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Thread: Synthesizer Gear Porn ;-)

  1. #651
    Member hippypants's Avatar
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    Question: So I've seen many Casio synths lately without the power supply, (this might also concern just other electronic devices) but if I wanted to find a power adapter or supply to use with one (or any electrical device) so that I don't have to always buy batteries, how do you go about matching them up so that you don't damage the instrument or device.

  2. #652
    Quote Originally Posted by hippypants View Post
    Question: So I've seen many Casio synths lately without the power supply, (this might also concern just other electronic devices) but if I wanted to find a power adapter or supply to use with one (or any electrical device) so that I don't have to always buy batteries, how do you go about matching them up so that you don't damage the instrument or device.
    I have a power supply with changable voltages and changable plugs.

  3. #653
    You should be able to find that info online as well.

    One of the more important details beyond just 9V/12V/15V/18V is the polarity (tip positive/negative). If you get a switchable wall wart, might want to make sure the polarity can be reversed too.

    This image (too big to embed here without being a dick): https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/04...G?v=1402603771

    If you look at the image above "Made in China" you'll see that it shows the tip of the jack is positive.
    If you're actually reading this then chances are you already have my last album but if NOT and you're curious:
    https://battema.bandcamp.com/

    Also, Ephemeral Sun: it's a thing and we like making things that might be your thing: https://ephemeralsun.bandcamp.com

  4. #654
    Quote Originally Posted by battema View Post
    You should be able to find that info online as well.

    One of the more important details beyond just 9V/12V/15V/18V is the polarity (tip positive/negative). If you get a switchable wall wart, might want to make sure the polarity can be reversed too.

    This image (too big to embed here without being a dick): https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/04...G?v=1402603771

    If you look at the image above "Made in China" you'll see that it shows the tip of the jack is positive.
    My adapter has plugs that can be mounted in 2 ways, either the tip is + or the tip is -

  5. #655
    Member hippypants's Avatar
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    Thank. After posting that I did look online too, and ran across a couple of fairly plain explanations. This first one made the most sense.

    This second one is a video from Youtube on the subject, and is pretty good too.

    Under the comments of the first (groovypost) one, several people had several good comments and something I should have done long ago, which is label each adapter to the device. One lady said she color coded her device to adapter with finger nail polish. You could do the same with masking or duct tape, or however else works for you. It's too bad there wasn't some universal plan laid out beforehand on all this, but that would be too easy. Also since each electrical device can be so different, probably would not have worked anyway...

    Here's something fun from Bandcamp I ran into. This person, Acreil, has demos of various synths he's owned. I think he does a good job.

  6. #656
    Member hippypants's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rarebird View Post
    And though a keyboard might have its limitations, it is very usable. For monophonic synthesizers a wind-controller, like the Lyricon might be a good alternative for the keyboard. But I suppose keyboard-players are perhaps more used to working with different instruments, creating different sounds. And in a way learning yourself to play a synthesizer through a keyboard is probably easier, than learning a wind-instrument in order to be able to play a wind-controller.
    I wondered about guitar synths. I know Roland put out one sometime back. It had a pickup that attached to the instrument, which might have pluses and minuses--I don't know how easy it was to transfer it from one guitar to another. There are also pedals that mimic a few sounds, I haven't check too much into that, but wondered if any were worth pursuing. I know Pat Metheny among other players used a guitar synth, although I don't see very many players using them today. Did that pretty much die on the vine, or were there any innovations in that area?

  7. #657
    Quote Originally Posted by Rarebird View Post
    My adapter has plugs that can be mounted in 2 ways, either the tip is + or the tip is -
    Yep, I was just pointing that out to hippypants. At least here in the 'States, many "universal adapters" can handle different voltages but only a subset allow you to reverse the tip polarity like yours. So, better for them to know that going in than buy something that doesn't work later!
    If you're actually reading this then chances are you already have my last album but if NOT and you're curious:
    https://battema.bandcamp.com/

    Also, Ephemeral Sun: it's a thing and we like making things that might be your thing: https://ephemeralsun.bandcamp.com

  8. #658
    Quote Originally Posted by hippypants View Post
    I wondered about guitar synths. I know Roland put out one sometime back. It had a pickup that attached to the instrument, which might have pluses and minuses--I don't know how easy it was to transfer it from one guitar to another. There are also pedals that mimic a few sounds, I haven't check too much into that, but wondered if any were worth pursuing. I know Pat Metheny among other players used a guitar synth, although I don't see very many players using them today. Did that pretty much die on the vine, or were there any innovations in that area?
    I think guitar-synthesizers often suffered from tracking-problems. They need to turn the note played on the guitar in some kind of signal for the synthesizer, which often caused some kind of delay. Hagström had a guitar that worked differently where the signal was read from the position of the fingers on the fretboard.

  9. #659
    Member dropforge's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rarebird View Post
    I think guitar-synthesizers often suffered from tracking-problems. They need to turn the note played on the guitar in some kind of signal for the synthesizer, which often caused some kind of delay. Hagström had a guitar that worked differently where the signal was read from the position of the fingers on the fretboard.
    Ah! The great Jeff Beck guitar synth story, as told to (IIRC) Keyboard: Jeff decided to play around with one; somebody heard the tape and went "that keyboard player—not very good, eh?" Jeff junked the GS.

  10. #660
    Member hFx's Avatar
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    Guitar synths are alive and well - though they has always been and remained niche products! Tracking has always been a problem and Roland has put out one or two duds on the market, like the GR-700 system in the 80s. However the technology has evolved quite a bit and though the Roland GK hex-mic technology still is important (one magnetic mic per string) some of the new solutions use some magic, taking a normal guitar signal and separating the strings, making it polyphonic so you don't need a hex mic. The tracking is still way better than most of the 80s dedicated guitar synths.

    I have a fairy cheap Ibanez RG guitar with a Roland GK3 hex mic fitted, that I use to feed a Roland VG-900 modelling system, that also include a MIDI interface (used extensively by Mike Holmes of IQ, to relate it to something progressive).

    However, if I need MIDI from a guitar I use my normal electric with the JamOrigin MIDI Guitar 2 plugin in my DAW - one of the products that use that polyphonic magic I mentioned above. If you want to try the technology, download their demo version - chances are you will be amazed!

    https://www.jamorigin.com/
    My Progressive Workshop at http://soundcloud.com/hfxx

  11. #661
    Member hippypants's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by hFx View Post
    Guitar synths are alive and well - though they has always been and remained niche products! Tracking has always been a problem and Roland has put out one or two duds on the market, like the GR-700 system in the 80s. However the technology has evolved quite a bit and though the Roland GK hex-mic technology still is important (one magnetic mic per string) some of the new solutions use some magic, taking a normal guitar signal and separating the strings, making it polyphonic so you don't need a hex mic. The tracking is still way better than most of the 80s dedicated guitar synths.

    I have a fairy cheap Ibanez RG guitar with a Roland GK3 hex mic fitted, that I use to feed a Roland VG-900 modelling system, that also include a MIDI interface (used extensively by Mike Holmes of IQ, to relate it to something progressive).

    However, if I need MIDI from a guitar I use my normal electric with the JamOrigin MIDI Guitar 2 plugin in my DAW - one of the products that use that polyphonic magic I mentioned above. If you want to try the technology, download their demo version - chances are you will be amazed!

    https://www.jamorigin.com/
    Thanks, hFx, that sounds intriguing.

  12. #662
    Member hippypants's Avatar
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    FYI: podcast about synths, composing, etc. Sound + Process

  13. #663
    Member hFx's Avatar
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    OK, back to some real porn for once, from my fav gear hoarder AND musician...

    My Progressive Workshop at http://soundcloud.com/hfxx

  14. #664
    Still a lovely beast, that One.
    If you're actually reading this then chances are you already have my last album but if NOT and you're curious:
    https://battema.bandcamp.com/

    Also, Ephemeral Sun: it's a thing and we like making things that might be your thing: https://ephemeralsun.bandcamp.com

  15. #665
    Quote Originally Posted by battema View Post
    Still a lovely beast, that One.
    A beauty, alas far above my price-range.

  16. #666
    Oh yeah, it is VERY expensive.
    If you're actually reading this then chances are you already have my last album but if NOT and you're curious:
    https://battema.bandcamp.com/

    Also, Ephemeral Sun: it's a thing and we like making things that might be your thing: https://ephemeralsun.bandcamp.com

  17. #667
    Member hippypants's Avatar
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    New Super 6 - 12 Voice Polysynth From UDO Audio No sound demos yet since it's new, but I'm curious about it and the price point.

  18. #668
    As I understand this, this is a new company from the guys behind the Modal 008 so that might be a slight indicator of what to expect:

    http://www.modalelectronics.com/modal-008/
    If you're actually reading this then chances are you already have my last album but if NOT and you're curious:
    https://battema.bandcamp.com/

    Also, Ephemeral Sun: it's a thing and we like making things that might be your thing: https://ephemeralsun.bandcamp.com

  19. #669
    Member Top Cat's Avatar
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    for anyone intereted Paula Maddox was the synth designer and creator of the Modal line of synths and the co founder and Phillip Laysom I believe was the financial backer.
    Paula resigned in Dec 2017 and officially left in March 2018.
    Dove Audio is now Paula's own company and information can be found here: http://dove-audio.com/about/

    this looks like an interesting synth from UDO Audio. Always happy to see independent design and manufacture of new synths from new companies.
    Be interested to hear audio demos.
    Edit: Ok, I see George Hearn was the designer of the analog architecture of the 008, and Paula Maddox the 002.
    So yep, the Modal guys are both off doing something new.
    Last edited by Top Cat; 04-24-2019 at 05:35 PM.
    Soundcloud page: Richard Hermans, musical meanderings https://soundcloud.com/precipice YouTube: [https://www.youtube.com/@richardhermans4457

  20. #670
    Quote Originally Posted by hFx View Post
    Guitar synths are alive and well - though they has always been and remained niche products! Tracking has always been a problem and Roland has put out one or two duds on the market, like the GR-700 system in the 80s. However the technology has evolved quite a bit and though the Roland GK hex-mic technology still is important (one magnetic mic per string) some of the new solutions use some magic, taking a normal guitar signal and separating the strings, making it polyphonic so you don't need a hex mic. The tracking is still way better than most of the 80s dedicated guitar synths.

    I have a fairy cheap Ibanez RG guitar with a Roland GK3 hex mic fitted, that I use to feed a Roland VG-900 modelling system, that also include a MIDI interface (used extensively by Mike Holmes of IQ, to relate it to something progressive).

    However, if I need MIDI from a guitar I use my normal electric with the JamOrigin MIDI Guitar 2 plugin in my DAW - one of the products that use that polyphonic magic I mentioned above. If you want to try the technology, download their demo version - chances are you will be amazed!

    https://www.jamorigin.com/
    I have been using guitar synths way back with the GR-100. I have had in succession (and often overlapping) the GR-100, 300 and 700 which I used with the Ibanez G-303 guitar. I had all the Roland synths stolen from me one day (I had the 300 and 700 into a complicated ab-y system). Then I bought a Godin Multiac with a GI-10 midi interface. I like that a lot and used it extensively with my AU plug-ins. I would still use it but the Multiac fell a few years back and some of the piezo pickups snapped. I also bought an Axon system which I used with a Brian Smith guitar. It was fancy but I found the Multiac's nylon strings generated less overtones to fool the synth brains and therefore tracked better. It was eminently usable.

    I too use the Jam origin system with my main guitar now and I love it. It works better than the Axon and the Multiac-GI-10 combo.

    For live though I use EHX stuff (Ring Thing, Mono Synth etc) to recreate the analog synth textures I like. I really want to buy this though and it will probably be the next purchase.



    As far as other plug-ins go, I find it easier by far just to bring a keyboard, a lap-top with Live onboard and use the literally hundreds of VST and AU plug-ins I have acquired over the years. Maybe that and the Jam origin might work too. So many options, so little money.

  21. #671
    Member hippypants's Avatar
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    Me too, however, if it's like the Modal 008, it will probably be pretty nice, if it holds up (which I assume it will).

    I was listening to a Farewell podcast to Edgar Froses today, and wondered with all the new micro sizing of circuitry if large modular synths might be on the way out as far as live performance, studio too perhaps.

    Here's one from Arturia called the MicroFreak that does a lot of the size. Pretty amazing really.

    Nice guitar synth pedal, fictionmusic.

  22. #672
    Quote Originally Posted by fictionmusic View Post
    I have been using guitar synths way back with the GR-100. I have had in succession (and often overlapping) the GR-100, 300 and 700 which I used with the Ibanez G-303 guitar. I had all the Roland synths stolen from me one day (I had the 300 and 700 into a complicated ab-y system). Then I bought a Godin Multiac with a GI-10 midi interface. I like that a lot and used it extensively with my AU plug-ins. I would still use it but the Multiac fell a few years back and some of the piezo pickups snapped. I also bought an Axon system which I used with a Brian Smith guitar. It was fancy but I found the Multiac's nylon strings generated less overtones to fool the synth brains and therefore tracked better. It was eminently usable.

    I too use the Jam origin system with my main guitar now and I love it. It works better than the Axon and the Multiac-GI-10 combo.

    For live though I use EHX stuff (Ring Thing, Mono Synth etc) to recreate the analog synth textures I like. I really want to buy this though and it will probably be the next purchase.



    As far as other plug-ins go, I find it easier by far just to bring a keyboard, a lap-top with Live onboard and use the literally hundreds of VST and AU plug-ins I have acquired over the years. Maybe that and the Jam origin might work too. So many options, so little money.
    That's the only Meris pedal I *don't* own but I think their products are outstanding
    If you're actually reading this then chances are you already have my last album but if NOT and you're curious:
    https://battema.bandcamp.com/

    Also, Ephemeral Sun: it's a thing and we like making things that might be your thing: https://ephemeralsun.bandcamp.com

  23. #673
    Member hippypants's Avatar
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    Moogfest going on now. I would mind going to one of those.

    A new moog or an update, the Moog Matriarch.

  24. #674
    Has anyone tried any of the Behringer Synths? I have been lusting after a lot of them, especially after watching YouTube videos doing an AB comparison to the original synths they are modeled on.

  25. #675
    Member hippypants's Avatar
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    Here's a PDF of the book Learning Music With Synthesizers by Friend, Pearlman, & Piggott, which details the Arp Odyssey, however, the basic nuts and bolts about different wave forms, oscillators, etc., apply to all synths.

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