Wednesday, January 4, 2012

New Moog Module: The Minitaur


Not much to say here.  Just found out through the vintagesynth.com forums (via TheKeytarist via Mr. Arkadin on the Moog forum) ... should be properly announced at NAMM.  Rumored price: $600.  Let's hope-- This could mean a Moog for almost every producer!

More Info via ProAudioStar:

Product Description for the Moog MINITAUR

The MINITAUR is a compact table-top monophonic MIDI-and-CV-controllable analog bass synthesizer module with a 100% analog audio signal path, based on the design of the Taurus 3 bass synthesizer.

SCI Prophet VS + Roland Juno-60 + Moog Source



I'm a sucker for the Moog Source. What Can I say.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Minimoog Model D vs Moog Voyager Comparison



Now, I'm a big Moog fan, but I wonder if the day came where I wanted to buy a Minimoog, if I would go vintage or new. This video shows off a nice demonstration of the two compared side by side. The MIDI and additional options on the Voyager are great, but the Model D will always win out for its fuzzier sound. Even so, both would sound great. I did find an article comparing the actual waveforms along with the Little Phatty, but can't seem to find it now... hrm...

Master Drum Pad Playing


I've always wondered how performers get really good at the drum pads.  They're kind of unusual as they don't really equate to any other instrument so easily... a bit like keyboards meets drumming for your fingers.  I found this excellent video through Reddit that I thought I'd share.  Try it out on your new drum machine gifts!  Perfect for anyone who got a Tempest recently...

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Vangelis Sound from the Little Phatty, via mik300z of YouTube



Like Vangelis?  So do I.  Recently YouTube user mik300z put up an excellent video showcasing a Little Phatty emulating the classic Vangelis sound made on the Yamaha CS80.  If you're a Blade Runner fan, you'll love this.  Since he go so many replies, he even recreates the patch so you can make your own at home.  Check it out!  And while you're at it, why not head over to his YouTube page or one of the video pages and thank him?


Tuesday, December 20, 2011

that girl with dark eyes-- Edgy 80s Sounds from a One-Woman Operation



that girl with dark eyes, AKA Tiffany Sotomayor, is a great synthy singer-songwriter out of San Francisco/ Barcelona.  I received an email about her a week ago and am finally getting this post I wanted up now.  A couple of my favorites of her tracks from her SoundCloud include "Hey Baby" and "Balloon".  "Hey Baby" features some great Chromeo-esque leads and crisp beats.  "Balloon" features some 80s styling, pad stabs, and a warm grumbly bass.  Great stuff.

Check out all the tracks from her recent digital release below.  I'm really excited to hear what she comes up with next, so keep an eye out for more in the new year.

Monday, November 28, 2011

I'm not dead... here's some music!

Hey readers,
I know it's been a while.  I haven't even checked the stats page in some time, I'm sure alot of you guys stopped checking in daily after that fall off of posts... just letting you know, I am really busy with schoolwork right now, and in addition to that there isn't a ton of new synth news... mostly some companies sitting on their asses about new great products, and some actually putting some together... unfortunately, the synth world is a bit split nowadays.  Tons of money gets put into researching making the best workstations and digital synths.  Nothing's wrong with digital, but it needs to be balanced with analog-- a bit like pie and ice cream.  A warm part and a colder part.  It's silly, but it's the truth.  For every great Moog or DSI product, we also see a ton of whack digital crap.  Analog's a bit like vinyl-- it's coming back, but not many companies realize it, or if they do, they're trying to ignore it.  So don't give up on this site-- I haven't.  I've just been busy, and there hasn't been groundbreaking news to me, although there is a ton of new music swirling around... much of it I'm unaware of.

Keep in mind I always want to keep the posts on this site of a certain quality.  I don't want to bog you down with eBay listings (if you wanted eBay, you'd be there, not here).  I don't cover the page with silly YouTube videos of huge modular systems where one can't make sense of it.  I try to keep it pure here-- pure entertainment, little advertising (almost none at this point!), and nothing but good music.

Here's a few tracks to fill the void of absence...