Sunday, 24 April 2016

Carl Cox Pure - Sydney 23/04/16

Carl Cox at Pure - Hordern Pavillion.
A great night out. Now that Future & the Big Day Out are finished I hope Carl
will be stepping up to the decks more often here in Australia.

A video posted by jono (@dj_jondent) on

The 2016 lineup features Cox himself alongside internationals Joseph Capriati and
 Format:B and locals DJ HMC and Eric Powell.



The 2016 lineup features Cox himself alongside internationals Joseph Capriati and Format:B and locals DJ HMC and Eric Powell. - See more at: http://www.beat.com.au/music/carl-cox-unveils-lineup-pure-event#sthash.JN9VXTwp.dpuf
The 2016 lineup features Cox himself alongside internationals Joseph Capriati and Format:B and locals DJ HMC and Eric Powell. - See more at: http://www.beat.com.au/music/carl-cox-unveils-lineup-pure-event#sthash.JN9VXTwp.dpufC
The 2016 lineup features Cox himself alongside internationals Joseph Capriati and Format:B and locals DJ HMC and Eric Powell. - See more at: http://www.beat.com.au/music/carl-cox-unveils-lineup-pure-event#sthash.JN9VXTwp.dpuf
The 2016 lineup features Cox himself alongside internationals Joseph Capriati and Format:B and locals DJ HMC and Eric Powell. - See more at: http://www.beat.com.au/music/carl-cox-unveils-lineup-pure-event#sthash.JN9VXTwp.dpuf
The 2016 lineup features Cox himself alongside internationals Joseph Capriati and Format:B and locals DJ HMC and Eric Powell. - See more at: http://www.beat.com.au/music/carl-cox-unveils-lineup-pure-event#sthash.JN9VXTwp.dpuf
The 2016 lineup features Cox himself alongside internationals Joseph Capriati and Format:B and locals DJ HMC and Eric Powell. - See more at: http://www.beat.com.au/music/carl-cox-unveils-lineup-pure-event#sthash.JN9VXTwp.dpuf

New Sound Waves Meeting - 17/04/16

It's always lots of fun to meet up with the guys from NSWaves.
I got there a bit late, so many of the guys had gone home.
Still there was much to see & it was a Sunday arvo well spent.


Justin of Metro Modular showing some of his new modules.
Plus his beautiful valve oscillators:

 Justin's facebook page for MetroModular is here:
https://www.facebook.com/Metro.Modular/info?tab=page_info

His website is here:
http://www.metro-modular.com/



They just don't build them like this anymore.




My 12u Buchla:


Tuesday, 19 April 2016

Roland TR 909 Programming Tutorial - getting started

When you first turn the 909 on, it will go into track play mode.
You need it to be in pattern play for it to run a sequence.

....
So before you can do anything with the 909, you will need to do these things:

1. Choose the sync/tempo mode.
2. Choose the pattern bank
3.  Select Pattern Write
4. Clear old patterns.
5. Enter the notes.

1. Sync Mode
    a. Shift + Tempo Mode (Din sync, Midi, or Internal)
        You need to tap the Tempo mode button till the display shows either
         a "0" in the left (Din), a "0" in the middle (MIDI) or the BPM on the right (eg 120)

 2. Choose the pattern bank
      Shift + Either Bank 1 or 2.

3.  Select Pattern Write
     Shift +  Pattern ( there are 3 patterns)
       The pattern write LED that you picked, should start to blink.
       You are now in EDIT MODE.

4. Clear old patterns.
     a. Pattern clear + any of the buttons (with the pattern you wish to clear)
         Hit buttons 1 - 16
        
        If you now press play (on the external sequencer or the internal 909's sequencer), you won't hear
        anything, though you will see the sequencer lights running across the 16 steps.

5. Enter the notes.
     Either use step or tap mode.

    I like step. While the sequencer is playing, enter the notes
    You accent the drums by hitting the buttons twice.

    To get to the Open High H:
    Hold instrument Select + both STEPS 13 & 14 at the same time.


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

Shuffle/Flam
     To adjust the shuffle, you press  Shuffle/flam and one of the buttons 1 to 7.
     You can back it off a bit by going back to 4 or 5...

    Flam uses the buttons 9 to 16.
    Flam is like a ratchet double hit

You can change the time signatures, but hitting scale.
Scale changes the sub division of the pattern.

---------------
MIDI
Use the following procedure to set the MIDI receive channel:
1) While holding SHUFFLE / FLAM, press the appropriate MAIN Key (1 – 16).



    That's basically all you need to get started.

Sunday, 17 April 2016

Korg MS 20 - Notes 1


The MS 20 comes pre wired but the connections can be broken and re-routed using patch cables.


I'll break it up into the following sections
1. Modulation Generator
2. Envelope Generator 1 (Pitch Envelope)
3. Envelope Generator2  (Filter  & main VCA Envelope)
4. Keyboard
5. Mod Wheel & Momentary Push Button
6. Sample & Hold.
7. ESP (External Signal Processor).


1. Modulation Generator
This Korg speak for the LFO


It's  hardwired to three parameters:
a. The pitch of VCO1 & VCO2
b. cutoff of the highpass filter
c. Cutoff of the lowpass filter.

 Here is a close up of the internal routing:

Only the Triangle / Saw waveforms are hardwired . If you wish to use the LFO's square waves, you will need to patch it.


Adjusting the control panel knobs between MG & T.EXT will effect the mix of wave forms

A bit about the T. EXT.
This refers to the Total External input.

Any CV plugged into here will effect the pitch of VCOs 1 & 2, plus the Cutoff of both filters simultaneously.

2. Envelope Generator 1
The patch panel doesn't show clearly where its hardwired too.
You can see that it has 2 outputs: a normal & reverse wave form.

 It's actually connected to the pitch of the two VCOs. (via the frequency input on the patch panel)


 You can apply this envelope to the VCOs by using the EG1 amount control.

If you plug something into the frequency input, you will break the connection between EG1 & the VCOs.


3. Envelope Generator 2
This is wired to the filters and the main VCA.
It controls the filters' cutoff.

The hardwired connection to the VCA cannot be cut, but you can add extra CVs to modify the signals from EG2 via the initial gain jack. EG2 also has a reverse output.

EG2 is applied to the Filters using thetwo EG2 amount controls.
One is for the HP filter, and the other for the LP.
The External inputs give you flexible control over how you modulate each filter.
Above each EG2 control is a MG control. Thus the MG is still connected and can be used in conjunction with the External input sources.

You can plug in all manner of CV like the mod wheel, noise, EG1, the square MG, a sequencer, etc etc.

4. The Keyboard
It's default is to of course send CV to control the pitch of the VCOs.

In addition it sends gate signals to both EGs

You can break the connection to both EGs by plugging something into TRG IN.
Use this is you are using an external sequencer such as an SQ 10 to trigger notes. If you wish to just trigger EG1, use EG1 TRIG IN.

Being able to access the CV of the Keyboard is useful. Use it to control the filter for example.
You may also want to break the keyboard connection to one of the VCOs, by plugging in for example a LFO, the mod wheel or a sequencer.

Thursday, 14 April 2016

Moog Mother 32 - Sequencer shortcuts

The Moog M32 has a neat sequencer. It's a bit cryptic to initially understand the sequencer controls.
Here are some basic shortcuts.

1. Modes of operation
    There are 2 modes of operation: Keyboard & Step
    Use the Shift + KB to enter Keyboard mode
    Use the Shift + Step to enter step mode

2. Memory
       There are 64slots (8 banks containing 8 slots/patterns)
       Each slot can save a pattern of up to 32 steps.
     

   Use shift + Pattern/(Bank) and the (KB)/ (STEP) arrow keys to navigate.
You can also use the keyboard to pick your banks & slots

3. Clearing memory prior to entering notes

    To erase and initialise a  sequence.
     Shift +  reset/accent + Pattern(Bank)
 There will now be a default single note pattern in the slot you have chosen.

4. First recordings:
    To record your sequence:
    a. enter KB mode ( Shift + KB)
     b. press (Shift) +  (Rec)
         The tempo LED which is normally a flashing red, will change to solid yellow.

    c. enter your steps.
        You can change octaves with the (KB)/ (STEP) arrow keys

5. Editing the sequence
       
    You can edit individual steps either while you are entering the notes, or after.
     You can do this either while paused on a note, OR
      by pressing shift & the note (you wish to edit).

   a. Rests
   To enter rests, just press the REST button instead of a note. (indicated with LED 8)
        
    or if you are changing a existing sequence,
     Press shift & the note (you wish to edit). The lamp under the step you are editing will blink.
     Then press the rest button.

      There are 4 other parameters you can edit per step:

       b. Gate length
           To edit the gate length of an existing note,
           Press shift & the note (you wish to edit). The lamp under the step you are editing will blink.
           Use the Gate length knob to change gate length..
           As you sweep the knob, the octave lamps with change to show the gate value.
             There are 8 gate length increments.
              1 = shortest length ( 1/8) the step length
              8 = Longest = a Tie
              The sustain switch must be engaged to hear gate length changes.
   
      c. Glide
           Press shift & the note (you wish to edit). The lamp under the step you are editing will blink.
           Use the glide knob.
           LED 5 (Octave location ) will light green during editing & playback to indicate that
           glide is active per step. (The glide value is global & not set per step)

       d . Ratching (or re-trigs)
            1-4 ratchets per step. Timing is scaled to the tempo
             The number of ratchets is displayed on the Octave LEDs (yellow)
             LED 6 (Octave location ) will light green during editing & playback to indicate that
            ratching is active per step.
             Press shift & the note (you wish to edit). The lamp under the step you are editing will blink.
             Press Shift & Turn the Glide knob.

       e. Accents
           Press shift & the note (you wish to edit). The lamp under the step you are editing will blink.
           Press the accent buton
            LED 7 (Octave location ) will light green during editing & playback to indicate that
            accents are active per step.

6. To save a sequence:
     a. First pick where you want to save it.
     b. Press Run/Stop (Rec).
     c. Press (Shift)+ Run/Stop (Rec).
     d.  Press (Shift)+ Run/Stop (Rec) again, to save to the current location..

      to save to a different location, use the Left/Right arrows to choose a  new slot
      and then press (Shift) + Run/Stop (Rec). 
   




Wednesday, 13 April 2016

Basic Chord theory - major chords & chord progressions

 These are some basics of chord theory and chord progressions on a really simple level to get started on Abelton.
They’re important for developing the structure of a song.
A chord consists of two, three or more notes that are played together at the same time. 
An example of a chord is called a triad.  This uses 3 notes.
 
 A chord progression is a series of chords played in a sequence.
 
To play a chord you need a polyphonic instrument.
Monophonic instruments are not suited for chords as they are limited to producing one note at a time.
 
Chords are built from a root note. This is usually the one with the lowest pitch.
 

Examples of which include:

  • Major
  • Minor
  • Augmented
  • Diminished
I'll cover major chord structure here.
Other's will be covered in later posts 

Major chord
A major chord/triad is built from a root note, a major third and a perfect fifth.  
Major triads are characterized by a happy and uplifting sound.
 
To build one you start with the root note, then add a note 4 semitones up.
Add the next note 7 semitones from the root.
 
The C  maj chord contains three notes – C, E and G
 
 

 
The F Major chord has these notes -- : F A C
 

 
 
The G chord
 G Major: G B D
 
 

 

 A major consists of the notes, A – C# – E


 

 Chord progressions.
This is a G maj chord which progresses to a A major chord.
All I did was copy the G maj chord, paste then raise it 2 semitones to make the A major chord.
This is a very basic chord progression.
 
 

Below is a F major to D maj chord progression


C-Major Chord Progressions

the C major scale has 7 notes, which means that there are 7 chords in the key of C major.
They are:
C major,D minor,E minor,F major,G major,A minor,B dim
 
Common progressions in the chord of C major are
C-G-C ( this is called a I-V-I progression)
C-F-G
C-F-C-G
C-G-F
C-Dm-F-G
C-Am-F-G (I-vi-IV-V)
C-G-Am-F (Called a I - V- vi - IV progression)
C-Am-Dm-G 
 
---------------------------------------------------

 

F-Major Chord Progressions

The F major scale has 7 notes. They are F G A Bb C D E.
The triad chords in the key of F major are F major, G minor, A minor, Bb major, C major, D minor, and E diminished. 
You can also add sevenths to these chords. 
These could be either a major seventh or a dominant seventh.
 
F - Bb - C
F - Dm - Bb - C
Gm7 - C7 - Fmaj7
 
 


 

Tuesday, 12 April 2016

Quick & dirty DIY Buchla to Euro conversion

These are my quick and dirty DIY notes for a Buchla to Euro power converter.
This blog is my diary for ideas, projects etc that are on going. It helps me to remember details that I usually loose if I don't write down.

This will probably change as I refine the circuit. if you have any suggestions for improvements, please let me know.

Buchla provides -15,+15,+12,+5.
Euro needs +12,-12,+5.
So we need a -12V for Buchla & Euro modules to exist in the same case.
Using a L7912CV voltage regulator.
 http://www.st.com/web/en/resource/technical/document/datasheet/CD00000450.pdf


This was my first attempt using perf board.
In the first attempt, the caps were both 1uF electros

Attempt # 2 ... using a 1uf & 2.2uf cap.

I built this for a friend about a year ago and he reports that it's still happily chugging along.
It might be a good idea to add a heat sink to the regulator. C1 is required for stability. A tantalum is recommended, though in this mock up I used a straight electro.

If electrolytics are used and you are planning to run lots of euro maybe ten times (or more) value capacitors should be selected.???

AND: a high current diode from input to output (1N4001 or similar)
should be introduced to protect the device from momentary input short circuit.

29/0416
Some new pics care of Cobramatic.
Paul has used tanties and he reports no problems.
This board doesn't use a heatsink -- will see how this goes over time.

The Buchla (BEMI) power board is on the top.


Disclaimer: 
I take no responsibility if this damages any Euro or Buchla modules or starts a fire. 
Modular gear requires care and more that a casual understanding of electronics.
Don't build this if you are not totally confident with your soldering skills.
These are just working ideas that will be refined over the coming years.