Gizmodo: Synthesizers

Tenori-On Light-Up Synthesizer On Sale In US

Benny Goldman — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 19:16:05 EDT

Tenori-on, the versatile light-up synthesizer we love so much, is now on sale in the US. It pricey at $1200, but there are only 60 available so if you want it you better move fast. [Tenori-on via Crave]

Hands On Yamaha's Tenori-On Synthesizer: We Love It

Benny Goldman — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 00:34:14 EDT

Tenori-On, the crazy light-up handheld synthesizer from Yamaha we've been geeked about for months, officially launched in the US tonight. It won't be on sale until May 1, but we got our hands on one and simply put, we were amazed. Resident Giz musician Jonny Lam (Brian's little brother) hit the event with us, and was playing music in minutes. What's interesting is how you can play this thing according to sound, but also, visual cues:

The Tenori-On is a synthesizer on a 16x16 grid that caters to the novice as easily as the expert. Every button on the grid represents a note. Chords are created by hitting multiple notes in one line, and full pieces are made by placing notes on several lines, which play left to right in sequential order. In addition, each button represents a different sound or instrument, for a total of 256 different built-in noises. Furthermore, samples can be loaded on the unit to make unique creations, and there are several other customization options. The Tenori-On records up to 16 tracks, and files are saved in a format which can be loaded on other Tenori-Ons or edited with MIDI software.

Artists at the event told us that the visual aspects of the device are just important as the musical aspects. Some said they attempt to make songs in a traditional sense, but others were more content to base their sounds on designs and shapes. The Tenori-On can work as a completely visual instrument.

It will retail for $1200 when it goes on sale May 1. Good luck getting your hands on one, because production is extremely limited; Yamaha is testing the US market and only plans on a 1000 piece run for the entire year, available only through the Tenori-On website. We'll have a review unit in soon and tell you about our extended experience with the instrument then. [Tenori-On]

Home-Made Synths from Tupperware Trip the Light Fan-Plastic

AddyDugdale — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 10:05:15 EDT

This is what you do if you think that your Tupperware boxes are too good for food, turn them into home-made synthesizers. Adachi Tomomi has made a bunch of them, including a video synthesizer and a couple of Theremins. Consisting of a simple battery-powered electronic circuit, the synths don't have perfect pitch. The Tomomin (bottom left in the gallery) even has a four-note keyboard, and was made from a bunch of Texas Instrument integrated circuits. [Adachi Tomomi via Make ]

Revolution Synthesizer R2 Looks Like Death Star Control Panel, Not R2

Haroon Malik — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 11:38:00 EST

Future Retro's Revolution Synthesizer R2 looks amazing; we completely have no use for a synthesizer, but we totally want one. With a complete aluminum construction, perfectly contrasting gun gray and white colors, as well as a smattering of blue LEDs all over, this synthesizer makes us moist in the most clichéd way possible. If that was not enough to get you interested, perhaps the circular sequencer interface, which allows single handed control; the ability to play patterns forwards, backwards, upside down and sideways, as well as remote pattern selection using MIDI program change messages will have you reaching for your anorexic wallet?

A built-in remix feature allows 265 variations for each pattern and song, which gives more than 65,000 possible overall patterns. Further, the sound engine uses true analog synthesis throughout and the PC board has a new RAM chip, which extends the battery life from 1.5 years to a complete decade. Impressive. Unfortunately, $750 is a little too much for us to pay for a novelty Death Star control panel, but the way synthesizers go, it's not bad at all. [Bornrich]

Synth Glitch Creates On-Stage Disaster for Van Halen

Charlie White — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 14:46:15 EDT

And now for a Friday musical interlude, we bring you Van Halen caught on its comeback tour, except there was one big problem and it involved gadgets. What happens when you play back a prerecorded synthesizer track at 48K instead of the intended 44.1K? The whole track plays back a little bit faster and at a slightly higher pitch, that's what. A dissonant musical mess ensues, trapping the guitarist and bassist in an on-stage musical hell with nowhere to go.

See Eddie Van Halen launch into his famous solo on "Jump," trying in vain to somehow transpose to this otherworldly key that is nowhere to be found. This travesty of a performance happened earlier this month (in my hometown of Greensboro, North Carolina), and the funny thing is, the crowd was delighted with it. I shutter to think that no one realized something was terribly amiss, but those hometown folks always were overly polite. [RW370, via BoingBoing] (Thanks, Joel Johnson!)

Ion Digital Drum Station Keeps All That Banging to Yourself

Charlie White — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 08:55:15 EDT

Now you can bang the drum all day to your heart's content without waking up the neighbors with this Ion Digital Drum Station. There's a grid of eight springy drum pads on this drum machine, and you can program a realistic-sounding drum noise into each one, choosing among 233 sounds. There are also 50 presets into which you can load your favorite combination of drums. For even more realism, there are inputs for external kick drum and high-hat pedals. Sounds like $109.90 worth of fun, and it even includes headphones and a pair of drumsticks. [Think Geek, via Crave]

Brian Eno Selling Gear, Going Digital

Noah R — Wed, 09 Nov 2005 11:26:39 EST

Brian Eno is selling the DX-7 he used to create the Microsoft startup sound and other, more amazing, compositions. He's also auctioning a Prophet VS, Jellinghaus DX-7 Programmer and two Mackie Mixers. The auctions are taking place at Vemia, a terribly designed site that is an eBay alternative for musicians. Why is Eno selling his gear? A Sound on Sound article last month had this:

"Despite his reservations about computer recording, Eno has now decided to go further into the computer only world and sell his studio... "

That's right, from electronic to digital — Ambient 5: Music for Computers anyone?

Brian Eno is Selling Lots of Gear [Music Thing]

Groovy Babes - Vintage Music Fetish Porn At Its Finest

Travis Hudson — Mon, 24 Oct 2005 18:33:20 EDT

You crazy synthesizer-loving musicians would get enjoyment out of something like this. Actually this isn t so much porn as it is just weird. Groovy Babes is a flash slideshow put together displaying numerous of pictures of scantily clad (or not clad at all) women posing with various types of synthesizers. Vintage women, nonetheless. Warning cubicle commandos, this flash movie does contain pictures of boobies and Gizmodo is not responsible for you having to explain to your boss why you were looking at vintage synthesizer porn.

Groovy Babes [Via Music Thing]

Synth Pr0n From Annie and Dave

Noah R — Mon, 03 Oct 2005 13:27:01 EDT

The new Eurythmics song I've Got A Life isn't getting high marks as a pop tune, but the video is covered in retro synthesizers. Music Thing notes the "Akai S612 with the 'toast rack' disc drive." There's got to be a Roland in there someplace. Let's play name that synthesizer...

Softcore synth pr0n from Eurythmics [Music Thing]