It shouldn't come as a surprise that the world's most precise open reel audio recorders are Swiss-designed, as they could be seen as a type of beautifully-engineered, mechanical clock. I've blah blah blah-ed about the beauty of Nagras before, but this video (via Peter Wilkie) shows just how impressive these machines are in action. Get your nerd on.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Yay! Random Stuff!
It isn't often you'll find me post a 303 video to my blog, but this is awesome, (via Richard Devine).
Last night I was reminded of this Pictorial Websters Fine Press Edition video and tried to remember to make my brother, a dedicated craftsman, watch it. This video is inspirational for anyone who appreciates dedication, craftsmanship and effort. Produced by Quercus Press, close by in Waltham. For those that complain the monome arc is just a knob, this deluxe edition is just a book.
surachai posted this great video last night. cat+turntable+plague diagram
On a scale from 1 to 5 Barry Manilows, Plague Diagram is a solid 4. Suitable for new mothers breast feeding for the first time, or, perhaps, as a mild sedative for the elderly. Just kidding. FIVE Manilows.
Last night I was reminded of this Pictorial Websters Fine Press Edition video and tried to remember to make my brother, a dedicated craftsman, watch it. This video is inspirational for anyone who appreciates dedication, craftsmanship and effort. Produced by Quercus Press, close by in Waltham. For those that complain the monome arc is just a knob, this deluxe edition is just a book.
surachai posted this great video last night. cat+turntable+plague diagram
On a scale from 1 to 5 Barry Manilows, Plague Diagram is a solid 4. Suitable for new mothers breast feeding for the first time, or, perhaps, as a mild sedative for the elderly. Just kidding. FIVE Manilows.
Friday, January 21, 2011
The Initial Impressions Are In
Now that pricing has had some time to sink in, people are expressing their feelings. Here are some real quotes:
"$500 is just too much for that for most people who also have to eat and pay rent."
- Richard Lawler
"this is pretty much a toy for the laptop warriors"
- Hungry Antelope
"Ridiculously expensive for such a simple device."
- poopoo
"Is it just me, or are these things ridiculously priced?"
- Anon
None of these quotes are about the arc. They're from four years ago. Which doesn't prove anything if you regard the 64 itself as overly expensive.
"$500 is just too much for that for most people who also have to eat and pay rent."
- Richard Lawler
"this is pretty much a toy for the laptop warriors"
- Hungry Antelope
"Ridiculously expensive for such a simple device."
- poopoo
"Is it just me, or are these things ridiculously priced?"
- Anon
None of these quotes are about the arc. They're from four years ago. Which doesn't prove anything if you regard the 64 itself as overly expensive.
monome arc details
Here it is, the first video of the monome arc in action:
arc two (two knobs) $500
arc four (four knobs) $800
Ordering February 18, and I predict a very quick sellout. Shipping in March.
More info here.
heh. 'arc two'
brian's response to a predictable question from cdm about what constitutes 'true open source hardware':
Bravo.
As predicted, some are balking at the price. It is just a box withbuttons encoders, right? Anyway, good. Please don't buy it. It isn't for everyone. If you like the functionality, but still find it too expensive, I urge you to fabricate your own better/cheaper thing.
I don't agree that larger quantities are necessarily better. Small is beautiful.
I also like the fact that people are having a difficult time imagining how they'd use it. Myself, I feel the same way about the arc as I did the original monome years ago. My first thought is "OH YEAH. I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I'D DO WITH THAT.
arc two (two knobs) $500
arc four (four knobs) $800
Ordering February 18, and I predict a very quick sellout. Shipping in March.
More info here.
heh. 'arc two'
brian's response to a predictable question from cdm about what constitutes 'true open source hardware':
i’m slightly ambivalent about the label “open source hardware.” it’s come to mean more than simply having the sources available, which was my original goal. people should absolutely know how their equipment works and be able to modify it if desired. it’s turned into a different conversation, about freedom– the most anonymous free-market sort of freedom. and this is a good conversation to have, but it somehow left the realm of sharing and went somewhere else.
i wish more people were interested in discussing resource use, materials, and local economics– these are very real issues concerning physical goods. the open source hardware debate seems to have inherited too much from the open source software ideology.
Bravo.
As predicted, some are balking at the price. It is just a box with
I don't agree that larger quantities are necessarily better. Small is beautiful.
I also like the fact that people are having a difficult time imagining how they'd use it. Myself, I feel the same way about the arc as I did the original monome years ago. My first thought is "OH YEAH. I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I'D DO WITH THAT.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Making music with voltages
I bet most people listen to my modular synth music and say to themselves, "WTF."
Here's the thing. I've been working with synths since the mid 80s. If you use the latest technology, it always sounds like that era shortly thereafter (although it sounds new and fresh at the time). It's a distraction. So, I find it interesting to break synthesis down to base principles. Voltage control, at its heart, is the act of making music through the manipulation of voltage. Our control of voltage is so fine and accurate that we can make art with it.
I say this not in a metaphorical sense, but in a very real, physical sense. Each parameter of sound you hear happens because a voltage told it what to do. The pitch of an oscillator, each note, is determined by generating a very precise voltage. Want to add vibrato? You need to wobble that voltage, but only a very small amount. How about loudness? Not only the dynamics of phrases, but the contour of each individual note. Some notes require different emphasis, so this must be accounted for, at the right time. And so on. All voltages.
Oh, and you can only work on a single monophonic line at a time, so you have to understand that sound's role in the context of a larger structure that you aren't able to hear yet, because you haven't recorded those parts.
This is my idea of a good time.
Here's the thing. I've been working with synths since the mid 80s. If you use the latest technology, it always sounds like that era shortly thereafter (although it sounds new and fresh at the time). It's a distraction. So, I find it interesting to break synthesis down to base principles. Voltage control, at its heart, is the act of making music through the manipulation of voltage. Our control of voltage is so fine and accurate that we can make art with it.
I say this not in a metaphorical sense, but in a very real, physical sense. Each parameter of sound you hear happens because a voltage told it what to do. The pitch of an oscillator, each note, is determined by generating a very precise voltage. Want to add vibrato? You need to wobble that voltage, but only a very small amount. How about loudness? Not only the dynamics of phrases, but the contour of each individual note. Some notes require different emphasis, so this must be accounted for, at the right time. And so on. All voltages.
Oh, and you can only work on a single monophonic line at a time, so you have to understand that sound's role in the context of a larger structure that you aren't able to hear yet, because you haven't recorded those parts.
This is my idea of a good time.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Monome Arc
Yay! Photos! The monome arc!
In case you were wondering why I was using a powermate with my 512. I have a pretty nifty stutter application for the arc.
....AANNNNNNNND
I've been waiting to whip this out.
In case you were wondering why I was using a powermate with my 512. I have a pretty nifty stutter application for the arc.
....AANNNNNNNND
I've been waiting to whip this out.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
NAMM 2011
I'm going to open this page as a repository of breaking NAMM things, so instead of lots of little posts, I'll update post.
Bobby Voso (noisesource on twitter) posted a couple photos of the TipTop table at the analogue haven booth. Check out these adorable folding anodized aluminum euro cases! The TR-909 looks absolutely hulking by comparison. You can see a folded one to the left.
Behold! The Tempest! The most interesting news is the LinnDrum II is still a thing. The pair just might be the real time live performance hardware for new decade. Those strips off to the side are sensitive to both position and pressure. Super crisp, high resolution OLED display. You'll begin to see more of these in shipping products.
Metasonix has an interesting new box, but I'm not going to post the picture, obviously the demented work of Dave Lovelace. I wouldn't be surprised if metasonix gets slapped with an iLawsuit.
The mysterious Korg Kronos revealed itself to be an affordable, portable Oasis. Starts at $2999 for 61 keys. 73 and 88 key versions also available.
More news from Korg: the Kaoss Pad Quad, which, as the name implies, provides four simultaneous effects.
@califaudio posted this picture of a Buchla 200e sporting a pair of the new spectral processors. Each one costs more than a single Kronos.
Also from califaudio, directly from the department of WTF is a moog lap steel. Wait. What? I'm holding out for a Moog banjo.
Epic The Harvestman setup posted by nickciontea at muffwiggler.
More good news. Livewire is back in action and promises to ship three new modules in February: The Chaos Computer, Voltage Mechanic and Voltage Distributor. Another most excellent photo from califaudio.
Brandon Daniel's NAMM picture dump.
Make Noise has some new offerings. Phonogene does sampling/grainular stuff. TimbreMixer is a 'DMMG' but filter only, and trigger only, which is cool because I usually turn gates into triggers when using a low pass gate anyway. (via Klopfgeist at muffwiggler)
Ken MacBeth's work is the epitome of 'no compromises'. (via Brandon Daniel) Beautiful and a little intimidating.
Bobby Voso (noisesource on twitter) posted a couple photos of the TipTop table at the analogue haven booth. Check out these adorable folding anodized aluminum euro cases! The TR-909 looks absolutely hulking by comparison. You can see a folded one to the left.
Behold! The Tempest! The most interesting news is the LinnDrum II is still a thing. The pair just might be the real time live performance hardware for new decade. Those strips off to the side are sensitive to both position and pressure. Super crisp, high resolution OLED display. You'll begin to see more of these in shipping products.
Metasonix has an interesting new box, but I'm not going to post the picture, obviously the demented work of Dave Lovelace. I wouldn't be surprised if metasonix gets slapped with an iLawsuit.
The mysterious Korg Kronos revealed itself to be an affordable, portable Oasis. Starts at $2999 for 61 keys. 73 and 88 key versions also available.
More news from Korg: the Kaoss Pad Quad, which, as the name implies, provides four simultaneous effects.
@califaudio posted this picture of a Buchla 200e sporting a pair of the new spectral processors. Each one costs more than a single Kronos.
Also from califaudio, directly from the department of WTF is a moog lap steel. Wait. What? I'm holding out for a Moog banjo.
Epic The Harvestman setup posted by nickciontea at muffwiggler.
More good news. Livewire is back in action and promises to ship three new modules in February: The Chaos Computer, Voltage Mechanic and Voltage Distributor. Another most excellent photo from califaudio.
Brandon Daniel's NAMM picture dump.
Make Noise has some new offerings. Phonogene does sampling/grainular stuff. TimbreMixer is a 'DMMG' but filter only, and trigger only, which is cool because I usually turn gates into triggers when using a low pass gate anyway. (via Klopfgeist at muffwiggler)
Ken MacBeth's work is the epitome of 'no compromises'. (via Brandon Daniel) Beautiful and a little intimidating.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Mark Cuban Should Fund The Arts
I'm in NAMM-prep mode right now, working from 8am to midnight. No, I won't actually be at the NAMM show. Sorry. I'd love to meet all ya'all. I've been sitting on this short piece I began on Dec 30th. I'm posting it to keep it from weighing on my mind while I focus on NAMM stuff.
The music is 100% modular, tracked one monophonic line at a time. The orchestration is fairly intense, but there isn't much DSP after the fact. I'm using one Eos reverb and some EQ here and there, but that is it. Just straight up synthesis.
Maybe you guys can help me with something. On the monome forums Raja brought up the issue of the audience ambivalence when one releases music, or, at least, the gear overwhelming any comment of the music. I think these are two separate issues.
Let's start with the gear. Historically, dating back to usenet days, I have noticed we tend to talk about the gear and not music. This is because we CAN talk about the gear. We can discuss specs, use scenarios, compare models, obsess about trivia, etc. Music is far more difficult to talk about. Appreciation of music is almost entirely subjective. Same goes for gear 'sound quality' Does a 12-bit DX1 sound better than FM8 though a nice 24-bit audio interface?
Here is another good example. I created two new blog posts. This one, featuring music made 100% on a modular synth, and the one just prior, the time lapse video of filling the monster case. Which one does matrixsynth link to? Right.
Ambivalence is another topic. Music today is surplus. It is free, available and everywhere.
Releasing music is like… well… I could continue with the land of chocolate metaphor, but it would get really gross quickly. But, that is just for a free track. Trying to sell chocolate (half price!) in the land of chocolate is as pointless and frustrating as you'd expect.
This brings up some fundamental artist/audience questions that I have yet to resolve. If the act of creation was enough in itself, I could just never release anything, and never expose myself to the pain of ambivalence. This is like a diet of eat anything you want, but never swallow.
The one thing musicians have in their favor is even the perfect album gets worn out. People need something new to listen to.
The record industry is a 20th century construct. Labels are more risk-adverse than ever and they're the primary source of artist funding. They're not exactly interested in developing artists or supporting experimental music. Yes, you can point out how the audience can directly fund artists, but I've been there, tried kickstarter, etc. At the same time, the gulf between the rich and the middle class widens to the greatest amount since 1929. I would like to see a return to private patronage of the arts. If you're sitting on a billon dollars maybe you can spare some money for the arts.
The music is 100% modular, tracked one monophonic line at a time. The orchestration is fairly intense, but there isn't much DSP after the fact. I'm using one Eos reverb and some EQ here and there, but that is it. Just straight up synthesis.
Maybe you guys can help me with something. On the monome forums Raja brought up the issue of the audience ambivalence when one releases music, or, at least, the gear overwhelming any comment of the music. I think these are two separate issues.
Let's start with the gear. Historically, dating back to usenet days, I have noticed we tend to talk about the gear and not music. This is because we CAN talk about the gear. We can discuss specs, use scenarios, compare models, obsess about trivia, etc. Music is far more difficult to talk about. Appreciation of music is almost entirely subjective. Same goes for gear 'sound quality' Does a 12-bit DX1 sound better than FM8 though a nice 24-bit audio interface?
Here is another good example. I created two new blog posts. This one, featuring music made 100% on a modular synth, and the one just prior, the time lapse video of filling the monster case. Which one does matrixsynth link to? Right.
Ambivalence is another topic. Music today is surplus. It is free, available and everywhere.
Releasing music is like… well… I could continue with the land of chocolate metaphor, but it would get really gross quickly. But, that is just for a free track. Trying to sell chocolate (half price!) in the land of chocolate is as pointless and frustrating as you'd expect.
This brings up some fundamental artist/audience questions that I have yet to resolve. If the act of creation was enough in itself, I could just never release anything, and never expose myself to the pain of ambivalence. This is like a diet of eat anything you want, but never swallow.
The one thing musicians have in their favor is even the perfect album gets worn out. People need something new to listen to.
The record industry is a 20th century construct. Labels are more risk-adverse than ever and they're the primary source of artist funding. They're not exactly interested in developing artists or supporting experimental music. Yes, you can point out how the audience can directly fund artists, but I've been there, tried kickstarter, etc. At the same time, the gulf between the rich and the middle class widens to the greatest amount since 1929. I would like to see a return to private patronage of the arts. If you're sitting on a billon dollars maybe you can spare some money for the arts.
Monster Case Time-lapse
Here is a video of me laying out modules in a monster case from 2007 that I never uploaded. I think I was planning to add some music and never got around to it. Possibly interesting. Maybe not. Recorded on an iSight so the quality is not so good.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Releases I enjoyed in 2010
Autechre Oversteps
I like how Autechre grumbled about how Oversteps was described as more 'accessible' than previous works. HAHA PEOPLE LIKE YOUR ALBUM. I loved it. [LINK]
Sonoio
I wore this release out very quickly. If I bought on vinyl, I'd have to replace it by now. Wonderful music. [LINK]
Micronaut - Resistor/Capacitor
Eminently listenable electronic music. I look forward to the next release of the trilogy(?) set. Go forth and buy. [LINK]
Brian Eno - Small Craft on a Milk Sea
It has been a while since I really enjoyed a Brian Eno release, but this one is great. Lots of inspiration and forward-looking ideas. [LINK]
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross - The Social Network
I really wanted to like this album, but I think it works better on screen than it does as an album release. [edit: after writing this, I decided I needed to give this a few more listens and I think there is a lot to like) I'm mentioning it because I do like the fact that Trent gives high profile credit to Atticus Ross whereas the Tron Legacy soundtrack is solidly credited to Daft Punk and you have to REALLY look to find the orchestration and arrangement by Toby Chu and Joseph Trapanese credits.
Tehn's Quiet Releases
Something that hasn't received very much attention is the musical work tehn is releasing over at nnnnnnnn.org. Wonderful free stuff. No marketing. [LINK]
I like how Autechre grumbled about how Oversteps was described as more 'accessible' than previous works. HAHA PEOPLE LIKE YOUR ALBUM. I loved it. [LINK]
Sonoio
I wore this release out very quickly. If I bought on vinyl, I'd have to replace it by now. Wonderful music. [LINK]
Micronaut - Resistor/Capacitor
Eminently listenable electronic music. I look forward to the next release of the trilogy(?) set. Go forth and buy. [LINK]
Brian Eno - Small Craft on a Milk Sea
It has been a while since I really enjoyed a Brian Eno release, but this one is great. Lots of inspiration and forward-looking ideas. [LINK]
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross - The Social Network
I really wanted to like this album, but I think it works better on screen than it does as an album release. [edit: after writing this, I decided I needed to give this a few more listens and I think there is a lot to like) I'm mentioning it because I do like the fact that Trent gives high profile credit to Atticus Ross whereas the Tron Legacy soundtrack is solidly credited to Daft Punk and you have to REALLY look to find the orchestration and arrangement by Toby Chu and Joseph Trapanese credits.
Tehn's Quiet Releases
Something that hasn't received very much attention is the musical work tehn is releasing over at nnnnnnnn.org. Wonderful free stuff. No marketing. [LINK]
Basic monome primitives
I received a request for advice on basic monome manipulation using Max, so I put together a quick set of examples.
download here
This kind of thing is the reason I started this blog to begin with.
download here
This kind of thing is the reason I started this blog to begin with.
Happy 2011
1/1/11
2011 (a prime number) is a sum of 11 consecutive prime numbers: 2011=157+163+167+173+179+181+191+193+197+199+211
The blog is back, including the archives and comments.
More light, less heat.
2011 (a prime number) is a sum of 11 consecutive prime numbers: 2011=157+163+167+173+179+181+191+193+197+199+211
The blog is back, including the archives and comments.
More light, less heat.
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