Saturday, August 30, 2008

New Mix

Just threw some tunes together yesterday while drinking a whole lot of beer/ yay beer.
Rolls through some deep territory on the dub techno, detroit and chi flavours.

There are a few questionable parts but i think it flows pretty well and worth sharing.
I seem to always be able to nit pick through my mixes, but am too lazy to re-record anything.
Have you tried sitting there re-playing a set till it is perfect, it sucks. Never even bother is my moto.
Anyways, i like it, hope you will too.

Here is the list

Normon Nodge 3.0 MDR
T++ Space Pong Erosion
Add Noise Handwerk 3 Handwerk
James t Cotton Dont Even Try It (The Beat) Spectral
Redshape Steam Delsin
James T Cotton Got to let you know Spectral
Mike Dunn So Let it be House Clone
Tin Man Falling Acid Keys of Life
Quietpoint Caffeen Awakining Pastamusic
Aril Brikha Way Back (Groove la Chord shuffle mix) Fragile
Hieroglyphic Being Linux Klang
James T Cotton The Boxx Spectral


Link

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=NWRULLST

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Autechre Playlist

breaking my no posting rule already, nice! lasted a good 20 seconds. shows the level of restraint i have. haha

i listen to a LOT of autechre, i find that it helps me zone into a good studying evironment. I guess most of the artists i listen to these days is all about soothing the studying mode, ie Vladislav Delay, Tim Hecker, Fennesz, Murcof etc.etc.etc.etc. I find though with AE that i need to streamline as it can make me somewhat tense and while roaming univercity with AE on all the time in my ipod, sometimes i roll out of some tense AE moment only to converse with a lecturor and it just completely spaces me out or i get wild mood swings during the conversation. haha sounds ridiculous but it happens.

So i have been constructing a playlist of AE genius, trying to structure the sounds so they flow in a way there is a balance amoungst the chaos. Here it is so far:

If anyone actually reads this (sif), and wants to contribute to the list please do.

Surripere Autechre Draft 7.30
Psi-Onyx (Psix Million Dollar Myx Oscar Goldmans Bonus By Autechre) Beaumont Hannant Psi-Onyx
Second Peng Autechre Anvil Vapre EP
Laughing Quarter Autechre Envane EP
Clipper Autechre Tri Repetae
Cipater Autechre Chiastic Slide
Latent Quarter Autechre Envane EP
Rotar Autechre Tri Repetae
Acroyear2 Autechre LP5
6IE.CR Autechre Draft 7.30
Gantz Graf Autechre Gantz Graf EP
Tewe Autechre Chiastic Slide
Pen Expers Autechre Confield
Cichli Autechre Chiastic Slide
Sublimit Autechre Untilted
Theme of Sudden Roundabout Autechre Draft 7.30
Arch Carrier Autechre LP5



2 months till my degree is over

I wont be making any more posts over the next 2 months, need to focus on my thesis and some other class projects that seem to have been squashed into the last portion of the year. sigh. I was so organised with everything and had projects rolling from the beginning and yet fate decides that working at the 11th hour to finish everything is the only way to go. Guess it shows that you should never get too far ahead of yourself, as no matter what happens the end will be a stress and you could have partaken in some more entertaining procrastination activities like partying with my friends.

So two months, and by that time ill have all my 808 components and case, and also have the pcbs for 808's partner in crime (mb828, consisting of sds3 boards and TH mps and some other bits :) ) I just need to etch the midibox sequencer boards from the ucapps site.

I finished the xoxbox for my friend rich last week. They really so sound awesome. I think the only real difference between then is the xoxbox controls are a lot easier to tweak than the 303 and therefore you can really feel that it is different. I thought this on my first play, but then once recorded it is pretty much spot on 303cid. Good stuff. I can't wait to build mine. I put my name down for the bcbox IO mods too. hehe

The next modules to be completed are the Buchla clones - LPG and QFG. Then Yusynth VCOs, digisound IO and some processor boards that i am designing which are kinda like the fonik attenunverting but with some tweaks and additions. I am ditching the Rusted steel front plates, i am going sort myself out with an electro-etching kit and make either alluminium ones or brass. I think alluminium. So ill keep ordering this stuff over the next 2 months but strickly no building. hehe.

Friday, August 22, 2008

midibox 808



Well this is coming close to being built, finally.
Vlady found some killer cases for it that are going to work really well.



I might actually buy a couple of these cases for some upcoming projects. They look awesome

I'm going to have to ditch all my mod ideas unfortunately, this is a bummer. There is no space in the case. The case is so perfect for the 808 though and easy to get that it will be worth it.
I'm going to buy a screen once i get some and teach myself how to screen print. So what you see above is what is going to i'm going to get, well hopefully.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Backlog

I cleaned up my room today. It gave me a good chance to stocktake my components and also roll over the modules in the waiting list. Well to be honest i was conducting the stocktake first and then got bored and decided to clean my room. Haha. I was only doing a stocktake cos i was working on my Wavemult and blew a chip and couldn't find anything.... and so the cycle goes. Haha

So lets document what i have to waiting to Build.
Hopefully if i list it in the public domain, especially in a place where i will look it will remind me not to take on any more projects. I really shouldn't take on any more for the rest of the year. Or almost at all. I think once i build this coming lot it will be enough for a really versatile music machine. I may look towards building some drum machines and such.

So lets have a look what we have waiting.

Currently got 3 Lfos, 3 Arp 4072 vcfs and 3 Tube Vcas on the bench for my modular and also some friends of mine. Also on my bench is my CGS WaveMultiplier which i think needs a new LM324. Also sitting there is my CGS VCO waiting to be tuned and re-panneled. Last is my CGS Synthacon VCF which a new set of transistors, perhaps a whole new PCB. The Bunch of CGS modules i got way back last year really took a beating. I was, and i guess till am, a bit of hack at this game.

Also i forgot to add XOXBOX. This only needs some buttons, as my kit was missing some.

So BENCH LIST

3 MFOS LFOs
3 YuSynth 4072 VCFs
3 CGS Tube VCAs
1 CGS VCO
1 CGS WAVEMULT
1 CGS Steiner VCF

PCBS waiting.

--non-modular--
mb808
Burnit's Box'o'tricks
XOXBOX2 (building for a friend)

--modular--
m1. CGS DC MIXER x3 (half stuffed)
m2. CGS VCA
m3. FONIK PS3100 Triple Resonator x2
m4. JHailble Compact A Clone Phaser
m5. JHaible 20 Pole Tau Phaser
m6. JHaible Triple Chorus Solina Clone
m7. JHaible Frequency Shifter
m8. THenry QuadFunctionGenerator
m9. THentry Mankato VCF
m10. Banana Analogue VCS
( I might actually try reverse engineer this one and make another, it looks pretty simple)
m11. Buchla 281 QFG Clone x4
m12. Wogglebug
m13. Tellun Doomsday Machine
m14. Tellun NA
m15. Moosapotamus Flanger

So thats the modules im going to build that I have PCBS for already.
It isn't actually as big as i throught. I had mostly wanted this modular to be a effects processing and waveshaping machine. It was basically leaching the idea from my friend Pat who got me into this whole game. However now im thinking ill get some more inter-processing options and work on them first before i hit this backlog. The way i see it, some of these were limited runs so i jumped while i had the chance. I don't mind if im sitting here this time next year and all of them are not in my modular yet. Seems like this is going to be a fun passion that kicks in old years so i'm not in a mega rush to finish.

So my plan of attack is going to be something like this.

1. finsih these arpvcf/tube boxes
2. finalize the way to treat the rusted steel and then cut up a whole bunch of plates ready for circuits
3. finish my rack
4. build my 808
5. build rich's xoxbox
6. etch some Yusynth Vcos, or perhaps the Buchla Vcos that might be popping their heads up
7. build the buchla quad LPG and quad function shaper
8. doomsday / Neural Agonizer
9. box'o'tricks

good to have a plan though.

plyphon video

Well i guess it was always coming, someone has ripped off the Alex Rutterford Granz Graf style for the new unofficial Auterchre track plyphon from Quaristice. Actually it isn't too bad. You gotta give the creater some credit. Overall i suppose it contuninues with the general themes and critisisms of the Quaristice album. Recycled beats and ideas. Not that i play into those thoughts :)


c

Actually i managed to get to see the movie Tron in its full entirety for the first time ever the other day. All i could think about was how amazing it was and could not believe it was a disney movie. It really has stood up well over the ages. The clever use of such simple polygons really stylised the data world, i loved it! Anyway enough of me ranting. Time to write some essays.

i guess i should actually post granz graf too. :) Always good to post this gem. It does has to to one of the coolest videos of all time and you will see the similarities in design theme. Even between Tron on Granz Graf. I guess the link between then all more lies within synthesisia.


c

Monday, August 18, 2008

Roland M185 Sequencer Clone


So i just finished wiring the electro-music Klee sequencer the other day. That was a huge project and it still has some bugs. U nfor tunately i seem to have totally wacked out my VCO while trying to tune it otherwise i w ould post s ome samples. So this new sequnecer is extremely exciting. It is a clone from the old Roland System 100M Modular Systems. Check out the video. For each step you seem to be able to set to repeat, set note length as well as switch octaves.


c

So i got 2 of these babies coming. Unfortunately (sorry doug), this just ate all my money for the midibox808 switches group buy. Hopefully i get paid in the next week so i don't loose the chance for some nice colour switches for my 808. Maybe i'll show his this blog and he will understand and gimme some extra time. Maybe i'll show my lecturors at uni this thread and they will give me extensions on all my assign ements. haha, doubt it.

*note - i edited the top of this post as im going to just have a post to document each of my modules and the build process, so i took the bit about me having a cry about being addicted to SDIY hehe. So here comes the build notes.

So here are the controls
CV Controls 8 X pots.
Gate mode 8 X 4-way switches
Stage count 8 X 8-way switches
Tempo, Portamento, Gate time, Stages
4 X pots [although stages could be an 8-way switch]
Seq mode 1 X 4-way switch
Stage Subdivision
1 X 4-way switch
Voltage Range 1 X 2-way switch
Stop/Start, Reset, Prev, Next
4 X push button switches
CV Out, Gate Out, Clock In, Clock Out, Stage Control CV
5 X jack sockets.

time to get designing.

i think i might keep this in a small format. I plan on buying some oscillators soon like the AFG and the Plan B15 so now i don't have to design everything for my 5U rusty cab.

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Mean Sucker VCF/VCA


Well i just found some of these rare 5672 pentodes for the Mean Sucker Tube VCF/ VCA. I'm hoping to adapt the schematic to switch from being a VCF to VCA, just like in the buchla LPG module.

Tubes... gotta love the ripping distortion these bad boys bring to the table
I'll post some pictures of my PNP design and faceplate once i get some time to work on it.






UPDATE!!

just quickly post my initial panel design and some pics of my 1/2 reasonable etchings. The vcf didnt come out to well, i think the etchant was a little too hot and my pnp really sucked. I took the advice on the net and just left the iron ontop for AGES, next thing i know i have a nice layer of Pnp melting onto the iron bottom. Hope my housemates dont find out. hehe So i had to touch up with some resistive paint to make the etching work. It looks a bit dodge but the contuniuty rolls through the traces ok. I might smooth a couple of the traces to make it look a bit more pro. I like the way Etaoin made this layout, filled the whole board with a ground plain really reduces the etching time. It only took about 3 minutes to etch! Wish it only took 3 minutes to drill and continuity check an build. :)


my top 20 ambient albums at the moment

Over on mnmlssgs they were rightly having a whinge at the all-time-top-20 ambient albums and associated desciptions.

I quickly made my list without thinking too deep about it, mostly music i have been listening to for the last couple of months. It dawned on me whether they develop the lists around the concepts of the albums or just listening pleasure. Certainly some of the greatest albums are highly intelectual (i love spelling that wrong) conceptual works whereas some are genius noodles. I also wonder about the wide variety of music people are lumping into the ambient genre. Then again i was almost going to suggest druqs.

top 20 ambient august 08

Murcof - Cosmos
Murcof – Martes
Robert Rich & B. Lustmord – stalker
Ben Frost - Steel Wound
Tim hecker - Harmony In Ultraviolet
Vladislav delay - Entain
Tangerine dream - Phaedra
Steve Roach – Structures in Silence
Bola - Fyuti
Monolake - layering budda
Jacaszek - treny
Wolfgang Voigt - 20' To 2000.November: 20 Minuten Gas Im November
Gas - Nah und Fern
Alva Noto & Ryuichi Sakamoto - Insen
Alva Noto - Xerox .1
Christian Fennesz-Ryuichi Sakamoto - Cendre
David Morley - Ghosts
Deaf Center - Pale ravine
Deep Chord Presents : Echospace - Coldest Season

Murcof live at Montreax Jazz

Murcof has just recently knocked vladislav delay from my top artist pedistal, a true feat considering how much vladislav means to me. I highly recommend people have a listen to the link posted below. It is a good representation of the Murcof vibe with some complementary tabla and horn additions.

http://rapidshare.com/files/40355786/Murcof_feat._Eric_Truffaz___Talvin_Singh_-_Live_Montreux_Jazz_Festival_2006.zip

I found a video from the gig too.
I hope this embed works, i'm still not sure how to do anything in this blogging box.



hope you all enjoy

numero uno

Wow, so here we go.
well i guess i better get a camera

Welcome to my blog, i hope it falls within your normal net cycle of procrastination.
I'll try document my DIY modular system that is in construction as well as other stuff, maybe even some music recommendation as i'm always searching for new music.