Module Records blog the MFB-VJ Player, a little video sampler, which holds 28 four-second video clips, with a crossfader and some effects. MFB seem to be little known outside Germany, but they have an long history going back to producing early drum machines in the '70s. They also make the can-it-really-be-true MFB Synth II, a tiny, all analog, knob-covered, Minimoog-inspired synth with three oscillators, two envelopes, MIDI, CV-Gate in, sync, PWM, a built-in mini keyboard, patch memories and a built in sequencer which sells for €413 (£218)! They also do the PolyLite, a four-voice poly synth with digital oscillators (3 per voice) and analog filters, for €299. More on MFB from Sequencer.de, and the MFB homepage is here.
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I have a MFB Synth II, which I really enjoy - a little blue Minimoog with a sequencer. It's wonky, lo-fi thing (I have to tune it with a guitar tuner) but I really like it, so I'm intrigued by the MFB Synth 3, which is launching at MusikMesse this week. It's basically a bunch of their eurorack modules in a desktop box. No patch storage (which I never use on the Synth 2) and no sequencer (both of which I use a lot) - it comes with a built in MIDI-CV converter. It's got to be the most knobs and patch points ever sold for €580.
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Gearjunkies get the scoop on two new products from MFB, both cheap, interesting, and probably hard to find outside Germany - The first is Step 64, a €250 analog-style sequencer with MIDI and CV/Gate outputs (perfect if you're hoping to pick up a new analog synth). The second is the truly knobtacular Multifilter, a €480 analog filter with bells, whistles, LFOs and a step sequencer built in. If you're wondering who MFB are, this might help.
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Berlin-based MFB have been making cheap, quirky synths since 1976. I always fancied their MFB Synth II with a built-in sequencer. Their new thing is the Polylite, a four-voice synth with digital oscillators and analog filters. I can't quite see how the control panel works from the German product page (where are all the knobs?) but it's pretty cute for €345.
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If you are building a gnarly Behringer-based modular synth, you might want to add a few of MFB's new range of modules - a drum sequencer for €169, a triple DCO oscillator for €159, a couple of cheap drum modules (€89/€99). By far the most entertaining is the €159 VD-01, which takes any synth sources and outputs a standard RCA video - turning your TV in to an oscilloscope.
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Inspired by this post and an enthusiasm for gadgets, I just got an Efergy electricity meter. Among other things, I can find out how much my energy my 'studio' uses.
Mark wrote: "Hey man. Love your blog. Have you ever considered doing a feature on all the *new* analog synths out there? Comparisons and so on? Might be cool." So I did just that for my Engadget column this week. I only did keyboard synths, so left out the mighty MFB Synth II, which is tiny and knobby and has MIDI, program storage and a sequencer, costs €480/£329, sounded pretty good to me at MusikMesse: review and product page. There's the much simpler Technosaurus Microcon II for roughly the same price if you include the step sequencer. Any others Mark should know about?
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Labels: xmas2007
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