Designer Tim Alex Jacobs (mitxela) shared this overview and demo of the Reverse Oscilloscope synthesizer, which lets you shape waveforms tangibly, using ‘glowy glowy sliders’.
Topics covered:
00:00 Intro and motivation
02:21 Controls explained
08:16 Demo (sequencing, gate)
15:04 Talking
16:27 Demo (janky envelope)
23:04 Technical details
26:12 Outro
The synth is a DIY prototype. You can find full build info at the Mitxela website.
Watch the video and share your thoughts on the Reverse Oscilloscope synthesizer in the comments!
The Roland RD-64 Digital Piano is a pro-spec stage piano with 64-note weighted-action keys. With 64 note Ivory Feel-G keyboard action, SuperNATURAL Piano engine for authentic, playable acoustic piano sounds and more SuperNATURAL-based vintage EPs, plus essential clav and organ tones, the Roland RD-64 is also a flexible MIDI master keyboard, with one-touch setup that unlocks the SuperNATURAL sound potential when used with the INTEGRA-7 sound module or JUPITER-80/-50 synths.
The key action “Ivory Feel G”, a substantial weighted-action with a textured key surface. The default touch response curve is very dynamic, and allows zero-velocity “silent” notes, like you would find when playing an acoustic grand. Acoustic and electric pianos both benefit from Roland’s “SuperNatural” technology, which is the most current and expertly programmed sounds Roland has available to put into various products. The acoustic piano category has three tones – concert piano, bright piano, and concert mono, and all are derived from the piano sample set. Electric pianos include two Rhodes sounds (tine) and one Wurly (reed), and there are also three Clav settings and three drawbar organ settings. The organs are useful as they include a properly-triggering harmomic percussion and adjustable two-speed rotary effect. The Cons – Roland RD-64 will only recognize an expression pedal when it is in MIDI controller mode; which disables the internal sound, it would be nice to use one with the onboard organ tones.
For a gigging pianist, it is wonderful to see an instrument that balances practicality and power. The Roland RD-64 Digital Piano weighs in at just over 28 pounds. If you need to go ultra-compact while retaining weighted action and high-end piano sounds, the RD-64 just might be perfect for you. goat milk creatives
Musikmesse 2013 – A Classic Synthesizer re-worked for the 21st Century with 70’s thinking. The new Novation Bass Station II is an analogue mono-synth based on the classic original Novation BassStation. The Bass Station II features 25 full sized ‘synth-action’ keyboard with aftertouch, two filters, two oscillators and a sub-oscillator, patch save capability, and analog effects, a step-sequencer, arpeggiator, onboard modulation, and MIDI and USB.
The Novation Bass Station II layout and controls are very much in keeping with the original, and feel solid. The case is a more muted gray, and not as loud as some recent Novation outings. The cooler features on the Bass Station II: LFO slew, hard oscillator sync, and velocity mapping are very nice, indeed. And this does qualify as “analog,” with an analog signal path and analog filters, even with a switchable diode filter modeled on the 303 for what Novation describes as “acid” and “squelchy” sounds. And you get lots of hands-on controls for the synth, a welcome feature.
The new Bass Station II is improved, expanded, and more connected. This is yet another entry from OSCar and Wasp creator Chris Huggett, who contributed to some legendary synth designs and has continued to work with Novation.
weighs in at just over 28 pounds. If you need to go ultra-compact while retaining weighted action and high-end piano sounds, the RD-64 just might be perfect for you.
