GREAT CONJUNCTION firmware 1.09 is out now!

video upload by Arman Bohn

"Firmware updates for GREAT CONJUNCTION are available here:
https://armanbohn.com/blog/support/

Just posted 1.09! Full release history in the readme file."

GREAT CONJUNCTION tutorial: Framework Page

video upload by Arman Bohn

"In this video I ramble on about each feature encased within the Framework page of GREAT CONJUNCTION. Framework is a mixture of an overview page and also contains some vital settings controlling the master TEMPO, SEQUENCER SUB-DIVISIONS, VOICE MODE, LEAD SEQUENCER and ORDER settings."

GREAT CONJUNCTION FM sequencer & synth - say what!?!

video upload by Arman Bohn

"GREAT CONJUNCTION has been released and will be produced in small batches. You can get on a waiting list here:

www.tindie.com/products/distropolis/great-conjunction-generative-fm-sequencersynth/

You can get on my general mailing list here:

www.distropolisgoods.com

In this video I will try to describe to you, in non-technical terms, the project I have been working on for about a year and half - GREAT CONJUNCTION.

I edited about an hour of rambling down into about five minutes of compressed, stream-of-consciousness brain trash for you to decipher."

GREAT CONJUNCTION Tutorial: Sequencer

video upload by Arman Bohn

"Purchase GREAT CONJUNCTION here (very soon):
https://www.tindie.com/products/34315/

This is not a demo of the overall sound quality or capabilities of GREAT CONJUNCTION. It is a sonically mundane walkthrough of how to use the three onboard sequencers.

Each parameter and sub parameter of the SEQUENCER page of GREAT CONJUNCTION is described in detail."

Hologram Chroma Console gestures with GREAT CONJUNCTION prototype sea breezin’

video upload by Arman Bohn

"Playing with gestures on the ​⁠@HologramElectronics chroma console. Starting with just a little GREAT CONJUNCTION FM goodness and then adding in some delay and tape effect for spice.

The GC is coming along. Working on the manual and some final bits of software. Another batch of prototypes is on the way."

Great Conjunction + 1010music lemondrop red screen

video upload by Arman Bohn

"Testing out some additional firmware improvements on the great conjunction. I be been enjoying the red screen, but the final product will have a purple LCD.

Lemondrop is synced to the tempo of GC."

Annotated space garbage Great Conjunction prototype into norms pedalboard

video upload by Arman Bohn

"Chugging away at the Great Conjunction prototype. I think I have succeeded in getting over 100 parameters accessible via MIDI CC. Now I’m looking into some ESD counter measures.

In this video, I’m noodling around, playing with rhythms and making some minor adjustments to the synth engines.

Recently added a third generative sequencer style. I’ve also made a fundamental change underneath so that each of the three sequencers can be set to create sequences from any of the sequence types.

Documentation is in the works, and I feel pretty close to being able to send out some prototypes.

It has been a real struggle with hurdles and learning moments. I’m sure there will more to come.

#synthesizer #generativemusic #synth #ambient #ambientmusic #soundsynthesis #lofibeats #lofimusic"

Chompi sampler - first play w/ Prismatic Spray

video upload by Arman Bohn

"I backed the Chompi and received mine few weeks ago. I haven’t had a chance to test it out until now.

A quick perusal of the manual, online and off I go!

I’m using the Phantasmal Force to trigger that initial note.

The prismatic spray feeds some sound into the Chompi and then I start turning some knobs.

I have no idea what I’m doing.

My Prismatic Spray bytebeat synth can be found here:

https://www.tindie.com/products/distr..."

Simple rhythmic variations w/ Hologram Microcosm, Dirtywave M8, MT-32 pi, TX-6 & RK-006

video upload by Arman Bohn

"Generative patterns from the M8 are producing the rhythms and bass. M8 is also sending random chord information to the MT32 pi. The MT32 is playing back an E piano soundfont that is sent through the microcosm.

The microcosm is kind of like my therapy right now. I can feed it generative random stuff and play with the knobs and occasionally make some really magical sounds."

Hologram Chroma Console + Great Conjunction generative synth - every effect isolated NO TALKING shhh

video upload by Arman Bohn

"Just giving some love to a brand new Hologram Chroma Console. My Great Conjunction prototype just came in today, and I decided to set up a simple, generative patch and play with each effect on the chroma console.

I didn’t get into too many of the shift menus. Just a brief exploration of what each effect does in the context of a pretty, basic synth sound.

This thing really shines when you start adding the effects together and get into some of the deeper features of motion capture.

I may even dust off the guitar and plug it in, who knows!

I sell my synths/devices over here:

https://www.tindie.com/stores/distrop..."

Playdate micro console & Hologram Microcosm 10/10 ambient highwater skinny jeans marimba yuccie mix

video upload by Arman Bohn

"Here we go.

Plugging the unobtainable directly into a cheat code.

Playdate running 'Modular Play' app. Using the 'ball' sequencer to drive a couple marimba samples and a standup bass. And an 808 of course.

Marimbas are basically ANOTHER cheat code in ambient music.

Microcosm just just adds the magic."

Prismatic Spray bytebeat synth - looping tutorial

video upload by Arman Bohn

"Let's talk about some features of the Prismatic Spray bytebeat synth including playing notes via a MIDI source, MIDI equation reset, and looping bytebeats."

Prismatic Spray + Hologram Microcosm jam #1

video upload by Arman Bohn

"Prismatic Spray on sale now for 20% off!

Through 11/27/23!

https://www.tindie.com/products/distr...

Finally took a minute to just run my Prismatic Spray through my microcosm. They’re not tempo synced, but it is such chaos it doesn’t really matter.  the Prismatic Spray provides the core of the sound and the microcosm adds a layer of magic."

MIDI out test Great Conjunction prototype into the Prismatic Spray through Hologram Microcom

video upload by Arman Bohn

"It’s been a while. I’m back. Here is yet another in the seemingly endless prototypes of the Great Conjunction. I’m testing the out from the sequencers of the GC, feeding the output of the first sequencer via MIDI into the Prismatic Spray. All of this is getting beautified by the Hologram Microcosm."

Lofi tech beats PCBcore w/ NUNOMO QUN MKII, TX-6 and pikocore

video upload by Arman Bohn

"Bare PCB devices. The Qun clocks the piko through the rk-006.

The Qun provides a generative bass-scape and I tweak the amount of FM and certain probability ranges. The Qun has been a bit of a mystery … I’m still thinking about making a video where I talk through trying to use it."

Crushing it with the HEX LAG + pikocore + Prismatic Spray + Great Conjunction prototype

video upload by Arman Bohn

"Here is some noise.

The triangle thingie is the hex lag. A live input bit crusher mangler delay thing that I just received.

What does it sound like?

#noise #electronicmusic #lofimusic #bytebeat"

Generative CLOSE ENCOUNTERS road trip with norns “pixels”, Wingie MKii, Bastl Kastle Drum & TX-6

video upload by Arman Bohn

"Devils Tower is on the horizon. Pixel static notes and MIDI data. The Kastle excites the Wingie.

Alien welcome melodies played backwards and forwards, but probably never in the right order. Only 1970s practical effects here. Or is it all just CG?"

Harmonic halls of noise - Prismatic Spray, norns “pixels”, 1010music lemondrop and TX-6

video upload by Arman Bohn

"The Prismatic Spray provides most of the sonic textures here. The notes it plays are controlled by a single pixel grooving along on the screen on the norns. The sound is then chopped up by the lemondrop and played back at various octaves. The Norns also provides five channels of sine wave drones. Everything is mixed in the TX-6.

You can pick up the Prismatic spray on my tindie shop:

https://www.tindie.com/products/distr..."

guided mumbles - Roland j-6, Dirtywave M8, MT32-pi, Phantasmal Force, TX-6

video upload by Arman Bohn

"More noises. Chord sequencing the J-6 via the M8. The J-6 passes the notes to the MT32. Phantasmal Force for the mutes. TX-6 for the mix."

Broken beats w/ Pikocore, Dirtywave M8, Roland J-6, TE TX-6

video upload by Arman Bohn

"More experiments with the pikocore. Random chord triggering sent from the M8 to the J-6. The Pikocore is synced to the J-6 which is clocked to the M8.

I’m syncing key changes to the random chords as well. I think I’ll continue down this path towards actual pseudo random song creation … so possibly more M8 + J-6 combos in the near future. The modulation options on the J-6 are nonexistent sound design is incredibly limited. I could use another mini synth instead, maybe the great conjunction, or the kasser arcade. but that would take more cord wrangling in the m-8."

This is the first post to feature the pikocore.

via infinitedigits.co

pikocore
april 2nd, 2023 / #wares
a small rp2040-based music mangler. $62 / $89.

pikocore is…

a lo-fi music mangler based on the raspberry pi pico (brother of the nyblcore).
capable of holding 8 minutes of 8-bit 33 khz monophonic samples.
powered by a single aaa battery for up to 3 hours or by powered by usb-c.
tempo-synced with a selectable bpm between 60 and 300, with samples mangled by beat-synced effects (stutter, retrig, gate, tunneling).
loaded with real-time effects like a resonant filter, timestretching, volume, and wavefolding.
sequenced with a 128-step sequencer with recording/playback
saved and loaded via eeprom for instant patch recall.
able to load custom firmware, new samples, all through usb-c.
sync-compatible with pocket operators.
open-source, wonderfully hackable.



video upload by infinitedigits

"more info: https://pikocore.com

pikocore is a lo-fi music mangler based on the Raspberry Pi Pico. It can hold 8 minutes of 8-bit 33 kHz monophonic samples, is powered by a single AAA battery or USB-C, and can be tempo-synced with a selectable BPM between 60 and 300. It also has beat-synced effects, real-time effects, a 128-step sequencer, and can load custom firmware and new samples. Pikocore is sync-compatible with Pocket Operators and open-source, making it wonderfully hackable."