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The Wasp bit is hilarious.

Cirko Hound

This one in via Dr. Georg Müller. Title link takes you to a 5.65M zip of mp3s. Image via Synrise. Details below via the web archive. I remember when this came out.

"Hound Synthesizer
Cirko Electronics is a Dutch company specialized in custom made hardware. In a two years span we developed a music synthesizer module from scratch called the "HOUND". It is a multitimbral analogue synthesizer module build in a 19" rack. There are three version available only differing in the number of voices (6-, 10-, or 16-voices). This is not a so called "virtual analogue" synthesizer, with the VCF's simulated by fast DSP chips. The "HOUND" combines digital oscillators with real analogue (V)oltage (C)ontrolled (F)ilters. This synthesizer sounds big. That's why we called it the "HOUND". It's a savage beast.

Main Aspects
The VCF is equipped with not only the well known "Cutoff Frequency" and "Resonance", but also has a controller named "Fatness". There is a mode called twin mode where the voices are grouped to make the synthesizer function as a stereo device. Easy to learn menu driven graphical user interface with only six pushbuttons and a rotary knob. The four available audio outputs satisfy the full 16 part multi-timbral properties.

Librarian
The "HOUND" is delivered with a free librarian software package (W95/W98 only). This will enable the user to store and rearrange Patches(sounds) and Multi(timbral) settings on the PC's harddisk.

HOUND Analog Synthesizer Module

Polyphonic digital/analog classic synthesizer build in a 19" rack 2U.
24 dB/octave real analog VCF with Resonance & Fatness.
8-voice stereo or 16-voice mono routed to 4 outputs.
Digital oscillators with FM & PWM.
10 MIDI controllers (7 continuous, 3 pedals) simultaneously available.
Polyphonic Portamento.
Sample & Hold
16 Part Multi Timbral.
98 continuous parameters & 37 switches to setup a Patch
Easy manipulation of patches via 6 pushbuttons & rotary controller.
Large LCD display supports the graphic presentation.

HOUND specifications
The HOUND synthesizer combines both digital and analog technology. The oscillator's are digital in order to guarantee a sound source with very stable frequencies. The VCF is really analog (not virtual), thus giving warmth to the sound. The HOUND is a plain synthesizer. There are no samples inside, and no effect processors are build in.

The HOUND is MIDI controlled (MIDI-IN, MIDI-OUT, MIDI-THRU) and 16 part multitimbral. A total of 10 MIDI- controllers (7 continuous, 3 pedals) can be used simultaneously. All multitimbral settings are stored in multi's with a total of 24 multi's. Also the multitimbral routing to the four outputs of the HOUND is stored in a multi.

Different sounds are stored in patches of which 120 patches can be stored. A sound can be modified by editing the according patch. With the help of the graphical display and a smooth turning rotary knob it is easy to make adjustments. While editing a patch the parameters are surveyable displayed. Four pushbuttons have given a strict function, and two pushbuttons are soft keys. The latter functions are showed on the display.

The 10 MIDI-controllers (7+3) and the MIDI-messages note/velocity/aftertouch/release-velocity can control each patch in a way free to the users mind. Almost 100 parameters are available to make this possible.

The HOUND can operate in sole mode using the maximum number of voices available or in twin mode. In twin mode the voices are grouped in pairs resulting in stereo performance. Of course the number of voices is then cut in half, but in return there is more in it.

As a users aid a MIDI tester is available. It shows MIDI messages on different MIDI channels and displays them distinguished by MIDI message type."

equals - New Flickr Shot

Another by devowski. Title link takes you to one more.

Dan Slater's Buchla Pages

Dave sent in the following links to Dan Slater's Buchla pages. Note the URLs are web archive. I tried going to the original URLs and they are gone.

site one
site two

Interesting note by Reed in the comments:
"Not long ago a 60-something rocket scientist visited my studio, looked at the Buchla & said, "that looks like what we used to simulate missile flights!" He said even after digital computers became the mainstay, the analog computers were much more accurate and a lot more intuitive to program. In his opinion, the digital ones took over because it was a lot quicker to recall earlier simulations... no messy patchcords, etc., but at the same time a lot of finesse was lost.

Sound familiar?"

Buchla - New Flickr Shots

Ezra Buchla by javan.


My sanctuary by ica~icarus.



Buchla 200 Touch Surface Controller by antfactor

Turning a Fixed Filter Bank Into a Modulated Filter

JH posted the following to AH. He gave me the ok to put it up here. Title link takes you to a 7M WAV. Enjoy.

"I've just finished an experiment of using two Frequency Shifters to turn a Fixed Filter Bank into something animated, modulated.

A drone sound from the OB-8 is sent to a first Frequency Shifter, which shifts the audio signal up by a variable amount of Hz.

This upshifted signal is sent thru a filter bank (MAM vocoder, with a rather thin-sounding setting with all even channels up and all odd channels down.

This filtered signal is shifted back down with a second Frequency Shifter, by the same amount of Hz that the original signal was shifted up.

First you hear the very thin sounding unshifted signal - just the OB-8 drone processd by the vocoder filter bank.

Then we start to modulate the Frequency Shifter with the Joystick.

link ( 7 MByte - I tried mp3, but it was no good)

Please note that there is no filter modulation! The filter is fixed all the time (static formant filter) - it's the signal that is modulated!

Sorry for the rather low quality of the unmodulated sound - I just made this experiment at 1 am after finishing the hardware. :)

Background about this project: link


Let me know if you have ideas what else could be processed with this. I'll certainly try reverb, and all kinds of fixed filters.

JH."

Voyetra 8 Soundbits

Title link takes you to a 1.5M zip of Voyetra 8 samples sent my way via Dr. Georg Müller.

Update via the comments (source found):
"Tony Clark did those. link."

Dr. Georg Müller mentioned he did not remember where he got them from and they were not his.

What is this?

Ross sent me the following:

"I recorded these 2 tracks off the radio in the mid 80s, and have no idea who it is...can you pass on this web address to see if anyone can help me solve the 25 year puzzle?"

After listening to them I'm actually curious myself. If you know please post in the comments.

Live 6?

Title link takes you to some screens you can click on for more details before they were pulled. Via Didier. Also check out CDM.

Update on the Stolen Buchla

Previous post. More details:

"You may have heard, but the College's beautiful Easel was stolen sometime around the 29th or 30th of June from it's studio. This instrument had etching and a steel label fixed to the power-supply cover. It was stolen without it's cover.

We are looking into a suspicious person who showed up to take my summer class. A Ben Katz from California, who claimed to have a Roland 100 and an AKS from 'estate sales' was here for the week, and disappeared the same day as the Easel. We have the campus police seeking him. If you have any information or hear of any easels on the market, it may be ours. If anyone knows of this person, please forward information to me or campus police 360 867 6832 atten Pam Garland garlandp (at) evergreen.edu

Please distribute this information to any and all possible places to help us recover this instrument. I have been teaching with it for nearly 30 years, and cannot believe it has been stolen."

Thanks

Peter Randlette
The Evergreen State College
LIB1402 TESC
Olympia, WA 98505
360 867 6279
pbr (at) evergreen.edu