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Analog Gear News
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mosc
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 19, 2005 8:19 am    Post subject:  Analog Gear News
Subject description: 1st in series of monthly articles
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Analog Gear News

by Per Wikström

(This is the first in what we hope will be a serie of monthly articles).

Doepfer BBD Module
Doepfer http://www.doepfer.de is releasing a Bucket Brigade Device with several milliseconds of delay time for filtering, phasing and Karplus-Strong resonant sounds. But there is no sign of a analogue delay device for echo FX. Blacet http://www.blacet.com has closed their delay module due to shortage of bucket brigade chips, and the Moogfogger delay is also out of production. Maybe it is time to search second hand shops for old analogue delay machines?

There is also a delay in the delivery of the Doepfer Universal Vactrol module. But I don’t mind, I am even a bit surprised that they produce it. Even if Vactrols (opto-coupled devices, with a photo cell and a LED) are hot now, this particular device feels like a module for the real enthusiasts. It takes in a normal CV and turns it into soft and mellow and controllable vactrol CV; but I wonder if it really will shake the modular world.

Analogue Solutions http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/%7Econcuss/ have stripped it’s 3 X 16 sequencer Oberkorn of its MIDI and lowered the price. And maybe it is a sign of the times; Doepfer is closing the production of Regelwerk analogue midi sequencer. AS also is releasing another version of the Oberkorn sequencer, with 1 x 16 step and sliders instead of rotary knobs.

Wiard has come back. They earlier had a flop with their expensive 5HU series of modules. Now they are into the 3 HU format and they are releasing a new filter, The Borg Filter. The are also making the Noise Ring, a module that seems to be (as far as I can understand) an adoption of Don Buchla's ”Source of Uncertainty” (nobody knows for sure), but capable of work in audio spectrum. It can deliver noise as well as random notes. On http://www.wiard.com/ there area lot of mp3s and endlessly enthusiastic quotes from users. But you better listen and make up your own mind.The new modules are constructed to work within the Blacet Frac Rac framework, and with a Blacet power supply.

One of the Blacet modules, the Black Star Chaos, which died because of the shortage of the Texas Instruments SN76477 chip, will have a short last summer: The US Company Cyndustries http://www.cyndustries.com/ say they will make a last batch of the module.

They have also unannounced a new and expensive VCO, the Zerooscillator. New is the fact that they leave the banana plug only concept and will sell it in several versions. For example, it will be available in Doepfer and Blacet formats; in 3 HU modules with 3.5 mm connections. There are also versions with a 5HU panel and quarter inch connections. It is not the only VCO with linear FM, for example the Doepfer A-111 is also capable of linear FM. It looks great, with a big knob in the middle and has its own VCA for the level of linear FM modulation. Nice mp3s on their website, Price is $650 US.

Posted Image, might have been reduced in size. Click Image to view fullscreen.

Sythesizer.com Q960 Moog 960 Clone


Syntheziser.com http://www.synthesizers.com/ continues to clone old Moog modules. They are making a very close copy of the Moog 960, called Q960. It is a 3 x 8 step sequencer and it has electric light bulbs instead of LEDs. Can it be more retro? They have also copies of the Moog 961 sequencer interface, a Q962 sequential switch and a Q963 trigger bus. And with the Syntheziser.com design, I wonder if it is anything more than the logotype that differs from the Moog original, at least as long as you look on the outside.
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Kassen
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Joined: Jul 06, 2004
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 19, 2005 10:40 am    Post subject: Re: Analog Gear News
Subject description: 1st in series of monthly articles
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Per Wikström wrote:

Maybe it is time to search second hand shops for old analogue delay machines?


Actually, it was a good time to do that five years ago; now they are fashionable and expensive.

Fortunately new chips are again being made and several brands are making new pedals based on BBD's.

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Gregg Hermetech



Joined: Nov 23, 2005
Posts: 35
Location: Paris, France

PostPosted: Thu Dec 22, 2005 10:19 pm    Post subject: Re: Analog Gear News
Subject description: 1st in series of monthly articles
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mosc wrote:
Analog Gear News

Wiard has come back. They earlier had a flop with their expensive 5HU series of modules. Now they are into the 3 HU format and they are releasing a new filter, The Borg Filter. The are also making the Noise Ring, a module that seems to be (as far as I can understand) an adoption of Don Buchla's ”Source of Uncertainty” (nobody knows for sure), but capable of work in audio spectrum. It can deliver noise as well as random notes. On http://www.wiard.com/ there area lot of mp3s and endlessly enthusiastic quotes from users. But you better listen and make up your own mind.The new modules are constructed to work within the Blacet Frac Rac framework, and with a Blacet power supply.


i'm not really sure i'd agree with the statement that one of the most desirable modular systems of recent times (the wiard 300 series) was a "flop". people are begging grant to bring it back. i have the 1200 series Joystick Axis Generator, Boogie Filter, Joystick, and Noise Ring, and they are by far the highest quality frac rack modules i have come across (in build and audio quality). the Noise Ring i use more as a CV source, but it can make very wacky audio too. quantising the two outputs to a scale and feeding them to vco's can sound REALLY nice Wink
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Per



Joined: Jun 09, 2004
Posts: 165
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 26, 2005 4:50 am    Post subject: analoge gear
Subject description: Thanks for comments
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Thank you for the comments. I am sure the 5HU Wiard series are great gear, but as it is no longer in serial production because of low demand, it must have been a flop in echonomical terms for the Wiard Company. The company call it "too exotic to the primitive civilisation of the 20th century" and there are some stains of bitterness in that statement.
Per W
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