Sequencing is the best way of make the most of your synthesizers, bringing a cyclical groove to your music and enabling syncronization to external gear, such as drum machines for arrangement and playback of full tracks. The BabyGate10 is such as sequencer, with 10 steps of outputted notes designed to connect to and control the awesome Atari Punk Console.
This tabletop sequencer is powered by a 9V Battery and comes in kit form to make yourself – using the included sockets, switches, LEDs, capacitors and even a built in speaker. It has two switches on each step to skip the step and or reset the sequence from that step – meaning you can create sequences of 1-10 notes, for some serious polyrhythm play times.
The Atari Punk Console is a simple synth based on 555 Timers to generate tonal synthetic sounds with minimal components, which outputs a square wave. You’ll find three models available on the Tindie site, just click here! If you like chiptune sounds, the Atari Punk Console is an ideal starter kit for those new to soldering and synths alike.
The BabyGate10 is sold by PCB Pins who are based in California, USA. Have a look at their twitter channel to see it in action!
It’s been another storming year for synth releases, and here at Tindie we like to celebrate our talented creators by bringing you a list of the best gear they released in 2019. From head melting synths to audio effects units, we’re proud to have so many independent creators, beating the big manufacturers at their own game from their homes, garden sheds, and workshops.
Join us as we run down what took our fancy this year in the Tindie Sound: Gear Of The Year 2019!
Drum Synth by Rakit
Rakit are a superb little company based in Cambridge, England. Their audio boxes and synth goodies are wonderfully made, designed, and packaged with the Rakit Drum Synth being their flagship unit. Based on the super-rare Amdek PCK-100 with added modifications, this Drum Synth gives you a VCO which can be modulated, swept, pitched and triggered to your heart’s content.
The Drum Synth is available fully constructed or as a kit, and will deliver those 80s synth drum effects which are synonymous with electronic music.
DAFM FM Synthesizer by Kasser
The DAFM (not to be confused with the Moog DFAM) represents the dawning of a new era in re-living classic video game synth sounds. It houses legendary FM sound chips (YM2612/YM3438) used in the Sega Megadrive/Genesis and SoundBlaster Cards – making it a hugely playable MIDI unit destined for use way beyond 2020.
With its sleek design, tough build quality and touch-sensitive keypad, the DAFM really does look and sound the part – with two chip options, depending on the lo-fi flavour you need.
Super Smash Button by midierror
Hailed as a `genius` device by SonicState, the Super Smash Button is based on a simple yet highly effective concept – plug something into one side, and it comes out the other when you press (or smash) the arcade button!
Perfect for synths, guitars, drums, drones, vocals, and foley sounds, it excels at giving sporadic rhythm to any sound, while evoking memories of nostalgic arcade button bashing at the same time. It also comes with options to have a gorgeous customised finish!
Noise-X by Madlab
Looking and sounding like a device from another planet, the Noise-X packs 6 oscillators of undulating waveforms into one compact PCB module. It has built-in FX and a myriad of modulation possibilities and modes, making some of the strangest and most expressive drones you can imagine.
You don’t often get sliders on synths, and the superb idea which resulted in Noise-X is a wonderfully ergonomic way to control sound. The Noise-X is available as a kit and a completed unit, and sounds like nothing else you’ve ever heard… on this planet!
ROT8x MIDI Controller by Velorum Project
As MIDI controllers go, the Rot8.x MIDI Controller has it all – with 32 assignable control knobs to create tactile control changes, parameter changes, pitch bends, and effects sends! It’s USB powered and ideal for controlling your DAW, VSTs and outboard gear from one convenient place. The difference between clicking with a mouse and tweaking real-world controls is unparallelled. And now it’s affordable for all. It comes in a glorious matte black aluminium case, suitable for gigging and is re-programmable through the onboard Arduino.
Pocket Operator Adapter by Hanz
Pocket Operators are some of the most compact and characterful devices we’ve ever seen – but what if you could control them via MIDI? Well, the Pocket Operator MIDI Adapter does exactly that – simulating button presses from an on-board Teensy microcontroller for full MIDI control over all buttons.
This indie magic allows you to make chord progressions, FX sequences, and sound selection super quick and automatable. This device is like nothing else on Tindie, or elsewhere!
CVTab for ARPIE by SixtyFourPixels
The ARPIE should need no introduction; the hardware MIDI Arpeggiator housed in the studios of the biggest names in the industry got an add on in 2019! The CV Tab adds CV Gate. Pitch and Clock to the already formidable machine, opening up numerous possibilities for use with classic analogue gear from pre-MIDI days.
Hook it up to your modular synth for a host of continually updated Arpeggiation modes, it’s now on Firmware Version 6, which is shown in full in the video.
Stage Bro 2000 by Krystal State
For live musicians and singer/songwriters, a high-fidelity backing track is essential for playing fully produced sets without having to take the London Sympohony Orchestra on the road with you. The Stage Bro 2000 allows you to playback high-quality WAV or MP3 recordings everywhere you go and trigger them using just your feet.
Load the sounds from a USB flash drive, and select your track using the simple interface. Originally built to perform a function for the inventor, the Stage Bro 2000 is happily now available to everyone!
Quadtech 101 by CCTV
With a myriad of modular panels and kits to choose from, it’s sometimes difficult to see why products like the QuadTech 101 stand out. Simple! This eurorack module goes beyond the standard mono/stereo outputs, to offer FOUR assignable outs for what the makers call QUAD PANNING!
This mystical technique allows for movement between outputs, as well as steady simultaneous output at the turn of a knob – from 2 on-board digital VCOs. The Qudtech 101 could be used to simulate the Leslie speaker effect of Hammond organs, or a host of other creative sonic crazyness.
Headmelter by Mindburner
Any product with a name like Headmelter is guaranteed to evoke a certain amount of enigma, interest, and let’s be honest, terror! Don’t be afraid, this PCB synth has 2 oscillators intent on making electric drones, spaced out sweeps and angular sync’d sounds you’ll drool over. With robotic sounds and odd controls entitled Confusion, Relapse, Hyper Boost and Medicate, you’ll be in for a sonic adventure beyond the boundaries of your imagination.
Cheers to the Year that Was 2019!
We think you’ll agree, it’s been a very good year for gear at Tindie! With new products on the proverbial horizon, let’s hope that 2020 brings even more sonic joy, synthesized landscapes, and otherworldly effects to our tabletops. A sincere congratulations to everyone who made the list this year, let’s raise a glass to the independent makers of the past, present, and future!
Eurorack lets you build professional-grade synth hardware using pieces from many different manufacturers. Everyone from the home-hobbyist to the cinematic composer is building their own custom synth laboratory with Eurorack! High-profile users of Eurorack include Vince Clarke, Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, Alessandro Cortini, Suzanne Ciani, Surgeon, John Chantler, Scanner, Venetian Snares, Junkie XL and many others! And manufacturers adopting the system now number in the hundreds, with Corporate giants of the music industry making way for independent companies creating dynamic and ever-innovating sound toys.
Each Eurorack setup is a personal journey of discovery with the intention to explore sound in any way you desire – with emphasis on the journey. You’ll find loads of Eurorack goodies to get started with a quick search on Tindie. With so many modules to chose from, you’ll find an almost endless supply of ways to make, generate and mutate your music. But what is it about modular that gets people hooked, and what benefits does it bring over traditional gear? Let’s find out!
Conventional synths and drum machines have a fixed-architecture, meaning you can’t change how the components inside interact with each other. It goes without saying that you’ve read my blog post on synths, so you’ll know they’re made up of many separate components such as Oscillators, VCAs, Filters, LFOs and Mixers; all usually set in fixed positions. Arm yourself with 20-30 patching cables, and using Eurorack you’re able to send audio and control voltages (CV) from one device to another, building your own modular dreamscape!
Eurorack comes with familiar musical elements — sequencers, synths, effects and filters — but the added depth is in the more complicated and abstract devices, enabling users to divide timing clocks, apply probability rules, deliver swing, store note sequences, quantize timings and bring logic to the proceedings. Each layer opens new doors to creating and performing music. Melodies multiply melodies (being simultaneously kept in key), enabling methodical, generative and highly musical compositions.
Eurorack Basics:
Control voltages (CV) are used to connect modules; these varying voltages can be sent and received anywhere you desire! For example, routing the output of your LFO to a filter frequency for some post-nostalgia bass wubs! There are modules which enable you to record loops of CV changes, meaning you can automate and repeat sections of changes for some seriously cool FX!
DIY kits are an affordable entry into the modular world, allowing you to solder your own devices, gaining satisfaction from building a working unit for yourself at a fraction of the RRP/MSRP. There are few things more gratifying than to see your newly-soldered-synth switched on and singing for the first time! Building your own modules comes with the added bonus of helping you to troubleshoot issues when any equipment malfunctions; familiarizing yourself with diagnostic procedures and finding solutions.
Aside from music making modules, like all of us, Eurorack needs a home, preferably with electricity! Many cases come with built-in power supplies, which will provide power to each module from one plug. Three main types of case exist; portable (like a big secret agent briefcase), tabletop, and stand. Make your choice based on what you want to achieve, and where you want to be with it.
Eurorack Jargon Buster:
HP (Horizontal Pitch) – The width of a module, or case. 1HP = 0.2 inches or 5.08mm.
U – Measurement of rack size, with each row at 3U high. A double tiered case will be 6U, and a triple tired case 9U.
1U tiles – Sleek horizontal devices which tend to be utilities, running along the top of a case.
Rail – Method to attach your modules to the case
M2.5 & M3 – Measurements of a screw thread for the rail.
Flying Bus – A cabled connection to power the modules (not a magical mystery tour!)
Busboard – A fixed PCB to power the modules.
V/Hz – An electrical voltages which sets a specific frequency.
V/Octave – An electrical voltage which equals 1 volt per musical octave
Top Tip:
Start your modular collection with an idea of what you want to achieve; this will limit your breadth of choice, and will make choosing your setup more focused and useful to you. Eurorack has been given the nickname of `Eurocrack’ for a reason; it can get very expensive, very quickly if you don’t have a goal in mind.
Eurorack has become so popular that there are now many software versions available which are a good insight into what it can do. I highly recommend the excellent VCV Rack, which is an open source modular environment to dip your toe into the rabbit hole of modular, and see if it’s for you!
Synthesizers have been around since the early 1970s and continue to inspire people to make music all over the world in software and hardware form. With hundreds of incarnations and variations, what sets them apart from each other is the design, integration and the methods of control. But at their heart, all synths are made up of the same building blocks.
Knowing a little bit about each major synth part will help you understand what you’re hearing and how it was accomplished. At its simplest, a synth is a oscillator, filter, amplitude envelope, and LFO. Let’s have a look at how those core components of every synthesizer come together to create sound.
An oscillator is the sound generating part which all other elements are built around. One oscillator is required to generate a sound, but synths tend to have multiple oscillators that can be mixed and merged to create interesting timbres and tones.
Each oscillator makes a sound which can be defined first by its waveform; a cycle of sounds measured in Hertz (cycles per second) which make the sound high or low pitched. The shape of the oscillating signal is what adds different traits to a sound. Here are some examples of common waveforms and their characteristics:
Sine – a soft, smooth waveform often used for basses.
Triangle – Similar sonic characteristics to a Sine Wave, with slightly sharper sound.
Saw Tooth – a thick sounding waveform, perfect for leads and basses.
Square – a tough, edgy waveform associated with chiptunes due to its raw-digital character.
Sample and Hold – a random collection of ever-changing frequencies which can be likened to the sound of R2D2 talking.
Each oscillator can be set to a particular octave. A sub-oscillator for example, will operate one octave below the rest to make the signal thicker and more bassy! Other settings allow the oscillator to be tuned; by semitone (to create chord combinations), or by cents (to create close or wide harmonics) which alter the interplay and overall sound of the synth.
Filter
A filter allows some but not all of the frequencies of the oscillator to be heard. If you want to make a sub-sonic rumble like you hear at the cinema, a Low Pass filter is required. This excludes high frequencies, enabling you to hear only low-frequency sounds. A High Pass filter does the opposite, allowing high frequencies to be heard while omitting the lows. The point at which the sound is passed or omitted is called the Cutoff Frequency.
There are many other types of filtering. For instance, a Band Pass filter gives you a segment in the middle to allow through, while a Notch filter allows all frequencies through, but boosts at the point the filter frequency is set.
Amplitude Envelope
To control the behavior of the sound and affect its volume over time as a key is pressed an Amplitude Envelop is used. Each synth has Attack, Sustain, Decay and Release settings to get the character you want.
This is useful for mimicking natural sounds. The sound of a note played on a violin slowly rises as its bowed, which we call the Attack of the sound. The Decay and Sustain regulate how loud the sound is as you hold it, and how long it remains at that level. An instrument like a xylophone has a short Decay and Sustain time, as you are unable to continuously hold the sound. Release is illustrated when you strum a guitar — the sound rings out, whereas if you hit a snare drum, the sound is released very quickly. Use these ADSR settings to define how your sound plays!
Low Frequency Oscillator
A Low Frequency Oscillator (LFO) is an oscillator you can’t hear, but affects another parameter of the synth. This is most commonly used for vibrato, making the sound wobble and vibrate at a speed you define. This is a particularly pleasing effect, with controls for depth (or range) of the LFO, frequency (speed), delay (amount of time before the effect is heard) and (like the main oscillator) a choice of waveform to shape how it affects the sound. Depending on the destination of the LFO, it could affect the Filter Cutoff Frequency (think of the dubstep wobble), Amplitude (like a Wah-wah pedal), Panning and a host of other parameters.
Those are the main parts of a synth, but what else is there?
Modulation gives you control over many aspects of the synthesizer, from radical pitch changes as you press a key, to how smoothly changes are made as you move the pitchbend wheel. The modulation wheel at its side is commonly used to assign custom controls, which can include filter frequency, LFO depth or overall volume. The best synths have a multitude of modulation options.
Effects may be built into a Synth to provide on-board distortion, cathedral-esqe reverbs or phattening choruses to enhance the sound. These are usually supplied with a Wet/Dry element, allowing you to mix the effected signal with the original synth sound.
Arpeggiators allow notes or chords to be held, making the synth trigger them in rhythmic patterns and rotating sequences. If you imagine the introduction to Visage – Fade to Grey or Donna Summer – I Feel Love, you’ll hear an arpeggiated part which allows a musician to make subtle and detailed adjustments to the sound elsewhere.
Every synth is different, that’s what makes them so unique! Knowing how they work is key to choosing the one that suits you, enabling you to decide the features and style of sound you need when making the future of music!
You’ll find all kinds of Synths on the Tindie page here.
Since the early eighties, MIDI has dominated the music industry. This standardized control method is now running on over a billion musical devices, in studios and bedrooms throughout the world. The reason for this is that MIDI hit so many sweet spots and works so well it feels like magic to the people who use it.
Prior to its inception in 1982, there was no standard method of communicating between synthesizer, drum machine, sequencer and sampler – so it revolutionized the way music was made, and continues unsurpassed to this day. What gives it such a dominant position is that it goes far beyond mere synchronization, to both control and extend the usefulness of each instrument and piece of equipment being used.
Developed in collaboration between Roland and Dave Smith Instruments, it’s now difficult to imagine making music without it, so let’s look why it’s been at the forefront of music making for so long.
MIDI songs are tiny and this was a huge factor in their adoption. Thirty years ago the 720 KB floppy disk was commonplace. It wouldn’t store a single iTunes file today, but it was possible to save hundreds of MIDI songs with thousands of notes on a single floppy disk! Every piece of MIDI information is transmitted and stored in hexadecimal code, making it incredibly efficient and compact — so much so, early mobile phones used MIDI for their ringtones.
Expressionism
Compare MIDI to a player piano roll. Those rolls encoded note and tempo information but rarely went beyond that. MIDI does far more than simply encoding note on / note off data — it allows for multiple notes to be played and recorded at once, each with its own particular velocity, enabling an astonishing 128 levels of depth per note. It has a vast octave range from the lowest bass to shrill highs, with pitch bends to smoothly transpose your sounds a specified number of semitones and mysterious polyphonic aftertouch to give even more sonic expansion.
Good Times
MIDI clock delivers synchronized playback between any number of devices, keeping the time (or tempo) of a song very accurately – some still swear by using an Atari ST which was legendary for its tightness. This MIDI clock works in minute detail, allowing for subtle swing and tempo changes, as well as divisions and multiplications for more expressive poly rhythms.
Channel Hopping
MIDI messages are each sent with a channel assignment. Each of the 16 MIDI channels gives you control over all your devices through just one cable! When setting up your instruments, each device is assigned its own unique channel number. This lets you create a track with bass, lead, melody and drums separately, yet synchronized – providing control of each element in a track without interference.
Big Changes
The MIDI standard includes Control Change Messages. They enable detailed tweaks and alterations to the sound of a device and are fully automated and recorded within a track. Program changes deliver quick reconfiguration of a device, for instance switching from strings to bass to bassoon within milliseconds. This means you may dedicate one of your channels to one synth, but all voices and settings on that synth are available when needed, greatly extending the use of a single channel. This is ideal for both track sections and live performance.
When I sat down to think of the best things about MIDI, these are the five reasons that immediately came to mind. Yes they make MIDI magical, but there are so many more perfect little touches to explore! MIDI remains the flagship communications standard for our wonderful musical devices, and as the 40 year anniversary draws near nothing yet has ever rivaled its dominance. At this rate, perhaps it will take an intervention from a new multidimensional force to knock MIDI off the throne.
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Sine – a soft, smooth waveform often used for basses.
This is useful for mimicking natural sounds. The sound of a note played on a violin slowly rises as its bowed, which we call the Attack of the sound. The Decay and Sustain regulate how loud the sound is as you hold it, and how long it remains at that level. An instrument like a xylophone has a short Decay and Sustain time, as you are unable to continuously hold the sound. Release is illustrated when you strum a guitar — the sound rings out, whereas if you hit a snare drum, the sound is released very quickly. Use these ADSR settings to define how your sound plays!
Small Is Beautiful
Expressionism
Channel Hopping
