Drink, Drink, Drink ... and Jasper synth ......

So having decided I am too overweight, unfit and, drinking too much, the first plan of action is a new synth, so, as I will have more time it's a build yourself one.

So its a clone of and EDP WASP, from the 70s, lots of lovely CMOS and yellow, in case you fancy it check out HERE

As to the drink, I have not touched a drop in two weeks, so let it begin .....

Powerful easy to use programmable Patchblock modules

Using DSP technology these powerful little modules can be programmed in many different ways, as stand alone sound and music generators, acting as interfaces between other equipment, and with the MIDI module able to take inputs and create outputs to and from standard MIDI equipment.

Here are the inputs and outputs shown below

Controls are two rotary controls and two switch buttons, the modules can take stereo in to all sync from other sources and also create effects on any sound inputs, there is an audio stereo out which can drive headphones. If you have more than one , the devices can be interfaced together to via a digital IO.

It is powered using a rechargeable battery which is charged via the USB socket ( standard mini USB ), when switched on the device acts like a USB memory drive and can be programmed using the free software, which is downloadable from the Pathcblocks web site.

http://patchblocks.com/

Many fully working examples patches are available so you can get started straight away.

The modules come with a USB lead for programming and charging, and a short 3.5mm plug to plug stereo lead.

A small keyboard and MIDI modules are available to buy.

Radica U-Create

The Radica U-Create, an insane little device sold as a child's toy in the past which is pretty robust and has some great cheesey sounds and interesting sound effects.

It's basically a flash memory looping device which comes with its own samples, one sample slot can be your own recording sourced from it's internal microphone or a 3.5 mm microphone socket input, its also has an input for a music source which you can apply the effects.

In theory there is software to download your own samples via its USB interface but I've not tried this.

Anyway only using it as an effect with a Korg Monotribe making the sounds here is some noise.

                       The Limaflo Chicago mk1 bass synthesizer has arrive and it's beautiful.

Here it is next to a 38 year old Korg MS10.

Manuals here.

Facebook page here.

Found a fantastic little bargain on ebay while searching keyboards, it's a rock band midi keyboard.

For £7 delivered ( so of course I have five of them now ) it's a hardware midi keyboard run from batteries. 

Standard 5 pin din midi connector.

• 25 velocity-sensitive keys
• TRS port for stomp or expression pedals
• 1-axis touch strip which maps to modulation and pitch
• Three AA batteries

Full manual is Here!

Never backed a Kickstarter project before, but spotted a synth which looks and sounds really cool, so I thought this is worth the risk.

It's an analogue bass synth called the Chicago.

Assuming it gets funded and everything goes okay should have it in time for Christmas 2016.

For further full details see  Here!

Korg M1

I wonder how many songs and gigs have used the Korg M1 ? Millions ! 

Of course one of the most successful keyboards of all time, and still used in many studios and by many artists. I would also like to know how many are still surviving from more than quarter of a million sold.

Manual for the M1

I would advise anyone to get one while they are still a reasonable buy, I got mine for less than £100 and I can see the value of them going up as more go to the synth graveyard and they become rare.

You can get software to download patches ( via MIDI ) very cheap and of course thousands of patches are available, also makes a nice weighted key MIDI keyboard.

Here is a simple tune I made using the M1.