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Davesax1965 View Drop Down

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Posted: July 24 2016 at 03:06

And now for some Sufi mysticism. Just messing about. ;-)

https://soundcloud.com/brotherhoodofthemachine/1234a

Davesax1965 View Drop Down

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Posted: August 29 2016 at 09:25

Aaaaand here's the sequencer rack in action. Freely downloadable track, by the way.

https://brotherhoodofthemachine.bandcamp.com/track/u-bahn-nr-105

Update, track removed, it's going on an album.

Edited by Davesax1965 - September 28 2016 at 09:40

Davesax1965 View Drop Down

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Posted: August 31 2016 at 02:57

Davesax1965 View Drop Down

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Posted: September 05 2016 at 03:00

The modular synth meets the Minitaur. This is live.

https://soundcloud.com/brotherhoodofthemachine/modular-sequence

Davesax1965 View Drop Down

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Posted: September 08 2016 at 07:51

Tons of fun. ;-)

Davesax1965 View Drop Down

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Posted: September 12 2016 at 08:00

More music featuring the modular. ;-)

This is a free track on the band website. Didn't take much work. The lead is a heavily processed Waldorf Streichfett string synth. The modular provides the main loop, accompanied by a Moog Minitaur, Dreadbox Hades and Erebus, and a Korg MS 20 rounds it off.

https://brotherhoodofthemachine.bandcamp.com/track/free-track-imaginary-landscape

Update, cancelled, it's going on an album instead. ;-)

Edited by Davesax1965 - September 28 2016 at 09:36

Davesax1965 View Drop Down

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Posted: September 14 2016 at 08:56

Some video editing later.... ;-)

Disparate Times View Drop Down

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Posted: September 27 2016 at 07:03

Don Buchla died on September 14 2016, I figured this was the most appropriate place to announce this. I believe his influence on music is greatly unappreciated. I'm still relatively new to the world of synthesizers, but his impact on me has, and continues to be a major part of the musician I am today.

R.I.P.

BUCHLA documentary preview on Vimeo

Songs are like tightly budgeted meals
Nobodies doing anything new or even real

Davesax1965 View Drop Down

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Posted: September 28 2016 at 09:28

I'd just build a timbre generator based on his designs.

Whilst he didn't do much as compared to Bob Moog, his development of earlier synths, like Peter Zinovieff, can't be understated.

Davesax1965 View Drop Down

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Posted: September 28 2016 at 09:33

Few more things happening here.

I've build a shed load more modules. Chaos generators, timbre generators, flangers......I'm also working on a long track which sounds very Tangerine Dream like. This is the initial bassline - solo instruments to add.

https://soundcloud.com/brotherhoodofthemachine/resonance-cascade-start

Also. I got hold of an early 1960's audio generator, the exact type used by the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Expect utter sonic chaos in the form of Dik Mik / Del Dettmar / early Hawkwind as I plug it up to god knows how many electronic devices.

Here's a sample using a test tone from the modular and the modules I'm going to use, overlaid onto some music. Cover your ears and mind. ;-)

https://soundcloud.com/brotherhoodofthemachine/audiogen

Davesax1965 View Drop Down

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Posted: December 21 2016 at 09:29

Why go to all this trouble ?

Well. Here's the modular playing a single note through six oscillators. It's playing 11 simultaneous waveforms, and can play eighteen at once. There are six oscillators here, two filters, three low frequency oscillators, a phaser, two mixers, two multiples, a MIDI interface and CV splitter, an echo and an amplifier. There's plenty more which could be plugged in.

Pretty epic.

Excuse the amount of leads, it doesn't do much without them. ;-)

https://soundcloud.com/brotherhoodofthemachine/dronewav

Edited by Davesax1965 - December 21 2016 at 09:31

Davesax1965 View Drop Down

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Posted: December 21 2016 at 09:30

Eventually the modular will contain ten oscillators, eek, and spill over into a second cabinet.

Napoleon time. ;-)

Davesax1965 View Drop Down

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Posted: March 26 2017 at 10:42

Davesax1965 View Drop Down

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Posted: March 26 2017 at 10:42

Well, about half finished. ;-)

infocat

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Posted: March 26 2017 at 12:15

How do you determine which of the hundreds of random knobs to turn next?

--
Frank Swarbrick
Belief is not Truth.

Davesax1965 View Drop Down

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Posted: March 27 2017 at 05:37

Well, to be honest, it's not a very random process. ;-)

For example, if you want to do a harmonic filter sweep, turn the filter resonance up or down. Same thing with the waveslicers or phaser - it's just learning a whole new system. It's all very logical, but you need some knowledge of signal paths and how analogue synthesizers actually work.

In the shot above, nothing is plugged in. Of course, a modular synth has to be cabled up, or it does nothing. So imagine this with 100 leads coming out of it. Eurorack is a very compact format and it can get a little tight to work with at times.

Just ordered a shed load of panels and PCBs from Switzerland. The next step is to build a load of sequencers and sequential switches which will synchronise with the two sequencers (and three synths) to the rack system on the left of the photo. There are four eight step sequencers and one sequential switch coming. This means "Tangerine Dream roll over", basically. I'm thinking of putting the output through an arpeggiator, it'll sound like Ricochet Part 2, but even more so, if that makes sense.

The bottom cabinet is going to have joysticks and mod wheels added. There will probably be another large cabinet added to the system - you can just grow and grow these without any upper limit, apart from your sanity and bank balance. It's already much, much more complicated than Keith Emerson's Moog or the system used by Tangerine Dream.

Davesax1965 View Drop Down

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Posted: May 01 2017 at 07:33

So now I'm building another four (4) eight step sequencers.
These take clock and reset data from the sequencers currently in another rack (containing three analogue synths.)

The four sequencers run (in the modular) in parallel with the other two. As they run, a sequential switch triggers each one in sequence. They can be individually patterned to run forwards, backwards . both, in a crab or Z pattern or randomly. Or clocked to run at a divide/multiply rate (when I get the appropriate modules. ;-) )

The end result is three synths playing off two synched and patterned Doepfer Dark Time sequencers, and six (at least) oscillators on the module running off four sequencers. Should be quite, er, interesting. ;-)

Probably more sequencers than Tangerine Dream had at any point.

The result is that the modular is going to double in size by about another 15U, that's one big and one medium cabinet extra, to hold all the modules which the rebuild has displaced, and to make room for other ones.

Work so far, two new sequencers built - the "waterfall" green lights in the bottom row of the right hand case. These are running in parallel with the sequencer rack, to the left. Another couple of weekends work and there'll be the full complement of six sequencers. ;-)

Davesax1965 View Drop Down

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Posted: October 30 2017 at 08:20

Occasionally, it's great to just switch the system on and look at all the flashy lights. OOooooooOoOoo ! ;-)

Davesax1965 View Drop Down

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Posted: November 04 2017 at 07:46

Whoops, it's doubled in size after I accidentally bought another case. Silly me. ;-)

Actually, I might split the sequencers between the two cases and have TWO keyboard controlled modulars. Undecided.

Davesax1965 View Drop Down

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Posted: November 08 2017 at 03:20

As a quick aside, anyone in the Manchester UK area fancy learning how to play the audio generator ? Spare seat during jam sessions. No musical ability (or technical ability) required.

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Davesax1965 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: May 23 2013 Location: UK Status: Offline Points: 2839	Posted: July 24 2016 at 03:06
	And now for some Sufi mysticism. Just messing about. ;-) https://soundcloud.com/brotherhoodofthemachine/1234a


Davesax1965 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: May 23 2013 Location: UK Status: Offline Points: 2839	Posted: August 29 2016 at 09:25
	Aaaaand here's the sequencer rack in action. Freely downloadable track, by the way. https://brotherhoodofthemachine.bandcamp.com/track/u-bahn-nr-105 Update, track removed, it's going on an album. Edited by Davesax1965 - September 28 2016 at 09:40


Davesax1965 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: May 23 2013 Location: UK Status: Offline Points: 2839	Posted: August 31 2016 at 02:57



Davesax1965 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: May 23 2013 Location: UK Status: Offline Points: 2839	Posted: September 05 2016 at 03:00
	The modular synth meets the Minitaur. This is live. https://soundcloud.com/brotherhoodofthemachine/modular-sequence


Davesax1965 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: May 23 2013 Location: UK Status: Offline Points: 2839	Posted: September 08 2016 at 07:51
	Tons of fun. ;-)


Davesax1965 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: May 23 2013 Location: UK Status: Offline Points: 2839	Posted: September 12 2016 at 08:00
	More music featuring the modular. ;-) This is a free track on the band website. Didn't take much work. The lead is a heavily processed Waldorf Streichfett string synth. The modular provides the main loop, accompanied by a Moog Minitaur, Dreadbox Hades and Erebus, and a Korg MS 20 rounds it off. https://brotherhoodofthemachine.bandcamp.com/track/free-track-imaginary-landscape Update, cancelled, it's going on an album instead. ;-) Edited by Davesax1965 - September 28 2016 at 09:36


Davesax1965 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: May 23 2013 Location: UK Status: Offline Points: 2839	Posted: September 14 2016 at 08:56
	Some video editing later.... ;-)


Disparate Times Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: July 12 2015 Location: Rust belt Status: Offline Points: 261	Posted: September 27 2016 at 07:03
	Don Buchla died on September 14 2016, I figured this was the most appropriate place to announce this. I believe his influence on music is greatly unappreciated. I'm still relatively new to the world of synthesizers, but his impact on me has, and continues to be a major part of the musician I am today. R.I.P. BUCHLA documentary preview on Vimeo
	Songs are like tightly budgeted meals Nobodies doing anything new or even real

Davesax1965 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: May 23 2013 Location: UK Status: Offline Points: 2839	Posted: September 28 2016 at 09:28
	I'd just build a timbre generator based on his designs. Whilst he didn't do much as compared to Bob Moog, his development of earlier synths, like Peter Zinovieff, can't be understated.


Davesax1965 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: May 23 2013 Location: UK Status: Offline Points: 2839	Posted: September 28 2016 at 09:33
	Few more things happening here. I've build a shed load more modules. Chaos generators, timbre generators, flangers......I'm also working on a long track which sounds very Tangerine Dream like. This is the initial bassline - solo instruments to add. https://soundcloud.com/brotherhoodofthemachine/resonance-cascade-start Also. I got hold of an early 1960's audio generator, the exact type used by the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Expect utter sonic chaos in the form of Dik Mik / Del Dettmar / early Hawkwind as I plug it up to god knows how many electronic devices. Here's a sample using a test tone from the modular and the modules I'm going to use, overlaid onto some music. Cover your ears and mind. ;-) https://soundcloud.com/brotherhoodofthemachine/audiogen


Davesax1965 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: May 23 2013 Location: UK Status: Offline Points: 2839	Posted: December 21 2016 at 09:29
	Why go to all this trouble ? Well. Here's the modular playing a single note through six oscillators. It's playing 11 simultaneous waveforms, and can play eighteen at once. There are six oscillators here, two filters, three low frequency oscillators, a phaser, two mixers, two multiples, a MIDI interface and CV splitter, an echo and an amplifier. There's plenty more which could be plugged in. Pretty epic. Excuse the amount of leads, it doesn't do much without them. ;-) https://soundcloud.com/brotherhoodofthemachine/dronewav Edited by Davesax1965 - December 21 2016 at 09:31


Davesax1965 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: May 23 2013 Location: UK Status: Offline Points: 2839	Posted: December 21 2016 at 09:30
	Eventually the modular will contain ten oscillators, eek, and spill over into a second cabinet. Napoleon time. ;-)


Davesax1965 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: May 23 2013 Location: UK Status: Offline Points: 2839	Posted: March 26 2017 at 10:42



Davesax1965 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: May 23 2013 Location: UK Status: Offline Points: 2839	Posted: March 26 2017 at 10:42
	Well, about half finished. ;-)


infocat Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member VIP Member Joined: June 10 2011 Location: Colorado, USA Status: Offline Points: 4671	Posted: March 26 2017 at 12:15
	How do you determine which of the hundreds of random knobs to turn next?
	-- Frank Swarbrick Belief is not Truth.

Davesax1965 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: May 23 2013 Location: UK Status: Offline Points: 2839	Posted: March 27 2017 at 05:37
	Well, to be honest, it's not a very random process. ;-) For example, if you want to do a harmonic filter sweep, turn the filter resonance up or down. Same thing with the waveslicers or phaser - it's just learning a whole new system. It's all very logical, but you need some knowledge of signal paths and how analogue synthesizers actually work. In the shot above, nothing is plugged in. Of course, a modular synth has to be cabled up, or it does nothing. So imagine this with 100 leads coming out of it. Eurorack is a very compact format and it can get a little tight to work with at times. Just ordered a shed load of panels and PCBs from Switzerland. The next step is to build a load of sequencers and sequential switches which will synchronise with the two sequencers (and three synths) to the rack system on the left of the photo. There are four eight step sequencers and one sequential switch coming. This means "Tangerine Dream roll over", basically. I'm thinking of putting the output through an arpeggiator, it'll sound like Ricochet Part 2, but even more so, if that makes sense. The bottom cabinet is going to have joysticks and mod wheels added. There will probably be another large cabinet added to the system - you can just grow and grow these without any upper limit, apart from your sanity and bank balance. It's already much, much more complicated than Keith Emerson's Moog or the system used by Tangerine Dream.


Davesax1965 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: May 23 2013 Location: UK Status: Offline Points: 2839	Posted: May 01 2017 at 07:33
	So now I'm building another four (4) eight step sequencers. These take clock and reset data from the sequencers currently in another rack (containing three analogue synths.) The four sequencers run (in the modular) in parallel with the other two. As they run, a sequential switch triggers each one in sequence. They can be individually patterned to run forwards, backwards . both, in a crab or Z pattern or randomly. Or clocked to run at a divide/multiply rate (when I get the appropriate modules. ;-) ) The end result is three synths playing off two synched and patterned Doepfer Dark Time sequencers, and six (at least) oscillators on the module running off four sequencers. Should be quite, er, interesting. ;-) Probably more sequencers than Tangerine Dream had at any point. The result is that the modular is going to double in size by about another 15U, that's one big and one medium cabinet extra, to hold all the modules which the rebuild has displaced, and to make room for other ones. Work so far, two new sequencers built - the "waterfall" green lights in the bottom row of the right hand case. These are running in parallel with the sequencer rack, to the left. Another couple of weekends work and there'll be the full complement of six sequencers. ;-)


Davesax1965 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: May 23 2013 Location: UK Status: Offline Points: 2839	Posted: October 30 2017 at 08:20
	Occasionally, it's great to just switch the system on and look at all the flashy lights. OOooooooOoOoo ! ;-)


Davesax1965 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: May 23 2013 Location: UK Status: Offline Points: 2839	Posted: November 04 2017 at 07:46
	Whoops, it's doubled in size after I accidentally bought another case. Silly me. ;-) Actually, I might split the sequencers between the two cases and have TWO keyboard controlled modulars. Undecided.


Davesax1965 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: May 23 2013 Location: UK Status: Offline Points: 2839	Posted: November 08 2017 at 03:20
	As a quick aside, anyone in the Manchester UK area fancy learning how to play the audio generator ? Spare seat during jam sessions. No musical ability (or technical ability) required.