Korg Monologue, MicroFreak, Novation Circuit, Volca FM, NTS-1, Lone Rider

Korg Monologue, MicroFreak, Novation Circuit, Volca FM, NTS-1, Lone Rider part 1

Waveformer

"First part of a three-part jam, featuring the Korg Monologue, Arturia MicroFreak, Novation Circuit, Volca FM, and with Zoom MS-70CDR and Korg NTS-1 on effects.

My music on Bandcamp: http://waveformer42.bandcamp.com/

This jam was originally planned to be around 45 minues, with lots of different parts, and lots of different solos played live on the Monologue. All planned out over 3 sheets of paper with plenty of notes scribbled all over. I did record a 45 minute take, but wasn't happy with the performance so I decided to scrap it. And ... playing the whole thing live was kind of daunting, so I chickened out and decided to make this a three part jam with a common soundset and some common themes.

This is the first of the three planned parts.

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An Interview with Barry Schrader

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!

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ROLAND ANNOUNCES NEW R-MIX MUSIC SOFTWARE for Mac/PC and iPad

"Los Angeles, CA, September 15, 2011 — Roland is proud to announce R-MIX, a new era in audio processing software, giving recording professionals and those just starting out the tools to visually and intuitively manipulate stereo mix audio easily in real time. Featuring the newly developed proprietary V-Remastering technology and the highly-acclaimed VariPhrase® technology, R-MIX allows you to see the individual components of a stereo mix as color-coded clouds of harmonic matter and to apply effects or center cancel exactly where and as you wish within the mix. R-MIX can also help musicians learn songs by offering focused access to any desired instrument in the mix and the ability to slow down fast or complicated sections.

By graphically breaking down the stereo mix data into three elements (frequency, panning, and level), R-MIX makes it possible to actually see the instruments inside the mix, using the Harmonic Placement. Change the panning and level, erase, extract, and add effects, and independently adjust the pitch and speed of the playback as desired. Lower the level of the vocal or any other instrument within the mix to create minus-one karaoke files or create remixes using two pairs of stereo tracks. Mastering live recording sources is also possible by adjusting the instrument levels and applying noise reduction and effects, and with R-MIX, you can create the highest quality sound and then export your project as an audio file for music player playback.

Since there is only one R-MIX screen to operate, workflow increases, and there is no need to switch screens. Menus are aligned according to the workflow, easing navigation, and a simple help window for each task allows for manual free operation. Windows/Mac compatibility and the intuitive design also makes it accessible to everyone from serious DAW magicians to novice users and easily integrates into education and video production settings.

R-MIX Tab, a simplified version of R-MIX, will be available for the Apple iPad later this year. This iPad application also uses the V-Remastering technology to extract audio elements and easily creates minus-one data from an audio file.

• V-Remastering
Roland’s innovative V-Remastering digital signal-processing technology gives you total control over the elements within a stereo audio file. Built into R-MIX, V-Remastering makes it possible for you to see each stereo mix as color-coded clouds of energy and harmonic matter, and easily isolate the individual instruments or elements within the mix and change their panning positions and levels. V-Remastering also gives you the ability to erase, extract, or add effects to each element within a mix. V-Remastering enables music-editing capabilities never possible before!

• VariPhrase
In conjunction with V-Remastering, R-MIX employs Roland’s acclaimed VariPhrase technology, which can make your audio “elastic.” The secret to elastic audio is the independent control of pitch, time, and formant*. Smoothly adjust pitch without changing tempo, for example, or adjust tempo without changing pitch. Audio is elastic, and freely under your control in real time. Even more amazing is that all of this can be done without changing the sound quality of the original recording.

*Formant parameter not available in R-MIX.

R-MIX availability and MSRP details are being determined now. For more information, please visit http://www.RolandConnect.com.
---------

About Roland Corporation
Roland Corporation is a leading manufacturer and distributor of electronic musical instruments, including keyboards and synthesizers, guitar products, electronic percussion, digital recording equipment, amplifiers, audio processors, and multimedia products. With nearly 40 years of musical instrument development, Roland sets the standard in music technology for the world to follow. For more information, visit http://www.RolandUS.com."

Roland Corporation - iTunes
iPads on eBay

Vintage MOOG SIGNAL PROCESSORS

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this auction

See the original advert for the set in this post.

via the seller: "THIS IS A ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY FOR ANYONE TO OWN ALL THESE UNITS WITHOUT HAVING TO WAIT YEARS & YEARS TO FIND THEM ALL... IT TOOK ME MANY YEARS TO FIND THEM ALL AND SPENT LOTS OF MONEY ON THEM PLUS ALL THE ELECTRONIC MAINTENANCE I HAVE GIVEN TO EACH ONE OF THEM TO HAVE THEM WORK ALL 100%.

I have 5 units in a robust ATA Molded PE Shock w/ Rubber Shock Suspension (12U Space) Model: G-Shock-12L almost new with both front and back lid covers with it's own locking key as well... (REFER TO PHOTOS...) And the Moog Parametric Equalizer as a single unit because it didn't fit in the case unfortunately... But you get all 6 units shipped together as a complete set... NOTE: On the last picture the Bode Frequency Shifter, Bode Vocoder, and the second Moog Parametric EQ ARE NOT included in the bundle they are there just because that's where I had mounted both Parametric EQs but you only get one of the Parametric EQs and not 2 that are pictured there along with the other Bode stuff... Although the Bode Units are going for sale as well but are being sold separately so please refer to info description or ask questions if you're not sure. Thanks...

Here's what's included in the bundle:

- Moog 16 Channel Vocoder 327A - Model: MBVO - X 1 Unit
- Moog Custom Engineering String Filter - ( Fully Calibrated...) - X 1 Unit
- Moog Custom Engineering Dual VCO - ( Fully Calibrated As Well...) - X 1 Unit
- Moog 12 Stage Phaser - Model: MPKH - X 1 Unit
- Moog Three Band Parametric Equalizer 304A - Model: MKPE - X 1 Unit
- Moog Ten Band Graphic Equalizer - Model: MKGE - X 1 Unit

Here's some info you may want to know about each unit:

* Moog Dual VCO - The Moog Dual Voltage Controlled Oscillator was built in very limited quantities by the Moog Custom Engineering Department A.K.A. Modusonic which has 2 Ultra-Stable VCOs based on the 3rd Revision of the Minimoog 921A VCO With Temp Comp UA 726 Matched Differential Pair Transistors. SUPER FREAKING PHAT..!!! Personally I think it beats any Minimoog I've own... The waveforms are just "EARGASMIC"... =) You've got to hear it for yourself... The Moog Dual VCO was designed to add that extra two oscillator fatness to other Moog Synthesizers as the Multimoog, Micromoog and the Minimoog at the time; although the Minimoog required the addition of the Keyboard CV Output Modification so it could control the Moog Dual VCO's pitch and route it's output back into the Minimoog's External Audio Input... The Micromoog & Multimoog did not require this mod because they have already a Keyboard CV Output Jack as well as their respective audio input. So basically you can use the Moog Dual VCO with any Analog Synthesizer with a Keyboard CV Output (1 Volt/Oct.) and an External Audio Input to pass the Dual VCO's output signal back in it and voila two extra fat Moog Oscillators in your set up.

* Functions, Features & Input/Output Option:

- Master Tune - Controls overall tuning of both oscillators or one when only used as single...
- Pulse Width - Controls width of both oscillator's pulse waveforms when used either as single or dual.
- Octave Select Multi-Switch Knob with: LO, 32', 16', 8', 4', 2'. (Both Oscillator 1 & 2 have their own Multi-Switch Knob)
- Waveform Select Switch with: Up Ramp/Sawtooth, Triangle, Pulse, Sine.
- Oscillator On/Off Switch - Each Oscillator has it's own on/off switch to quickly add or subtract one oscillator while performing.
- Oscillator 2 Sync Switch - Automatically syncs both oscillators together by the flick of a switch.
- Oscillator 2 Tune Knob - To tune or detune oscillator 2 from 1 either while synced or un-synced.
- Output Level Knob - Controls overall output volume.
- Power Switch - Turns on/off unit.
- Oscillator 1 CV Input Jack 1/4" (1 Volt/Oct.) - Controls oscillator 1 only.
- Both In 1 CV Input Jack 1/4" (1 Volt/Oct.) - Controls pitch of both oscillators while oscillator 1 being the master controller.
- Oscillator 1 Output Jack 1/4" - Outputs signal of oscillator 1 only.
- Oscillator 2 CV Input Jack 1/4" (1 Volt/Oct.) - Controls oscillator 2 only.
- Both In 2 CV Input Jack 1/4" (1 Volt/Oct.) - Controls pitch of both oscillators.
- Oscillator 2 Output Jack 1/4" - Outputs signal of oscillator 2 only.
- X 4 Multiple Output Jacks 1/4" - Note: These are not connected whatsoever to any circuit inside the unit, they only serve to split any input or output signal you wish to multiply.
- Runs on 120 VAC Only.

* Moog 16 Channel Vocoder - The Moog 16 Channel Vocoder was designed by Genius Engineer and Pioneer In Electronic Music Instruments Harald Bode in the mid 70's about and first released in about 1977 under the "Bode Sound Company" Brand which was manufactured by Polyfusion under the name of Bode Vocoder 16 Channel Model 7702, and was then licensed to the Moog Synthesizer Brand in about 1978 which was then released as The Moog 16-Channel Vocoder 327A Model MBVO. Both Vocoders are almost identical in circuit design except for a few slight variations in the type of components that were used in each but functions and features are basically the same...

* Functions, Features & Input/Output Option:

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Century Classic djlace original house mix

via Lace Dj on The MATRIXSYNTH Lounge

"Classic bigroom house track using a Roland TR-909, Roland TR-808, Roland TR-707, Sequential Circuits TOM, Kawai K3, Korg M3r, Moog Micromoog and a Sequential Circuits Pro one. Mixed at Canmarc on a Tascam DM4800, TC electronics reverb, Intersound Spring.

The track started out as a test of the recently arrived Kawai K3. We've been looking for this synth for a while and it did not disappoint.
The K3 is a hybrid analog/digital synth. It has digital wavetable oscillators, yet the whole back end of the synth's sound making architecture, filters envelopes & LFOs, is analog. This gives it a less perfect tonal shaping with more noise and random harmonics. This is nice. In this track there is a big "u2" style tempo delay on the Kawai chord line, which gives it the old school techno feel and nice tones in the delay that create complementing melodies.

The tr909 was used for kick, clap and open hat. The kick was recorded 3 times and squished with an ssl bus compressor to bring the tone out. A bit of notch at around 200hz took the knock out and gave it room for the bass line to come through in the middle of the mix.. The hat was gated to close with a bit of swing. The crunchy sound of the open hat is inherent to the 909. When the instruments are detuned from their original pitches, The original 909 has nowhere near the top end clarity that you hear in most 909 samples libraries.

The XOXbox bassline had a mono delay added and was lightly sidechaned to the kick, so it would not compete too much with the note embedded in the kick on the first beat. It tended to still pop out a bit, even with some notching so the side chain helped. Also The XOXbox is a roland sounding box so it's missing a bit in the mids. It was pushed a bit at 600hz to give it a bit of honk that would trigger it's delay a bit more, carrying the bass note to the next beat. Most Roland gear is like that. It's seems they like the "happy face" eq curve sound.

The 808 was run for it's kick, closed hats, Rim shot, And snare. The Kick drum was compressed at infinity to 1 to get it's tail to last a bit longer. It was reversed in post. The snare is pretty much stock. The rim has a tight room off the TC reverb. The hats are detuned 300 cents down. 808 hats are much brighter than the 909s, And they have a great crunch that doesn't lose too much brightness if you pitch down the recording. Always a nice thing to do if you want your hats to get a little sloppy and get that "sha sha" sound. They are also sidechained to the kick. Only a bit, just enough to create small volume variations that ride above and below the mix masking point.

The Sequential TOM was used for the metal drums that play as a background rythm in the main beat loop, and the metal drums and bongos that swing out the first break. They were played & recorded live by jamming & banging on the drum pads with the track in loop mode until a couple rythm ideas stuck out. The TOM latin percussion card is great for adding percussion lines that sound like old samples. It's all 8bit samples that gain all sorts of VInyl like artifacts when tuned away from the basic sample pitch. They also have a lot of lo-fi ring. So with a bit a of plate like reverb added, you can get that "sampled off a record" sound.

The m3r (Korg m1 in a rack form) was used for the uber classic Korg M1 piano sound heard in the break. It starts out stock and gets filtered out of existence by the time the song drops back in full. After trying a few other machines, It seemed the only thing that could do the classic house piano & sampled string held high note effect so prevalent in 90s techno & house was the original machine itself. Go figure. :)

As usual the intersound spring reverb was used. The eq on it really makes it sound old school cool. It this track it used mildly the accentuate the explosion kicks in the break. Coupled with a gate, it's tail can break up like a digital effect, yet retain a lot of mud. This puts it in the desirable, "not sure what kind of verb that was..." category. Great for adding details to a mix.

Enjoy!
Lace"

Dave Smith Was an Ironman Triathlete

In case you missed it in this post, Roger Linn noted Dave Smith was "an avid athelete, cyclist and triathlete. He actually participated in the Hawaii Ironman Triathlon in his younger years..."

@birdkids reminded me of an article on the development of the Prophet VS archived on the WaybackMachine. In it, Chris Meyer mentions Dave was in Hawaii prepping for the tournament during that time. I thought it was interesting and worth sharing. I captured it below.

"Date: Wed, 15 Jan 1997 07:55:41 -0800
From: Xrystal
MIME-Version: 1.0
Subject: Birth of the Prophet VS

I thought the following might be of interest to you. Xrystal
_____________________________________________________________________


The Birth of the Prophet VS

By Chris Meyer, ex-employee of Sequential Circuits

reprinted from the VS WaveWrangler User Guide by permission of Interval Music Systems,
©1991 Interval Music Systems.

It all started somewhere in 1985. We were still working on the Prophet 2000 sampler,
and as resident historian (in other words, I had the most magazines and manuals) another
engineer was asking me to explain how various instruments performed crossfades. I had
finished discussing the Fairlight, and had moved on the PPG - explaining its wavetables,
and the ability for it to scan a group of waves first in one direction and then back again,
While I was scrawling this back and forth motion in my notebook, suddenly a little twinge
went off in the back of my head, and myhand drew the next line arcing down the page.. and the
concept of crossfading beween waves in two dimension, not just one, was born.

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Korg Monologue, MicroFreak, Novation Circuit, Volca FM, NTS-1, Lone Rider part 3

Waveformer

All parts here.

"Third and final part of a three-part jam, featuring the Korg Monologue, Arturia MicroFreak, Novation Circuit, Volca FM, and with Zoom MS-70CDR and Korg NTS-1 on effects.

My music on Bandcamp: http://waveformer42.bandcamp.com/

See the two previous videos for part 1 and 2. The tree jams use the same instruments and effects, but with different themes.

The Monologue is used for 3 solo parts - one bright synth-y lead in the beginning, one grumpy distorted lead sound in the middle, and one theremin-like sound at the end. All based on the same custom patch, but with modified envelope, oscillator mix and filter to give each solo a unique character.

The MicroFreak is doing chords with a simple super saw patch and lots of chorus, delays and reverb from the MS70. In the section from 7:30 to 9:30, I'm using a nice "trick" to get from a C minor to a Eb minor in a smooth way. I go from Eb to G7, and then to B diminished 7 (just move the low G note a half step up to a G sharp), and then on to Bb7 (move the B one half step down to a Bb). The Bb7 is the dominant chord for an Eb minor, so the transition to Eb minor feels very natural. To my ear, all these transitions feel very smooth, and still we end up on a Eb minor chord three half steps from the C minor root. And the G minor note in the Eb minor chord is definitely not in the C minor scale. It's even a tritone. The diminished 7th chord of a scale is a very nice gateway to other scales. If you're in C (major or minor) scale, you can use the B diminished chord to go to Eb, to Gb and to A - minor or major. All of these are just a half step up from a note in the diminished chord, so the tension in the diminished chord resolves nicely to any of these.

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New Rossum SP-1200 Officially Announced at $3,999.00

"Why did you take this approach with the SP-1200 reissue?" video upload by Rossum Electro-Music


"What are some challenges working with vintage digital technology vs vintage analog designs?" video upload by

via Rossum:

"This is a pre-order for the second lot of SP-1200 reissue units. We fully expect to be able ship the units from the second lot by the end of January 2022. Your payment method will be charged immediately. Limit 2 per customer.

The latest in the SP-12™ family, the Rossum SP-1200® is an authentic reissue of the iconic classic SP-1200 sampling percussion system. Building on the engineering of 2020’s 35th Anniversary SP-1200 Renovation, including study and analysis of many vintage units using modern technology not available during SP-1200’s original production run, the team determined that virtually all original components ought to be used in order to deliver the sound at the very highest standard of precision. E-mu Systems co-founder and original SP-12 and SP-1200 designer Dave Rossum has duplicated the original analog and digital electronics of the landmark 12-bit drum machine sampler as closely as is possible thirty-five years after its debut. Throughout the process of creating the SP-1200 reissue, Dave was delighted that with very few exceptions, authentic components exactly the same as those found in the vintage classic instrument could be used throughout and took great care to maintain the classic SP-12 and SP-1200 circuit board layouts. Inside and out, SP-1200 is faithful to the original operation and preserves the coveted, authentic sound and character of the classic vintage instrument. Through this labor of love, Dave was able to create an instrument that should sound exactly the same even to the most discerning ears.

Changes and enhancements were made where they were compatible with the original design, without compromising the classic vintage sound. Sampling memory has been expanded to the maximum capability of the original sound engine. An all-new memory card storage solution with new functions seamlessly integrated into the operating system allows musicians to conveniently save, rename, and delete files and folders, and supports importing vintage SP-1200 disk images packaged in the popular .HFE format. Also included in every box, a 3.5” “floppy” disk 💾 containing modified software for original vintage SP-1200 units adds a new Set-up Special function allowing users to transfer all sounds and sequences from an original SP-1200 to the Rossum SP-1200 reissue over a standard MIDI cable. Whether using 3.5” disks or the popular floppy drive emulator modification, users of classic SP-1200 units are able to recall and remix their work on the SP-1200 reissue.

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RIP Bebe Barron

via darthmouth (click for the full article)

"Hollywood, however, had already been utilizing instruments such as the theremin in movie scores for many years, and the first widespread American public exposure to the possibilities of the electronic medium occurred with the 1956 release of MGM's feature film Forbidden Planet. In addition to its elaborate space sets and advanced visual effects, Forbidden Planet featured an exclusively electronic musical score composed by Bebe Barron (b. 1927) and her husband Louis (1920-1989)....

Once they decided on the characters' moods and situations, the couple completed a series of electrical circuits which functioned electronically in ways analogous to the human nervous system. Decisions about the circuitry were strongly influenced by their studies of the science of cybernetics which proposes that certain natural laws of behavior are applicable to both animals and more complex modern machinary. The composers employed their noise-producing circuits to emulate such needed characterizations as serenity, anger, and love....


Bebe and Louis' success signaled the beginning of the effective use of electroacoustic music by the modern movie industry."

You can also find more on wikipedia.
And of course Google Image search where I found the images for this post.



via Peter Grenader of Plan b:
"We have lost a bright little little light and a dear friend. Bebe Barron has passed. She has captivated us with her charm, her modesty and her enchanting smile and her memory will remain in our hearts, our art and our spiritforever."

Update: some nice words from Barry Schrader:

"Bebe Barron (1925 - 2008)

It is with great sadness that I report the death of Bebe Barron on April 20, 2008 at the age of 82, of natural causes. Bebe was the last of the pioneering composers of classical studio electronic music. She was a close friend, an enthusiastic colleague, and a most gracious lady.


Bebe Barron was born Charlotte Wind in Minneapolis, on June 16, 1925. She received an MA in political science from the University of Minnesota, where she studied composition with Roque Cordero, and she also spent a year studying composition and ethnomusicology at the University of Mexico. In 1947 she moved to New York and, while working as a researcher for Time-Life, studied composition with Wallingford Reigger and Henry Cowell. That same year, she met and married Louis Barron (1920 - 1989). Shortly thereafter, the Barrons began their experiments with the recording and manipulation of sound material by means of a tape recorder that they received as a wedding gift. They created a private studio in New York and, in 1955, composed the first electronic music score for a commercial film, Forbidden Planet. In 1962 the Barrons moved to Los Angeles; they divorced in 1970. In 1973, Bebe married Leonard Neubauer, a screen writer. Bebe became the first Secretary of the Society for Electro-Acoustic Music in the United States (SEAMUS) in 1985, and also served on the Board of Directors. In 1997 Bebe was presented the SEAMUS Award for the Barrons life work in the field of electro-acoustic music. She is survived by her husband, Leonard, and her son, Adam.

Bebe’s last public appearance was on January 12, 2008, at an event held at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles, celebrating the work of her good friend, Anais Nin. Bebe was too ill to speak in public at this point, but she agreed to be interviewed for a video piece that was shown at the event. This is her final interview, and you can see it on YouTube.

Bebe’s final composition, Mixed Emotions (2000) was composed in the CREATE studios of the University of California at Santa Barbara. I'll be putting this work up on the Downloads 2 page of my website, along with some photos of Bebe and myself taken in 2005 at her home on the Photos page within the next week.

I first met Bebe Barron in the middle 1970s; I don't remember exactly when, but I think it was around 1975. I had asked Bebe and her former husband and composing partner Louis to attend a showing of Forbidden Planet that I had arranged as part of a class at CalArts. They agreed to do it, and I quickly became good friends with Bebe and we remained close over the years.

In writing about Bebe Barron, it's impossible not to focus on the pioneering work that she and Louis did in electronic music. They began their experiments in 1948, shortly after they were married. This early work was done using a tape recorder, preceding the work of Luening and Ussachevsky and the switch from disks to tape by Pierre Schaeffer and the GRM. But, to my knowledge, the Barrons' early experiments did not result in any completed works, a state of affairs not uncommon with early pioneers in the field. In 1949 they set up one of the earliest private electro-acoustic music studios and began their experiments with electronically generated sounds. They built their own circuits which they viewed as cybernetic organisms, having been influenced by Norbert Weiner's work on cybernetics. The circuits, built with vacuum tubes, would exhibit characteristic qualities of pitch, timbre, and rhythm, and had a sort of life cycle from their beginnings until they burned out.

The Barrons recorded the sounds from the amplification of these circuits and this formed the basis of their working library. They also employed tape manipulation techniques as part of their compositional procedures. The sound qualities of these various amplified tube circuits and the tape manipulations that they underwent formed the musical language that the Barrons created in their studio. Unlike some of the work being done elsewhere, the Barrons' music reveals long phrases, often stated in tape-delayed rhythms, with the stark finesse of the tube circuit timbres. They created a style that was uniquely their own yet married to the technology they were using.

The Barrons earliest finished work, Heavenly Menagerie (1951) does not seem to have survived in a complete form. But their score for Ian Hugo's film Bells of Atlantis (1952), based on a poem by Anais Nin, who appears on screen, does exist on the film sound track. This may be the earliest extant work of the Barrons and presages what was to come with Forbidden Planet, the music for which was composed in 1955, the film being released the
next year.

The music for Forbidden Planet is truly a landmark in electro-acoustic music. This was the first commercial film to use only electronic music, and the score for the movie displays an attitude towards film scoring that was different from anything that had happened before. In Forbidden Planet, while there are themes for characters and events in the film, as was traditional in the scoring of that day, the themes are composed and perceived as gestalts, rather than as melodies in traditional movie music. Even more important is the fact that the scoring of Forbidden Planet breaks down the traditional line between music and sound effects since the Barrons' electronic material is used for both. This not only creates a new type of unity in the film sound world, but also allows for a continuum between these two areas that the Barrons exploit in various ways. At some points it's actually impossible to say whether or not what you're hearing is music, sound effect, or both. In doing this, they foreshadowed by decades the now common role of the sound designer in modern film and video.

The Barrons composed many other works for tape, film, and the theater in the 1950s. Their studio became the home for John Cage's Project of Music for Magnetic Tape, and they assisted in the creation of Cage's first chance piece Williams Mix (1951-52), as well as works by other members of the group such as Earle Brown and Morton Feldman. As a studio for the creation of their own and other composers' works, the Barrons' studio served as a functioning center for electro-acoustic music at a time when there was no institutional support of the medium in the United States. It's curious, then, that, for many years, the Barrons, their studio, and their works were largely overlooked by composers and historians in the field. Fortunately, that injustice has since been corrected, and, in 1997, it was my great honor to present to Bebe and, posthumously, to Louis, the SEAMUS Lifetime Achievement Award. Bebe was involved with SEAMUS from the very beginning of the organization. She was one of the ten original members who responded to my organizational call and met at CalArts in November of 1984 to form the group, and she was SEAMUS's first secretary. There may have been a little strong-arming on my part to get her to be involved so actively, but Bebe was always ready to support the cause of electro-acoustic music in whatever way she could.

Bebe created a firm legacy in her music. If the importance of one's work is to be judged in any regard by it's influence, acceptance, longevity, and innovative qualities, then the score for Forbidden Planet is an enormous success. It remains the most widely known electro-acoustic music work on this planet. For me, Bebe Barron will always be the First Lady of electronic music."

Update: BTW, if you have Netflix, you can watch Forbidden Planet online in IE here.


Bebe Barron on Anais Nin Uploaded on Mar 5, 2008

"Poetry at the core of arts" with a Dedication to Pierre Henry by Marc-Henri Arfeux & the Access Virus

Many of you will be familiar with the Access Virus compositions by Marc-Henri from previous RADIOKLOW posts. Marc-Henri bridges the gap between electronic music and other forms of art. His most recent work is a poem in tribute to Pierre Henry accompanied by the Access Virus. The tribute is hosted on La poésie au cœur des arts : le Blogart which translates to "Poetry at the core of arts". Click through and click on the Access Virus image to get to the piece.

via Marc-Henri:

"This site called 'Poetry at the core of arts' is the net the extension of a book of the same title, an anthology of poetry published by the french publisher : Editions Bruno Doucey. The book contains a poem I wrote about electronic music. The site was conceived to developp an exploration for some of the poets and artists of the book. I am one of them for, poetry , music and painting.

You will find the poem I wrote for the book, three pieces of music composed in january 2014, four poems by other authors of the anthology, three improvisations performed in early february 2014, a former composition called De Haute Vallée you have seen in the form a video in late 2012, an interview in french and some photographs taken at my flat when I was interviewed."

The following is Marc-Henri's poem translated into English:

"Orpheus veil"

Fly down into Orpheus ear,
Where roll clockworks
Of the forbidden stars
And voices shreds seeking vision.

Listen at the well of walls
Echoes of illuminated faces
In their bronze palaces.

Pavings, folds of roses,
The naked heels
Playing the freshness game
With embers
And the childhood kisses.

Travelling back to horizon,
In the limestone of nights,
Is now the prophecy of the spices,
With its tissue gifted with red
And the sobbings of an initiation.

Marc-Henri Arfeux - 2013

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Update: the following an English translation of the interview with Marc-Henri Arfeux on "Poetry at the core of arts". It is a fascinating read and reminds me of why I initially got into synths. My first synth was a brand new Oberheim Matrix-6 back in 1986. When I first started exploring the Matrix-6 I had no idea what the parameters did, so I just dived in. For me it was an exploration of sound for the sake of sound and a fascination in creating musical instruments never heard before. The focus was on that exploration rather than the attempt to mimic real world instruments. Much of this spirit is covered in the world of musique concrete and is captured in the interview below. Do not miss the part on the short wave radio. Truly fascinating and an inspiration for sonic exploration.

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Self Destruction - DJ Lace vs RC Dahle & The Passenger

via Lace Dj on The MATRIXSYNTH Lounge. More pics here.

"An electronic rock track using a custom built electric cigar box bass guitar, a Sequential Circuits Pro 1, Roland TR-606, Korg MS-20, a custom eurorack modular synth & intersound spring reverb. Vocals were recorded using a 1995 groove tubes MD1 tube mic, into a focusrite ISA one preamp with digital out. Recorded into ableton live 8, mixed on a Tascam DM4800 with yamaha HS80 monitors.

The track started out as a quick jam to a 77 bpm beat using the box bass & the song developed from there.

The box bass has an oak neck and poplar box. It’s nailed together so it resonates, the string is a spare low string from L&M. The pickups are a pair of dimarzio Twang kings. Their are placed to the side of the string, facing each other and offset. The top pickup is on a hinge.

The bass was plugged into the Focusrite ISA one with the gain all the way up. The ISA can take a lot of drive and sounds great squared off.

Ryan Dahle played the bass string with power, forcing it to hit the non moving coil at times, to great effect. While playing he would also vary the distance of the second coil. During the breakdown he rubs and strikes the moving coil against the string and jumps back into the guitar riff by plucking normally and moving the coil back again.

At mix down the guitar is run through a tube screamer plugin and an ssl vst channel pulling back 350 and pushing 5k up. It is panned hard right and left dry. An effect send from the guitar channel feeds an intersound spring reverb with 1k pulled back about 6db. The dry guitar signal and reverb return are matched back to stereo in a late 60s fashion.

The mechanical noises in the background of the track were created as a modular sequence that had to be restarted until it started on a part of the pattern that sounded right.

For this sequence, The TR 606, MS 20 module, and Modular are all wired together as one system. The 606 receives dinsync from the DAW via a roland SBX10 sync box. From the 606 the high tom output triggers the clock input of the MFB trigger sequencer in the modular which is making a 32 step pattern triggering a clock divider that controls the envelopes used in the system. One of the clock divider trigger outs controls the a105 filter which filters the output of an A117 noise source. The resonance of the A105 is wide open and modulate by the animated pulse out of the Livewire AFG (VCO). The frequency of the AFG is itself modulated by one of the LFOs on the A143-3 (quad lfo).

This is what creates the low volume noise in the track treated to sound like sample distortion artifacts.
Another of the the clock divider outputs feeds the MS 20 trigger input. The pink noise generator on the MS 20 is patched back into it's own external input. This noise runs through the ms 20 filter sections under control by envelope generator 2, and the on board LFO.

This is what creates the tom like sounds and the helicopter warble synth noises when the song picks up at the end.

Yet another output of the clock divider feeds an A140 envelope generator which is triggering the spare VCA on the ms20. The white noise of ms 20 goes into the audio input of this VCA and into the analog input mod of the TR 606. Inside the 606, this rhythmic noise pattern is cross modulated by the high hat pattern and you can hear the result in the track. The swung out effect of the high hats is a direct result of this, as the 606 has no swing function.

The drums are distorted 909 samples, run as a stereo drum mix into a Duende SSL bus compressor. The background vocals are a 5 part harmony, sung in 6 duplicates each mixed down to mono comps, then spread out into a 70s rock opera stereo field. There is a 375ms ping pong delay on the two high vocals and a long reverb on the two low ones. The middle ones are dry. The chorus lead is sung twice and double tracked, shifted by hand in various parts of the song to pull the effect forward and backwards. The front verse and the chorus share the same tempo delay. The delay is slightly bit crushed.

In order to give the idea of the background vocals slowly destroyed under the pressure of the drums, they shift to vocoded versions of themselves losing a bit of pitch tracking in the process and get bit crushed into nothing by the time the last chorus ends. This is done with 5 individual vocoder plugins and 5 bit crushers and automated ramps.

The desperation vocal in the break down and rebuild is mostly dry albeit for a small amount of TC reverb that sits behind the whole mix. The vocal has one effect on it, a boss ds1 plugin with mild gain. An SSL channel is used to shelf the bottom out completely and bring the top end up a bit, giving the vocal a “small” feel.

The pro 1 brings a bit of bass to complement the guitar, but it’s mixed pretty low in the mix, leaving the kick drums to do more work and get to a hard-techno / hard-style sound. The sample at the end is from a loop of the second chorus that just sounded so cool I decided to tag it at the end of the track, taking yet into one more direction before an old school FM radio fade ending.

The track was mixed down on a Tascam DM4800, using the onboard TC reverb and and external intersound reverb unit. Enjoy"

More wicks v Dino action

YouTube via grandtippler
"Wicks looper and Dinoaxe make noise.
You can find these noise making beasties here: http://makersmarket.com/sel..."

See the site for more. Some descriptions for the archive:

"The DinoAxe makes noise, the noise is weird.

This fun little device is a mini synth that uses two controls to make an interesting and diverse range of sounds.

The unit has two basic controls, Speed and Freq. The speed control has two functions; modulation and wobble. In Modulation mode the DinoAxe repeats the sound with a varying delay. In wobble mode the speed control varies the frequency in a sine wave pattern. The two functions are selected by rotating the speed control knob all the way counter clockwise. The Freq control varies the frequency of the sound, the first half of the control range is tones from low the high frequency, and the second part of the range is noise, noise, and more noise.

The output is via a 3.5mm stereo socket which can be plugged into earphones, a computer sound card, mixer or amplifier. I used a little vox amp in the video.

* The DinoAxe is powered by a 9v Battery which is not included due to shipping restrictions.

Happy noise making
RareBeasts"

"The Wicks Looper is a small handmade device that allows you the create real-time noise loops and sound effects.

This fun little device will allow you to build up a sound loop in real time using the tempo, sound and write controls.

The wicks looper has 3 main controls; The sound control adjusts the frequency of the tone in the first half of the dial and the level of noise in the second half of the dial, giving two distinct sounds. The second control is Tempo, which controls how fast the loop is played. Write the loop at a slow tempo then speed it up for a great effect. The third control is the write button, when pressed it writes a sound to memory which is then replayed next time the loop is run. With the sound control knob adjusted anticlockwise, you can add a rest to the loop by pressing the Write button.

The output is via a 3.5mm stereo socket which can be plugged into earphones, a computer sound card, mixer or amplifier.

* Item shipped from Australia, all prices are in US$.

* The Wicks Looper is powered by a Common 9v Battery which is not included due to shipping restrictions.

Happy Shopping
RareBeasts"


"The Wicks Looper – Acid Mix is a small handmade device that allows you the create very fast noise loops, by adding layers of sound in real time.

The wicks looper has 3 main controls; The frequency control adjusts the frequency of the noise, the first half of the range is tame, the 2nd half is uncut noise. The second control is Speed, which controls how fast the loop is played. The right hand side of this control plays the loop, forwards, turn the control to the left and the loop will play in reverse. Write the loop at a slow tempo then speed it up and reverse it, for a great effect. The third control is the write button, when pressed it writes a sound to memory which is then replayed next time the loop is run. With the Freq control knob adjusted anticlockwise, you can add a rest to the loop by pressing the Write button.

The output is via a 3.5mm stereo socket which can be plugged into earphones, a computer sound card, mixer or amplifier.

* The Wicks Looper Acid – Mix is powered by a Common 9v Battery which is not included due to shipping restrictions.

Q: What is the difference between the normal Wicks Looper and the Wicks Looper – Acid Mix?

A: The Acid Mix version plays loops about 4 times faster by making the sound played very short, it gives a ruff, out of control sound. The Acid Mix will also plays loops in reverse.

Happy noise making,
Rarebeasts"

Tips n' Tricks: Creating a 64-step sequencer using 2x Moog Mother 32

Published on Jul 24, 2018 Alastair Wilson

"I didn't do a very good job of explaining this patch in the video, so here's a much better explanation:

Theory:
- Both M32s are being triggered by a square LFO. To get them to alternate, one needs to be triggered by the LFO's rising edge (low to high jump), and the second by the falling edge (high to low jump). The problem is that both M32s need a rising edge to be clocked, so we will need to invert the LFO (I say 'reverse' in the video) for the second M32, to turn its falling edge into a rising edge.

Step 1 - clocking the first M32:
By patching the LFO to the Mult, you get 2 outputs of it. One goes straight into the M32's Tempo input to clock it.

Step 2 - inverting the LFO:
The other Mult output is patched to VC Mix Ctrl (which controls the mix between Mix 1 and Mix 2). With no cables patched, Mix 1 is at 0V and Mix 2 is at 5V. We need a jump of 0V to 5V when the LFO falls, flicking the output from Mix 2 to Mix 1, which is the opposite of what is currently happening. To fix this, we have to reverse the voltages at the Mix inputs.

Step 3 - reversing the Mix voltages:
To stop Mix 1 being at 0V and instead be at 5V, we patch in the output of the other M32's VC Mix section, with the VC Mix knob turned clockwise. This sends 5V into Mix 1. To stop Mix 2 being at 5V and instead be at 0V, we patch a dummy cable (a cable only patched at one end) into Mix 2, breaking the normalization of 5V. This puts Mix 2 at 0V.

Step 4 - clocking the second M32:
The VC Mix output is essentially now a square LFO that falls when the clocking LFO rises, and rises when the clocking LFO falls. By patching that into the Tempo input of the second M32, the M32s will both be clocked by the same LFO but will alternate to create a sequence twice as long but also twice as fast. Voilà - a 64-step sequence!"

MOOG Taurus

Title link takes you to shots pulled via this auction.

Details:
"From a 1980 Moog Flyer
The Moog Taurus Pedal Synthesizer lets you make music with your feet while your hands are busy playing keyboard, guitar, or drums. The Taurus has three programmed voices and a voice that you can program completely In performance you can select a Moog voice or your voice instantly The Taurus is a variable synthesizer that features two audio oscillators to create phasing effects, parallel intervals, and rich percussion sounds. In addition, functions like glide, decay and pedalboard octave may be switched by foot during performance. And its five octave range makes Taurus more than a bass instrument. Add another dimension to your control over sound-add a Moog Taurus 1 pedal synthesizer.

TAURUS FEATURES
Three pre-programmed synthesizer voices: Bass, Tuba, and Taurus
· One fully programmable voice. You create the sound and pre-set it yourself.
· Five octave range-16' 8' 4' 2' and 1'
· Foot sliders for loudness and tone color variation.
· Ultra stable oscillator design: less than one cent (0.06%) short term drift, less than two cents (0.18%)
long term drift.
· Electronic preset selectors. Presets never have to be cancelled.

Introduction
THE MOOG TAURUS IS A FOOT-CONTROLLED PEDAL SYNTHESIZER COMBINING THE FEATURES OF A
SYNTHESIZER-GOOD SOUND AND VERSATILITY-WITH FOOT CONTROLLED SOUND MODIFIERS AND
PRESETS.

THIS VERSATILE MUSICAL INSTRUMENT OFFERS THE CAPABILITY OF PRODUCING TRADITIONAL OR
NEW SOUNDS, INSTANTLY SELECTABLE FROM THE FOOT-CONTROLLED PRESETS. ONE OF THESE
PRESETS IS FULLY PROGRAMMABLE SO THAT THE PLAYER MAY SET UP A "SOUND" AND GET TO IT
INSTANTLY.

TO PROVIDE MAXIMUM PROTECTION, THE UNIT IS ASSEMBLED IN A RUGGED WOOD AND METAL
HOUSING.

Description
The basic functions of the Taurus Synthesizer (see accompanying block diagram) are programmable. That is, values of the various parametersthat are used to control the details of a sound are determined either by the internally fixed values (for the three fixed presets) or set by the player accessible controls (for the VARI ABLE preset). In normal usage, the VARIABLE preset is set up prior to performance using the VARIABLES controls in the control box. During actual performance, the player selects one of the four presets instantly by depressing one of the four PRESETS foot-buttons. These four PRESETS are mutually exclusive, that is, only one preset may be ON at any one time.

The basic tone sources are two voltage controlled oscillators (A and B). Two basic pitch controls are used for fine tuning the instrument. First, the TUNE control is used to set the pitch of both oscillators to the desired reference, such as another instrument being used simul taneously. The BEAT control is used to make fine adjustments in the relative pitch of the two tone oscillators (by modifying the "B" tone source pitch). In addition to these basic tuning controls, the "B" tone osciliator pitch in the VARIABLE preset mode may be varied over a greater than one octave range by adjust ing the OSC B FREQ control. The relative pitches of the two tone sources are internally set for the three fixed presets.

The entire instrument may be shifted either up or down one octave by use of the OCTAVE foot-button. As the OCTAVE foot-button is successively depressed, the instrument tuning changes by one octave; an indicator light shows that the instrument tuning is in high range. For the three fixed presets, the OCTAVE button switches the instrument between the 16' and 8' ranges. When the instrument is in the VARIABLE mode, a manual OCTAVE slide switch in the VARIABLES control box may be used to select three pitch range positions (LO-MED-HI). These three positions correspond to a 16' or 8' range for the LO position, an 8' or 4' range for the MED position, and a 4' or 2' range for the Hl position. The "B" oscillator range extends to 1' with the OSC B FREQ control positioned all the way up.

The instantaneous pitch of the instrument is controlled not onty by the OCTAVE and fine tuning controls, but also by a GLIDE control and GLIDE foot-button. The glide effect is a smooth transition in pitch between successive notes. The GLIDE foot-button operates in a manner similar to the OCTAVE foot-button in that the glide effect can be alternately turned ON and OFF, the ON state indicated by the GLIDE light being ON. The amount of glide effect is determined by the GLIDE slider in the VARIABLES control box. The player may thus set up the amount of desired glide effect using the GLIDE slider and then use the GLIDE foot-button to switch the effect in or out.

The two tone sources are combined in different amounts in the mixer. In the three fixed presets the amounts are internally set, while in the VARIAB LE MODE the relative amounts of the "A" and "B" tone sources appearing in the final output are determined by the B-MIX-A control in the VARIABLES control box.

The output of the mixer is applied to the voltage controlled filter which may be used to provide either dynamic or fixed timbre modification. Whenever a note is depressed, a filter contour signal is generated, successively opening and closing the filter. The amount of opening and closing the filter is determined by the CONTOUR AMOUNT slider. The rate at which the filter is opened is determined by the CONTOUR ATTACK control slider while the rate at which the filter is closed is determined by the CONTOUR DECAY slider. These contour controls determine the characteristics of the dynamic aspect of the filter function. The effect of the filter is determined by the settings of the contour controls and by two other controls (CUT-OFF and EMPHASIS). The cutoff frequency is the filter characteristic which is "moved" by the contour signal. The initial cutoff frequency is determined by the FILTER foot-slider and by internally preset values for the three fixed presets. For the VARIABLE preset, this initial filter cutoff frequency is determined by the FILTER foot-slider and by the CUT-OFF control in the VARIABLES control box. For example, using the VARIABLE preset with the CONTOUR AMOUNT control set all the way down, the tone color may be changed but not dynamically, by either the FILTER foot-slider or the CUT-OFF slider.

The EMPHASIS control varies the amount of peaking of the filter. That is, the intensity of the frequency components of the tone generators which lay near the filter cutoff frequency is emphasized to a degree determined by the EMPHASIS control.

The output signal from the voltage controlled filter is applied to the voltage controlled amplifier (VCA). The VCA serves the function of "turning on and turning off" the sound. This articulation of the signal is caused by the VCA contour generator. The rate at which the sound is "turned on" is called the attack time. This attack time is internally set for the three fixed presets and is set by the ATTACK control in the VARIABLES control box for the VARIABLE preset. The sustained loudness of a preset is called the SUSTAIN LEVEL. The SUSTAIN LEVEL is determined by an internally preset value for the three fixed presets, and by the SUSTAIN LEVEL control for the VARIABLE preset. In addition, the overall loudness is determined by the LOUDNESS foot-slider. The manner in which the sound dies out or decays is determined by two functions. If the DECAY light is ON, the sound dies out at a rate determined by the DECAY control in the VARIABLES control box for the VARIABLE preset. If the DECAY light is OFF, the sound dies out immediately when the note is released (no decay).

The output of the VCA is applied to the OUTPUT LEVEL rotary control on the inset rear panel. The OUTPUT LEVEL control is used to match the signal level of the Taurus to the amplifier. GeneralIy, the OUTPUT LEVEL control will be set so that the maximum desired loudness for any preset is achieved when both the LOUDNESS and the FILTER foot-sliders are in their uppermost positions. When using the TAURUS with a bass amplifier or similar musical instrument amplifier, plug the TAURUS into a high level amplifier input, and set the amplifier volume control one-third to one-half of the way up. Then set the OUTPUT LEVEL control on the Taurus rear panel for the desired volume range.

The Taurus may be operated using either a 115 or 230 volt line voltage.

(From 1978 Norlin Music Taurus Pedal Synthesizer Owners and Service Manual)

Check out these sites!!!
http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Keyboard+And+MIDI/product/Moog/Taurus/25/1
http://web.archive.org/web/19991002101508/http://umbc7.umbc.edu/~rous/taurus.html
http://www.oldtech.com/synth/MoogTarus12.html
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/1995_articles/jun95/moogtaurus.html"

Introducing Waves Element

"Introducing Element: The first ever synthesizer from Waves. Powered by Virtual Voltage™ technology, Element is an analog-style polyphonic instrument engineered to deliver the fat, gritty sound of the classics, with all the precision, flexibility and control of contemporary digital synths.

Element includes a vast array of convenient features and functions. Like integrated effects. A 16-step arpeggiator / sequencer. MIDI Learn for all controls. And a massive preset library, with total tweakability. Plus, all parameters are laid out right there in front of you, so when inspiration strikes, there’s no need to scroll through page after page to customize your sounds. Searing leads, booming basses, ethereal pads, electro-percussion, sequential motions, mind-blowing FX and lots more: Element does it all.

Features

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Sonic Detours

Published on Jul 15, 2016 Sonic Detours

Playlist (full descriptions for each further below):
1. Mr. Fingers - Can You Feel It (Sonic Detours Cover)
2. Korg Volca Bass, Keys, Sample and Beats + Waldorf Rocket - Detour #1
3. Korg Volca Jam - Detour #2
4. Korg Volca + Waldorf Rocket Jam - Detour #3
5. Korg Electribe Ambient/Downtempo/Chill Without Beat - Detour #4
6. Jam with Push 2, Waldorf Rocket, Roland JU-06, Korg Volca Bass and Keys - Detour #5
7. Detour #6 - Push 2, Roland JU-06, MicroBrute, Korg Volca Bass, Keys, Beats and Sample
8. Jam with Korg Minilogue, Roland JU-06, MicroBrute, Korg Volca, Ableton Live, Push 2 - Detour #7


1. Mr. Fingers - Can You Feel It (Sonic Detours Cover)

"I bought a Roland JU-06 today and decided to celebrate with a cover of a house music classic.

Gear used:
- Roland JU-06
- Korg Volca Bass
- Korg Volca Keys
- Korg Volca Sample
- Ableton Live 9
- Ableton Push 2
- Novation Launch Control

Ableton live was used for sequencing and mixing only - all synth and drum parts were played on the hardware units."

2. Korg Volca Bass, Keys, Sample and Beats + Waldorf Rocket - Detour #1

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Helmatronic Challenger in the Flesh

via OurDarkness on Gearslutz

CV & MOD BUSSES
"Modulation Sources:
1. The square output of the LFO
2. The triangular output of the LFO
3. The upwards sawtooth output of the LFO
4. The downwards sawtooth output of the LFO
5. S&H
6. Oscillator 4
7. External In 1
8. External In 2
9. Env (the envelope from VCF1)

Modulation Destinations:
1. Oscillators (individually)
2. Filters (both)
3. Pitch (equivalent to modulating all oscillators simultaneously)
4. Pan

Mod Wheel Range:
Specifies how much the modulation wheel affects the modulation between source and destination.

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Massive Update on Percussa's SSP's Software Development - MPE, USB and More

via the Percussa Kickstarter:

"It’s time again for an update on the development of the SSP. The past few weeks a lot has happened!

1) more parts arrived for production of the SSPs

We’re getting ready for the production of the rest of the SSPs! We already have a small number of SSPs from our initial run a while ago which we’ve been using for hardware testing, and will now be producing the rest of the SSPs. Almost all the parts we need have arrived and we’ll be kitting and delivering the parts to our subcontractor over the next weeks. It looks like the first PCB revision of the SSP does not need any fixes or additional revisions, so that is really good news. We’ve also been testing the SSP with multiple power supply solutions and a variety of modules in our intellijel 84hp performance case.

2) development of the MPE features in full swing

Since our last video where we showed how you can plug a MIDI controller into the SSP’s USB port, have it detected automatically and instantly play a patch, we’ve been working on support for the MPE features of the SSP. For testing we are using a ROLI Seaboard block. For the moment the parameters from the Seaboard are automatically mapped to Wavetable oscillator parameters, such as X, Y and Z and to envelope generators which amplitude-modulate the oscillators. The notes are assigned to voices internally in the SSP’s software, and the modules in the patch are grouped into these voices so they receive pitch and trigger info. The Seaboard’s strike and lift parameters are mapped to scaling of the envelopes, so the wavetable oscillators’ sounds are louder or softer depending on how you play the Seaboard. Press and Slide are used for the Z and Y parameters of the WT Oscillator and the Glide parameter is of course mapped to polyphonic pitch bend.

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Luminous Trilogy & A CATALOGUE OF FM MATERIALS by Element433 ( a.k.a. Pere Villez)

via Element433 (Pere Villez)

"When I made the popular YouTube series 'FM Catalogue of Materials', many viewers commented that they would love to see some more of the 'music tech as cinema' style created in the videos.

My new project 'Luminous Trilogy' release, does exactly that. In part 1 'WTD', synths and synth technical diagrams, together with Pure Data/Max patches, become casual parts of the film's environment, which is set in an alt near future. Part 1 was realised with analogue modular, whereas Part 2 "Breath" was scored using binaural audio, VCV rack and live Indian tablas. Part 3 'Contrails' uses physical models, Samplicity's Berlin Studios and vintage FM hardware."

Update: Element433 has made the VCV patch and assets used in the film "Breath" below a free download. You can find instructions on downloading the patch and setting it up here: http://tinyurl.com/e433WpBrvcv.

Luminous Trilogy

video uploads by Element433 ( a.k.a. Pere Villez)

"Three music shorts around the theme of light, from incandescent urban folklore set in the near future, electric neon glowing medussae to impossible skies, all to the sound of dark ambient and techno-world music"

Playlist:

Walking The Dulzaina - Luminous Trilogy - Part 1

Walking The Dulzaina is an edited one-shot music film which details the manic walkthrough time-lapse of an imaginary synthesised dulzaina (Spanish folkloric instrument) being taken for a walk through the "Las Vegas" like dressed streets of a small village festive celebration set somewhere in the near future.

The visuals are nods to the Bladerunner, Lynch, Weirdcore and Kubrick where the glow of transparent neon CRTs, display technical diagrams with a music technology theme. Some suddenly slide up from the ground, while others cross from one side of the street to another.

The music is inspired by minimalism, industrial techno synth-folk where Steve Reich and Techno meet Raymond Scott and 1960's BBC radiophonic.

Musical Equipment Detail:

Intro: Moog Subharmonicon through Fairfield Randy's Revenge ring modular - into two crunchy Elby Systems stereo valve preamps and out into a stereo pair of Doepfer A-199 spring tanks).

Dulzainas: Buchla Easel Command sometimes untreated and sometimes solo through a J.H. 'Son of a Storm Tide' stereo analogue studio flanger (built by Van Daal Electronics (second dulzainas and very low transition whoooses). Buchla and Subharmonicon sync locked and clock divided by Ornaments and Crime clock divider.

Final wormhole sequence: Subharmonicon through stereo A-199 Doepfer spring reverbs and Paulstretched.

This work is not sponsored by any the manufacturers mentioned. They are personally purchased pieces of equipment.

Album:
https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/ele...

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Ieaskul F. Mobenthey Eurorack Modules From Ciat-Lonbarde's Peter Blasser

via Control

"Peter Blasser's - Ieaskul F. Mobenthey modules are now In-Stock. Couldn't be happier to have Peter's stuff in-stock, he's been pushing the limits of instrument design and the philosophy behind it for years with Ciat-Lonbarde and very much encompasses the ideals of what we find inspiring about synthesis, electronics and the makers who make them. Limited Qty available."

Details on each, captured for the MATRIXSYNTH archives, follow. You'll find a video of them previously posted here.

"Ieaskul F. Mobenthey - Denum

The Denum module is essentially a bounds/bounce oscillator. It has the “triangle core” circuitry used in many
oscillators, but it adds a correlated bounds modulation, according to the concept (see below). Here, bounds and
bounce are each given equal treatment, with separate linear and exponential controls and inputs. In addition,
this module has a fully featured bi-polar VCA with complimentary inputs, to get you quickly going sending
“bb-objets” out the left and right channels.

Denum is an 8HP Eurorack module that runs on +12 and -12 volts. Attach power connector positive to “+” and
negative to “-”. Failure to follow proper power polarity will result in instant destruction of unit.

Looking at the front panel of Denum, note that inputs are marked by copper fill. There are three main sections:
bounce, bounds, and the VCA. Bounce is above bounds to emphasize the numerator/denominator relationship
of the two. Each of the two has exactly the same inputs and knobs. The “basis” knob sets the base rate or
position for bounds. There is a linear control input, marked by a a caret. Linear modulation is an alternative
input for pre-enveloped audio, since it has no attenuverter. However, the exponential control input is tied to an
attenuverter, marked by a characteristic bow-tie. An attenuverter works like this: at noon the modulations are
nulled out, they have no effect; clockwise from there they increase in intensity, with positive input meaning
“more”; to the counter-clockwise direction, modulations increase as well, but with negative input meaning
“more”. This knob is essential to controlling how much, and in which direction, your modulations apply.
Between the bounds and bounce areas, there is a range switch. When in middle position, Denum runs at a
standard audio rate. Pointing downward is a low audio rate, and pointing upwards is a definite CV, lowest rate.

The triangle output speaks the position of the waveform in voltage, and square expresses the frequency in terms of
negative and positive 10 volts. The triangle output is bussed into the left and right audio inputs of the VCA,
at bottom. Either can be swapped out for external audio energies, via the “left, right signal inserts”. The “left,
right VCA inputs” are for controlling the amplitude of the signals, with either a linear or exponential mapping. If the
left input is greater than right, sound goes out the “left out”. If right is greater than left, sound goes out the
“right out”. The voltage amount of difference maps to loudness in these channels. The “linear, expo switch”
chooses linear when cocked up, as marked by a caret, and exponential when cocked down, as marked by a
rounded form. There is an optional mute when the switch is in the middle.

About Bounds/Bounce

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