The Analog Lab

Oberheim OB-Xa & OB-8 Video!

admin — Wed, 01 May 2013 19:51:31 +0000

Click here to view the embedded video.

OH-BER-HEIMs yes OH-BER-HEIMs yes OH-BER-HEIMs yes OH-BER-HEIMs yes…
Two Oberheim OB series recently in the shop for repair/modification at The Analog Lab in NYC.

The OB-Xa had our new Analog Lab Tuning Stability Mod installed. This is a service we offer for OB-X and OB-Xa models that bring the tuning stability into the 21st century-Good enough for even the most demanding musician of today.

In the video, the OB-Xa plays the role of Westeros-providing all the instrumentation in the beginning of the video. For the second part, we fly over to Essos where the OB-8 takes over. In the grand finale, both OBs join together to make a HUGE SOUND.

Oberheims are coming…

Tech Mentoring Course to begin in Late April!

admin — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 21:10:55 +0000

Do you wish you were able to fix and maintain your own gear? Ever wanted to know what an oscilloscope does and how to use it?

The Analog Lab offers a complete technical hands-on mentoring program for those individuals who have an interest in being a professional gear tech or gear designer. The classes are usually held twice a week during the evenings and are around 2 hours each and covers subjects such as electronic safety, components, circuit design (using examples from classic analog synths), etc. The actual class time will be determined once everyone’s schedules have been compared.

No prior knowledge of circuitry, tools, or any other electronics is requiredand each student chooses their own final repair or build project so you come away with a new or restored piece of gear!

Jeff Blenkinsopp, The Sonic Wizard, administers classes and has been involved with analog synthesizers and their design and repair for more than 30 years. You can read more of Jeff’s bio here: http://www.earsnyc.com/blenkinsopp.html

You will leave the course with a “real world” education that you can’t get anywhere else!

There are no more than 6 students to a class so don’t delay in signing up!

Voyetra 8 History from Dear Old Jeff

admin — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 21:32:33 +0000

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2 Voyetra 8s were recently in for repair and Jeff had flashbacks of his days at Octave Plateau in the 1980s, when the Voyetra was being developed and produced. Jeff was part of the production team for the Voyetra, along with Carmine Bonanno, Fred Romano, Bruce Frazier, and Frank Levi. Octave Plateau Electronics also created the Octave Cat, Kitten, and Cat Stick, and is also one of the few synthesizer companies from that era that is still in existence (Turtle Beach).

The Voyetra 8 was the first rackmount synthesizer, and one of the first to incorporate MIDI. It also sounds AMAZING. We have a special love for this synth here at the shop and wanted to share some of its history with the world.

Film/Music: Harlan Muir

Dr. Jack Valentijn Tech Residency

admin — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 18:44:04 +0000

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Dr. Jack Valentijn was with The Analog Lab
for a month investigating characteristics of different analog synths.
As a resident technician, he analyzed and was immersed in the hands on technical workings of various models by manufacturers such as
Arp, Moog, SCI, Yamaha, Korg, and many more.

www.theanaloglab.com

Film and Music: Harlan Muir

Alumni of Tech Mentoring Course Amp Build

admin — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 19:06:15 +0000

Marc Smith, a former student of our Tech Mentoring Program, recently checked in with us to show us what he’s been up to:

“Thought you’d enjoy seeing my latest tech build (if you recall a couple years ago I built the 1176 kit in your class). I’ve since built a neve eq, a bunch of pedals and just finished a tweed amp. Here are two photo albums of the electronics build and the cab.”

Check them out on The Facebox.

Album 1

Album 2

Moog muSonics Sonic V

admin — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 20:42:53 +0000

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Moog muSonics Sonic V that was recently repaired by The Analog Lab in NYC.

From Matrixsynth:
It has 2 osc’s (saw, tri, square/pulse) 2 lfo’s (saw,ramp,tri square) a ring modulator, a noise generator (white or pink), an external input, 2 outputs and 2 built in speakers. The speakers can be bypassed by using the second output. It is monophonic (plays one note at a time) and/or duophonic (plays two notes at a time). It even has a ‘scale’ knob on the front panel so it can play microtones.

The Sonic V has a 24db diode filter which is very expressive. It has that Moog sound when you want it, but you can also have it sound quite different. It can sound more gritty or aggressive then other synths containing the traditional Moog 24db transistor ladder filter thanks to the diode filter design and also to the addition of the ring modulator.

Super Rare PPG 1020

admin — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 18:38:35 +0000

Click here to view the embedded video.

An extremely rare PPG 1020 Synthesizer recently repaired by The Analog Lab in NYC. This little beast was released in 1976 and was very ahead of its time by having 2 DCOs! You would almost think its an 8-bit machine at times if you have the square waves set just right. It also has a Ring Modulator.

We thought Bach would be appropriate for a quick little demo. Enjoy!

www.theanaloglab.com

Rare Korg X911 For Sale

admin — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 21:41:08 +0000

Next Tech Mentoring Course Begins January 2013

admin — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 23:59:17 +0000

Click here to view the embedded video.

The Analog Lab’s next Tech Mentoring Course is set to begin on 13, January 2013.

The Analog Lab offers a complete technical hands-on mentoring program for those individuals who have an interest in being a professional gear tech or gear designer. Classes meet twice a week for 10 weeks and cover subjects such as electronic safety, components, circuit design (using examples from classic analog synths), etc. Each student chooses their own final repair or build project so you come away with a new or restored piece of gear! Four classes will be combined into one day-long class to be held on a TBD Saturday to provide an “in depth” repair experience. Jeff Blenkinsopp, The Sonic Wizard, administers classes and has been involved with analog synthesizers and their design and repair for more than 30 years. You can read more of Jeff’s bio here: http://www.earsnyc.com/blenkinsopp.html

No prior knowledge of circuitry, tools, or any other electronics is required. The course is designed to teach anyone to be a tech. That being said, people that do have a grasp of these subjects are able to take the course to learn new techniques, sharpen their skills, and have a source of advice for questions they may have.

You will leave the course with a “real world” education that you can’t get anywhere else!

Check out the Tech Mentoring page or Email us for more info at:

theanaloglab@gmail.com

Yamaha SY20

admin — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 19:41:58 +0000

Click here to view the embedded video.

A Yamaha SY20 that was recently repaired by The Analog Lab in NYC.

The Yamaha SY20 is an analog mono synth that came out in 1982 AFTER Yamaha released the DX7. It is a surprisingly complex and expressive synth. The SY20 is incredibly rare. It was originally intended to be an “educational” synth for use in learning synthesis. It even has a transposition knob with all 12 notes in the chromatic scale that allows you to transpose up to one octave. This allows you to play the same thing in a different key and not worry about transposing. And the filter sounds awesome. Features include:

LFO Routing to:
VCO
VCF
VCA

Aftertouch:
Volume
Brilliance
Vibrato

VCA EG
VCF EG

VCF:
Lowpass
Bandpass 1
Bandpass 2

VCO:
Saw or Square (or a mix) Waveforms
PW
Noise

VCO Footage:
2′
4′
8′
16′
32′

Portamento

Sustain

Transpose

Brilliance

Presets:
Group A: Flute-Oboe-Clarinet-Sax-Fagot-Violin-Viola-Cello-Contrabass-FX

Group B: Trumpet-Muted Trumpet-Horn-Trombone-Tuba-Pizz Violin-Pizz Viola-Pizz Cello-Pizz Bass-Harpsichord

Btw, it’s for sale…