Looking for a $50 Tenori-on? The Bliptronic 5000 LED Synthesizer doesn’t have the amazing sequencer functions of the Yamaha but it’s quite a bit less expensive.
“If HAL 9000 mated with R2-D2 and their electronic offspring was tutored by Kraftwerk it would probably end up something like the Bliptronic 5000 LED Synthesizer. You’ll notice sound similar to a retro Casiotone with an interface not unlike a simplified Yamaha TENORI-ON… if that makes any sense. Either way, once you start touching the keys of the Bliptronic you’ll be hooked by it’s simple pattern-based approach to music. One Bliptronic is grand, but more Bliptronics are even grander. An infinite number of Bliptronics can be attached together using the link ports and included cables.” – thinkgeek.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rCfhF-fNb4
Grab one now at: thinkgeek.com
This entry was written by , posted on November 25, 2009 at 6:16 am, filed under hardware, synthesizer and tagged Bliptronic, synthesizer, Tenori-on. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink and follow any comments with the RSS feed for this post.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s92YywVZSPQ
I once owned a Magnavox Odyssey 2 (Wikipedia link) videogame system. I also spent a good amount of time at two Arcades. Galaxy and Mr. Arcade were their names and sadly they are both gone. I remember there was this gum filled grape candy I used to love. It was like a square Blow Pop without the stick. So no wonder when anything 8Bit retro pops up on my computer screen I stop for a minute and think to myself, “Yeah this is cool somehow”. 8Bitone (iTunes link) looks very solid and Vocoder Synthesizer SV-5 (iTunes link) look useful beyond retroness. I really like making music and every now throwing in the iPhone’s audio.
“This tune is ‘Behind The Mask’ by Yellow Magic Orchestra. So I performed on 8Bitone and Vocoder SV-5 that is iPhone/iPod touch musical apps by Yudo. 8Bitone is retro 8-bit sound monophonic Synthesizer and 4 track Sequencer. SV-5 is authentic Vocoder and polyphonic Synthesizer like a Roland VP-330.” – humanmaestro
8Bitone and Vocoder Synthesizer SV-5 are .99. Insert Coin!
This entry was written by , posted on November 23, 2009 at 6:16 am, filed under apple, iPhone, sounds, synthesizer and tagged 8bit, 8Bitone, apple, iPhone, retro, Vocoder SV-5, Yello Magic Orchestra, Yudo. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink and follow any comments with the RSS feed for this post.
Berna vintage electronic studio from Tobor Experiment on Vimeo.
A full room of oscillators and vintage tape machines on your Mac for less than $20. My favorite example of electronic music from the early days is the soundtrack to the movie Forbidden Planet (Amazon link).
“Between the 1950s and the mid 1960s, long before Robert Moog and Wendy Carlos injected electronics into pop-music (with a few exceptions like the Barrons and Raymond Scott), electroacoustic music was pioneered by european radio laboratories and US universities. Composing with tapes and electronics was a serious painstaking and expensive affair, prerogative of a restricted elite of contemporary music composers and adventurous sound engineers…. Berna is a software simulation of a late 1950s electroacoustic music studio. Oscillators, filters, modulators, tape recorders, mixers, are all packed in a easy-to-use interface with historical accuracy.” – gleetchplug.com
Available now for Mac. 10.69 EUR: click here
This entry was written by , posted on November 7, 2009 at 8:08 am, filed under synthesizer and tagged Berna, vintage. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink and follow any comments with the RSS feed for this post.
I really wanted a Tenori-on when they came out. I went to the launch party in Berlin (see post: here). I do feel the price is justified however it still keeps the Japanese music box out of most peoples hands. Yamaha seems to understand that and is releasing a new more affordable Tenori called the Tenori-O. It’s white plastic (instead of the original’s magnesium casing), has Orange LEDs instead of white and those LED’s are only single sided. Lastly, there is no battery option on the “O”. Music programmability and features do remain the same for the “O” when compared to it’s older brother. The real question will be how low can get they get the price. If anyone knows what the retail will be let me know.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmKQXWIls6M
“Since 2007 Tenori-On has also picked up numerous prestigious design awards thanks to it’s addictive and brilliant interface and striking design. Recently it won a coveted place in New York’s Museum of Modern Art… Yamaha’s Peter Peck explains the thinking “We know everyone loves the concept and fresh approach of Tenori-On, however, as you’d expect we have received thousands of requests for a more affordable version. We therefore looked at many ways of reducing the price without compromising the all-important product concept or creative operating system. To coincide with the unveiling of the new model Yamaha have also confirmed a free forthcoming firmware update for current Tenori-On customers.” – Yamaha
For more info: www.global.yamaha.com/tenori-on/
via Sonic State
This entry was written by , posted on November 6, 2009 at 6:09 am, filed under hardware, synthesizer and tagged Tenori-on, TRN-O, Yamaha. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink and follow any comments with the RSS feed for this post.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FxJ4bxeSMw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzEb6KnChIA
LepLoop is very small. It’s only a little large than the palm of your hand! It’s also a fully analog synthesizer and sequencer from Italy. I really like this concept so my fingers are crossed Tony will get this into at least a small production run.
“LepLoop It’s a small synth protype I’m developping with my friend Peppo. The idea was to have a compact live analog instrument. The circuit it’s an original design. The synth can produce 3/4 sound at the same time kick, noise hh, snare, bass, melody” – tonylight
For more info: http://tonylight-leploop.blogspot.com/
This entry was written by , posted on November 3, 2009 at 5:19 am, filed under hardware, synthesizer and tagged groovebox, Italy, LepLoop, sequencer, synthesizer. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink and follow any comments with the RSS feed for this post.
An interview with synthesizer creator Tom Oberheim. He recently re-created and re-released his classic synth the SEM. The SEM does sound different than a Moog or Roland and Tom explains a bit about why that is. You can get the new SEM in a few flavors (panel/Midi) ranging from $600-$900 USD.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1FsCGyx1YY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEy5jfC5h_g
“Mitchell Sigman of audioMIDI.com interviews analog synthesis legend Tom Oberheim about the new SEM analog synth module. The new SEM is available exclusively from audioMIDI.com.” – audiomidicom
Did you own a classic SEM? Do you plan on buying one of these new ones?
For more info: tomoberheim.com
This entry was written by , posted on October 24, 2009 at 8:50 am, filed under hardware, interviews, synthesizer and tagged Oberheim, SEM, Tom Oberheim. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink and follow any comments with the RSS feed for this post.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhy2dU1hZOY
My studio in the early 90s was full of hardware mixers and long patch cable strung all over the place. Before computers with fast CPUs the way to get an original sound was simply plugging hardware boxes into each other. Electrocomp-101 synthesizer into a Boss Pedal into a Korg Digital Delay and so forth. I always felt like a pioneer pushing the equipment to unintended limits.
My favorite trick that I never actually heard anyone else do was something I called the “Wicked 106″. I created 16 slightly different patches on a Roland Juno-106. Next, I would create a 16th note pattern in Dr. Ts KCS. Here’s the trick: I would then put a different Program Change (number) on each of the steps. You never heard a Juno-106 sound so interesting. It really made the 106 sound like a modular going through a step sequencer.
“What most don’t know about the original TR-808, aside from it’s original voices (sounds) there is a “pulse” sound that you can hear when plugging a cable from the ACcent trigger out, it generates a metallic “zap” sound very similar to a Hi Q (sound from the Roland R-8) This sound was used in “Egypt Egypt” and “Funkbox” from Masterdon. THIS IS HOW THE SOUND IS DONE!!!!” – intromix
Do you remember an old hardware trick you used to do?
This entry was written by , posted on October 16, 2009 at 4:43 am, filed under hardware, sounds, synthesizer and tagged drum machine, Juno-106, program change, roland, tr-808. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink and follow any comments with the RSS feed for this post.
There is a new full featured and stylish iPhone synthesizer from Japan called NNN Mono (iTunes link). I really like this one. It’s .99 and you can download the operation manual: click here. As you can see by the video below I wouldn’t bother with NNN MONO unless you own a iPhone 3GS or the faster iPod Touch.
NNN MONO guide video from Kazuyuki Okamoto on Vimeo.
NNN MONO MODULATIONS from Kazuyuki Okamoto on Vimeo.
NNN MONO ARPEGGIATOR from Kazuyuki Okamoto on Vimeo.
NNN MONO Performance test from Kazuyuki Okamoto on Vimeo.
For more info: www.okahon.com
This entry was written by , posted on October 13, 2009 at 5:03 am, filed under iPhone, synthesizer and tagged iPhone, NNN Mono, synthesizer. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink and follow any comments with the RSS feed for this post.
Omega 8 as a Drum Machine – Quick Behind the Scenes from Calvin on Vimeo.
Calvin is showing off his great looking Studio Electronics Omega 8 analog polyphonic synth again. This time he teams his orange box up with a Culture Vulture valve distortion unit. For all his audio samples and a full run though of what he did head over to: http://cl516.blogspot.com/
“Well, long gone are my TR-909, TR-808, Machinedrum, Xbase09, MFB-502, and I haven’t picked up those D16 plugins yet. So I decided, why not use the Omega 8?” – cl516.blogspot.com
For more info: www.studioelectronics.com
This entry was written by , posted on October 6, 2009 at 7:44 am, filed under hardware, synthesizer and tagged analog, Calvin Cardiod, Culture Vulture, drum machine, hardware, Omega 8, Studio Electronics. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink and follow any comments with the RSS feed for this post.
Novamusik is selling a special version of the Moog Voyager called the “NE”. I think it’s the best looking version of the best looking synth out there. They come in several colors with white-washed cabinets, matching backlighting, matching colored rocker switches and matching capped jack panels. I like the Electric NE above and in a close second the Solar NE below. You can see the other colors at the Novamusik site: click here
They will get you for $3,295. How many weeks pay gets you one? For more info: www.moogmusic.com
This entry was written by , posted on September 19, 2009 at 6:36 am, filed under hardware, synthesizer and tagged analog, colors, hardware, Minimoog, moog, Moog Voyager, Novamusik, synthesizer. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink and follow any comments with the RSS feed for this post.
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