modular

CatSynth pic: CV Sunday from Moog

Another from our friends at Moog Music, Inc., via Twitter.

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This picture of a kitten on a Moog modular actually appeared here on CatSynth before. I leave it as an exercise to the reader to find the post 🙂

CatSynth video: do re minor

A great demo track from Ebotronix on YouTube. Via matrixsynth. It includes an impressive array of synth gear. And watch for the cat in the corner 🙂

4ms Peg, QCD / Expander, RCD, VCA Matrix
Analogue Systems RS100²,RS110²²,RS 170,RS360²,RS500e²
Arp Odyssey 2821 white noise
Bananalogue VCS
Cyndustries Zero Oscillator
Doepfer R2m, A118, A134²², A143-2,A148,
A 149-1, A151²²,A160/161, A175²²,A185-2, A 138c
Flame Chord Machine²,Talking Synth Module²
Grendel Formant Filter²
flight of harmony choices
Make Noise PP, Maths²,Moddemix²²,Optomix,QMMG,René, Woglebug²
Malekko Anti Oscillator²² Uncle³,Jag
Moog Freqbox²²,MP201
Oberheim Sem
Sherman Filterbank 2
Simmons Clap Trap
SSL Modulation Orgy
Tip Top Audio Z8000 manual voltage source
Toppobrillo Quantimator,Sportmodulator,TWF²
Logic masterclock to Kenton Pro 2000² , QCD,Peg, RCD
FX :Boss VF1,Lexicon MX 400,PCM 80, Line6 echopro,TC M one XL
mackie the mixer³
kick by RS110 Maths QMMG

NAMM 2014: New WMD / Steady State Fate modules

Analog-module makers WMD had a strong presence at this year’s NAMM show. In addition to their existing offerings, which include both utility and more esoteric modules, they presented a set of devices that were jointly made with Steady State Fate (SSF). You can see a demo in this video.

It was fun how they made Zip, our trusty stuffed kitty, rock out to the modular 🙂

NAMM 2014: New Modules from Make Noise

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Make Noise has introduced several new modules this year.  You can see Tony Rolando of Make Noise demonstrating them in this video. There is much delightful noisy crunchiness.

The most notable new addition is the Teleplexer, which has a series of metal plates that can be tapped with leads from other modules, creating quite a bit of expressive variation, even chaos. The paradigm of touching conductive plates was inspired by the telegraph.

I tried this out myself, but like other Make Noise modules, it will take a bit of practice to make it work musically.

NAMM 2014: Big City Music (Metasonix, Mellotron, Leon Dewan)

One of our perennial stops at NAMM is to the Big City Music booth to see what’s new and play with old favorites. There is always an impressive display of analog modules, including the “wall of synth” from Analog Solutions.

analog solutions wall of synth

Of course, Big City Music also prominently displayed a full complement Metasonix modules. This included the new spring reverb (at the bottom) that does not conform to the usual yellow color.

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I spent a little time with the Mellotron, including a demonstration of the original instrument and its extensions. You can see a bit in this video:

Towards the end, you can see the mechanical elements for the tapes at work.

We also visited again with Leon Dewan, who presented his Swarmatron instrument. Here he demonstrates, and I tentatively try to play as well (one handed as I am also holding the camera):

Although most of these instruments were familiar ones, it is great to see them in action again.