OldSynths

Well, from an 'oldsynths' standpoint ... pretty boring this year. Most
of the modular analog companies were missing this year. Of course, NAMM
is more about 'newsynths' than 'oldsynths' anyway. ;-) And, these
days, it seems to be more about softsynths than hard synths, too.

Nord was showing their new 2nd generation Modular. New ASIC
architechtures allow more local RAM and processing speed for each DSP, so
the sounds are more rich and with lot's of ambience and effects
processing. We need to get a report from Russ Brower, as he has one on
order, and it should be arriving any day now.

Eric Barbour from Metasonix was showing his latest tube module, which now
gives him enough tube based modules (4) to have a complete simple synth
voice based on vacuum tube technology. Not for the faint-of-heart, but
very interesting concept, in my opinion. Now, if we could only get them
in "Pre-CBS blackface" format. ;-) ;-)

My best of show: The AnadigmVortex FPAA (field programmable analog
array) chipsets. This is a family of register driven analog building
blocks, including oscillators, switched cap filters, transistor arrays,
gain blocks, etc. Can be configured on-the-fly, and in real-time. Very
smooth sounding operation (1 mS update rate), with no zipper noise or
artifacting. My only complaint is 8-bit DAC functions. But, I think
there are a lot of possibilities for this type of chip set.

I'm sure there was a lot more hidden around the show. Hard to see it all
in 2 days. And, this year, I spent more time in the guitar section of
the show than in electronics & keyboards. Kinda looking for other things
for the studio these days.

Anyone else have some good findings from the show?

mj

> Date: Sat, 17 Jan 2004 12:14:17 -0700
> From: Rory McDonald <rmcdonald@...>
>Subject: RE: Re: toronto repairs
>
>MARVIN:
>Sorry I missed you at NAMM. I got stuck at work last minute, so I didnt go.
>How was it?
>Rory
>
>ANYONE ELSE ON THE LIST HAVE ANY COMMENT ON THE NAMM SHOW??

Hi Marvin and all,

Speaking of Metasonix, I just built his sheet beam modulator from the
schematics at http://www.cgs.synth.net/

The hardest parts were drilling a 3/4" hole for the tube socket, and
remembering to respect 150v! :)

It's a fun module, though it doesn't respond in much of any
predictable way that I can discern yet, as far as the controls go. It
responds differently to each signal I send through it, and to how hot
that signal is. It crushes drums, makes guitar sound nice and warm
and clear, and acts like a waveshaper or wavemangler on monosynths.
It can also make a horribly cheesy Elka Compac Piano sound like a
buzzy, envelope-followery harpsichord.

Next up are some tube oscillators...

Take care,
Scott

--- In oldsynths@yahoogroups.com, Marvin Jones <mjones@s...> wrote:
> Well, from an 'oldsynths' standpoint ... pretty boring this year.
Most
> of the modular analog companies were missing this year. Of course,
NAMM
> is more about 'newsynths' than 'oldsynths' anyway. ;-) And,
these
> days, it seems to be more about softsynths than hard synths, too.
>
> Nord was showing their new 2nd generation Modular. New ASIC
> architechtures allow more local RAM and processing speed for each
DSP, so
> the sounds are more rich and with lot's of ambience and effects
> processing. We need to get a report from Russ Brower, as he has
one on
> order, and it should be arriving any day now.
>
> Eric Barbour from Metasonix was showing his latest tube module,
which now
> gives him enough tube based modules (4) to have a complete simple
synth
> voice based on vacuum tube technology. Not for the faint-of-heart,
but
> very interesting concept, in my opinion. Now, if we could only get
them
> in "Pre-CBS blackface" format. ;-) ;-)
>
> My best of show: The AnadigmVortex FPAA (field programmable analog
> array) chipsets. This is a family of register driven analog
building
> blocks, including oscillators, switched cap filters, transistor
arrays,
> gain blocks, etc. Can be configured on-the-fly, and in real-time.
Very
> smooth sounding operation (1 mS update rate), with no zipper noise
or
> artifacting. My only complaint is 8-bit DAC functions. But, I
think
> there are a lot of possibilities for this type of chip set.
>
> I'm sure there was a lot more hidden around the show. Hard to see
it all
> in 2 days. And, this year, I spent more time in the guitar section
of
> the show than in electronics & keyboards. Kinda looking for other
things
> for the studio these days.
>
> Anyone else have some good findings from the show?
>
> mj
>
> > Date: Sat, 17 Jan 2004 12:14:17 -0700
> > From: Rory McDonald <rmcdonald@w...>
> >Subject: RE: Re: toronto repairs
> >
> >MARVIN:
> >Sorry I missed you at NAMM. I got stuck at work last minute, so I
didnt go.
> >How was it?
> >Rory
> >
> >ANYONE ELSE ON THE LIST HAVE ANY COMMENT ON THE NAMM SHOW??

>Hi Marvin and all,
>
>Speaking of Metasonix, I just built his sheet beam modulator from the
>schematics at http://www.cgs.synth.net/
>
>The hardest parts were drilling a 3/4" hole for the tube socket, and
>remembering to respect 150v! :)
>
>It's a fun module, though it doesn't respond in much of any
>predictable way that I can discern yet, as far as the controls go. It
>responds differently to each signal I send through it, and to how hot
>that signal is. It crushes drums, makes guitar sound nice and warm
>and clear, and acts like a waveshaper or wavemangler on monosynths.
>It can also make a horribly cheesy Elka Compac Piano sound like a
>buzzy, envelope-followery harpsichord.
>
>Next up are some tube oscillators...

Here's a write-up on Eric's latest tube module, the Sonic Agonizer:

http://www.sonicstate.com/news/shownews.cfm?newsid=1337

--

Terry Bowman, KA4HJH
"The Mac Doctor"

"By the end of Chuck Statler's 'Rock Videos' of Devo we agreed that even if
Devo did not take the stage it was still the best concert any of us had
ever attended." --Kim Thayil (Soundgardern), 1995

I'm still waiting for my G2--- hopefully by the end of the first week of February...
The "G1" has been a huge success for me in my setup since it came out.

Korg's virtual Wavestation made me smile, as well. Have to wait until March for that
one. Maybe I won't have to fix my hardware WS's faded display after all... ;) And their
little fake MS-20 USB controller was too cute for words.

Being an E-Mu user and beta tester from the Emulator 2 up through the E4XP, I was
impressed with the Emulator X's feature set. Unfortunately, it not only requires a PC, it
has at least two PCI cards. My "token" PC is in a Shuttle case, and only has one free
slot. So, I guess I stick with my E4 Platinum.

It was a shame not to have the analog modular companies out in force this year, but I
think they get more business "mileage" from the Web and word-of-mouth. I know
that most everyone who's seen my 70+ module MOTM system has become a
customer.

I agree with the notion that it's a good time to invest in other parts of my studio, to
round it out and make it a more comfortable place to spend the long hours. Making
good multitrack recordings is no longer an issue, and I'm happy with my mix of old,
new, and "hybrid" instruments.

-Russell

--- In oldsynths@yahoogroups.com, Marvin Jones <mjones@s...> wrote:
> Nord was showing their new 2nd generation Modular. New ASIC
> architechtures allow more local RAM and processing speed for each DSP, so
> the sounds are more rich and with lot's of ambience and effects
> processing. We need to get a report from Russ Brower, as he has one on
> order, and it should be arriving any day now.