Archive for January, 2023

203 Electronics Matrix, a new portable Grid Controller

 

Enter the Matrix, a new portable, affordable open-source grid controller that could light up your performances.The Super-slim device offers flexible lighting and a velocity-sensitive option.

203 Electronics’ Matrix is a minimalist new grid controller that is designed to be extremely portable and totally customisable thanks to its open-source design.

What is the difference from the many other grid controllers on the market, though? The developer claims that it fills a gap in the market between the high-cost ‘pro’ devices and the super-cheap ones that have limited features.

Based on the photos, Matrix certainly looks the part. It’s just 13.2mm thick and features 64 high-brightness LEDs, with the Pro version also getting an additional 32 underglow LEDs that give you more scope to create impressive light shows when you’re performing. The process of doing this is said to have been made simple and accessible.

It might appear that control is limited to the 8×8 grid, but look closely and you’ll see that there’s also a ‘hidden’ control button in the centre. In addition, there are two touchstrips on the sides, as well.

On the standard Matrix, the pads are not velocity-sensitive, but they are on the Pro version. Both devices offer USB-C and Bluetooth LE/WiFI wireless connectivity, with a 2.4Ghz wireless compatibility made possible by an optional receiver.

As mentioned, Matrix’s open-source design means that you can customise it as you wish. It ships with the Matrix OS, with all features supplied as applications within this. Because the OS is open-source, you can create your own apps to suit your needs.

The retail prices for the Matrix and Matrix Pro will be $129 and $199 respectively, but you can currently pick them up for the early bird prices of $99 and $169 via the Kickstarter campaign that has already reached its funding target. You can expect to take delivery of your controller in May or June of this year.

FKFX Audio brings back KrishnaSynth

 

FKFX let us know that they are re-releasing KrishnaSynth, which was originally released in 2007.

 

KrishnaSynth has been rewritten to meet current standards, but is a “strict copy” of the original 32-bit version, with the same sound, and all its thousand presets.

 

What the developer say about KrishaSynth:

 

“It offers over 1000 acoustic, electric, and synth sounds and is equipped with its original synthesis features, called frame oscillator. This synthesis technology allows for import, building, and modification of textures from sampled instruments and synth waveforms.

 

It also includes a comprehensive set of DSP functions and effects, along with 5 LFOs with high rate capabilities, polyphonically synced on note frequencies.”

 

KrishnaSynth is available now, for both Mac and Windows.

 

Features:

 

  • New Synthesis System (Frame Oscillator)
  • Full Control Over Frame Rate and (re)Animation of imported sounds
  • Mirror Effect
  • Repeat Effect
  • fi Effect
  • Exclusive Draw Screen
  • Several interpolation modes
  • Coarse Control(-36/+36 semitones)
  • User friendly Import Menu
  • 2 Analog Model oscillators
  • Volume and Pan control
  • Fine Tune Control (-50/+50th of a semitone)
  • Desync for each oscillator
  • FM Synthesis
  • AM Synthesis
  • Free drag and drop assignation to any control on screen
  • 16 external MIDI OUT modulation destinations
  • 6 Drawable LFO Step Sequencers : Shapes: Simple, Ramp, Saw, half-Saw, Soft, fine
  • LFO Phase Control for each LFO
  • LFO per voice (Polyphonic), or synced (Monophonic) for each LFO
  • LFO Speeder knob: Turn up all LFO rates live with a single control
  • Knob Movement Recorder: get control movement recorded into the LFO
  • LFO Visual Routing: any control affected by LFO shows up in green
  • Free drag and drop assignation to any control on screen
  • 16 external MIDI OUT modulation destinations
  • Envelope discreet parameters: time in samples of the “zero ms” attack/release
  • AHDSR Visual Feedback: See output of AHDSR directly on the destination
  • Auto-Zoom Envelope to Screen Adjust
  • 16 Steps Sequencer
  • Step Size from 1 to 16
  • Slide Control for each step
  • 2 Randomizers (Intelligent/Chaotic)
  • Tube Emulation with customizable cabinet size and frequency
  • Phaser
  • Chorus
  • Reverb
  • Perfect sync of effect parameters with host tempo and timecode
  • Legato
  • Unison using from 1 to 16 note (user selection)
  • Unison Phase delay (same)
  • Unison Random Phase delay (same)
  • Free polyphony per preset: from 1 (mono) to 16
  • Build-in Hold implementation
  • 16 voice polyphony
  • Global Master Tuning
  • MIDI Learn Edit Screen
  • MIDI Learn invertable min and max Edit
  • MIDI OUT Full Implementation
  • Preset Manager
  • Preset Category reflecting Folder hierarchy on Hard Drive
  • Preset Randomizer (choose any number, the same number generates the same random preset)
  • Intuitive 3D user Interface
  • Option Screen with clear categories
  • Global Options (Saves on Exit)
  • Over 1000 presets
  • Sound/Speech/Waveform import with Frame Analysis Technology (F.A.T.)
  • Variable PWM Effect
  • Mirror Quantized Effect
  • Bit Reduction Effect
  • Squarer Effect
  • 9 Sizable Draw Tools: Sine, Triangle, Ellipse, Square, Line, Noise, Harmonic, Smooth and Pencil
  • Volume and Pan control
  • Fine Tune Control (-50/+50th of a semitone)
  • Batch Import
  • 5 Oscillator shapes on both Analog Oscillators: Saw, Sine, Square, Triangle and Noise
  • Coarse Control(-36/+36 semitones)
  • Old synthesizer defect emulation for each oscillator
  • 3 Fat Analog Model Filters (Low Pass, Band Pass, High Pass)
  • RM Synthesis
  • 5 LFOs, each with 3 bipolar sends
  • 108 internal modulation destinations
  • 11 shapes: Saw, Inverse Saw, Triangle, Sine, Chaos, Square, Noise, Log, Inverse Log, Triangle Log and Ellipse
  • Speed Settings: from 32 Bars to 128th with dotted and triplets, and up to note frequency multiples
  • Unipolar/Bipolar switch for each LFO
  • Perfect Sync of LFOs with host tempo and timecode
  • Feedbacked LFOs: LFOs can control LFOs/AHDSRs
  • LFO Visual Feedback: See LFO output directly on the destination
  • 3 Envelopes with Attack, Hold, Decay, Sustain, Release
  • 108 internal modulation destinations
  • Five response modes: Velocity, Key, Velocity Sync, Key Sync,Velocity To Decay
  • Feedback AHDSRs: AHDSRs can control LFOs/AHDSRs
  • AHDSR Visual Routing: any control affected by AHDSR shows up in yellow
  • Show all envelopes by using soft transparency
  • 128 Pattern Memories
  • +2/-2 Octave Control for each step
  • Velocity Control for each step
  • Speed Settings: from 32 Bars to 128th, with dotted and triplet
  • Low CPU Effect Chain
  • Flanger
  • Delay
  • Several Models of Phaser, Flanger, Chorus and Delay
  • Effect Preset Managers including dozens of Effects Presets
  • Mono
  • Unison Pitch detune (added to each extra unison voice)
  • Unison Random Pitch detune (same)
  • Unison Master Level Compensation to avoid output saturation
  • Time or Distance Portamento
  • Distinct Up and down values for Pitchbend range
  • Preset Master Tuning
  • Advanced and visual MIDI Learn Mode
  • MIDI Controller number and Channel Edit
  • MIDI Intelligent Random Mutate
  • MIDI out controls on channel, Controller number, minimum and maximum output values
  • Managing functions: Save, Save As Variation, Replace, Move to Category, Delete
  • Easy to Read List
  • Mini Preset Browse
  • On/Off Switch For every Module
  • Preset Options (Saves in Preset)
  • Visual Modulation Routing

 

KrishnaSynth is available now for $49. A free version is also available.

 

Lippold Haken Electronic Music Synthesis Lectures (ECE 402)

 

Dr Lippold Haken, who’s known to many synthesists as the creator of the Continuum Fingerboard line of expressive electronic instruments, shared this series of videos from his ‘day job’ as a professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Illinois.

 

The videos capture his lectures for ECE 402 – Electronic Music Synthesis. The goals of the course are to provide a familiarity with current methods of electronic/computer music synthesis and their theory of operation and design. Emphasis is on systems concepts which are not likely to change with technology, and have application in Multimedia, Sonification, User Interface, and other fields.

 

Topics covered:

  • Survey of Electronic Music Technology since 1900
  • Music Encoding and Generation
  • Sound Perception and Analysis
  • Subtractive Synthesis: Processing of Fixed Waveforms
  • Sampling Synthesis
  • Modulation Synthesis
  • Additive Synthesis
  • Additive Synthesis with Complex Basis Functions
  • Physical Models
  • Pitch Processing
  • Real-Time Performance Interfaces and Implementation
  • Simulated Environments