still is kind of hard – but it’s kind of meaningless as you can’t load you own samples and you can’t loop the ones you get with the library. Looping is disabled. And the whole point of page D is to match the sample rate to the sound frequency to find good loop points.
Conclusion
The regular version of the Fairlight app I would call demo version. You can’t really use it in a musical context as it’s too limited. What you get is an app demonstrating the classic Fairlight library, however made with love and care it’s only a novelty app. Unless you are prepared to buy the pro version don’t expect to make any music with this app.
As I still feel a bit ripped off, I havn’t bought the Pro version but I guess I will once calmed down. What’s worring though is that although with the Pro version you can load your own samples via email or iTunes you cannot record them directly via the mic. Also the synthesizer side of the Fairlight CMI like drawing waveforms and harmonic profiles is not included in the Pro version either.
The history page in the app sais that “the app is as powerful as the first Fairlight CMI” but I really don’t agree. This is more like the marketing deparments ploy trying to find customers for the new CMI-30A. And the CMI-30A cost you ….like a house, a nice house. And the garage. And a car. Now, where’s my lightsaber!
Review: eXode’s Club Soundset V1 Reason 5 Refill
We have taken a closer look at the new Reason Refill from eXode – Club Soundset V1. eXode is a well known producer of high quality Refills in the Propellerhead Reason community and has released several that are available for free download at the Propellerhead site.
To start of with, if you enjoy eXode´s previous Refills just as much as we do here at Stereoklang, then you wont be dissapointed with the Club Soundset V1 Refill. And don´t be fooled by the name – “Club” is not really a name that fully defines what this Refill is all about. In classic eXode spirit the Refill is filled with very nice high quality bass lines, pads and synth keys in the spirit of Moog, Waldorf, Korg etc. Fat sounding pad CMBs has always been a strong trademark of eXode and this Refill nicely follows in this tradition.
CMBs has always been the strength of eXode and to summarize this Refill will not make you dissapointed from that perspective, if you are producing any form of electro, synth or dance music you will definitely find something that triggers your inspiration in this Refill. Specifically we enjoy the bass synths and sequenced CMBs included. From one perspective one could have wished that there were more CMBs included, with somewhat more variations and perhaps more Combinators following in the tradition of eXode’s Sonic Waves Refill which included a number of really cool arpeggiated CMBs.
Below you can find some sound samples from the Club Soundset V1 Refill:
EXode – Club Soundset V1 – sound samples by Stereoklang Produktion
New to eXode, we believe at least, is the inclusion of 15 pre-sets for the Reason KONG drum machine. So based on this one weren´t really sure what to expect – would it be a bunch of inspiring FX drum synth sounds or more standard drum sounds. Well they are perhaps standard techno, EBM, club dance drums but they are very nice sounding and true to classic sounds of the 808 and similar sounding drum machnes. I think the real treat here is the way eXode has set up the pre-sets – the combination and the placing of the drums relative to the pads. We tried the pre-sets using an Akai MPC and it turned out to work our really well, which is good from a live drumming perspective.
Finally eXode has included a large chunk of Thor patches providing you with pleasure of really getting to know the Thor synth and the power it presents the user with. Among the 128 patches for the Thor you will for example here sounds reminiscent of the Sylenth and DUNE, we like
Conclusively: Club Soundset V1 from eXode will be a nice edition to your Reason archive and we will definitely continue monitor upcoming releases from eXode, with great pleasure. Below you can read what eXode himself has to say about the Refill:
I have been at hard work designing sound that work well for the clubs.
You can listen to three teasers of this soundset on my soundcloud site. Also the original wav files are downloadable so that you can listen to them in all their uncompressed glory.
I’ve tried to show some of the sounds in a musical context and not just presets on parade. An ambition with this soundset was to create sounds for Reason that could rival with Sylenth1 and DUNE in terms of sound.
The Club Soundset V1 contains the following:
- 128 Thor patches
- 64 Combinator patches
- 12 drumkits for Kong
Pricing and Availability:
€25
More information:
REVIEW: Soundcells’ Analog Signatures v3
Analog Signature v3 – Trigger your music creativity
We have had the pleasure of reviewing the latest Reason Refill from Soundcells, based out of Germany. Soundcells definitely belongs among our absolute favorite providers of high-quality Reason refills, and for other formats as well for that matter. The nice thing about Soundcells’ Refills is the variety and complexity provided covering everything from chip tunes to ambient to synthpop music.
This time we have taken a closer look at the recently released Analog Signature v 3, which is a follow up version 1 and 2 containing some 40 nicely crafted Combinator patches (CMBs) and an additional set of Thor, REX, Scream modules. Being slightly biased, based on the type of music Steelberry Clones are making we must say that the real treat is the MS20 Combinator patches included, all perfectly balanced and with that right low-bass “knorrrr” sound typically for the MS20. The sounds of the Waldorf Microwave and Pulse are so genuine in their sound structure that you can even spot the original pre-sets and inaccuracies that portrayed the original hardware synthesizers. I have added some sample snapshots in the SoundCloud player below, so that you really can see what we mean:
Reason refill sound demo – Analog Signatures v3 by Stereoklang Produktion
So based on the type of music you are in to, and judging from the fact that you are reading this blog, probably indicates that you enjoy the same type of music as we do, this Reason Refill will add those vintage sounds that often are fairly hard to come by. KORG MS20, Waldorf Microwave and Moog are all in there and perfect for punchy bass lines, leads and pads. The Combinator section is probably the one you will use the most, but there is more…
Another thing we really like about the Refills from Soundcells is the fact that they also put in some time to work with some of the effect modules in Reason, such as the Scream Sound Destruction unit, which in our personal view is something often neglected by other Refill providers and even by Propellerhead themselves (judging from the quite poor sets provided with the off-the-shelf Reason package). Soundcells offer smooth and beat enhancing capabilities to your music through the Scream unit that we have not come across anywhere else.
So is everything but glory in this Reason Refill? Well the only part of this Reason Refill that we possibly would have hoped more for is the REX loop section, which in our mind is fairly basic and not so inspiring. If you are looking for standard vintage drumbeats to accompany your tracks, then you will definitely find what you are looking for, but if you are hoping to spice up your tracks with something unique, then you need to look elsewhere.
Overall verdict
Soundcells has done it again, that is delivering a high-quality product that triggers your music creation process
NOTE: We hope to be able to feature the creators behind Soundcells in a later post, so stay tuned
DATAMASKIN
