Roland SH series of synths

I'm looking forward to the release of the new Roland SH-4d.

This is Roland's latest in the line of synths belonging to the SH family.

It brings memories of such legendary machines like the SH-101, SH5 & SH-7

So I thought it would be fun to make a SH list 

Let me know if I've forgotten any synths belonging to this family.

SH-1000

This was Roland's 1st synth

1973. Monophonic, 

Designed to complement an organ

Single oscillator feeding a lowpass filter, an ADSR envelope, and two LFOs. 

It features 10 Preset sounds.

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SH-2000

Rolands 2nd synth

It's a single VCO machine. Preset only.

Thus its not as flexible as the SH1000

1973 - 74

Uses a transistor ladder filter.

Although most Roland analog keyboard synthesizers have 1V/1oct VCOs, this one uses Hz/V.

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SH-3

the year was 1974

I love this synth.

It was Roland's first synth that wasn't preset based.

Its uses a diode filter like on the EMS VCS-3

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SH-3a

1974

The later SH-3a  uses a transistor ladder-filter and as a result can generate Moog-like sounds."

Both the 3 & 3a synths can do additive synthesis by mixing in up to five different waveforms.

There are no CV/gate  control inputs

The synths are both monophonic, having just one VCO & a noise module..

Interestingly there are two LFOs

LFO1 has a sawtooth waveform

LFO2 has a  sine & square wave with a delay slider.

The LFO's can be assigned to the VCF, VCA, or the VCO.

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SH-5

1976 -81

This was pre-midi

CV/gate controls.

The styling is very close to the modular  Roland system-100

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SH-7

1978-81

When I see this synth I think of INXS

Duphonic.

two Syncable VCOs. Two ADSRs, 

VCO1 has 5 Sliders which control levels of 32',16',8',4' and 2' .

This is the flagship of the early SH series

CA3080  filter

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SH-1 

It's a 32 key synthesizer

1978

One Oscillator & sub oscillator., LFO, HP & LP Filter.

White & pink noise.

It's the great grand-daddy of the SH101

Feels like a bulky sh-09. 

I like the patch-bay being on the top. Easier to patch into a modular.

It's often over looked. 

The filter is a 4 pole , 24db low pass.

It's OTA  in design, based on the CA3080 (also used in the SH-7 and system 700)

The VCO has PWM and the subOSC that can work 2 octaves below the main OSC

CV/Gate  input and output.

Trigger input.

There are 2 envelopes to control the VCA. (ADSR & AR)

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SH-2

1979

Two oscillators & a suboscillator

There is a total of 5 waveforms available across both VCOs

SINE, SAWTOOTH, SQUARE, PULSE-WIDTH and NOISE.

The MODULATOR section features a RANDOM (S/H) waveform that can be 

used to modulate tone and pitch

Input & output Control : CV/gate

24dB filter (BA662 design... also used in the SH-09)

Wonderful creamy lead sounds.

I think this synth is hugely underrated

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SH-09

1980

Just one VCO, LFO, Filter.

2 &1/2  (32 note) octave keyboard

The envelope generator is a full ADSR design and doubles 

up for both amplitude and filter modulation duties.

The envelope can also be pressed into service for PWM.

CV/gate

A stripped down version of the sh-1 ??

OTA filter : (BA662A design , also found in the jupiter 4, Promars, SH-2 & 100m)

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SH 101

1982 -86

Legendary synth. 

CV/gate.

One VCO + sub osc, LFO

The SH-101 was based on a single CEM3340 oscillator.

Squenchy filter (four OTA-stages integrated in Roland IR3109)

The  integrated circuit, Roland IR3109, is also found in the Jupiter 4, 6 & 8, Juno 6, 60, JX3P, the SH101, the MKS-10 and the early MKS-80 (1984)

Built in sequencer/arp. Love how you can make a sequence out of random notes

and then loop. Your fingers can now tweak parameters on the fly.

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SH-32

2001

Wave acceleration synthesis ???

The raw waveforms are sampled. (67 waveforms)

Does it belong with the famous SH synths of the 70s & 80s ?

I don't know !!! So different to what came before.

It's very groove box, but without a sequencer.

I guess Roland wanted to revive the famous SH line so this is what they came up with.

It uses the engines of the modern (at the time) JP-8000 so I think

it has more in common with the JP-8000 & JP-8080 than the earlier

SH-synths of the 70's.

It had been almost 20 years since the SH-101

This synth reminds me very much of the new SH-4d

Also a 4 part muti-timbral desktop module.

Lots of knobs and sliders.... no menu diving

32 voices

No sequencer  but does have an Arp (64 arpeggiator types).

Each arp can contain up to 32 steps with 16 notes.

It has a chord memory feature making it useful for techno and trance.

There are 35 insert effects and 10 types of reverb and delay. 

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SH-201

10 voices

2006

Its a analog modelling synth that has less to do with the SH-101

and more in common with the jp-8000 

Features Roland's famous Supersaw waveform (introduced in the JP-8000)

Really easy to use.

No menu diving.

Features Roland's D-Beam technology

like the SH-101it has an arpeggiator function with 32 patterns.

Also a overdrive control & delay and reverb.

It's got a USB connection to allow communication with a software editor.

There are 32 presets and 32 user patches.

Bi-tonal not bi-timbral. ... can make two tones at once but receives midi on only 1 channel.

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SH-01 Gaia

64 voices

Analog modelling

Three oscillators with seven different waveforms (saw, square, pulse, triangle, sine, noise and super saw).

"D-Beam" sensor for live performance

MIDI In/Out and USB connectivity to store patches to a thumb drive.

There is a software patch editor 

c.2010

Can be run on batteries.

sh-01a

analog modelling

2018

A mini-me sh101 in boutique format

note that the vintage SH101 was limited to a 4 oct range (16' to 2')

The sh-01a adds 32' and  64' to the osc's range

Lange Anna - ST Modular

 These are my build notes for the Lange Anna.

 

 

It's 84HP long.

 

Its basically  a mult  for distributing cv and audio...like the one on the Makenoise skiff.

There are 3 channels. 

Each channel has a pot to set polarity.

Each channel has 1 input and 4 outputs.

Each output has LEDs to indicate polarity

If nothing is connected to an input of a particular channel, its outputs will supply either 10V or 5V (there is a switch to set this). 

 

Links:

Some details from the ST modular website:

https://www.st-modular.com/lange%20anna.htm

The BOM is here

https://github.com/Laminim/EURORACK/blob/master/LANGE%20ANNA/BOM_LANGE_ANNA.xls

You can find files for the rest of ST Modular's modules here:

+ Github

 

Most of the parts are pretty standard.

Op-amps :

4X TL072

3 X TL074 

There are 24 SMD LEDs

All 0805 size

* It´s best to use different SMD LED colours per channel,
e.g. circle = white, square = orange, triangle = green

 

I guess this means 8 of each.

I ended up just using 1 colour.

 

 PJ301M-12 jacks    "Thonkiconn"

Vertical mount mono jacks

+ Jacks & Sockets 

 ordered 22pf 0603 smd

0.1 uF / 100nF C3, C4, C6, C7, C9, C10, C11, C12, C13, C15, C16, C17, C18, C19

-----

1N5819HW

voltage protection ?

  Orientation .... I think This is the right way ???

Op-amps 

TL072 & 074

 

resistors - 100k first.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

still waiting on these two caps

ordered from mouser

667-EEE-FK1V100UR
LANGE ANNA
EEE-FK1V100UR
10uF 35V

 

Toggle switch

Time to solder the LEDs

They are polarised of course.

 

Most often you can not see any of the LED markings.

They are super small. I use a microscope or the zoom function of my mobile phone.

A small notch or dot will usually indicate the cathode side of an led. 

This also goes for markings on a board too.

 

Note, I've read the opposite to this on some sites... so check the supplier data sheets

before soldering

The LED Ive purchased is this:

630-hsml-c170-t0000

This is a screen shot from it's data sheet:

And surprise ---- the notch points to the anode ????

Confusing 

If you look closely, you can see a small dot (top view) indicating the anode (according to the data sheet.

Looking from the bottom, there is a T shaped line with the middle pointing to the anode.

 I thought there must be a mistake with the data sheet.

But as it turned out in this case the dot does point to the anode, 

------------------

10k pots on order ebay

Jacks x 15

PJ301M-12

Too be continued..

STOCHASTIC sequencers

 I've been coming  across a few STOCHASTIC sequencers recently.

The other day a friend showed up with a Oxi One

This has many more modes other than Stochastic, but I found that mode really interesting.

So what are Stochastic patterns?

These are patterns that are generated randomly, allowing for endless generative ideas in music production. These patterns can be used to create unique melodies, rhythms and structures in music.

There are quite a few systems and sequencers, eurorack modules that embrace this idea, and the list is growing.

I think we should embrace these new tools.

so musicians can explore new soundscapes and create unique compositions that would otherwise be impossible to achieve.

This is a eurorack module from Stochastic Instruments.

The SIG - Stochastic Instrument Generator

Below is the O-Blek

Its a MaxforLive stochastic sequencer with individual length options to offset and produce dynamic ever- changing patterns easily in Ableton Live.

Another Eurorack module which uses Stochastic ideas is Vermona's Melodicer

The two primary modes are dice and real-time.

- dice mode creates a melody and holds it until a new rhythm or melody is seeded into memory.

- real-time mode continuously generates random patterns based on the current settings.

The 12 sliders each have an associated note, and turning up that slider will increase the 

probability that the corresponding note will be played. 

Note value sets the clock division from whole to 32nd notes.

This sequencer uses cycling '74

Radioaktivnost is a 16 step sequencer for software and hardware which is clocked by radioactive decay.

How cool !!

These are just a few examples Ive found using a quick google search.

Im sure there are many more.

So in summary the Stochastic sequencer isn't your standard sequencer.

It doesn’t repeat itself and you don’t program fixed steps for variation.

Instead you duet with it by starting with the fundamental musical settings such as  pitch, 

duration, octave and various transition events. 

By changing the basic probability of these settings the melody will evolve.

I think Stochastic patterns allow for a level of creativity that is unprecedented in music production. 

By leveraging the power of randomness, musicians can explore a variety of musical ideas and find inspiration for their own compositions. With this approach, musicians can also create compositions with an ever-evolving structure - making sure that no two performances are ever the same!

Kos- Greece Part 1

 Some pics of the Island of Kos, in Greece.

Part 2 is here:

   - Kos - Greece - part2

Kos is a Greek island located in the Aegean Sea, near the coast of Turkey. It is part of the Dodecanese island chain and has a population of approximately 33,000 people.

..

The island has a rich history, with evidence of human habitation dating back to prehistoric times. Kos was an important center of learning in ancient Greece, home to the famous physician Hippocrates, the founder of the Hippocratic School of Medicine.

Kos is known for its beautiful beaches, crystal-clear waters, and picturesque landscapes. Its mild Mediterranean climate makes it a popular destination for tourists throughout the year

Today, visitors to Kos can explore many ancient ruins and historical sites, including the ancient agora (marketplace), the Castle of the Knights of St. John, and the Asklepieion, a temple dedicated to the god of healing.

The Castle of the Knights of St. John, also known as the Castle of Neratzia, is a medieval fortress located in the port town of Kos on the island of Kos, Greece. The castle was built by the Knights of St. John, also known as the Knights Hospitaller, in the early 14th century.

The castle was constructed to protect the town and the island from attacks by the Ottoman Empire and other enemies. It is located on a small island connected to the mainland by a stone bridge, which was built in the 1930s.

The castle has a rectangular shape and is surrounded by a moat. It features several towers, including the Tower of the Great Master, which was the tallest tower in the castle and provided a vantage point for defending against attacks.

Today, the Castle of the Knights of St. John is a popular tourist attraction and is open to visitors. It has been partially restored and visitors can explore the castle's walls, towers, and other features, including a small chapel and a museum dedicated to the castle's history. The castle also offers stunning views of the surrounding sea and town of Kos.

Part 2 is here:

   - Kos - Greece - part2

For more travel links click here:
http://djjondent.blogspot.com.au/2015/03/travel-postcards-index-my-travel.html