DIVERSE

A few demonstrations of Hideaway Studio's Front Panel Animator Module (FPA), Filter Defeat Module (FDM) and Virtual Floppy System (XD-280) for the AKAI S612 Sampler in action...

The FPA retrofit module allows most of the front panel controls including the infamous sample splice sliders and filter cutoff to be animated in realtime via 5 MIDI CC channels.

These modules have been proving popular with many upgraded units now in the wild.  For those interested in further details or wishing to purchase their own module please contact me at:  dani@hideawaystudio.net

Please Note:  Although FPA and FDM module are a very neat fit once in place it does require strong PTH desoldering skills and patience to fit but it is not difficult for a tech to install each in less than 2 hours.

Some links on GearSlutz covering these upgrades:

USB Drive Emulator (XD-280) for S612:

https://www.gearslutz.com/board/electronic-music-instruments-and-electronic-music-production/1278701-introducing-xd-280-disk-emulator-akai-s612.html

MIDI Front Panel Animator (FPA) for S612:

https://www.gearslutz.com/board/electronic-music-instruments-and-electronic-music-production/1079521-prototype-akai-s612-midi-front-panel-animator.html

Filter Defeat Module (FDM) for S612:

https://www.gearslutz.com/board/electronic-music-instruments-and-electronic-music-production/1273180-prototype-akai-s612-filter-defeat-board-action.html

Hideaway Studio's AKAI S612 FPA, FDM and XD-280 Upgrades in Action....

Testing various prototype custom midi interfaces designed by D.A.Wilson at Hideaway Studio for the control all manner of old kit...

Player Robots: Prototypes In Action...

Various test recordings of a number of custom and low volume studio equipment designs over the years by D.A.Wilson (Hideaway Studio) including a number of tube hybrid rackmount audio processors originally conceived and built for Jean-Michel Jarre...

Studio Equipment by Hideaway Studio in Action...

Wonderkey mp3

Danny Glover Remix (feat. Nicki Minaj) - Young Thug

Danny Glover (feat. Nicki Minaj) - Young Thug

Written by: Ester Ideskog
Recorded, produced and mixed by Johannes Berglund.
(P) & (C) Lisch Recordings 2015

Artwork by Johan Hemgren. Paintings by Samuel Axelsson. Photo by Sara Arnald. Styling and makeup by Therese Lögdahl.

Seven

Recently recorded during post-installation testing using only samples from the Hideaway AKAI S612 Sample Library currently bundled with the popular XD-280 Disk Emulator I developed a few years back. The XD-280 consists of a modified Gotek disk emulator and a custom drive interface which bolts directly onto the rear of the S612 replacing the bulky and sadly very unreliable original MD-280 Quick-Disk Rackmount with a modern USB flash drive based solution.

These 12-bit samplers might only have a tiny 1 second sample memory but they sound lovely and, in a weird way, I often find their extreme limitations quite inspiring!

Sound Design, Composition & Recording Copyright D.A.Wilson, Hideaway Studio 2025.

1986 AKAI S612: Heavenly-01 [Hideaway's Sample Library For the S612]

NEWS UPDATE: The second batch of 25 pre-production units are nearing completion and am now taking pre-orders for delivery in June. A new Patch Editor/Librarian App & VST/AU plugin with full automation has also been developed complete with a new library of over 250 sound patches for Win/Mac/Linux and will be free to all Elfin-04 and 01 owners.

Introducing Elfin-04, Hideaway Studio's Compact New 4-Voice Polysynth Expander...
 
I have been working round the clock for weeks now on my dinky little 8-bit 4-Voice (4 x [2osc+1sub+LFO]) VA Poly Expander with 1960's style transformer-mixed output voicing and finally No's.000 thru 010 are born to the world and receiving very positive feedback from their new owners....... this 4-voice polysynth measuring just 16x12x3cm has full real-time control over her 32 parameters via simple midi ccs and 16 built-in patches. 

Based on an expanded form of a customized software synth-core design by ISGK in Japan, I think the Elfin-04's unique voice ouput/mixing transformers do add something for sure - they are driven full-swing with 60KHz PWM resulting in a lot of additional harmonics/mirror frequencies and some saturation that all gets trapped within the transformers which adds a richness/darkness to the sound (no-doubt inspired in part by my beloved DK Synergy). In the Elfin-04, the 4 voices are passively mixed but, unusually, by the topology of the output-transformers themselves which is a trick that used to be found in some more exotic 1960s valve test equipment where multiple signal outputs were mixed on isolated outputs (eg. my huge old Panoramic TTG-2 tube Dual Sinewave Generator). Also, each voice CPU is independently clocked so everything is genuinely free-wheeling across the voices so even the noise phases slowly when played on multiple notes and unison which is pretty cool.

Any questions, please PM me here on S/C or to EF86 on GearSpace.

All Sound Design & Recordings Copyright D.A.Wilson, Hideaway Studio 2025.

Hideaway's New Elfin-04 Polysynth: Detuned Unison Mode Montage 01

NEWS UPDATE: The second batch of 25 pre-production units are nearing completion and am now taking pre-orders for delivery in June. A new Patch Editor/Librarian App & VST/AU plugin with full automation has also been developed complete with a new library of over 250 sound patches for Win/Mac/Linux and will be free to all Elfin-04 and 01 owners.

Any questions, please PM me here on S/C or to EF86 on GearSpace.

Introducing Elfin-04, Hideaway Studio's Compact New 4-Voice Polysynth...
 
I have been working round the clock for weeks now on my dinky little 8-bit 4-Voice (4 x [2osc+1sub+LFO]) VA Poly Expander with 1960's style transformer-mixed output voicing and finally No's.000 thru 010 are born to the world and receiving very positive feedback from their new owners...... this 4-voice polysynth measuring just 16x12x3cm has full real-time control over her 32 parameters via simple midi ccs and 16 built-in patches. 

Based on an expanded form of a customized software synth-core design by ISGK in Japan, I think the Elfin-04's unique voice ouput/mixing transformers do add something for sure - they are driven full-swing with 60KHz PWM resulting in a lot of additional harmonics/mirror frequencies and some saturation that all gets trapped within the transformers which adds a richness/darkness to the sound (no-doubt inspired in part by my beloved DK Synergy). In the Elfin-04, the 4 voices are passively mixed but, unusually, by the topology of the output-transformers themselves which is a trick that used to be found in some more exotic 1960s valve test equipment where multiple signal outputs were mixed on isolated outputs (eg. my huge old Panoramic TTG-2 tube Dual Sinewave Generator). Also, each voice CPU is independently clocked so everything is genuinely free-wheeling across the voices so even the noise phases slowly when played on multiple notes and unison which is pretty cool.

All Sound Design & Recordings Copyright D.A.Wilson, Hideaway Studio 2025.

Hideaway's New Elfin-04 Polysynth: Polyphonic Patch Montage 01

Elfin-08 No. 000 (basically two stock Hideaway Elfin-04 Poly Expanders bolted together running modified firmware with a stereo output) fires up for the first time on all 10 of its 8-bit processors and 8 output transformers!....

The allocation of the 8 voices has been distributed between the left and right audio outputs with even voices on one channel and odd voices on the other giving a rather pleasing stereo effect. The Detuned Unison Mode on the 8-voice is just massive!

All of the sounds in the test recording are factory Elfin-04 patches loaded up from the new Elfin Controller VST/AU/Standalone (win/mac/linux) patch editor which currently has around 260 patches built in.
 
NB: I am building these 8-Voice proof of concept variants in very limited numbers for those who can't wait for the official Elfin-08 otherwise the current Elfin-04 offers the very same sound but with less polyphony.

Recording Copyright D.A.Wilson, Hideaway Studio 2025

Hideaway Elfin-08: 8-Voice Functional Prototype Awakens...

Hideaway Studio's ultra rare Dual Tube Hybrid Filter in Action - Originally designed and built for Jean-Michel Jarre in 2011 by D.A.Wilson as a live performance filter the unit features a complex and unusual union of a diode ladder with multi-mode input mixer and a resonant tube based band-pass filter tube buffered and mixed in parallel with a phase reversal option.  

The filter can be used in live performances via its 9 CV control channels using a modulation matrix and a hand controller.

The demo shows when used in this way various aspects of the filter can be sequenced as the filter is opened and closed.

Only two examples of this beast were ever built.

Composition & Recording Copyright D.A.Wilson, Hideaway Studio 2011.

The Dual Tube Hybrid Filter In Action...

A series of test recordings made whilst testing Hideaway Studio's brand new prototype MIDI Front Panel Animator retrofit for the AKAI S612 finally giving David Cockerell's infamous 30 year old sampler full realtime control over the infamous 612's Sample Start & End Splice points, the Filter Cutoff and the Vibrato controls under 5 MIDI CC Controllers. 

The FPA Modules are in production and have been proving very popular..

AKAI S612 MIDI Front Panel Animator (FPA) Test I

Another series of test recordings made whilst testing Hideaway Studio's brand new prototype MIDI Front Panel Animator retrofit for the AKAI S612 finally giving David Cockerell's infamous 30 year old sampler full realtime control over the infamous 612's Sample Start & End Splice points, the Filter Cutoff and the Vibrato controls under 5 MIDI CC Controllers.

The FPA Modules are in production and have been proving very popular..

AKAI S612 MIDI Front Panel Animator (FPA) Test II

A morphing orchestral effect made on an a 1985 AKAI S612 fitted with a Front Panel Animator Module (FPA) using a tiny 2 second long sample of Vivaldi.  The sampler was triggered rapidly on 8ths whilst the start and end points and filter cutoff were animated under midi control to create a continuously morphing effect.

Any resulting clicks and pops were removed using iZotope's superb RX.

The FPA Modules are in production and have been proving very popular..

Original Composition & Recording Copyright D.A.Wilson, Hideaway Studio 2016.

AKAI S612 MIDI Front Panel Animator (FPA) The Sustainer

A rare demonstration of what is perhaps one of the most complex and exotic analog phasers ever devised.   The Triple Tube Hybrid Phaser was originally designed for Jean-Michel Jarre by Dani Wilson at Hideaway Studio and is one of only a very small handful ever built.

On a huge custom pcb it comprises of three 4-stage phaser blocks similar to the Small Stone with tube (ECC83) pre-amp and post amps and tube buffers between each phaser.  The OTA based phasers are combined in an unusual series/parallel arrangement with their own regen paths each modulated by one phase of a triple phase LFO generator thus allowing the phase spread to be set between each phaser block from  all three on top of one another for a huge plunging effect to being 120 degrees out for a swirly effect.   There are variable controls for the LFO offset, depth, rate and spread as well as a variable regeneration level (heard being turned up in the first minute of the demo).

The stuttering effect heard later in the demo is where the spread control is being set to a new position thus allowing the phasers to realign and commence on new phase spread angles.

Please note the phaser was recorded into delay to generate some stereo spread.

Recording Copyright D.A.Wilson, Hideaway Studio

Triple Tube Hybrid Phaser: An Uber Rare Beast In Action!

Using some of Chopin's more finger blurring moments as a test bed whilst ironing out some of the remaining tweaks to the firmware (which has proven a little tricky to say the least!) for the prototype external MIDI2SIA Interface which allows pre model II+ models to be driven from MIDI.

In the form of a small external interface box the MIDI2SIA should run with any DK Synergy as long as it is equipped with a 25 pin SIA port and running V2.45 firmware or later.

Recording Copyright D.A.Wilson, Hideaway Studio 2018

1982 DK Synergy: Prototype External MIDI2SIA Test (Chopin Op. 23. In Gmin)

The first successful test of Hideaway's new Dual Channel MIDI2CV interface pcb playing a somewhat down-tempo rendition of the harpsichord solo from the first movement of Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 (Allegro)

In this case one channel from the Dual MIDI2CV is driving three oscillators in unison on a classic Moog Modular System 55.. each of the two parts were overdubbed.

NB: In this quick test no VCAs were used so the oscillators are heard throughout the recording. 

Designed as both a small external interface box or in internally installed applications as a MIDI retrofit the interface supports two CV output channels spanning 4 octaves in 12-bit accuracy and two gates which are link selectable at 5 or 9 volts or Moog S-Trig.  

The interface supportings a number of modes such as pitch + velocity on two CV channels, a Duophonic Mode and two pitch channels assigned to separate MIDI channels as well as a variable delay mode between CV1/2 and Gate 1/2 which is ratiometric to the MIDI clock...

Recording Copyright D.A.Wilson, Hideaway Studio 2018

1977 Moog Modular System 55: Prototype Dual MIDI2CV Test

Another test of Hideaway's prototype Dual Channel MIDI2CV interface driving a 1977 Minimoog playing part Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in unison with the Music 5000 on the BBC Micro via Hideaway's new M5KMIDI interface. 

Designed as both a small external interface box or in internally installed applications as a MIDI retrofit the interface supports two CV output channels spanning 4 octaves in 12-bit accuracy and two gates which are link selectable at 5 or 9 volts or Moog S-Trig.

Prototype Dual MIDI2CV Minimoog & Music 5000 M5KMIDI play Bach!

My first go at writing Korg Hz-V CV control firmware for the new Dual CV2MIDI Interface and retrofitted the prototype to a 1977 Korg Micropreset M-500 as a test bed.   The floating point exponential maths proved a little tricky and the calibration is not quite there yet but its getting close!..

Update:  The interface is now also driving the filter cutoff via MIDI Note_On velocity which adds a whole new dimension to the little M-500 - a quick test appended to the end of this recording...

Wind instruments - Korg Micropreset / Harpsichord - Alesis Micron

Recording Copyright D.A.Wilson, Hideaway Studio, 2019

1977 KORG Micropreset: Prototype Dual MIDI2CV Hz/Volt Interface

Having another bash at improving the exponential pitch control calibration in the new Hz-V control firmware for the new Dual MIDI2CV interface.  The prototype has been retrofitted in a 1977 Korg Micro-preset M-500.

Here is the Micro-preset playing oboe and the Matrix 1000 playing Harpsichord.... (last movement of Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No.5)

Recording Copyright D.A.Wilson, Hideaway Studio 2019

1977 KORG Micropreset M-500 & Matrix 1000: Lets Play Bach..

Hideaway Studio's ever popular Filter Defeat Module in action for the AKAI S612..  the board takes control of the clocks for the switched capacitor filters in the 612 allowing them to be fixed wide open with no tracking for maximum crunch in the lower registers, or overclocked thus giving a brighter than normal tracking characteristic or locked to the last positiion with no tracking thus allowing for very warm sounds or fixed formants across the full transposition range.    Each of the 4 modes are cycled between using a push button fitted in place of the Sample Trigger socket.

In the test recording you can first hear the normal tracking characteristic where the 612 becomes very muffled in the lower registers... then the filter is defeated to wide open allowing you to hear the 612 in all its crunchy 12-bit glory...    in the last part of the recording you can hear the filter locked to a very warm setting in Mode 4...

The FDM Modules are in limited production and have been been well received since release..

AKAI S612 Filter Defeat Module (FDM) in Action..

D.A.Wilson is an Electronic Engineer, Sound Designer & Vintage Synth Specialist with a particular interest in combining vintage tube, classic analog and modern digital technologies working as a synth engineer looking after a very considerable amount of vintage studio equipment for Will Gregory (Goldfrapp / Moog Ensemble) and a number of other internationally celebrated electronic musicians and producers.  Having undertaken several major restorations and produced custom electronic designs for a number of major artists including Jean-Michel Jarre, Dani is also known for fully restoring two out of the world's four remaining 1979 Crumar GDS and partially restoring 1938 Novachord 346 (the only known operational Novachord in the UK) to playable order along with developing and producing the new Elfin family of 8-bit polysynths and the popular MIDI Front Panel Animator (FPA), Filter Defeat Module (FDM) and XD-280 Drive Emulator upgrades for the AKAI S612 sampler.

Demos of the S612 Upgrades in Action: 

https://soundcloud.com/hideaway-studio/sets/hideaway-studios-s612-front


Hideaway Studio Kontakt Sound libraries may be purchased directly from: 
https://www.lootaudio.com/category/kontakt-instruments/hideaway-studios
 

..and a nice introduction by Cory Pelizzari to the Hideaway Studio Kontakt Libraries:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-C7a3ChC9U&feature=emb_title


For more on releases from Hideaway Studio for Kontakt please visit the blog at:  www.hideawaystudio.net