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Meet the Teenage Engineering PO-12: a $49 card-sized drum machine
Tucked neatly into a panel discussion at last week's Moogfest, Teenage Engineering outed its latest synthesizer effort. The unit, labeled the PO-12, was intended to be a giveaway during the festivities ("moogfest special" is printed on the built-in hang tag), but the units got caught up in a customs delay, so we're left with details nabbed by attendee Robert Pluma. Here's a quick rundown of some of the reported specs: a Silicon Labs 32-bit ARM microcontroller, wire stand that doubles as a pitch bender, 23 switches, two optimization knobs, beats-per-minute LED and 1/8-inch audio jacks. There also appears to be options for hip-hop, disco and techno on the gadget that's said to be priced at $49.
Moog remakes the massive Emerson modular synthesizer 50 years later
How do you celebrate the 50th anniversary of Bob Moog's the first voltage controlled synthesizer? By completely recreating it five decades later, of course. The folks at Moog revealed the new Emerson Moog Modular System this weekend at Moogfest. This research and construction project took three years to complete, culminated with the building of the 2014 edition of Keith Emerson's Moog Modular System (Emerson being of Emerson, Lake & Palmer fame). Using the original schematics, hand-soldering, traditional wiring techniques and even photo-etching the aluminum front panels (a much less common process these days), engineers were able to remake the highly customized instrument from the internals to the aesthetics. Heck, Emerson even used the unit in what he said may be one of his last live performances Thursday night. What's more, Moog plans to build "a handful" of these new Emerson systems and offer them for purchase. As you might expect, you'll have to call the factory for pricing which likely means it's a bit outside of nearly all price ranges. Early reports have the list price at $90,000, but Moog has yet to announce a figure. While you're sorting your funds though, we were able to take a look in person, and you can scroll through those images in the gallery below. And you can hear Emerson's original modular system in the tune "Lucky Man."
This DIY synthesizer cost $70 to build and it sounds amazing
What could you build with a budget of $70? For George Gleixner, it's a homemade battery-powered synthesizer. One that's constructed using a circuit bent a children's Hing Hon EK-001 squarewave keyboard no less. What's circuit bending you ask? Well, Reed Gazala pioneered the process back in the mid-90s which modifies (read: bends) the original circuits of keyboards, drum machines and even children's toys to create new sounds that vary from its original use. Each year at Moogfest, as an homage to founder Bob Moog, there's a circuit bending competition in which entrants hack together their instruments for a shot at maker glory. Of course, it doesn't hurt that the larger festival attracts electronic music's finest, like Kraftwerk and Dan Deacon, that could end up peeking the goods too. This time around, Mr. Gleixner took the top prize and we caught up with him to see the inner workings of his creation.
