"The design of the Deerhorn circuit has evolved much since it was first created to answer Clara Rockmore's original complaint with the Theremin: "Can there be more than one pitch?". Lev Theremin responded that one would need more than two arms, but the Deerhorn makes this possible by extracting gestural information from the radio fields and using it to control pitch and envelope. The current unit contains three of these antenna-synthesizer modules, and adds two extra, highly useful modules known as intersections.
An intersection module simply samples one deerhorn's antenna voltage at impulses provided by another module. It is a sample and hold, triggered by changes in gestural direction. Since there are three modules, there are six permutations, doubled because each module reports changes in both directions; there are twelve new outputs, plus four special ones that sample in random steps. Each deerhorn module emits a different light— red, orange, and yellow— which also color-codes the intersection bananas to show which module is being sampled.
The Deerhorn modules are color coded. An [orange banana] reports its primary product: a control voltage representing the hand's distance from antenna. The impulses utilized in intersections, are also available as [red bananas]. These are like two complimentary square waves that flip when the hand changes direction.
The base tone of deerhorn is a simple two tone straight bellow. That's as your hand moves in towards the antenna and back out again. You must always tune the response first, so that the two leds cross each other at a comfortable range from the antenna. Fine tuning is done with the top knob.
The bottom cluster of controls deal with the synthesizer frequencies. The bottom knob sets the base pitch of both oscillators. The next two knobs are associated with the [purple bananas]: they are FM tuning knobs. The switch on the stub of the deerhorn orients the stereo position of the oscillators. In middle position, it turns them off (for the stereo auxiliary inputs). The white bananas output the same stereo sound which is output the main output, but in single tracks so it can be used as separate modulation sources..."
"The Deerhorn is a fantastic Theremin-like instrument by Peter Blasser / Ciat-Lonbarde. The Deerhorn organ is made up of three of these Deerhorns.
Each Deerhorn has an antenna, the circuit boards in the photo by the knobs and jacks, two oscillators, and two VCAs. The distance of your hand and rate of approach or leaving from the antenna control the volume of a VCA (one VCA for motion toward the antenna, another VCA for away. The VCAs then go to a stereo 3.5mm jack, which gives a stereo feel to the instrument). That control voltage is also available at the orange jack. It can be patched into the purple jacks to control the pitch. There are other jacks, and wonderful cross modulation possibilities exist.
This is the older style unit (no audio input).
I added a ground banana jack, it's on the back, near the audio output, in line with the 3rd Deerhorn's antenna. It works perfectly. I should say that I had to repair one of the tuning capacitors in one of the Deerhorns after it broke while I was calibrating it.
More info here: http://ciat-lonbarde.net/plumbutter/index.html -- search "deerhorn" or the description is about half way down the page."
1. Mutable Instruments Beads - exploration and tutorial by Tom Leclerc
2. Mutable Instruments Beads (no input) by Robin Rimbaud-Scanner
First play with the Mutable Instruments Beads texture synthesiser. And here's
a wonderful surprise - if you leave both audio inputs unpatched, then after 10
seconds it begins to granulise a collection of stored raw waveforms taken from
Mutable Instruments Plaits wavetable module. So here's a piece using Beads as
the lead voice on this cinematic piece, with no other inputs. I added other
instruments afterwards for rhythm and bass, and the singular pulse that holds
throughout is from the Make Noise Mysteron. This is just an idea to show Beads
in a very musical context
3. Heidi Concrète (featuring Mutable Instruments Beads) by Robin Rimbaud-Scanner
An experimental piece using Mutable Instruments Beads, the texture
synthesiser, processing an audio file. No addition effects or processing were
used. This is simply a live exploration of a single audio file with Beads. The
original voice introduces and closes the piece so you can compare the two
sonic worlds before and after Beads. The voice is taken from a scanned phone
call in the early 1990s that features on my Delivery (1997) album.
4. A Little Beat with Mutable Instruments Beads (Wavetable Mode) by midcentury
modular
This is Beads running in the internal wavetable mode (and a kick drum from
plaits). I've got a gate going into freeze that acts as a mute when the kick
comes in (sort-of side-chain like), and I'm also manually pressing it to mute
and sustain the random sequence.
The pitches are not from an external cv source but generated internally with
the peaky random distribution into the time knob. The pitch changes with this
parameter seem to be somewhat harmonically related (though I'm not sure what
specific scale) to the root set by the pitch parameter.
5. Overdriven Ambient Looping with Mutable Instruments Beads by midcentury
modular
This video is some improvised choir sounds (from the Ableton Operator synth,
played with a midi keyboard) ran into Mutable Instruments Beads in the
delay/looper mode (with "sunny tape quality") Throughout, I add to the buffer
by tapping out of freeze mode and back in. When the feedback is up, things
stick around, so you can progressively add more and build up the buffer. I'm
also experimenting with overdriving the input (by turning up the audio level
going into beads from ableton with the top left 1U knob)
6. Mutable Instruments Beads (Scorched Cassette Mode) and Ciat-Lonbarde
Plumbutter Deerhorn by midcentury modular
This patch is my attempt at using Beads to add some Cocoquantus-like magic to
the Deerhorn. I think the downsampling, lower-bitrate and whatever other DSP
tricks are happening in the Scorched Cassette mode are crerating a somewhat
similar vibe to the 8-bit dolby loopers in the Coco, and I think this adds
some really nice fizzy textures to the warm, raw-oscillator tone of the
Deerhorn). Beads is also pitching down the two tones from Deerhorn to add a
bit more melodic content.
There is some very subtle modulation coming from the orange out on Deerhorn,
but it's not really doing a ton and could probably be left out and you
wouldn't be able to tell much of a difference. There is some audio-rate
modulation coming out of one of the white deerhorn outputs into the density
input, which is modulating some of the AM stuff going on when density is high
towards the end of the track.
No idea why the snapping gesture with the density knob caused the "knock on
wood" sound, but I think it was a pretty cool accident!
7. Noisy Experimenting with Mutable Instrument Beads, Blades Ripples and Plaits
This patch (at least as much as I remember it...been a while since I made
this) is Beads and Blades in a sort-of feedback loop. Blades is over-driven
and self-oscillating, and the outs are sent to control seed and freeze on
Beads (which is using the internal wavetable generator as audio input). After
trying out various ones, I found these two control inputs on Beads the most
interesting with audio rate signals. The outs of Beads are going into the
audio inputs of blades. Both modules outs are multed out and into veils which
is acting as a stereo mixer. Ripples (which is getting some noise into its
cutoff modulation input from Plaits) is providing some audio rate modulation
to some of the Veils channels.
"Beads is a reinvention of Mutable Instruments’ Clouds.
The concept is the same, live granular processing of an incoming audio signal, and the labels on the panel remain familiar.
The similarities stop here. The hardware and software have been redesigned from the ground up, with several goals in mind: a crisper and broader sound palette, more control, better playability, and direct access to exciting new features.
DOTTING THE I’S AND CROSSING THE T’S
Beads’ vastly improved specifications allow a higher audio quality, a longer buffer, the use of better interpolation and anti-aliasing algorithms, and key DSP blocks to run at a faster rate. Granular processing can now go to new territories, such as formants, wavetables, hard-sync-like sounds, or crispy noise.
The range of parameters, their response to the turn of a knob or a CV modulation have all been refined, for new possibilities such as reverse playback or percussive envelopes.
CONTROL, CHAOS AND CHARACTER
Control. To trigger or schedule grains, Beads provides new features to divide or randomize an external clock or trigger stream, spray bursts of grains in response to a gate, or get the grain rate to track a V/O CV or the frequency of an external oscillator.
Chaos. Each key parameter of a grain comes with its own attenurandomizer, which allows direct CV control, CV control of the randomization (spread) of this parameter, or internal randomization using some of Marbles’ algorithms.
Character. Beads provides four audio quality settings, which go well beyond buffer sample rate and bit-depth: they affect the clock of the converters, the amplitude limiting and saturation of the signal path, the tone of the reverb, and additional media-emulation effects. From a pristine digital device to a dirty cassette, through a mode reproducing some of Clouds’ characteristics.
MODES?
Beads can operate as a delay without the need to switch to a different mode: just ask it to play a never-ending grain. Its DENSITY, TIME and SEED controls are repurposed to allow various features such as tap-tempo, beat slicing, time-stretching, or comb-filtering at rates tracking V/O.
Without any audio input, Beads will granularize 8 internal banks of wavetables.
Remember, if you are pressed for time, you can forward through the playlist via the controls at the bottom of the player. They are all worth a listen on a good sound system. Ciat-Lonbarde magic here. BTW, be sure to check out the interview with Peter Blasser of Ciat-Lonbarde here. And of course, if you want to get completely lost in his work over the years, see the Ciat-Lonbarde label.
Playlist:
1. Plumbutter dub variation number aa - Published on Jun 12, 2013
Left output of plumbutter clean, right output through fx in daw. Audio output of deerhorn goes into the blues and oranges out into the green of d'horn to get some sort of gated effect. A good low end will enhance listening pleasure!
2. Plumbutter dub variation number be - Published on Jun 12, 2013
Left output of plumbutter clean, right output through fx in daw. Audio output of deerhorn goes into the blues and oranges out into the green of d'horn. A good low end will enhance listening pleasure!
3. Plumbutter dub variation number ce - Published on Jun 15, 2013
Left output of plumbutter clean, right output through fx in daw. Right gong/avdog get triggered by deerhorn or by accident, top ultrsound receives both left and right audio out from d'horn.
4. Plumbutter drum variation - Published on Aug 13, 2013
This is a nice way to bring some variation in your pb 4/4 rhythms.
Patch:
Quantum dust modulates the fm of the 4/4 gong (in trad) when signal enters the comparator.
Feeding signal manually would give you nice control over change.
In the last part the cable is patched, and changing the response of the upper gong gives you periodic control over change.
5. Plumbutters Orange Voltages
6. Plumbutter handshake
7. Searchin for a plum dub - Published on Aug 10, 2013
When I go dubbin with the plumbutter this is normally how I like to start.
Left output clean, right output through fx, patch a few cables and than just playin for hours and hours..
Patch:
3-roll provides pulses for left and right gong
4-roll pulse provides pulse for mwrs, more or less in tempo with the 3-roll, so the pulse modulating the gong fm will always move and give interesting effects
mwrs orange pulse out modulates fm of right gong which gives the changing timbre of the 'chord'.
playing with the response time of the right gong gives interesting changes in delay movements
feeding signals, as deerhorn and quantum dust, into the ultrasound, which goes through the same fx as the chord, give those drone-ish, noisish sounds
8. Plumbutter dub variation S04D3 - Published on Apr 21, 2013
left output dry, right output through ableton fx
The Ciat-Lonbarde Deerhorn Organ is an instrument that I fell in love with quickly. To me, it embodies the spirit of electronic music, connecting to the roots of electronic music a century ago. Its pretty unknown, so I thought I would share a video on it.
Disclaimer: I am not getting paid for this and I paid for the Deerhorn myself. Darrin of Patch Point is a friend and synth succubus though."
"Plumbutter ambient dub.Left gongue and dust, right output gongue and deerhorn.Deerhorn mixer volume down, but audio out put back into right ultrasound for furthur fx processing."
"Excerpt from a session with the Sidrax and Tetrax organs, focusing on their brassier tone colours. Chord progressions through a Ditto looper, Glitchy harmonics via Cocoquantus and some Ultrasound and AV dog backdrop from Plumbutter. Plus the occasional Deerhorn gesture. Take care!
Listen and support: https://noctopolis.bandcamp.com/"
"A meditative session where the Palmelund Synthesizers Ampel clocks the Deerhorn arpeggio, sequences the Plumbutter Gongues, Snare and Ultrasound and sends a cv pitch modulation to the AV Dogs. Tetrax & Sidrax cross modulating.
"Experimental theremin like 3 voice synthesizer with three motion sensitive controls for envelope and volume. Can also be used as a motion sensitive mixer with three stereo inputs."
You can find demos of the Deerhorn in the archives here.
"PLUMBUTTER IS READY. IT IS FOR THE REAL HEADSs. AUXILIARY INPUTS ARE ON THE FRONT, TO INTEGRATE IT WITH ANY SORT OF SYNTHESIS/PLAYBACK RIG. THE DEERHORN MODULE PROVIDES INSTANT SPATIAL CONTROL OF ANYTHING, VIA A SPECIAL PRINTED ANTENNA ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE INSTRUMENT. THERE IS ALSO THE POSSIBILITY OF DUAL UNITS
First of all, you should know that there is a master, stereo mixer, which mixes all the drum and drama content down into a stereo feed, so you don't need an offboard mixer!
Drum and Drama simply means any kind of rhythmic pulsing plus more gestural, soft, or emotional sounds. Thus the instrument is designed for a long performance, cinematic events, to be a major player like the great modular synthesizers of the 20th century which it gets its inspiration from: Arp, Buchla, Serge, and countless nameless inventions that used banana plugs.
The main audio producing modules are five (5), as follows:
Deerhorn, a radio instrument not unlike the theremin but much advanced, with inputs and outputs to interface with the rest of this machine.
Gongue, which takes a pulse input and responds rhythmically (at its own pace), by ringing an electronic resonance.
Ultrasound, which takes any sort of signal, and attempts a Nyquist resampling to bring out any unheard ultrasounds.
AVDog, which takes a pulse and undulates at human brain waves, thus creating a meta-resonance, which is manifested as the envelope of a synthesized electronic tone.
Snare Drum
Now, the core of the Plumbutter is actually directly unheard of through this mixer, for it is the pulse machinery that drives it..." More info here
"This video is about plumbutter deerhorn ultrasound. thats correct
A little about the patch:
Audio out of deer horn into one ultrasound which is modulated by the pll of deer horn.
Output of that ultrasound into other ultrasound which is modulated by one audio channel of the deer horn.
How says deer horn sounds weak?"
"Gongues crossmodulating eachother.Kept both L R input channels clean, so the orginal gongues bass can be heart. Added an extra input channel for plumbutter R out in daw for fx.Sometimes the deerhorn section does not respond."
The electro-music festival, known as the "Woodstock of electronic music," is the world's premiere event for experimental electronic music. This year's event features three mind-bending days of innovative electronic music concerts, seminars, workshops, demonstrations, jam sessions, video art, a laptop battle, and a swap-meet. Action starts at 12 noon on Thursday, October 29 and runs until after midnight on October 31. Musical activities will be running continuously throughout the three days of the festival.
electro-music 2009 takes place at the Star Lake Camp in Bloomingdale, New Jersey. This year, on-site lodging and meals are available. Tickets range from $22 for a single day to $220 for a 3-day pass including meals and lodging. Tickets that include food or lodging must be reserved by October 15.
More information, including a complete schedule of events can be found on the web site at: http://event.electro-music.com/
You may also contact us at
event *at* electro-music.com
A wide variety of instruments and musical styles will be represented, ranging from theremin to analog modular synthesizers to home made devices, from classic space music to abstract electronica to world beats.
The following artists will be performing:
1undread
Ace Paradise
Acoustic Interloper
Alphacore
Azimuth Visuals
Jonathan Block
Brainstatik
Casperelectronics
Delicate Monster
Dewanatron
dRachEmUsiK
Dubathonic
Duet for Theremin and Lap Steel
Earthgirl
FULCRUM
Hong - GuZheng
In The Loop
Steve Jolliffe
kataStatik
Kingdom of Sharks
Kevin Kissinger
Klimchak
Andrew Koenig
Kribophoric
Richard Lainhart
Lonely Robot Audio presents MUS EXCELSIOR
Mayakara
Terrence McManus
The Megadrives
Kurt Michaels
Logan Mitchell
Modulator ESP
Shane Morris
MyOwnYoko
NEOREV
Joker Nies
Northern Valentine
Project Ruori
RDK
Ricochet Gathering
safe 2
Siebert and Lepre
Don Slepian
Spinning Plates
SPITZNAGEL
State Machine
"Recording Date : 3.11.2023
Sounds and Movie by Takeyuki Hakozaki
This jam is based on a drone made from a Martin 12-string guitar with two Morphagene units that have been time-stretched in two different ways.
To the drone, Novation Peak adds a slow rhythmic refrain and Deerhorn and reverb add long tones.
"This is a recording of a self-playing patch I made with a Meng Qi Music - Ciat Lonbarde Rollz5' electronic instrument.
The Rollz5 is based on diy "paper circuit" that Ciat Lonbarde published a while ago, and is similar to the Plumbutter instrument, but lacks the PB's sequencer (man-with-the-red-steam) and antenna (deerhorn), and comes with a slightly different configuration of filters (ultrasounds) and oscillators (geometric rollz). Meng Qi Music has designed pcb implementation of the Rollz circuits and offered them for sale to diy-instrument builders. The instrument used in this perfomance was built the MQ pcbs.
The sounds the patch is making, as you can probably hear, include sustained droning notes forming chords that pulsate and shift over time, bass and baritone-treble drum-beats (coming from the gong filters pinged by the slower rollz, i think), and high-pitched cymbal like patterns (from the ultrasound filters, i think).
The video patterns are being generated from LZX euroack video synthesis modules that are being modulated by the audio from the Rollz5 via the LZX Audio Frequency Decoder which has a built-in microphone. The video of me patching is actually where I'm slowly taking down the patch, using the recorded sound for this video to modulate more video synthesis patterns, projected on the instrument and my hands this time instead of the wall. Audio from both cameras was mixed with the computer-recorded audio for the soundtrack of this video (you can hear a few ambient noises, such as from patch cords being removed, that were not made by the Rollz5).
This was my first patch with the Rollz5. And I think it came out very, very nice (especially considering how I didn't really have a clue what I was doing, at first anyways). Throughout the was thinking of a young lady who I have never met named Kira. She is daughter of the founder of an interet forum that I frequent and has been ill in the hospital with life-threatening illness for the past few weeks. This video goes out to her (and all the other people in the hospital, or wherever they are, who need to rest and get well again so that they can proceed with their lives).
"Saturday jam of the plumbutter and the sidrax. Focusing on the deerhorn of the PB. Lately I often do rather complex patching especially on the sidrax but this time just keep it so simple. Later on bugbrand PTdelay kicks in."
