Thursday, 20 August 2020

Nebula Best Sci Fi Novel awards 1960s

During this lockdown I've decided to start reading all the Sci fi I can.
It's a guilty pleasure to actually have time to read something frivilous, not related to work.
There are so many great novels from the past 70 years which I haven't read.
Sci fi isn't just Star Wars & Star Trek.
The Nebula & Hugo awards are awesome places to search for quality reading material.
The Nebula Awards are handed out by the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America and their annual event celebrates the books of the previous year.
The Nebulas started in 1965.

"Dune" & the "Left Hand of Darkness" are of course old classics that most sci fi readers would be familiar with. The "Moon is a Harsh Mistress" is an all time classic. It was a runner up for the Nebula in 1966. I think Elon Musk said it was his favorite Sci Fi Novel. There are so many great books written by Robert Heinlein .. Starship Troopers, Stranger in a Strange Land, Farmer in the Sky, Double Star, Glory Road, The Number of the Beast.

Another runner up for the Nebula is "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Phillip K. Dick.
This was turned into the Ridley Scott movie "Blade runner". It's probably one of my most influencial films. Esp because of the soundtrack composed by Greek electronic musician Vangelis and
his Yamaha CS-80


The Nebulas - Awards by Year
https://nebulas.sfwa.org/awards-by-year/

1965 -
Dune by Frank Herbert

















1966
1966 (tie)- Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keyes
1966 (tie)- Babel-17 by Samuel R. Delany

1966 (tie)- Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keyes 

     Publisher    Harcourt, Brace & World
Publication date
    April 1959 (short story)
March 1966 (novel)
Media type    Print (hardback & paperback)
Pages    311 (novel)[1]
ISBN    0-15-131510-8
 
First published in the April 1959 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction  (F&SF)


 

 


The short story, written in 1958 and first published in the April 1959 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, won the Hugo Award for Best Short Story in 1960. The novel was published in 1966 and was joint winner of that year's Nebula Award for Best Novel (with Babel-17)


***



1966 (tie)- Babel-17 by Samuel R. Delany


 Publisher    Ace Books
Publication date
    May 17, 1966
Pages    173













  1966  Runner up:
1966 - The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein, published by G. P. Putnam’s Sons
  
Serialized in If magazine from December 1965 to April 1966.
(See Below)















1967 -
The Einstein Intersection, by Samuel R. Delany
          published by Ace
Publisher    Ace Books
Publication date
    1967
Media type    Print (hardback & paperback)
Pages    142 pp












1968 -
Rite of Passage by Alexei Panshin

Publisher    Ace Books
Publication date
    1968
Media type    Print (hardback & paperback)
Pages    254
ISBN    0-671-44068-3












1968 runner up: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Phillip K. Dick, published by Doubleday

Publisher    Doubleday
Publication date
    1968
Media type    Print (hardback & paperback)
Pages    210
OCLC    34818133









1969 -
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin

Published    1969 (Ace Books)[2]
Media type    Print (paperback original; hardcover also 1969)
Pages    286 (first edition)

***













1969 runner up: Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., published by Delacorte

Publisher    Delacorte
Publication date
    March 31, 1969[1]
ISBN    0-385-31208-3 (first edition, hardback)












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The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress was first published in "Worlds of If", Science Fiction Magazine.

Dec 1965

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Jan 1966

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Feb 1966

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March 1966
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April 1966
***


















Sci Fi
+ Hugo Awards Best Sci Fi novels of the 1950's
+ Hugo Awards Best sci fi novels of the 1960's
+ Hugo Awards Best Sci Fi novels of the 1970's
+ Hugo Awards Best Sci Fi Novels of the 1980's
+ Hugo Awards Best Sci Fi novels of the 1990's
+ Hugo awards Best sci fi novel of the 2000's (2000 - 2009)
+ Hugo Awards Best Sci Fi novels for the decade 2010-2019
+ Foundation - Isaac Asimov's
+ Dune - The Chronological order of the novels
+ Dune Universe Timeline
+ I, Robot - Isaac Asimov - novels & Magazines
+ Star Wars 
+ vorkoisgan saga reading order - Lois McMaster Bujold

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sci Fi Index

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Monday, 17 August 2020

Friday, 14 August 2020

BMC - FM Drum - build notes

BMC25. FM Drum
 F
 sTART WITH the lowest profile components ..
usually IC sockets , resistors , etc

These are personal build notes just to help me trouble shoot should I have any probs.

 As it turned out, this was a easy build.


cAPS next


the BOM calls for these:
0.002uf 1 Poly box type.  ... 2nf  or 2000pF
I'm using a 2.2nF cap


0.02uf 1 Poly box type ...20nF or 20000pF
I'm usinh a 22nF cap instead

.01uf 7 cheap ceramic disk....10nF (103)

 sWITCHES  next ... not sure how the panel and PCB link ??

i decided to install the jacks , switches first.. Then it became apparent the the panel is held to the PCB by the pots.


Solder the pots to the PCB.




 Time for the sole LED


Jacks:
IN - tip of the input jack
CV - tip of the CV jack
OUT - tip of the output jack and switch of the CV jack to allow self modulation



Modulation Waveform Selection switch:
MS - Top lug of switch
MC - Center lug of switch
MT - Bottom lug of switch



Output Waveform Selection Switch:
OS - Top lug of switch
OC - Center lug of switch
OT - Bottom lug of switch


For a ground connection, use the center wirepad of whichever power supply you're not using.

Nice !!!

Links
Manual BOM Build notes
http://www.bartonmusicalcircuits.com/fmd/

 

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For more Euro DIY builds click here:
http://djjondent.blogspot.com.au/2017/12/diy-index.html
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Repairing a Doepfer A-140 ADSR

I stupidly plugged in the module backwards.


Shit happens .
Remember, Red Stripe Down. !!!!

 If this happens to you , don't panic.
There are only a few sensitive components.
Start by swapping out the ICs.
Thankfully they are socketed.

Just 2 of them:
This is a TL084.
Its a op-amp

This is a CD4001 CMOS chip
They are sensitive to static electricity, and is the most likely culpruit.
It's a quad 2-in NOR gate

I swapped it with one of these and the module worked again


You can :-)

Links
+ CMOS
+ Integrated circuits - packaging 
+ Opamps - basic circuits
+ Synthesizer Logic Modules - The 7 gates

Basic 4 panel Buchla setup

A friend of mine is considering entering the Buchla world and asked for some ideas about where to start.
He is considering a basic 4 unit setup.

These are some of my suggestions.
Just personal ideas ... I'm no expert but have had some experience over the last few years.

Of course he could just buy an Easel, which is a great way to begin as it has all the basic modules.
But if you're keen to buy modules, then here goes.


Before Buchla started producing half modules, this was always my preferred basic system.
It has what I feel to be the essential Buchla modules:
1. a VCO ... 261e
2. a envelope generator (EG)...281e
3. a  LPG....292e
4. a SOU (source of uncertainity)..... 266e

The 261e VCO could be swapped for another VCO of your choice .... such as a 258, 259e,
or a 100 series such as the 158 or 144.

Basic system 2:


We have added two half modules the 291h & 292h.
These are the EG & LPG.
The SOU hasn't changed but I've added a preset manager module,
the 225e, which allows you to store presets and also adds MIDI to your system.

Basic system 3:

This is essentially system 2 but the 225e has been swapped for two half modules: the 202h (which is a adapter module) and the 225h which is a midi - CV interface.


Basic 4 is an evolution of the basic 3 configuration

We have swapped the 266e (SOU) for a 267e which adds a dual filter, but retains a basic uncertainity module.


Basic 5 drops the 202h (adapter module) and the 225h (midi-CV interface).
In its place we have the 225e midi-CV / preset manager.

If you come from the Euro world, you probably already have MIDI to CV converters
and might be tempted to drop any of the MIDI-CV modules.
But be aware that Buchla uses a different standard to Euro .. 1.2V/ Oct. and 10V gates generally.
Plus the CV and audio section are separated.
CV uses banana & Audio use Tiny jacks.

 Basic 6

If you have got this covered then swapping the 225e for a 206e would be a great choice.
You have added a mixer & retained the preset manager.

I hope these ideas help you make a good decision.
Cheers J

Saturday, 8 August 2020

Happy 808 Day

It's the 40th anniversary of the TR-808


This drum was introduced in 1980.
There were just 12,000 made and production was stopped in 1983 when some of it's parts (faulty transistors) became impossible to restock.

The TR stands for "transistor rhythm".

Unlike the Linn LM-1 Drum which used samples, this created sounds with analog circuits.
It's actually a synthesizer which focuses on making drum sounds
Thank you "Mr. Nakamura" for the analog voice circuits  and "Mr. Matsuoka" for the software.

You've heard the TR 808 on countless records and it's been "cloned" again and again.
.... the best form of flattery

Thursday, 6 August 2020

ARP 2500 - 1046 envelope generator & eloquencer

Some notes on the ARP 1046 envelope generator.


Triggering the ARP's envelopes is a bit tricky if you are using eurorack, as most modules put out only 5V gates & triggers. This is usually not enough.


I've just ordered FuzzBass TTSH gate booster PCB but while I'm waiting for it to arrive
I decided to test the Eloquencer sequencer by Winter Modular with a ARP 2500

 

The Eloquencer sends out 8V gates - good enough to trigger the 1046 EGs
You need to adjust the gate length from the Eloquencer.

Most of the old ARP gear seems to want +10V but will usually act on +8v.



yOU CAN trigger the EG from either the upper matrix or lower matrix

The upper matrix allows you to treat the 1046 as if it is 4 "basic" EGs

Use the lower matrix if you want to use the 1046 as two "combined" EGs
When the Trigger Mode switch is in the Multiple setting you need both gates & triggers to activate an envelope. In the single mode, only a gate is required (T not needed).

If you apply another trigger signal while the gate is still present the cycle
will restart. ..a good way for creating multi-peak envelopes.




The 1046 QUAD Exponential Envelope Generator is actually a ARP 1003 & 1033 in a single module.

The 1003 has the stages: Attack, Initial Decay, Sustain, Final Decay

The 1033 has the stages: Gate Delay, Attack, Initial Decay, Sustain, Final Decay

 The main difference between the two is the addition of a gate delay















A post shared by jono (@dj_jondent) on




As a side note, the ARP 2600's envelopes also can't be triggered with most eurorack gate/trigger modules. The ARP 2600 uses a gate range of 0-10v

The Gate & trigger output of the ARP 2600 keyboard is +10V

The FuzzBass TTSH gate booster is a useful module to have. In addition to the need for a 10V gate, the 2600's ADSR circuit has a retrigger function.

This requires a 10V trigger signal. This allows you to reset/restart the cycle when you press a second key (without disabling the gate signal).

I can also clock the eloquencer (slave) from the ARP 1027 sequencer's clock (master).
The 1027 clock sends triggers not gates.

The Greyscale Algorhythm also triggers the 1046 envelopes.
Use the gate inputs of the 1046

 



Links
+ More about the 2500's EGs


Eurorack modules that might work (I haven't tested this) with a 2500 or 2600 are:
+ MI Marbles - Output levels: -5V to +5V for CVs (largest setting), 0V to +8V for gates.
+ Make Noise -- maths, Rene & pressure points, 0-coast/0-control
+ ER - 101 - 9V
+ Doepfer A-149-2 .... +12V gates
+ TTSH gate booster (fuzzbass) .. converts voltages over 3V to about 10V 
+ The Arturia Keystep is also very useful.
    CV/GATE outputs: CV supports 1Volt per octave, Volt>Hz modes, 
    Gate output 5V or 12V for modern or vintage gear support
+ Arturia beatstep 
    CV/GATE outputs (1 volt per octave CV, 10 volt gates)
+ Arturia Microfreak
   Gate signals can also have different output ranges (S-Trig, V-Trig 5V, V-Trig 10V).
   CV: 1 Volt/octave (0-10V), Hertz per Volt, 1.2 Volt/octave (a Buchla specific standard)