Slow, Random - Modular Synthesizer

YouTube via nathanielscott — June 18, 2010 — "This is a short video I shot of a patch that was part of series of patches I was developing for a performance at the Boise Art Meuseum's members party for the Robot Exhibit last spring (2010).

I was going for an automatic mechanical theme. I had created long loops with a combination of sequencers and to increase the appearance of extra length I used a noise generator in conjunction with a sample and hold module to control some of the sequencer functions. This gives the patch a sense of endless progression. To create what I thought was a mechanical sound I was using oscillators at high frequencies to modulate the oscillators used for tone. The result is obvious."

triggering poly61 arpeggiator

YouTube via nathanielscott
"Here I use a small toy ten step sequncer to trigger aa Korg Poly 61's arpeggiator."

Orgasonic Baldwin Organ and other

YouTube via nathanielscott
"I salvaged this old organ from a dumpster. Many of the keys did not work and there were several electrical prolems. But I kept it because it had a built in rotary speaker. I left it at my friend Stephen's studio for a few years. He recently told me he needed it out of the way. Since it was in my living room I decided to fix it up.

The video is of the first tune I recorded with it. Nothing really any good, just me nood around with the video camera on. Then I layered a few other instruments. The video starts with me creating a sample on my Casio SK-1 then creating a short sequence on its on board sequencer. Then plug it and a toy drum machine into my home made sequencer to get the rhythm going and the rest is an afternoon's worth of not getting anything else done."

musical synth R&D

YouTube via nathanielscott
"The first device is an Optical Theremin, and is a Forrest Mims design. The second device is a bent design of Mim's. The last third of the video shows a 10 step sequencer which is where I will be spending more time trying to develop it into a viable performance device.

I have been toying with the idea of building a modular synthesizer. I was fortunate enough to have had access to a minimoog for a year and I am a huge fan of that design but would like a system that is more modular.

I have started by building some very basic ocillators and sequencers, as you can see. I am using Radio Shack Electronic Project Kit 150 in 1, and the Radio Shack Electronic Learning Lab to learn the the basics. So far so good."

Analogue Sequencer (DIY Rhythm Box)

YouTube via nathanielscott | July 07, 2010

"This video shows an old project I started nearly a year ago and then forgot about. I pulled it out of the closet and got it to work enough to at least make this video. What it is is a self contained sequencer (runs off its own 9V battery) that has one channel of voltage control and two channels of gate/triggers.

In this video you can see the little sequencer driving my modular synth which has Paia, Dot Com, and some of my self designed modules. The next step for this little sequencer is to build in three oscillators: one with a bass sound to be controlled by the voltage control to create simple bass lines, and a snare and drum sound generators to be triggered by the channels of gate/triggers. This would then make a simple self contained rhythm section box.

If all goes well I will likely sell the little device. Let me know if you are interested in it.

Lastly, you may notice that there are some shots of a spider and spider web cut in with the video. While I was shooting the video I discovered this spider above and to the right of my modular synth. So I decided to include the little beast. I believe that the spider is a male araneus gemmoides, but if you know better please let me know."

Note: I added a Nathaniel Scott label below.

Minimoog & S8-VG sequencer

YouTube via nathanielscott
"Andrew Cortens, of the Frim Fram 4 (look them up on youtube), asked me to repair some broken keys on his Yamaha S80. As a favor he let me borrow his Minimoog; What a treat!

This video shows the Minimoog being played with my home made 8-step voltage & gate control sequencer. The voltage out of the sequencer is controlling the filter-in on the Minimoog. The filter is set to self oscillate so oscillators 1 and 2 can be played tonally separately from the melody being played by the sequencer. The sequencer does not have its own clock. The small yellow box to the right and behind the sequencer is a simple clok that controls the sequencer's tempo.

The video was out of focus so I added the colorful effects, because I didn't thik it would look any worse."

8 step sequencer

YouTube via nathanielscott
"This is my second sequencer. It is an eight step sequencer built around a 4017 decade chip. It has a toggle switch that can switch between a full gated step or a pulsed trigger. Each step can be switched on or off and each step also has a voltage control that can be sent to a VCO. The step repeat can be varied between 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 steps.

I shot this video before I had the knobs for the voltage control pots, which is why they are missing. Also, I am only demonstrating the trigger control on the Casio-SK1's sequencer. I sequenced a little tune and then let the sequencer trigger the sequence via the one note playback hack I did on the SK1.

The sequencer does not have its own clock. Instead it is gets its clock signal from an external source, in this case from my for step sequencer on the left.

I economically purchased the parts from the Reuseum in Boise. Here is their site: http://www.reuseum.com

The edges are a bit rough as I cut all the openings into the project box with a cheap switch blade."

korg poly 61 subrtractive synthesis

YouTube via nathanielscott
"With the ocilliscope on yu can see how using a single ocillator a varitey of wave shape can be created. The Poly 61 has two ocillators and each ocillator only has two wave shapes: saw tooth and square, though the first ocillator has a pulse width modulation feature on its square wave form. Using only the first ocillator not ony can variation of a sqaure waves and sawtooth waves can be created but by using the filter section sine wave, triangle waves and far more complex wave forms can also be created."