KORG MINISAMPLER

Korg has prepared yet another compilation of bonus sounds for your microSAMPLER, downloadable for free from the microSAMPLER

First, we invite you to experience a bit of Korg history with our exclusive Doncamatic samples! The Doncamatic is the first product ever produced by Korg; an electro-mechanical rhythm box made nearly 50 years ago. Korg engineers restored the original Doncamatic at our Korg Product Museum in Tokyo to its original condition to create these samples! The Doncamatic was used most recently on the single “DONCAMATIC,” released by the internationally famous group Gorillaz. Enjoy One-Shot sounds, Loops, and Patterns of this important classic.

Next up is three banks created by our friends at SampleMagic, and compiled by Sharooz Raoofi. Each of their Deep Tech-House, Nu-Rave, and Organic House selections includes a great set of patterns tempo-synced to the pattern sequencer for instant use. More details are available with the free download. Click on Support and explore all of the free downloadable sample for your microSAMPLER

The latest addition to the Korg "micro" series serves up sampling with a powerful performance punch! The microSAMPLER delivers multi-mode sampling, resampling, Pattern Sequencing and over-the-top effects – and all under a fun-to-use intuitive interface. More than just a sampler, the microSAMPLER is a complete sound design studio for creating up-to-the minute loops and phrases.



Giant Sampling / microSIZE
The microSAMPLER hosts a solid complement of top-end sampling features to expand your creative potential. This full-fledged instrument offers fourteen-voice polyphony, reverse playback, editing operations such as Normalize and Truncate, and a Time Stretch feature that lets you change the tempo without affecting the pitch. Selectable sample rates of 48 kHz, 24 kHz, 12 kHz, and down to 6 kHz let you sample at rates beyond CD clarity or add in that Lo-Fi vintage vibe. Each bank contains 36 samples (a maximum of approximately 160 seconds of recording time for monaural samples at a 48 kHz sampling rate) and sixteen patterns of sequence data; the microSAMPLER lets you store eight such banks in internal memory. The Keyboard mode takes a single sample and assigns it chromatically across the keys for instant playability. With its recessed controls, bright LEDs and informative display, the microSAMPLER is fun to use and easy to operate – for beginners or seasoned pros. 



Swiss Army Sampling
Too many instruments simply offer sampling as an added feature. The microSAMPLER is all about sampling, in every creative form. Five distinct sampling methods allow you to work the way you want, to get the results you need. The microSAMPLER offers traditional One-Shot and Loop sampling, plus a number of creative sampling modes – Loop, Key Gate and Auto-Next. When it comes to sampling, the microSAMPLER has it all. 

• Loop sampling for recording grooves and phrases, drum loops, etc.
• One-Shot sampling for grabbing and triggering single events such as drums, etc. 
• Gate sampling for playing a sound musically across the keyboard
• Auto-Next sampling for capturing phrases as multiple samples. For grabbing a groove as separate samples on individual keys, choose the AUTO NEXT mode and use Tap Tempo to match the BPM of the source material. The microSAMPLER will automatically divide the sample equally across multiple keys. Each key can be set to capture anything from a 64th note to a full two measures. This method lets you automatically perform the same type of sampling as KEY GATE.
• Key Gate sampling is best for grabbing multiple samples from the same source. With Key Gate, you can take multiple samples from the same source or phrase and assign them to different keys as you play them! The individual keys assign the sample and enable recording all at the same time. This intuitive method of sampling, editing, and mapping in a single step is fun, interactive and fast. 

In addition, there's a resampling function that lets you play existing layered samples processed by an effect and played by the pattern sequencer – and capture it all as a new sample. You can even sample while playing, allowing the sampling process itself to become part of your expressive performance. 

Sample anytime, anywhere – or anything!
The microSAMPLER can run on batteries, so you can perform on the go – or capture samples anywhere. Both line input and mic input are provided to allow a broad range of input sources including electronic musical instruments, CD, and voice. A gooseneck microphone is included so you can capture sounds with ease. The convenient caddies (located beside the mic jack) provide a cradle for your portable MP3/audio player when using it as a sample source. Truly, the world is yours to sample anytime and anyplace. 

Pattern Possibilities
The pattern sequencer uses an overdub operating style that lets you continually layer your performances. You can switch between patterns during playback for seamless performances. Up to sixteen patterns (16,000 notes per pattern, or a maximum 64,000 notes) can be stored in each bank.

The KAOSS Effect(s)
Developed for Korg's KAOSS PAD series, the effect engine serves up a great selection of effects – so important when editing samples. The twenty-one effects include not only traditional delay and chorus, but also ring modulator and grain shifter, and even a Looper that's derived from the Loop Recording feature of the KAOSSILATOR Dynamic Phrase Synthesizer. The effects can be applied to any sound while resampling, allowing the effects to be used over and over again for more sonic expression.

Made to be Played
The microSAMPLER features our new Natural Touch micro keyboard, offering greatly enhanced playability and expressive power. By adjusting the proportion of the black keys and white keys, we've made chords easier to finger, and the touch has been improved so that rapid phrases can be played more easily – and with less fatigue. The box-shaped keys project a sense of quality, and also allow smoother glides and smears. The controllers you need for an exciting performance are laid out on the panel for intuitive operation. The status of the samples assigned to each key (and the item being edited) is indicated by the lit state of the LEDs running along the top of the keyboard, ensuring excellent visibility even on stage. 

USB-eautiful
By using the free editor/librarian software for the microSAMPLER, you can manage a gigantic sample library that's all your own. You can back up sample and pattern sequence data to your computer via USB, or load samples and patterns back in just as easily. . Importing and exporting of WAV/AIFF data on your computer is also supported. The possibilities are endless…

BUCHLA SYNTHETIZER

Buchla

Buchla & Associates, Inc. is a manufacturer of electronic musical instruments, notably synthesizers and unique MIDI controllers. The 200e Electric Music Box and Lightning III are currently in production.

History

Buchla Music Box (1963)

The original Buchla Music Box was the brainchild of Don Buchla and came from a commission by composers Ramon Sender and Morton Subotnick. First built in 1963, this synthesizer was composed of several "modules" that generated or modified a music event. Each box served a specific function: oscillator, filter, sample and hold, etc. This would have an effect on the pitch, timbre, amplitude and spatial location of the sound. The idea was to allow musicians and composers to create sounds suited to their own specifications. Previously, one had to utilize either discrete audio generators such as test oscillators or via musique concrète, recorded sounds from natural sources. Although it was a fresh and exciting idea and an excellent way to get new sounds, this was very time-consuming and arduous. The Buchla Box allowed musicians to bend and manipulate sound all in one device. This would lead to the many kinds of electronic instruments available today.

Buchla 100 series (1963)

The Buchla 100 series Modular Electronic Music System[2] was commissioned specifically by Subotnick in 1963 for use on his first major electronic work Silver Apples Of The Moon. He gave Don Buchla ideas and specifications for what the instrument should do. It was also used on Buffy Sainte Marie's influential 1969 album, Illuminations. Along with Robert Moog's Moog synthesizer, it would go on to revolutionize the way music and sound is made.

Buchla 200 series (1970)

The Buchla 200 series Electric Music Box[3] replaced the previous model in 1970 and represented a significant advance in technology. Almost every parameter can be controlled from an external control voltage.

Computer controlled instruments

Buchla 300, 500, Touché (mid 1970s)

In the mid 1970s, Don Buchla began experimenting with digital designs and computer controlled systems. The results were the 500 series[4] and the 300 series,[5] both of which paired the new technology with existing 200 series modules to create hybrid analog/digital systems. The Touché[6] was also the result of this research, and was also his final attempt to market a "mainstream" Buchla synth[citation needed].

Buchla 400, 700, and MIDAS (1980s)

Also in 1980s, Buchla released the 400 series[7] and the 700 series[8] software controlled instruments operated by MIDAS, a Forth language for musical instruments, and also equipped MIDI.

Buchla's unique synthesizer designs

Earliest analog sequencers (array of knobs on the bottom) on Buchla 100

Buchla 250e Arbitrary Function Generator

Buchla tends to not refer to his instruments as synthesizers, as he feels that name gives the impression of imitating existing sounds/instruments. His intent is to make instruments for creating new sounds. This convention is evidenced by the omission of a standard musical keyboard on his early instruments, which instead used a series of touch plates which were not necessarily tied to equal-tempered tuning. He also has different naming conventions than most of the industry: for example, one of his modules is called a "Multiple Arbitrary Function Generator." These differences run deeper than nomenclature though. The Multiple Arbitrary Function Generator (or MARF) goes well beyond what a typical sequencer is capable of performing and is capable of acting as an envelope generator, LFO, CV selector, voltage quantizer[disambiguation needed] or tracking generator. Another module that sometimes gets cited for its uniqueness is the Source of Uncertainty. The Source of Uncertainty provides many different flavors of randomness, from noise of different colors, to a LFO-like fluctuating random voltage, and a couple forms of triggered static random voltages, all under voltage control. The Source of Uncertainty goes well beyond a noise and random module in a typical synthesizer.

Buchla Music Easel

It is also important to note that Don Buchla and Robert Moog simultaneously invented the modular synthesizer in 1963, Moog in New York and Buchla in San Francisco. This is an apparent example of multiple discovery. While there had been previous synthesizer experiments, Moog's and Buchla's major development that made the synthesizer portable and flexible was that of using control voltage to manipulate the various elements of the circuits.

Buchla's instruments, such as the Music Easel (pictured),[1] use a different method of timbre generation than Moog synthesizers. Moog units use oscillators with basic function generator type waveshapes and rely heavily on filtering with 24dB resonant low-pass filters, while Buchlas are geared toward complex oscillators using frequency modulation, amplitude modulation, and dynamic waveshaping to produce other forms of timbre modulation. Many of Don Buchla's designs, including the Low-Pass Gates (later called Dynamic Managers) contain vactrols, photoresistive opto-isolator employed as voltage-controlled potentiometers, which contribute to a very "natural" Buchla sound.

MIDI controllers (late 1980s)

Buchla Thunder, Buchla Lightning, Marimba Lumina

By the late 1980s, Don Buchla had stopped creating instruments and shifted his focus to alternate MIDI controllers. His controller designs have included the Thunder, Lightning, and Marimba Lumina.

Oberheim OB-Mx (1995)

In 1995, he was brought on to the team that designed the Oberheim OB-Mx,[12] the so called "Ober-Moog", in the 11th hour to help make it a working instrument. A hybrid analog/digital design, the OB-MX uses many of the lessons learned when researching for the 300 and 500 systems.

Buchla 200e series (2004)

Finally, in 2004, Don Buchla returned to designing full blown modular electronic instruments with the 200e, a hybrid system using digital microprocessors that uses the same size modules and signals as the 100 and 200 series systems. The 200e modules convert all signals to analog at the panel, appearing to the user like an analog system, with patch cables. Systems can be built using a combination of 100, 200 and 200e modules. The 200e modules connect through a digital communications buss, allowing the system to store the settings of the knobs and switches.

TAMPURA

Tambura

The tambura, tanpura, tamboura or taanpura is a long-necked plucked lute (a stringed instrument found in different forms and in many places). The body shape of the tambura somewhat resembles that of the sitar, but it has no frets – and the strings are played open. One or more tamburas may accompany other musicians or vocalists. It has four or five (rarely six) wire strings, which are plucked one after another in a regular pattern to create a harmonic resonance on the basic note (bourdon or drone function). An electronic tanpura is often substituted in contemporary Indian classical music performance.

Tamburas come in different sizes and pitches: larger "males", smaller "females" for vocalists, and a yet smaller version is used for accompanying sitar or sarod, called tamburi or tanpuri. Male vocalists pitch their tonic note (Sa), often to about C♯; female singers usually a fifth higher, though the tonic may be any note, as there is no absolute pitch in the Indian classical music systems. The male instrument has an open string length of approximately one metre; the female is three-fourths of the male. The standard tuning is 5-8-8-1 (sol do' do' do) or, in Indian sargam, PA-sa-sa-SA. For ragas that omit the fifth, the first string is tuned down to the natural fourth: 4-8-8-1 or Ma-sa-sa-Sa. Some ragas require a less common tuning with shuddh NI (one semitone below octave sa), NI-sa-sa-SA. With a five-string instrument, the seventh or NI (natural minor or major 7th) is added: PA-NI-sa-sa-SA (5-7-8-8-1)or MA-NI-sa-sa-SA (4-7-8-8-1).

The name tanapura is probably derived from tana, referring to a musical phrase, and pura, which means "full" or "complete". Both in its musical function and how it works, the tambura is unique in many ways. It does not partake in the melodic part of the music, but it supports and sustains the melody by providing a colourful and dynamic harmonic resonance field based on one precise tone, the basic note or key note. Also, it is not played in rhythm with the music. Its tempo is independent of the music it supports, and the speed of playing may vary throughout a performance or remain relatively constant, at the discretion of the player.

The special overtone-rich sound is achieved by applying the principle of jivari, which creates a sustained "buzzing" sound in which particular harmonics will resonate with focused clarity. Jivarefers to "soul", that which gives life, implying that the tambura embodies an "animated" tone quality. The principle of jivari can be compared to the prismatic refraction of white light into the colours of the rainbow, as its acoustic twin principle at work.

To achieve this effect, the strings pass over a wide, arched bridge, the front of which slopes gently away from the surface of the strings. When a string is plucked, it has intermittent periodical contact with the bridge; this intermittent grazing of the string and bridge is not a static process, as the points of contact will gradually shift, being a compound function of amplitude, the curvature of the bridge, and string tension. When the string is plucked, it has a large amplitude, moving up and down and contacting the bridge on the down-phase. As the energy of the string's movement gradually diminishes, the contact point of the string with the bridge slowly creeps up the slope to the top of the bridge, finally resting at the top of the bridge. Depending on scale and pitch, this can take between three and ten seconds. This dynamic process can be fine-tuned using a cotton thread between string and bridge: by shifting the thread, the grazing contact is shifted to a different position on the bridge, changing the harmonic content. Every single string produces its own cascading range of harmonics and, at the same time, builds up a particular resonance. According to this principle, tamburas are attentively tuned to achieve a particular tonal shade relative to the intonation-related qualities of the raga.

These more delicate aspects of tuning are directly related to what Indian musicians call raga svaroop, which is about how characteristic intonations strengthen the tonal impression of a particular raga. The tambura's particular setup, with its adjustable bridge, made it possible to explore a multitude of harmonic relations produced by the subtle harmonic interplay of four strings.

Tamburas are designed in three different styles:

§  Miraj style: the favourite form of tanpura for Hindustani performers. It is usually between three to five feet in length, with a well-rounded resonator plate (tabli) and a long, hollow straight neck. The round lower chamber to which the tabli, the connecting heel-piece and the neck (dandh) are fixed is actually a selected and dried gourd (tumba). Wood used is either tun or teak; bridges are usually cut from one piece of bone.

§  Tanjore style: this is a south Indian style of tambura, used widely by Carnatic music performers. It has a somewhat different shape and style of decoration from that of the miraj, but is otherwise much the same size. Typically, no gourd is used, but the spherical part is gouged out of a solid block of wood. The neck is somewhat smaller in diameter. Jackwood is used throughout; bridges are usually cut from one piece of rosewood. Often, two rosettes are drilled out and ornamented with inlaywork.

§  Tamburi: small-scale instruments, used for accompanying instrumental soloists. It is two to three feet long, with a flat bed-pan type wooden body with a slightly curved tabli. It may have from four to six strings. Tamburi are tuned to the higher octave and are the preferred instruments for accompanying solo performances by string-playing artists, as the lighter, more transparent sound does not drown out the lower register of a sitar, sarod, or sarangi.

Tanpura (India)

La tanpura, tambura o tambora, es un instrumento de cuerda pulsada de la India, que se usa para mantener sonidos zumbantes constantes. Es un instrumento de la misma familia de la vina, tiene una relación con la diosa Saraswati, patrona y musa de las Bellas Artes en el panteón hindú.

Está confeccionado con una gran calabaza, que hace de caja de resonancia,  la que sale un mástil de madera. Tiene cuatro cuerdas -aunque excepcionalmente hay tanpuras de 5 cuerdas- que se afinan para crear la armonía de la octava. Una afinación característica para obtener la base armónica de una Raga, tal como se les llama a las composiciones tradicionales indias, sería:

- 1ª cuerda se afina en la nota “sol”, que en la escala india corresponde a “pa”.

- 2ª y 3ª cuerdas se afinan en “do alto”, correspondientes al “sa alto” de la escala india

- 4ª cuerda (nota tónica o básica) se afina en “do básico”, “sa básico” en la escala india.

La unión de vibraciones de las distintas cuerdas crea sonidos intermedios que forman el fondo circular tan característico de esta música.

La tanpura ofrece la peculiar y mántrica constancia de su sonido y durante un concierto es como el faro o punto de referencia que el resto de músicos necesita para no extraviarse en sus largos paseos por estas composiciones libres de partitura. Generalmente es el propio músico solista quien comprueba -y retoca si así lo considera- la afinación de la tanpura justoantes de comenzar el concierto. Es un instrumento de gran belleza estética en su forma tradicional, pero el volumen de estas tanpuras hace complicado su transporte y en la actualidad los músicos habitualmente optan en sus desplazamientos por un diseño más funcional, en el que una delgada y rectangular caja de madera da la resonancia y  a la vez sostiene las cuerdas.

The QChord Digital Songcard Guitar

What exactly is a "Digital Songcard Guitar" anyway?

The QChord is a state-of-the-art, portable, self-contained instrument. It uses the latest microprocessor technology to deliver incredible sound and myriad playing options. Developed by Suzuki, makers of the Omnichord, digital pianos, and many other musical instruments, it combines features of an autoharp, piano, guitar, and other musical instruments, in digital form.

Can't play a note?

Even if you can't play a note, this laptop musical instrument will let you improvise like a pro today - while a hot combo follows your lead!

But how to play?

Just push the chord button you read from your QChord Songbook, and a dynamic rhythm section plays inspiring accompaniment in the musical style and tempo you select. Simultaneously, QChord's unique strumplate puts four octaves of the chord's notes at your fingertips, for strumming or tapping in 100 different selectable voices.

Or, plug in a QCard Digital Songcard Cartridge, and let it direct your combo through beautiful arrangements of your favorite tunes - while you jam - and never hit a clinker! QChord's advanced digital technology starts you off sounding great, regardless of your ability. All this you can accomplish using just the QChord's basic features.

Unlimited Potential

And, you'll find that there's unlimited creative potential for any level of musical talent as you become familiar with the countless other advanced features for varying your musical expression. There's a pitch-bend wheel, vibrato, reverb, and the option to use the chord buttons as a standard keyboard, to name just a few. And all in a self-contained, lightweight*, portable instrument, with a built-in speaker and bass port that deliver impressive room-filling sound!

El QChord Digital Guitar Songcard

¿Qué es exactamente un "Guitar Digital Songcard" ?

El QChord es un estado-of-the-art, portátil, autónomo instrumento. Utiliza la última tecnología de microprocesador para ofrecer un sonido increíble y una miríada de opciones de juego. Desarrollado por Suzuki, fabricante de la Omnichord, pianos digitales, y muchos otros instrumentos musicales, que combina las características de una guitarra arpa, piano, y otros instrumentos musicales, en formato digital.

No se puede reproducir una nota?

Incluso si usted no puede tocar una nota, este instrumento musical portátil le permitirá improvisar como un profesional hoy en día - mientras que un combo caliente sigue su ejemplo!

Pero, ¿cómo se toca?

Basta con pulsar el botón de acordes que leer de su Cancionero QChord, y una sección de ritmo dinámico juega acompañamiento de inspiración en el estilo musical y el tempo seleccionado. Al mismo tiempo, strumplate único QChord pone cuatro octavas de notas del acorde a su alcance, para rasguear o pulsar en 100 voces diferentes seleccionables.

O bien, conecte un QCard Digital Songcard cartucho, y se deja dirigir su combo a través de hermosos arreglos de sus canciones favoritas - mientras que usted jam - y nunca más tocó un clinker! Avanzada tecnología digital de QChord usted comienza un sonido excepcional, independientemente de su capacidad. Todo esto se puede lograr usando sólo las características básicas del QChord de.

Potencial Ilimitado

Y, usted encontrará que hay potencial creativo ilimitado para cualquier nivel de talento musical a medida que se familiarice con las innumerables otras características avanzadas para variar su expresión musical. Hay un pitch-bend rueda, vibrato, reverberación, y la opción de utilizar los botones de acordes como un teclado estándar, por nombrar sólo algunos. Y todo ello en un auto-contenido, * ligero instrumento, portátil, con un puerto de altavoz de graves y que ofrecen impresionantes llenar la sala de sonido!