Tag Archives: synths

The Creators of PATCH & TWEAK Team up with Moog Music for New 200-Page Book on Semi-Modular Analog Synthesizers

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The Creators of PATCH & TWEAK Team up with Moog Music for New 200-Page Book on Semi-Modular Analog Synthesizers
PATCH & TWEAK with Moog is now available for pre-order worldwide.Asheville, NC, September 15, 2020 — PATCH & TWEAK with Moog is the ultimate resource for Moog synthesizer enthusiasts and musicians of all skill levels interested in an immersive modular synthesis experience. Author, designer, and electronic musician Kim Bjørn has inspired thousands to explore the world of modular synthesis with his 2018 release of PATCH & TWEAK. This fall, Bjørn and legendary synthesizer company Moog Music invite readers on a new journey of discovering a deeper understanding of electronic sound.The forthcoming release of PATCH & TWEAK with Moog is the result of more than a year of extensive collaboration with electronic music icons, established and emerging artists, and Moog employee-owners. Opening with a foreword from acclaimed film score composer and sound designer Hans Zimmer, this hardcover book features 200 pages full of synthesizer techniques, creative patch ideas, sound design tips, professional artist interviews, in-depth discussions with Moog engineers, and a glimpse into Moog’s remarkable history. Readers will get an inside look into the Moog factory in Asheville, North Carolina, where these iconic instruments are built by hand, and learn about the modular synthesis innovator who started it all: Dr. Bob Moog.


What Readers Can Expect to DiscoverThroughout PATCH & TWEAK with Moog’s 200 pages, readers will explore more than 100 tips, ideas, and patches to use as creative inspiration, ensuring artists of any skill level can experience the joy of analog synthesis.●      Introduction to modular synthesis concepts●      Specific overviews, tips, and techniques for each Moog semi-modular instrument●      Expanded options for more advanced modular users●      Ideas for integration with external gear and Eurorack modules●      Interviews, patches, and tips from artists and composers●      Insider interviews with Moog engineers●      The history of Bob Moog, Moog Music, and the many Moog synthesizers Click here for a sneak peek of PATCH & TWEAK with Moog.Meet the Moog Semi-Modular FamilyPATCH & TWEAK with Moog focuses exclusively on Moog’s well-loved line of semi-modular analog synthesizers: Mother-32, DFAM, Subharmonicon,Grandmother, and Matriarch. These modern electronic instruments, each unique in sonic character and functionality, are inspired by the original analog circuitry of the very first modular synthesizers developed by Bob Moog in the 1960s. The pioneering synth company’s introduction of the Eurorack-compatible Mother-32 in 2015 made it more accessible than ever to explore classic Moog modular sound, helping to spark the modular renaissance. In the five years since, the Moog semi-modular family has expanded to include an instrument designed for percussive pattern creation (DFAM), expressive monophonic and paraphonic keyboard synths (Grandmother and Matriarch), and the new polyrhythmic Subharmonicon. PATCH & TWEAK with Moog captures and celebrates exactly why this collection of instruments is renowned throughout the music industry as quality sound design and performance tools.All of these semi-modular synthesizers are 100% analog, offer users the option to explore with or without patching, and are equally suited for beginner and expert synthesists alike. 

Ordering & AvailabilityPATCH & TWEAK with Moog is now available for pre-order worldwide. Just in time for the holiday season, the book’s official release date is November 6th, 2020. Visit moogmusic.com, your favorite reseller, or bjooks.com to place your pre-order today.More about Kim Bjørn & BJOOKS
BJOOKS is known for the highly acclaimed industry-standard books PUSH TURN MOVE, PATCH & TWEAK, and PEDAL CRUSH. All titles received five-star reviews and have become go-to books within the electronic music scene. Combining high-quality design with diverse artist interviews and overviews of gear, these books have earned their place in the hearts, hands, and studios of musicians and producers all over the world.BJOOKS is the boutique publishing company started and run by author, designer, and musician Kim Bjørn after the success of his first international book, PUSH TURN MOVE, in 2017. Following his passion for design, music, technology, and people, Kim created PATCH & TWEAK in 2018 with Chris Meyer of Learning Modular, and this book soon got the label “bible of modular synthesis.”Kim teamed up with brand manager Lars Juhl early on, and the dynamic duo from Denmark has decades of experience in design, publishing, sales, and music creation. Together with collaborators worldwide, the team follows its passion for making beautiful, highly usable, and tangible products in a digital world.The mission of BJOOKS is to continuously create exciting hardcover books about music technology, artists, and makers—to document, inspire, and explore the world of music creation. Learn more here.

My Zaor Miza Jr bedroom set up

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The Idea is simple… create a small bedroom set up to be able to create music, work on sample pack layouts, and have FUN with synths and samples WITHOUT my computer. I think with this set up I am off to a great start.

Everything sits atop the Zaor Studio Furniture Miza Jr desk. this helps keep the cables out of sight and the look matches the original 1960’s wall print in our bedroom. the Miza features a nice pull out tray designed for 61 key controllers and slim synths. here I have the jdxa on it which is admittedly a bit deep but, hey I just got it and wanted to feel it out. I will likely swap the Jdxa for the Deepmind 12 in the coming weeks. https://zaorstudiofurniture.com/index.php?page=miza

for monitoring I am using the Ik Multimedia iLoud micro monitors… whats great about these is that not only are they a sleek white that goes great with the wall, but they sound quite nice without being bulky or overbearing in the room. For added convenience they have bluetooth and the bluetooth MIXES with the incoming audio. so if you pair your phone to them you can still use them as monitors and a playback device. really nice!

The Arturia Minibrute 2s plus Rackbrute combo is allowing me to have a mini version of my larger modular rig for sample fodder. currently I am using the ReBach Catch vco-AB and VCF-AB along with the D-Env and TraniModule for the bulk of sound creation to add depth to the minibrute 2s sound engine. the onboard sequencer of the 2s is really quite powerful and allows me to get 3 melodic lanes of sequencing at once.

The main sequencer and overall scratch pad is the MPC live. This is a nice compact way to sample in my synth sources without having to rely on a laptop computer. Built in features like through put monitoring allow me to run all my gear through the mpc and jam in realtime. I then use the looper function to catch my sources in real time. often I like to work without midi to keep a loose human feel on the productions.

In the coming weeks I expect this set up to evolve with gear coming in and out of this set up but the goal will be for it to remain small and clean. pretty far opposite of my main studio set up.

Erica synths announces availability of sample Drum and plasma drive modules

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Erica Synths Announces Availability of Sample Drum and Plasma Drive
Latvia-based Erica Synths announces that its Sample Drum and Plasma Drive are now shipping and available for order. Sample Drum is 14HP eurorack sample player/sampler module with straight-forward, intuitive interface, functionality and great sound quality, designed with live performance use in mind. Meantime, Plasma Drive is the result of Erica Synths recent collaboration with Gamechanger Audio, another Latvia-based manufacturer that has captured the hearts and minds of music creators. Live Performance-Minded: Sample Drum 
The Sample Drum module is composed of two identical parts and allows you to play back, record and slice up samples or loops directly in your modular system. For processing, there are different play modes, tuning functions (including 1 V/Oct pitch tracking), virtual VCAs plus AD envelopes and realtime effects.Three freely assignable CV inputs per channel guarantee a lot of personal expression during performance. 16bit mono WAV samples are loaded into RAM (32MB / ~ 5 minutes of sampling time) from SD card (16 GB SD card with factory preset samples comes with the module) for instantaneous playback response. All settings can be saved and recalled during live performance.Achieve ‘Heavy Sounds’ with Plasma Drive
Similar to Gamechanger Audio’s Plasma Pedal, Erica Synths’ Plasma Drive provides you with a new and previously unexplored method of achieving signal clipping in 16HP. Instead of using LED circuits, transistors or vacuum tubes to produce overdrive, the Plasma Drive boosts audio signal to 3000V and transforms it into a series of continuous high-voltage discharges in a xenon-filled tube. In essence – you are playing a lightning bolt of electricity, and the electrical discharges produced by your instrument are instantly converted back into an analogue audio signal — producing a quick, responsive, and extremely heavy distortion with tons of unique character. The eurorack module Plasma Drive brings sounds of the Plasma Pedal to the next level. As per eurorack standards, Erica Synths has added CV control over distortion level and dry/wet mix, as well as octave up and 1 and 2 octaves down tracking oscillators that add even more harmonics to the original signal. Tracking oscillators can be switched on/off manually or via trigger signals. The Plasma Drive module is powered via conventional eurorack PSU ribbon cable and the power consumption is around 150mA.


PLASMA DRIVE FEATURES:Unique distortion flavorCV control over distortion and dry/wet mixAssignable equalizer (pre- and post effect)1 octave up & 1 and 2 octaved down tracking oscillators
SAMPLE DRUM FEATURES:Sample playback with fast trigger responseVarious effects for real times ample processingSample recording functionalityManual and automatic sample slicingCue point loading from WAV files1V/Oct tracking3 assignable CV inputs per channelPreset memoryUser-friendly interfacePerformance mode16 GB SD card with factory preset samples included
 ABOUT ERICA SYNTHS
Erica Synths team of visionaries, engineers and musicians have been working hard to bring you modules and instruments that will set your modular system apart from mass in terms of how it sounds, looks and functions. For more information please visit https://www.ericasynths.lvVideosErica Synths Sample Drum demo (part 1) Erica Synths Sample Drum demo (part 2) Erica Synths & Gamechanger Audio PLASMA DRIVE  ImagesSample Drum Plasma Drive LinksMore information on Sample DrumPlasma Drive
Plasma drive eurorack module
Sample Drum module

Erica synths unveils new eurorack Drum sampler

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NAMM 2019: Erica Synths Unveils Sample Drum Module
Latvia-based Erica Synths announces its latest module: Sample Drum. Sample Drum is 14HP eurorack sample player/sampler module with straight-forward, intuitive interface, functionality and great sound quality, designed with live performance use in mind.The Sample Drum module is composed of two identical parts and allows you to play back, record and slice up samples or loops directly in your modular system. For processing, there are different play modes, tuning functions (including 1 V/Oct pitch tracking), virtual VCAs plus AD envelopes and realtime effects.Three freely assignable CV inputs per channel guarantee a lot of personal expression during performance. 16bit mono WAV samples are loaded into RAM (32MB / ~ 5 minutes of sampling time) from SD card (16 GB SD card with factory preset samples comes with the module) for instantaneous playback response. All settings can be saved and recalled during live performance.FEATURES:Sample playback with fast trigger responseVarious effects for real times ample processingSample recording functionalityManual and automatic sample slicingCue point loading from WAV files1V/Oct tracking3 assignable CV inputs per channelPreset memoryUser-friendly interfacePerformance mode16 GB SD card with factory preset samples included
 Price (VAT excl.) 300€ — Release date 23rd of February 2019    AttachmentsErica Synths news January 2019.pdf
LinksMore information on Sample Drum

Erica synths and game-changer audio team up

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Plasma drive module
NAMM 2019: Erica Synths and Gamechanger Audio Collaborate on Erica Fusion Series module
Erica Synths has announced a new collaboration with fellow Latvian company, Gamechanger Audio (www.gamechangeraudio.com), resulting in a new Erica Synths eurorack module: Plasma Drive. Gamechanger Audio, which is well known for their Plasma Pedal, is committed to exploring the uncharted territories of music electronics and creating devices that provide real value — while stretching the imagination of both musicians and engineers. With their Plasma Pedal they managed to combine Tesla coil with plenty of Rock and Roll. The result is one of the worlds ‘heaviest sounds’ with plenty of unique features and the potential to become the new standard of distortion.Similar to Plasma Pedal, Erica Synths’ Plasma Drive provides you with a new and previously unexplored method of achieving signal clipping in 16HP. Instead of using LED circuits, transistors or vacuum tubes to produce overdrive, the Plasma Drive boosts audio signal to 3000V and transforms it into a series of continuous high-voltage discharges in a xenon-filled tube. In essence – you are playing a lightning bolt of electricity, and the electrical discharges produced by your instrument are instantly converted back into an analogue audio signal — producing a quick, responsive, and extremely heavy distortion with tons of unique character.
 The eurorack module Plasma Drive brings sounds of the Plasma Pedal to the next level. As per eurorack standards, Erica Synths has added CV control over distortion level and dry/wet mix, as well as octave up and 1 and 2 octaves down tracking oscillators that add even more harmonics to the original signal. Tracking oscillators can be switched on/off manually or via trigger signals. The Plasma Drive module is powered via conventional eurorack PSU ribbon cable and the power consumption is around 150mA.

FEATURES:Unique distortion flavorCV control over distortion and dry/wet mixAssignable equalizer (pre- and post effect)1 octave up & 1 and 2 octaved down tracking oscillators
Price (VAT excl.) 310€, Release date 20th of February 2019PLASMA DRIVE MODULE WILL BE EXHIBITED @ NAMM SHOW 2019 WITH GAMECHANGER AUDIO, BOOTH 3347

XILS-lab updates PolyM to 1.1.0

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XILS-lab pushes polysynth hommage beyond the pleasure principal with welcomed PolyM 1.1.0 update additions
GRENOBLE, FRANCE: audio software company XILS-lab is proud to announce availability of PolyM 1.1.0 — updating its critically-acclaimed, authentic-sounding software recreation of a pioneering polyphonic analogue synthesizer manufactured between 1975 and 1980 (based on divide-down oscillator technology similar to electronic organs and string synthesizers of the time), and arguably made most famous by British ‘new waver’ Gary Numan, notably seen as well as heard when ‘driving’ over an endless ‘synthscape’ in the trailblazing promo video for his 1979 chart-topping ‘Cars’ single; someone since observed that career-defining song’s parent album, The Pleasure Principal, “…is almost an album-length advert for the Polymoog…” — with welcomed additions including a new preset manager and an ability to run as an effects plug-in, plus compatibility with Native Instruments’ Native Kontrol Standard (NKS®), as of October 2…
PolyM first put in an appearance last year, when XILS-lab clearly considered those oft-overlooked Polymoog presets to be well worth revisiting, recreating an ‘unlimited’ polyphony polysynth that was recognisably revolutionary upon its initial release and making it fit for today’s creative computer-based music-makers with a state-of-the-art software makeover. Making that happen took two years — such was the complexity of its inspirational hardware predecessor. PolyM palpably didn’t disappoint, deftly reproducing yesteryear’s divide-down technology with two TOD (Top Octave Divider) oscillators — one for the sawtooth wave and another for the square, slightly detuned for a phenomenal phasing effect (when running independently in FREE mode), yet taking the concept further forward by adding polyphonic pulse width modulation. Meanwhile, in LOCK mode, those two TOD oscillators are almost locked in phase, producing PM (Phase Modulation) instead of FM (Frequency Modulation) when the square wave oscillator is modulated in pitch. The two TODs can also be modulated — tempo-sync-able — in pitch by an LFO (Low Frequency Oscillator), while the square wave oscillator has it own pulse width modulation by a tempo-sync-able LFO. Alongside a distinctive envelope generator, this represents the musical heart and soul of PolyM, pushing that revolutionary polysynth sound kicking and screaming into the future!
Further features of note include: 71 emulated chips, offering mixer, VCA (Voltage-Controlled Amplifier), envelope, 12dB filter, and pulse width modulation for each of the available notes; stunning-sounding 24dB ladder filter (using XILS-lab’s critically-acclaimed zero-delay algorithm); nine dedicated acoustic filters — STRING, PIANO, ORGAN, HARPS, FUNK, CLAV, VIBES, BRASS, and VOX — carefully recreated from the original (model 203a); RESONATORS filter bank with three parametric (6dB and 12dB) filters matching the original; three vintage — DEL. (delay), PHAS. (phaser), and REV. (reverb) — effects (with adjustable settings from within an Advanced Settings Panel alongside nine modulation slots for furthering sound design possibilities well beyond the scope of the original hardware); and more.
Today, thanks to the PolyM 1.1.0 update, there’s even more to (literally) make a song and dance about. As such, the NPM (New Preset Manager), a newly-integrated, single-window affair allowing users to easily and speedily perform different tasks with welcomed visual feedback — for example, locate and load the best fitting preset in seconds courtesy of a multi-criteria search engine, save/save as presets with (user-generated) tags, batch-tag multiple selections of presets, export/import multiple selections of presets, and select view (such as showing only favourite presets) — represents a major step in PolyM’s evolution; by that same token, those acoustic filters and RESONATORS, as well as the three vintage-sounding effects, are also available to work with other sound sources when running PolyM purely as an effects plug- in proffering plentiful possibilities for modulation; meanwhile, support for Native Instruments’ NKS® extended plug-in format for all virtual instrument developers delivers intuitive and seamless interaction with the German giant’s cutting-edge KOMPLETE KONTROL S-Series keyboards and MASCHINE hardware.
Helpfully, there are now over 300 professionally-programmed presets available as creative kickstarters in PolyM; parameters are all MIDI- controllable, combining to musically position this soft synth par excellence as an innovative instrument of its time while retaining a certain pioneering polyphonic analogue synthesizer’s coveted performance properties of the past. Put it this way: while what the deceased Austrian neurologist (and founder of psychoanalysis) Sigmund Freud would have made of this polysynth hommage is obviously open to speculation, surely the still active Gary Numan should approve… as will anyone’s bank balance by paying (comparatively) so little for so much playing pleasure. Thanks to its welcomed 1.1.0 additions, PolyM pushes beyond the pleasure principal in both senses, so anyone wishing to sonically travel back to the future should seriously consider adding it to their soft synth arsenal — all the more so at an attractive (albeit time-limited) introductory promo price representing a welcomed 40% saving. Best be quick, though — time waits for no man… or woman (or child)!
PolyM 1.1.0 is available to purchase as a USB eLicenser or iLok (1 and 2 dongle hardware or software) protected plug-in at an introductory promo price of €89.00 EUR until October 31, 2018 — rising thereafter to an MSRP of €149.00 EUR — from XILS-lab here: https://www.xils-lab.com/products/polym-p-160.html
PolyM 1.1.0 can be directly downloaded as a multi-format (AAX, AU, RTAS, VST), 32- and 64-bit soft synth and virtual effects plug-in for Mac (OS X 10.7 and later) and Windows (XP, 7, 8, 10) from here: https://www.xils-lab.com/products/polym-p-160/download.html
About XILS-lab (www.xils-lab.com)
Based in Grenoble, France, XILS-lab is an audio software company, created and managed by Xavier Oudin. Having created some of the best known virtual instruments and effects plug-ins on the market for various companies over the last 20 years, today he focuses on bringing his passion for audio, instruments, and music to bear on his own company.Working with highly-skilled professional musicians and sound designers, the company collectively believes that a virtual instrument or effect is not simply a series of mind-boggling mathematical algorithms designed and scrutinised over by bookish PhD engineers but rather a useful and useable musical tool made for musicians. Moreover, XILS-lab loves to create virtual instruments and effects that inspire its users to create more imaginative music than they ever dreamed possible!

The SynthSummitShow Episode 15: Erogenous Tones

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The Return of another SynthSummitShow episode is now here.

Here we talk with Rick Burnett of Erogenous Tones. Discussing his current line up of Eurorack Modular modules as well as his upcoming products as well. This live stream is chock full of great info so sit back and listen to the banter.