Tinysizer – little BIG modular synth

I simply could not resist ordering one of these:
(EUR 1,299 from anyware-instruments.de)

The patching system (mis)uses standard connectors – brilliant!

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Twinthesizers live

Sorry for not posting here more regularly – I’ve been concentrating more on Facebook recently, but plan to be back here more often. To tide you/me over, here’s a pic of yours truly playing the twins (Microkorg XL) at a recent gig with the marvellous “Here & Now”:

Chimera BC16 and other goodies

This British company appears to have finally got over its troubles and is delivering some neat toys. I’m once again sorely tempted by the BC16 – the circular arrangement of controls and the patching method (stackable banana cables across the centre) make for a very compact but powerful modular synth which might be stiff competition for Doepfer’s Dark Energy and MFB’s Kraftzwerg. Note that the image here is of an earlier version:

UPDATE: At the moment it looks like “Mr Chimera” is once again driving his potential customers crazy – by not delivering, by upping the price, and by announcing that no more orders for the BC16 will be taken.

Watch this space…

New HS sounds for MicroKORG XL (May 2010)

Radically updated bank of keyboard-player-oriented sounds. Most of the programs make use of the 3 assignable controls. Try switching on the arpeggiator and/or twisting the TEMPO knob during performance. Note that Genre and Category have been ignored.
Click here: MicroKORG XL sounds

ACE – Any Cable Everywhere

U-he’s brilliant new modular VA synth “ACE” is now available from http://www.acesynth.com. Beefy analogue sound, audio-rate modulation throughout (so it’s a bit of a CPU hog), bargain price. I’m having a lot of fun thinking up ridiculous patches for this one!

Mutant V-Synth

Packing up to move home (slowly but surely), I took the opportunity to photograph my mutant V-Synth. It’s a prototype, and the COSM1 button of structure 2  is in the wrong position (see lower image) – it belongs in the upper row next to OSC1. Oops!

Twinthesizers field report

Just a quick note to say that my two MicroKORG XLs have passed the “Gig” and “Studio” tests with flying colours. I played at a 100% solar-powered mini-festival near Tewkesbury, England, with the twins as hand luggage. The studio job here in Frankfurt was just up the road, so I packed both synths plus a mini-mixer (onboard effects) into a carry-all, slung it over my shoulder and hopped on my bicycle!

Rehearsing for UK gig: