Analog Solutions Leipzig v3 gets a facelift for desktop

Analogue Solutions stylishly reshapes discontinued design to release redesigned Leipzig v3 as advanced Analogue Synthesiser




KINGSWINFORD, UK: 
British boutique electronic instruments innovator Analogue Solutions is proud to announce availability of Leipzig v3 — an advanced Analogue Synthesiser stylishly reshaped as a desktop design drawing deeply from the DNA of the rack-mountable Leipzig-S analogue synth/sequencer, a discontinued design dating back to 2011 and effectively now made better by redesign to improve reliability, quality, and other manufacturing considerations, as well as adding several notable new features — as of April 5…


As a desktop device duly delivering a better fit, format-wise, for present-day production preference, Leipzig v3 takes its (re)design cues from Analogue Solutions’ 2019-introduced Impulse Command — critically acclaimed as a true stereo, semi-modular analogue synthesiser/sonic realiser conceivably capable of sounding like several synthesisers simultaneously playing, perfectly-packaged as a desktop device — yet readily retains the same angry, analogue sound as its rack-mountable (Leipzig-S) predecessor, popularised itself by bona fide synth-pop pioneer Vince Clarke, long-standing Gary Numan producer Ade Fenton, and Nine Inch Nails main man Trent Reznor, all appreciative of the pure analogue voice and modulation circuitry — circuits based on superlative-sounding Seventies-vintage designs, so no quantisation for CPU (Central Processing Unit) reading required, in other words — with extensive routing possibilities, fat-sounding Moog-style filter, two VCOs (Voltage-Controlled Oscillators), and analogue step sequencer on offer to discerning disciples, distinguished or otherwise.
Obvious change of form factor duly dealt with, several notable features new to the resulting (non-rack-mountable) Leipzig v3 desktop design are well worth highlighting here from the get-go. Firstly, flexibility is increased when accessing a healthy number of self-explanatory CV (Control Voltage) patch points positioned directly on the top panel as Eurorack patch cable-compatible 3.5mm mini (mono) jack sockets, so Leipzig v3 can be both cross patched within itself and also to external Eurorack modular synthesisers.

Increased INPUT connectivity comes courtesy of MASTER PITCH MOD — modulates the pitch of both VCOs; VCO 2 PITCH MOD — modulates the pitch of VCO 2 only; CUTOFF MOD — modulates the VC LPF (Voltage-Controlled Low-Pass Filter) CUTOFF frequency; EG TRIG — triggers both (ENV 1 and ENV 2) envelope generators (upon receiving a trigger or gate signal); and EXT SIG (external signal) — an audio signal (routed to the MIXER via an associated EXT switch) or clock signal (used to clock the CV SEQUENCER from an external device when the SYNC SOURCE selector is turned to EXT). Equally accessible are the following OUTPUT-dedicated patch points: SEQ SYNC — similar to a through clock, copying the clock signal selected to clock the CV SEQUENCER, so it can be ‘thru-d’ to another device to synchronise them together; LFO triangle and square signal outputs; envelope generator and signal outputs; and SEQ CV — control voltage output from the CV SEQUENCER.


Speaking of the latter, the capabilities of an already-capable eight-step analogue sequencer — surely wasted when only used to create simple- sounding (MIDI-transposable) melodies or percussive loops when it can also act as a musical modulation source to step through striking sound changes (courtesy of the output CV being routed to VCO 1 pitch, VCO 2 pitch, and VCF cutoff with associated adjustable DESTINATION levels) — have helpfully been extended to turn off VCO 2 (square wave only) on selected steps by activating the RHY(thm) toggle switch and manually stepping through the CV SEQUENCER using the STEP push button, then toggling VCO 2 on or off using the RHYTHM push button; consequently, VCO 2 will only sound when the RHYTHM button LED (Light Emitting Diode) is lit, which, when used in conjunction with VCO 1 still sounding on every step, creates the illusion of more than one synthesiser playing! But briefly stepping out of the wonderful world of analogue, Leipzig v3 also has a ‘hidden’ dynamic (digital) 16-step sequencer that constantly stores every note played in via MIDI into volatile memory as a 16-step loop. It is always locked in sync with the analogue sequencer and new notes can be entered into the 16-step loop while the sequencers are running, permitting patterns to be constantly changed on the fly. Straightforward synchronisation of the sequencer to a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) is perfectly possible by simply sending it MIDI Note 000; as such, it can be clocked at any tempo (and also divided down relative to the DAW’s tempo), stopped, started, and muted from the DAW itself — impossible with MIDI Sync, so something of an added bonus in itself for Leipzig v3 owners.
Other tweaks to the contemporary desktop design implemented in Leipzig v3 are comparatively subtle, such as a top panel-positioned (3.5mm mini jack) headphone output and rear panel-positioned power switch that is illuminated.
Illuminating additions aside, although Leipzig v3 clearly comprises some special features, fortunately its general architecture, signal flow — VC OSCILLATORS MIXER VC LPF MODULATION ENV 1 ENV 2 VCA, et al — and control nomenclature is still fairly standard, so the synthesiser itself is fairly straightforward to use.


Ultimately, Leipzig v3 sounds huge — especially evident when pressed into playing bass parts, at which it really reigns supreme. Sonic enrichments further abound as the MIXER and VC LPF sections can both be really overdriven, lending Leipzig v3 a really hard sound. Saying that, this of course can be toned down and softer synth sounds are also achievable — as, indeed, is everything in-between. Besides bass sounds, Leipzig v3 equally excels at creating electronic percussion — not just sounds, but also percussive loops, thanks to the flexibility of that onboard step sequencer. Percussive patterns can be quickly created and synchronised to — or recorded directly into — a DAW. As a semi-modular mainstay, Leipzig v3 can capably create leads, effects, modular-style sounds, and more, making it an ideal investment for anyone budgeting for only one analogue synthesiser since it covers so many basses… and bass sounds! 

Leipzig v3 is available to purchase — priced at £1,018.80 GBP (including VAT) — directly from Analogue Solutions via the dedicated Leipzig v3 webpage (https://www.analoguesolutions.com/leipzigv3), which also includes more in-depth information.


Please note that Analogue Solutions cannot ship to Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Holland, Luxembourg, Switzerland, or the United States since those countries are serviced by dedicated distributors, but outside of those countries it is possible to order directly from Analogue Solutions’ growing global network of authorised dealers (https://www.analoguesolutions.com/dealers) with whom Leipzig v3 will be available at a European SSP (Suggested Selling Price) of €1,179.00 EUR (including VAT) and an a MAP (Minimum Advertised Price) of $1,199.00 USD.
See and hear Leipzig v3 being put through its impressive paces in Analogue Solutions’ sonically-diverse demonstration video here:https://youtu.be/ktsfxTF5jx8 

TA Programming new Studio MIDI And CV Interface full synthesizer control system



TA Programming announces availability of Studio MIDI And CV Interface full synthesizer control system debut


LONDON, UK: following a successful showcase in October at Sheffield’s Synthfest UK 2019, billed as being the UK’s biggest synthesizer event, advanced creative technology designer TA Programming is proud to announce availability of its inaugural Studio MIDI And CV Interface full synthesizer control system — capable of controlling multiple synthesizers simultaneously via voltage control outputs and MIDI/USB with extra-low latency while keeping analogue instruments, vintage or otherwise, perfectly in tune with each other — as of December 20…
According to TA Programming CEO/CTO Tim Aviss“We designed this interface to be not just a solution to problems that we’d encountered when controlling synthesizers in the past, but to unlock a whole new world of creativity with synthesizers from one interface.”
Indeed, TA Programming’s debut design does just that, thanks to its innovative implementation of complimentary connections, comprising MIDI In and MIDI Out alongside USB I/O for MIDI and serial bus connectivity, together with four universal CV CONTROL outputs. On the face of it, then, the Studio MIDI And CV Interface full synthesizer control system is creatively kitted out to target the hotly-contested competition out there already. After all, those four universal CV CONTROL outputs can perform any function regardless of whether it is for producing Pitch, Gate, or Aux signals. Saying that, an unlimited number of universal CV CONTROL outputs can quickly be created by daisy-chaining multiple interfaces via the MIDI ports. Also, any source — such as Pitch, Note On/Off, Velocity, Aftertouch, any MIDI CC number, signals from a DAW, and more besides — can be selected via USB or MIDI.
Fortunately for anyone putting the Studio MIDI And CV Interface to the test, the voltage of the configured output is completely user definable between -9V and +10V, providing plenty of range to satisfy the requirements of almost all synthesizers, past and present. Put it this way: with this level of versatility, the Studio MIDI And CV Interface provides its users with complete control over note range scale — from microtonality all the way through to the limits of the connected synthesizer. Thankfully, TA Programming’s proprietary tuning technology is capable of handling even the most stubborn scaling issues, effectively eliminating scaling and tuning issues on any analogue synthesizer, including non-linearities. This technology is built upon a six-point multi-mapping system that uses advanced interpolation and modelling algorithms all within a floating-point mathematical model before conversion to control voltages are applied in real time. In other words, once a tuning profile has been configured for the synthesizer concerned, TA Programming’s proprietary tuning technology works out the control voltages said synthesizer needs, regardless of tempco (temperature compensating) resistor variation, in order to produce pitch-perfect notes in real time — a must-have for owners of vintage or more modern analogue synthesizers alike!
Additionally, the Studio MIDI And CV Interface is MPE (MIDI Polyphonic Expression) compatible, capable of sending out full MPE via MIDI DIN or mapping single channel/polyphonic MPE out of the universal CV CONTROL outputs. As all five control dimensions are natively supported, users can be sure that their synthesizers will be as musically expressive as allowed by the MPE method.
Meanwhile, the interface itself has internal circuitry powered by USB. Ultimately, however, TA Programming pushed itself hard to ensure that the power supply can tolerate variances in input voltage so that the resulting supply is always as clean as possible, providing the highest control voltage accuracy, as well as preserving tuning and configuration regardless of the USB host.
Having said all that, TA Programming’s powerful control software allows anyone to completely configure their Studio MIDI And CV Interface. In addition to this, they can host USB MIDI controllers in the software itself, thereby bypassing their DAW, if desired. Said software also provides plentiful MIDI processing features — from LFOs to BPM-locked arpeggiators, keyboard splitting over MIDI, and much more. TA Programming plans to regularly update the interface’s firmware and control software so that its users can always access the latest features following their initial purchase.
Last, but by no means least, the Studio MIDI And CV Interface always automatically stores its user’s current configuration with no need to click save. So feel free to travel between recording studio and performance venue safe in the knowledge that their current configuration will automatically load when the interface is powered back up. Upon connection to their computer, the control software will automatically pull the current configuration from the interface itself to allow for easy editing. And as if this was not exciting enough, an unlimited number of presets and profiles for all the synthesizers in anyone’s setup can be saved to the computer and reloaded into the interface at any time.
TA Programming looks all set to play to win with its inaugural Studio MIDI And CV Interface. Owners of vintage and more modern synthesizers simply owe it to themselves and their treasured instruments to test TA Programming’s debut design. It is no ordinary MIDI-to-CV convertor, clearly!

The Studio MIDI And CV Interface is initially available for purchase — priced at £249.00 GBP — directly through TA Programming here:https://taprogramming.com/product/midi-cv-interface/
For more in-depth information, please visit the dedicated Studio MIDI And CV Interface webpage here:https://taprogramming.com/product/midi-cv-interface/
Watch TA Programming’s Studio MIDI And CV Interface introductory video here: https://youtu.be/X0Vrqw3NESE
Watch musician and producer Lawrence Hart putting the Studio MIDI And CV Interface through its MPE-compatible musical paces here:https://youtu.be/fYqsuc-2iS0 

 

Barton Writeable quantizer is a unique way to patch melody

Barton Musical Circuits

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The writeable Quantizer(WQ) is an interesting module in that while it can function like a traditional sequencer, it is anything but traditional. What sets the WQ apart is that this quantizer doesn’t come with preset 1/12v divided scales like most quantizers do. Instead the WQ allows users to store voltages into a user defined “scale” and then quantize incoming voltages to those stored voltages. You can use traditional scale values and write those voltages to a traditional scale but what is the fun in that? Continue reading

Hexinverter.net Mutant hot Glue DIY on DRUMS!

 

 

In this video I showcase the Hexinverter.net Mutant Hot Glue on the Dave Smith Instruments Tempest drum machine. I show the different flavors of distortion and compression.  More to come so stay tuned!

 

 

4 Channel Mixer with Effects Send

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Pyramid Polyrythmic sequencer available for preorder now

 

PYRAMID_LOGO                                                                                                by

LOGO

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PARIS, FRANCE: avant-garde musical hardware researcher and developer Squarp Instruments is proud to announce that it is already accepting preorders on its inaugural Pyramid Polyrhythmic Sequencer breakthrough — an advanced hardware standalone sequencer running proprietary PyraOs realtime processing firmware and boasting (multiple) MIDI, USB, CV/Gate, and (Sync48- and Sync24-configurable) DIN Sync connectivity, together with a host of fanciful features belying its compact and bijou form factor — as of May 21…

Most notably, and arguably an absolute rarity in this day and age, Pyramid Polyrhythmic Sequencer is fully polyrhythmic, meaning different and unusual time signatures can be set for each of its 64 tracks to cleverly create shifted-beat sequences — set a track to 4/4 and add other tracks to simultaneously run with it in 5/4, 6/8, 15/8, or whatever — to bring stirring new musical flavours to productions. Pyramid Polyrhythmic Sequencer… it is incontestably an appropriate appellation, after all! Apart from that, though, what makes this standalone sequencer so special and also why resolutely return to hardware in this day and age of commonplace software-based sequencing solutions, courtesy of all-singing, all-dancing DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations)?

Well, to truly get a feel for the flexible future of state-of-the-art and easy-to-use hardware sequencing in the present, perhaps it pays to look to the past? Which is exactly what the forward-thinking research and development team at Squarp Instruments did. “Our aim was to create a hardware sequencer in ‘sync’ with the new styles of electronic music being written nowadays,” notes company co-founder and R&D engineer Tom Hurlin. “There’s a huge gap in the market for this, which is kind of weird, because most popular music from the early-Eighties to the late-Nineties was produced using sequencing hardware. Hip-hop, for example, originated on the MPC series, which actually revolutionised all kinds of music — Madonna to Bryan Ferry to Whitney Houston. How come these machines were suddenly replaced by the computer?”

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Synthrotek / MST ’07 Buffered Multiple

Buy it HERE!

The MST ‘07 Buffered Multiple is a PRECISION buffered mult that is perfect for for 1V/O CV sources. A signal plugged into Input 1 will be available from all 14 outputs. Break the chain by adding a second signal into input 2; signal 1 comes out 4 outputs and signal 2 is available at the remaining 10. Plug in as many as 4 inputs, each split 3 or 4 times. What you put in you GET OUT!

Features:

4 Channels

Channels 1 and 2 are 1 to 4

Channels 3 and 4 are 1 to 3

Cascaded inputs: CH 1—>CH 2—>CH 3—>CH 4

Specifications:

Current draw: V+ max 23.3mA, V- max 23.1mA

Depth: 1.5 inches

Width: 9HP

Synthrotek VCA triple response Dual VCA

The Synthrotek Triple Response Dual VCA uses high quality op amps to give you the sound quality you are looking for in affordable kits and completed units. This VCA has three different response curves per channel: 2 Exponential and 1 Linear. The amplitude of EX2 (switch at right position) can be slightly attenuated via 1 trimmer pot per channel on the PCB. This allows for 3 different curves per channel. EX2 has a slightly more exponential curve than EX1. This VCA operates at 0-5V; a 5V CV input will give you 5V point to point audio output. Use over 5V if you want a super ballsy, loud VCA!
Intended for AC and audio use only (DC coupling will not function properly).
Features include:

– ~5V peak to peak output with a +5 DC CV input

– 2 exponential and 1 linear response per channel

– Channel 2 is normalled to channel 1

– Compact 4HP sized module

– Kits, complete and PCB/panel combos

– High Quality Op Amps

– Module depth: 1 7/8 inches (4.7 cm)

– Max current draw: 1mA on -12V rail, 9mA on +12V rail

 

Buy it HERE 

Here is the live build event where I build the resistor section of the VCA and hold a Q&A during it. It is a quite long video as it was held off the cuff, very laid back.