Alesis Andromeda A6 – Synth Demo – Ambient sequencer / chillout drone music / soundscape
Alesis Andromeda A6 synthesizer demo — playing ambient electronica soundscape / chillout drone / space music using a custom sequencer pattern.
This performance starts out with a catchy repeating motif, followed by live improvisation ending with a nice sustained drone and live fadeout. This music was created using 2 oscillators, filter and envelope adjustments, delay, LFOs, resonance and various other parameters on the Alesis A6 Andromeda synthesizer. Performed live, no external processing. Excerpt from a longer session.
About the machine:
The Andromeda A6 is a true analog synthesizer using two analog oscillators per voice, sub-oscillators, hard and soft sync and more! It features 16-voice polyphony. With the Andromeda, you’ll find a huge range of tonal possibilities: searing leads, warm pads, fat bass lines, extreme sound effects and more. And of course there are plenty of knobs (72) and buttons (144), even an assignable ribbon controller for addictive hands-on real-time control! The large high-resolution LCD display is excellent and shows you actual rather than relative values of parameters. Andromeda will integrate seamlessly into any studio with its total MIDI control and sync, individual voice outputs, stereo outputs and several audio inputs.
Andromeda is completely analog – no emulation! It features two analog filters per voice that sound great! They are a multimode 2-pole and a 4-pole lowpass. External audio can be routed through these filters too (three 1/4″ jacks)! As for modulation, Andromeda has three LFOs, each with six waveforms and they can be synced to MIDI clock. And there are three 7-stage envelopes with very creative and flexible functions. Also onboard is an extensive mod matrix for enormous freedom in configuring Andromeda’s sounds!
No analog synth would be complete without a set of classic effects and features. Andromeda also offers Portamento with nine slopes and legato functions. A built-in arpeggiator and analog-style sequencer are available, with MIDI sync! There are also some high quality digital effects such as reverbs, chorus, echo, distortion and more! Andromeda comes with 256 breathtaking preset patches plus 128 user. A PCMCIA-format memory card slot allows for additional programs and mixes. Andromeda is pure analog bliss, with all the features, stability and widgets of modern digital synths.
Time machine: KORG DW-8000 Synthesizer 1985
Synthesizer demo of the vintage synthesizer Korg DW-8000 from 1985.
The Korg DW-8000 is a expanded version of the DW-6000. It is 8 voice polyphonic, has digital waveforms and analog resonant filters. Velocity sensitive keyboard. It has a built in digital delay and a really good arpeggiator, which can be synced via MIDI.
Additional info:
The Korg DW-8000 synthesizer was released to the buying public in late 1985 along with the cheaper model Korg DW-6000 synthesizer. The DW-8000 was an eight note polyphonic hybrid digital-analog synthesizer instrument. By the time of its launch Korg had already begun a common trend in 80s synthesizer design of using numerical parameter access as with the Korg Poly-800 eschewing the heavily laden control panels of earlier designs.
A more unusual feature of the instrument for the time was the use of sampled waveforms as the basic building block of sounds, and the inclusion of a digital delay effect. This latter feature was one significant factor in the relative success of the DW-8000 compared DW-6000 released the same year.
Given a well-programmed machine, what are the highlights that might be expected? Basses are probably one of the DW8000’s strongest suits. The low end is generally thick and powerful and sits under a mix with confidence. Chunky mid-range sequence sounds are also particularly appealing, especially given a tweak of the data slider to modulate the filter as it plays. Lead patches are capable of both aggression and subtlety, as required. There are certain characteristically ‘nasal’ lead sounds that I have never managed to recreate on any other synth — a kind of ‘oboe on acid’ for want of a better description. Autobend adds a certain slurring to note attacks that is inspiring to fool around with.
The DW8000 is very much a synth, not a sample playback device, so don’t expect the acoustic piano waveform to render anything much like a Steinway! The waveforms are essentially raw material to be mangled by the synthesis engine. Pad sounds are thick and rich, but never seem to sit in a mix particularly well in my experience. String sounds are also warm and powerful, but just don’t seem to cut it when other sounds are around. I mention these points not as damning aspects of the machine, but as a reminder that no synth will be all things to all players. Utilise a device to exploit its strengths, forgive it its weaknesses, and it will pay you back accordingly.
Accelerator goes Analog
Here is a Single patch on the Accelerator that attempted to replicate the sound of a Roland Jupiter-8. Chords were played over a sequenced portion of the same patch.
With clever programing a digital synth can sound really analog.
ADO (Excerpt ll) – Micro Modular Ensemble
Ado- piece by Maria Horn, played by the Micro Modular Ensemble
The Micro Modular Ensemble is an ensemble built around a small piece of legacy hardware called: The Micro Modular synthesizer.
Inside the red box anything can happen. All of the basic building blocks for synthesis are made available to the user.
The red box has been a trusted companion for Noise and New Music makers for over a decade.
The Micro Modular ensemble have chosen to rely solely on the little red box for it’s focusing paradigm both in terms of timbre and control.
Maria Horn, Daniel Karlsson, David Granström, Magnus Bunnskog – The Micro Modular Ensemble
Kenton Retrofit for MacBeth M5N
Kenton Retrofit kit adds MIDI to the MacBeth M5N synthesiser
ARP Odyssey – spiral sequence 2
Composed, arranged & performed by Bruno Ender Lee, studio-recording July 19. 2013 (no video, just pictures & sound)
every sound was made with the ARP Odyssey, recorded on 4 stereo-tracks (plus: Doepfer MAQ 16/3-sequencer, stereo-panning delays & chorus)
2013 Velvet Voyage Productions / all rights reserved
Novation updates the vocoder on the UltraNova
Novation has overhauled the vocoder on its flagship UltraNova hardware synthesizer. The free firmware update comes with 17 vocoder patches which are new to UltraNova, and is available, free of charge, to all UltraNova owners.
The UltraNova vocoder is a 12 band vocoder that can be fed by the included gooseneck microphone or other instruments via stereo line inputs. The overhauled vocoder algorithm improves the sound and performance of UltraNova’s vocoder.
Other updated features include:
- Separation and spread controls for moving the bands
- Formant freeze
- Adjustable band resonance and decay time
- Vocoder runs at full bandwidth
Pricing and availability. The update for the UltraNova is available now, and free to all UltraNova owners, who can download the latest installer, which includes the firmware update, at this link. Additional free artist and sound-designer soundpacks – including banks from the original Supernova and Supernova II synths – available to download at this link.
UltraNova is a ‘Nova’ series analogue-modelling synthesizer with a powerful effects processor. It is a single-part synth taking the Supernova II synth engine, and “packing it” with the latest technology. The UltraNova now has features which include wavetable synthesis, more powerful filters, a software editor and a “revolutionary” new touch-sense performance mode.
Yamaha AN1x – Synthesizer demo – Ambient arpeggiator / chillout drone music
Yamaha AN1x synthesizer demo — playing ambient electronica soundscape / chillout drone / space music using a repeating arpeggiator motif.
This ambient synth demo is very relaxing and meditative, and was created using 2 oscillators, reverb, delay, and filter/envelope adjustments.
Performed live, no external processing. Excerpt from a longer session.
About the synth:
The AN1x is a powerful retro-analog synth with a really cool new feature that lets you record real-time editing and filtering and be able to store it as part of the sound! A major contender in the new wave of analog-digital synths using DSP modeling of analog waveforms to recreate the coveted sounds of analog synths with modern digital specifications. It offers truly traditional yet modern methods of analog synthesizing, 10 notes of polyphony, 8 knobs for tweaking, and an arpeggiator with dozens of inspiring patterns!
Although the AN1x is not a follow-up to the CS1x (which has since been followed by the CS2x and the CS6x) it has borrowed many functions and technologies from the CS1x synth. First, it’s built in an almost identical case with the same layout of buttons and knobs as the CS1x. However the function of every knob and button has been greatly expanded. The AN1x also has 2 Scene memories for instant recall of any envelope and filter settings and the mod-wheel can be used to morph between the two scenes. On-board effects and a state-of-the-art arpeggiator section also are on-board for giving your sounds life and motion.
The AN1x adds a new Ribbon controller for increased real-time control. It also includes pulse width modulation, ring modulation and oscillator syncing. The AN1x may not be the next evolution of the CS1x but it is basically a more advanced synth capable of increased sound potential and quality. It has a better feeling keyboard than the CS1x as well assuming that the AN1x is for those looking for something more professional than the CS1x
Yamaha CS-80 With MIDI Analog Synthesizer
A song made with sounds from the Holy grail of Synthesizers, the Yamaha CS-80.
No more sound sources than this CS-80 is used on the track. This CS-80 is also equipped with MIDI. It receives polyphonic aftertouch from the Roland A-80 and responds as if you were playing on the real thing !
The song is called Ode to the Holy Grail and has a romantic but melancholic touch from the middle of Sweden.
Madrona Labs Aalto – A Synth REAKTOR Users Will Love
Brent Kallmer explores the Madrona Labs Aalto synth, details below:
Aalto is a synth lover’s synth, one that brings together extraordinarily expressive (and powerful) sound with a spirit of sonic adventure. This turns out to be an addictive combination. Check out this overview—I think you’ll agree.
DATAMASKIN
