Wendy Carlos Documentary, Tubbutec Controllers and a Monster Delay Module: Synth Journal
4,8 / 5,0 | 
In this week’s edition of Synth Journal, we check out Tubbutec’s new hardware controllers for his synth mods, a massively powerful delay module for Eurorack, and a fascinating mini documentary about the life and work of Wendy Carlos.
Synth Journal
Tubbutec Synth Controllers: Custom MIDI Controllers for Tubbutec Mods
Tubbutec from Berlin makes some of the best and most popular commercially available mods for vintage synths like the Roland Juno-6 / Juno-60, MC-202, and SH-101. One drawback is that some of the new features (such as additional envelopes and LFOs) are only accessible via MIDI. Now, the developer has released a series of hardware controllers that allow you to control the additional parameters in style.
As of now, Tubbutec offers custom controllers for the MC-2oh2, SH-1oh1, and Juno-66 mods. According to the website, versions for ModyPoly (KORG Polysix, Poly-61, Mono/Poly) and CeeS (something new?) are also on the way.
The controllers connect to the synths via MIDI. As they also have MIDI inputs and forward any incoming messages to the synth, you don’t lose the ability to control the synth from your DAW or another MIDI controller. A USB-C MIDI port is also available, effectively turning the controllers into USB MIDI interfaces.
Finished in the same colors as the original synths, the Tubbutec Synth Controllers are great-looking devices that are a much more customized and visually pleasing solution than run-of-the-mill MIDI controllers. If you have a synth with a Tubbutec mod, I’d call them a no-brainer!
The Tubbutec Synth Controllers are now available to order directly from the developer for €241 to €249 (depending on the applicable VAT rate) plus shipping.
XAOC Devices Samarkanda: The Most Powerful Eurorack Delay Module Ever?
Sacrificing 42 HP of space in your Eurorack for a delay module might seem like a stupid idea at first, but once you wrap your head around what this impressive new creation by XAOC Devices can do, it won’t sound that crazy anymore. Looking like some sort of Apollo-era space vehicle control panel, Samarkanda is a 4-channel monster that puts a whole new meaning to the word delay. Each of the four channels offers a delay time of up to 15 seconds, and you can stack the channels in various configurations for a whopping 60 seconds of delay time.
Each channel also lets you choose between an analog tape-style mode and a digital granular delay. The channels can sync to an external clock with various clock division and multiplication factors available, but you can also control the time on the fly using the tap tempo button (per channel) or external CV. Add to that the ability to freeze and/or reverse the signal in the buffer and seamlessly sweep through it using CV, and you’ve got a 4-channel delay that’s an instrument in its own right. While it’s a delay at heart, Samarkanda can also be a resonator, chorus, flanger, looper, and much more.
According to XAOC Devices, Samarkanda uses high-quality components such as 24-bit AKM converters to ensure impeccable audio quality and lossless chaining of channels. The module is now available to order from Thomann* for $613 / £525 / €619.
Erica Synths EDU.DIY Labor Scope: The Synth DIY Lab Gets an Oscilloscope
If you’re looking to get into designing your own synths and modules, the Erica Synths EDU DIY Labor is a great place to start. Comprised of a breadboard and essential prototyping and testing tools such as an oscillator, power supply, envelope, variable CV source, and amp, it’s an experimental playground that includes everything you need to begin designing your own circuits.
Nearly everything, that is. Until now, one crucial element was missing: the EDU DIY Labor didn’t include an oscilloscope, nor did it feature any other measuring and metering tools. While digital multimeters are available for little money and you can easily build your own oscilloscope thanks to KORG, this seemed like a bit of an oversight on Erica Synths’ part.
The new EDU DIY Labor Scope fixes this. The little circuit board attaches directly to the expansion slot of the EDU DIY Labor and provides a 3-channel oscilloscope, allowing you to view and inspect the waveforms coming out of your circuits. One channel is hard-wired to the audio output of the Labor, the other two are available for patching.
But that’s not all. In addition, the EDU DIY Labor Scope includes a voltmeter (10 V range, 0.1 V accuracy), a spectrometer, and even a chromatic tuner. This gives you all the essential measuring tools you need to test your circuits.
The Erica Synths EDU DIY Labor Scope is now available from the manufacturer for €60 plus tax and shipping. Erica Synths points out that it’s exclusively intended for use with the EDU DIY Labor, which costs €170 plus tax and shipping.
Mini Documentary: Wendy Carlos, Electronic Music’s Transformative Pioneer
The importance of Wendy Carlos’ contributions to the history of synthesizers cannot be overstated. Before her seminal 1968 album “Switched-on Bach”, synths had largely been confined to experimental studios, used by engineers and scientists to produce sounds the general public wouldn’t have considered “music” at the time. Long before synths took popular music by storm in the 1970s, she proved to the world that electronic instruments were capable of true artistic expression in the hands of a skilled musician.
Collaborating closely with Bob Moog, she helped define the synthesizer as we know it today, inventing features that engineers probably wouldn’t have thought of by themselves. Did you know that the glide feature found on most synths today was Wendy Carlos’ suggestion?
This new mini documentary by Resident Advisor pays homage to Wendy Carlos, from her collaboration with Bob Moog to the groundbreaking score for “A Clockwork Orange” and beyond. A fascinating tribute to one of the most important and influential figures in synth history!
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