Synths

There's nothing really new to report about the Dave Smith Instruments Prophet 08 Synthesizer Module except that it's now shipping. Isn't that news enough?  

Like the 1989 "Peaceful Revolution" which was started in the town that lends the Leipzig it's moniker, the new monophonic synth module from Analogue Solutions has goals of reunification, namely, the reunification of your MIDI setup with fat, analogue bass and leads.  

So many things get better with age -- cheese, wine, George Clooney -- but did that Ibanez Blazer Bass really attain some magical quality once it hit the two-decade mark? Crosstalk discusses the liberal use of the "vintage" tag and its implications.  

Before Dawn's Rob Houle likes to take things that are not synths and turn them into synths. I have the very same LinkSys router that emits high frequency noise, except mine doesn't even work properly as a router.  

Mahjongg's Hunter Husar weighs in on the pros and cons of the Crumar DS-2 synthesizer before talking about his band's electrical needs. Ben Franklin would be proud.  

When Bill Holland hooks a Korg R3 up to a Q-Tron envelope filter and finds his arpeggiated groove, I'm not sure whether to whip out my glow sticks and pacifier or my Boosty star-glasses and rainbow-dread wig. Please, won't somebody tell me how to properly enjoy this electrofunkadelia?  

It's official. Circular step sequencers are in this spring, so don't be a fool. Pick yours up today. Remember, corners are for squares, so don't be lame.  

We talk to Dan, the keyboardist from Mahjongg, about his Crumar DS-2 synthesizer. Open up to hear the spacey sounds from this analog synth. Back in '82, digital was all the rage, leading to some confusing naming conventions on Crumar's part.  

The austere arpeggios on the Korg R3 just weren't dirty enough for GW's Bill Holland. His solution? Run that signal through a Q-Tron envelope filter. George Clinton would be proud.  

Darth Vader and Tron team up for some synth bass sequencing fun. Check out how the Korg KP3 works with a Peruvian synthesis module.  

Although his first major venture into synthesis involved custom-rigging synths for Rick Wakeman, Larry Fast became an overnight electronic music sensation with his first Synergy release, "Electronic Realizations for Rock Orchestra". In this interview, Larry talks about working with Moog, FM Synthesis, and helping Peter Gabriel bring his Musique concrète fantasies to life.  

In this video, Gearwire's Bill Holland peruses presets on the Korg R3. Check out what types of sounds Korg has placed in their many banks. Watch to the end for some sizzling vocoder.  

Check out DJ Puzzle Jason Donnelly's epic conclusion to his Korg Electribe EMX-1 series on creating an original rhythm out of a preset. Be sure to stay tuned all the way to the end for the prize at the bottom of the cereal box.  

Gearwire's Bill Holland takes a look at the Korg R3, which is similar to the microKorg with some improvements. The full-sized keys are notable as I no longer have to grow my fingernails out and shave them to narrow points to play a mini-synth with an on-board vocoder.  

Korg has doubled the sonic possibilities available on their M3 synth by adding 512 more Programs that are ready for download on their website. Since the download is free, you'd have to be certifiably crazy not to add them to your M3.  

MFB didn't have a long way to go to get to Musikmesse, relatively, but the MFB-KRAFTZWERG helped them travel a bit lighter. It features the same sounds as their euro-rack-modules in a much more compact, stage-friendly unit.  

In DJ Puzzle's series on using the Korg Electribe EMX-1 to make an original pattern out of a preset, he's stripped the synth sounds down to the raw beat. The preset beat isn't customized enough yet, though, until this video.  

DJ Puzzle continues his tutorial on creating patterns from presets on the Korg Electribe EMX-1. This segment has little to do with creation and more to do with destruction. All preset synth parts must be exterminated.  

Clavia has been hard at work retooling the Nord Stage with some fresh new updates. It's good to know that the Swedes have been keeping busy in between topless beach parties and napping on mattresses made out of memory foam.  

A lot of musicians look forward to nothing more than replacing presets on their gear with custom creations. If you're not in a creative mood, however, DJ Puzzle shows how to use the Korg EMX-1's presets to spur something that is your own.  

Now that Clavia's old enough to finally rent a car at any rental agency, it's celebrating with the limited release of the Nord Lead Anniversary Edition. These keyboards will feature an inverted color scheme on the keys, and less than 300 will be issued.  

From Waldorf on the Blofeld:

"For many yearss I trrick and tweek all ziss syntesizing maschinery to produce hyooch aural vibrationss. Bat zey are all not capable to produce a sound so powerfull and fäät like I need for ze big explosionss.

Zey are so big and so many zat I cannot take on the journeys, you know? My very german Waldorf syntesizing scientists heff now developed a new sintesizing maschine viz ze power of many, many maschines inside! It is so strong, I cannot believe. My enemies vill be very surprised, yes! Höh höh."

You got all that, right?

 

The Yamaha MOTIF-RACK XS caps off a range of products that the audio giant is showing at Musikmesse. Their flagship synth line gets another rack-mounted module based on the MOTIF XS.  

Yamaha is pleased to announce the MM8 synthesizer, a beefed up, 88-key version of the MM6. Its got Motif sound at a lower price but still doesn't skimp on capabilities.  

When Future Retro Revolution named their 303 emulator, they had two things in mind. Not only was their circular design a change from anything else out there -- the sequencer revolves around the center of the unit. Check out how you can use the sequencer to control your effects.  

DJ Puzzle breaks out the Quasimidi Rave-O-Lution and Future Retro Revolution for a sonic encore. Watch Puzzle use these units in unison as he twists a multitude of knobs in such a fashion that has NASA considering him as a potential control room recruit.  

DJ Puzzle sets himself up for a tongue twisting demonstration in this video where he connects the Future Retro Revolution to the Quasimidi Rave-O-Lution. See how the Revolution acts as a filter on an external drum machine.  

Using only the Roland V-Synth XT, an external vocoder and a microphone, DJ Puzzle aka Jason Donnelly demonstrates some of the built-in vocoder patches. Remember, kids: vocoding is more addicting than cigarettes cooked with baking soda, so use with discretion.  

Jason Donnelly gets even more in depth into programming the Future Retro Revolution. There's a veritable cornucopia of functionality on this sequencer; let DJ Puzzle digest it for you as a mother sparrow would her chicks.  

The year was 1987. People everywhere were walking like Egyptians, Full House premiers and warms hearts across America, President Ronald Reagan and Soviet Leader Gorbachev agree to stop making missiles -- leaving Bill Pullman to wonder, "doesn't anybody have any missiles left?" and the Roland D-50 Synthesizer was king. Now the sounds of the D-50 are back in the Roland VC-1 D-50 card, heard in this video.