DEEP IN THE MOON STUDIO
(A PLACE FOR PURE ANALOG ADDICTS)
"It took over 7 years to get the right equipment for the desired sound"
SYNTHS & KEYBOARDS
ROLAND JUPITER 8
"The Great Roland Jupiter 8 its dirty and beyond FAT, i use it for synth lines, even though its bass its huge, I still prefer my moogs or tb303. Everytime i am looking for a lead line with a smooth top, i design it and if i have space in the mix i arpegiate it and ualah! The Shit is rock n rolling. " MERLINMOON
The Jupiter 8 was Roland's first truly professional analog synthesizer. The Jupiter 8 features 16 rich analog oscillators at 2 per voice, eight voice polyphony and easy programming! At eight voices you can get some pretty thick analog sounds. Easy and intuitive programming via front panel sliders, knobs and buttons for all your tweaking needs. The legacy of the Jupiter synthesizers is due to their unique voice architecture and design, creating sounds that were so unreal and amazing that they have to be heard! No other synths in the world can create analog sounds as cool and authentic as these.
The Jupiter 8 was the biggest and fattest of them all (Jupiters and Junos)! It was one of the first synths to allow its keyboard to be split and layered - it's eight voices of trance heaven! Cross-mod, oscillator sync, a great LFO and a classic arpeggiator are also on-board. (The arpeggiator can be heard all over the Duran Duran classic, "Rio".) There's also two killer resonant analog 24dB/oct filters with 2-pole and 4-pole settings as well as low- and high-pass filtering methods. Unfortunately for the earlier models, tuning was very unstable but that seemed to be resolved in later models. Unlike its smaller counterpart, the Jupiter 6, the Jup 8 does not feature MIDI, only Roland's DCB sync can be found on some models. However, MIDI retro-kit's are available from various companies. Patch presets can store keyboard splits, arpeggiator settings, voice assign mode, hold, portamento and modulation settings.
The Jupiter 8 has been used by Tangerine Dream, Orbital, Future Sound of London, Moby, Duran Duran, Underworld, Vince Clarke, Überzone, Jean Michel Jarre, Roxy Music, OMD, A Flock Of Seagulls, Depeche Mode, Rush, Meat Beat Manifesto, Banco De Gaia, Josh Wink, Thomas Dolby, Howard Jones, The Cars, Prince, Gary Wright, Jan Hammer, BT, Adrian Lee, Heaven 17, Kitaro, Elvis Costello, Tears for Fears, Huey Lewis and the News, Journey, Moog Cookbook, Toto, Yes, Devo, Freddy Fresh, George Duke, Greg Phillanganes, Jonathan Cain of Journey, Greg Johnson & Kevin Kendrick of Cameo, Stevie Wonder and Simple Minds.ROLAND TB303 X 2 (w midi mod)
"I've always been a huge fan of fat bass lines, the Roland tb-303 is the only analog synth with 18db filter, it makes the bass sound fat. The Filter section is a filler, very different to the moog sound or the korg sound, not a synth for everything but when it fits, there is nothing like it" MERLINMOON
The TB-303 is THE sound of acid and techno house music! It's a monophonic analog bass synthesizer married to a pattern-based step sequencer released in 1982. It features a single analog oscillator with two waveforms (ramp or square) and has a simple but excellent VCF filter with resonance, cut-off, and envelope controls. There are also knobs to adjust tuning, envelope decay, tempo and accent amount.
How does it work? Well, it's not a performance synthesizer because you have to program a pattern of notes and timing info into it (sort of like a drum machine). Patterns can then be linked into songs. It was originally made to accompany a drum machine, the TR-606 specifically, and provide bass-line accompaniment to guitarists, keyboard players, etc. It was not a successful product in its time. As a result, creative DJs and aspiring electronic musicians found them for next to no money and began using them for techno and acid music. Usually a single pattern is continuously played while the performer tweaks the knobs creating an exciting and expressive musical event.
The TB-303 has become one of the most sought after vintage synths ever! It has helped develop and stylize many forms of electronic music including House, Acid, Trance and Ambient. If ever there was a need for a repetitive bassline/groove or an extremely resonant and bubbly sound, the 303 is KING. Truly a unique machine with a very identifiable sound! It has spun off several imitators as well: Novation BassStation, ReBirth, Doepfer MS-404, MAM MB-33, Syntecno TeeBee, and more (see Related & Alternative Gear sidebar).
Ironically, these days it's become trendy to dislike the 303 again, now because of over-use. But I don't and you shouldn't either because it is one-of-a-kind and it's just got that sound that everyone loves! Fatboy Slim says it best in his song "Everybody Needs A 303!"
Getting creative with the 303 always leads to great sounds! Add a guitar distortion pedal for instant hard-core acid and techno. Use the CV and Gate outputs to control other old synthesizers and get that elastic 303 groove workin' your other synths (especially cool with a polyphonic synth). It is used by: Aphex Twin, 808 State, Future Sound of London, Massive Attack, Orbital, Eat Static, Norman Cook (Fatboy Slim), Air, Astral Projection, Josh Wink, Plastikman, Überzone, Moby, Hardfloor, Ultramarine, Underworld, BT, The Prodigy, Jimmy Edgar, Union Jack, Front Line Assembly, Pet Shop Boys, Freddy Fresh, Luke Vibert, and the Chemical Brothers.
ROLAND JP8000
"PAD heaven, by far the best stereo pads in the world. Not a big fan of their presets, its not user friendly, but if you take the time to design the texture that you are looking for, you'll never find the depth of its pads anywhere in the world. Its UNBELIEVABLE, some of todays progressive trance producers abussive of this little beast, I use it only for soundscapping purposes" MERLINMOON
The JP-8000 Music Synthesizer has been designed using a first-of-its-kind Roland Analog Modeling sound source, combining the fat, powerful sounds associated with vintage analog synths with the flexibility of digital technology and MIDI. Like the classic Roland analog synths of the past, the JP-8000 sports a collection of 38 front-panel knobs and sliders for powerful real-time control, opening a brand new world of sonic possibilities. Innovative "Motion Control" feature memorizes all sequential slider and knob movements, ensuring that a great real-time "tweak" will not be lost. "Analog" synth functions like oscillator sync, ring modulation, -12/-24 dB filtering, cross modulation, an assignable ribbon controller and powerful pitch bend/modulation lever make the JP-8000 a very powerful synthesizer for live and studio use!
The JP-8000 is excellent for use in any music where classic synth sounds are needed. For techno, dance, drum&bass, hiphop, film scoring, synth pop and more! It is used by the Crystal Method, BT, Orbital, Ken Ishii, Vince Clarke, Goldie, Dave Holmes, Prodigy, Groove Armada, Pet Shop Boys, Depeche Mode, ATB, Überzone, Faithless, Gary Numan, Scooter, Konflict, William Ørbit, Paul Van Dyk, Groove Armada, and Garbage.
MOOG MEMORYMOOG (w midi mod)
"What can i say about thses beast that no one knows, well i couldnt make a record without this ANIMAL. The knobs respond like any other synth, the filter is like infinite orgasm. Use it for bass, use it for lead, use it for sound effects, you pick. To fat for pad like sounds but who the fuck wants a moog for pads, my favorite synth" MERLINMOON
Vintage synth memory moog info
This was Moog's last official synth, made back in 1982, and it was never really completed so upgraded or modified models are commonly found these days. There were two versions of this synth: the Memorymoog and the Memorymoog+. The latter is the only one capable of taking a MIDI retrofit, and it also has more stable oscillator control. The version can be checked in the AUTOTUNE feature.
The Memorymoog is like having six Minimoogs stacked in one! Features include VCO syncing, sample and hold, and separate filters for each voice! It also has a unison mode for a fat 18 oscillator monophonic bass and lead. And as its name would suggest it has memory storage, 100 patches! It should also be noted that these, while they appear relatively rugged, are prone to problems, notably missing or 'stuck' voices. It is used by 808 State, The Orb, The Crystal Method, Air, Jean-Michel Jarre, Freddy Fresh, Jan Hammer, Bon Jovi, INXS, Jellyfish, Imperial Drag, Moog Cookbook, Rick Wakeman, Labradford, George Duke and James "Jimmy Jam" Harris III.
MOOG MIDI MINI X 2
"The working environment need to be confortable and most of the analog synth are big and table top. I love the fact that this BEAST FITS in the rack, i have two of them because given that its only 1 voice, i like to pan one to each side and detune them to get a wide spread stereo image. All of them sound somewhat different, therefore its a beauty when you hear them both in the mix. I also love to use the filter to process other sounds like, HH, cymbals, kick, delays, even reverbs, who said rules, better said who gives a shit about rules, but we know that this synth rules" MERLINMOON
The Midimoog is an excellent resurrection of the Minimoog by Studio Electronics, a company that has shown with its ATC-1 Tone Chameleon that they can emulate the classic synths. Remaining faithful to the original design, circuitry and components, Studio Electronics has recreated the original in a new rackmount MIDI equipped unit. Every unit has a genuine Minimoog Model D board inside. They've added a new dedicated LFO in addition to the Midi. Unfortunately, due to the 100% analog design of this synth, including the analog pots and switch controllers, retrofitting patch memory to the original Minimoog boards would have been a major electronic undertaking. So just like the original Minis, there is no patch memory storage.
The front panel layout of the Midimoog strongly resembles the Minimoog's original design. Familiar to old Minimoogers and fairly easy to learn and explore for the newer users. As for the sounds... they're the real thing. Three oscillators power this monophonic analog beast to create fat and warm synth basses, leads, blip-bleeps and sweeping sounds. The classic 24 dB/oct lowpass Moog filter is here too, and just as powerful as always. The rack-mountability and MIDI implementation alone make this an excellent choice for anyone looking for the famous warm Moog sounds in a compact yet classic MIDI-equipped module. It has been used by Fatboy Slim, Depeche Mode, Nitzer Ebb, Jean-Michel Jarre, and Glen Ballard (Alanis Morrisette's producer). They are rare, however, and sell for thousands of dollars typically.
OBERHEIM MATRIX 12 (Custom 12 voice individual outputs)
"I am going to be honest, the only reason i bought this synth its because of Sasha's Xpander EP. Given thats its a digital synth but with great components, it offers increible ADDA (analog / digital and digital analog converters) which are the shit. I was even thinking on buying a few of these machines a build myself a ADDA for my Daw. Its not easy to program, i take days to make a patch, the mono pads in the world. THe down side is that it takes as much electrocity as a washine machine, so us it and turn it off" MERLINMOON
Oberheim's Matrix 12 is a legendary analog synthesizer from the mid-eighties that is still the king of analog sounds. One of the fattest, roundest, pleasantly analog synthesizers around! It's long been known for creating some of the thickest and best analog pads, sweeps, buzzes, basses and textures. It features Matrix Modulation for extremely wild virtual patching for almost unlimited range of sounds and modulation capabilities!
The Matrix 12 is similar to the Xpander and the lighter Matrix 6. But the Matrix 12 is much fatter and more programmable than either. Every control can have an effect on some other parameter thanks to Oberheim's flexible design. For example, there are 15 types of LFOs and VCAs per voice! And there's plenty of diagrams drawn out on the front panel of the synth to help you figure out some signal routing. This is not a synth for the beginner. It is used by The Orb, Gravity Kills, Vangelis, Technotronic, and Depeche Mode.
KORG MS 50 MODULAR EXPANDER ((w midi mod)
"Its very hard to program, even thought it looks simple its very hard to get a mellow sounds, this machine is meant for sounds with a lot of darkness inside. After a while I learned how to soften it, I like to make sound effects with it processing other synth that need a percentage of dirty balls, or whenever i want to make a huge electronic statement, I layer the sound with a softer synth and pass them through a huge reverb, then i smash the signal with a compressor, a little bit of chorus, phaser and flanger, just enough to give it subtle atmosphere" MERLINMOON
The Korg MS-50 - modular in design and at the height of the MS-series synthesizers. This keyboard-less expander type module is completely patchable and uses Korg's Hz/V type of CV and Gate for control with other synths like the MS-20. There are lots of knobs and patch points on this one... The MS-50 is still a single VCO monophonic analog beast but offered more patchability and power than any other MS synth. Other features include a ring modulator, voltmeter and sample & hold. It was also designed to complement the SQ-10 sequencer. It has been used by The Chemical Brothers.
OSCar SYNTH (w midi mod)
"I am always searched to find on but i never wanted to pay big bucks for it, growing up i was a fan of underworld, they use this synth in their productions alot. Everytime i would find one it would sell for over 7k. I was lucky to find mine in pristine conditions, and at the price of a slim chicken. I love the texture of the oscillators and i also know that its a pain in the ass to program, i'll update this info when i really learn how to use it" MERLINMOON
Vintage synth Oscar synth info
The OSCar is a classic mono-synth from British manufacturer Oxford Synthesiser Company (OSC). It came in 1983 and though it was in the same class as the Arp Odyssey and Minimoog mono-synths, its late arrival makes it one of the more advanced programmable mono-synths of its time! It's got a really cool sound, digitally controlled dual oscillators with analog filters, and plenty of programmability all packed into a quirky little plastic case with 37 keys. MIDI also appeared on later revisions as well.
Its sound starts out from its two DCO's. The synth is monophonic but can also achieve duophonic capability when using just one oscillator per voice. Waveforms offered include sawtooth, triangle, and square-, variable-, or modulated-pulse waveforms. In addition to these analog waveforms, there's an additive-synthesis function allowing you to create your own custom waveforms by simply mixing the amplitudes of any of its 24 harmonics using the keyboard. Up to 24 of these custom waves can be stored and used with either oscillator.
Once you've got some sounds it's time to hit the filter section - the real analog heart of this synth! It has two 12dB/oct filters which can be linked for a steeper 24dB/oct slope. It features switchable lowpass, highpass and bandpass filtering and your basic frequency cutoff and resonance type controls. The filter has its own ADSR envelope as well (a second ADSR envelope controls the amplifier section). The filter can also be modulated by the LFO. The OSCar's LFO offers triangle, sawtooth, square, and other wave shapes and can also be used to modulate the amp, pitch, or pulse-width. There's even a sample-and-hold function.
A simple built-in sequencer gave the OSCar duophonic capabilities! It could play a sequence on one of the oscillators while the keyboard can be used to simultaneously play along with the sequence. It stores up to 24 sequences. When MIDI came on later models after 1984, you could easily synchronize your OSCar and other MIDI gear together and patches stored in memory could be dumped via MIDI to more permanent offline storage mediums. MIDI models also offered 36 programmable memory patches which are assigned to the actual keyboard keys (pre-MIDI models had 12 preset and 24 user patches). The OSCar is usually hard to find and they usually need some work (they're almost 20 years old), but it's a favorite and classic little beast which has been used by Hardfloor, Orbital, Ozric Tentacles, BT, Jean-Michel Jarre, Asia, Ultravox, Stevie Wonder, Sneaker Pimps, Keith Emerson, Sneaker Pimps, and Underworld.
EMS VCS3 PUTNEY (w midi mod)
"AJA, the beast, even though you think you dont know what this machine is you've all listen to it, Pink Floyd abused it on their dark side of the moon album, "Any colour you like" "On the Run" other bands like The Who in "Baba O'riley" The steve miller band "Fly like an eagle". Its very hard to find although todays market are paying top dollars for it, I have bruce Forat currently working on mine, the power supply was very unstable and it keeps blowing out chips, hopefully i'll get it back in the next few weeks so i can start abusing it in the production of the new album" MERLINMOON
The VCS3 (nicknamed the Putney) is an analog monosynth housed in a distinctive angled wooden case, a truly classic synth. EMS (Electronic Music Studios) was created in England back in 1969. The VCS3 was one of their first synths and it is still a great, unique, funky little unit! Pictured above is the Mark I model. Pictured is another unit with the small wood-cased DK2 voltage-control keyboard required to play the VCS3.
It has three oscillators, and a unique matrix-based patch system. Instead of patch wires, the VCS3 uses a patchbay grid in which the synth components are laid out, and signal routing is accomplished by placing small pins into the appropriate slots. The VCS3 was, in actuality, a modular type synthesizer reduced down to an extremely portable size.
It generates familiar sci-fi sounds (Dr. Who) and other truly analog sounds. Unfortunately, the oscillators tend to drift out of tune. There's a Noise Generator, 2 Input Amplifiers, 1 Ring Modulator, 1 Voltage Controlled Low Pass Filter (VCF), 1 Trapezoid Envelope Generator, Joy-Stick Controller, Voltage Controlled Spring Reverb unit and 2 Stereo Output Amplifiers.
Additonally, the VCS3 was also sold in a plastic breif-case and called the Synthi A. The major Synthi 100 system was based on three VCS3's strung together. Some ultra-rare commercially unavailable synths EMS made include the VCS4 in 1969 which was basically 2 VCS3's plus a keyboard. And the Synthi Keyboard 1 of 1970 was just a VCS3 with a mini 29-note keyboard.
Many of these EMS synth's have been used by Brian Eno, Tangerine Dream, Pink Floyd, Stereolab, Yes, Aphex Twin, Autechre, Jean-Michel Jarre, Astral Projection, Klaus Schulze, Depeche Mode, Vince Clarke, Add N to (X), The Who, Todd Rundgren, Recoil, Freddy Fresh, and many more.
FAT PCP 330 VOCODER
"There are many vocoders out there, and the good ones are to expensive for my budget or what my need for it is. You can beat this filter, its heaven like, super smooth and gentle. As a vocoder it does its job but i really use it for filtering my sounds. I do many takes and i move the knobs to my pleasure, then listen back and start comping when the magic happens" MERLINMOON
Just about the only Vocoder available on the market, and it's got a
popular price... The PC-330, comes from Freeform Analog Technology
(FAT) the folks who make the Freebass module.
Traditionaly, a
vocoder, is an effect which takes two inputs, an instrument (carrier)
and a voice (modulator), and superimposes vocal effects over the
instrument. This is achieved by the use of a bank of filters, which
divide the signals into various bands of the audio spectrum. Driving
the modulator input, either by speaking into a microphone, or driving
it by a recorded voice, or other signal, excites particular audio
bands, causing the vocoder to excite the corresponding frequencies in
the instrument signal..... Naturally, the treated signal can be
anything, as can the driver signal that effects it
On this
model, the carrier can be either an internal VCO or external line
input, whilst both line and mic inputs are given for the modulator
signal, (the signal that manipulates the carrier)
The PC-330
has eleven filter bands each with it's own level knob on the front
panel. The final output can contain any mix of modulator, carrier,
vocoded signal and a special filtered version of the signal.....
The FAT products are distributed WW by Turnkey/Soho Soundhouse in
London,.... I've included a link below direct to the PC-330 page.....
You can order one if you want. They do credit card mail order.... tax
free WW as far as I know....(nope I don't work for them.... but if you
want one, that's the only place to get it!)
WURLITZER 145B TUBE (Modified by Peter Hayes at Electronic Edge) ELCE EDGE
"Talk all you want about this beast, it does have a huge buss in it, but it has more soul in the sound than any other wurli out there, its like a rainy day with wet grass, black bile in the hands of love, its hard to explain but it does exist. Its meant to make noise and its part of what it is. If you want a clean recording without buzz, but one of those fake libraries which emulate their interpratation of theses, machines. People dont understand that the magic lies in the air, once the sound is made into waves and the overtones take over, it tickle our ears, its like a massage for the brainwaves, if you want to get rid of yours let me know i know plenty of people that are desperate to buy one" MERLINMOON
The earliest versions were the "100" series; these had a case made from painted fibreboard or wood and were fitted with a single loudspeaker mounted in the rear of the case. Apart from the very first models, the portable Wurlitzer pianos featured a tremolo effect with fixed rate but adjustable depth. Models produced until the early 1960s used vacuum tube circuitry; the 140B was the first solid-state model, introduced in 1962. The model 145 was tube and came out around the same time as the 140 solid state pianos. Ultimately both were replaced in 1968 by the plastic-bodied 200, a much lighter instrument (56 lbs, without the legs or pedal) with two loudspeakers facing the player. This model was updated as the 200A in 1972 and continued in production into 1980. The 200 was available in black, dark "Forest Green", red or beige. The 200A was only available in black and avocado green. The white Wurlitzer sometimes seen being used by bands such as The Beach Boys, The Carpenters and Supertramp was a custom painted finish not made by the manufacturer. The last version to be introduced was the 200B in 1978; this was visually identical to the 200A but was designed to be powered by a pair of medium-tension (85v) rechargeable batteries; it had no internal speakers or amplifier.
RHODES 1979 Mark 1 Suitcase 73 (Modified by Peter Hayes at Electronic Edge) ELCE EDGE
"Yeap, this the Rhodes, everyone know what this is. We've heard this keyboard in all the records that we love. I love the rhodes, I cant record without it. Sometimes i even record a rhodes and add the tails of the sustain to the sustain of my piano recording. I let the sustain of the rhodes fade in when the sustain of the piano starts, i love the melancholy element to it" MERLINMOON
In late 1975, CBS Musical Instruments decided to drop the Fender name from the Rhodes line of products, in order to establish Rhodes as its own brand. The Rhodes Suitcase Piano and Rhodes Mark I Stage Piano continued to be produced in 73- and 88-key configurations.
Aside from the new logos, there were two main differences between the "Fender Rhodes" and "Rhodes" Mark I pianos: the hammers and the tines. These differences were small ones, but they still had a noticeable impact on the piano's tone. The new hammers were completely plastic, reducing the weight of the piano while retaining the same shape and replaceable Neoprene tips. The tines featured a "swaged" design, tapered in a way that made them 4 times more durable than the previous generation. The combination of these improvements produced the more mellow, less bell-like sound heard on most Rhodes recordings from the late 70's.
RHODES BASS (Modified by Peter Hayes at Electronic Edge) ELCE EDGE
"Well I am not a bass player so i love playing the bass on my songs with this beast, i first heard in every recording of the doors before Tony levin stepped into their studio. Its just very FAT, so i EQ it in a way where the sound does not eat the lower frequencies of my other sounds, i am not an engineer but I can tell when something takes away the texture of other sounds, ask Miles Davis about it" MERLINMOON
In 1965 the Fender Rhodes Electric Piano became available in several configurations. The most common was the 73-key version with a 50W amplifier base (4 x 12" speakers, mono), built-in EQ (treble/bass) and tremolo effects, and a silver glitter-top harp cover. The pianos manufactured during this period featured wooden piano hammers (felt-covered, teardrop shape) and untapered Raymac tines. This combination produced the raw, bell-like sound heard on pioneering Rhodes recordings, most notably Bitches Brew and In a Silent Way.
VOX CONTINENTAL (Modified by Peter Hayes at Electronic Edge) ELCE EDGE
"Again we go back to the doors, Ray Mansurick (http://www.raymanzarek.us) keyboard player of the doors, was able to get one and used it in the doors songs. It became the main personality in the sound of the band after Jim's voice. Its sounds smoother than an organ and it takes a bit of time to find the right texture for a song but if fits, nothing fits like it" MERLINMOON
Wikipedia Vox continental info
he Vox Continental is a transistor-based combo organ that was introduced in 1962. Known for its thin, bright, breathy sound, the "Connie," as it was affectionately known, was designed to be used by touring musicians. It was also designed to replace heavy tonewheel organs, such as the Hammond B3.
While this was not entirely accomplished, the Continental was used in many 1960s hit singles, and was probably the most popular and best-known combo organ among major acts. Although phased out of production in the early 1970s, the organ still has a strong following to this day, and remains among the most sought-after of combo organs by enthusiasts.
DRUM MACHINES
ROLAND TR606 (w midi mod)
"This machine either you love it or you hate it. I personally like it, manly the overheads. I started making music with the rebirth when i was 14 or 15 and I always dreamed to have the 909, 808 and 303's. I recently sold my 909 and 808 because i have heard them so much in the last years that somehow i lost my love for them. The 606 is still on my top list and soon i want to get a 707 and Mc202. I dont have space to put them but i will get them" MERLINMOON
A cool little box! So primitive and cute! The 606 was the percussion side-kick to the TB-303. It even looks like the 303. It stores up to 32 patterns and 8 songs. The 606 allows switching between Pattern Play and Write mode while running - making the 606 the only drumcomputer in the X0X series that can be edited while performing and switching patterns. It is also possible to link up to 4 consecutive patterns in Pattern Play mode. There is only a mono audio output, however there are mods from Kenton Electronics and Analog Solutions that will add individual outputs for each drum tone.
The 606 has seven analog drum sounds which are simple, yet great! Kick, Snare, 2 toms, open hat, closed hat, cymbal, accent. The hi-hats are a very tinny electronic sound and its toms are great for soft tribal patterns. These seven sounds alone are still quite popular today, and the 606 has been used by Überzone, Cirrus, Sneaker Pimps, Download, Aphex Twin, Astral Projection, Nine Inch Nails, Mr. Oizo, Jimi Tenor, Kid 606, OMD, Moby, Freddy Fresh, Autechre, Luke Vibert, and Union Jack.
F9000 (mod by Bruce Forat)
"I was lucky to meet Forat in studio city, I rented one of his studio spaces. After visiting him i heard and learned about the Forat drum machines. I fell in love with the sound and the punch, so i was able to find an f9000 already modfyied ready to rock n roll. Forat himself gave me a lesson and showed me how to use it, now its becoming one of the main elements for my production" MERLINMOON
The original MPC-60... The Linn 9000 came from Roger Linn, responsible for the most popular sampler/sequencer/drum machine workstations in the world. And the Linn 9000 was one of his best designs. It debuted in 1984 and sported several innovations that would still be sophisticated by today's standards.
It has a built-in 32-track MIDI sequencer with sampling capability, 18 sounds with velocity sensitive drum pads, a mixer section, programmable hi-hat decay, panning, and a nice big LCD screen. Extra options include SMPTE, sampling and a floppy disk drive. Truly amazing for 1984. However, at this - the peak of Linn Electronics product line, Linn closed down and no more than 1,100 of these machines were produced. Anyone with a Linn 9000 not only has a great sounding sequencer/drum machine workstation, but also a piece of synthesizer music history. Simple in design but powerful in practice!
Although the Linn is long since discontinued and pretty rare, Forat Electronics has specialized in servicing them, along with other Linn gear since the mid-eighties. They have since re-invented the Linn 9000 themselves and released the Forat 9000 (pictured above). In the F-9000, all old software bugs of the old Linn 9000 are fixed, there's four times the original sequencer memory, full SMPTE read/write sync, MIDI Clock, Song Pointer Position, sample editing, battery-backed memory, and much more! If you like authentic vintage gear, the Linn 9000 is an excellent alternative to an MPC-style drum sampler. But if you want to be more practical, you can check out the Forat 9000, it's available, affordable, and its specs are up to date.F16 (mod by Bruce Forat)
"I am still learning how to use, i am going to trigger digital samples live with my drummers time and feel..." MERLINMOON
The F16 Digital Sampler is a high-quality audio sampling and storage device designed to reproduce 16-bit sounds in response to MIDI or trigger inputs. When we say the F16 sounds like a compact disk player we aren't joking—samples are recorded in full 16-bit linear format, with 96 dB of dynamic range and superb signal to noise ratios.
The unit consists of eight voice modules, each capable of storing up to 26 seconds. Maximum sampling time is an incredible three minutes and thirty seconds! An expansion chassis adds eight more voices. In addition to recording individual voices, the modules may optionally be "chained" to form one incredible recording almost seven minutes long!
Sample rates may be varied from 10 KHz to 60 KHz. High fidelity is achieved at 35 KHz and above, resulting in full bandwidth sounds of over seven seconds per voice module—one minute for all eight modules.
Mic and line inputs make your sampling easy. A clip light helps identifies optimum input levels. Editing commands allow you to trim and move samples at will.
Each voice module includes its own volume, pan, and pitch controls. Voices are available as discrete outputs, or as a composite stereo mix. The mix output contains only voices which have not been extracted using the discrete outputs. The discrete outputs may also be used as an echo send and receive to add reverb or other processing to individual voices prior to the mixer. A headphone output is also supplied. An optional hi hat module provides variable hi hat decay controlled via MIDI or from a foot pedal.
An activity light for each voice module indicates when that particular sound is playing.
Dynamic sensitive trigger inputs for each voice are located on the rear panel directly behind that voice. Trigger response time is a blinding 0.1 milliseconds! An amazing range of sensitivity is available, with absolute repeatability. The trigger inputs accommodate virtually all dynamic sensitive pads, drum machine, and sequencer outputs, plus tape machine and other audio source outputs.
MIDI in, out, and through operate on any channel, with full dynamic sensitivity. Each drum may be assigned to any note number, and several drums may have the same note number, if desired. MIDI note and channel information is saved in permanent memory, even when the drum computer is turned off or unplugged.
Each sound may be saved to or loaded from disk. 600 rpm micro-floppy drives are used—twice as fast as the drives found in personal computers. This assures the fastest possible load and save times. A sample utility program encodes sounds to be read and written on IBM compatible PCs, permitting off-line editing of sound data using commercially available sound design programs.
The F16 comes in a rugged, rack-mountable chassis, designed for the most demanding use on the road or in the studio. (Note: Optional 16-bit samples are available.)
DYNAMICS
NEVE 2254e
"There is not a lot to say about this compressor. its just the best there is, its not the cleanest but it has a character that no other compressor has. I use it for Piano, synths, sound FX, guitars. I dont know if i can describe it as aggressive but its not a subtle machine, people pay over 10k for a pair of these" MERLINMOON
Designed in 1969, the original Neve 2254 mono Limiter/Compressor unit quickly became a legend. Discrete, Class A design and transformer-coupled circuits – used in the input, innovative bridge-driver design, sidechain and output stages ensured a totally unique sound. The original 2254 units are still sought after, decades after production stopped, and they remain one of the milestone pieces of studio equipment.
ADR COMPEX 760
"THE LEGEND, this compressor is very rare. It came in Helios consoles back in the 70's. The Rolling stones truck studio had one of the consoles. Led Zeppelin recorded their famous IV album while on tour and one of the machines that changed the sound of the drums is these beast. Check out "when the levee breaks" for a perfect example. Although a lot of people want to smash the sound with this machine, i find it very subtle and its a very important element for all sound scape elements of Merlinmoon's music" MERLINMOON
DBX 160 VU
"I love this machine, you can use it for anything, a lot of engineers use it to compress a little when tracking. Just to level dynamics. Its very smooth and magical. Given the quantity made they are easy to find and not expensive at all, a must have for any studio, Yes its sounds great of bass, also its a very fast compressor good for electronic music producers, beats etc" MERLINMOON
DRAWNER DYNAMICS GATE/EXPANDER DS 201
"Its very handy, i use it more for FX than for its real purpose, sometimes I even use its eq" MERLINMOON
AM-186 TUBE LIMITER by INDUSTRIAL TELEVISION (Western Electric)
"Very rare compressor used in the US army. I'll have more info after it gets fixed"
Serial #99. This is a Rare 30-15KC limiter
after the Western Electric 1126 patent. 12 Tubes!
PRE AMPS
NEVE 31102 (line input mod) x 2
QUAD EIGHT (MM-100 channel strips) X 2
RCA BA 71 (custom rack) x 2
The RCA BA71 and the BA32 were some of THE FINEST pre's of the era.
Still much sought after today.
Some people describe them as an American 1272.
RCA BA5 MIXER (modified by David Kulka at Studio Electronics)
SPEAKEASY TUBES PREAMP
Top of the Line with every trick in the book. Dyno tone controls, Class A vacuum tube warmth, and Rhodes ping pong vibrato in a 2 space rack.
MICS
RCA BK 11 (mod by Stephen Sank) X 2
RCA BK5 (mod by Stephen Sank)
BEYER DYNAMICS 560DXL (mod by Stephen Sank)
BEYER DYNAMICS 260DXS (mod by Stephen Sank) X 2
NEUMANN KM 84 matched pair
SURE KSM 32
AKG 451 B
SURE SM57
SURE SM58
EFFECTS
EVENTIDE 2016 REVERB
URSA ST 282 SPACE STATION
EMT 240 PLATE REVERB
JULES SANTA CRUZ SPRING REVERB
LEXICOM PCM 81
THERMIONIC CULTURE VULTURE
EVENTIDE H3000 ULTRA HARMONIZER
EVENTIDE H910 HARMONIZER
TC ELECTRONICS 2290 DELAY
ROLAND RE301 SPACE ECHO
KORD SDD 2000 DIGITAL DELAY X 2
KORG SDD 3000 DIGITAL DELAY X 2
MUTRONICS MIDI MUTATOR FILTER
TC ELECTRONICS 1210 SPATIAL EXPANDER
PANSCAN AUTOPANNER
MXR FLANGER/DOUBLER
VINTAGE PEDALS
BOSS CE 01 (THE TANK)
ADA FLANGER
MUTRON BI PAHSER
MOOGER FOOGER ANALOG DELAY
GUITAR HEADS
ORANGE (1970)
VOX AC 50 (1960)
FENDER SHOWMAN (1960)
JULES BRENDA K (2009)
RIVERA TBR2 (1980)
TRAYNOR YSR1 RARE (1960)
TRAYNOR YBA-3 Custom Special (BASS HEAD)
COMBOS
SUPRO THUNDERBOLD
1958 FENDER DELUXE
ROLAND CHORUS
GUITAR SPEAKERS
4 X 1973 GREEN BACKS RARE 50HZ PULSONIC CODES
2 X 1960 CELESTION ALNICO T1656
4 X 1966 OXFORD VOX GOLD BULDOGS (VINTAGE OXFORD VOX THOMAS ESSEX BASS SPEAKER)
4 X 1960 OXFORD VOX RED BULDOGS
2 X 1960'S FENDER BLUE JENSEN
DAW
MYTEK 192 X 8 INTERFACE
PRO TOOLS HD 1 ACCEL
CUBASE 5 / with lynx AES16e
PLUGINS
VSL ESSEMBLE
VSL SUITE
EAST WEST / QUANTUM LEAP PIANOS
NI KOMPLETE
ABBEY ROAD BRILLIANCE PACK - Get that Beatles-esque sound with emulations of Abbey Road’s classic presence EQ
BRAINWORX BX DIGITAL - Give mixes professional polish with this state-of-the-art, high-end stereo mastering plug-in
EVENTIDE OMNIPRESSOR - Expand and compress your audio a little or take it to the extreme without endangering quality
FLUX EPURE II - Refine sounds with this 5-band EQ that uses State-Space to produce the best signal-to-noise ratio
GRM TOOLS CLASSIC TDM BUNDLE - Create and enhance sounds with this bundle of eight real-time plug-ins
SOFTUBE ACOUSTIC FEEDBACK DELUXE - Create realistic screaming guitar feedback to give your sounds some serious edge
TC ELECTRONIC MD3 STEREO MASTERING - Bring high-end mastering to your mixes with powerful dynamics and limiter plug-ins
URS M SESRIES EQ BUNDLE - Get vintage processing in the digital domain with the Motor City and Vintage Cinema EQs
AMP FARM - Line 6
BF-3A - Bomb Factory
BRUNO/RESO - Digidesign
COSMONAUT VOICE - Bomb Factory
D-FI - Digidesign
FAIRCHILD 660 - Bomb Factory
FAIRCHILD 670 - Bomb Factory
IMPACT - Digidesign
JOEMEEK SC2 COMPRESSOR - Bomb Factory
JOEMOEEK VC5 MEEQUALIZER - Bomb Factory
MAXIM - Digidesign
MOOGERFOOGER 12 STAGE PHASER - Bomb Factory
MOOGERFOOGER ANALOG DELAY - Bomb Factory
MOOGERFOOGER LOWPASS FILTER - Bomb Factory
MOOGERFOOGER RING MODULATOR - Bomb Factory
PURPLE AUDIO MC77 - Bomb Factory
REVERB ONE - Digidesign
SANSAMP PSA-1 - Bomb Factory
SOUNDREPLACER - Digidesign
TEL-RAY VARIABLE DELAY - Bomb Factory
VIRUS INDIGO - Access Music
VOCE SPIN - Bomb Factory
VOCE CHORUS/VIBRATO - Bomb Factory
CLASSIC COMPRESSORS BUNDLE - LA2A - Add warmth to mixes with emulations of the renowned LA-2A and MC77ELEVEN - Achieve hyper-realistic mic’d guitar amp tones based on the world’s most coveted vintage and modern amps
HYBRID - Get creative with this high-definition synthesizer, which combines the warmth of analogue with digital tweakability
IMPACT - Treat your sessions to console-style mix bus compression, offering 7.1 capability and up to 192 kHz support
REEL TAPE SUITE - Re-create the unmistakable warmth and punch of analogue tape recordings with this trio of plug-ins
REVIBE - Give your tracks some room with this powerful reverb that accurately models the reflections and coloration of real spaces
X-FORM - Time-stretch and pitch-shift tracks, even to the extreme, with high-quality, natural-sounding results
TRILLIUM LANE LABS TLDRUM REHAB - Enhance or even replace drum sounds easily with this real-time drum replacement tool
TRILLIUM LANE LABS TL SPACE TDM - Create natural-sounding reverb spaces with this convolution reverb
