Lunetta Guitar

YouTube Published on May 25, 2012 by NakagawaGakki

"This is the first run of a new instrument I am building. An 8stringed Synth Driven Guitar, rather than a "Guitar Synth".
As part of my 3month Artist Residency at the Artifactory (April-June 2012) I wanted to learn more about CMOS Circuitry / Boolean Logic particularly using the 4000 range chips AKA Lunetta Chips.
This will be an ongoing project and I hope to have a completely self contained Modular Synth/Guitar hybrid to both perform/interact with and possibly setup as a self playing instrument aswell.
Each module is made in free-form style (Point to point, Space Wiring) where no PCB or prototyping boards are used. Each Module will be based on a 50mm x 50mm format using SIP connectors and Breadboard jumper leads to patch the modules together.

In this video the modules are temporarily affixed to a wooden frame but the Lunetta Guitar will have a grounded wire frame between each guitar neck where modules will be secured.

There first Module Ive made that is driving the motor plectrums in this video is based on the online build notes of the crazy 8Bit Cipher Gate Sequencer circuit from Non Linear Circuits:
http://www.sdiy.org/pinky/data/data.html
Its very playable and rhythmic in a "nonlinear" sense.
Next job is to get more current to the motors (or switch them out for servos) and build an ebow type circuit to vibrate each string independently.

There are lots of Lunetta circuits to be found on the vibrant forums of Electro-Music:
http://www.electro-music.com/forum/index.php?f=160&sid=cc1a6c915ec8d6a536b072ee72a8ae76"

drone patch for stand alone synth.

YouTube Published on Apr 23, 2012 by textualmusic

"this is a pretty simple patch that I am working into a stand alone drone synth. Right now its basically 2 voices. 2 40106 oscillators high speed driving 2 dividers, the /2, /4, /8 outs are the LP, BP, HP inputs on a simple filter, of which cutoff is controlled by a vactrol from a variable triangle LFO."

synthesizer patching

YouTube Uploaded by textualmusic on Mar 16, 2012

"not the most interesting patch, but a development still..
12 individual voices used by the end..
a rhythmic meandering"

DIY modular.

Blinken

YouTube Uploaded by JvGrieken on Mar 11, 2012

"A fresh patch on my mini lunetta synth, no external effects, just cmos."

Skippy Unleashed Take 2

Vimeo by concretedog

"Second attempt at this due to wierd audio glitches (of the unintended type!) This video shows cmos/lunetta 4013 based sequencer 'Skippy' patched up to some simple sounds on blarp. Just a quick glimpse of the stuff that it's able to do so far!"

LunettaMelody2

YouTube Uploaded by textualmusic on Jan 14, 2012

"this is a further embellishment on the previous days patch/video titled LunettaMelody. I tiwddle the pitch of an oscillator that is going through a VCA with short envelope.. into a delay pedal converted to synth module.. pedal is.. ahem, was. a Johnson EAD-1. A modified speak and math is also playing along in the background"

LunettaMelody

YouTube Uploaded by textualmusic on Jan 12, 2012

"this patch has a little oompa-woompa goin on.

Sorry for all the BACK. Nothing like a little BACK to watch..

Anyway, If you can sit through this 5 minutes it develops quite nicely..
I like making chance tonality.. if that makes sense..

techtalk---
a 40106 oscillator is clocking a 4040 divider of which /2 is then clocking a perf board version of the logic from Ken Stone's CGS Master DIvider. those outs are then triggering 4 DS8 drum clones, as well as 3 Oscillators through VCAs. There are also some LFO cutoff controlled filters with different pitched 40106 Osc. all running to mixers then on to a Roland JC-50. Recorded directly through iphone via 8mm app."

Blarp Patch Timelapse

"Quick timelaspse of my lunetta 'Blarp' being patched, audio is a cutup of samples from the patching session with a little reverb and delay."

Interactive Electronic Sculptures by Stanley Lunetta

via f*mass Technoccult

"In the 1960s, Stanley Lunetta created a number of interactive scultures using electronic audio generators. Some of them were still running as of 2008. Some responded to elements such as heat and light to change the sounds, others had more explicit human interactive elements."

via http://moosack.net/stang/sculpts.html

"The MINI-OBLISK (upper right) is light sensitive in respect to the length of time it takes to repeat its wired-in program. Typically, it repeats its sound/light pattern over a period of one week. It is completely self-contained, including amplifier and speakers, and is 18 inches tall."

"The OBLISK (above) is 8 feet tall, 4 feet square at the bottom and 4 inches square at the top. As yet unfinished, it presently contains a light sensitivity section, four digital pitch generators, eight melodic sequencers, one glissando machine, and its own mixer and amplifier speaker system. When finished, it will be a performance instrument as well as an environment sensitive sculpture."

very quick tour

YouTube Uploaded by textualmusic on Aug 15, 2011

"a quick tour of my modular Lunetta-ish / logic-esque synthesizer...
I have been into electronic music for about 15 years, and only really been making it for about 10, I haven't been this passionate about an 'instrument' the learning or making thereof in this case.. since I learned to play the drums.. been doing that for about 21 years... synthesizers are my new drumset. I like the idea of a piece of music being made with very simple sounds being layered upon each other, all their own still as little cells of sound.

nerds:
these circuits are simple mostly CMOS logic chips, some op-amps, and many vactrols or LED/LDR combos.. basic oscillators, filters, sequencing elements, envelope generators.. soon to be drum sounds too..

I just finished a 12 input mixer (bottom row far right) so i can get my polyphony on, as you can hear from this patch . Working on a very simple implement of the logic section of the CGS master divider as well as 4 DS8 drum voices.."

Inventor's Percussion Lunetta

via Inventor on electro-music.com where you can find updates and a sample.

"I've decided to begin creating a Lunetta Percussion product and put my name on it. When completed I will offer it for sale at a reasonable price.

It just so happens that when I piece together all the interesting Lunetta circuits that I've been working on lately I get a nice little percussion machine! Isn't that nice? So I'm going to take a breadboard and a tupperware container and some alpha pots, chips, etc. and make a nice little Lunetta Percussion box.

So you can follow the development and make your own one of these, I will document my progress in this thread. Well, also for the fun of it. So here goes, listed block diagram to follow...

Les"

Update via reinventor/Les in the comments: "Hi, the project turned out well. It was my first enclosed circuit and I really enjoy the weight and feel of it compared to all my previous open-frame projects. I'll be featuring this and other percussion Lunetta circuits on The Les Hall Show, an electro-music.com radio show this Friday 8-12-2011 at 5pm EST. It will be a two hour special so tune in, kick back, and enjoy some nerdy fun!"

Lunetta / MXR phase 90

YouTube Uploaded by textualmusic on Aug 2, 2011

"muttering around on the beast tonight.. through together a shift register controlled sequence using 4066 switches turning off and on oscillators fed into vactrol filters.. then the whole mix out through an MXR phase 90 pedal. I dig the pulsing created by the phasing."

cmos lunetta

flickr By sndbyte
(click for more)

playing with a modular synth can be fun.

YouTube Uploaded by textualmusic on Jun 15, 2011

"something new happens on this machine every time I patch it up.
the gist(language)-
4 outs/pitches from 2 different 4040 dividers running at clock audio rates feed into 4 filters which are CVd by 4 triangle LFO's- filters are also being fed random oscillator voices. Filter outputs go to a 4066 switch, controlled by 4 different Q outs from a 4094 shift register."

Morning meditation & Lunetta by textualmusic

YouTube Uploaded by textualmusic

Playlist:
Morning meditation
"Just a quick note of sounds I was getting. Using divider to gate EG's and those envelopes open and close VCAs with a 7 chord tuned through the oscillators.. Then the outs to the mixer"

Lunetta-ing
"a fun little patch testing out the possibilities of the 4040 binary counter. single clock drives 1 -4040 divider, one of those outs (/2?) drives a 2nd 4040. 4 outs from both feed a bunch of simple VCA's with tuned oscillators as signal.. a triangle LFO mods a filter for one of the voices.. i should probably be practicing my drums right now.."

language
"a bunch of squares and triangles through VCA's and filters, modulated by LFO's and AR' Generators."

Lunetta in progress
"'Lunetta' a digital logic based synthesizer using mostly CMOS 4000 series logic IC chips. All inspiration came from this website. http://electro-music.com/forum/index.php?f=160 The different modules, mostly clocks/oscillators shift registers, VCO's and Digital to Analog converters."

lunetta demo part2.mov
"a little further along, wine box case and power are finished. One more module and this thang is FIN. Current lineup: 40106 oscillators/clocks x 6 40106 LFO x 2 40106 VCO x 4 4094 shift registers x 2 4015 shift registers x 2 4051 CV generator x 1 r2r ladders x 3 4017 8 step sequencer x2 4024 divider x 1 4011 ring mod x 2 4046 VCO x 2 2 passive tone controls 4 in / 1 out active mono mixer"

lunetta demo3.mov
"so here is another demo with bad audio and video. Exploring the more musical possibilities as well as chaotic sequencing elements. I have spent the last 2 weeks just making music with this and waiting to build more as I figure out what modules i find more useful than others. I will post a proper demo of the finished system in a month or so"

lunetta4.mov
"Still not finished. Here is another demo though, since there may not be one for a while. I am getting busy with other things. So here it lies in its new home, a custom made walnut case. Only about half of it filled. Apologies for the audio and video, it seems the quality gets worse and worse... hmmm."

oscillator fun
"my Lunetta synthesizer. Two 4015 shift registers clocked by the same oscillator. The data inputs fed with different clocks. those 8 outs feed CV triggers on 8 VCA envelope generators (AR type) signal sources are 8 different 40106 oscillators, outs summed and to the mixer, also many of those 40106 oscillators are feeding a couple sallen key filters, CV'd by triangle waves."

More: http://www.youtube.com/user/textualmusic

Drum Synth I and II

YouTube Uploaded by bchris1776 on May 30, 2011

"I recently finished the second of my analog drum synth projects. The upper box is a Thomas Henry MPS (Mega Percussive Synth) along with Richarious Liquid Hi Hat, 2 Ian Fritz AD/AR and two simple VCA's, Foniks VC Pattern Sequencer and VC Clock a couple LFO's and a simple Mixer. The lower box is four Bass++ voices (Mr. Henry) and a bunch of CMOS for sequencing and dividing up clocks.
Many strange beats possible here - and a long time between repeats if I really get the VCPS and Logic working together! This is a very simple demo to give an idea of what it does. Much better sounds and more interesting beats are available!"

Lunetta Spaghetti!

YouTube Uploaded by borisandfef on Apr 19, 2011

"Got the 4017/4051 Melody Gen and the R/2R ladder installed. Used up all of my banana plugs! Guess I'll have to pick some more up.
Ahhh Spaghet!"

Voice of Saturn Synth II Prototype

Voice of Saturn Synth II Prototype from Travis Thatcher on Vimeo.

"I've implemented 3 of the possible 6 oscillators on this one (though the old sequencer case I used will hold 5). The circuit is based around a schmitt trigger oscillator. Super simple, and easy to make a lot of them. Sorry for the horrible video quality. Just finished it and wanted to get a quick demo done. Hopefully circuitboards will be tested and available sometime this summer. I will likely do a Kickstarter campaign to fund the first run. Keep an eye out!"

flickr By recompas
(click for more)

Lunetta plus ECG Machine

YouTube Uploaded by borisandfef on Apr 16, 2011

"Hooked up the Lunetta to an ECG/EEG machine I scored for $5 a while back. Def not an oscilloscope but you can get some cool waves with slightly out of tune oscillators. Sorry about the blurriness in the second half :-/"

Lunetta - First Run

YouTube Uploaded by borisandfef on Apr 13, 2011

"Finally got my Lunetta (partially) built. What is hooked up at the moment is:
3 40106 clocks/osc with range switch
3 40106 VCOs
2 4015 shift registers
1 4024 divider
1 4011 ring mod

thanks for watching!"