tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-307222592024-03-12T19:28:56.507-07:00felix inferiousmodulate your facefelixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12909814258262935650noreply@blogger.comBlogger140125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30722259.post-63066266235300355882009-12-20T13:43:00.000-08:002009-12-20T13:43:45.891-08:00Catching some Z'sZ-DSP that is.<br />
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Over the last couple months, I've been ever so fortunate as to have been a beta tester for the TipTop Audio Z-DSP voltage controlled digital signal processor. It was an extremely exciting prospect when I first heard about it; processing any modular signal, AC or DC, with a DSP and extending that with external voltage control. It basically meant that almost anything would be possible with this module, even if in the beginning, we would only get a taste. And what a sweet taste it was.<br />
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Our beta units came supplied with the Dragonfly Delay algorithm cartridge, which consists of 8 different delay algorithms; some mono-mono, mono-stereo, time-ratio'ed multi-tap, etc, each of which having their own unique set of 3 controls which can be controlled with the manual controls and CV inputs. But it's just the algorithm that makes the Z-DSP special. If the DSP where the engine, the rest of module would be the drive train, chassis, steering wheel, etc.<br />
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The Z-DSP, in addition to any done in the algo, has a stereo, patchable, analog feedback path, with independent CV control over the feedback amount for each channel. This allows you to patch any external processing in the feedback path of the processing, in place of, or in addition to any feedback done in the algo. It also allows you have a CV controlled input, if you can sacrifice the use of the feedback loop (rather than use the normal inputs, patch your signal to the feedback in inputs and use the feedback CV as an 'input VCA'). Or, use it as a 2nd set of stereo inputs (again, sacrificing the use of the external feedback). The Z-DSP also has CV selection, as well as directional sequencing of the algorithms stored on a cartridge. With a simple pulse, you can sequence forward through the algos. With a simple pulse and gate, you can sequence forward and backward. And with any arbitrary CV you can scan through the algos. The sounds that can result from this may be subtle and intentional, or wild and chaotic. A very unique approach to signal processing. Equally, if not more, unique is the fact that the Z-DSP offers the ability to inject your own clock for the DSP and override its own. Almost everyone these days is familiar with sample rate reduction, and bit-depth reduction, but actually reducing/varying the processor clock is an entirely different sonic result. Not only can it achieve aliasing and "crunchiness" similar to that of sample rate/bit-depth reduction, but it can lead to insanely glitched out and wild digital instability. Hell, it's possible to crash the DSP (of course, no damage is done in this case).<br />
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One might be able to argue "but I can do all this stuff with my computer, why would I want this in a module?". Well, I know that one of the main reasons I enjoy modulars (and the Z-DSP) is because I have real-time, no latency, tactile control over the processing. A physical, "real" interface to play with; wether it's manually twiddling knobs, or using control voltages to replace my hands, having that "real" interface allows me to sculpt what I want sonically much more easily. I'm finding that, even with just the delay (which I use a lot in my compositions) I'm able to get a much better sense of what my final composition will sound like because I'm playing with the delay in real time, and not adding it later as an after though. In this way, the delay becomes part of the composition, not just an effect. For example, the following piece was written after a week with the Z-DSP. It's not exactly a great demo of the Z-DSP per se because it's not really doing anything extreme; no algo sequencing, heavy CV (there is a little CV of the feedback loop amount), or crazy clock mangling, but, without the Z-DSP, this patch sounded lifeless and dull.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: 11px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" height="100" width="400"><param name="movie" value="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer.swf/track=310796948/size=venti/bgcol=000000/linkcol=4b80aa/" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="never" /><param name="allowNetworking" value="always" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /><embed src="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer.swf/track=310796948/size=venti/bgcol=000000/linkcol=4b80aa/" width="400" height="100" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" quality=high allowScriptAccess=never allowNetworking=always bgcolor=#000000 ></embed><noembed><a href="http://felixinferious.bandcamp.com/track/life-in-minor-preview">Life In Minor - Preview by Felix Inferious</a></noembed></object> </span><br />
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</span></span></div>I am head over heels for the Z-DSP. And I've only ever experienced the Drangonfly Delay cart. I'm eagerly anticipating not only the Bat Filter cart, but also the various other magic that is being cooked up down at TipTop Audio.felixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12909814258262935650noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30722259.post-26851062291107116112009-12-20T12:26:00.000-08:002009-12-20T12:26:18.204-08:00Shooting blanksI never gave much thought to blank panels for modulars. It always seemed silly to me to buy a functionless panel just to cover up open space. I understood the fact that there was the possibility of shock by touching power pins when the system is on, but I felt pretty safe in my ability to not do something like that. So, I never gave blank panels a second thought.<br />
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Until a little over a month ago when I sold some modules to Stephen @ <a href="http://www.pro-modular.com/">pro-modular.com</a> and he told me about these laser engraved acrylic blanks that he had started to make and asked if I'd like one. I ended up getting two sizes and in terms of color and what was engraved, I said, "surprise me". And I was surprised.<br />
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I ended up with a 16HP clear one and the pictured 28HP black and gold one. I'm still trying to get a really cool shot of the clear acrylic with some LED backlighting, but the black+gold really just jumps out. The acrylic is a little less than 2x the thickness of a standard aluminum faceplate, so it's very sturdy, with very little flex even at 28HP. I could easily see module panels being made the same way.<br />
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I've been super stoked on these blanks, especially the 28HP black+gold. I was sad when I had to remove it while testing the Z-DSP as I didn't have room for both. However, now that I've sold off a few more modules and made some room, it's back in the case!<br />
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Anyone looking for blanks (or even not looking for blanks), jump on over to <a href="http://www.pro-modular.com/">pro-modular.com</a> and check them out. Full 19" rack blanks are now possible too!felixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12909814258262935650noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30722259.post-78437939485714953652009-11-22T13:21:00.001-08:002009-11-22T13:21:48.004-08:00Back in the saddleIt's been 6 months since I last posted. I certainly seemed to have neglected things around here, but I'm hoping that will change. I've been spending much less time on the forum lately so I think it's necessary for me to at least continue contributing by way of the blog here.<br /><br />So, what's happened over the last 6 months... It's hard to remember to be honest.<br />Buchla lust has come and gone again at least twice, the Harvestman Hertz Donut was finally released, to much jubilation by myself. I finally obtained a Flight of Harmony Plague Bearer (not sure why it took so long) and it's an amazing little module. If you like distortion and waveshaping, you owe it to yourself to try it out. There may have been something else before the HzD and the PB, but I'm drawing a blank. Budgets have been tight around the house here, so I've significantly cut back on expanding (that and I'm drawing near to filling up the Monster Case).<br /><br />Speaking of filling up the Monster Case, I'm getting closer and closer to understanding the types of modules (and therefore the types of synthesis) that I am most drawn to. It's very clear that FM/AM and other audio rate modulation is key to the process; as is waveshaping of some kind. While I always love a good classic subtractive patch, they aren't the things that really drive my creativity. This is probably why the Hertz Donut has become such a favorite, and frequently-used, module since its arrival. <br />Low-pass gates seem to also be a strong standout over normal VCAs. The just-not-quite-subtle reduction in harmonics in concert with the reduction in amplitude (and vice-versa) really adds an sonic element that one normally finds with acoustic instruments. It feels like it adds a bit more "life" to the dynamics of the sound. The MakeNoise QMMG has been a fantastic addition here for that, as not only do you get 4 channels of LPGs, you also get a 4x1 mixer as well as LP and HP filters and 'normal' VCA operation. It's DC coupled as well, so it can be used for control voltages, however I must admit to never having exploited that bit of functionality. It sounds quite nice too, which is always a plus.<br />It's always been very clear that I prefer simple Attack-Decay envelopes over standard ADSR, and that has remained true. My Plan B M10s (I've had two for a while now) are definitely the go-to modules for that. The release of the MakeNoise MATHS module has got me very interested, but at this point I don't *need* more envelope generators, so for now I'm simply keeping a trained eye (and ear) on how folks are using it. I was able to play around shortly with a couple at the annual AHBA get together, and they certainly are very intriguing.<br />One of my favorite new (or rather, yet-to-be-released) module is the TipTop Audio Z-DSP. I'm cooking up a separate post for that, but to summarize, this will be an essential module in my setup going forward. I'm trying to convince myself that I don't need two.<br /><br />On the creative side of things, the EP that I had planned for the end of the year has fallen behind. I'm still working on a couple of pieces, but I'm really trying to progress from what I did with Teratoma, so I'm being very careful and specific about which recordings I take and work on further into finished pieces. Speaking of Teratoma, I moved it off of VIRB (since they seemed to have removed the ability to download) and over to a Bandcamp page, where all my future releases will also be available. <a href="http://felixinferious.bandcamp.com/">felixinferious.bandcamp.com/</a><br /><br />That's it for now. More posts and more content coming soon.felixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12909814258262935650noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30722259.post-84804628084968741162009-05-11T15:22:00.001-07:002009-05-11T15:22:55.061-07:00Flame Clockwork Video DemosOn the unlikely chance that you haven't found these already through my twitter feed, the Muff forum, or even Matrixsynth, here are my latest video demos, featuring the Flame Clockwork Eurorack module.<br /><br />Flame Clockwork Demo Pt. 1<br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/mgWcB5KrUTU&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/mgWcB5KrUTU&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Flame Clockwork Demo Pt. 2<br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/V_DY9jp9F-E&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/V_DY9jp9F-E&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Enjoy.felixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12909814258262935650noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30722259.post-83715705452835390682009-04-29T19:27:00.001-07:002009-04-29T19:27:50.167-07:00Monomachine Couples CounselingAs I mentioned <a href="http://felixinferious.blogspot.com/2008/09/sequencer-machine.html">back in September</a>, I had traded both my MKI MachineDrum and MonoMachine for a MKII MachineDrum. Then, <a href="http://felixinferious.blogspot.com/2008/12/long-time-no-post.html">in December</a> I decided to pickup a MonoMachine again, this time a MKII to match the MD. The initial reason was to try and fend off the severe Buchla lust I was enduring at that time (which I'm happy/sad/confused to say has not fully gone away).<br /><br />But, in the months since then (particularly, the new year and onward), I had been once again using the MnM less and less, paying more attention to the modular than anything else and working on ideas for a new album. I was coming very close to selling it, I even made a half-hearted post on twitter about it, but there were no takers.<br /><br />So there it sat on my desk, next to it's sibling, which does still get regular use, unlit and uninviting. It wasn't until I started thinking about putting together performance material that it crossed my mind to fire up the MnM again. I was again considering a small modular performance system, but I tend to like a lot of complex sounds, swirling in stereo, and I like the performance to be somewhat consistent from performance to performance, otherwise I get frustrated with it not sounding right. Both things that the MnM can handle...and there's the whole recall and syncing with the MD thing.<br /><br />So, for the last couple of days, the MnM and I have been in "couples counseling". i call it that because that's sort of what it feels like. This on again off again relationship that I would really like to make work (then again, I've never been to couples counseling, so I really have no idea).<br /><br />The first night was spent with just the manual. Just reading over the feature set and mentally re-aquainting myself with what it can do. I purposefully didn't want to sit down in front of it, tweaking randomly with an empty head and getting stuck in a "sound rut" like I had many times before with it. That approach seems to be no problem with the modular, but doesn't really work for me with the MnM for some reason. The manual quickly reminded me of the arpeggiator and more importantly, the independent trigger tracks and how para-locks work with "trigless trigs", a implementation concept which is fundamentally different from the MD in that you can set param-locks on steps which do not trigger any other aspect to the sound (PITCH, AMP ENV, FILTER ENV, or LFO TRIG).<br /><br />Building ideas on these concepts *before* actually laying hands seemed to pay off quite well. The following evening I had a long session experimenting with sequencing out lots of param-locks with trigless trigs, separate FILTER and LFO trigs, and never actually laying down pitches; simply playing the sequence of "timbre automation" and holding down notes. It made some very nice drone-y noise-y stuff. I'd love to share, but I did this from the comfort of my couch, away from all the accoutrements of the studio.<br /><br />Another concept that never initially crossed my mind before was using the arpeggiator to play the DBOX drum "machine" (basically the drum sample sound engine). While it was a little time consuming to search up and down the octaves of sounds (each octave of the keyboard is essentially a different sounding collection of sounds, grouped along the lines of a typical sample kit) to find a "chord" of the right samples for the arpeggiator, the results were very good, especially since the arp can run at different rates than the main sequence and can have shorter than 16 steps in length, including odd numbered steps. Using two different tracks with two different arpeggiators was that much more time consuming, but that much more rewarding as well.<br /><br />Last evening was spent dealing with "the sound". I dare say I've become quite spoiled by the modular and that much more picky about the "quality" of the sound, and I certainly lean more analogue in my preference, but I certainly don't hate the sound of digital. But, many aspects of sound of the MnM just don't sit well with me and in writing down what those were, they were all ones that either attempt to sound analogue, or ones that I expected to sound analogue. Chief among these are the SWAVE machine and the filters. So, I decided to avoid those as much as possible (easy enough to avoid the SWAVE, not so much the filters) and focus specifically on the most digital aspects of this digital synth - the DPRO and the FM+. Now, the FM+ had long been a favorite since it offers pretty complex FM algos with a very simple (if sometimes unclear) set of controls, but I had not really explored the DPRO wavetable machine that much. Once again, diligence to constrain my scope paid off and I found myself getting sounds that I really liked and did not find myself <i>relying</i> on the filters to dynamically alter the sound and instead only found myself using the filters to shape it a little better, more like an EQ. Now, these most certainly did not resemble anything analogue, but it was digital being as digital as it can and I really liked that.<br /><br />Now, it's not like I'm totally in love with the MnM again, but I have a new found appreciate for devoting time to it and getting better results from focusing on very specific features/functionality of the instrument. I think the MnM, moreso of the MD, requires more mastery of the device to really extract really unique and great stuff from it...at least for me anyway.<br /><br />Another interesting rule I set for myself in this process was to NOT SAVE ANYTHING. I know, that's weird right, but I starting thinking about how I get in these "ruts" with this thing and a lot of these ruts start because I'm doing more or less the same process over and over again, and a lot of the time it's because I'm starting by revisiting something I worked on last time, when I stopped because I felt in a rut. It's also a practice that's not possible with the modular, and I wondered if the fact that you cannot save or fully and immediately recall your work on modular makes you think that much more creatively and retain more important bits about what you're doing as your explore the instrument. My early conclusions are that, yes it does.<br /><br />One of the main downsides I'm still hung up on this point is the lack of a common reverb for all tracks. For example the MD has a global reverb and delay, and a reverb and delay send amount for each track. The MnM conversely has an independent delay for each track (which is fantastic for sound design reasons), but to get a reverb you purpose one of the six tracks as an FX track, and even in that case, it's not a send-return configuration like on the MD. You can route multiple tracks to the FX track running the reverb, but you do not have control over the volume level of the signal from each track going to the reverb, so there's no way to control the amount of reverb for each track. :( It's just as well I guess, upon actually recording it's likely one would just take each track out of the 6 independent mono outputs of the unit and mix in the box.<br /><br />In the end (end of this post anyway, I'm certainly not through with this whole revisiting the monomachine process), I'm glad I didn't sell it and I've taken the time to explore it again. I may just have some Elektron-based live sets worked out after all.felixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12909814258262935650noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30722259.post-54341907252144942442009-02-22T23:40:00.001-08:002009-02-22T23:40:22.562-08:00Mr. Felix Visits A BuchlaSo after witnessing my endless back-and-forth Buchla lust over the last several months (and really, it's gone on longer than that), I was extended an invitation to visit the venerable <a href="http://xfade.com/">Chris Muir</a> and his <a href="http://xfade.com/Buchla/">Buchla</a> for an afternoon of enlightenment.<br /><br />Since the Buchla lust had kicked up again as of late, I was bit worried about being exposed directly to a Buchla, but at the same time, I'm practically broke, so I wasn't <i>that</i> worried that I would phone up Don in the morning to place an order. I was anticipating it though.<br /><br />What I got was something else.<br /><br />First, the system is as visually striking in person as it is in pictures, this I knew, but after Chris turned up the speakers, I <i>heard</i> something I wasn't expecting. There is definitely something lost when listening to MP3s and possibly even WAV files (I can't remember how many of the demos that I have listened to have been WAVs). There is much more dimension to the sound when you're listening to it through speakers and the details of the sound are much more complex. What came across as almost noise in some MP3s, was a complex harmonic evolution of sound in real life. I'm not trying to be over dramatic, I was just surprised at the very quantifiable difference in hearing the Buchla in real life.<br /><br />As Chris gave me a tour around his system, it was very interesting to see how he utilized modules in ways that never crossed my mind in the hours I had spent staring at the Buchla web pages and module images. It was equally as interesting to find out that many aspects of the modules worked differently than I understood them to. One thing that excited me was learning that the 291e filter was able to sequence through it's various stages on its own, without an external clock pulse. Each stage of the 291e has a editable time constant which determines the time until it switches to the next stage. <br /><br />Speaking of the 291e, it was quite impressive. It's definitely not designed to be used as a "standard" synth filter; it's practically half a synthesizer+sequencer all its own. While it's bandpass only, it sounds incredible. It's very clean, clear, and "vocal" sounding, and with some applied audio-rate modulation, has an incredible growl. Listening to Chris make a quick sequence of the filter's stages, with different amounts of FM per stage, and some external CV to the overall frequency, was just stunning. It was like an alien spaceship was somehow singing to me. Once he started using additional nodes of the filter (this was just using node A initially!) it became even more complex. Since the amplitude of each stage is also variable per-stage, it seems to me that a 291e paired up with some kind of source for filtering, is all you need for serious experimental composition.<br /><br />When we starting talking about how Chris uses his setup again and I was surprised to find that he uses his 210e router almost exclusively as an attenuator for one of his 281e modules and as a audio matrix mixer for FX (delay, reverb, etc) sends. Chris has a basic "base patch" which he builds on and modifies slightly as necessary, but also makes frequent use of the preset abilities of the 200e. While it's always interesting too see how other people use a particular module, it was becoming extra interesting to see how Chris utilized his setup and how much it differed from how I imagined using a very similar assortment of modules. Previously, I believed the Buchla was tailored for a fairly specific use of the system, or at least more specific than say combining your favorite euro/frac/modcan-format modules. Listening to Chris describe how he works with his system really changed my perspective on that. I was clearly underestimating the Buchla.<br /><br />We focused on the 256e next, which I found out was one of the few modules I had fully understood going in, but it was great to see how much, and to what extent, that Chris used it. Not only does it function as a way to alter and scale incoming CV (including inverting and scaled inversion), it also allows for mixing/cross-fading multiple CV signals as well as VCA for CV.<br /><br />Over the next hour (or who knows how long it was, time was hard to keep track of), we bounced around to various aspects of the system, and finally settled into the 261e oscillators...or I should say Complex Waveform Generators. To call it an oscillator really is not doing the module justice. Being two oscillators, at least one VCA, multiple waveshapers all rolled into one, the thing is practically a voice all on it's own. While most modular folks balk at the fact that the waveform generation is digital, there are several advantages that come along with that. Chief of those for me was the fact that when Range is set to "Track", the modulation osc tuning determines a pitch ratio, which is maintained as you tune the principal osc. This was absolutely amazing to use in practice. I simple tuned the modulation osc to get the desired FM side bands, and then simply use the primary osc tune to control the overall pitch. Another interesting aspect of the 261e that cannot be discerned by staring at pictures is that there are several modulation modes possible. It's not just pitch, timbe, or amplitude modulation, but rather those individually plus combinations of all of them! Pitch + Timbre modulation was quite possibly a favorite, although amplitude modulation with independent control over Timbre and Symmetry was very cool too. Even more interesting is that the Pitch modulation is <i>always</i> done using sine waves, where as the other modes follow the waveshape setting of the modulation osc. This seems like a limitation, but being able to have Pitch+Timbre modulation, and vary the waveshape of the modulation osc and have that only affect the Timbre was fucking awesome. Limitation my ass! Speaking of which, the variable waveshaping didn't sound that bad at all! Based on various opinions that I'd read already, I expected an almost "unusable" PWM sound, but it wasn't that bad at all. It was no AFG, but it had a very unique and special sound. Along those same lines, the Hard Sync sound is not the ripping harmonic sound that one typically associates with Hard Sync, but it had it's own endearing character. The interesting thing was that Sync on it's own was not that impressive, but Sync mixed with FM+Timbre modulation made sounds like I had never heard before. Like circuits being tortured.<br /><br />I knew I was going to like the 261e going in, but I had no idea to the extent at which I would love it. The waveshaping (timbre, symmetry, and high-order) combined with FM/AM is just absolutely incredible. The lack of additional "unwanted" side-bands that digital FM offers really brings an amazing pallete of sound to the table when paired up with waveshaping. I literally could have sat there for hours turning those 4 controls (modulation index, timbre, symmetry, and high-order). The ability to go from a simple sine wave to a sound that I can't even begin to describe was...well...fucking incredible! I was also surprised how much the controls interacted with each other. Depending on how much timbre and high-order I had adjusted, Symmetry would yield very different timbrel results. Likewise, depending on how much of the Modulation Index and Symmetry I had set, the Timbre would yield wildly different results. And, I'm no stranger to teaming up FM and waveshaping. Since I picked up the Doepfer A-137, I've been feeding it a steady diet of FM and while the results are fantastic as well, I've never had the control and range of sound with so few controls. I'm really starting to run out of words to explain how awesome I thought the 261e was...and this is 1,000x more than I said to Chris after turing the knobs for who knows how long (Chris, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think I simply said "Oh...wow!")<br /><br />We wrapped up talking about various system configurations, thoughts on the 222e, various methods of control, portability, setup time, all sorts of little things.<br /><br />At this point, you're probably thinking, "ok, so here's where he starts talking about selling all his euro modules and how the Buchla is the greatest thing ever". Oddly enough, I don't feel that way at all. I thought for sure that after visiting Chris, listening to him talk about his system, and getting quality some hands on time, that I would know, one way or the other, if a Buchla is in my future. Well, I don't.<br /><br />I certainly know a lot more about the system now, and feel much more educated on its use and its strengths and weaknesses, particularly from an artist's perspective. I feel like I now can make a better, more educated, decision on wether or not to turn my attentions toward a Buchla, and I feel <i>really</i> great about that. I know that if I do decide to walk down that path, I know what to expect along the way. For now though, I'm going to stand here at the cross-roads thinking about both roads.<br /><br />....<br /><br /><i>But</i>... I do foresee a 261e and 291e in my future. ;)felixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12909814258262935650noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30722259.post-6416490452004390652009-01-27T00:30:00.001-08:002009-01-27T07:34:35.782-08:00NAMM 2009 - MaxMSP - MathOnce again, long time no post.<br /><br />With my Serge lust more or less in check these days, I headed off to NAMM '09. I saw many cool things, particularly the new Plan B Zero cases (if you read this blog, you no doubt have already seen pictures), but I was surprised with what caught my eye the most.<br /><br />The first was Max for Live. Most folks who pay attention to the Ableton community knew that something like this was coming after Ableton and Cycling '74 "joined forces" last year, however I didn't really expect such a simple, yet elegant implementation.<br /><br />The other thing that really stuck we was the JazzMutant Lemur. I finally got to see one up close and personal and I was very impressed with what I saw. Not only the quality of the hardware, but with the programming environment and the new v2 software.<br /><br />Lots of interesting new things, and the one thing that it all spurred was for me to take a good look at MaxMSP for once.<br /><br />I used to own Reaktor and stumbled through that ok enough, but never really pleased with what I came up with. It was probably part lack of knowledge and part lack of direction, but it always seemed like the result wasn't worth the amount of time necessary to achieve that result. I had similar expectation with Max going in, and when I tried diving right in, deconstructing some of the example patchers, I was immediately confused. Rather than get discouraged, which I'm used to doing, I decided to take the less exciting route and go through the tutorials one by one. And boy am I glad I did.<br /><br />The tutorials are very well thought out, don't move forward in too big of steps, and the overall documentation is excellent. Being able to select an object and hit a quick keycommand to pull up the full documentation on that object is wonderful. My favorite though is being able to just hit 'n' to start creating a new object...just start typing the name of the object that you want it will start auto-completing the various possible objects. Too slick! Max 5 is looking great too, I'm a bit of a picky bastard when it comes to UI and the older generations were always a bit of a turn off.<br /><br />Another interesting turn is that I've become more interested in the math behind digital synthesis. I was never very good at math, although it wasn't do so much to lack of skill as it was a lack of motivation. Like many more in my generation, I suffer from a severe lack of motivation for things I'm not interested in, and during high school and college, I couldn't have been less interested in math. I could never see a practical use for what I was learning, and being a total smart ass, I would pose that question to my math teachers frequently. I really did want to know though, and I never did get a good answer. Always the "you need to know it" or the slightly more specific "you need to know it for calculus". The last math I actually remember studying was quadratic equations and polynomials. What do know, that's the basis behind much of digital synthesis, particularly waveshaping and filter design. The last few days have been filled with wonderful exploration into the world of Chebyshev polynomials, and their very pleasing results on sine waves.<br /><br />So, where am I going with this? It's a basic plea to math teachers, should any read this blog (or even if you know some math teachers). PLEASE, please, tell your students some interesting or at least practical uses for the math that you are teaching them. If some student asks "what do we need to know this for", they may not be trying to be a smart ass, they very well would just like to know. I really wish someone had done this for me during my education. I might have come to really enjoy and like math, rather than hate it and, later in life regret, not putting in more effort.<br /><br />Oh well.<br /><br />PS. I have a few euro modules for sale currently, if any of you are interested:<br />http://www.muffwiggler.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2935<br /><br />Cheers everyone and Happy New Year!felixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12909814258262935650noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30722259.post-63632595878342764892008-12-29T22:52:00.001-08:002008-12-29T22:53:36.261-08:00The SergeI tried really hard to come up with some kind of McCain "the surge is working" joke, but just couldn't. :( So anyway, this is the big Serge post, hopefully it does not disappoint.<br /><br />As I mentioned in <a href="http://felixinferious.blogspot.com/2008/12/long-time-no-post.html">my recent post</a>, over the course of researching the Buchla I started to see things that I did not like in my current system, or put maybe a more accurate way, advantages that I saw in <i>other</i> formats. Let's start with the most simple, and obvious, one. Banana jacks.<br /><br />Using multiples in 1/4" or 1/8" is annoying as hell. I know it seems trivial, but *every time* I find myself wanting to use a multiple, it requires breaking half a patch down, exchanging cables and then retracing my steps so that I put it back together properly. With banana jacks, it's much more elegant. Need a mult? Just poke a jack in there and that's it. Seems like a small thing, but while it would be nice to have in Euro (really nice to have) it is almost required due to the level of functional density of each Serge module (not panel, but individual module - which is referred to as a "function block" in Serge-land). That brings me to my next advantage of the Serge. Functional density.<br /><br />In Serge-land, they call this "patch programmability". Depending on how you patch a particular function block, you can achieve different results. The "Smooth / Stepped Generator" (SSG) for example, can not only be a S+H, but also a VC slew limiter, VC LFO (triangle and square), clock, LPF/LPG, lo-fi VCO, zero-crossing detector, and more with any combinations of these (that's right, most of those functions only require <i>one half</i> of the module!). This module is even one-upped by the "Dual Slope Generator" (DSG) which has an unprecedented number of patch programmable functions, yet on the surface, it's just an AD envelope generator. It's this "patch programmability" that really attracts me to the Serge system. The flexibility and range of sounds possible in even a single panel (or even M-odule) is rather astounding. Exhibit A is this fantastic demo from <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/kkonkkrete">kkonkkrete</a> which surfaced a few weeks ago.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/XLDIGxlM1rA&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/XLDIGxlM1rA&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Note that this video features only 2 M-odules, and throughout the video, some portions of the Sequencer A M-odule are not even used. It's quite amazing that the <a href="http://www.serge-fans.com/m-class-creature.cfm">Creature</a> M-odule (the one on the right side) is essentially a fully featured Serge system on it's own! This brings me to my next perceived advantage. Portability.<br /><br />This is one of the advantages that I found in the Buchla which I think is very apparent here as well. A 3 panel Serge system would more or less be similar in size to a 12ws Buchla case and definitely give it a run for it's money, if not certainly beat it out feature-wise (but this isn't purely about features). My system, as it is now, is almost too large. I haven't even filled the case and I find that on many patches, some modules are just "in the way" and I end up having to work around them. A small detail, but to me it screams "you have to much shit that you don't use", and if I don't use it, it isn't that necessary. Maybe this just one of those "<a href="http://felixinferious.blogspot.com/2008/04/ebb-and-flow.html">ebb and flow</a>" things, but I like to have an efficient use of space, and when I find myself always turning to the same dozen or so modules, it's hard to fight off the urge to trim the fat, so to speak.<br /><br />The final advantage is another one taken from my Buchla research and this is the dynamic control/interaction with the instrument. While it's no 222e Kinetic Input, the <a href="http://www.serge-fans.com/newpics/panel_tkb_150dpi.jpg">Serge TKB Touch Keyboard Sequencer</a> is a very dynamic and expressive controller.<br /><br />The sequencer is not unlike the mythical Milton (or maybe that should be the other way around). There are 4 "rows" of 16 steps. A standard clock steps through each of 16 stages, while a separate vertical clock with step through the 4 rows, allowing for 64 step patterns. Either the combined row output is available, or each row output separately, allowing for control of 4 separate modules for each stage. The direction of the sequencer can also change based on either a manual switch, or a trigger input. There is also a "random stage select" trigger input. When pulsed, it will select a random stage. And, speaking of stage selection, when the keyboard is linked with the sequencer, touching a key touchplate will immediately select that stage. It can be patched so that when pressing the key touchplate, the stage will be held and the sequencer will not advance. There is also key pressure voltage available, for more expression. Basically, it's the perfect combination of a keyboard controller and an analog sequencer.<br /><br />So, until I've had some one-on-one face time with a Serge system and can make my final decision, I see some Serge in my future. My best assessment at this point would be to start with a <a href="http://www.serge-fans.com/m-class-gator.cfm">Gator</a> and <a href="http://www.serge-fans.com/m-class-creature.cfm">Creature</a> and add a TKB as early as financially possible. After using that system for a while, I'll have a better idea of what else I might need (if anything at all). That's another advantage of the Serge, not only can so much be achieved with only a couple panels, but it's pricey enough that you just don't go off buying more on a whim, something that happens with me constantly with euro. I just lack that willpower I guess.<br /><br />My dilemma though is that I can't bear to part with a good chunk of my Euro system. Out of the modules that I use in practically every patch, I plan on keeping the following:<br /><br />Livewire AFG (x2)<br />Livewire Vulcan Modulator<br />Livewire Dalek Modulator<br />Livewire Frequensteiner<br />Livewire Dual Cyclotron<br />Plan B M13 LPG<br />Plan B M14 Voltage Proc<br />Harvestman Stilton<br />Harvestman Evin (forthcoming)<br />Harvestman Tyme Sefari<br />Doepfer A-132-3<br /><br />The Plan B M10s and M24 would be in there since those are used in every patch, but they have direct functional equivalents on the Serge. In fact, there's practically the same as the Serge DTG and SSG modules. As time goes on, I would consider loosing the Dual Cyclotron (which will be a hard one) and the Plan B M14 since both could be had in the Serge domain without too much trouble. As I said, I haven't had face time with the Serge VCO and Filters yet, so until I do, I can't imagine giving up the AFG+Frequensteiner sound. Even so, I can't imagine giving it up.<br /><br />All of this Euro, plus some more, would fit rather nicely in one of the upcoming 9U A-100P portable cases that Doepfer has announced, which is what I would plan on transitioning the euro system into once they are available.<br /><br />So, I'm not decided 100%, but this definitely feels like the direction that I want to move. Only time will tell.<br /><br />I've linked to it where appropriate, but the "Ergres - Serge Fans" site has an extensive amount of info on Serge systems, as does Carbon111. They have been extremely helpful in the journey and if you are at all curious, I would suggest checking them out.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.serge-fans.com/">http://www.serge-fans.com/</a><br /><a href="http://carbon111.com/serge_index.html">http://carbon111.com/serge_index.html</a>felixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12909814258262935650noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30722259.post-67331305955686367372008-12-19T11:54:00.001-08:002008-12-19T11:54:50.987-08:00Teratoma - releasedSorry I'm lagging on the Serge post, it's coming. This is short though.<br /><br />Just wanted to say that my first modular album, Teratoma, has been released. Just inside the deadline of the Muff 2008 Artist Challenge. The collections are composed almost entirely of the eurorack modular, except for a few cases where a hand is leant from the MachineDrum and Monomachine, and in one case, a Piano sample patch in Logic.<br /><br />http://www.virb.com/felixinferious/music/albums/52424<br /><br />enjoy.felixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12909814258262935650noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30722259.post-35356808405043445362008-12-11T21:02:00.001-08:002008-12-11T21:02:30.842-08:00Long time no postI'm very sorry for my long absence from the blog here. I'm rather ashamed of it and it's due to little more than lack of time and laziness. Mostly laziness.<br /><br />What small amount of free time I've had over the last couple months has been devoted to trying to finish up tracks for an upcoming EP/Full length and just general hanging around on the Muff forum. Unfortunately for the blog here, all of my modular-related ramblings and thoughts are getting dumped there and not here.<br /><br />Time for a change.<br /><br />To catch you up a bit, in the midst of working on these new tracks, I also got bit by the bug to start performing live again. I've never performed with a synth before, but played a lot of guitar with the bands I've been in over the years. I miss performing for people. So, with that in mind, I started looking at ways to achieve that again. Using a laptop and triggering loops was more or less out of the question. I don't want to look like I'm checking my email in front of everyone, and for the most part it's very uninteresting to the audience, in my opinion anyway. The next step was to work with the SP-404 and come up with different textured loops that I could layer, turning on and off, along with the MachineDrum. I got started with building up loops and it quickly became an aweful, and uninspiring chore. The "sets" that I came up with were not very fun either. The sounds were static and interacting with them was rather...well...uninspiring. At that point my thoughts turned to using a modular live, but clearly the monstercase would be very cumbersome to lug around (although fun to look at, if facing the audience) and of course, had no way to quickly switch patches. And I wanted some dynamic way that I could interact with it, both via some sort of sequencer (which could be handled by the MD + Kenton) as well as some sort of "touch controller".<br /><br />Enter the Buchla 200e.<br /><br />First, some history on my exposure to the 200e. It was the first modular system that I looked at when considering buying a modular system. I saw the booth at NAMM and it certainly was the most visually appealing system, and the fact that it folded up *and* had preset recall was like the greatest thing ever. Had the price at the time (and now) not seemed completely out of my range, I would have went for it. The other formats were much more economical.<br /><br />The 200e satisfied many of the "live performance" criteria I had set for myself.<br />-Portable<br />-High functional density<br />-Ease of setting up patches (preset recall)<br />-Performance oriented interface (namely, the 222e touchplate)<br />-It looks fucking cool (ok, that wasn't a requirement, but it is a bonus)<br /><br />After much toiling and going back and forth on pros/cons for what seemed like months, much of which went on in an epic thread on the Muff forum, I finally came to the decision that I was not going to invest in a Buchla. The main cons were:<br /><br />-Sound. It doesn't sound bad, it's just not quite my thing...not for that price<br />-Price. It's not unobtainable, but it would be a <i>significant</i> investment.<br />-Having to give up Euro. Most of it anyway...part of the previous con.<br /><br />There were other small negatives too. Audio and CV are different signal paths, some "quirky" behavior with certain features, not the end-all-be-all in flexibility. All of these were personal opinions though, and many of the reasons for these designs were quite valid - I'm not devaluing the system at all. It's just stuff that <i>I</i> did not particularly like and if I was going to make that kind of financial commitment, <i>I</i> had to like it.<br /><br />Interestingly enough, I picked up a Monomachine MKII. I had begun to miss the MKI (which I had traded, along with my MD MKI, for an MD mkII) and felt I did not give the little guy a fair shake the first time around. I was right and I'm very much enjoying having the MnM back again.<br /><br />However, a new "problem" arouse. As part of the research into the 200e, I was constantly comparing my current Euro system with the Buchla, in particular looking at what the Buchla could do and what my Euro could not (well, to be more clear, what it could not do as easily or achieve in a more streamlined manner). But what I took away was what I found to be shortcomings of my system, and to some degree, the Euro format/lineup.<br /><br />Enter The Serge.<br /><br />Stay Tuned.felixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12909814258262935650noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30722259.post-68202837924872166982008-09-27T17:32:00.000-07:002008-09-28T16:26:08.077-07:00Machinedrum + Kenton Pro-2000 = fucking awesomeI spent about 3 hours last night and 4 hours this afternoon playing with the MachineDrum + <a href="http://www.analoguehaven.com/kenton/pro2000mkii/">Kenton Pro-2000</a> and it was even better than I had expected!<br /><br />First, a bit of background on how the setup works.<br /><br />The Kenton has two (A/B) "main" CV and gate outputs. These are for the usual pitch and gate CV uses; the pitch can be adjusted for 1v/Oct, Hz/Volt, and even 1.2v/Oct. The gates can be configured as standard V-trig or S-trig. And both A and B can be programmed to respond to any one of 16 midi channels (including the same channel). In addition to those CV outputs, there are 6 additional Auxiliary CV outputs, each one of which can be programmed to respond to any MIDI CC message, again on any MIDI channel. Each Auxiliary output can be configured to be bipolar (-5v to +5v) or unipolar (0 to +5v); I didn't actually expect that and it's incredibly useful. It also has two programmable LFOs which can be controlled by any MIDI CC message on any MIDI channel, but I didn't play with those yet.<br /><br />Now, on the MachineDrum side. The MachineDrum has a "MID" machine, with 16 different "types". Really, they are the same machine, but there's one for each MIDI channel, so if you want to sequence MIDI channel 1, you load "MID 1" on a track. There's nothing stopping you from loading the same channel MID machine on multiple tracks either (although things seem to act a little weird when you do).<br /><br />The first page of a MID machine has all the basic MIDI parameters. The pitch (as well as two additional pitches, for chords), the length of the note, as well as the note velocity, and pitch bend, mod wheel and aftertouch amounts. All I was using here was the NOTE and sometimes LEN controls (images courtesy of the MachineDrum manual).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCgThW5xCEOdGAaGPQGopLw376S55hyphenhyphenJ1IDXJ8TK2R7NcjNgTHYFMup0pHsF88H8WIggWmWb9A-8-yFmQqKFqH13nfUkxvk9swKtboSB1mx0egvREC9R5knIK0OTjqGXAV_zri/s1600-h/MD_MID1.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCgThW5xCEOdGAaGPQGopLw376S55hyphenhyphenJ1IDXJ8TK2R7NcjNgTHYFMup0pHsF88H8WIggWmWb9A-8-yFmQqKFqH13nfUkxvk9swKtboSB1mx0egvREC9R5knIK0OTjqGXAV_zri/s400/MD_MID1.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250871724736462034" /></a><br /><br />The second page is where you find four of the MIDI CC controls. There's two controls for each CC, the first to set which CC message should be used, the second for the actual value. This is really cool because you could set different CC messages and values on each step of the MD sequencer via parameter locks.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIjzHSnB73DSRckWCPNvyl3aQjIy3ZoeBihPGSZllpE7F0V3MYUdH0EvYUi0bqiXGMWWC1tIELshL7SlyXCthnylX_zG1q4MzXgWhNfPgMumRpp3GQuPS37CCiSj0L7mDTBK8E/s1600-h/MD_MID2.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIjzHSnB73DSRckWCPNvyl3aQjIy3ZoeBihPGSZllpE7F0V3MYUdH0EvYUi0bqiXGMWWC1tIELshL7SlyXCthnylX_zG1q4MzXgWhNfPgMumRpp3GQuPS37CCiSj0L7mDTBK8E/s400/MD_MID2.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250871844676808498" /></a><br /><br />The third page has the final two MIDI CC controls as well as a control for Program Change as well as the depth of the MD's track LFO (oh yeah, that can be routed to control any of the parameters of the MID machine too).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb0GONscdtNDIyLpy2eTjyR6X9eFGuhw3yL-2bVT9lvy4n9eTeeFOUkzGNnPwrBXowpafjn63v0axHSrNGZzujqrz-b-Ual9CdMUpmmU_4cZ8VzxiCsX0wopajTfhLKaSNtylP/s1600-h/MD_MID3.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb0GONscdtNDIyLpy2eTjyR6X9eFGuhw3yL-2bVT9lvy4n9eTeeFOUkzGNnPwrBXowpafjn63v0axHSrNGZzujqrz-b-Ual9CdMUpmmU_4cZ8VzxiCsX0wopajTfhLKaSNtylP/s400/MD_MID3.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250872000637534978" /></a><br /><br />So, what I chose to do was simply sequence a few notes (patched from the "A" CV) as well as patch 4-6 of the Auxiliary CV outs to various other controls on the modular, like the filter cutoff, EG timebase, VCAs for LFOs and FM index. I was having a lot of fun, adding a step on the MD's sequencer and manually setting a parameter lock, or just turning one of the knobs in real time, indirectly controlling the modular. It was a blast. The real fun came though when I remembered that you can set parameter locks in realtime record mode; just twist the knobs and your actions are recorded via param locks. With this feature I was now simply tweaking controls while the sequence played and they were automatically recorded. Sequencing filter cutoffs and FM indexes was extremely immediate and intuitive feeling. It was fantastic!<br /><br />Now, after both long sessions, I sat down to think about what functions that I would be loosing by giving up the A-155, A-154, and A-190 for the Pro-2000 + MD combo.<br /><br />I wasn't loosing any glide/portamento as that exists on the MD (and I could patch in the dual bissell anyway).<br />I wasn't loosing any functionality in trigger sequencing. I'm gaining functionality there.<br />I was loosing some ease of doing "one shot" sequences. It can be done with the MD though, through song mode/linked patterns.<br />I was gaining an easier way to implement swing to the sequence. Something I had overlooked until now.<br />...<br /><br />There was more, but it all either came out as a tie, or ended up being better with the MD+Pro-2000. <br />All of it except for using the A-155 as an 8 input/output switch, particularly with the A-154 random and CV addressing capabilities. That couldn't be done with the MD. But, then I remembered the <a href="http://www.analoguehaven.com/doepfer/a152/">A-152</a>. It gets me that exact function, and more. And it's only $175.<br /><br />So what I've decided (or at least almost decided, still trying not to rush the decision) is to part with the A-190, 155, 154 and pickup the Pro-2000 and an A-152. :D<br /><br />Anyone in the market for a 155 + 154 combo? A-190 MIDI-CV?<br /><br />[UPDATE]: The 155 and 154 are sold. A-190 is still up for sale though (includes the AD5 5v adapter)felixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12909814258262935650noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30722259.post-25864138215643242242008-09-23T23:17:00.001-07:002008-09-23T23:17:46.439-07:00Sequencer MachineWhile it doesn't have a lot to do with this post, I recently traded my MachineDrum MkI and Monomachine MkI for a MachineDrum MkII (plus some cash). This was a fantastic deal as I had been using the Monomachine less and less since I got the modular set back up and the MD was always my favored one of the two. the MDmkII is great, but I'm getting off track...<br /><br />Lately I've been coming close to filling up the Doepfer Single Monster Case. I know, crazy right? But I was starting to think about starting to save for a <a href="http://www.analoguehaven.com/doepfer/monsterbaseframe/">Monster Base</a>. But, it's a lot of money, and it means I would eventually spend even more than that filling it up with modules; not only would it be a tough financial purchase, but it would ensure future financial purchases. I know the modular thing "never ends", but at some point I need to try.<br /><br />So, while weighing the difference between getting the Monster Base and not, I quickly found that there's already existing modules that I want that I do not have enough room for, let alone whatever really cool shit comes out in the next year or so. Not getting a Monster Base and sticking with the Monster Case would mean getting rid of modules. Tough.<br /><br />So a couple weeks go by and I'm digging into the MachineDrum more than I have in a while, and one of these things was trying out the MIDI machines, which allow step sequencing of MIDI notes as well as up to 6 MIDI CCs per machine (1 machine per track). I played around with sequencing with these MIDI machines and it was surprisingly in fact, I found it easier than sequencing the MnM. For each step, you simply parameter lock a different pitch, and further different note length, pitch bend, mod wheel, etc. In other words, it was actually a great sequencer for melodies as well as CCs (although I only did a little of sequencing CC values, same principles applied though).<br /><br />This got me thinking...the biggest module in my system is the A-155 sequencer, and that's without the A-154 controller. Plus, one of my most common uses of the 155 was sequencing triggers, something I very recently found more enjoyable to do via the MD rather than the 155. The other thing is that many aspects of the 154 controller could be programmed via the MD, either via Song mode or linking patterns. Sure, not quite as cool as voltage control, but it means that the MD is almost feature comparable to the 155+154 combo, so long as you have a MIDI-CV converter.<br /><br />The A-190 has been great, but it's only a single MIDI channel, 2 cv, gate, reset and clock output. Meaning that I'd need at least one second channel to match the A-155's two sequence rows. And of course, what would be better would be two independent channels so that each channel could have and independent clock, one moving at 8th notes and one moving at 16th notes for example. That would be a significant benefit over the A-155.<br /><br />So I started looking at the <a href="http://www.analoguehaven.com/kenton/pro2000mkii/">Kenton Pro-2000 mkII</a>. This thing really would be the ticket. Not only does it have 2 separate "main" CV channels (each can respond to a different MIDI channel) it also has 6 auxiliary CV outputs controlled by assignable MIDI CC values, also can respond to different MIDI channels, or the same channel). This would mean I would have full control via the MachineDrum sequencer. And, each main CV output is switchable between 1v/Oct and 1hz/Volt scales. It has other features too, 2 programmable LFOs as well as portamento, and more, but the above are the real important ones to me. I've come to the conclusion that the MD + Pro-2000 makes a serious bad ass sequencer/modular controller.<br /><br />So, let's take it down to brass tax:<br /><br />Monster Base - $1200 - Additional 336HP (unknown additional cost of filling that case up)<br /><br />vs.<br /><br />Pro-2000 mkII - $600 - Additional 82HP (A-155, A-154, A-190).<br /><br />I know, doesn't seem to quite add up right? Paying 2x as much would get me 3x the space with the Monster Base, but there's that unknown additional cost of eventually filling that up. And the MD+Pro-2000 seems to add a considerable amount of additional functionality, at least in terms of sequencing. Plus, I'd really like to start <i>saving</i> money again soon. ;)<br /><br />So, what do you guys think? I know it's never fun to hear someone's not trying to <i>expand</i> their system, but I think this is the best move, both monetarily and functionally.felixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12909814258262935650noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30722259.post-52260160045583285792008-09-01T16:26:00.000-07:002008-09-01T16:30:55.139-07:00Me and the A-188-2 part waysI really wanted to get into the <a href="http://www.analoguehaven.com/doepfer/a188-2/">A-188-2</a> but I just can't. I can't quite figure it out.<br />I've heard some people make some amazing sounds, crazy feedback, and evolving textures, but I just can't get the hang of it.<br /><br />If you are looking to pick one up, let me know. Post in the comments or send me an email:<br />james *dot* cigler *at* gmail *dot* comfelixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12909814258262935650noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30722259.post-46105212774200334222008-08-27T00:00:00.000-07:002008-08-27T22:25:33.666-07:00Zorlon Cannon Arrives!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-RhLU0COVS_bQgatgB8i1prwvXBOh5mbyH0LtjFFzM_XeC-yKnxpeiE5JgzqMP6nCYepbe-6LwxhKTOGaINET2F2UoxYlNEV9A2nqe_u_BaFaNTd1Yg6mJiLi0Xd-FcBAhAW_/s1600-h/IMG_2838.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-RhLU0COVS_bQgatgB8i1prwvXBOh5mbyH0LtjFFzM_XeC-yKnxpeiE5JgzqMP6nCYepbe-6LwxhKTOGaINET2F2UoxYlNEV9A2nqe_u_BaFaNTd1Yg6mJiLi0Xd-FcBAhAW_/s400/IMG_2838.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239089392135747586" /></a><br />OMG, I love this module! <br /><br />It's so fun. At first I thought it was going to be kind of kitschy, but the tones that are available are really quite interesting and very unique sounding. It sounds super rad through the Polivoks (who'd a thought, right?!). It's almost not quite enough that you cannot have all 8 different possible tones simultaneously. It's really fun to pick 4 and cycle through them with a sequential switch, clocked from the CLK OUT on the Gates half of the Zorlon.<br /><br />The psuedo random gates are very fun too; mixing all 4 together with some kind of bi-polar mixer (A-138c) to make a pseudo random pitch sequence for the pitch input of the noise generator is too much fun, and the clock output allows you to clock other modules (like your EGs, or the aforementioned sequential switch) to it. <br /><br />I know what you're thinking...clips or it never happened...I'll get them soon enough. For now, settle for the pic.<br /><br />[UPDATE]<br />Here's a nice demo patch I made last night, but was too lazy to record (that's why the picture above still has cables patched in). The Zorlon Cannon is of course the main sound source, the 4 outputs (4bit-switch down, 5bit and 9bit-switch up, 17bit-switch down) are going to a Doepfer A-151 Sequential Switch, the output of which goes to a Harvestman Polivoks modulated by a Dual Cyclotron and A-143-1, and finally through have of a Plan B M13 low pass gate, opened by an M10 EG. The Pitch for the Zorlon noise outputs comes from the Zorlon's pseudo random gates, being mixed by a Doepfer A-138c bipolar mixer. The Clock Out on the Zorlon is triggering the M10, whose End Of Cycle output triggers the A-151 sequential switch.<br /><br />So basically what you are hearing is the pseudo random gates generating the pitch sequence, the various noise outputs being "selected" by the sequential switch, and finally filtered by the Polivoks and made "plucky" by the M13 + M10.<br /><br /><embed src="http://share.ovi.com/flash/audioplayer.aspx?media=felixinferious.10023&channelname=felixinferious.public" width="145" height="60" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed><br /><br />Enjoy.felixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12909814258262935650noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30722259.post-70756236316953269122008-08-11T20:59:00.001-07:002008-08-11T20:59:35.226-07:00Official Member of the Monster Case Club<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj1Auotgdoe0NdMym4RpSc7gz7GnoCqwSaI8wao8x1uBHEq5lbb5E7u090u0z0v_VVhvIpH0UAueZo531jMdKcESepzUgrnONeJvdFNonGh0yle6cVCX0gsaLGTNmbA-pk9Gdz/s1600-h/photo-775227.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj1Auotgdoe0NdMym4RpSc7gz7GnoCqwSaI8wao8x1uBHEq5lbb5E7u090u0z0v_VVhvIpH0UAueZo531jMdKcESepzUgrnONeJvdFNonGh0yle6cVCX0gsaLGTNmbA-pk9Gdz/s320/photo-775227.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233475958471037106" /></a></p>This case is too rad! It's the perfect width, perfect height, and <br>fits just about perfectly on my desk.<p>Unfortunately, I seem to have run out of screws, so I wasn't able to <br>mount all my modules, the Malgorithm and A-188-2 BBD being two stand <br>outs. However, I'm pretty sure the Eurorack screws are just M35 <br>screws, which can easily be obtained from the hardware store.<p>On thing thing that I'm also short on is patch cables! :D. It's been a <br>while since I have been able to cook up a large patch, and I had a <br>pretty good one going here, until I ran out of cables.<p>The Tyme Sefari is super fun, and a fantastic performance module. It <br>feels very natural to "play" rather than "patch-up", but that just <br>might be my personal preference. I may have to move I out of that <br>corner, but that seems the most logical place for it, towards the end <br>of the signal path. All that playing with the TS got me thinking <br>about a Harvestman only performance system again!<p>The Plan B M17 module is fun too, and actually much more useful for my <br>kind of patches than I realized. I like to have certain events <br>trigger other events, so I generally really like modules that have <br>trigger outs, particularly ones that occur at the end of some stage <br>(like the M24, M10, A-143-1 and -2). What the M17 basically does is <br>add trigger outs for other modules that don't have any such feature. <br>A perfect example would be an EG where you wanted a trigger or gate at <br>the end of the attack phase. That's easily handled with 1/3 of the <br>M17. The NOT outputs for gates/triggers is also extremely useful for <br>trigger other events when the rest of the M17 is not triggering <br>anything.<br>Very cool with sequencers and EGs, the trigger outs are also awesome <br>for firing the vactrols on the M13. This really is a fantastic <br>module, I'm surprised they are not more popular.<p>I hope to get to more videos soon, but the next two weeks are going to <br>be pretty busy for me. We shall see.felixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12909814258262935650noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30722259.post-77206400840759932852008-08-10T13:14:00.000-07:002008-08-10T13:16:11.994-07:00Doepfer Single Monster Case<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAs4jfPzPpSta0ahbYIRbUsofbvDS5T6VxHhxWsbmkjJZJp_7ba5pEhn-pIs8RocL3moZtKo2syuB6EEbKJkhM3mJg29CUVP4H-RgUBLNVLFDWXMZx-ae5RBrmJxaizQNWlQrm/s1600-h/photo-771996.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAs4jfPzPpSta0ahbYIRbUsofbvDS5T6VxHhxWsbmkjJZJp_7ba5pEhn-pIs8RocL3moZtKo2syuB6EEbKJkhM3mJg29CUVP4H-RgUBLNVLFDWXMZx-ae5RBrmJxaizQNWlQrm/s320/photo-771996.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232985458727978786" /></a></p>Went to Santa Monica yesterday to pickup the case as well as have <br>lunch with Shawn and <a href="http:// <br><a href="http://noisesource.blogspot.com">noisesource.blogspot.com</a>">Noisesource</a>.<p>In addition to the Tyme Sefari and A-134 and A-165 that I ordered, <br>Shawn easily persuaded me on a used Plan B17 and Malgo that he had, <br>which you can see pictured.<p>I also got to hear the Elby Synthacon filter which is absolutely <br>crazy. It sounds super mean and aggressive.<p>I can't wait to get this thing home and all the modules racked up. <br>We're driving back up Monday morning, so expect some pics late Monday <br>night!felixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12909814258262935650noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30722259.post-77104847534199350432008-08-08T00:27:00.001-07:002008-08-08T00:27:35.235-07:00AFG Harmonic Animation inputsSo, I just noticed this, otherwise I would have put this in the video, <br>but the PWM +/- and PPM +/- input pairs in the AFG are normalled. For <br>example, if you apply some voltage to PWM- in, it will also apply to <br>PWM+. Patching PWM+ then breaks the normalization.<p>Pretty handy and a great feature!<br>Kudos Mike!felixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12909814258262935650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30722259.post-49329305694402054652008-08-03T17:13:00.000-07:002008-08-03T21:43:56.975-07:00AFG Demo Video Pt 1.I elected to only do part of my planned demo for the AFG because, I just don't feel prepared to do it justice yet. I haven't spent as much time with it as I had the other modules before making video demos, and I don't think I could adequately show off what it's capable of.<br /><br />However, what I did think I could do was to show off what most folks are interested in regarding the AFG, and that was the Anti-Matter mode and Harmonic Animation Saw/Pulse waveforms. I hooked up my $40 ebay scope and got to demoing.<br /><br />[UPDATE] I forgot about YouTube's (lame) 10 minute video limitation, so I had to split "part 1" into two parts. :P<br /><br />AFG Waveforms<br /><object width="425" height="350"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/tEZqTnlFe3Y"> </param> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/tEZqTnlFe3Y" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"> </embed> </object><br /><br />AFG Harmonic Animation<br /><object width="425" height="350"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/T_-1yLSWOno"> </param> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/T_-1yLSWOno" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"> </embed> </object><br /><br />For those who just can't wait for Pt. 2 here's a patch I worked on last night while watching the <a href="http://trashaudio.blogspot.com/2008/08/trashuniverse-live-webcast-now.html">trash_audio livecast</a> last night. It's two AFGs, one (triangle wave) FMing the other (alien saw wave) with harmonic animation being modulated by the Vulcan. The pitch is being distributed to the Exponetial inputs of each AFG via the Plan B M23 ASR, which is sampling the Ring Mod output of the Dalek Modulator. The M23 is also distributing to one of the FM inputs of the Freuquensteiner, which is also being modulated slightly by the Dual Cyclotron. The machinedrum is providing the rhythm as well as the clock for M23 ASR (using the MD's GND-IM impulse machine). The random stereo panning is provided courtesy of Ableton Live...which reminded me that I need to pickup an A-134 panning module.<br /><br /><embed src="http://share.ovi.com/flash/audioplayer.aspx?media=felixinferious.10022&channelname=felixinferious.public" width="145" height="60" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed><br /><br />I'm working on this track further for my album. This track is entitled "A Visit To The Shroud".<br /><br />Enjoy.felixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12909814258262935650noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30722259.post-15202222981561088782008-07-30T09:13:00.000-07:002008-07-30T23:24:21.941-07:00AFGs Arrive!!!<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPGGetoB-cEJKOekvsIQeWguAS0trVW_u08hsEOavlRSDHfwH3icACGPjL8wJ0EYI7AfpFCqMTAzXsTKKzPd7TKUl9IMk57YtLQ6d4XAck3Prwe5AFm4L0JjYzXFd-wb-Lr-lN/s1600-h/photo-713884.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPGGetoB-cEJKOekvsIQeWguAS0trVW_u08hsEOavlRSDHfwH3icACGPjL8wJ0EYI7AfpFCqMTAzXsTKKzPd7TKUl9IMk57YtLQ6d4XAck3Prwe5AFm4L0JjYzXFd-wb-Lr-lN/s320/photo-713884.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228855599881788546" /></a></p>8D<p>Of course they have to arrive in the morning *before* I have to go to <br>work!<br /><br />[UPDATED]<br /><br />Ok, so I played around during the day at work - shh, don't tell - and I am absolutely blown away! And, I'm pretty sure I've only just scratched the surface.<br /><br />As most people have no doubt guessed, the real stand outs of the AFG are the harmonic animation features of the square and saw waves and the Matter / Anti-Matter. You no doubt have guessed what the harmonic animation sounds like (PWM on steroids) but you probably have no idea what the Anti-Matter mode does. Well, it makes it sound fucking awesome, that's what it does!!<br /><br />Here's the first short demo. This is the animated square output, with the two oscillators of the Dalek in LFO mode and modulating the PWM+ and PWM- parameters (note, this is only half the parameters for harmonic animation). The start of the clip is with no modulation, and slowly I increase the CV amount for PWM- first and then PWM+. I let it get a little crazy and "bottom" out the PWM- cause I think it sounds cool. Then comes a sweep of the Frequensteiner filter. After the sweep, I engage the Anti-Matter mode. BOOM! Another filter sweep, then a quick pop back to Matter mode, and then back to Anti-Matter mode.<br /><br /><embed src="http://share.ovi.com/flash/audioplayer.aspx?media=felixinferious.10017&channelname=felixinferious.public" width="145" height="60" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed><br /><br />In this demo, we're listening to the standard square wave output. First a filter sweep, then engage Anti-Matter, then another sweep, and another quick A/B between Matter mode and Anti-Matter.<br /><br /><embed src="http://share.ovi.com/flash/audioplayer.aspx?media=felixinferious.10018&channelname=felixinferious.public" width="145" height="60" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed><br /><br />Finally here's the PWM output (yes, the PWM is separate from both the Square *AND* the Animated Square !!!). Same deal, starts with no modulation, I increase the modulation, filter sweep, Anti-Matter mode, another filter sweep, A/B Matter and Anti-Matter one more time. The PWM is absolutely sick!<br /><br /><embed src="http://share.ovi.com/flash/audioplayer.aspx?media=felixinferious.10019&channelname=felixinferious.public" width="145" height="60" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed><br /><br />Remember all of these sounds are with *A SINGLE AFG*!<br /><br />So, on to a less "educational" patch. Here's the Sine outputs of each AFG into each half of the ring mod of the Dalek Modulator. The pitch changes are from the Plan B M23 Analog Shift Register. It's sampling the output of the Dual Cyclotron, clocked by Difference and Square outputs of the Vulcan modulator (I switch halfway through the patch), and each of the 4 outputs are going to the FM inputs of each AFG; one is set to Linear response, and the other Exponential on each AFG. It reminded me of a retro computer. About halfway through the clip, I start playing with Anti-Matter mode. First on the "modulator" AFG, then on the "carrier" AFG, and then finally on both.<br /><br /><embed src="http://share.ovi.com/flash/audioplayer.aspx?media=felixinferious.10020&channelname=felixinferious.public" width="145" height="60" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed><br /><br />And, at last, here's the piest de resistance. I've been into drones lately, so here's a patch I worked on throughout the day.<br />It's one AFG, using the Animated Saw output. Each half of the Vulcan is modulating the PPM+ and PPM- (I like these on the saw instead of the PWM+/-). The Sub Out of this AFG is set to Saw and plugged into it's own FM input, set to Exponential and adjusted just a tiny bit. This really fattens it up. I must say, I really like the FM'd saw sound on the AFG. I didn't like it at all on the M15, but I really like it here. Finally, the AFG is in Anti-Matter mode.<br /><br />The "whine" sound in the clip is the Dalek modulator ring mod out, tuned to a harmonic of the first AFG. The "dry" saw part of the drone is just that...it's the second AFG tuned to the same note as the first AFG, using the Saw output. I can't remember now if it was using Anti-Matter mode, but I think it was not.<br /><br />The Frequensteiner filter is being modulated by the Dual Cyclotron, both the Aux and Main outputs. Throughout the clip, you'll hear me adjust the volume of each of the sounds, the filter cutoff, and the modulation amount of the filter.<br /><br /><embed src="http://share.ovi.com/flash/audioplayer.aspx?media=felixinferious.10021&channelname=felixinferious.public" width="145" height="60" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed><br /><br />Enjoy. Video demo should be ready end of day sunday. i hope.felixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12909814258262935650noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30722259.post-33605965471822232622008-07-24T22:59:00.001-07:002008-07-24T22:59:29.403-07:00Substitute Rig<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0V8pAiLL5tfKkMEdQ9YSaIhadv4e-nIz8L6kICc1hBM4b63KzlUkO3jxM2DyG0UbPKflDc634aqvjrfv_hvoQ_x3Ha5oStXLq6cSm6eQUuRNNDuWXTzE2QqIRdtDBiataRLhC/s1600-h/photo-769406.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0V8pAiLL5tfKkMEdQ9YSaIhadv4e-nIz8L6kICc1hBM4b63KzlUkO3jxM2DyG0UbPKflDc634aqvjrfv_hvoQ_x3Ha5oStXLq6cSm6eQUuRNNDuWXTzE2QqIRdtDBiataRLhC/s320/photo-769406.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226827321763946322" /></a></p>This is what I've been working with the last few days. It's actually <br>really fun to take away a bunch (in this case, like half) of your <br>modules and just see how well you can work with just a select few.<p>In this particular patch, I was getting re-aquainted with using the <br>Livewire Dual Bissell to smooth out the rising and falling edges of <br>the square waves coming from the Dalek Modulator. You can really get <br>some subtle timbre changes with that alone. It's like being able to <br>low-pass filter only parts of the waveform. Actually, that's not what <br>it's like, it's what it is!<p>Another fun thing that I was doing here was driving the sequencer <br>(clock) with the MachineDrum. One of the MachineDrum machines, GND- <br>IM, sends a simple impulse, which happens to be plenty hot enough to <br>function as a trigger for the modular. So I simply sequenced the <br>pulses in the MachineDrum and the modular locked perfectly to it. <br>I'll definitely be exploring that functionality more real soon.<p>Speaking of triggers, I've lately taken to using trigger pulses <br>instead of EGs to hit the M13 low pass gates. Those vactrols respond <br>so smoothly, you'd never know an EG wasn't used. In this patch, I'm <br>using two of the trigger rows from the A-155 sequencer to open each <br>gate on the M13.<p>The basics of this patch are two halves of the Dalek, processes <br>through the Dual Bissell, and then each half goes into each half of <br>the M13, which are being opened, as I mentioned, by the triggers on <br>the sequencer, which is being clocked by the machinedrum.<p>Finally, to add a bit of character, I'm taking the ring mod out of the <br>Dalek, gating it with a A-132 linear VCA (opened by the M10, being <br>triggeres by the sequencer) and processing that through the A-188-2, <br>and mixing it in with the main signal described before.<p>I'm still having some trouble with the interface, so I'll leave it <br>patched up until I can record it.felixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12909814258262935650noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30722259.post-71885492313249895532008-07-20T19:24:00.000-07:002008-07-20T20:08:35.631-07:00I'm BAAA-ACK......in the saddle again!<br /><br />So here's the latest. I'm going to be getting a Single Doepfer Monster Case. Shawn's hooking a brotha up, as always. I'll be picking it up the weekend of August 9th, I'll be down in LA anyway, so I'll just swing by the new AH shop :D.<br /><br />In the meantime, thanks to the boundless generosity of <a href="http://www.fdiskc.com/">mr. bdu</a>, I have a loaner 6U Doepfer rack to tide me over until I take delivery of the Monster Case.<br /><br />Once I got it home, I immediately picked a few modules (Livewire Dalek, Vulcan, and Bissel, Plan B M13 and M10, Doepfer A-155, A-138c, A-132, A-188-2, and Harvestman Polivoks) and started in on a patch. <br /><br />This was my first time with the A-188-2 and it seemed so well suited to noisy stuff, I went in that direction.<br /><br />Unfortunately, I seem to be having some issues with my audio interface and can only get a few minutes of recording before it dies. This is the longest clip that I was able to get. <br /><br />The sound source is the Dalek Ring Mod out, with one row of the sequencer controlling the pitch of one oscillator. That is being filtered by the Polivoks and run into the A-188-2. The Polivoks has a bit of self modulation (BP output patched to CV1) being attenuated by one half of the Vulcan and the A-132 VCA. The other half of the Vulcan is clocking the A-155 sequencer. <br /><br />The A-188-2 has two outputs, each output has it's own delay tap mixes as well as overall Wet/Dry balance. One output of the A-188-2 (the noiser part of the patch) is going to half of the Plan B M13, being opened by the M10, which is being triggered by one trigger row on the sequencer. The other half of the A-188-2 is going to the other half of the M13 which is being opened directly by one of the trigger rows of the sequencer. The M13 vactrols almost make EGs unnecessary for plucky sounds. <br /><br />So the intro is that second half of the A-188-2...I'm turning the mix from 100% wet to about 15% wet. Then, I slowly turn the balance on the Plan B M13 so you hear more and more of the noisy signal. <br /><br />After that, it's just messing with adding triggers on the sequencer rows. <br /><br />Then it cuts out >:(<br /><br />I left the patch together, just in case I figure this interface problem out tonight.<br /><br /><embed src="http://share.ovi.com/flash/audioplayer.aspx?media=felixinferious.10016&channelname=felixinferious.public" width="145" height="60" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed><br /><br />Enjoy.<br /><br />PS. Got Twitter? hit me up: twitter.com/jamesciglerfelixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12909814258262935650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30722259.post-27304072663602442272008-06-22T22:52:00.001-07:002008-06-22T22:52:44.493-07:00A hero lostNot synth related at all...but one of my heros has <a href="http://uk.reuters.com/article/mediaNews/idUKN2339172520080623">just died</a>.<br /><br />RIP George Carlin. You were the greatest.felixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12909814258262935650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30722259.post-56789910664507634482008-06-22T17:39:00.001-07:002008-06-22T17:39:26.328-07:00Modular Cabinet Update - EPIC FAIL!The title just about says it all.<br /><br />I should have listened to that voice in my head six months ago that said "whatever you build, it's not going to be 'good enough' and you'll just be disappointed. You'll justify it by reminding yourself constantly that you saved money". That would have been mildly valid had I been able to build the case in short order...but I didn't, it's been six months since I sold my Doepfer A-100P cases. For just $150 a month during that time period would have paid for the difference of the Doepfer Monster Case.<br /><br />I spent all this morning and majority of the afternoon gathering the up the final materials (of which only 80% was obtained) and started building the case. I even got some nice red oak wood normally used for kitchen cabinets and had the guys at the lumber yard cut it for me, since all I have at home is a shitty old jig saw and oak is hard shit. Oh yeah, and it was $80 of Oak so I didn't want to fuck it up.<br /><br />I was able to finally find some small corner brackets that I could use for mounting the Vector rails. They would work, but they weren't perfect. A minor issue, but it bugged me.<br /><br />I searched everywhere for a nice thin, but sturdy piece of wood for the back of the case. Plywood was overkill, and ugly as fuck. Even though I wouldn't see it, it just seemed wrong to screw down this shitty plywood on $80 of sweet Red Oak. Everything else was too thin and flimsy.<br /><br />After driving around most of Campbell and Saratoga to all the various hardware stores (Ace, OSH, and Home Depot...the trifecta), I finally returned home and got started putting the case together.<br /><br />Of course, I have no jigs or anything...not even a proper workbench, so the glueing process started to get messy. I thought, "fuck it, I'll just skip the glue...the corner brackets should be fine". Well they weren't, the case was flimsy as fuck. And, despite what looked like an extremely well planed piece of Oak, it wasn't perfect and the corner joints did not align well and there were some slight gaps/overhangs. Again, not a big deal, but it was another one of those "fuck it, it's just cosmetic" things.<br /><br />At this point, the sturdiness of the thing was starting to bother me. If you would have pushed it a little hard from the side, I'm sure all the screws from the corner brackets would have ripped right out of the Oak. "Well...", I thought, once I get the module rows mounted in, that will reinforce it well. So I brought one row outside to mount in the case.<br /><br />But, as I was sliding the row in, I found that the inner dimensions of the case were to small...the rails were too big by about 1/8 of an inch.<br /><br /><b><i>FUCK!</i></b> <- I yelled this so loud, I'm pretty sure my whole neighborhood heard me. One guy thought I had drilled my hand or something.<br /><br />I spent the next half an hour thinking about what would be better/easier... using the spare couple feet of Oak that I had left to replace the one side, making the case slightly too big *or* take the vector rails down to a local metal shop and get 1/8" trimmed off each one.<br /><br />The latter seemed extra complicated since 1) I didn't know of a local metal shop setup for this and 2) If I fucked that up somehow, then I'd been even more set back. And, of course, it would be more downtime...the modules still wouldn't have a case.<br /><br />So I opted for the former, which would make the case less sturdy (since the rails wouldn't be butted right up against the wood...the mounting bracket would make up the difference, and it would look sloppy...oh yeah and there would about 1 foot and 1/2 of extra Oak that I would have to cut with my crappy old jig saw.<br /><br />After measuring twice, I made the best cut I could with the jig saw. It actually took 3 minutes to cut through 10" of 3/4" thick Oak with that fucking saw and I had to actually pause twice to catch my breath and get a grip on the saw handle. After it was done, I re-attached the side and took a step back. It looked like shit! And it wasn't level! FUCK FUCK FUCK!<br /><br />"You're 90% there", I thought to myself, "just mount the rails and see how it looks". So I did, well one row anyway, which was all I had patience for. The row wasn't perfectly parallel with the front edge of the cabinet and because the mounting brackets were making up the extra space, the whole row could slip around a lot. The case was barely any less wobbly than when the rails were not mounted.<br /><br />And it looked like absolute shit.<br /><br />So that's it. I'm fucking done. I'm ordering a Doepfer Monster Case first thing Monday. I'm too pissed off at this point to chalk it up to a learning experience. And, the only thing I learned, if anything, is that I should listen to initial gut instinct.<br /><br />So...<br /><br />Now that you've read this horror story...if you are thinking of making your own cabinet, I have parts which I'd love to sell to you ;) No, seriously, the Vector Rails (including nuts and screws for the modules), the +/- 12V/15V 3A power supply, and Doepfer power bus boards are all up for sale. If you are interesting, just send me an email. I'm sure to have calmed down by then, and promise to be as helpful as I can.<br /><br />james.cigler at gmail dot com<br /><br />In the meantime, I'm going to hang myself... and try not to fuck it up.felixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12909814258262935650noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30722259.post-24128020783768794172008-05-31T18:21:00.000-07:002008-05-31T18:32:39.451-07:00Modular Case - Progress Made!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2392/2539502861_503daa8f67.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2392/2539502861_503daa8f67.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />I decided that I would finally get some shit accomplished this weekend and so far, so good.<br /><br />I went to the local surplus store and got the right length screws this time. They actually have Torx heads, which looks really cool compared to regular phillips head screws. I didn't go through and remove the screws for the modules that I had racked up already, but I'll do that eventually.<br /><br />I racked the rest of the modules into the vector rails and stacked them up. Now all I need is to find some 90 degree angle mounting hardware for the rails and some nice looking wood to build the case. I <span style="font-style:italic;">hope</span> to have that wrapped up this weekend too, although, the yard really needs some attention too.<br /><br />The spaces in the top row are completely arbitrary, although Harvestman Tyme Sefari, Zorlon Cannon and Malgorithm will go up there somewhere, hopefully all in the very near future.<br /><br />The large open space on the lower left is for the AFGs, which are due to arrive anytime now, since I've got two from the first batch. The 2nd open space, in the lower-middle is for a Plan B M14 Voltage Processor and the Livewire Chaos Computer, whenever that gets released.<br /><br />All in all, I'm pretty pleased with how it looks. It's actually not as big as I thought it would be in terms of size, both height and depth. It should still be very portable (it's a little smaller than a Doepfer Monster Case).<br /><br />Off to the hardware store!felixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12909814258262935650noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30722259.post-84628465470612320252008-05-22T18:43:00.000-07:002008-05-22T18:52:23.733-07:00I *LOVE* the MonoMachine<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRn616XlwVmmW5pH9L3bHzZQgQ9ZSITK62QnjiQOF6FKOIv54TcDPnwgDl3JE9djOJ9NYdeO0Z2t89hqSMFpTWTDO39nRUUq7Pdm1qluJcmEHfCqV8W48m3_y7_vlgnw9ZZ9zu/s1600-h/Photo+218.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRn616XlwVmmW5pH9L3bHzZQgQ9ZSITK62QnjiQOF6FKOIv54TcDPnwgDl3JE9djOJ9NYdeO0Z2t89hqSMFpTWTDO39nRUUq7Pdm1qluJcmEHfCqV8W48m3_y7_vlgnw9ZZ9zu/s320/Photo+218.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203385187046464930" /></a><br />What a great way to follow up the previous post, eh?<br /><br />I'm not sure what took me so long to post about it, but two weeks ago I took delivery of a MnM mkI. It's fantastic. It's just as fun (and creatively challenging) to program as the MachineDrum and the sound is very unique and punchy. I won't say I'm totally wild about the sound yet, but it definitely has some rad qualities. I'd have to say my favorite machine so far is SID (SidStation / C64 emulation) but I have barely dipped into the FM-based machines.<br /><br />Since I'm still in my "Reason phase"† with it, I can't really talk much to the depth of it's functionality or my connection to it yet.<br />However, Jyoti Mishra (of whom I have no idea) made a very succinct post that explains my thoughts much more clearly than I could.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.bzangygroink.co.uk/wordpress/archives/2005/12/19/monomachine-vs-walter-benjamin/">Check it out</a>.<br /><br />† A "Reason phase" is my term for the time period in which you have just recently purchased some piece of gear and the easiest thing for you to make with it is repetitive techno. It's named this because for the first 6 months that I had Reason, all I made was awful, repetitive, techno. :Dfelixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12909814258262935650noreply@blogger.com3