"Squishable Modular Synth Workstation is a self-contained modular synth instrument. It has 3 parts that are all essential to the playing and composing experience.
Sidrassi is a analog modular synthesizer with 7 independent voices, each voice has 6 CV patch points, thus you can modulate each voice with audio signal and gesture signal from other voices. Sidrassi is designed by Peter B (http://www.ciat-lonbarde.net) and SMSW uses Peter’s original PCB.
VM (Voltage Memory) is interally connected to control pitch of 4 voices / main pitch / timber of Sidrassi. It provides save/recall feature, and it offers a vast number of modularized recalling methods. Thanks to it, SMSW can save 84 sets of tuning, so you can play complex chords, melodies and tonal music pieces. As well as complex automated pitch changes controlled internally or externally .
2 of AM (Arcade Manifold) provide a very versatile realtime re-patching and mixing system. And the format jumber feature allows SMSW to be connected to external modular system with ease*. Thanks to them, SMSW allows composers and players to travel anywhere between angelic triangle choir and demolic modulated chaos in absolute realtime, as well as connecting your SMSW to your other modular systems.
Designed based on Meng Qi’s vast experience of Sidrassi building.
*for safety of SMSW, please keep the incoming CV in 0-9v range."
The following is just a small portion of the full post on noystoise and a couple of pics to give you an idea of what went into this custom synth for Meng Qi, know for his own designs, including modifications of Ciat-Lonbarde creations. Be sure to see the full post for full specs, build details and more pics.
"After some back and forth, we came up with a general formula for the synth-to-be. it would be comprised of two sequencers with capacitive-touch sensors, two voices with analog filters, frequency modulation, reverb, a few modular inputs and outputs, and a Meng Qi logo. knowing that this would likely turn in to a pretty large and time consuming project, i quickly got to work designing synth. the project did end up taking almost two months to design and build, but actually, it could have taken much longer and i am actually kind of impressed with how quickly this one came together, considering the complexity of the build...
The signal path of this synth is pretty straight forward, but extremely fun to play. basically the circuit starts out with two square wave voltage-controlled oscillators. the oscillators have a pretty wide range, from high to low. I probably should have measured.. the oscillators' pitch is controlled by its own respective 8-step sequencer. each step can be manually tuned with a pretty decent amount of stability, considering the range. the sequencers are driven by a single clock signal, or they can be triggered individually by an external gate input via the respective input jack. each clock input signal, whether internal or external, is sent through a frequency multiplier, and then a divider, before being sent to the sequencer clock input. the multiplier has four settings; X1, X3, X4, and X5. the frequency multiplication is achieved through the use of a CD4046 phase-locked-loop circuit. at lower frequencies, the PLL takes longer to latch on to the multiple, but eventually it ramps up or down until it is in sync. it is actually kind of a neat affect because the sequencer will sound kind of glitch for a while, and then gradually falls into sync, and then totally syncs up. this made it tricky for the external input though, because the PLL is looking for regular intervals, so if you were manually triggering the sequencer or you had a pattern sequencer running to the input, the multiple would be all kinds of crazy.."
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"COMES WITH A PROTECTIVE CARRYING CASE.Meng Qi Wing Pinger
The Wing Pinger from Meng Qi is an analog filter percussion desktop synth with internal feedback capabilities that can take you from gentle plucked tones to snarling feedback in an instant. The range of characters afforded by the Wing Pinger have to do with its shift register-based feedback FM routing, in which the output of each filter can modulate the cutoff of the other. Lest you think the Wing Pinger is a noisemaker and nothing more, the feedback FM can be dialed back to zero, giving you a playful, characterful dual filter-plucked modal resonator instrument to ping with the touch keyboard or even external audio. At sufficient resonance and feedback FM settings, the Wing Pinger can take on a life of its own, while touch control and robust MIDI and CV implementation make it versatile node in your setup regardless of its parameter settings. This version of the Wing Pinger comes with mini jacks for the CV I/O, making it a great companion for eurorack modular.
Wing Pinger Features
Dual filter/resonator instrument with internal feedback frequency modulation loop Touch keyboard and finely tuned parameter ranges for expressive control MIDI and CV I/O Audio input and output"
"Anookum/Snookum/Anushri Desktop Synth & Drum Machine with Meng Qi DLPG
Excellent condition, Fully functional, professionally built (not by me). Comes in Metal Case with Wood Panels, a Meng Qi Dual Passive LPG for using with your favorite envelopes (added with stand-offs, removable), aluminum gold knobs, and Power Adapter.
From the Mutable Instruments website:
Anushri is a monophonic synthesizer with an all-analog signal path, paired with a lo-fi digital drum synthesizer. These two sections are controlled by an on-board sequencer/arpeggiator, featuring generative drum pattern sequencing. Anushri is open to the modular world thanks to its analog patching area."
Synth sounds with a comfortable amount of harsh feel, LOTs of modulation and variations, a certain amount of randomness with my light sensor and filter mod.
"Aether Zither 以太筝 - built by Meng Qi, is an electro-acoustic musical instrument. It's playing surface, assembled with springs, speakers, knobs and touch points. The combination of mechanical and electric aspects makes it an one of a kind and fully expressive instrument.
"Meng Qi has two Karplus Stong digital waveguide eurorack modules, the Karp (https://www.perfectcircuit.com/meng-q...) which has an agressive glitchy sound, or the Detroit Underground collaboration version DU-KRPLS (https://www.perfectcircuit.com/meng-q...) which has a unique circuit bent sound. These modules are great for percussion and sound effects, but can also produce weird melodies. In this video the Malekko Varigate 4+ sequences everything and additional drum sounds come from the SSF Entity Percussion Synthesizer and Dave Smith Instruments Feedback module."
"made by Meng Qi circuit by Ciat-Lonbarde / Ray Willson
*buttons with light *each osc can modulate each other for complex output *filter that effectively shapes the sound, red = cutoff, blue = tone micro adjustment *ldrs allow continuous control of sound and a variety of performance possibilities
each apcs build will sound different due to the large amount of randomly selected components in the circuit."
"A little demo track with the fantastic new Wingie 2 from Meng Qi Music.
Two resonators that are getting excited by audio inputs.
In many ways its a very simple box but it has some magical and musical secrets hidden within.
This track is really just Wingie 2 being excited by a beat from Circuit Rhythm. Wingie is also being handed a MIDI sequencer from Circuit Rhythm to form the Chord progression.
Wingie is set to the String algo and I genuinely love the way a heavy input overdrives and 'blows out' the sound."
2020 was a bumpy year. But there was a major achievement for me, which is the release of Wing Pinger and Wingie. For so long I've been dreaming of designing standalone synth, for that standalone synths convey more of designers' ideas and decisions. The release of Wing Pinger and Wingie are not just a graduation ceremony for me, it marks a starting point for new adventures.
In 2021, I have two major plans for me. One is several collaborative synth projects with synth designers I've admired for a long time. Once done, it'll fullfill my life goal in some way. Another is working with Annqi for a Chinese synthesizer podcast and WeChat social media, it's called 合成少数派 (Synthesize Minority). You can consider following it if you use WeChat.
At this moment, I would like to release an EP, it's called Wing Pinger Resonator Feedback. It was an experiment I've done in April, by using Ableton Resonator in the feedback loop of Wing Pinger. The thoughts behind was to use Wing Pinger chaos for timbers and dynamics, and to use Resonator to broadly hinting stable pitches. In this case, there is no need to worry about pitch quantization in a chaotic system, but "quantization" happens naturally with resonances. This method frees up the chaotic system, and at the same time providing stable tonal feels.
This experiment inspired me and actually gave me a new way of thinking. It's the start of designing Wingie, as well as a start for a very important collaborative project, and certainly means a lot to me. I choose the first day of 2021 to release it, as I concluded 2020, and start the new year fresh.
Wish all of you good luck in your future endeavours.
Happy Chinese New Year! We wish you a great fruitful 2021. Here is a gift from us, it's called Ping Garden, a software instrument utilizing Mac multitouch pad as playing interface. It uses filter pinging and FM for sound synthesis.
When I was working on Wing Pinger in last year's CNY, factories were closed during the holiday, so I learned a bit of SuperCollider to kill time. That's how Ping Garden was born.
Ping Garden makes rain falling sounds with gestural control density. Here is a small video of me playing it. Hope you enjoy.
"@Meng Qi 's #Wingie 2 is one of the most deeply gratifying instruments i've interacted with in the last few years; it feels personal, intimate and experimental all at the same time. when i began sketching, i missed being able to add notes from a lower octave, while keeping most of the melodic content in the upper registers. so - i went out and got another Wingie 2. they make a beautiful pair together
for this piece, i tried to push the Wingie out side its usual familiar territory, and it responded very well. both Wingie's are receiving input from the monome norns awake synth; the black Wingie resonating an octave below the silver one, subtly, with a shorter decay time. i also added some color to the original sound from the wingie; the silver wingie is going through an electro-harmonix big muff guitar pedal (just off camera on the top). there's also an mxr dyna comp pedal (also slightly off camera) that is boosting the right-channel of the silver wingie.
there's also a norns shield (next to the silver Wingie), running an arp from Awake, tempo-linked to the standard black norns. ironically, the norns shield display went to sleep sometime before i started recording.
the expressive e touché is controlling the filter cut off of the norns awake synth. as the cut off changes, the wingie resonates accordingly.
lastly, there's digitakt for rhythm. yet another wonderful instrument that never fails to deliver.
this piece was a bit outside the usual for me, but so are the times we live in and everything i'm experiencing. i hope you enjoy listening."
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video upload by
Robin Rimbaud-Scanner
"First proper play with the Wing Pinger, an outstanding new instrument from Meng
Qi. It can move from very gentle arping melodies to harsh noise in the blink of
an eye. You can play the keyboard and latch the notes on each and build up
layers of sound. Here I'm using it with the Bugbrand PT Delay and a little bit
of reverb from the Eventide H9. Try and listen in stereo or on headphones if you
can, to feel the sound move around you. More of this here:
https://scanner.bandcamp.com/album/wi...
And yes, there was an earth hum issue here with noise. I'm aware of this and
apologise!"
Note this listing is not for the same unit in the video above; it was just included in the listing as a demo of the Wing Pinger in general and hasn't been featured here before.
"The Wing Pinger is a remarkable new analog music instrument that allows you to combine melody and noise in perfect harmony. Thanks to a highly playable interface, this latest product offering from Meng Qi is actually many things all at the same time.
The Wing Pinger is designed for musicians and non-musicians alike. It’s composed of a pair of 4-pole resonant low pass filters and a network of peripheral logic circuits. The filters can be cross “pinged” and modulated, both directly and by generated step signals.
Plain and simple, this delivers an instrument capable of producing continually evolving music across the spectrum, from controlled to chaotic. The finely tuned parameter range and intuitive interface allow players to perform entirely on intuition, producing ever-changing and rich-sounding ambient, noise or meditative music with minimal or zero user interaction.
The Wing Pinger is also at home in any musical environment. For example, it can be used as a stand-alone instrument or with whatever gear you have. The unit is equipped with both MIDI and CV I/O and can ping literally anything that has an audio or trigger input and output or emits a decaying sound."
