Pictured: three iterations of the Multicassa in via leploop. The Multicassa is inspired from the Trautonium. You can find additional details here.
"The Multicassa is a full analog electronic instrument composed of tree Cassa (bass drum) generators controlled by an analog Trautonium like rhythms generator, without a microprocessor, available in desktop and euro rack format.
The term Trautonico is inspired by a vintage instrument, the Mixturtrautonium, invented by Oskar Sala musician, a student of Hindemith, which elaborate it, since the 30s on the basis of another instrument more simple, the Heimtrautonium, manufactured by Telefunken in the '20s, one of the first electronic instruments for the living room.
Early versions of Mixturtrautonium use as frequency dividers the Thyratron(a type of gas valve that could be used to build oscillators and frequency dividers), these dividers acting on the notes producing subharmonic that could be mixed (hence MIXTUR) for produce complex sounds, the same principle is used here with two differences:
- The valves are replaced by solid-state trigger circuits.
- Dividers act not to the notes but on the rhythms, by dividing a basic rhythm (clock) for a variable number (with the command Clock Divider) rhythms are then mixed 2 by 2 (Trig Mix) generating a complex poly rhythms.
- An output mixer allows you to adjust the volume of each speaker.
Each Cassa has a pitch, resonance and distortion control, the tree Cassa generators have different pitch range:
1_Low(Cassa), 2_Medium(Bongo\Tom), 3_High(rim shot\wood block).
The high channel can produce some scratch noise when you move the frequency pot, because the circuit design and the very high pitch, this is normal.
The clock can be generated internally or applied externally through jack on the left side of the unit.
The Multicassa accepts any type of clock pulse or square wave of 3-12 volts amplitude, with any polarity including the Midi clock, as long as the midi line is present only midi clock and no other messages (notes, control changes, sysex, etc.) ."
