New Sidraw by Meng Qi

Published on Dec 26, 2019 Meng Qi

(🎧 🔊 recommended for subbass)

read the informative manual : https://bit.ly/35Y6MwS

"Sidraw is an experimental electronic instrument, based on Ciat-Lonbarde Sidrazzi circuit board, and my interface experiments.

There is a way to design electronic musical interface, which is not to consider sound parameters, but to think from the angle of circuit interference, I call it 'Circuit Expression'.

It can be seen on various experimental electronic musical instruments. From the Crackle Box by Michel Waisvisz back in 1970s, to the new Landscape Stereo Field and Martin Howse Dark Interpreter. UK synth designer Tom Bugs also had been utilizing them in the Weevil series of work. I've commissioned a special version of Chirper from Tom Bugs, which may have pushed the release of Board Chirper model a year later.

This method has a lot to do with circuit instability, touch and feedback. by touching selected circuit nodes, new connections are made, circuits behaviors are affected.

On sound output, it may result in a complex change on a combination of sound parameters (loudness, pitch, timber), and expressive reactions can be found.

I've found expressive behaviors from touching specific parts in Sidrazzi circuit, thus Sidraw is born.

(7 identical voices, only voice 1 marked)
1 - [Stereo Output] 1/4 TRS
2 - [DC Input] 12V Center Positive
3 - [Ground Banana Jack] 4mm
4 - [Utility Patch Bay] 4mm - 2mm Direct + 2mm - 2mm w/Capacitor - Try patching with or without capacitor in between for different behaviors.
5 - [Gesture Outputs] 1 for each L/R channel, output when sound is triggered 6 - [FM Input]
7 - [Square Wave Output]
8 - [Glitch Inputs]
9 - [Direct VCA Input] 4.5v = silence, with pad for easy touching
10 - [Master Pitch Knob]

11 - [Individual Pitch Knob]
12 - [Master Chaos Knob] Controls the depth of circular frequency modulation 13 - [Touch Pads] 3 pads per voice, the bottom big one is ground pad.

You can play a range of sounds from decaying tones to chaotic noise with these pads. Touching multiple pads together, try touching in the middle of each 4 pads section and vary the pressure towards each pad.
As they generating audio signals, they would also generate control signals from gesture outputs, which can be used to modulate other parameters, forming complex behaviors, all start from your touch.

Tuning
For easy tuning of each voice, connect a tuner at the output, touch ground pad and one of the [Direct VCA Input], a steady sound would come out from that voice.

Notice
- Sidraw CV Input range 0-9V. Do not directly connect to Eurorack / Serge, directly connection from Buchla / Ciat-Lonbarde CV output is supported. Limiting to internal patching is encouraged.
- Exposed Circuit Nodes. Avoid excessive amount of static charge on the player. eg. don't walking on carpet before / while playing. Touch ground pad first to discharge."