|
Designing new analog synthesis equipment? You might
want to know about the
Analog Products AD538,
a precision multiplication, division and exponentiation part.
A whole crop of manufacturers and homebuilders of analog modular synthesizers has
mysteriously sprung up in the last couple of years. I suspect that
some sort of undocumented technology advance is responsible, combined
with some Empty-Nest Syndrome (meaning a little extra cash, and an
unoccupied bedroom or two) on the part of people of an appropriate
age to be nostalgic for these things. Here's the builders and resources I have
links to
I've built musical gadgets, both acoustic and electronic,
since I was little, so it's always fun when
I find out about people who are really good at it,
like the authors of these construction projects:
Here's good description of how a bunch of guitar
Audio effects work,
and an Audio Effects Faq with an emphasis on digital implementations.
Brian Dewan's Dewanatrons are gorgeous-looking and sounding electronic music instruments.
David Slusser pointed out especially the
Swarmatron, a ribbon controlled unison-cluster synthesizer.
Do you have a Yamaha DX7? I do, and the battery that
provides standby power for its voice memory has long
ago run down. When I get around to replacing it,
I'll follow these instructions.
Raymond Scott was a band-leader and popular composer in the 1930's and '40s.
He's best known today because his often off-beat tunes were primary source
material for many of Carl Stalling's scores for Warner Brothers'
Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons. Scott was also a techno-buff
and musical instrument designer. The work of his musical R&D company,
Manhattan Research,
is documented in a 144 page book and a pair of CDs. (Also available
in Vinyl.)
Product announcement at Gear Junkies.
Mmm, vocoders.
|
