Roland RA-50 Realtime Arranger



The Roland RA-50 gives you high quality synthesizer sounds, reverb sounds, automatic accompaniment performance etc. resulting in a powerful one man band system.
It features excellent functions and therefore can be used by inexperienced and professional players.
The RA-50s' 'intelligent' Arranger section automatically produces a tasteful accompaniment consisting of drums, bass, and other instruments ( such as piano, percussion,and horns ) that is based on the chord you play and the music style you choose.
32 preset music styles, which each feature an additional variation, are provided. You can also choose between 'basic' or 'advanced' versions of these styles, giving you 128 ( 32 styles x 2 original / variation x 2 basic / advanced ) different accompaniment possibilities.
You can add other creative variations to an arrangement using the fill in function which lets you switch smoothly between a music style or its variation after a fill in pattern is played. By pressing 'to original button', the style changes back to the original style after another fill in is played. A break function lets you stop the performance for a single measure to perform your own fill-ins in real time.
To begin or complete your arrangements with a professional touch you can use the RA-50's built-in intro and ending functions. 'Chord intelligence' function allows you to play full chords with just one or two fingers. 'Chord hold' sustains a chord on the lower .
'Sync start' lets you start the performance automatically when you press a note.
Eight programmable user programs are provided for creating your own customized combinations of parameters for use with different songs or arrangements. Each user program stores settings for upper and lower tones, music styles, tempo, level balance, effects and other functions, and can be accessed instantly by pressing a single button at any time during a performance.
The RA-50 also provides a 'melody intelligence' function which creates block chords for accompaniment based on the melody and bass note.
Additional styles are available on Roland's optional library of Music Style cards ( TN-SC1 and TN-SC2 series).

A midi module with auto arranger functions.
A simpler version of he RA-90 Plugs into any Midi instrument via MIDI cable, (or stand alone as a drum machine:) and works as a drum machine which can also create bass lines and accompaniments when connected to an instrument.
With organ, piano ( 128 preset L/A synthesis sounds ).
30 variations of drum rhythms.
The RA-50 has eight MIDI configuration power-up modes.
By turning the unit on while holding down the appropriate MIDI SET button, the RA-50 will automatically assign the proper MIDI functions for use with a midi piano, guitar, keyboard, or accordion.
Specifications :
32 music styles.
Arranger Control: Start / Stop,
Arranger Select,
Intro / Ending, Break,
Chord Intelligence,
Melody Intelligence,
Chord Hold, Split Point,.
2 Sound Source Sections
LA Digital Synthesis ( 32 Partials, 13 Structures ),
128 Tones,
30 Rhythm Tones,
Maximum 32 voices.
Digital Reverb: 8 Types ( Hall 1 / 2, Plate 1 / 2, Room 1 / 2, Delay 1 / 2 )
Front Panel: 74 Switches, Master Volume, Tempo. Display: 16 Character x 2 lines backlit LCD . Indicators: Switch x 19, Beat x 4, Midi Message x 1.
Rear Panel: Ext. Pedal jacks x 3, MIDI ( KBD ) In / Out, Output Jacks x 2 ( L / Mono, R ), Headphones jack, DC in jack, Power switch, Card slot. Power Supply: 9V DC ( when using supplied adaptor)

Owners Manual (RA-50_OM.pdf) - Roland













EKO Pony Analog Synth Combo Organ

original picture coming soon 1-2 weeks




Formanta Arton ME-01 Analog MultiEffect | Форманта Артон МЭ-01, 1981



Description

A guitar processor ARTON ME-01 (produced by Formanta factory in 1981) is a floor-mounted synthesizer of effects, such as compression, reverberation, chorus etc. It has five rubber footswitches, knobs and sliders to control parameters of effects. ME-01 consists of four main serial effect sections: RHYTHM/SOLO, COMPRESSION, REVERBERATOR, CHORUS. Every section has its own dedicated parameters.
Control functions are the following:
  • RHYTHM/SOLO: guitar, rocktone, spectrum, turbo;
  • COMPRESSOR: level, attack, restoring, output;
  • REVERB: level, echo;
  • CHORUS: balance, brightness, amplitude, rate;
  • OUTPUT - amplifier on, output (effect, scale - min\max), turbo on.
Indicators - control, overload, effect.
Connections: line input, output (line, phone, amplifier).
Dimensions - 420 x 360 x 115
Weight - about 5 kg
Engineer: Igor Mironov, designer: Sergey Sarasek, produced by Urals Vector Company. http://ruskeys.net









Defil Aster

Defil Aster in a Les Paul copy made in Poland by Defil.
Here's a couple of words from one Aster owner:
Most annoying thing about it is that it is HARD. It is perfect for making your left hand much stronger than your right. The neck is really thick which doesn't make this guitar a speed solo material eather. The other thing are single coil pickups, which seam to catch every impulse... as long it doesn't come from the strings. Output is low (especially on the thin strings of course) and the noise level is really high. The guitar is heavy - full, thick maple body isn't exactly the thing you would enjoy carrying around your neck for a long time. In return if you connect it to the right amp... there seams to be some magic in it. The body and the neck have incredible sound possibilities even with the shitty pickups. This thing has potential. http://cheesyguitars.com









DSI (Dave Smith Instruments) Mopho


Overview
Mopho is a compact and affordable—but powerful—monophonic analog synthesizer. The voice architecture is identical to a single voice of the Prophet '08, but with a couple of unique twists to distinguish it from its award-winning sibling. We have added two sub-octave generators—one per oscillator—for additional girth and crushing basses. It also has an audio input that lets you process external audio and mix Mopho's own audio output back in pre-filter for feedback effects that can range from subtle distortion to extreme skronk. The Push It button is a manual trigger that lets you play a specific note or latch notes and sequences on. It can also step through a sequence to play short melodic lines without a keyboard. Of course, Mopho can also be used with a MIDI controller or external sequencer.
Mopho is fully programmable and all the parameters can be tweaked from the front panel. The four Assignable Parameters controls are assignable per program for optimum performance control. A free editor is available for Mac OS and Windows to facilitate programming. (And, if you already have a Prophet '08, most of Mopho's parameters can be controlled from the Prophet's front panel via MIDI!)
Mopho is perfect for people who want to learn the ins and outs of real analog synthesis without spending a bundle, DJs looking to add some old school sonic spice to their setups, and musicians who will appreciate a great-sounding, very portable mono synth.
  • Affordable, fully programmable mono synth with a 100% analog signal path.
  • Classic, real analog sound—including legendary Curtis analog low-pass filter.
  • Process external audio through the filter and envelopes.
  • Just 7.5" x 5" (19.05 cm x 12.7 cm).
  • Free editor for Mac OS and Windows.
Specifications
  • 100% analog signal path
  • Two oscillators
  • One classic Curtis low-pass filter (switchable 2- or 4-pole)
  • Analog VCAs
  • Three envelope generators (ADSR plus delay)
  • Two sub-octave generators (one octave down and two octaves down)
  • External audio input with feedback
  • Four assignable performance controls per program
  • Gated 16 x 4 step sequencer (one sequence per program)
  • Arpeggiator
  • Fully programmable (includes free downloadable software editor for Mac OS and Windows)
  • 384 programs
  • I/O: MIDI In, MIDI Out/Thru, Audio In, Left and Right Audio Out, Headphone Out
  • 7.5” L x 5” W x 1.4” H (19.05 cm x 12.7 cm x 3.56 cm)
  • 1.5 lb. (0.7 kg)
Download the manual: Mopho Operation Manual [PDF, 1.5 MB]


Audio
Special thanks to Dave Polich, Stefan Trippler, and Nate Tschetter!
Multitracked Audio Demos
industrial_electro-rock.mp3 [2.15 MB]
All sounds are Mopho with a little EQ used on individual tracks and some limiting in the mastering.
gangstakid.mp3 [1.25 MB]
Just multitracked Mopho and some light limiting used in mastering.
oh_snap.mp3 [1.93 MB]
Nothin' but Mopho.
mozzarella.mp3 [1.55 MB]
Mopho with lots of processing (reverb, delay, compression—mostly on the drums—and EQ) and extra cheese.
hadroncollider.mp3 [1.55 MB]
Some EQ and a little compression from plug-ins, plus light limiting used in mastering.
sonofa.mp3 [1.28 MB]
Just multitracked Mopho and some light limiting used in mastering.
badmopho.mp3 [956 kB]
Thirteen (or so) tracks of Mopho, drums courtesy of Logic, and no processing.
mophinet.mp3 [1 MB]
A clavinet part recorded as a MIDI sequence, split onto separate tracks, and multitracked with a single Mopho.
Individual Program Demos
mopho_sequences.mp3 [2.2 MB]
A selection of the factory programs and their associated sequences recorded and edited together.
mopho_basses.mp3 [2.6 MB]
A selection of the factory bass programs recorded and edited together.
percussion_sequences.mp3 [1.3 MB]
A selection of factory drum and percussion programs and their associated sequences recorded and edited together.
mopho_leads.mp3 [3 MB]
A selection of factory melodic and lead sounds recorded and edited together.
hiphop_r&b.mp3 [1.5 MB]
A selection of factory programs suitable for Hip Hop and R&B recorded and edited together.
synth_fx.mp3 [1.1 MB]
A selection of factory programs featuring synthesizer effects recorded and edited together.
tunedperc_bell-like.mp3 [1.6 MB]
A selection of factory programs featuring tuned percussion and bell-like sounds recorded and edited together.
Other Fun Stuff
drumprocessing.mp3 [2.47 MB]
This just one example of how Mopho can be used as an audio processor. A drum loop from Stylus RMX is synced to Mopho's step sequencer and processed through Mopho's filter via the Audio In. Initially, the filter's cutoff, resonance, and audio mod are being manipulated. Then the cutoff is turned down and the envelope amount is turned up so you hear the drums rhythmically filtered by Mopho's step sequencer. Mopho's Input Gain is increased, causing distortion, and then oscillator 2 is switched on to play a melody from the step sequencer, in sync with the drums. Whew!
mophodrums.mp3 [1.39 MB]
Electronic percussion sounds created in Mopho, then sampled and played from Native Instruments Battery.

Video
Video demos from The Keyboard Wizard, Michael Walthius. Watch in high quality.