Monday, 27 November 2023

Charlie Munger (01/01/1924 - 28/11/2023)

 The great man passed today (Nov 28).
Aged 99. 

This post has nothing to do with synths, but I just wanted to take a moment to reflect 
on a life of someone who I respect deeply and have tried to emulate in m own small way.
His death passed without much fanfare. He didn't make the 7pm news and probably only people
in the investment community would know who he was.

Most will remember Charlie either as an investor or for his great wealth and philanthropy, but
I think of him as a philosopher and as someone who was ethical & honest.
Munger survived a depression, and two world wars. He spent his life “avoiding traps,” — for instance he lived in the same modest home for 70 years. “In practically every case, [fancy houses] make the person less happy, not happier,” he told CNBC. 

Luxuries (like expensive cars, jewelry & ostentatious  houses) make you less free if you let them dominate your life. Even owning too many synths can be a problem. The old saying "less is more".
I think, the the other "traps" Charlie may have been referring to were avoiding people he didn't respect.
Munger lived modesty stating I "don't have a lot of envy" and "don't overspend (my) income".
He (and his friend Warren B) set an example of how to live a good life.

Some of my fav quotes. 
(Though many of these quotes relate to the investing community, I think they are relevant to everyone. 
Investing really is just applied psychology).

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People calculate too much and think too little. Remember that reputation and integrity are your most valuable assets—and can be lost in a heartbeat. Go to bed smarter than when you woke up. Envy is a really stupid sin because it's the only one you could never possibly have any fun at.

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“There is no better teacher than history in determining the future... There are answers worth billions of dollars in 30$ history book.”
― Charles T. Munger, Poor Charlie's Almanack: The Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger

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To get what you want, you have to deserve what you want. The world is not yet a crazy enough place to reward a whole bunch of undeserving people."

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“How to find a good spouse?
-the best single way is to deserve a good spouse.”
― Charles T. Munger, Poor Charlie's Almanack: The Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger

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"I constantly see people rise in life who are not the smartest, sometimes not even the most diligent, but they are learning machines. They go to bed every night a little wiser than they were when they got up and boy does that help, particularly when you have a long run ahead of you."

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“Acquire worldly wisdom and adjust your behavior accordingly. If your new behavior gives you a little temporary unpopularity with your peer group…then to hell with them.”
― Charles T. Munger, Poor Charlie's Almanack: The Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger

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“In my whole life, I have known no wise people (over a broad subject matter area) who didn't read all the time -- none, zero. You'd be amazed at how much Warren reads--and at how much I read. My children laugh at me. They think I'm a book with a couple of legs sticking out.”
― Charles T. Munger, Poor Charlie's Almanack: The Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger

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"The great investors are always very careful. They think things through. They take their time. They're calm. They're not in a hurry. They don't get excited. They just go after the facts, and they figure out the value. And that's what we try to do."

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"If you want to be a good investor, you have to have a long-term perspective. You have to be willing to be very patient and wait for the right pitch. And when you get the right pitch, you have to be ready to swing hard. You can't just take a little teeny tiny swing. You have to swing with all your might."

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“It takes character to sit with all that cash and to do nothing.
I didn't get top where I am by going after mediocre opportunities.”
― Charles T. Munger, Poor Charlie's Almanack: The Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger

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"I always laugh when people talk about how they're going to learn how to invest. It's not a subject you learn in a few weeks. It takes a lifetime to learn how to invest properly."

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"The big money is not in the buying and the selling, but in the waiting."

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“We all are learning, modifying, or destroying ideas all the time. Rapid destruction of your ideas when the time is right is one of the most valuable qualities you can acquire. You must force yourself to consider arguments on the other side.”
― Charles T. Munger

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"I don't have to be an expert on every company, or even many. I only have to be able to evaluate industries and the leaders within them."

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"You're not learning anything if you're not making mistakes."

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“The best armour of old age is a well spent life perfecting it.”
― Charles T. Munger, Poor Charlie's Almanack: The Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger

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"I believe in the discipline of mastering the best that other people have ever figured out. I don't believe in just sitting down and trying to dream it all up yourself. Nobody's that smart."

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“If something is too hard, we move on to something else. What could be simpler than that?”
― Charles T. Munger, Charlie Munger: The Complete Investor

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Wednesday, 22 November 2023

Sequencers using 1.2V/Oct (Buchla format)

Analog synthesizer manufacturers typically adopt one of several standards:
Hz per volt - used by Yamaha and Korg 
1V per octave - used by Moog, Roland, ARP and Doepfer
1.2V per octave - used by Buchla and EML 
0.32V per octave - used by EMS
0.26V per octave - used on oscillator 3 of the EMS VCS3 

I've been playing a lot recently with my old Buchlas esp after visiting Japan and seeing some great Buchla performances..

Buchla voltage specs vary a bit between 100, 200 & 200e series.
Not all modules react the same.
So be careful when you first test these sequencers out.
For safety, I start with the lowest pulse setting on my sequencer and see if it will
trigger a gate or envelope, then work my way up

A brief guide :

Pulses first.
Pulses from the 281e are +15 V, for about .5 ms.
Pulses from the 225e and 222e are a 9V to 10 V spike/short gate with a 5 V sustained "gate." 
One of the 3rd party modules that I use, the Pendulum/Ratchet has pulses 
which are 1 ms long. The pulses can be changed to either 10 V, or about 14 V.
(this depends on what resistor pack is installed).
The 250e outputs a spike of 8.5V. The spike duration is only 0.5ms.

Note: Buchla pulse outputs include a 10v trigger and a 5v gate/sustain and allow pulses to be combined and sustain to be held even while triggering new events. 

CVs
CVs are from 0-10 V. So try to refrain from using -ve voltages .
A module such as the 251e outputs CVs between 0.0V to 9.9V

--------------------------------------------

The precise  Buchla audio & CV levels fluctuated over the decades:
100 series Buchla had audio at 0dBV .... roughly 1 volt RMS.
Pulses are 15V and CVs range between 0V & +15V.
Early 200 series Buchla used audio levels of +4dBV... Professional line level  of +1.736 RMS
Pulses are 15V and CVs range between 0V & +15V. for early 70's 200.
Late 200 Buchla  dropped the CV range to 0-10V. Audio levels stayed the same at +4dBV
Buchla 200e dropped audio back to 0dBV. Pulses are 10V. CVs are 0 to +10V.

The Buchla Polygot manual is a good reference


 Here is a brief list of sequencers that can output 1.2V/oct


Expert Sleepers

Disting Mk1/2 (Eurorack)
Disting Mk 3
Disting Mk4

Silent way - software
It runs as a plug-in for your DAW









Elektron
A4 - Analog 4

The synth's sequencer has a very flexible CV/gate
config. I use it with Buchla & well as Korg.
The CVs are digitally controlled which makes for high precision.






Endorphin.es


Shuttle control
PITCH 1V/OCT, PITCH 1.2V/OCT AND HZ/V are
the control voltages available

SHUTTLE CONTROL outputs +5V at C4 note 
(the highest voltage SHUTTLE CONTROL can transmit). 
Then 1 octave lower C3 will return +2.5V, C2: 1.25V, C1: 0.625V, C0: 0,313V, C-1: 0.156V and the last one C-2: 0.078125V (with pretty bad resolution however). 

As you may see, the accuracy in the lower octaves is bad and on the edge of SHUTTLE CONTROL's CV resolution possibilities. 

That is why the useful range for controlling such type of synthesizers is roundabout 3 to 4 octaves.









Keith McMillen
QuNexus - keyboard/sequencer
Use the editor to set this to 1 Volt per Octave, 1.2 Volts per Octave (Buchla) , or Hertz per Volt




Kenton

Pro-solo
Pro-2000
Modular Solo






+ Polyend
 

 Polyend 2 - eurorack MIDI to CV converter
   1-4 Gate (0-5V or 0-10V),
   1-4 Pitch (0-10V, V/Oct, Hz/V, Buchla standard 1.2v/oct).
   A really handy module that allows you to use the sequencer
   of your choice















XOR Electronics
Nerdseq - eurorack tracker sequencer

Synthstrom
Deluge - synth/sequencer

The Deluge has been designed to support the widest range of CV / gate standards possible. 
A number of settings are available in the settings menu.

Each CV output may be set, in 0.01V increments, to any value between 0.01V and 2.00V per octave, or to “Hz per volt”. 





Squarp 


Pyramid sequencer

CV V/oct or CV Hz/V, 
or exotic voltages like 1.2, 0.32 or 0.5 V/oct.










Korg SQ- 64
Tracks A,B and C are for melodic/chords tracks and all have GATE/CV and MOD control voltage outputs for modular gear 





CV out can be: Hz/V, 0.26V/oct, 0.32V/oct, 1V/oct, 1.2V/oct  - 
with voltage bias adjustment and 0V reference note adjustment (per track)
Gate out: 10V, 5V, V-Trig, S-Trig
Mod out: 0V-10V,  voltage bias adjustment
Track D - the drum track has 16 possible tracks, via MIDI with 8 drum trigger 
outputs for working with modular gear.

Sequentix 
Cirklon sequencer


Its a MIDI sequencer but the 
CVIO option adds 16 CV and 8 gate outputs.

The CV outputs support 1V/octave, 1.2V/Oct and Hz/V modes plus portamento/glide and micro-tuning options. 
The gate outputs can be configured in 5V v-gate or S-trig modes.

Pattern lengths are up to 256 steps.





Orthogonal devices
er101-102
This is a eurorack module, inspired by the Buchla 251e sequencer.
Its much cheaper than the Buchla version, but offers many of the same features.
Its perfect for a Buchla-TipTop euro system
  • voltages between 0.000-8.192V at 2mV increments can be dialed in
  • 4-track sequencer
  • stepped and smooth voltage transitions
  • each track has 3 outputs: 2 CVs + 1 gate
  • each track has its own adjustable loop points


Arturia

Keystep pro
By default, the transmitted pitch voltage is compatible with the 1.0 V per octave standard,


To use a 1.2 V per octave or a Hertz per Volt (Hz/V) standard you can change the corresponding setting in the MIDI Control Center.
(Note: the simplier Arturia Keystep only does 1V/oct & Herz/V with the current firmware)

Microfreak
By default, the transmitted Pitch voltage is compatible with the 1v per octave standard.
To use the 1.2 V per octave standard, you have to change the corresponding setting in Utility>CV/Gate>Pitch Format or in the MIDI Control Center.


Gate signals can also have different output ranges (S-Trig, V-Trig 5V, V-Trig 10V). These too can be changed in Utility>CV/Gate>Gate Format or in the MIDI Control Center.









T-1 Algorithmic sequencer (Torso elecronics)
Added 1.2v/oct for compatibility with Buchla gear. CV voltage for pitch outputs is wrapped on both ends of 0-5 volt limit

Future Retro 512


The 512 is a  capacitive touch keyboard, packed with a unique blend of truly musical features to enhance your creative experience. 
The 512 is available with or without the optional rack ears that allow it to fit in a standard 19" rack enclosure, taking up only 4u spaces. 

Why is capacitive touch better? Quite simply, eliminating mechanical moving parts found in traditional keyboards makes a product that will never wear out, as mechanical keyboards do. No more intermittent key contacts, or failed aftertouch circuits to worry about! In addition, capacitive touch provides a much faster response time for playing notes, and allows multiple forms of expression to be executed by the performer. 

There are five main functions of the 512. It can act as a keyboard, arpeggiator, sequencer, MIDI to CV converter, and MIDI to MIDI converter. The 512 can control both MIDI and CV/Gate synthesizers simultaneously. Pitch, Pitch Bend, Mod Wheel, Gate, Velocity, Aftertouch, and Clock are all available in both their MIDI and CV form. 

CV's follow the 1V/Oct standard with positive polarity Gate signals, allowing the 512 to control the majority of analog synthesizers both past and present. The 512's CV output is adjustable providing a range of .47V/Oct to 1.34V/Oct. This then allows you to control other CV standards such as the 1.2V/Oct synthesizers used in Buchla and EML brands as well.

OXI ONE

- V/Oct (most modular and semimodular systems). From -3 to +5 V.
- Hz/V (Korg standard pitch tracking). From 0 to +5 V.
- 1.2V (Buchla standard pitch tracking). From 0 to +5 V


---------------------------------

Final thoughts.
After searching the net, it seems like there are lots of sequencers that you can use to sequence Buchla gear. You can of course use a real Buchla sequencer (of which there are many) , but if you are short of real estate in your system, then an external sequencer is a Ok solution.

In addition, if you have a Buchla Midi to CV converter such as the Bucha 225e or 225h you can of course use a midi sequencer.

Tuesday, 14 November 2023

Nagasaki 1 - japan

 I just arrived in Nagasaki.
Nagasaki is a city located on the island of Kyushu in Japan.
The history of Nagasaki is significant, especially due to its role in World War II and its association with the atomic bombings.

However, the city has a long history dating back to the 7th century where it developed as a port city and became an important center for trade with foreign countries, including China and Portugal.

This is my first view from the overhead bridges outside the JR station.


The city has a gritty "real" feel.


Only in Japan have I seen dogs being pushed around in prams.

Paper origami crane. This greeted me in my hotel room.
Its a city-wide symbol of peace.

Nagasaki is a vibrant and cosmopolitan city known for its historical sites, including the Glover Garden, which preserves Western-style homes from the Meiji era, and the Nagasaki Peace Park. 
The city continues to play a role in promoting peace and nuclear disarmament globally.

Nagasaki's history is a blend of cultural exchange, tragedy, and resilience, making it a unique and historically significant city in Japan.

I first wandered to the waterfront looking for the famous Dejima Island which was for about 400 years the only  centre for communication between the West & Japan.

In the 16th century, Portuguese explorers and traders arrived in Nagasaki, marking the beginning of European influence in the region. 

The Portuguese introduced Christianity to Japan, and Nagasaki played a significant role in the spread of the religion.

This is an art gallery.



The main waterfront. Lots of modern restaurants. ...can't be Dejima







I think I'm getting closer...

In the early 17th century, Japan adopted a policy of isolation (sakoku), cutting off foreign influences to prevent foreign interference. However, Nagasaki was one of the few Japanese ports allowed to maintain limited trade with the Dutch and Chinese during this period.

...

The old western house on the left is a clue.

..
to be continued....

Monday, 13 November 2023

ARP 2600 - VCA

 At the very top of the module is a slider called initial gain.
Gain is another word for volume.

It's really important  control as it sets the volume of the signals which pass through the 2600.
It opens the amp up... as you move the slider to the right.

Normally, the INITIAL GAIN slider will be set to closed (full left).


This "gates the sound".
The envelopes can now open and close the VCA, 
allowing silence in between the times when 
notes are being played.


The VCA has four inputs, two of which are audio, 
two of which are control inputs.

One of the two audio inputs is normalled to the filter’s output.
The other is normalised to the ring mod.

The control inputs are hard wired to the AR & ADSR envelope generators.
The AR generator, is also labeled LINEAR,
while the the ADSR generator, is labeled EXPONENTIAL.
These are response curves.

Remember, that you can use both envelopes simultaneously.
That is, the AR + ADSR can create really complex envelopes
when used together.



















Sunday, 12 November 2023

Fukuoka to Nagasaki - bullet train Shinkansen - Japan

One last look at Fukuoka station & I discovered a Henry Moore sculpture hidden among the Christmas decorations


The label reads :
Draped reclining Mother & Baby
1983-84   Henry Moore

This is the rear of the sculpture.
In a long line buying the ticket

In the window of one of the train station shops I saw a Bonsai for sale.
I've killed lots of Bonsai in my time, so I'm definitely not going to buy this one.

1,650,000 YEN = $16,857.11 Australian Dollars

Love travelling the Shinkansen.

Train food .... Spam Sushi ??
Not bad if you like this processed meat


These are Chinese pork buns.
Actually, you can find many more flavors than pork
You can find these in Lawsons, Family Mart & Seven/11 throughout Japan



Taking the train from Fukuoka to Nagasaki



The Kyushu countryside from the train window
..


This was purchased from the Family Mart at the train station.
Astonishing ! How do they manage to do this???

647 yen converts to $6.60 AUD
It seems it's cheaper to live in Japan, than in Australia.

Finally arrived at Nagasaki station