OldSynths

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??