Full details on Derek Revell's website. PCBs are now available if you'd like to make your own EMS Synthi A or VCS3 clone.
The bottom image here is the clone.
"I have made the clone , using the dimensions of the original VCS3 they are H 44cm x W 43cm x D 42cm.
The panels sizes are upper W 40cm x H 32cm x 2mm and the lower panel is W 40cm H 30cm x 2mm.
The VCS3 clone is complete on 16/03/2010, but needs fully calibrating, as there are some differences with the pots and internal wiring.
I was fortunate enough to obtain the almost complete circuit diagrams of the VCS3/Synthi A, unfortunately there are so many errors in the drawings, compared with the actual circuit boards, and the internal wiring of the patch panel and front panel potentiometers that I decided to completely re-draw the originals, a very time consuming task, I have also finished the track layouts of the three main PCB's."
The video show the dry output of the keytar and Noise Hero then wet through the diy reverb , which is basically just a slinky taped to a speaker with a contact mic mounted on it but it can make some pretty cool noises which remind me of the reverb in old dub records. Sounds pretty good with drums going through it which i forgot to do here. I found i got the best results with the mic near the speaker as quite a lot of the dry sound makes it to the contact mic and mixes with the reverb. Also i found it best to gather enough of the slinky at the top to allow space between the coil at the bottom to prevent any resonant rattling. It can make some very star wars like sound effects when manipulating the spring by hand too.
"A quick shot of the new Dirty-Carter Experimental Sound Generating Instrument while putting it through its paces. It's sitting next to a circuit-bent Korg Koassilator and a Bugbrand Postcard Weevil, the rest are listed in the Flikr tags column on the right. Sound and video clips to follow soonish... and it will be on sale later this year.
Tech details: The Dirty Carter Experimental Sound Generating Instrument uses a dual 4-stage shift register. Each register is controlled independently. Two oscillators are used per register: one as a clock, the other as input data that is cascaded through the four stages. The outputs from the stages are mixed together. A fast clock rate produces a crude form of wavetable synthesis, whilst a slow clock rate creates audible pulses and clicks. The clock speed and the data input’s frequency are controlled by touch electrodes/pads. By tilting the instrument, sound from both the 4-stage shift registers can be mixed together. Glitchy noise, deep drones and percussive peeps!
"A short video* of the new Dirty-Carter Experimental Sound Generating Instrument (E.S.G.I.) while putting it through its paces.
*My apologies for the thin sounding mono audio.
Tech details: The Dirty Carter Experimental Sound Generating Instrument uses a dual 4-stage shift register. Each register is controlled independently. Two oscillators are used per register: one as a clock, the other as input data that is cascaded through the four stages. The outputs from the stages are mixed together. A fast clock rate produces a crude form of wavetable synthesis, whilst a slow clock rate creates audible pulses and clicks. The clock speed and the data input’s frequency are controlled by touch electrodes/pads. By tilting the instrument, sound from both the 4-stage shift registers can be mixed together. Glitchy noise, deep drones and percussive peeps!"
"In between performance and installation, this living interface questions the way we deal with new interactions. Creating sound by touching bodies, while transforming humans into objects. And back again?
via ElectricSun "Cast your mind back, if you can, to 1988 and the (second) ‘Summer of Love’. Illegal parties were being hosted in inconspicuous venues up and down the country and the headline-grabbing acid house phenomenon was everywhere. Drug use and police raids fuelled negative press coverage, but the psychedelic sound of acid house had a defining role in the development of electronic music and became a part of music history.
Rather than focusing on the narcotic, this ElectricSun T-shirt is dedicated to the machine that made it all possible over 20 years ago – the Roland TB-303. The unique squelchy sound of the 303 dominated the latter part of the 80’s club and rave culture, and still continues to appear on tracks to this day. As well as acid house, 303 basslines could also be heard on more radio-friendly tunes such as Shannon’s ‘Let the Music Play‘,
The VCS3 clone is complete on 16/03/2010, but needs fully calibrating, as there are some differences with the pots and internal wiring.
