Oberheim shared this video, featuring people from around the world of synths and electronic music celebrating Tom Oberheim on his 90th birthday.
Tom Oberheim is one of the pioneering figures in electronic instrument design, helping to shape the sound of modern music over 6 decades.
Beginning with sequencers and effects devices in the early 1970s, he went on to create the SEM (Synthesizer Expander Module), the Four-Voice and Eight-Voice polyphonic systems, and the groundbreaking OB-series synthesizers, including the OB-X, OB-Xa, and OB-8. Oberheim later introduced the influential DMX and DX digital drum machines.
After returning to instrument design in the 21st century, he collaborated on modern recreations of his classic designs, along with new instruments that combine the classic sound of his vintage designs with modern features and capabilities.
Happy Birthday Tom, and we hope you can celebrate many more!
Synthesist Starsky Carr – in his latest video – shares his take on the Korg Electribe EMX-1 – a vintage groovebox that’s loved by many for its combination of ease of use and capabilities.
Video Summary:
“Can a groovebox from 2003 really carry an entire live techno, House or Electro set?
After watching my mate Beau Beaumont play a whole gig out of a single Korg Electribe, I had to find out for myself. In this video I dig into the EMX-1 (the blue, synth-based Electribe) — the sounds, the synth engine, the effects, and the performance tricks that let you play a full live set from one little groovebox. Stick around to the end for a 15-minute live set demo recorded in one take.
The Korg Electribe EMX-1 and its sample-based sibling the ESX-1 came out over 20 years ago, but they’ve quietly become cult live-performance machines. 9 drum parts, 5 synth parts, 16 oscillator types, 256 patterns per song, 3 chainable effects, motion sequencing, and a pair of glowing valves for warmth and grit. By the end you’ll know exactly what it does, what it can’t do, and how to actually gig with one.”
Watch the video and share your thoughts on the Korg Electribe EMX-1 in the comments.
MotionTones is a standalone instrument and plugin that uses a two-dimensional physics simulation as its compositional engine.
Users can create a scene by placing balls and drawing shapes on a canvas, with each collision triggering notes selected from a chosen scale or chord and played by one of the instrument’s built-in ambient sound engines.
The plugin supports both internal sound generation and MIDI workflows, allowing generated performances to be captured internally, sent to external software via MIDI, or dragged directly into a DAW as MIDI clips.
Features:
A two-dimensional physics simulation generates musical events from object collisions
Each collision triggers a note from the selected scale or chord
Twenty-five built-in instruments are included
Sixty-two preset scales are provided
A custom two-octave scale editor supports up to 23 scale degrees
Forty-five preset chords are included
A custom eight-note chord palette can be created
Reference tuning includes 440 Hz, 432 Hz, and nine Solfeggio frequencies
A custom step-grid bounce pattern supports accents, swing, and Euclidean fill
Up to sixty simultaneous balls are supported in Performance mode
Rain and forest ambience layers are included with independent level controls
Built-in reverb and echo processing are provided
Ten canvas themes are available
Thirteen ball palettes are included
Three atmosphere variants are provided
Adjustable motion trails are supported
MIDI input can be used to spawn balls
MIDI output is supported
Generated performances can be captured internally and dragged into a DAW as MIDI clips
Sixty-five factory presets are included
The software operates as a standalone application
VST3 plugin support is provided
Audio Unit plugin support is available on macOS
Compatibility is provided for macOS and Windows
MotionTones is available now, for Windows and macOS ,as a standalone application, VST3 plugin, and Audio Unit plugin on macOS, with an intro price of €18 (normally €35).
