Friday, January 30, 2009

Plan B Modules Arrive at Big City Music


Currently we have in stock the Model 15 Complex VCO, Model 37 Elf Series LFO, Model 10 Polyphonic Envelope, Model 9 Mixer/Attenuator and the Model 13 Dual Timbral Gate. Get them while they last! Email sales@bigcitymusic.com or call us.

Thursday, January 29, 2009

BCM Welcomes Diabolical Devices and Class A Electronics


We're very very excited to offer instruments from Diabolical Devices and their sister company Class A Electronics. Diabolical takes instruments like the Roland TR-707 drum machine, the Casio SK-1 and others and modifies them. Whether it's a pitch mod for every drum sound, or a banana plug patch bay for different bends, or an added LFO, these pieces come back from the dead!

Here's a picture of a circuit bent TR-7027. This is a Roland TR-707 that also has the sounds from a Roland TR-727. You can switch back and forth. All the drum sounds have pitch mods with knobs to control the bends. They also have three separate global bends and a cymbal delay bend. On the left there's a banana plug patch bay allowing you to link several bends at once creating some truly unique sounds.

Class A Electronics makes some incredible guitar pedals as well as small wattage tube amplifiers and more. Check back with us soon for the latest from these guys!

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

BCM is Proud to Offer Folktek Instruments



From somewhere underground in Portland Oregon Arius Blaze and Ben Houston are creating some wildly interesting instruments. The Folktek pieces are truly unique in every way. Each one is hand crafted by the artists and is a one of a kind. Most of their instruments are crafted into beautiful antique boxes too. These are not your typical circuit bent instruments. The way you can "play" them varies tremendously and Folktek offers some alternative user interaction with their pieces. Check back with us as we will get more pieces soon

Analogue Systems rs290 Crushes Your Bits Too

Man. There's not much this modules doesn't do. Besides an incredible sounding high-quality stereo digital delay with built LFO and a hard to beat voltage controlled sampler mode, the rs290 can crush your sounds too. This great little trick doesn't even require the unit to be engaged. Just select sample size, reduce, and abuse. Our sound source is the Elektron Monomachine.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

More NAMM 2009 Pix

Jayemsonic Website Updated



Check it out!

NAMM Pictures from Jürgen at Jomox





Here are some pictures from the NAMM show in Anaheim and from Jürgen's visit to Joshua Tree. via jomox.com

Analogue Systems rs215 Eight Octave Filter

The rs215 Eight Octave Filter is an incredible sounding, 8-band, pure analog filterbank. This module sounds beautiful and is perfect for fitting your modular sounds into a mix.

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Analogue Systems rs110 Multimode Filter Trick

The Analogue Systems rs110 Multimode filter has the unique ability to process the resonance externally.

Bob Williams with Analogue Systems showed us this trick where we send the "Notch Out" back into the "Res In". Sending the filter resonance to a phaser or some modulation effect can yield very cool results.

We're using the Low Pass output to our speaker
.

Friday, January 23, 2009

Sherman Rodec Restyler w/ modular sequence

Here's a little modular noodle being processed by the Sherman Rodec Restyler. The Sherman is an incredible sounding multimode filter with some fun Sherman quirks thrown in.

The knob on the bottom-left determines at what frequency the modulation kicks in. The big knob on the right is the overall frequency cutoff. The switch at the top-right engages the Sherman in the upper position, bypasses in the center, and acts as a momentary switch in the bottom position.

This thing is fun! We're using the Jomox XBase 999 drum machine for the backing beat and to clock our sequence.

Metasonix Modules Video From Gearwire.com

Metasonix Eurorack Modules From Tube Warm To "Crazy Metasonix-Style"
"Our mustachioed friend Josh from Bigcitymusic.com talks about the three upcoming Metasonic Eurorack Modules. The R-51 -- voiced for analog synth mangling -- allows you to add mild tube warmth or take it to the next level (BAM!) and get all Metasonix-y (i.e. sounding like bathroom humor). The R-53, says the enigmatic Josh, is the most extreme Eurorack so far -- and being that it's from the makers of the amp who's name may never be spoken, that's saying a lot."

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

NAMM 2009 - Mellotron Mark VI at Big City Music booth

Here's our friend Arlan playing the Mellotron through a Moog MF-104z Analog Delay, then into a JMI AC-30 amp.

The Mark VI is currently in production and is available at Big City Music in Los Angeles. All of the original Mellotron sounds are available as tape frames as well as many of the original Chamberlin sounds.

NAMM 2009 - Sherman Rodec Restyler processor at Big City Music booth


Here is the prototype of the all new Sherman Rodec Restyler which we had at the Big City Music booth at NAMM.

We didn't have much time to learn the fine points of operating this cool device. We will do another, more in-depth video back at our store once we get settled and catch up on things. In the meantime, please enjoy our NAMM noodling on the new Sherman Rodec Restyler.

NAMM 2009 - Metasonix KV-100 AssBlaster at Big City Music booth


Here is the all new Metasonix KV-100 AssBlaster vacuum tube processor that was shown at the Big City Music NAMM booth. We are feeding a drum pattern from the Jomox XBase999 analog drum machine.

The KV-100 contains the basic preamp stage of the discontinued Metasonix TM-7 Scrotum Smasher, driving the waveshaping (pulser) and ring modulation functions of the discontinued TM-1 (minus the ring-modulator carrier oscillator). These two sections drive a VCO which was derived from the discontinued Metasonix TM-3.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Nortec: One Hundred and One Synthesizers in Two Minutes

Here's a video Pepe from Nortec Collective made after a visit he and Ramon made to Big City Music. Cool guys!


You can see here at least a knob or slider from Analogue Systems modular, LL Electronics, Metasonix, Cwejman, Mellotron, Sherman, Jomox, Vermona, System 8500 modular, French Connection Martenot-style controller, rs-420 Octave Controller, rs95e VCO, rs370 Polyphonic Harmonic Generator, rs300 CV to MIDI and others.
This is one our many visits to Bigcitymusic, one of our favorite analogue synthesizer store around, we really thanks to Roger and all bigcitymusic family we love you guys.

Pepe and Ramon..
http://www.myspace.com/tijuanasoundmachine

Monday, January 19, 2009

Metasonix Celebrates It's Tenth Anniversary


Metasonix Home Page
Metasonix at Big City Music

NAMM 2009 - Metasonix R-51 and R-53 Eurorack modules at Big City Music booth

Here are the new Metasonix Eurorack modules at the Big City Music booth at NAMM 2009.

NAMM 2009 - Signal Arts Tetra MAPS sequencer at Big City Music booth

Here is the latest from Signal Arts at the Big City Music booth. The all new Tetra MAPS sequencer offers so many possibilities. Here is just a taste.

NAMM 2009 - Blues Saraceno demos Dirty Boy Octo '59 pedal

Here is Blues Saraceno, guitarist extraordinaire, demoing the Dirty Boy Octo '59 pedal at the Big City Music booth at NAMM 2009.

Blues' dad, Alex Saraceno, makes the Dirty Boy line of boutique guitar pedals. If you are a guitarist who is familiar with the best of the best vintage pedals, you will fall in love with Dirty Boy pedals. They are built the old-school way with vintage components and absolutely kick ass!

NAMM 2009 - Analogue Systems guitar synth w/ Blues Saraceno

Here is the monster guitarist Blues Saraceno at the Big City Music booth on Saturday at NAMM. He's playing his Les Paul into the Analogue Systems rs35 External Source Processor module, which is a pitch to voltage (1 volt per octave) module. The rs35 is triggering a pair of rs95 voltage controlled oscillators, which are then processed through several other A.S. modules.

The final sound is coming from the tiny 5" Yamaha speaker which was mic'd with a handheld SM-57.

Saturday, January 17, 2009

NAMM 2009 - Evolution of a Neuronium patch


Here is Jürgen Michaelis at the Big City Music booth on Friday at NAMM. Jürgen is the man behind Jomox, the analogue synth & drum machine manufacturer. Jürgen is playing with a patch on the Resonator Neuronium.

Jürgen originally created this electronic device as an "art" project, but ended up building several dozen more for others. It became apparent that other openminded musicians appreciate his very unique form of art. We surely do!

Thursday, January 15, 2009

NAMM 2009 -Day 1 Pictures

Jurgen Michaelis of Jomox and Markus Resch of Melltron


Bob Williams of Analogue Systems


NAMM 2009 -Day 1 Pictures

Metasonix KV-100 Assblaster


A brand new Mellotron Mark VI

NAMM 2009 -Day 1 Pictures

Sherman Rodec Restyler



Diabolical Devices Circuit Bent TR-707

NAMM 2009 -Diabolical Devices TR-707

Who would have thought that twenty-some years later the Roland TR-707 would be back at the NAMM show? We're guessing nobody did until they saw the Diabolical Devices circuit mangled TR-707 at our booth. The Diabolical 707 has a pitch control for every sound, various distortion and bit-squashing bends and a patch bay. The 707's patch bay can interact with other things like the Diabolical Devices circuit bent SK-1 or any of your CV-able gear. The great thing is that the original 707 sounds are still intact and can be completely brought back to stock. You can use it as a MIDI module too! Stay tuned for more demos from Sherman, Dirty Boy Pedals, Signal Arts and more.

1st Day at NAMM 2009 -Big City Music Booth Overview

Here's an overview of our booth this year. You can see shots of the new Metasonix eurorack modules and the new KV-100 Assblaster. You can also see the new Signal Arts Tetra Maps sequencer, the new Sherman Rodec Restyler, all of the Jomox Products, a giant Analogue Systems modular, pieces from Diabolical Devices and Folktek, as well as Cwejman, King Capitol Punishment, Bleep Labs L.L. Electronics Rozzbox, Schippman, Malekko, Vermona and more. We'll be making some demo videos shortly. Stay tuned!

Friday, January 9, 2009

Nortec Collective Visits BCM


We had a chance to hang out with Bostich and Fussible from Nortec Collective. They were on their way to a gig at the Echoplex. The show was fantastic. They're actually up for a Grammy for their tune "Tijuana Sound Machine". Check them out.

Monday, January 5, 2009

Cwejman's Bubbling Woodpecker Computer


Here's a little test patch we made while trying to figure out a NAMM setup. The Cwejman modules sound great! We're using the VCO-2RM, VM-1, PH-4. MMF-1, NS-4, AP-1, and the MX-4S modules, all temporarily racked in an Analogue Systems rs15 case.

Sunday, January 4, 2009

Acid take 2 - Roland TB-303, Jomox 999 & Analogue Systems



We love the Roland TB-303 (who doesn't?), so we went nuts with some Analogue Systems rs95 oscillators, triggering them with the CV and Gate outputs from the 303. The sound of the 303 is given additional balls by processing it through the Malekko B:Assmaster Germanium pedal. You can hear the TB-303 without extra balls at the very end between 6:12 - 6:18.

Along with the A.S. rs95 oscillators we're also using the rs110 Multimode Filter, the rs120 Comb Filter, and the rs100 Low Pass Filter.

The drums sounds are from the behemoth Jomox XBase 999 and we're using the Kenton Pro Solo MIDI-CV converter to sync the 303. One of the cymbals from the Jomox is running through the A.S. rs310 Reverb/Chorus module, which is being modulated by the rs80 LFO's triangle wave. The rs290 Sample/Delay module is providing the delay for that cymbal as well. All of these sounds are being mixed by the rs165 Signal Mixer.

Saturday, January 3, 2009

Deadmau5 Visits Big City Music


Mr. Zimmerman stopped by the shop on his way to his New Year's gig. We had a chance to see his new mouse head made especially for the big night. It was covered in shiny sparkling jewels. Check out his website.