Synthisizers.com model 22

System 55 • System 35 • Model 15
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VCO
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Re: Synthisizers.com model 22

Post by VCO » Thu Nov 24, 2022 2:33 pm

I see . I just knew about the DDR because I was trying to determine if my august forester was from the orginal factory or from the check republic sorry don’t know how to spell that country’s name right . There were two different factories . It turns out mine was from the orginal factory. The DDR was stamped inside on the plate and lobau germany. The pianos made there are considered of higher quality then the ones made at the other factory. I guess the piano industry was nationalized. It’s complicated from what I read. Petroff is one of the largest piano manufacturers in Europe. I think they even were permitted to put the name august forester on some pianos they built. I don’t understand all of that just some things that I read. In the USA august forester isn’t as well known. I read that august forester is one of the worlds oldest piano manufacturers. I love all the German classical composers. And Germany is very hip and cultured. Nice to meet you

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VCO
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Re: Synthisizers.com model 22

Post by VCO » Thu Nov 24, 2022 3:00 pm

I would think maybe that electronica or EDM might be a much bigger genre in Europe then it is in the USA. I’ve heard orchestras from Europe and they sound different than orchestras in the USA. I believe it’s because that’s where the music originated from. Similar to how jazz originated in the US and now is a world music. Europe has great jazz musicians I’m just not familiar with who’s current. When I think of Germany I think about great engineering and great classical music.
And also isn’t there the Berlin school of synth music? Sorry I don’t know much about that. I guess I’m taking about the music scene in Berlin. I used to live with a drummer that now lives in Berlin. Take care

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analogmonster
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Re: Synthisizers.com model 22

Post by analogmonster » Mon Nov 28, 2022 3:18 am

VCO wrote: Tue Nov 22, 2022 10:34 pm My piano is from the DDR
A friend of mine, Hans-Joachim Helmstedt, is author of the book "FORMANT PRO - MSS2000" for DIYing your own modular system. I built my first modular with it, see also here. He is also from Eastern Germany GDR. AFAIK the "ROBOTRON" company built east german synthesizers in that times.

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VCO
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Re: Synthisizers.com model 22

Post by VCO » Tue Nov 29, 2022 2:47 pm

That’s so cool you built your own modular. You seem very technical oriented. Unfortunately I lack the skills. I did a little bit of sampling back in the day. Of all the various types of synthisis I prefer analog subtractive. Modular seems like the real deal. I’m glad I have a moog voyager. It’s probably the closest I’ll ever get to the sound of a modular . It’s seem like the ability to choose different modules lets you really customize your sound. I would think you would really have to know what your doing. I checked out synthisizers. com and saw those Modular’s that are offered . It’s a fraction of a moog modular pricewise but still expensive. I have the sequential pro3 SE as well and when I midied the voyager to the pro3 I got some really hybrid sounds. Even that model 22 was expensive and it seemed like an entry level modular. I wish I had studied electrical engineering then maybe I would have had the understanding of how to build a synth. Nowadays there’s so many different options available between software and hardware. Take care

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VCO
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Re: Synthisizers.com model 22

Post by VCO » Tue Nov 29, 2022 3:09 pm

I went and looked at your modular it’s a work of art. Your the real deal LOL. That synth is a Frankenstein monster. Really cool I’m envious and proud for you . Great job. Nothing like the real thing. I bet it sounds great. I love the physical size of it. I want one LOL trade you an august forester grand for it. LOL. Just joking take care what a marvelous monsterous machine. Very impressive. I told you Germans were known for thier engineering LOL Bet it sounds even better. And your probably not even done because you can always expand. Very inspirational Auf Wiedersehen

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VCO
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Re: Synthisizers.com model 22

Post by VCO » Tue Nov 29, 2022 3:20 pm

You really are the analog monster. Makes me want to sell all my rompler synths and get a modular. That modular is priceless fantastic job ! Simply beautiful you should be proud.

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analogmonster
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Re: Synthisizers.com model 22

Post by analogmonster » Wed Nov 30, 2022 2:44 am

VCO wrote: Tue Nov 29, 2022 2:47 pm That’s so cool you built your own modular.
Yes, and the lack of money :lol:
VCO wrote: Tue Nov 29, 2022 2:47 pm Modular seems like the real deal.
I just love the wall of knobs. But you are right, they look a bit like Frankensteins Lab, and I feel a bit like the "Evil Scientist" of Fritz Langs "Metropolis" movie when making music, but modulars are the ultimate freedom for an electronic musician. You can change each and every physical sub component of a sound, making a piano behave like a trumpet or create castanetes from glass. The ultimate freedom.
By the way, I did not study electronics. The internet and the tutorials within are your friend.

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analogmonster
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Re: Synthisizers.com model 22

Post by analogmonster » Wed Nov 30, 2022 2:50 am

VCO wrote: Tue Nov 29, 2022 3:09 pm I went and looked at your modular it’s a work of art. Your the real deal LOL. That synth is a Frankenstein monster. Really cool I’m envious and proud for you . Great job. Nothing like the real thing. I bet it sounds great. I love the physical size of it. I want one LOL trade you an august forester grand for it. LOL. Just joking take care what a marvelous monsterous machine. Very impressive. I told you Germans were known for thier engineering LOL Bet it sounds even better. And your probably not even done because you can always expand. Very inspirational Auf Wiedersehen
Well, the expanding capabilities are unlimited just in theory :twisted: The limitations are money, your house and your grumbling wife :lol:

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analogmonster
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Re: Synthisizers.com model 22

Post by analogmonster » Wed Nov 30, 2022 3:24 am

VCO wrote: Thu Nov 24, 2022 3:00 pm ...
And also isn’t there the Berlin school of synth music?
...
Yes, you are right. Electronic musicians speak of the so called "Berliner Schule" (Berlin school) or "Düsseldorfer Schule" (Düsseldorf school), two major cities / spots in Germany for electronic music styles, so the word "school" in this case means "style", not "institute".

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VCO
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Re: Synthisizers.com model 22

Post by VCO » Wed Nov 30, 2022 3:35 pm

Even more impressive you didn’t study electronics. I would think it would be expensive to build that. Hopefully not as expensive as say a moog modular. I could never build something like that I’m just a jazz piano player. I have vintage Hammond organs and Leslie’s. Thier rather old. Thier awesome sounding but from the 20th century. They don’t make them like that anymore. The first Hammond organs go back to the 1930s. King of the tonewheel organs. The Hammond organ is sort of like a synth in the sense it adds and subtracts harmonics via the tonewheels. Actually quite an amazing instrument. Hammond even built a instrument called a solo vox which sort of predates synthisizers.
Electro mechanical in design the Hammond organ the Minimoog modelD and the fender Rhodes electric piano are the three I think of when I think Vintage Keyboards. Hammond organs were quite popular back in the day and this was decades before Moog made the first Modular’s in the early 60s
Honher made the clavinet as well as harmonicas and accordions. German instrument makers have a reputation for high quality. Always nice talking to you take care Does your modular have a sequencer like those vintage Moog Modular’s?

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analogmonster
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Re: Synthisizers.com model 22

Post by analogmonster » Thu Dec 01, 2022 2:01 am

VCO wrote: Wed Nov 30, 2022 3:35 pm ...I would think it would be expensive to build that. Hopefully not as expensive as say a moog modular.
Definitely not. And the building of my System 55 Clone took me several years, as you can see in the diary timestamps, so the costs spread over time.
VCO wrote: Wed Nov 30, 2022 3:35 pm I could never build something like that I’m just a jazz piano player.
Why do you say "just". I would kill to be able to play the piano :( I have to do everything "programmatically", which means developing MIDI interfaces and software for my microcontroller based modules in my case.
VCO wrote: Wed Nov 30, 2022 3:35 pm I have vintage Hammond organs and Leslie’s. Thier rather old.
Yes, a friend owns an old original and a Leslie as well. He plays in a folk band. He told me that he had repaired that thing and that he has never seen a more complex and complicated (mechanical) technology before :)
VCO wrote: Wed Nov 30, 2022 3:35 pm ...Does your modular have a sequencer like those vintage Moog Modular’s?
Yes, indeed, and as the smartass I am I added some functionality to it like ratcheting, internal 16- and 24-step handling and MIDI capabilities, see also the corresponding topic :twisted: There are also YouTube links for demonstrations included.

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VCO
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Re: Synthisizers.com model 22

Post by VCO » Thu Dec 01, 2022 6:16 am

I didn’t realize yours was a clone of a model 55. The great thing about the piano is that it’s polyphonic.being acoustic is good and bad. I don’t use electricity. Although every time it needs tuning costs like $250 dollars. My voyager drifts but I tune it every time I play it. Don’t have to pay anyone and I dont have to worry about breaking a string. I think there’s about 10,000 parts on a grand piano literally speaking. Wasn’t being hyperbolic LOL. I tried to learn how to tune a piano myself and ended up breaking a bass string. That’s hard to do and I did it with no problem LOL. Bass strings are expensive and I have to have mine custom made for my piano. I haven’t replaced it yet. In certain register’s there’s two, three, and one string. One in the bass ,three in the middle, and two in the top.
I need to have a action regulation done as some of the keybed keys don’t return. A action regulation is expensive and time consuming it’s very technical. My piano is 42 years old. Think of all those strings as oscillators LOL. Bach invented 12 tone equal temperament where every semitone is equal to 100 cents.
Before that they used different temperaments so certain keys would be more in tune. Equal temperament is a compromise but it makes all the 12 keys sound in tune to our ears. 7 sharp keys, 7 flat keys , one key no accidentals. 15 keys I total bur really 12 since there are pairs of keys that share the same physical key on the piano although thier enharmonic because of the key signatures.
I have a sampled digtal piano and it’s always in tune although when they sample they truncate the values of the frequencies since they store the value as ones and zeros it rounds values up and down so the harmonic series is altered and you can hear a difference in the sound. It’s prevalent in the bass register more. I can hear a difference .it’s like eating genetically modified food. LOL. Acoustic and analog instruments are akin to each other. They both have a warmth and a certain quality to thier sound that has a edge over sample based instruments. Although sampling does a great job. I use a Yamaha cp300 stage piano and I use it for the fender Rhodes electric piano sound. Plus you can easy transpose to another key via a button push which is something you can’t do on a electro mechanical electric piano. Plus there’s no maintenance , ho need to worry about breaking a tine, or having a pickup go bad. So sampling is a good thing. There’s just something about acoustic and analog instruments that just sounds great. Thier just a pain to keep them in tune LOL take care love that modular

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Re: Synthisizers.com model 22

Post by ummagumma » Wed Dec 21, 2022 6:55 pm

Catching up on this thread: very enjoyable to read!

Quoting VCO " that's some heavy stuff, man "

haha, damn straight! Analogmonster, that is incredible you built all that stuff.

Back to dotcom: it seems they're back & working on new modules, so more compatability could be on the horizon.

I was also looking at COTK website & they have some interesting modules too. Not just tribute/historical

If Moog decided to sell their 5U modules separately I think there would be a market.

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Re: Synthisizers.com model 22

Post by analogmonster » Thu Dec 22, 2022 5:08 am

ummagumma wrote: Wed Dec 21, 2022 6:55 pm Catching up on this thread: very enjoyable to read!
Indeed! I enjoy meeting people who share my modular madness as well :D
ummagumma wrote: Wed Dec 21, 2022 6:55 pm Quoting VCO " that's some heavy stuff, man "
haha, damn straight! Analogmonster, that is incredible you built all that stuff.
Thanks :D but I am not alone. There are a lot of people who do these weird things, you just can have a look at electro-music.com or modwiggler. And there is a big community in Germany as well. The same freaks like me :mrgreen:
ummagumma wrote: Wed Dec 21, 2022 6:55 pm Back to dotcom: it seems they're back & working on new modules, so more compatability could be on the horizon.
I was also looking at COTK website & they have some interesting modules too. Not just tribute/historical
He he, did you know that COTK is a customer of me? They bought inductor sets for their 907 clone from me, not officially but in a secret manner via a third party organization in the background :lol: As if I would trade with fuzes for thermonuclear explosive devices :lol: :lol: :lol:
ummagumma wrote: Wed Dec 21, 2022 6:55 pm If Moog decided to sell their 5U modules separately I think there would be a market.
Definitely!

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Re: Synthisizers.com model 22

Post by stiiiiiiive » Thu Dec 22, 2022 5:19 am

analogmonster wrote: Fri Nov 18, 2022 3:56 am There are some advantages using MIDI, as it was developed for stage use by using current-loop-physics. This means that it is immune to voltage spikes of light arrangements, PA, radio signals, noise induction etc. and the instruments are not physically coupled, but optically, which reduces the risk of ripple pickups. This might not be important for a standard studio, but eases the possibility of connecting various devices using this standard, so no thinking about S/GATE <=> V/GATE, gate voltages, CV ranges and so on.
A possible disadvantage might be that newer devices might use MIDI via USB though.
Thanks for pointing that out, very interesting :)

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