A second Morley Serge video.
Mainly exploring the Analog Shift Register (ASR) and the triple wave shaper
Lovely acid mixed with dripping water.
Ken S. says that most of the PCBs date from around 1974/75.
...predating the rise of the Roland 303 by nearly a decade.
The 1973 serge filter is a 2 pole, 12dB LP & HP.
(With 6dB slopes on the BP).
Most of the acid sounds are care of the 12db High Pass.
The modules used are:
Serge '73 Oscillators x 3
10 stage sequencer
programmer x 2
Noise source
Negative Slew x 2
Envelope Generator
Send & receive
Mixer
Filter '73 x 3
Analog Shift Register (ASR).
Triple wave shaper (TWS).
The basic patch:
Patch a Neg Slew to cycle & use it to clock a Programmer Sequencer.
A CV from channel 1 of the programmer is fed into the ASR.
The ASR is clocked by the same Negative Slew.
The ASR produces 3 CVs which control the pitch of 3 VCOs.
VCO 1 (saw) ---> triple wave shaper -----> filter ----> BP out ---> mixer.
TWS is modulated by a 2nd Neg Slew, & the filter with some pink noise.
VCO 2 (saw) ----> filter ----> LP ---Mixer
The filter is further modulated with Cv from the ASR.
VCO 3 (sine) ----> Filter -----HP out ---> mixer
The filter is modulated with Cv from a noise module & the Envelope Generator.
Wednesday, 19 February 2014
Tuesday, 18 February 2014
To the Beautiful Girls of Milton
Ken just sent me these pics he took during the restoration of the reverb unit from the Morley Serge.
It reads " Folded Line....manufactured by beautiful girls in Milton Wis."
His response:
Ha Ha :-)
It reads " Folded Line....manufactured by beautiful girls in Milton Wis."
His response:
Ha Ha :-)
Friday, 7 February 2014
Serge paperface (Morley) - Test 1
A first test after restoration.
Just experimenting with some of the modules
looking for cool sounds. This Paperface is 40 years old.:-)
Many thanks to Ken Stone who did
a wonderful job.
Modules used:
Serge '73 Oscillators x 4
10 stage sequencer
programmer x 2
Noise source
Triple comparator
positive Slew
Negative Slew x 2
Send & receive
Mixer
Filter '73 x 2
Phaser
The basic patch:
Patch a Neg Slew to cycle & use it to clock a Programmer Sequencer
Oscillator 1 (saw) is patched into one filter. I've patched it's LP out to the mixer.
This provides the bubbling sounds. I've modulated the filter with some pink noise.
Osc 1 receives a bit of extra modulation from the programmer's row 2.
Oscillator 2 (Saw) patched into the phaser ----> mixer.
I patched a pulse from stage 5 of the programmer to trigger.
Oscillator 3 (Saw) ----> waveshaper ----> Mixer
The waveshaper is modulated by a positive slew.
Oscillator 4 (sine) -----> waveshaper ------> filter (HP out) ------> mixer.
The filter is modulated by a neg slew. This slew is clocked/triggered from a pulse
from the first stage of the programmer.
The waveshaper is modulated by Cv from row 3 of the programmer.
Just experimenting with some of the modules
looking for cool sounds. This Paperface is 40 years old.:-)
Many thanks to Ken Stone who did
a wonderful job.
Modules used:
Serge '73 Oscillators x 4
10 stage sequencer
programmer x 2
Noise source
Triple comparator
positive Slew
Negative Slew x 2
Send & receive
Mixer
Filter '73 x 2
Phaser
The basic patch:
Patch a Neg Slew to cycle & use it to clock a Programmer Sequencer
Oscillator 1 (saw) is patched into one filter. I've patched it's LP out to the mixer.
This provides the bubbling sounds. I've modulated the filter with some pink noise.
Osc 1 receives a bit of extra modulation from the programmer's row 2.
Oscillator 2 (Saw) patched into the phaser ----> mixer.
I patched a pulse from stage 5 of the programmer to trigger.
Oscillator 3 (Saw) ----> waveshaper ----> Mixer
The waveshaper is modulated by a positive slew.
Oscillator 4 (sine) -----> waveshaper ------> filter (HP out) ------> mixer.
The filter is modulated by a neg slew. This slew is clocked/triggered from a pulse
from the first stage of the programmer.
The waveshaper is modulated by Cv from row 3 of the programmer.
Petra Panoramas
The Treasury. Al Khazneh. dated around 1st century BC. Cut right out of the sandstone cliff.
A nice fusion of Greek & Middle Eastern Architecture.
It's quite amazing how well preserved it is. Probably due to its well protected location in the valley.
The details in the upper capitals are still crisp... like they were carved yesterday.
Petra was discovered as late as 1812 by Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt.
Felt pen drawing done on an earlier 1999 trip.
This is the eastern entrance to the city. Its a dark, narrow gorge called the Siq (The Shaft). About 1.2 Km long it at times opens up into large sunlit spaces. Dotted with trees here & there, you walk over ancient Roman/Nabatean road.
The famous Indiana Jones view.
The place of high sacrifice. Perched high above Wadi Musa there are dramatic views over Petra below.
The two 6m obelisks probably probably represent the chief male and female Nabatean deities, Dushara and al-Uzza. Whats amazing is that these are solid. The mountain top was removed to leave them standing.
Most likely animal sacrifice, ritual exposure of the dead (as practiced by Zoroastrians of Persia) and offerings to the god Dushara took place here. Did human sacrifice occur? Maybe, though no one is certain.
This is the view from the place of high sacrifice as are the two directly below.
The amphitheatre has been cut directly into the hillside. Dated to the 1st Century AD its most likely
Hellenistic not Roman. The Greeks tended to build their theatres into the natural hillside.
The Romans probably restored the theatre after they took over. Seats about 9,000.
Roman road ... about 106 CE
The name "Monastery" is a misnomer. It was probably a temple dedicated to King Obodas I. He was worshiped as a god after his death.
Though not as ornate as the Treasury it looks like it's much bigger. Carved out of the side of the mountain it dominates the surrounding landscape.
View of the Monastery from the "High Place". Breathtaking views over Petra.
Petra Byzantine Church
Monday, 3 February 2014
The Morley Serge drawings
One of the first things that drew me to Serge were the beautiful graphics.
Many of these early builders were artists who often covered their synths with collages & drawings.
By placing their own unique marks they imparted some of their personality and soul.
So when I saw the David Morley Serge I wondered where its artwork had come from.
It looked classical???
My sculpture teacher Kevin Norton, suggested I search Michelangelo's drawings & frescos.
The obvious place to start was the Sistine Chapel. A bit daunting as the ceiling covers a large area.
As it turned out, the images came not from the ceiling but from the far altar wall.
For a better picture click here
This fresco, titled "The Last Judgment" was painted by the Italian Renaissance master Michelangelo between 1536 and 1541.
It depicts the second coming of Christ. He is in the centre flanked by saints.
Humanity is being judged. The good rise to heaven and the damned are dragged into hell.
The above image is of St. Bartholomew. He holds his own flayed skin. We might find this image bizarre today, but Christian art commonly showed the saints brandishing the
means of their own martyrdom.
There is a funny story surrounding this particular image. Back in the 16th century artists (as is the case today)
had to fight for commissions and often had to suffer the judgement of critics. The flayed skin is apparently a portrait of one of Michelangelo’s harshest critics. “You flayed me while I was alive,” Michelangelo allegedly told the critic. “Now I'll flay you for all eternity.”.
Above we have a section named "The Resurrection of the Dead".
The colours of the Serge pictures have now faded. Probably these images were pulled from an art history text book or a art magazine from the 70's?
The images above show the boatman Charon ferrying the damned into hell. Charon was featured in Dante's Devine Comedy and also in Virgil's Eneid. Legend says that he carried the souls of the dead across the rivers Styx and Acheron.
The Righteous are raised into Heaven.
He was a papal Master of Ceremonies & complained that "nude figures had no place in such a sacred place, and .... the paintings would be more at home in a public tavern".
It seems that Michelangelo again had the last laugh. He portrayed Baigio as Minos, one of the three judges of the underworld. Baigio complained, but the Pope refused to force Michelangelo to remove the image, saying "he had no jurisdiction over hell".
Anyway, one can only guess about the religious nature of the images for the Serge.
The builder's name is still unknown. Was he an artist? Is he spiritual?
Anyway, part of the mystery behind the Morley serge is now solved.
Thanks Kev. You're a legend.!!!
Many of these early builders were artists who often covered their synths with collages & drawings.
By placing their own unique marks they imparted some of their personality and soul.
So when I saw the David Morley Serge I wondered where its artwork had come from.
It looked classical???
My sculpture teacher Kevin Norton, suggested I search Michelangelo's drawings & frescos.
The obvious place to start was the Sistine Chapel. A bit daunting as the ceiling covers a large area.
As it turned out, the images came not from the ceiling but from the far altar wall.
For a better picture click here
This fresco, titled "The Last Judgment" was painted by the Italian Renaissance master Michelangelo between 1536 and 1541.
It depicts the second coming of Christ. He is in the centre flanked by saints.
Humanity is being judged. The good rise to heaven and the damned are dragged into hell.
There is a funny story surrounding this particular image. Back in the 16th century artists (as is the case today)
had to fight for commissions and often had to suffer the judgement of critics. The flayed skin is apparently a portrait of one of Michelangelo’s harshest critics. “You flayed me while I was alive,” Michelangelo allegedly told the critic. “Now I'll flay you for all eternity.”.
Above we have a section named "The Resurrection of the Dead".
The colours of the Serge pictures have now faded. Probably these images were pulled from an art history text book or a art magazine from the 70's?
The images above show the boatman Charon ferrying the damned into hell. Charon was featured in Dante's Devine Comedy and also in Virgil's Eneid. Legend says that he carried the souls of the dead across the rivers Styx and Acheron.
The Righteous are raised into Heaven.
Baigio da Cesena as Minos (s)
Baigio da Cesena was another severe critic of Michelangelo.He was a papal Master of Ceremonies & complained that "nude figures had no place in such a sacred place, and .... the paintings would be more at home in a public tavern".
It seems that Michelangelo again had the last laugh. He portrayed Baigio as Minos, one of the three judges of the underworld. Baigio complained, but the Pope refused to force Michelangelo to remove the image, saying "he had no jurisdiction over hell".
Anyway, one can only guess about the religious nature of the images for the Serge.
The builder's name is still unknown. Was he an artist? Is he spiritual?
Anyway, part of the mystery behind the Morley serge is now solved.
Thanks Kev. You're a legend.!!!
Thursday, 30 January 2014
TB 303 - Edge of Motion - Set Up 707
This is one of my favourite old acid tracks.
Released in 1992 ..... I still had pimples on my face back then.
Dutch Duo Dylan Ermine & DJ Madskillz (aka Gert -Jan Schonewille) teamed up to become Edge of Motion and released this dance floor killer.
Gert -Jan was behind the 707 and Dylan behind the 303.
My take of it:
There are two parts to the 303 bass line.
Part 1
Released in 1992 ..... I still had pimples on my face back then.
Dutch Duo Dylan Ermine & DJ Madskillz (aka Gert -Jan Schonewille) teamed up to become Edge of Motion and released this dance floor killer.
Gert -Jan was behind the 707 and Dylan behind the 303.
My take of it:
There are two parts to the 303 bass line.
Part 1
Part II
Monday, 27 January 2014
TB 303 - New Order - Confusion - Pattern
Just mucking around with my old 303.
I still love it after all these years.
So decided to try a remake of an old New Order track - "Confusion".
It dates from around 1983.
Gear used:
Roland TB 303 (Acid Bass)
Roland TR 707 (Drums)
Roland RE-201 Space Echo (Reverb)
The remix I really like was done by Pump Panel and was used in the opening of the
cult vampire flick "Blade" from 1998.
I've tried to keep this mix close to the one used in the movie .
The pattern is very simple. It uses just 2 notes: G & A#
Step Note Transpose Accent Slide Time
01 G No No No Note On
02 G No No No Note Held
03 G Down No No Note Held
04 G No No No Note On
05 A# No No No Note off (rest)
06 A# Down No No Note On
07 A# Down No No Note On
08 A# No No No Note Off
09 A# Down No No Note On
10 A# No No No Note off
11 A# No No No Note on
12 A# No No No Note held
13 A# No No No Note on
14 A# No No No Note on
15 A# No No No Note off
16 A# No No No Note on
I still love it after all these years.
So decided to try a remake of an old New Order track - "Confusion".
It dates from around 1983.
Gear used:
Roland TB 303 (Acid Bass)
Roland TR 707 (Drums)
Roland RE-201 Space Echo (Reverb)
The remix I really like was done by Pump Panel and was used in the opening of the
cult vampire flick "Blade" from 1998.
I've tried to keep this mix close to the one used in the movie .
The pattern is very simple. It uses just 2 notes: G & A#
Step Note Transpose Accent Slide Time
01 G No No No Note On
02 G No No No Note Held
03 G Down No No Note Held
04 G No No No Note On
05 A# No No No Note off (rest)
06 A# Down No No Note On
07 A# Down No No Note On
08 A# No No No Note Off
09 A# Down No No Note On
10 A# No No No Note off
11 A# No No No Note on
12 A# No No No Note held
13 A# No No No Note on
14 A# No No No Note on
15 A# No No No Note off
16 A# No No No Note on
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