Haken Continuum Meets Tesla - Risky Business, Moog, The Cars Let's Go

Tesla Coil Music - Island at the Center of the World - Part II: The Strangers

YouTube via marksmartus2 | January 22, 2011 | 0 likes, 0 dislikes

"Recorded live in Urbana, Illinois on March 7, 2008. This outdoor concert was part of a student-run open house for the College of Engineering at the University of Illinois. Tesla coils were used to create musical pitches via a control system designed by university student Steve Ward. Two coils were used. The right coil is playing a prerecorded Midi track, acting as the bass, and the left one is performed live as a lead sound via the Continuum fingerboard. In spite of the frigid temperatures (4 degrees Fahrenheit, 26 mph winds), the concert was well attended and was voted the most popular event of the open house.

This is the second part of a prog-rock piece by Mark Smart about the history of Easter Island."

Tesla Coil Music - "Risky Business: A Tribute to Nikola Tesla"

marksmartus2 | August 10, 2009 |

"This piece was composed by Scott Wyatt and Mark Smart and was performed during the SEAMUS (Society for Electro-Acoustic Music in the United States) conference at Sweetwater Sound in Fort Wayne, Indiana on April 18, 2009."

Tesla Coil Music - "Let's Go" by The Cars

marksmartus2 | May 02, 2009 |

"This tune was was played as an encore to "Risky Business: A Tribute to Nikola Tesla" (also on YouTube) at the 2009 SEAMUS conference at Sweetwater Sound in Fort Wayne, Indiana on April 18, 2009. Credits: Tesla coil parts arranged by Mark Smart; coils built by Steve Ward, Jeff Larson, and Terry Blake; control system designed by Steve Ward and Mark Smart. The video was made by jenaber27; I just added some of the original Cars track to balance the sound."

Tesla Coil Music - "Risky Business: A Tribute to Nikola Tesla"

YouTube Uploaded by marksmartus2 on Sep 27, 2011

"'Risky Business: A Tribute to Nikola Tesla' for electroacoustic music, Tesla coils, and live Continuum performance. Performed as the last piece of the University of Illinois New Music Ensemble (http://www.glennweb.net/somsite/ensembles.php#newmusic) Concert at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts (http://www.krannertcenter.com/) on September 26, 2009. Continuum and tesla coil parts composed by Mark Smart (http://www.marksmart.net/). Electroacoustic music parts composed by Scott Wyatt (http://ems.music.uiuc.edu/people/wyatt/), director of the University of Illinois Experimental Music Studios (http://ems.music.uiuc.edu/). Tesla coils built by Steve Ward, Jeff Larson, and Terry "Dr. Zeus" Blake (http://www.mastersoflightning.com/). Tesla coil synthesizer control system designed by Steve Ward and Mark Smart. Mark Smart performs on the Continuum Fingerboard designed by Lippold Haken (http://www.hakenaudio.com/Continuum/). The piece was the recipient of a University of Illinois College of Fine and Applied Arts 2008 Creative Research Award."

Tesla Coil Music

Tesla Coil Music - "Risky Business: A Tribute to Nikola Tesla"

YouTube via marksmartus2
"This piece was composed by Scott Wyatt and Mark Smart and was performed during the SEAMUS (Society for Electro-Acoustic Music in the United States) conference at Sweetwater Sound in Fort Wayne, Indiana on April 18, 2009."

Tesla Coil Music - "Let's Go" by The Cars

"This tune was was played as an encore to "Risky Business: A Tribute to Nikola Tesla" (also on YouTube) at the 2009 SEAMUS conference at Sweetwater Sound in Fort Wayne, Indiana on April 18, 2009. Credits: Tesla coil parts arranged by Mark Smart; coils built by Steve Ward, Jeff Larson, and Terry Blake; control system designed by Steve Ward and Mark Smart."

Rudolf Haken "Quinquagenarium" - Continuum Fingerboard, Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra

YouTube via DidelphisVirginiana — March 09, 2010 — "Quinquagenarium for orchestra and Haken Continuum Fingerboard, composed by Rudolf Haken for the 50th anniversary of the Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra, Feb 19th 2010, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, University of Illinois. Conductor Steven Larsen. Haken Continuum sound setup and performance by Mark Smart. Continuum invented by Lippold Haken. Harpist Shirley Blankenship. Audio Engineer Jon Schoenoff. Director of Cinematography Kristen Johns. Video editing and design by Rudolf Haken. Videographers: Dave Cohen, Kevin Coulton, Lippold Haken, Megan Johns. Thanks to Armgard Haken for the name "Quinquagenarium". Program notes and sheet music at http://www.rudolfhaken.com
Haken Continuum site: http://www.hakenaudio.com
Mark Smart site: http://www.marksmart.net
Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra site: http://www.cusymphony.org
Kristen Johns video site: http://www.youtube.com/champaignunder...
Krannert Center site: http://www.krannertcenter.com/
The Champaign-Urbana Symphony is in residence at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, University of Illinois."

Harmonic Tone Generator Exhibit Pics

Click here for some pics, in via Skot Wiedmann, of the debut of the Harmonic Tone Generator exhibit, at the Sousa Museum in Urbana-Champaign

Left: The original Harmonic Tone Generator.

via illinois.edu: "The Sousa Archives acquired one of the earliest instruments that composed synthetic music, created by Professor Emeritus James Beauchamp in 1964.

Beauchamp's machine will be exhibited and preserved at the archives, accompanied by a recreated digital version created by ECE electronics services technician Mark Smart.

The instrument was used to compose some of the earliest compositions in electronic music, such as "Underworld" by Salvatore Martirano [embed below]. This type of music would evolve over the years into today's DJ scene."

You'll find articles about the exhibit at the following links:

https://www.ece.illinois.edu..
https://archives.library.illinois.edu..
https://archives.library.illinois.edu...

Below: "Scott Schwartz, Mark Smart, and Jim Beauchamp with the original Harmonic Tone Generator at the Sousa Archives - University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign."

The Sal-Mar is pictured further below. You'll find previous posts including some video of it here.

"The SalMar Construction is displayed next to the Harmonic Tone Generator at the Sousa Archives - University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. What an exciting time in electronic music, with such cross disciplinary collaboration on these instruments and music."

Published on Nov 5, 2014 #SalvatoreMartirano

Mark Smart Haken Continuum Compilation

video uploads by Mark Smart

"A collection of my performances on the Haken Continuum over the years."

Continuum Controls Moog Synthesizer - All Blues [& Jazz] Miles Davis

YouTube via marksmartus2 | January 22, 2011 |

"Mark Smart uses the Haken Continuum Fingerboard and a modular Moog synthesizer to play Miles Davis' tune.

Continuum Fingerboard: http://www.hakenaudio.com/Continuum/i...
Mark Smart: http://www.marksmart.net
Pogo Studio: http://www.pogostudio.net/
Pogo Studio's Moog: http://www.marksmart.net/gearhack/pog..."

Continuum Fingerboard - In a Sentimental Mood

YouTube via marksmartus2 | January 18, 2011 |

"Duke Ellington's beautiful tune played on the Haken Continuum Fingerboard driving Native Instruments' Reaktor software. I did the background track using an Ibanez AR-250 guitar with a Copeland hexaphonic pickup and a pedalboard I built for solo jazz performances.

Continuum Fingerboard: http://www.hakenaudio.com/Continuum/i...
My home page: http://www.marksmart.net/"

The pogomoog

How to Make Choir Voices without Samples

From Mark Smart who brought us How to Make Arp Strings. The site gives you an example of how to create choir voices, sometimes referred to vox waves, on a JD-800, which can be applied to other synths with similar architecture. Amazing. I'm really impressed with Mark Smart's technique not only in creating these patches but also in how clearly he shares them via his website. Title link takes you there.

Continuum Fingerboard - Funk Loops

YouTube via marksmartus2 | January 22, 2011 |

"Mark Smart plays funk on the Continuum Fingerboard.

Continuum Fingerboard: http://www.hakenaudio.com/Continuum/i...
My home page: http://www.marksmart.net"

Blade Runner - The Dream

YouTube via eisdorne. According to Mark Smart on the AH list, this clip features the Roland VP-330 choir sound. The soundtrack of course is from Vangelis and is know for his use of the Yamaha CS80.

AudioCubes Featured at Electro-Music Festival 2012 in New York

"The Electro-music festival 2012 has been confirmed, with acts from several electronic musicians from all over the US and Europe, such as Mark Mosher, Lux Seeker, Shivasongster, and many others.

The festival organized by electro-music.com takes place in Huguenot, New York at the Greenkill Retreat Center. Last year over 60 artists performed live at the festival, and this year's edition is expected to be even greater. The event will span 3 days in September (7-9), and alongside the musical performances, workshops, jam sessions, laptop battles will take place.

The Electro-Music festival is also called “the Woodstock of electronic music” by the Philadelphia Inquirer. It is an annual event festival organized by electro-music.com, a “cooperative community where artists and enthusiasts participate and benefit together” as they describe on electro-music.com.

One of the highlights of this event will be the live performances with Percussa AudioCubes. Electronic musicians Mark Mosher, Jeremy dePrisco aka Shivasongster, and John Morley aka Lux Seeker, will bring their AudioCubes to the festival to perform live with the cubes. In addition, Jeremy will demonstrate the AudioCubes during a workshop he's organizing about Reason 6.

More information about the performances and the schedule can be found here.

About AudioCubes and Percussa

AudioCubes by Percussa are smart light-emitting cubes that can detect each other's location and orientation in a network, as well as sense distances. The AudioCubes can be used for sound design, music composition, live performance, as well as many other uses, because of the several software applications Percussa created for the AudioCubes. More information about Percussa and the AudioCubes: http://www.percussa.com

Interesting Links
Music Mark Mosher: http://markmoshermusic.com
Music Shivasongster: http://shivasongster.com
Music Lux Seeker: http://soundcloud.com/lux_seeker"

Mark Mosher's 9 Box Instrument / Installation at Mountain Oasis Festival 2013 w/ Bob Moog Foundation

Published on Nov 3, 2013 Mark Mosher·58 videos

"The Bob Moog Foundation invited me to bring my "9 Box" installation / instrument to the Mountain Oasis Festival 2013 to be part of Dr. Bob's Interactive Sonic Experience. The 9 Box ran for 18 hours over 3 days and was played by 100s of festival goers of all ages.

The 9 Box is a Collaborative AudioCube Jam Instrument with Music, Sound & Light by Mark Mosher (http://www.MarkMosherMusic.com & http://9box.modulatethis.com). Part collaborative instrument, part interactive installation -- the 9 Box allows up to six casual players to instantly make music and shape sound by manipulating blocks called AudioCubes.

This video to youtube which will give you a taste of 9 Box in the booth area. It was so rewarding see people's reactions to the 9 Box and to hear their creations throughout the weekend.

AudioCubes, made by California based Percussa (http://www.percussa.us), are smart wireless cubes capable of sensing each other's location and orientation as well as distance to your hands, fingers and other objects. They also emit feedback in the form of light as you interact with them.

Ultimately this hands-on approach allows players to manipulate sets of sounds in 3x3 grids -- hence the name 9 Box. The 9 Box supports also supports user creatable "refills" allowing for unique and endless sonic possibilities.

Mountain Oasis Festival was just an incredible experience all the way around. One of the coolest music-related trips ever!!! HUGE thanks to:

- Michelle Moog-Koussa for inviting me out and including the 9 Box in Dr. Bob's Interactive Sonic Experience!!! It was so great to be a part of a vibrant music education program.
- All the players throughout the weekend
- Ken Jones from mountainsongguitars.com who provided the PA
- The Bob Moog Foundation's wonderful staff and volunteers (http:www.moogfoundation.org)
- BMF's Andi Morell & Marc Doty for helping me with logistics
- Geary Yelton and Susan Granados for being such amazing hosts.
- Bert Schiettecattefor inventing the incredible AudioCubes
- Ableton for creating Live
- TheGigEasy for providing mic stand cube mounts"

GK-Expander DEMO Waltz by Carulli Reaktor 5.0 Guitar Synthesis Schecter Stiletto Classic with GK-3

Published on Jan 23, 2013 WayneJoness·251 videos

"http://www.joness.com/gr300/GK-Expander.htm The GK-Expander is a Roland 13-pin guitar synthesizer format break out box. In this demo, the six outputs from the GK Expander are recorded directly into Digital Performer, using a Native Instruments Reakor guitar synthesizer plug-on. The track was recorded in one pass, with no overdubs. The Reaktor plug in used is GSynth designed by Mark Smart."

Haken Audio Continuum Site updates

Via Edmund Eagan on AH:
"Hey gang, just thought I'd mention that the Haken Audio site has been updated with some new interesting analog info:
More detailed info on how the Continuum Voltage Converter works can be found at: link
Complimentary comments from Lippold Haken about analog and the analog mindset: link
And two new cool demos performed by list member Mark Smart: link
As well, there is a new page which compares controlling a Moog Voyager via Midi and via the CVC: link [previously posted here]
Thanks for the bandwidth!
Edmund Eagan
www.twelfthroot.com"

Mark Smart's ARP Axxe

ARP Axxe modded to work better with the Haken Continuum.

click here for the list of mods and more info on this unique ARP.

The Harmonic Tone Generator from 1964

You might remember James Beuchamp's Harmonic Tone Generator posted back in December (be sure to see that post for other bits of synth history). Skot Wiedmann, the man behind Motus Mavis and the Hyve touch synthesizer, wrote in to let us know a new article on the story behind the Harmonic Tone Generator, including an NPR piece, just went up today on the University of Illinois' Public Media website here. Be sure to click through for the audio and the full post. Below is just an excerpt for the archives.

"One of the earliest synthesizer structures was invented in the University of Illinois’ Experimental Music Studio in the early 1960s as part of one of the first computer instruments – The Harmonic Tone Generator.

From Left to Right: The Original Harmonic Tone Generator, James Beauchamp constructing the Harmonic Tone Generator, a close up of one of the original instrument's panels
James Beauchamp sits at a workbench tuning three circuit boards before installing them in the Harmonic Tone Generator. This picture was taken in 1964.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of James Beauchamp
“A lightbulb went off and I decided: we build electronics for audio, we record using electronics in playback, but what about making music or sounds from electronics to begin with?” said James Beauchamp, a research professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Illinois.

He completed the Harmonic Tone Generator in 1964 as part of his PhD project in electrical engineering."

Pictured: "James Beauchamp sits at a workbench tuning three circuit boards before installing them in the Harmonic Tone Generator. This picture was taken in 1964.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of James Beauchamp"

Pictured: "The original Harmonic Tone Generator and its next generation counterpart side by side in the Sousa Archive

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Mark Smart"

ContinuuCon Coming to Asheville NC This Week, Starting June 8

You might recall ContinuuCon, the event focused on the Haken Continuum fingerboard and MPE or Multidimensional Polyphonic Expression devices was announced here on MATRIXSYNTH back in October of last year, and again in May of this year. The event begins this Thursday, June 8. Russell Hoffman of Evaton Technologies who will be presenting at this year's event, sent in the schedule which follows. P.S. If you are new to ContinuuCon you can check out posts from previous year's events via the ContinuuCon channel label here.

via Russell Hoffman of Evaton Technologies on this year's ContinuuCon: http://www.continuucon.com

"There are lectures and workshops on all things Continuum, and the culminating event is the ContinuuConcert (free to the public).

Located at the UNC Asheville campus in Asheville NC.

SCHEDULE

All talks and workshops take place in UNCA, Lipinsky Hall, room LH044

Thursday – June 8

5:00-7:00pm – Check-In and Reception at UNCA, Lipinsky Hall (in lobby) – Music by Mark Smart

Friday – June 9

9:30-9:40am – Welcome by ContinuuCon Hosts
9:40-10:30am – Lippold Haken – History of the Continuum and its Forerunners
10:40am-12:00pm – Ed Eagan – EaganMatrix Introduction and Programming

12:00-2:00pm – Lunch Break (see restaurant suggestions below)

2:00-2:30pm – Russell Hoffman – CV Eurorack Interface – Product Introduction and Demo
2:30-3:00pm – Christophe Duquesne – EaganMatrix Effects Design
3:10-4:15pm – Ed Eagan – EaganMatrix Version 8 and Beyond

6:00pm – Dinner and Jams at Sally’s – (Non-ticketed guests $25)

Saturday – June 10

9:30-10:20am – Lippold Haken – Spreading The Word
10:30-11:30am -Ed, Rob, Sally, Benedict – Playing Techniques – (used in the ContinuuConcert)
11:40am-12:00pm – Benedict Slotte – Pitch Shifting Preset

12:00-2:00pm – Lunch Break (see restaurant suggestions below)

2:00-2:50pm – Jesse Chappell – iOS and the Continuum + Controllers and Visualization Prototypes
3:00-3:30pm – Christophe Duquesne – State Space Based Physical Modeling Algorithm
3:40-4:30pm – Closing session – Eagan Matrix, Performing, The Future
4:30-5pm Q&A and discussion

8:00pm ContinuuConcert – UNCA, Lipinsky Hall"

http://www.continuucon.com

ARP Omni and Omni 2 Resource Page

Click here for an ARP OMNI page by Mark Smart. The page includes:
* Common failures on the ARP Omni and Omni 2
* 4075 Filter modification
* Power supply modification
* Imitating ARP string sounds
* ARP slider caps

RC-1324 Bus Converter

"Converts 13-Pin Signals to 24-Pin Format and Expands Synthesizer Controls

• Incorporates circuitry and design concepts by GR-300 authority Mark Smart!


• Use any Modern Roland-Ready, GK-1, GK-2/GK-2A, GK-3, or RMC equipped guitar to play any Vintage, 24-pin Roland Guitar Synthesizer


• Complete Vintage 24-Pin Synth Controls recreated on the front panel, including Pitch Bend, Mode Switch and More!


• Tested for use with the Roland GR-100, GR-300, GR-700, GM-70, Ibanez MC1 and the Korg Z3


• Unique Built-In Hex Fuzz adds G-303/G-808 Style Hex Fuzz with Separate Output


• Front Panel Hex Fuzz Filter Switch for Normal or Bright Tone


• Works with Roland US-20 Unit Selector for Multiple Synthesizer System


• Foot Pedal Control over Vibrato/LFO depth replaces difficult-to-use LFO Touch Pads


• Adapts standard 13-Pin Synth Volume Control for 24-Pin Synth Volume Control,
including Synthesizer/Guitar Balance Control

• Electronically Buffered Outputs for Volume Controls and Modulation


• 6 Front Panel Control Knobs for 24-Pin String Output Levels


• Powered by 24-Pin Synthesizer so there is no need for External Power Supply


• 2-space, Rack mountable Enclosure with Detachable Rack Ears for Rack mount or Table-Top Operation


• Laser-Etched, CAD Designed Front Panel"

PLATO IMS Synthesizer

Now this is interesting. Mark Smart put up a site on the PLATO IMS Synthesizer. If you don't know what it is, check out the site via the title like to this post. The site is made to use the amber on black font of the PLATO. The site has history, samples and details on it's sythesis. Really impressive.



"I put up a web site about the IMS synthesizer which was developed at the
University of Illinois for use with the PLATO computer system. I went kind of
nuts and wrote PHP scripts to generate characters that look like a real PLATO
plasma screen."