Cuba - Havana 1

A few pics taken on a recent trip to Cuba.
The beautiful old buildings are undergoing graceful decay.

 

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

For more Travel Postcards Click Here

For more on Cuba Click Here

Elektron A4 synth & Rytm drums - Entrancer

Analog Four, Elektron Rtym & a Buchla 200 modular synth,

The track was recorded in a single take. No audio processing.
I'm using a combination of LZX modules & a Korg entrancer to process the video.

Some pics of the setup:

hERE is a link to the audio file for this composition.

And finally, below is the same video pre video manipulation:

Video on a oscilloscope

Exploring vector rescanning.

Found this video (it's not mine) but I'm experimenting
using the LZX modular system to do a similar thing.


Input the video signal into the z-input of your scope and supply the X & Y inputs with
ramps.

 The circuit uses a LM1881 IC - Its a video sync separator.

Here is another video using the same idea:
Creating X and Y sawtooth ramp signals from the vertical and horizontal sync pulses.

Schematic is here:

Using a Tektronix 485 in XY mode
There is a useful muffs post on Vector Rescanning

Op-amp basics

A friend of mine was asking about op-amps the other day.
They are used extensively in the synth world.
I found this great little video and thought I'd share.
It's very basic but a great introduction to this very important
building block of electronic music.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K03Rom3Cs28

Around 7.15 into the video is a integrator circuit.
It's a classic way to convert a square wave to a triangle wave.

Elektron Analog 4 & Rytm - Feedback 2

The Elektron A4 & Rytm are a great pair. They are made for each other.
Though the video is processed, the audio was done in a single live take.


Below is a free link to some high quality Wav files of this video
If you wanna have a go at remixing this be my guest.

I've had a few requests for a version without the video editing. ...so everyone can see the machines without the video synthesis getting in the way. Here it is:

Roland 808, 303 & Jomox 888

Love the Jomox 888. Those kicks stand up well next to the Roland 808.
We (jondent & cobramatic) are just having a bit of fun on a sat arvo.


After a good red everything sounds better... The 303 devilfish is very very different to a standard 303.
Takes a bit of getting used to.

You can download the audio files from this video here.

A visit to Non Linear Circuits - Perth, Western Australia

While on a recent trip to Perth I dropped by to visit my friend Andrew F of  Nonlinear Circuits.

I got to meet Pinky :-)

This is "Synth Porn"

And even more famous than Pinky are Randy & Bill

Randy is on the left. Bill who is only 4 months old is on the right.

Back to the synths:

The CellF Voice Synth.

This is all Eurorack format, consisting of :
2 tri-core VCOs 
2 LFOs 
2 LPGs 
3 VCAs 
VC spring reverb 
diff-rectifier 
jerkoff chaos 
2x  Buchla inspired 281 EGs 
Sauce of Unce (SOU). Based on the Buchla 265

A new NLC Serge format Panel.

This comprises:

Two VCOs

The Veena panel (synth module attempting to replicate Indian string and drone instruments)

diff-rectifier 

Vibes (a collection of fixed filters) 

VCA

Mixer

This is part of an electronic analog computer which Andrew rescued many years ago.  It's programmed using patchcords that connect op-amps, capacitors, resistors, etc. to carry out calculations.

                                A adder circuit. It's a lovely illustration of how the Op amp's
                                    negative feedback can be used to do computations.

 This circuit adds the 3 inputs.

Vout = -R4[V1/R1+V2/R2+V3/R3]

                                                                     The integrator.
This op-amp circuit performs the mathematical operation of Integration. 

 The output voltage is proportional to the integral of the input voltage. (ie: the size of the output is controlled by the length of time a voltage is present at its input). This is determined by the negative feedback capacitor which charges/discharges.

I'm not sure of the age of this computer. Maybe 1950s /  1960's ????

It's beautiful though. 

 Pieter Brugel-the-elder, "The Triumph of Death"

  c. 1562. The original can be found in the Museo del Prado, Madrid 

Skeletons hauling a wagon full of skulls.

Death is indiscriminate. We will all have to face it one day.

An early valve synth

All pics are reproduced with the kind permission of NLCs.