Tuesday 31 July 2012

144


Here is a short video playing with a Buchla 144 square wave oscillator. The patch consists of the 144 being modulatd by a 258v and the 251e sequencer. 292e, 281e and 266e are in there too. Theres also a bit of spring reverb being panned by the 227e. Only one side of the 144 is currently working but it still sounds incredible, THANK YOU DON!



Monday 30 July 2012

Mathusmatiq




Thanks to: Walter, Walter, Federica Martini and surface64

Ancona


We just got back from a trip to Ancona in Italy, where we played a concert as part of the Acusmatiq festival

Wednesday 25 July 2012

Serge Arms


Using the serge modular sequencers on a very early paper face system. Its just tuned noise, but the switches on the sequencers make playing it fun

Cart


Ok there is some Olympic stuff in town that is quite interesting, but it's not connected to sports. I went with some friends to see an exhibition down the road of BMW cars that have been customised by famous 70s and 80s artists (e.g. Andy Warhol, David Hockney and Jeff Koons). It is in the multi-story carpark in this post. Its called Art Drive! (when I first saw the poster I genuinely thought it said Art Drivel)

In The Way


I can't get to my studio any more because someone put an Olympics in the way. This kind of sums it up for me, thanks Paul...

FS


Word of the Week #38


Tuesday 24 July 2012

Sequence On and On


My new Dotcom 960 sequencer arrived today. So my Moog system is finally now complete...

Sunday 22 July 2012

American Noise


There has been a thread over on Muff's forum about the different noise modules made by Don Buchla over the years. Djangosfire just bought 2 vintage 100 series modules from the same seller I bought a module from (more on that later) and made a cool track on his system using the very early 160 noise module. This prompted me to ask him if he could record some pure noise from it and compare it to a modern Buchla 266e noise module. This is the result:



Then fastheadache kindly recorded his 1970s 200 series noise which is digitally created (you can hear the scanning / looping going on in the background)



So this prompted me to record the noise output of some other very old American modular synths. Heres the info:

An assortment of raw noise from vintage american modular synths: Serge Modular (paperface) white noise, Serge Modular (paperface) pink noise, RA Moog Modular 903 white noise, RA Moog Modular 903-A white noise, RA Moog Modular 903-A pink noise, ARP2500 1016 white noise, ARP2500 1016 pink noise. Recorded direct to disk without amplification or attenuation. Note the difference in output levels between the systems



And here are just the white noise recordings but all at the same level: Serge (paperface); RA Moog 903; RA Moog 903-A; ARP2500 1016


Thursday 19 July 2012

Cargo & Bestival


We're playing two gigs in September so come and see us in action! The 5th is Cargo in London and the 6th we're playing Bestival on the Isle of Wight...

The cargo show will be supported by Tara Busch playing her new electronic opus I Speak Machine and the DJs for the night are my Wrangler colleagues Phil Winter and Stephen Mallinder (co-founder of Cabaret Voltaire). More info here

Moog Not Moog


Heres a patch on the Moog, actually no Moog modules are being used! Its Dotcom, Cynthia and Synthetic Sound Labs. Do you like my new/old video camera?

Monday 16 July 2012

When Will It Stop Raining?


Inflation

Look at this beautiful little Buchla. The advert is from 1971 and if you upscale the value using this calculator it works out as being priced at $16,159.93 in todays money. I blame the debt based banking system

Coming Soon...


Formant


Heres a picture of my Formant Modular taken by Neil Fellowes

Saturday 14 July 2012

Saturday 7 July 2012

Blights


Hello. Here is a live Buchla tweak. And some flashing Buchla-lights

Word of the Week #38


In A Fast German Car 2


Speaking of fast german cars, I just got this back from being resprayed. Soundtrack recorded on my way home last night

In A Fast German Car



Sam (Diagrams) has been in the studio for a couple of days this week working on some new tracks. Which reminded me that we did a track together a few months ago - a cover of Radiohead's Airbag for a magazine cover CD. Here is a pleasantly literal video someone has put up on the tube

Dreamy


I mentioned a few posts ago that the I Dream of Wires doc people came to the studio, well here are some nice hi-res pics that they took, from their Facebook page

Tuesday 3 July 2012

Wrangle On


Phil bought down his Roland TR626 and found some patterns he made in 1987! (the last time he used it) I connected the clock out to the Moog system and Mal messed with the Kaos

Dim And Dimmer


I went crazy today and replaced all the light-dimmer knobs in my house with vintage Buchla style ones...