There were some rumours alright and now it seems they are true! The highly sought-after Sunsyn 2.0 will be manufactured again in a very small run. Jomox have given a visual facelift to their 8-voice wonder, while undertaking the very difficult task of acquiring the rare yet necessary parts to enable this new production. This will ensure that the new version will sound exactly the same as the old one!
Doepfer has an analog sequencer in development intended as an add-on for their Dark Energy synth. This sequencer, Dark Time, originally planned as an add-on for the Dark Energy, may also be used in combination with other Midi, USB or CV/Gate equipment too.
As part of their ongoing customer support, Korg has announced the microSAMPLER Bonus Sample Pack. This expansive collection of professionally sampled sounds is available as a free download to all microSAMPLER users.
Ok it’s already sunday but this just came in and I thought I am gonna share this with you: A video of the band Atomic Tom. This video was filmed unannounced on Friday October 8, 2010 aboard the New York City B Train, over the Manhattan Bridge into Brooklyn and edited from 3 iPhone cameras. All footage is performed 100% live and executed in one take. The band is playing this track on their iPhones with music instrument apps. I am not sure I am believing the story behind it. It seems the band had their real instruments stolen and did an ‘impulsive’ gig on the subway. Ah well, … in the end it doesn’t matter because the ‘fun’ factor of this video is high enough (for my standards). Enjoy!
Ask someone to describe hip hop music and they might say “slow beats at 90BPM, gritty samples, and politically charged rhymes from the streets.” They might not know it but they’re describing hip hop as we know it thanks to Hank Shocklee. It’s no exaggeration to say that not since George Martin has a producer had as much influence in the direction and development of a cultural movement. Hank doesn’t stop to reflect on all his accomplishments, however. He just continues to do what he always has… make music. Since the early 2000s, Shocklee moved his elaborate hardware based production workflow out of the studio rack and into the Reason rack.
For this interview, there were too many great stories to fit into a single interview so be sure to check out Hank Shocklee’s deleted scenes. They follow after the artist interview!
Real Moog sound now fits your back pack and your budget. The Slim Phatty’s 100% analog signal path, intuitive user interface, rugged construction and rich MIDI, USB and Control Voltage functionality make it a must-have for producers, touring musicians and DJs. At just 17” wide, it goes where no other Moog has gone before. Earth-shaking basses, scorching leads and more are now housed in a high-quality instrument ideal for laptop artists and space conscious musical road warriors.
The Moog SlimPhatty is the long awaited follow-up to the hugely successful Little Phatty. All the sound of the Phatty, but in a petite tabletop or rack-mountable form. And with an RRP of £699 (inc VAT), it’s the most affordable Moog Synth on the market. The SlimPhatty can sit on a table top or mount in a rack. Rack ears and a handsome wood casing are optionally available. The Slim is built on the architecture of the best-selling Little Phatty synth for great Moog sound and simple intuitive user interface.
Did we have some reservations on the realilty of this news at first. Now we know Moog is dead serious with the Filtatron app. Yesterday Moog released the official press release stating that the Filtatron app will be available October 18, 2010 for the iPhone and iPod Touch for $4.99.
Purely by coincidence we came across even more (un-announced) Moog news. Like so often a US retailer already communicated a product without the official introduction of its manufacturer. It seems that MOOG is about to release a desktop/rack version of the Little Phatty synth. Appropriately named SlimPhatty it hasn’t a keyboard.
Oh come on! Really? … Well it sure looks like it. Moog have entered the world of apps. The brand that represents one of the most ultimate analog gear, entered the other side! The Moog Filtatron is an app that changes your iPhone (iPad?) into a small recording and effects-processing unit alongside your other gear. Wit the Moog Filtatron you can combine several sound sources and apply effects to them in realtime. Sound sources include line or mic input, looping sample playback, and an internal oscillator.
Next sunday Jean Michel Jarre will perform in London, UK. And you are all invited! If you are not on London you can watch the gig at the UStream page of Jean Michel. But let the man explain it himslef, watch the video below.
Mario Jurisch did it again, this time with two ‘Do It Yourself’ synths from Doepfer (DIY Synth). The DIY synth is a low cost DIY kit to build a full-fledged analog synthesizer. The kit is made of an assembled and tested pc board that includes all that is necessary to build a standard analog synthesizer.
Last weeks Something For The Weekend we showed you a video of Mark Mosher playing the AudioCubes from Percussa. AudioCubes are a platform for audio-visual creation and exploration. They are a collection of beautifully designed and hand-made objects, each containing its own self-powered wireless computer system. However, this week we want to show you a video from Btrax using a interface based on the reacTIVision software.
Alessandro Cortini and Scott Jaeger (The Harvestman) have collaborated to create a fully functional, highly featured and fun synthesizer called the SuONOIO. The SuONOIO utilizes sounds found on the SONOIO album and allows you to reshape them into new sounds, rhythms, textures and drones!
Wusik EVE V3 has been released for both Windows (VST) and MAC (VST/AU), plus, both Full and Demo versions now come with a complete library of sounds. The new Xenos Soundworks and the old Famous Keys sets 1, 2, 3 and 4. (LoFi Retro Sounds). And Wusik will keep bundling the Mellotronix, Zvon and the DBear Genesis sets, (each set has its own ZIP file).