Analogue Synthesizers
AudioWarrior has released Analogue Synthesizers For Kontakt, a collection of gurgling analog sounds from some of the of the most famous analog synthesizers of the 60’s & 70’s. This collection includes searing synth leads, deep shaking bass patches, FX, trippy pads based on classics like Juno, Oberheim, Moog, Prophet, Oscar, and more.
What the manufacturer says:
The Holy Grail of Analogue Sythesizer Leads, Bass’, FX, Pads.
The best sounds of 7 Famous Analogue and Digital Synthesizers from the 60’s & 70’s
that have shaped our civilization are now yours to do with what you will by land, by air, or sea.
Evolving Alien Environments and Soundscapes including Rain & Thunder, The Grays,
BladeRunner, RAIN, Deep Sea, Alien Locust, Ethereal Bog, Frogs of Plague
Every famous sound is included that put synths on the map. Digitized for maximum flexibility for use in Native-Instruments Kontakt.
Once you have them activated and on screen, further twist them into pulsating textures and pitch wheel them into pandemonium.
Download the whole retro-classic collection to your desktop in minutes.
If anyone has tried it already, feel free to leave a review
Good site for Reason Refills and for other platforms – C64, Pads, Apollo
Came across this site the other day and YES they had a very good collection of free refills (you need to sign up though, but it is free to register)
Just a tip on the way: I have been collecting refills for some 7-8 years by now and I have never purchased any commercial refills and still I today have a refill collection (and yes again only targeting the type of music I produce – electro, synth, EBM etc) closing in on 12Gigs – so make sure to surf around and download all the demo refills and free refills you can find and I assure you will never need to by a commercial one 
Some of the stuff that I liked was;
the Whale refill
the C64 refill
and the Apollo refill
But make sure to support all the good musicians out there here is one good source for starters:
Dreamhack
- Once again its time for Dreamhack here in Sweden – the largest game and hacking event, of course a crew from the place where I work will be there – video blogging. You can watch it live at www.metrobloggen.se/tat
or pay a visit to the official website here >> - At 8 am the first visitor entered the gates of DreamHack Winter 2007. One hour later had over 2 100 people checked in and were busy finding their spot among all the tables.
- The total number of visitor are increasing every second and the entrance-staff will be busy all day since over 8 300 tickets have been sold.
- And by the way if you have a PS3 (anyone wants to donate one to me?) don´t miss out on the new Ratchet and Clanc release
- [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zsqRaYpk3c]
Audio Objekt – Laugh or Cry or perhaps Smart?
It sure is a good laugh
Sorry for those of you who do not understand Swedish, but I have also heard that these guys are getting assitance from Ralf Hutter on their next album
Go for it guys
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEPUlR3QraE]
Nostalgia – Casio SK1 Sampler Keyboard
The Casio SK1 was once the cheapest sampler in the world. Now that some software samplers are available for free off the internet and magazine cover CDs, the SK1 probably doesn’t qualify for that title anymore.
The sampling was 8-bit and with a bandwidth of around 4kHz (compared with CDs’ 16-bit, 20kHz bandwidth), it’s fair to assume that you know what to expect of the sound quality – distinctly low lo-fi !
It offered a handful of sampled instrumental sounds stored in ROM but its main appeal was its ability to sample. Of course, with such poor sample quality, it was another of those novelty ‘toys’ like the Stylophone and Casio’s own VL-Tone.
There was little you could do with the sound once you’d sampled it but there were thirteen preset envelope shapes you could apply to the sample along with portamento and vibrato. Interpolation was also poor and so sounds (preset or sampled) didn’t transpose well but that only added to their ‘character’. There was no way to store your sample which was lost when you switched the SK1 off!
Naturally, the keyboard was not velocity sensitive but neither was there was any MIDI to play the sounds with velocity from an external keyboard to overcome that limitation.
The SK1 also came with ‘drum’ sounds in ROM which were required for the auto-accompaniment function.
The SK1 is used by Fatboy Slim, Beck, Autechre, Portishead and Blur (amongst other lo-fi enthusiasts) who favour it even today, presumably for its lo-fi, crusty sound quality.
Louis van Dompselaar has kindly donated the entire soundset from his own SK1. The samples were taken from the line out and Louis deliberately powered the thing off batteries to eliminate mains hum. There is a distinct DC ‘thump’ at the start of each of the preset instruments but this is apparently a ‘feature’ of the real thing! There are eight presets and all but one are presented ‘authentically’. However, the ‘Voice’ preset has been run through Antares Infinity looping software to create quite a beautiful and ethereal pad sound which, despite its humble origins, sounds quite classy and ‘expensive’.
The SK1’s drum samples are also included in Nostalgia which Louis has extracted from the patterns. Most bear little or no relationship to their acoustic counterparts but they are interesting metallic electronic percussion sounds nonetheless that could find a place in any number of musical genres.
Building a Synth Robot
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRzgC7GEF74]
A funny clip I found on how to build your perfect robot using analog gear.
Front 242
Before the weekend starts
As one of the most commercially successful industrial acts of the late ’80s and early ’90s, Front 242 still adhered to the gritty, stripped-down basics of industrial rock even after finding limited commercial success.
Forming in Belgium in 1981, Front 242 took the minimalist ethos of post-punk acts such as Public Image Ltd. and combined them with techno sounds, pioneering the harsh sounds of industrial rock. Industrial sounds were intended to reflect modern industrial society, both through a reliance upon technology reflecting modern production methods and through the band’s attitude toward making music.
With massive, pounding beats generated through a drum machine rather than a live player providing Front 242 a heavy backbone for its harsh sounds, the band emphasized its synthetically produced sounds. With steady machine-like tempos pushed out by drum machines, Front 242 further strengthened the link between its sound and industrial production.
While heavy beats dominate the band’s sound, other aspects shine through musically. Keyboards and synthesizers pump minimalist melodies throughout each song, and guitar work is held to a similarly withdrawn sound. With a combination of grating, repetitive sounds and random bursts of modest harmonics, Front 242’s style was designed to both embrace and assault listeners.
Full story here >>
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPpUFBVSyWs]
Have a nice weekend
C=iao
Reason 4 Sequencer and ReGroove Tutorials
The new sequencer in Reason 4 is a much longed for upgrade, but for the ones who are new to sequencers or who are very used to the old version in Reason 3 – should really take a look at these three videos. However I am more thrilled to see that they have finally entered some video tutorials for the ReGroove mixer – which at first sight looks simple, but I´m still trying to figure out all the details….
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvK2tmSDPFs]
Overview with James Bernard the highlights in the new Sequencer like multiple note lanes and control lanes, easy manipulation of the note clips (copy, cut, split, joint, mute, color etc), vector automation, inspector, the new dub, the tool window (legato, randomisation, razor) etc:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=303TxvkwdPI]
Part 1 – This part covers basic concepts: new interface, track for each devices etc.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zq1vAwNMe9U]
Part 2 – This part covers recording details with the new sequencer: creating new alternates, merge note lanes, recording automation
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAHV8PgLleQ]
Part 3 – This part covers editing details: masking, comparing note clips with the inspector, using the tools, editing automations, editing patterns etc
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-koUvvJKY4]
Enjoy using the new Reason!
Cool new Kaossilator from KORG
The KAOSSILATOR is a new pocket sized instrument that packs Korg’s world renowned synth sound along with innovative performance features into an ultra-compact unit. Anyone can instantly play musical phrases by simply tapping or sliding their finger across the KAOSSILATOR’s touch pad — no previous skills required! The KAOSSILATOR is a portable, travel friendly device that runs on batteries, so you can have fun creating music anywhere your life takes you, with seemingly endless possibilities
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeQOuNBuJwg]
De/Vision
It’s been some time since I listened to De/Vision, I still have some problems with their Depeche wanna-be style, but their latest album Noob has some qualities, at least as a background running a car home from a much fatter party….
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7440kGrPvk]
De/Vision have been among the leading representatives of the Electro / Synth-Pop genre for almost twenty years and their constant open-mindedness towards new influences and forms of expression is without doubt one of the fundamental factors for enduring success of this band. Last year’s “Best Of” album contained a wide range of exceptionally gifted pop anthems, including the exclusive “Love Will Find A Way”, recorded specifically for the compilation and Thomas and Steffen’s first real compositional collaboration with their production team Schumann & Bach. This new collaboration worked so well that “Noob” was recorded entirely by this tried and tested gang of four.
The pleasing result of this new working method is an album that sparkles with lightly shimmering Electro-Pop gems. Songs such as “Death Of Me”, “What You Deserve”, “Living Fast Dying Young”, the promo single “Flavour Of The Week’ or the new version of “Love Will Find A Way” flow with invigorating lightness, De/Vision immersing
themselves in melancholy dream worlds with “See What I See”, and above all this hovers a nostalgic retro feeling that brings to mind the band’s musical roots. “Noob” finds De/Vision embarking ( to some extent ) on a journey back to the 80’s, a time of busy experimentation in the resurrected Electro scene, meticulously merging pop, rock and ambient elements.
DATAMASKIN
