Posted on 12/06/2016
The EML Synkey is an analog monophonic synthesizer from Electronic Music Labs, launched in the late 1970s and branded as “the first synthesizer you could program”. The synth featured basic synth parameters, and sounded … well, alright, without being a Moog/Arp killer. But it’s big and innovative thing was the Punch Card interface, that could […]
Posted on 02/08/1996
Although my trusty Akai S-1000/1100/3200 samplers had been expanded up to the full 32MB memory, and were able to hold great many samples (enough to produce full tracks), there was still a need for a device that could hold very long stereo samples, and even whole mixes. Akai saw this need, and launched the solution […]
Posted on 09/08/1995
Since the beginning of recorded music, there has been a need to store and recall your sound and mix parameters. The more advanced the recording sessions – the more more urgent the need. The need for mix automation and management.
Posted on 01/08/1995
Hardware dominance. In the start 1990s the world of sampling was dominated by hardware samplers from Akai, E-mu, Roland, Sequential and Ensoniq and a few more. Each hardware sampler had a set of basic digital processing tools available for the loaded samples. Going virtual But with the appearance of the Sound Designer II audio editor from Digidesign, […]
Posted on 01/04/1991
Since my exotic and costly PPG HDU Hard Disk Recorder never quite delivered the promised editing functionality, I went looking for a digital audio solution that could perform digital editing reliably. Having already a set of Atari Mega ST4 Computers, I tested a new combined hardware/software add-on for the Atari – The ADAP Soundrack by […]
Posted on 01/08/1988
The mix is in the Haus German software company Jellinghaus had mainly been writing patch editors for the Commodore-64. But in 1987 they launched their first product for Atari ST – The C-Mix Automation System. Not only did it include the software to run on the Atari, but also a hardware part to strap on […]
Posted on 04/02/1987
The PPG HDU was one of the very first Hard DIsk Recorders on the market. Launched in late 1986, the device promised to be a viable solution for editing of digital audio. I acquired the device early 1987 (serial number #0068) to use it on the many extended 12″ remixes I was doing at the […]
Posted on 13/11/1986
After fighting with the Jellinghaus C-Mix system, I tried a new and seemingly simpler automation solution – the Twister. A 1U rack mounted unit with 8 MIDI controllable VCA’s, to be inserted in your signal path for volume automation and control. With simple MIDI controller data, you can control the VCA levels, and thus incorporate the […]
Posted on 08/10/1986
The Amek Angela is a relatively compact, inline mixing desk (dual inputs on each channel), with 24 busses, and 4 subgroups. It has a really nice, warm and classy, yet still open sound, with Rupert Neve designed Amek preamps, and fully paramteric, 4 band EQ and 8 Aux Sends for each channel. The metering bridge […]
Posted on 23/07/1986
Getting the timing right With the progress of MIDI during the 80’s, this technology became increasingly essential in recording studios. In the first 10 years of MIDI, the prevalent audio recording method was still analog or digital tape. So an absolute key factor was the ability to synchronise the recordings on tape, with the MIDI sequencers. Being […]