Here I use samples and a really customized performance patch to emulate the TB-303 & TR-909 on the V-synth. This is an awesome Rebirth style setup that can be re-used.

Explanation:
The midi control knobs control more than one function. C1 opens the cosm filter and adds more reverb effect send. C2 Controls the levels on OSC1 (Where drum samples are loaded) and also closes the resonance on OSC2. I could have used the D-Beam and also tested resonance to the extremes, but maybe next time.

The Arpeggiator turned on and set to 16steps lets us create & loop our patterns. The drum samples all have their own zone. No loops are being used.

Next time I’ll show you how I create the Arpeggiation/step pattern in the V-synth…

VIDEO LINK:http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=95624186019&ref=mf

Ever needed to DIN Sync old gear to Reason? Check out this video where Peff does it with a TR-808.

Send DC pulses from the MOTU interface to Roland 303, 606, 808, 909 etc.

Check out his facebook page for more info & Videos.

By Peff

1. Don’t Detune, Randomize! The old, common idea has been to to detune one of your oscillators to make it sound more analog. This method does not work because your sound will still be perfectly detuned, and will still have every bit of digital character. Each time the note is triggered it will still be the same. Thats fine if thats the sound you want, but instead, use the Randomize Pitch setting, to set notes outside of their tuned boundaries each time a note is triggered.

Not UFO.

2. Use a little bit of LFO. To further gain analog realism, use an LFO on the pitch. LFOs can be set to sine wave or random. You don’t want to actually hear the result, only give the OSCs some “warble,” so a little goes a long way.

3. Randomize pulse width LFO. Some synthesizers may let you adjust the pulse width dynamically. This could simulate the analog electronics varying the shape and timing of OSC waveforms. I prefer to loosen it up, make it sound duller, or add some variance here.

4. Change the structure of your signal (filter). On digital synths you may be stuck here, where the filter is placed directly after the OSC, but some synths let you reorganize it. Put a distortion effect before the filter. Doing this simulates flaws in the designs of analog synths (like the TB-303) where the signal may be slightly too hot or clipped within the electronics itself. On the roland V-synth its easy to do this. Just select a weak amp distortion, and then place the filter after. Don’t use a hard distortion here or you’ll lose too much character. This is a simple trick which may warm up your filter.

5. Research the specs of similiar analog units. If you can find out the specs of famous analog synth’s filters, you can come close to replicating them in the digital realm. For instance db/octave (#poles) and envelope timing.

6. Use effects: EQ can go a long way in shaping a sounds character and make it unique. A slight chorus effect could mask many sound’s digital properties.

Remember, the only thing that makes a sound digital is when it can be perfectly replicated each time. If you want to be “analog” just avoid it and use some more advanced expression within the digital realm.

Enjoy a truer analog-ish experience on your digital synth!

Osculator works with obscure controllers, like the Wiimote, to help you control different Midi parameters for your performances.

Did some more work on my track that I started: “Ship Voyage”
Added vox, drums, more synth and corrected the mix a bit.

Have a listen.

This will probably be the final mix, unless I decide to remix it up, but I’m pretty happy with it.

Ship Voyage (mp3) Unfinished Mix 2009.

More drums will be added, the mix will be tightened up, and I’ll repost it. Finished version coming soon.

Equipment Used:
Roland V-synth
Roland JX8p
Yamaha QY100
Logic Effects.

Tapco is kind of a weird brand to review. At the moment, I own a basic mixer by Tapco and this Firewire 4×10 interface and use them in conjunction with eachother. I bought this after the failure of two USB device. So firewire was the logical choice.

The first and sometimes only thing that matters is how stable an audio interface is. Drivers can complicate things and disconnect periodically if they aren’t a good fit or if the designers/programmers, just weren’t doing a good job. The Tapco Link.Firewire is extremely stable, surviving multiple application boots, system audio streams, restarts, and anything else. I keep it powered up 24/7 and it hasn’t failed yet.

The sound quality is what you would expect. There isn’t a harsh digital bite or character. It feels warm, or at least everything coming in/out seems unharmed. There seems to be enough headroom and volume for line level instruments. The preamps are also less noisy than the ones on my mixer. I haven’t tested them extensively. The S-PDIF connector also works well, although when connected to a device it overrides channels 1 & 2. Monitoring is a little different. When the firewire is engaged by the computer, you can only monitor whats coming back from the computer. Depending on your setup this might not be an issue. There is a little app called Line-In which can monitor for you, in Mac OSX when your computer is on and will give you a good pass thru. You can also just put the compute to sleep or unplug the firewire port and the unit switches to sending whatever is coming in 1 & 2 back out to your monitors.

The construction is great! This is not cheap feeling at all. The metal rack bars in front slightly defend knobs from some impacts. The case is plastic, but the hard bumpy rubber is a nice touch. The headphone amp could have been a little smoother volume wise at lower levels, but it is acceptable. Connectors and buttons are very good. It is very easy to monitor clipping on this unit. The LEDS change bright red when your signal is too hot, and its easy to back down to get the maximum level. Its nice to have and works better than some full spectrum volume displays. With the Firewire only plugged in, there was a bit of an external noise (probably from the chip its powered), but it is nonexistent when you plug in the wall adaptor. I chose the wall adaptor. Its nice to know this unit will work with a laptop. Chances are if you are taking it somewhere this little noise won’t bug you much. Just use the wall adaptor the rest of the time.

Also keep in mind that this isn’t a true 4×6 interface out of the box. Its 2×2. You can probably bug Tapco for the firm ware which converts to this, but hey never updated before shipping I guess. For $99 new I didn’t care. This is a great, basic firewire interface, and its currently on clearance if you look in the right spot. This also comes with Mackie Tracktion 2 DAW for mac / pc!!! Mackie Tracktion is very simple to use, compared to apples Logic, and does the job. It can be upgraded to Tracktion 3 for $69 from Mackie. Definitely pick this one up if you need a cheap, stable, firewire interface.

Stability so far: 10
Audio Quality: 9
Features: 8
Total: 8.5

U96 – Das Boot

The Shamen – Move Any Mountain

and Kanikuly.

An updated D, but colored to look more like its brother synths.
Thx matrixsynth!

Ever needed to know which hardware interfaces are actually reliable and work well? Here is reliability/ customer satisfaction data for those searching for the best firewire audio interface.

Fire Wire Interface RANKING according to Gearslutz Forum

Ranking position calculated on number of satisfied customers (score of 1) minus number of dissatisfied customers (score of 2 or 3)
From best to worst:

1. RME(18-0) = 18
2. Echo(19,1) = 18
3. Motu(20,5) = 15
4. Mackie(11,2) = 9
5. Tascam(7,0) = 7
6. Alesis(3,2) = 1
7. Presonus(10,11) = -1
8. Focusrite(4,9) = -5
9. M-Audio(8,26) = -18

Alternative ranking position calculated on number of satisfied customers divided by total number of customers

RME 100%
Tascam 100%
Echo 95%
Mackie 85%
Motu 80%
Alesis 60%
Presonus 48%
Focusrite 31%
M-Audio 24%

The worst: M-Audio. Looks like your better staying away from M-Audio’s firewire offerings.
The Best: RME with a 100% score.

One interface I’d like to know more about is the Tapco Firewire.Link, which now looks abandoned, which is on clearance in many places. I emailed tapco, to see if its features actually work on the mac (since they posted no drivers), and will hear back.
Another point to make, after research and user stories, is that firewire interfaces with the DICE II chip are notoriously unreliable. Beware of those!

Keep in mind this is just a small data sample, but it looks indicative of the reality of firewire interfaces. I hope this data helps regardless!