Sunday, 6 May 2018

Synthi 100 Live, Melbourne Australia

Synth 100 live
Wed, May 16, 2018. 3.30pm to 4.30pm AEST
Looking forward to this live performance which will be streamed over the net from Melbourne, Australia.

https://events.unimelb.edu.au/events/10402-synthi-100-live

The EMS Synthi 100 will be played by Interactive Composition staff David Haberfeld, Anthony Lyons and Mark Pollard. This project connects to the Grainger Museum exhibition, Synthesizers: Sound of the Future.

The Granger Museum is well worth a visit;
The Grainger music studio houses a VCS3 MK1, VCS3 MKII, Synthi AKS (which included a keyboard) and the EMS Synthi 100.  The studio was set up by Geelong-born composer Keith Humble, a friend of Donald Banks (the Australian Composer).
Donald Banks commissioned the original EMS VCS1 which was the forerunner of the more famous VCS3 & Synthi 100.
 

NLC Hyperchaos Deluxe


These are my build notes for the NLC Hyperchaos Deluxe module.
It's a nonlinearcircuits eurorack  module.

It's based on the: 

NLC - Primal HyperChaos 



There are 10different CV outputs and 2gate outputs

The CV IN is associated with the CLIMAX pot which determines how high the peaks go. The module can be greatly influenced by the CV in signal and can exhibit some fairly nutty responses at times.

Use a fast PWM signal on gate input to get different operating frequencies, change to pulse width to vary


The virgin PCBs
The Rate input can be used in a few different ways:
 1. With nothing patched in the circuit operates in slow mode
 2. With a cable patched in, but its other end hanging loose, the circuit operates in fast mode. 
 3. Feed a gate signal to the Rate input and the circuit will vary between fast and slow modes (gate high = slow)
 4. Feed a fast clock signal and you can get the circuit to operate at different speeds. 

This is quite dependent upon the frequency of the incoming clock and can take some tweaking to get right. If the clock is too fast it will mainly appear to be in slow mode
NLC is as aussie as vegemite.





Politenessman is a comic.... from National Lampoon.
It's true, even synths look better on doilies.



Headers, etc




NEXT, insert LEDS.


Links:
+ NLC Wiki
+ NLC Buildnotes

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e6e99e8bd2f8a6de8454feb/t/602e63c5855fc5303351d699/1613652938255/HYPERCHAOS+DELUXE+build+and+BOM.pdf

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Squid - Randomiser

 You can randomize the pitch, velocity, Midi CC, gate and mute state of each step.


Go to global settings to set the global randomization settings.
1.  Press Global & scroll to the randomizer setting.
2.  Trigger type -- fully random or euclidean
3.  Pitch Type
            Key based -- fully random,
             Set min & max pitch range

   



Links
Randomizer video

Umeda Sky Building

This is very close to Osaka's main railway station.
Definitely worth a visit. The view from the roof is superb.

This is a model of the building.

The view of the skydeck from the ground.

The architect is Hiroshi Hara, the Japanese architect who also designed Kyoto Station. It was completed in 1993. the 173 meter tall building consists of two 40 story towers. These are joined at the top by a ring-like observation deck.
 
The escalator crosses the wide atrium-like space in the center

The top observatory is called the "floating garden", but its devoid of plants.






 A view of the Yodogawa river running to the sea.








For more travel postcards click here:

Wednesday, 2 May 2018

Alesis HR-16 Drum Machine

I'm considering selling my HR-16
Its been a handy drum that I've owned for many years but I seem to be moving back into Euro drums these days so i might let it go.

Some pics before I sell it.



tHE instruction manual is in the lid.
 The HR-16 have been used by the likes of  OMD (Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark), Arrested Development, They Might Be Giants, Orbital, The Grid, Autechre, Sub Dub and the Stereo MC's.

 iT HAS its own built in sequencer, but also has midi in and out... for clocking. Syncing can also be accomplished with tape sync.

The internal SEQUENCER can be recorded in 2 classic modes:
A- step mode (resolution up to 1/64 th)
B- real time with 10 quantizes levels and 9 swings/shuffle levels.
This was one of Alesis's first drum machines, with 49 samples including 10 kicks & 7 snares, 7 toms, 3 HH, 3 cymbals, 21 percussion.
The sounds were stored on internal ROM. (It is possible to reprogram the PCM EPROMS with custom sounds).

 Kick Drums: 22 inch Power Kick,- 24 inch Power Kick, 22 inch Deep Kick, 20 inch Swift Kick,- 22 inch Double Head Kicks , 22 inch 60's Kick , 22 inch Gated Kick , Electronic Kick 1 , Electronic Kick 2
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Snares: 8 inch x 14 inch Wood Snare , Ambient Wood Snare , Brass Piccolo Snare , Gated Snare , Electronic Snare, Rim Shot Snare , Side Stick Snare , Brush Hit Snare


Toms:  10 inch Power Tom , Power TOM , 10 inch Double Head Tom , 14 inch Double Head Tom, Electronic Tom

High-Hats:
Closed High-Hats A&B , Half-open High-Hat , Open High-Hat 13 inch , Foot-closed High-Hat

Cymbals: Ride Cymbal , Ride Cymbal Bell , Crash Cymbal

There were also lots of unusual percussion sounds like:
Timbale , High & Low Conga , Large Woodblocks , Small Woodblocks, A&B Cabasa , Maracas A&B
  Shaker , Agogo Bell , Medium Cowbells , Large Cowbells , Triangle , Tambourine 16 inch , Handclaps,  Finger Snaps, Drum Sticks 

It came out in 1988. 
Though the 16 bit drum sounds are at times cheesy, but they can be tuned and they each have individual level controls for mixing.
 oNE of the reasons I might keep this is to circuit bend. There are a number of websites with what look like great mods. Circuitbenders mods them £90.
https://www.circuitbenders.co.uk/drummachine/HR16.html


Weight is 3kg



Links:
http://www.burnkit2600.com/hr-16/
https://evanpaschke.com/projects/alesis-hr16/
http://www.bentstruments.com/alesis-hr-16.html

Tuesday, 1 May 2018

Triple Sloth - NLC Build notes

These are my revised build notes for the Nonlinear circuits triple sloth.

It's a module in Eurorack format that contains 3 chaos circuits.
This most recent variation of the sloth is a evolution of the original 4HP sloth module I built in 2015.
It was called the super sloth back then. You could build 3 different versions of the module basically by changing the capacitors.

Andrew later came up with a 12HP version This had 3 types of sloth chaos.
It was actually 3 of the supersloths mounted behind one 12HP panel.
Notice the differing sizes of Electro caps.

The new 2017 sloth uses just 2 PCBs.

nlc Words of wisdom.

 All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.


 Totally agree. Give me Gluten !!!
Live fast, Die GG ????
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 Back to the build.
 ICs first
DONT do this:
Wrong side !!!!.... the board was accidently reversed

Below is the correct way:
.....the side the jacks & pots are placed on IS the side with no printing on it.


The Diodes d1 & D2 need to be reversed.

Change R7  to 330K
 




Links:
+ NLC Wiki
+ NLC Build notes & BOM


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