first patch with the VCS3

Ok, the last VCS3 video for now, and not in any way @Sinapsya's fault, just my self indulgence.

Remember, iVCS3 is on the app store if you can't afford a real version! It's a bit more manageable too.

EMS VCS3 with Cricklewood DK 1 keyboard

Yep, even more VCS3 greatness, again following on from @Sinapsya tweetage yesterday.

EMS VCS3 with ARP Sequencer 1601.

Only a short one this time, but some more VCS3 goodness following on from @Sinapsya tweetage yesterday.

VCS3 Putney Sonata #1 by Stomachlining

Given that iVCS3 has been with us for only a short while I thought I'd post some of the videos that @Sinapsya was tweeting yesterday. A good start to the weekend I think.

IVCS3 Lemurized teaser

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Video description:

"Testing out the "performance page" of upcoming Lemur template for control, modulation and randomization of iVCS3."

iVCS3 on the app store:


Lemur on the app store:

iVCS 3 for iPad a Demo and Tour Around This Amazing App

A Tour and Demo of this amazing simulation of the classic synth from EMS, the VCS 3.

iVCS3, the Official EMS VCS3 emulator arrives at long last!

Here it is, we've waited a long time for this and all thought it was vapourware, but it isn't. Here's all the details ...

The VCS3 was created in 1969 by Peter Zinovieff's EMS company. The electronics were largely designed by David Cockerell and the machine's distinctive visual appearance was the work of electronic composer Tristram Cary. The VCS3 was more or less the first portable commercially available synthesizer—portable in the sense that the VCS 3 was housed entirely in a small, wooden case.

The VCS3 was quite popular among progressive rock bands and was used on recordings by The Alan Parsons Project, Jean Michel Jarre, Hawkwind, Brian Eno (with Roxy Music), King Crimson, The Who, Gong, and Pink Floyd, among many others. Well-known examples of its use are on The Who track "Won't Get Fooled Again" (as an external sound processor, in this case with Pete Townshend running the signal of a Lowrey Organ through the VCS3's filter and low frequency oscillators) on Who's Next. Pink Floyd's "On the Run" (from The Dark Side of the Moon) made use of its oscillators, filter and noise generator, as well as the sequencer. Their song Welcome to the Machine also used the VCS3. The bassy throb at the beginning of the recording formed the foundation of the song, with the other parts being recorded in response. The VCS3 was also a staple at the BBC’s Radiophonic Workshop, and was a regular (and most frightening) sound generator for the Dr Who TV series. Many fo the monsters and atmoshere;s created for the show came directly from the VCS3.

Description

The VCS3 has three oscillators (in reality, the first 2 oscillators are normal oscillators and the 3rd an LFO or Low Frequency Oscillator), a noise generator, two input amplifiers, a ring modulator, a 18dB/octave (pre-1974) or 24dB/octave (after 1974) voltage controlled low pass filter (VCF), a trapezoid envelope generator, joy-stick controller, voltage controlled spring reverb unit and 2 stereo output amplifiers. Unlike most modular synthesizer systems which use cables to link components together, the VCS3 uses a distinctive patch board matrix into which pins are inserted in order to connect its components together.
Keyboards controller


DK1 keyboard controller

Although the VCS3 is often used for generating sound effects due to lack of built-in keyboard, there were external keyboard controllers for melodic play. The DK1 in 1969 was an early velocity sensitive monophonic keyboard for VCS3 with an extra VCO and VCA. Later it was extended for duophonic play, as DK2, in 1972. Also in 1972, Synthi AKS was released, and its digital sequencer with a touch-sensitive flat keyboard, KS sequencer, and its mechanical keyboard version, DKS, were also released.

iVCS3 is priced at $14.99.



Get your next iPad on the Apple Store.

AKAI Trackman on eBay, last day

So it's still there, with just over a day to go. I had thought initially that this was going to get snapped up, but it simply didn't happen. My guess is that it was just too expensive for the kind of people who are in the market for this kind of vintage(-ish) hardware. It's certainly too pricey for me, and that's even after it dropped in price, although not really enough, coupled with the fact that I've just got a cassette multi-track, but more of that another time.

Anyway, if you missed this from the original post here's your last chance to take a look.

AKAI U-5 Trackman Studio Multitrack on eBay.

AKAI U-5 Trackman Studio Multitrack on eBay

Well there's a surprise! Arturia iSEM for iPad arrives

Well I didn't see that coming. Did you? Here's all the info ...

DESCRIPTION
iSEM is a recreation of the classic 1974 Oberheim SEM (Synthesizer Expander Module), one of the world's first self-contained synthesizer modules and the first to bear the "Oberheim Electronics" name.

The Oberheim SEM was made famous by artists and bands such as Lyle Mays, Jan Hammer, Joseph Zawinul, Supertramp, 808 State, Vince Clarke and Depeche Mode.

Based on the TAE® technology found in our Oberheim SEM V software, iSEM brings back the sound and special characteristics of this iconic synth in an sonically accurate and expanded touch-based emulation.

What you can do with the iSEM?

The iSEM is a powerful instrument capable of producing a wide range of warm analog sounds.

Reproducing the unique SEM architecture, with its oscillator sync, characteristic filter shape and specific envelope response, the iSEM is able to generate the fat basses that have made the Oberheim brand so popular. Thanks to its simple and clever PW and pitch modulations, it is also very easy to produce moving and lively leads.

Its remarkable 12 dB/oct multimode filter is a real blast from the past, becoming an awesome weapon in the context of current electronic music. This unique module can instantly tailor your sound to fat, crisp, or spectral textures with access to all the nuances in between…

iSEM comes with over 500 sounds that you can browse through and play. You can also easily create your own sounds with the easy to use interface.

Play iSEM's numerous sounds from the iPad keyboard or control iSEM from a MIDI keyboard or other app via CoreMIDI and integrate it into your studio or live performance.

If you are an owner of of the Arturia SEM V software on your Mac or PC, you can even import and export sounds between your laptop or desktop SEM V and iSEM.

FEATURES
All the original parameters of the Oberheim SEM: two oscillators, each offering sawtooth wave and variable-width pulse wave with PWM, sine wave LFO, 12dB/oct multi-mode Filter with low-pass, high-pass, band-pass and notch, two ADS envelope generators.

Added functionalities:

• New LFO, Noise, Sub oscillator, Arpeggiator, Portamento.
• Polyphonic playability
• 8 Voice Programmer module allows each voice to have different settings
• HOLD and CHORD modes.
• Virtual Analog Chorus.
• Virtual Analog Delay.
• Full user MIDI mapping of panel controls.
• Supports WIST sync to other iOS devices.
• Supports AudioBus and Apple’s Inter-App Audio connectivity (requires iOS7).

COMPATIBILITY
iSEM is compatible with iPad 2 and later, iPad with Retina Display and iPad mini.
Apple’s Inter-App Audio connectivity (requires iOS7), AudioBus, Korg’s WIST and Apple’s CoreMIDI are all supported.

The Oberheim™ name used here is a trademark of the Gibson Guitar Corp. The trademark is used by license to Arturia.

Arturia iSEM is priced at $9.99.

Concreted0g: The Missing link...diy usb otg

As ever Concreted0g gets my attention with something very geeky and cool. USB host mode on an old Nokia N series tablet.

Casio VL-1 Programming Instructions

 

Just had to post these when I saw them over at Matrixsynth. Worth keeping a copy of this!

24 Apps of 2012: Bhajis Loops

Well you didn't think I'd let an opportunity like this go by without plugging my much loved Palm OS and Bhajis Loops.

Both Bhajis Loops and Microbe are still completely excellent mobile music making apps. Of course, you can't use either of these on iOS (although there is an emulator for jailbroken devices), even so it's best to use the real thing, and if you're interested I'd suggest a Pam Tungsten T3 from eBay or a Palm Tungsten TX for that matter.

I've put out a couple of unfinished collections of pieces which were both made using Bhajis which you can find on Bandcamp if you're interested. But I still maintain that Bhajis is one of the best ever mobile music applications. iOS is getting close, but it isn't quite there as yet in some ways.

So Bhajis makes it into my 24 apps of 2012 even though I've barely used it these year. It's still up there, and probably always will be.

Bring me some old school mobile music Mr Concreted0g!

And he always delivers ...

concreted0g "Milkytracker on a pocket linux device with a hardware keyboard....S'all good"

1978 Muson Synthesiser Toy Synth and Sequencer on eBay

A big thank you to Tom for emailing me about this, and for the record Tom, you're right, it is right up my street!

Here's the description on eBay:

Vintage Synthesiser toy from 1978 in good condition it appears to be working fine but the sequencer pegs require a bit of a wiggle.

Heres a few bits of info i found on line

"Incredible Machine. Far ahead of its time - a mini sequencer with endless possibilites. Kind of a ROLAND TB-303 but much cooler & cheaper. The coloured buttons can be used to change the melody and rhythm - each color has a different tune. You can also change the speed and pitch of the sequence with 2 sliders. 

However, not going to cheap though. Follow the link to take a look on eBay.

1978 Muson Synthesiser Toy Synth and Sequencer

Modifying a Casio VL-1 or VL-10?

I know I've posted a few times about Casio VL-tones, and this is yet another. I will try to stop going on about this soon I promise. It is just that I have this thought in my head which says that wouldn't it be great if you could modify a VL-Tone to be a MIDI controller for PDA?

It can and has been done in bigger devices such as the Casio SK-1 by Highly Liquid and does it look cool or what!



Now I realise that the first barrier to overcome is the small nature of the VL-1 and the fact that it is after all a glorified calculator, and that even if you could do that you'd then need to be able to get a serial connection into a palm device, which is not easy on many of the OS5 models, but if you could it would look amazing I bet!

My ideal would be to have one the size of the VL-10 below as these are only about 8" long, but maybe that is just too much to ask for?

tags technorati : Casio VL-Tone, Casio

Retro: Akai U5 Professional Trackman (4-track) !

I've no idea how this worked, but it claims to be a 4-track walkman device. I've never seen one, but who knows, maybe it was for real?

tags technorati : Akai, Retro, 4-track, Walkman

MixPad 1.0 from miniMusic on sale for $19.95!

Introductory price only $19.95 US (Regularly $29.95) Buy Now, especially with this cool icon!

tags technorati : MixPad, miniMusic, MIDI, Palm, PDA, Mix, Mixing, Mobile Music, Palm Sounds

PiooPioo!

PiooPioo player is one of those applications that you almost forget you have around, but is a fantastically useful little application. Apart from being a great add-on application to Bhajis Loops allowing you to play song files without having to open them, it has that wonderful visualisation which I love.

I was using it today to play a whole bunch of tracks all in the same folder, really handy.

tags technorati : Palm, PDA, Chocopoolp, PiooPioo, Bhajis Loops, Mobile Music, Palm Sounds

What would Bhajis Loops 2.0 have looked like?

This is one of those "what if" type posts about Bhajis Loops. What would it have looked like if it had got to a version 2.0? I can imagine lots of features that could have been added along the way, but I bet there's an even longer list somewhere of all the feature requests from users.

Anyway, for what it is worth, here's my list:

- Audio support. Two channels (or more) of audio to go alongside the instruments.
- Synth plug ins. Like an FM synth.
- Bluetooth support. To sync multiple handhelds to the same clock.
- Increased effect plug ins. What kind I'm not sure.
- Ability to connect to a bluetooth keyboard (for input)

What would you have liked?

tags technorati : Palm, Bhajis Loops, Palm Sounds, Mobile Music

QOTD: Audio recording on a Palm device

There are a number of audio recording solutions available. I've only really used Bhajis Loops and Wave Edit Pro Enterprise edition, which is really good, and my preferred application for field recording and other audio.

However, there are loads of other applications out there which could be used, I'd be interested in any opinions?