I love that Analogue Solutions always seem to include easter eggs on their PCBs.

Ones I’ve found so far:
My precious
Clan of Xymox
For the interim
I program my home computer
State of shock
A weird looking alien

I think I’m good for ASol modules for now, (especially since I got the Vostok) so I won’t get to find out any of the easter eggs on the other modules unless some turn up for silly cheap on ebay.

I’m curious if the Vostok has easter eggs inside it, though hopefully I’ll never have reason to open it up.

Tags: Analogue Solutions, easter eggs

I’ve been putting off writing this post for a while, because I wasn’t sure whether or not it was a scam. There’s a site called bigcrumbs. If you sign up, and then click through to ebay from their site before buying something, you get a cut of the sellers fees.

As an example, back in December I bought a Doepfer A-188-1 BBD from Noisebug for $175. Ebay charged Noisebug $13.85 final sellers fees (listing + a percentage of the sale price). Bigcrumbs gave me $4.99 of that fee.

Not a huge saving, but it’s free to sign up, and the more you use it, it adds up pretty quickly. As I mentioned above, I held off on blogging about this until now, because googling for ‘bigcrumbs scam’ turns up a ton of hits from sceptical people. I was about to write it off, given it’s taken two months to get anything, but today I got an email telling me that $4.89 got deposited into my paypal account. (Bigcrumbs took $.10 as a fee).

It’s not just limited to ebay either. They don’t have a huge number of music related stores right now (Just Music123, and Musicians Hut). I’ve used it to buy a bunch of other stuff too, like a $2k macbook pro from the Apple store, which should net me nearly $40 cashback when that clears. I even get cashback on my groceries from peapod

Whilst the music stores they have listed don’t sell modular synth bits, the usual modular synth stores have ebay accounts too where they sell used and new gear:
noisebug,Analogue Haven, and Big City Music

So, not a scam, and a nice way to save a few $ if you have an ebay habit anywhere near as bad as I do.

Tags: bigcrumbs, cashback

Analogue Haven just listed the new Metasonix eurorack modules as available for preorder.

All modules are selling for $325 each.

They also have the new Kv100 ass-blaster on pre-order at $890.

Tags: analogue haven, assblaster, kv100, metasonix, r51, r52, r53, vacuum tube

For the last 4 weeks, I’ve spent two hours on a Tuesday evening at the Apple store, taking their ‘Logic Pro labs’ session. I wasn’t sure what to really expect. Whist I’ve been using Logic for a while now, I wouldn’t say I’m an expert, and certainly don’t know everything about it. I signed up mostly to reinforce knowledge I already had, and maybe pick up some new tricks.

Most Apple stores have a 1-hour ‘intro to Logic’ session. Back when I first bought Logic, I attended one whilst I was waiting for it to be delivered to get the basics down. The one I went to in Boston didn’t require any kind of registration, I just turned up. An hour isn’t a huge amount of time to cover a program as vast as Logic, but I picked up a lot of the basics in that short demo. I possibly would have picked up more if another attendee, a “Pro engineer” hadn’t kept stopping the instructor to explain how feature xyz works “so much simpler” in Pro-tools.

As well as the 1-hour intro mentioned above, a lot of Apple stores offer a more intensive 4-week course I mentioned above. The spaces for these classes are limited to keep the classes small (I think around 6-8 people), and hence you need to register online at Apples website. I had been trying to register since September, but the classes had always filled up until this month. I guess it may vary from city to city, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they are in just as high demand elsewhere.

Week #1:
This session was mostly used to define terminology, complete with questions like “what is a DAW”, sample rates, a runthrough of Shannon/Nyquist theorum, and then closing out with an intro to apple loops. Got to play with an Apogee Duet at least which I had been on the fence about buying for a while.

Week #2:
Focus on MIDI. Brief intro to what MIDI is. Overview of recording MIDI. Examples of using the piano roll & hyper-editor. Then a quick tour of ES1, ES2, ESX1. Very quick introduction to synthesis. Quick look at ultrabeat & using its step sequencer to output MIDI.

Week #3:
Recording audio. Comping. Quick look at effects, with a focus on compression, reverb & EQ. Examples of sidechaining. Explanation of how to use buses.

Week #4:
Mixing. Track automation.

Summary: The ‘pro’ was something of a misnomer. I learned a few tricks that I wasn’t familiar with, but a lot of time was spent going over basics. I found it useful, but left each session wanting more. For free, it’s possibly one of the best ways to get an introduction to Logic.

Apple also offer more in-depth training at a cost. An Introduction to Logic Express and Logic Pro, and Advanced Techniques in Logic Pro.

In another post I’ll cover some of the other great sources of Learning Logic that I’ve come across.

Tags: Apple, DAW, Logic, tutorial

Peter Grenader just posted some examples of the model 30 to the plan B group..

The following are quick sound samples of the Plan B Model 30 Triple Digital VCO Subsystem.

There are no sound sources outside of a single Model 30 which is being either frequency, timbre or level controlled by external envelope generators, random voltages and LFOs. There were no filters, delays or any other types of sound processing devices incorporated.

These samples are dry.

Sample 1: Sawtooth output demo
Patch: Mini Mode 1. Three sawtooth waves:
http://www.ear-group.net/samp1saws.mp3

Sample 2: PWM demonstration
Patch Mini mode 1. THree VCOs tuned to unison with a single envelope
generator controlling PWM on each:
http://www.ear-group.net/samepatchPWM.mp3

Sample 3:
Patch: Mini Mode 2.
Three sine waves with the amplitude of VCO 3 being controlled by a single envelope generator:
http://www.ear-group.net/sineFM.mp3

Sample 4: Minimode 2 with internal sync.
Same patch as above with the external sync function turned on:
http://www.ear-group.net/sineFMwithsync.mp3

Sample 5: Sloped Random Waveform demo
Patch: Mini Mode 1. Three VCOs tuned to unison, their frequency
controlled by a single S+H and the output set to the second of two
noise-based waveforms:
http://www.ear-group.net/smoothrandomwaveform.mp3

Sample 6: Sine purity demo
Patch: Mini Mode 1. Same pach as above with the waveforms set to sine:
http://www.ear-group.net/samepatchmm1sines.mp3

Sample 7: VC waveshape demo
Patch: Mini Mode 1. Same patch as above, this time with an external
envelop generator modulating the wav eshape of all three VCOs form
sine to saw:
http://www.ear-group.net/samepatchVCwaveshapesine2sa.mp3

Sample 8: Frequency Shifting demo
Patch: Frequency Shift 2. A single drone controlled by five
independent LFOs. One is altering the waveform of each oscillator,
three other LFO set to very low amplitude are sweeping the frequency
of the oscillators with one other LFO varying the amplitude of VCO2:
http://www.ear-group.net/freqshift2.mp3

WANT. No, I mean NEED.

Tags: Model 30, plan b

Tara Busch has some pretty awesome footage of the forthcoming plan B toys. URLs below.

The first video focuses on the new Plan B cases.
The ringer looks like a no-brainer. I’m surely going to be picking up a few of those. I’m kind of torn on the zero case. It’s really attractive looking, and at 384HP, is looking like a good replacement for my two a100P cases. I’m hoping the price is equally attractive. I found the power saving modes of the zero intriguing. My day job involves writing code for OS power management, so perhaps this appeals to my nerdy side, but hopefully it’ll have general appeal. Saving money on electricity bills means more money for more modules right?

The second video has Peter demoing the model 32 joystick, which after seeing the video looks like it may actually be on my ‘want’ list too. I had previously written it off as ‘just another joystick’. Finally, the model 30 triple digital subsystem looks like it could be capable of some really interesting tones. Looks like it’s going to eat up a lot of HP though. It currently looks like approx the width of the Livewire AFG. Even wider once you factor in the model 30A control attenuators. I recall reading something in the last few days that Peter intends to change the way that the ‘preset’ is selected, which will cause the model 30 to be a little more wider. Regardless of how wide it ends up, I think I’m sold on it already. The number of Plan B modules in my setup seems to be slowly catching up to the Doepfers.

I’m looking forward to seeing what else Plan B come out with this year. Like many others, I’ve been looking forward to the milton for a long time. (Even so much to postpone buying the A-154/A-155 combo, relying instead solely on my MAQ/16 for sequencing). Running down through the list of modules there’s a lot of really cool sounding pending stuff that hasn’t been released yet. Plenty to look forward to.

Tags: plan b

Analogue Haven is having a sale right now. Up until midnight on Sunday all new items are 10% off. I just picked up a plague bearer. Which works out at only $8 off, but all discounts are good discounts right ?

If I had held off a few days on my used modules purchase, I could have saved some shipping
I ordered a plan B model 11, STG wave folder and Tiptop Z3000 VCO a few days ago when they appeared on the used pages.

Lots of new toys next week!

Tags: analogue haven, eurorack, flight of harmony, plague bearer

The months ahead have some interesting new modules to look forward to. As well as the evin 1980 matrix mixer, hertz donut (and more!) from the harvestman, there’s a slew of new planb modules in the pipeline if the pre-NAMM teases are anything to go by.

It’s also good to see new module manufacturers introducing euro modules. In the last year we’ve seen modules from bubblesound, flight of harmony, tiptop audio and probably more. I’m sure I’ve forgotten someone. Also some other format manufacturers making the jump to euro, such as stg, and soon, metasonix.

Another newcomer to the eurorack format, is Malekko, known mostly so far for their great stompbox effects. The pic to the left is their forthcoming conversion of their assmaster distortion pedal. I love the serge-esque knobs, and who doesn’t need a CV controllable ‘ass’ ?

Tags: assmaster, eurorack, malekko

Many people recommend Allen Strange’s “Electronic Music: Systems, techniques, and controls” book as one of, if not the definitive books on modular synthesis. It was written in 1972, and went through a number of reprints until its seventh reprinting in 1978. Understandably, because of this, it’s quite hard to find at an affordable price.

It is listed on Amazon, and ‘used’ copies turn up all the time, at varying prices. At the time of writing this, the cheapest one is going for $96. I’m glad I picked up my copy just before xmas at the bargain price of $44. One of the reviewers on Amazon mentions that the book is also available in pdf form from the publisher (McGraw-Hill) for $15. Personally, I find books easier to read in dead tree form, so I didn’t mind paying the extra. Due to the age of the book, I wasn’t sure what to expect when buying it from a used bookstore. For a thirty year old book, the copy I received was in almost perfect condition. No loose/torn pages, no notes scribbled on it. The yellowed pages give a nice ‘feel’ to a text this old.

On to the book itself.

Despite its age, the material (to me at least) is timeless. There’s a lot of information in these 160 pages, and it’ll take some time to digest it all. I’ve barely made it through a few dozen pages so far, and I can already see me referring back to it regularly.

To the best of my knowledge, there is no other book available with this much information. Given it went through a series of reprints in the `70s, I can assume there was quite a demand for it back then, when modular synths were first ‘popular’. Given the renaissance of modular synths in the last few years, I wonder if there would actually be enough demand today for a similar book to be written and published. Sadly, I suspect not.

I’m glad this arrived in time for the holidays, it’s made for some good reading.

Some photographs of the contents and table of illustrations are available at my flickr page.

Tags: books

A few months ago, Stretta brought up the notion of modules having a per-HP cost. Whilst the idea of choosing lower HP, or more functionally dense modules where possible is a good one, I came up with an alternative. Buying used cases is one obvious way to bring down the per-hp module tax, and they turn up fairly regularly at analogue haven & noisebug.

Something that seems to have been forgotten however, is that there are still a lot of the older ‘v1′ doepfer cases out there.
These are pretty much identical to the newer variant, but they have a smaller power supply, than can only supply 650mA of current. These tend to get sold off as ‘inferior’, and carry an even lower cost when sold these days.

I picked up one recently to house some of my HP hungry modules. As long as you keep in mind the power limitation, and do some simple addition to make sure you don’t exceed it, they remain a cost effective way to house those wide modules.

Here’s what I squeezed into mine:

A-188-2 tapped BBD (30HP, 120mA)
A-143-1 Complex envelope generator/LFO (28HP, 70mA)
A-113 subharmonic generator (26HP, 150mA)
A-128 fixed filter bank (20HP, 20mA)
A-101-3 12 stage vactrol phaser (30HP, 50mA)
A-127 triple resonance filter (28HP, 100mA)

And I still had more than enough room for a multiple.
Total power usage: 510mA. Didn’t even come close to running out.

Tags: A101-3, A113, A127, A128, A143-1, A188-2, doepfer, eurorack