All the content on this page was recycled from Rubberduck manuals and was not edited any further than to match the new design. Errors and missing parts are expected.

Rubberduck is an acid- and techno-synthesizer for your pc. its whole concept is based on the legendary cult synthesizer TB 303. the sounds generated by Rubberduck are not based on the .wav format. instead, all sounds are generated in realtime by your computer! in addition to the weird techno sounds, you can add drum-loops, grooves and other cool sounds.

your whole created sequences can of course be stored as a .wav file in 16bit 44khz CD quality, to use them in many other music or sound processing programs. wether you are a club dj or you want to produce high quality basslines for your home studio, Rubberduck is your ideal partner for weird, bubbling sounds, melodic basslines and hardcore techno riffs.

the TB-303 is a quite small analog synthesizer (30x15 cm!), based on a single oszillator that can be toggled between square and sawtooth. it is impossible to play the TB-303 via a normal Midi keyboard or a CV gate. in order to generate sounds, only the internal, pattern based sequencer can be used that supports up to 16 notes per sequence. the TB-303 ("transistor bass 303") was introduced to the market in 1981, together with the drumcomputer TR-606 ("transistor rhythm"). together, they were intended to emulate a human drummer and bassist. due to the poor soundquality, the musicians didn't want to use them, because they sounded too "electronic". all in all, the manufacturer produced less than 20.000 of these silver cuties, which were available for about $400 US. 18 months later, the production was stopped and the little box was soon forgotten...

the Roland 303, first used in the mid 1980s, has become to the rave generation what the electric guitar was to the Hippies: more than just an instrument, a cultural artifact destined for its own place in history.
its psychedelic properties were discovered by chance in 1985/1986, although exact dates are hard to pin down. chicago was rocking to the stripped down disco and deep funk of chicago house. out of this scene, a then little known group of people (Phuture, comprising DJ Pierre, Spanky and Herbert J), happened upon the psychedelic modulation of the bass produced by the 303, and in 1986 when the record "Acid Trax" was released, a new music was born: Acid House.

the new sound was soon picked up by a small number of British DJs in ibiza, who brought it back to Britain. they started playing it at club nights like "Shoom", "The Trip", "Spectrum", and "Nude", which bore more resemblance to primitive ecstatic religious ceremonies than the pretentious elitist spectacle that dominated british clubs in the eighties.
much to the horror of the authorities, britain was soon grooving to the new acid sound, in clubs, warehouses, and fields. a whole new generation turned on, and tuned in.

music would never be the same again.

in 1995, the TB-303 has become one the top gears used in electronic music studios. due to the high want, used silver boxes were traded for $1000 US and more ! several synthesizer manufacturers tried to make money selling TB-303 clones, but none of them ever reached the status of the original.

1997
a young and dynamic software company, named d-lusion interactive media brought the cult back to its roots. the renaissance of the analogue sound-generation embedded in the digital age makes it possible to simulate and enhance the traditional TB-303 sound on a usual PC.
the old dream of equal accessibility of the means of productions has come true.
for the price of a better hair-cutter, everybody can now buy a professional, easy to use techno-synthesizer he hadn't dare to dream of some years before.
Rubberduck H3O+

1999
d-lusion brings you an update fresh and funky with new features and an advanced skin concept.