"MESS combines a powerful multi-track step sequencer with effects brimming with Polyend character – from classic modulation, delay or reverb to experimental effects never before seen in pedal form. With four fully customizable effect tracks, craft ambient soundcapes, intricate glitch sequences or even a familiar four effect chain – all moving in sync.
4 Effect Tracks Combine four effects for every preset to create your own unique multi-effect. No limits are placed on what effect each track contains. Run a reverb into a delay or a spectralizer into two bitcrushers and create vibrant tones, suitable for any instrument.
125 Stereo Effects Want a specralized micro-looping effect with randomized repeats? A time-shifting chorus into a reverb that slowly gets darker over time or simply a traditional modulation, delay, and Reverb chain? With over 120 effects to assign to the four tracks, MESS opens the door to the unexpected.
Why Sequence? MESS has the sequencer power expected from a Polyend instrument. Control per-track speed and length to create polyrhythmic or polymetric sequences or use chance options to easily create complex generative effects that never sound the same twice. Instantly add movement and musicality to any effect. Reverbs bloom, delays evolve rhythmically, and modulations shift in sync with your tempo.
"After a year of development, testing and prototyping, KOMA Elektronik is proud to present the latest addition to the KOMA family: the KOMA Elektronik Field Kit! On Kickstarter now! The new KOMA Elektronik Field Kit is the perfect tool for everyone who would like to experiment with electroacoustic sound. Use everyday objects, amplify them and use them to make sound, like our heroes John Cage and David Tudor used to do!
The Field Kit is optimized to process signals from microphones, contact microphones, electromagnetic pickups and able to run DC motors and solenoids. On top of that it can receive radio signals and convert signals from switches and sensors into control voltage. The Field Kit boasts 7 separate functional blocks all focussed on receiving or generating all types of signals. They are designed to operate together as a coherent electroacoustic workstation or alternatively together with other pieces of music electronics with the ability to use control voltage signals:
Four Channel Mixer
Envelope Follower
DC Interface
Analog Switch Interface
Analog Sensor Interface
AM/FM/SW Radio
Low Frequency Oscillator
You can easily interface the Field Kit with a Eurorack modular system. At the backside of the PCB you will find a power connector you can use to power the unit from your system. The total panel width is 36HP. You can buy the Field Kit as a finished unit or build one yourself with the DIY Version."
"All audio has been recorded straight from the Field Kit, using a DC Motor, Solenoid Motor, a DC powered fan, Roland TR-8 and Berlin's local radio station Antenne Brandenburg as audio sources."
The new KOMA Elektronik Field Kit is the perfect tool for everyone who would like to experiment with electroacoustic sound. Use everyday objects, amplify them and use them to make sound, like our heroes John Cage and David Tudor used to do!
The Field Kit is optimized to process signals from microphones, contact microphones, electromagnetic pickups and able to run DC motors and solenoids. On top of that it can receive radio signals and convert signals from switches and sensors into control voltage!
We have finished development of the Field Kit, are ready for production and we need your support to make it happen!
[Pictured:] The final Field Kit prototype, ready for production!
It's all about the things you connect to the The Field Kit! To get you started we decided to offer an Expansion Pack with a bunch of different sources that you can use and connect to create your own signature sounds.
Hi everyone! As you know Barry Schrader will be giving his farewell concert at CalArts on September 26. The following is the beginning of my interview with him. I opted to post the questions and answers as they come in. New QAs will get a new post so you do not miss them and they will be added to this post so we have one central post for the full interview. This should make it easier for all of us to consume in our busy lives, and it will allow you to send in any questions that may come to mind during the interview process. If you have anything you'd like to ask Barry, feel free to send it in to matrixsynth@gmail.com. This is a rare opportunity for us to get insight on a significant bit of synthesizer history, specifically with early Buchla systems, and I'd like to thank Barry for this opportunity. Thank you Barry!
Published on Jul 23, 2015 Pittsburgh Modular Synthesizers
"Packed with six unique multi-mode sequencers and a fully voltage controllable user interface, the Game System is deep! Each game represents a different type of sequencing, from classic step sequencers, to unique multi-dimensional clock dividers, to chaotic gate generators. Individual sequencers in the Game System would make great standalone modules. Bundled together, they offer an entire arcade of sequencing options, with lots of room for creativity."
"Packed with six unique multi-mode sequencers and a fully voltage controllable user interface, the Game System is deep! Each game represents a different type of sequencing, from classic step sequencers, to unique multi-dimensional clock dividers, to chaotic gate generators. Individual sequencers in the Game System would make great standalone modules. Bundled together, they offer an entire arcade of sequencing options, with lots of room for creativity.
A Unique Set of Controls
The Game System uses a thumb joystick and button press interface for fast and intuitive navigation of the sequencers. Joystick movements and button presses are voltage controllable, inviting external CV and gate signals to take control of the gaming experience. The Game System can also be computer controlled, freeing the sequencers to shift and morph with the zeros and ones.
Price, Availability, and More Information
The suggested retail price for the Game System module is $299 and it begins shipping to our dealers July 31. More information available at pittsburghmodular.com/game-system.
Game 1: Meteor Shower
Meteor showers have inspired musicians since the dawn of time. The Game System transforms these celestial events into an 8x8 matrix filled with pixelated meteors, explosions, and one panicked spaceship. Pilot your unarmed ship through the matrix while dodging falling meteors. Explosion based gates and random control voltages react to the action and provide the perfect score to the amazing events taking place in the simulated night sky. God speed, fearless astronauts.
Game 2: Music Programmer (CV/Gate Sequencer)
Create your own musical masterpiece, a melody that defines a generation. Music Programmer is a classic 32 step CV and gate sequencer that is programmed with the joystick or auto-generated using control voltages. Sequences can vary in length from 1 to 32 steps and can be played in forward, reverse, pendulum, or random order. CV output is quantized to 1 volt per octave to keep the resulting patterns well tempered.
Game 3: Percussion Programmer (4 Channel Gate Sequencer)
Hmm.... Percussion can mean anything. A short (or long) burst of sound (or silence) used to create rhythmic patterns (or not) that drive (or don't) the beat of a song (or endless noodle). Regardless of the definition, the Percussion Programmer game features four channels of programmable gate sequencing that can be used for, um... anything. Rock and roll would probably assign the channels to kick, snare, high hat, and crash while EDM would go with something closer to kick, high hat, kick, and kick. Whatever gets you moving....
Game 4: Time Traveller (4 Channel Clock Divider)
A way to be in four places at once. Time Traveller is the first two dimensional clock divider. A game that shifts outputs freely within clock divisions and offsets. Using the idea of a time grid, clock divisions from 1 to 8 are laid out on the x axis allowing the y axis to be assigned to 8 steps of offset. The four outputs can be independently set to a static location, or allowed to freely roam the time grid creating unpredictable results. Time travel can be complicated; don't forget your towel.
Game 5: Probability Machine (2 Channel Chaotic Gate Generator)
The real world is a crazy place and music should reflect that. The Probability Machine creates chaotic gates based on a cascading chance algorithm. The resulting patterns are always in sync with some multiple of the clock, allowing for stuttering but not disjointed patterns. The density of the gates is based on a two dimensional probability field. The X axis defines the potential of an event and the Y axis defines the the depth of the event while the joystick button adds additional layers of complexity to the outputs. Spaztastic!
Game 6: Euclidean Rhythms (Algorithmic Gate Sequencer)
Impress your friends by applying all that geometry you learned in school. Inspired by the paper by Godfried Toussaint, the Euclidean Rhythms game is an auto-generating gate pattern sequencer that organizes complexity. Mathematically, the Euclidean Rhythms sequencer works to evenly space the number of active beats over the length of the sequence. Musically, the Euclidean Rhythms effortlessly creates organic patterns steeped in both Western and non-Western musical philosophies. Add a bit of CV control to create sequences that evolve with the incoming voltages, and suddenly math never sounded so good."
"So fasten your seat-belts & enjoy the read (and if you don't please don't tell me as I'm terribly insecure) About 15 years ago a client of the ad agency I worked for called me with an interesting question; "If money was no object (I wish!) What's the best professional performance keyboard available today--in terms of range and realism of sounds"? As I'm a part time musician all it took was a few calls to confirm it was the KORG m1.
So my next question was why is the owner of well known telecom products company whose stuff was sold at every local and national retailer asking me about electronic keyboards--telephone keypads, maybe but music keyboards?!?! About six months and 3 non disclosure agreements later, I got my answer, it was called THE KEY. And it was the culmination of serious amounts of R&D time and money. The KEY was a culmination of a dream. It was designed to be an air guitar "brought to life" or an "air guitarists dream machine".
Essentially it enabled ANYONE regardless how tone deaf they were to sound like the pro of their choice. Bsically the unit had "cartridges" Each cartridge was loaded with a selection of songs (usually representing a genre or artists) the guitar "part" which progressed along automatically was controlled by the "guitarist" in terms of style, rhythm, etc--in other words it was IMPOSSIBLE to play a wrong note and the variations as to how you played the right guitar parts were limited by your imagination or confidence which built along with your comfort level. If you were at all musically adept, you coud actually use THE KEY like a real guitar as the "fins" functioned as guitar strings the "rockers" on the neck functioned like the frets on a regular guitrar with the added benefit of pitch bending, classic "synth style" portimento (the note to note smooth "slide effect") and all the other stuff that was years ahead of its time. Case in point it even had "networkability: with a second KEY via a simple phone jack, plus it could even be used as a MIDI controller--right out of the box.
And because the Soul of the KEY was a sound board used in the KORG M1,(which back then was over $500, JUST FOR THE BOARD) the voices are nothing short of flawless-both in solo or in full orchstral mode, Basically the unit is layed out as follows;
1)The Neck with the touch sensitive rocker frets which aside from letting you control the "tuning" of the song being played from the cartridge also make the KEY playable like a regular guitar
2) The Body which has two rows of selector buttons for; a) POWER (obvious) b) LEAD (choose the volume of lead insrtument+switch the "choice" of the lead instrument from whatever's programmed for that song to whatever satisfies our creative curiosity--imagine the signature lead giotar on LAYLA (one of the 9 songs included on the cartridge) replaced with a bagpipe , string section or sitar --all controled by you as you play it note for flawless note,,,
c) SONG: How you choose the song from the cartridge
d) VOLUME: self explanatory
e) KEYBOARD: Guess what the "frets" can control the "strings" like a real guitar or if you want to channel your inner "Stanley Jordan" or "Andy Mcee" you can set the KEY up to play the neck as a second seperate instrument
