Windows 95 freeware studio

It’s time for archaeology : let’s exhume 4 or 5 applications that ran on Windows 95 and try to make a nice freeware virtual studio for dance  / techno / jungle production.

the first thing we need is a good solid hard kicking BEAT BOX :

1. HammerHead Rhythm Station v 1.0 by Bram Bos

Rhythm device for the headstrong

Rhythm device for the headstrong

Download it here : http://www.threechords.com/hammerhead/download.shtml

Old school beat !

This rhythm making software is basic and come with rock solid drum kit : 909 oriented, with hard & hardcore bass drum + closed hihat / open hihat / claps / snare & some nice breakbeats.

  • there are 6 slots for user sounds.
  • the user interface is straight forward, 909 style, it takes about 0.2 seconds to understand and master it.
  • there is distorsion unit (per sample)
  • you can also reverse the sound
  • the shuffle slider adds some groove to your beats !
  • tempo up to 250 BPM,etc..

The software come with funky presets : hip hop beat , jungle beat, hardcore gabber rhythm…
of course, it lacks some of refinements we found on our “modern”  plugins, like time stretch / slice , accents, filters etc.. But from the limitation come the creation!

 

Now that we have a good pumpin’ beat, we want some drivin’ TB303’s aciiid bassline:

2. RubberDuck 2.12 by D-Lusion

RubberDuck TB 303 emulation for funky people

RubberDuck TB 303 emulation for funky people

Download it here ! => http://www.d-lusion.com/DownloadRubberduck.html

some random note, amen break & knob tweaking :

One of the first (if not the first !) real time TB 303 software emulation for Windows.
Choose the  classic saw or square waveform for instant ACID action. Or choose/create hybrid waveforms for experimenting.

  • 16 step sequencer / 16 patterns
  • accents and slide
  • distorsion for hard acid techno trance
  • delay effect
  • sample player
  • funky randomizator, tons of nice presets and plenty of good things !

 

 

What about some Kraftwerk / Daft Punk / many funk band VOCODER real time action now ?

3. Cyclonix Vocoder V2

You dropped a bomb on me

You dropped a bomb on me

Download : http://www.cylonix.com/programs/cylxv200.zip
Information : http://www.cylonix.com/windows_vocoder.html

Vintage vocoding ?

Another gem from the windows 95 era that is free now and work flawlessly : it takes the sounds from your microphone input and output the vocoderized sound !
come with :

  • built-in synth with predefined : pulse, chord1, chord2 or noise for carrier
  • extern mode : use soundcard input for carrier
  • you can load wav for carrier & modulator
  • pitch tracking
  • gain control for modulator & carrier
  • echo /delay effects
  • MIDI control
  • and many more !

The manual has been converted to PDF here : documentation
because .hlp Microsoft format doesn’t work anymore on last version of Windows.

 

Synth ! Synth ! Synthesizer ! SYNTH NOW :

4. AXS Free version

AXS synth : let's go techno

AXS synth : let’s go techno

It’s here : http://www.resolutionaudio.nl/
Direct download : http://www.resolutionaudio.nl/Files/Axs_For_Windows_Beta_4.zip

AXS is a real time software synthesizer with :

  • two oscillators with classic waveforms : sin / triangle / saw / pulse / square  and PWM
  • LP / HP / BP / BR filter
  • envelope for filter / pitch / gain
  • two LFO
  • effect unit with delay / reverb
  • tracker sequencer & sample playing
  • many more !

It has a nice interface, and the sound is good.
There also TS-404 that deserves to be mentionned.

 

Note :

These softwares are also working in latest versions of Windows !
It has been tested on Windows XP and also should work with Windows 7 and Windows 8
And they will certainly not eat all your CPU..

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