Studio Techniques - CV/Gate control using Reason

Two months ago Motu released Volta, a software pluging that allows you to control analog synthesizer using a audio interface, all of this without use any midi connection. Now Kurt from Peff.com shows how to do de same using Propellerhead Reason.This is a very smart application of this software.

Reason 4.0 CV/Gate Controlling an Oberheim S.E.M.

Text from the video :

• http://www.peff.com/journal/2009/06/1... Reason CV signals converted to audio signals via the THOR Polysonic Synthesizer, will send a DC voltage through the Mark of the Unicorn 896 HD audio interface. In this manner Reason 4.0 can be used to control a variety of analog synthesizers that comply to the traditional CV/Gate voltage protocols. I tested this configuration with the ARP2600, which also works very well.

Source :

• Youtube.com by PeffTV

More info about :

• Peff.com
• Motu.com ( Volta plug-in info )
  

Studio Techniques - Envelope Follower

An envelope follower it's a circuit that creates an envelope based on the amplitude of an input signal. It's commonly used in vocoders ( to create an envelope based on the speech signal ) but normally this feature is overlooked by user because it's made internally.
It's a very useful tool because allows the machines to interact with the real world. This video by MoogMusicInc shows how to create rhythmic filter patters based on a drum track. The envelope follower detects the amplitude of the signal and transforms it on a control signal that can be connected to a filter control input so the filter cut-off will response rhythmically.

Moog - Dance Music Applications of Rhythmic Filter Modulation

Text from the video :

• The MF-101 Low Pass Filter's ENV OUT Control Voltage makes a number of amazing Rhythmic Modulation techniques possible. This video shows some of these applications in a Dance Music setting. This technique is not limited to Dance Music. The applications are as endless as your imagination.

Source :

• Youtube.com by MoogMusicInc

More info about :

• Wikipedia.org
• Soundonsound.com ( Synth Secrets )
• Angelfire.com ( Envelope Follower schematic )
• Synths'r'us Rene Schmitz DIY ( Envelope Follower schematic )
  

Pioneers - Curtis Roads

Vbs.tv interview with Curtis Roads, one of the pioneers in use granular synthesis in his musical compostions. This synthesis method is based on using small audio particles ( miliseconds) , called grains, to create new textures and sounds. Curtis is also well known for his books about granular synthesis and electronic music composition in general.

Motherboard - The granular synthesis of Curtis Roads

Text from the video :

• There are two divergent streams in 20th century electronic music: The one most people are familiar with starts out with goofballs like Jean-Jacques Perrey and Vangelis noodling around on synthesizers and eventually devolves into Kaja Googoo. Curtis Roads is part of the other path, the one that follows insane geniuses like Stockhausen and Morton Subotnik and uses whatever-period-it-happens-to-be's state-of-the-art computer technology to produce compositions that completely defy conventional music logic and sometimes sound more like a freaked-out ATM than tunes you put on and listen to.
  
  
  See exclusive footage at www.delllounge.com

Source :

• Vbs.tv

More info about Curtis Roads :

• Curtis Road

More info about Granular Synthesises :

• Granularsynthesis.com
• Granular Synthesis basis
  

Sound Synthesis - Synthesizer Boot Camp

New tutorials about sound synthesis by noisesculpture .

Synthesizer Boot Camp #1--Modulation: Putting the Pieces Together

Synthesizer Boot Camp #2--Using Filters to Shape Your Sound

Synthesizer Boot Camp #3--Envelopes: Attack, Decay, Sustain, and Release

Text from the video :

• Synthesizer Boot Camp is a series of videos which looks at specific synthesizer techniques that can be applied in creating sounds.
  
• First video looks at modulation.
• Second video looks at using filters to create sounds.
• Third video looks at using envelopes as a modulation source.
  
  You can find out more about the series at http://noisesculpture.com/bootcamp.html, and check out http://noisesculpture.com/books.html to read more about synthesis.

Source :

• Youtube.com by noisesculpture

More info about Synthesizer Boot Camp :

• Noisesculpture.com
  

Studio Techniques - Filters

In this video gattobus , shows you how work with filters can help you to increase your fun on the studio, and for example, transform a normal drum-loop in something totally new and fresh.

Playing filters: Sherman Filterbank VS Elektron Monomachine

Text from the video :

• Just I a little experiment I wanted to share with all synth freaks like me.
  
  It's a drum loop filtered with ELEKTRON MONOMACHINE and SHERMAN FILTERBANK 2.
  I took advantage from the perfect tracking capabilities of the Elektron digital filters to "extract" a melody from the drum loop.
  The signal coming from the Monomachine triggers the envelope of the filterbank, then I tuned the filters frequency to get a deep bass-like sound.
  The 2 filters of the Filterbank are also hard-synced at different octaves to get a more harmonic timbre.
  
  I hope you'll like the result...

Source :

• Youtube.com by gattobus

More info about :

• Elektron.se ( Monomachine )
• Sherman.be ( Sherman filterbank )
  

BBC Radiophonic Workshop tribute

Very nice tribute to one of the first places dedicated to make experimentations with the sound. The BBC Radiophonic Workshop was created on 1958 and close his doors on 1998.

RADIOPHONIC EXPLORATIONS

Text from the video :

• A dedication compilation of material celebrating the pioneering spirit of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Material is edited from the following documentary and information sources: The Alchemists of Sound, The Masters of Sound, The Music Arcade, Radiophonic Workshop archive footage, Doctor Who titles, The New Sound of Music and Sonic State.

Source :

• Youtube.com by JeffreyPlaide

More info about BBC Radiophonic Workshop:

• Whitefiles.org ( BBC Radiophonic Workshop complete info )
  
• Wikipedia.org ( BBC Radiophonic Workshop info )
  
• Soundonsound.com ( BBC Radiophonic Workshop story )
  

BBC Radiophonic Workshop pictures :

• Whitefiles.org ( a lot of pictures with explanations )
  

Studio Techniques - Using Vocoder

Good tutorial about how to configure Reason 4 to use the vocoder included on the software.

vocoder setup(reason 4)

Text from the video :

• reason 4 vocoder setup for beginners(old school electro style)

Source :

• Youtube.com by 9999rich9999

Studio Techniques - Swing time on analog sequencers

Thomas White from Natural Rhythm shows how to add life to your analog sequences.

Analog Sequencer Swing Time MFOS MFOS Music From Outer Space

Text from the video :

• Have you ever wanted to add "swing time" to your modular sequences? I have! Typically I have used MIDI, or a swung clock signal from my 909 or other Roland drum machines to achieve it. But, on a plane ride back from Portland I realized what I needed to do in order to get it going in my synth.
  
  The equipment needed is, most importantly, a VC-LFO and a Frequency or Pulse Divider. The clock signal is sent to the sequencer. The clock signal is also sent via a multiple or y-cable to the pulse divider. Dividing the clock signal by 2 allows you to have a pulse on every other step of the main clock signal. Take that half-time clock signal and patch it to an Envelope Generator. The output of the EG goes to the FM input of the VC-LFO. By setting the decay/sustain time on the EG and the FM time on the LFO right you can offset every "up beat" to get the swing going. It will take a bit of dialing in to get it right, but hey, it's a great lesson for me either way. Now I have a whole new world of possibilities opened up with my same old modular synth. Thanks for stopping by! Now go and check out synthtech.com and musicfromouterspace.com to buy these great modules!

Source :

• Youtube.com by djthomaswhite

Studio Techniques - 1v/oct

Much of the analog synthesizers works with the standard 1v/oct in control signals. This means for example, that increasing 1 volt in the control signal, the pitch on the VCO will be 1 octave higher. On this video, with the help of a multimeter, you can see how the control voltage is changing while keys are pressed on the keyboard.

Measuring Pitch CV for my Moog Rogue

Source :

• Vimeo.com by DustySchematics

Studio Techniques - Roland TR-808

Tutorial created by nvanzoeren about "How to program a Roland TR-808"

How to program a Roland TR-808 (64step beat!)

Text from the video :

• A small demonstration about how to program a Roland TR-808
  
  Sorry for my bad english, and please don't complain about the bad audio quality because this movie is just for educational use.

Source :

• Youtube.com by nvanzoeren

More info about Roland TR-808 :

• Vintagesynth.com ( Roland TR-808 review and info )
• Sequencer.de ( Roland TR-808 info and pictures )
• Roland TR-808 resource centre ( lot of info , downloads and links )
• Hollowsun.com ( Roland TR-808 review )
• Soundonsound.com ( Roland TR-808 review )
  

Roland TR-808 manuals :

• Soundprogramming.net ( Roland TR-808 user manual PDF )
• Matrixsynth.com ( Roland TR-808 service manual PDF )

Roland TR-808 pictures :

• Flickr.com
  

Buy Roland TR-808 :

• Ebay.com
• Tonetweakers.com
  

Modular Madness - Mondo Modular 7

Episode 7 of the Scooter McRae's "Mondo Modular" . This time Scooter works with the Cyndustries Zeroscillator to create beautiful soundscapes.

Mondo Modular Episode 7

Source :

• Youtube.com by scootermccrae

More info about Scooter McRae:

• http://www.myspace.com/scootermccrae

More info about Cyndustries Zeroscillator:

• Cyndustries.com
  

Cyndustries Zeroscillator pictures :

• Flickr.com
  

Studio Techniques - Analogue Sequencing Tutorial

The basics of analog sequencing explained on this video created by krankhaus. Practical examples of how to work with the ancestors of the modern midi sequencers. Great music was ( and is ) created using this machines.

BLIPVERT #7 : Analogue Sequencing Tutorial

Text from the video :

• Zoog from Angelspit explains the basics of Analogue Sequencing using the Doepfer MAQ16/3
  

• More BLIPVERTS from Angelspit:
  www.angelspit.net/blipvert

Source :

• Youtube.com by krankhaus

More info about Doepfer MAQ16/3:

• Doepfer.com
• Soundonsound.com ( Review )
• Doepfer.com ( Maq 16/3 user's manual )
  

Doepfer MAQ16/3 pictures :

• Flickr.com
  

Korg - MS-20 + SQ-10

Good video that explain how to patch the Korg SQ-10 sequencer and the Korg MS-20 to create a dance synth line

*** MS-20 + SQ-10 Analog Groove Machine ***

Text from the video :

• This self explaining video shows a way on how to turn your MS-20 into a fat groove machine using a Korg SQ-10 analog sequencer.
  Watch it, try it, enjoy it !!!
  
  No patch settings included this time :P To try it yourself: Just start with the MS-20 default knob settings and follow the video.

Source :

• Youtube.com by Newueel

More info about MS-20:

• Vintagesynth.com
• Wikipedia.org
• Korganalogue.net
• Analogue.org
• Soundprogramming.net ( Korg Ms-20 owner's manual )
  
• Synthdiy.com ( Korg Ms-20 service manual PDF )

More info about SQ-10:

• Korganalogue.net (User Manual, Service Manual and more )
  
• Synthmuseum.com
  
• Vintagesynth.com

Korg MS-20 pictures :

• Flickr.com

Korg SQ-10 pictures :

• Flickr.com

Buy Korg MS-20 :

• Ebay.com
• Bigcitymusic.com

Buy Korg SQ-10 :

• Ebay.com
• Bigcitymusic.com

Modular Madness - Mondo Modular 6

Mondo Modular Episode 6

Text from the video :

• A whole new set-up for the equipment and some esoteric additions to the line-up make for an episode in which audio aesthetics take a backseat to the simple reality of making sure everything is just plugged-in and working.
  
  So this one is not as musically pleasing as some other episodes, but I hope you still find it interesting viewing nonetheless.
  
  Even more equipment has arrived since this was recorded (gasp!) so the next installment should really be something...!
  
  Thanks as always for your patience and interest!
  
  Scooter McCrae
  
  P.S. I have tried posting replies to those nice enough to leave comments whenever I can, but more often than not they just don't register on the site so I've given up trying for now. My apologies as I'm not ignoring anybody or what they have to say.

Source :

• Youtube.com by scootermccrae
  

More info about Scooter McRae:

• http://www.myspace.com/scootermccrae
  

Modular Madness - Mondo Modular 5

Mondo Modular Episode 5

Text from the video :

• Back-in-action after a short hiatus (note new studio set-up -- but more about that in an upcoming video), I'm finally making good on some of that Herb Deutsch footage I promised a few episodes back. I figured there was no better time to do this than around the time of what would have been Bob Moog's 74th birthday (May 23rd).
  
  I'll post a couple of fun stories from Gershon Kingsley next time and then return to the familiar format (ie: my dorking around with my various knobs and patch cables).
  
  Special thanks to the Grammy folks who recently gave some money to the Moog Foundation to try and get the various papers and prototypes in Bob's old work shed in some kind of order and will hopefully see to the future preservation of.

Source :

• Youtube.com by scootermccrae
  

More info about Scooter McRae:

• http://www.myspace.com/scootermccrae
  

Modular Madness - Mondo Modular 4

Mondo Modular Episode 4

Text from the video :

• What kind of modular madman makes use of not one, but TWO Sample & Hold modules at the same time?!? Prepare to have your ears seared right off by the twinkly-dinkly beauty of randomly generated tones and whatnot.
  
  This episode has a very special guest whom I hope will be making many more appearances as these audio experiments continue (and I hope you find her as adorable as I do).
  
  Thanks as always to the faithful, patient and downright curious who choose to give these videos a perusal.

Source :

• Youtube.com by scootermccrae
  

More info about Scooter McRae:

• http://www.myspace.com/scootermccrae
  

Modular Madness - Mondo Modular 3

Mondo Modular Episode 3

Text from the video :

• Yet another attempt to deliver the most amazing electronic sounds possible with my meager talents holding on tight to the controls of a spectacular modular sound generating system.
  
  Give this one two or three minutes to warm up; I promise the second half delivers stuff that sounds like Robby the Robot barfing Anne Francis a star-sapphire encrusted dress.
  
  (Also want to note that the end of this episode actually happened the way you hear it -- I did not overdub any sound effect and it really did happen as it appears on-camera)
  
  As always, thanks for watching.

Source :

• Youtube.com by scootermccrae
  

More info about Scooter McRae:

• http://www.myspace.com/scootermccrae
  

Modular Madness - Mondo Modular 2

Mondo Modular Episode 2

Text from the video :

• Yet another bold journey into an audio world where many have tread before and even fewer haven't... (wait a minute -- this doesn't make any sense?!?)
  
  Anyway, just me again getting some cool sounds out of my truly amazing modular sound generating system.
  
  Please bear with me and in an episode or two I'll post some video of electronic music giants like Herb Deutsch, Gershon Kingsley and Bernie Kraus that I've shot over the years.
  
  See the rewards that lie ahead for making it through these punishing viewings? Who sez I'm not a pussycat sweetheart?

Source :

• Youtube.com by scootermccrae
  

More info about Scooter McRae:

• http://www.myspace.com/scootermccrae
  

Modular Madness - Mondo Modular 1

Mondo Modular Episode 1

Text from the video :

• Noodling around with various modular synthesizer cabinets with modules from Synthesizers.com and Modcan. Hopefully the first in an on-going series of episodes concerning the generation of electronic tonalities (or something pretentious-sounding like that).

Source :

• Youtube.com by scootermccrae
  

More info about Scooter McRae:

• http://www.myspace.com/scootermccrae
  

Studio Techniques - Frequency shifter

Create robotic voices is one of the possible applications for a Frequency shifter, but this device can do much more. The fundamentals of a Frequency shifter is transpose the frequency of the signal by a fixed amount of hertzs.

Moog bode + human vox

Text from the video :

• Simple application of a vox thru a Moog Bode frequency shifter.

Source :

• Youtube.com by polyvoks

More info about Frequency shifter:

• Encore electronics ( Frequency shifter manual PDF )
• Analogue Systems ( Frequency shifter manual PDF )
  
• Soundonsound.com
• Synthdiy.com ( Bode Frequency shifter Schematics )
  
• Modcan ( Audio examples )
  
• http://www.cim.mcgill.ca/~clark....
  

Frequency shifter pictures :

• Flickr.com
  

Buy Frequency shifter

• Ebay.com