Jupiter-8V2 Review - How does the Jupiter stand up with a fresh pair of 64-bit legs?

From the upgraded collection of the Arturia plugins comes another vintage synth, the Jupiter-8V2.  The Jupiter-8 is, again, regarded as one of the classic and legendary 80s synths.  A quick look on eBay will show you that right now, these are hot, going for as high as $8,000, which is money you could build an entire studio with.  The Roland Jupiter-8 was first released in 1981 and was Roland's first great synth.  It offered all the bells and whistles of the time-- it was multitimbral, it had an arpeggiator, dual oscillators for each of the 8 voices, and two envelopes.  These are pretty standard and almost expected today, but at the time, it was an important step forward.  Roland filters have always had a unique sound to them, and the Jupiter-8 is no different, being the favorite for many who are making string sounds.  Of course, it does many other fantastic sounds as well.

Peter Gabriel and Fairlight CMI

Here's an old video of Peter Gabriel working in the studio.  Gotta love his use of the Fairlight CMI and his creative songwriting.

Topless Interview

Topless is a stunning duo from the Netherlands breaking on to the scene with incredible retro style and 80s synth grooves.  The band's eponymous EP arrived early this year with the fantastic single "Say You Love Me" (video and track below), among other old-school hits.  I was immediately intrigued by the perfect balance of high production quality without skimping on the retro vibe, so I had to get in touch with Topless.  The band was signed to Instant-Replay last year, so thankfully, plenty more music is on the horizon.  Be sure to read the full interview below.

Besides, when else can you search the word "Topless" and genuinely not intend to find something dirty?

Modified Concertmate/Moog MG1 Samples

"Sorry about the video cut out near the end...the camera ran out of memory. The audio is recorded directly from an added 1/4" audio out jack in the back.

A very small sample of possible sounds with the following modifications:


- Four LFO Speeds: 1/4 Original, 1/2 Original, Original, and Hyper speed
- Contour to Tone Source 2 for Sync Sweep or Pitch Swoops
- Disengage LFO to Tone Source 1
- Octave switch for Tone Source 1 for four octaves: -3, -2, -1, 0.
- TS1/TS2 Frequency Modulation"

Courtesy of MatrixSynth

Mopho x4 Demo- Dave Smith Instruments

Since everyone is looking for more information from the new DSI Mopho x4, I thought I'd reshare this video from DSI showcasing some of the new sounds.

"Carson Day demonstrates some factory sounds on our new Mopho x4 polyphonic analog synthesizer. Except for the programs that are obviously played on the keyboard, the x4 is receiving MIDI data from an external sequencer in this demo."

Fred Falke at the Blockley Review, August 17th, 2012

Fred with opener Goldroom while switching between sets

Hey everyone.  Got to check out Fred Falke playing at the Blockley in Philadelphia last night.  If you've seen Fred before, you know it's a treat.  Fred combines standard DJing through Ableton Live with live bass playing.  It adds a really fun element into the mix and it's not your standard "turn knobs all night" affair.  He's got a huge selection of fantastic tracks and remixes to choose from, so there's never a dull moment in the set.  He even mixed in some funky drum and bass just to keep things interesting.

Some highlights for me include "Reaching Out", which is a Hall and Oates/Nero mix, which builds up to jumping moments.  There's also the always popular remix of Robyn, which takes "Dancing On My Own" from a pumping pop song into a smoother, bassier affair.

Also, have to give a shoutout to Goldroom who opened with an excellent set of his own.

Be sure to check the rest of Fred's upcoming tour dates on here on Facebook.  Seriously, I wouldn't miss any of these.

Check out more pictures below.

New Alan Braxe Mixes

Here are two new fantastic mixes from Alan Braxe.  Always great to hear a new mix from the legendary French producer, who brings something new every time.  I hope we hear more from this great label soon.  Be sure to check out his Q&A with thefuture.fm.