Blips, Bleeps and Farts created on a rare old school analog modular synthesizer. But we ain’t say’n which one.

Download Blps & Frts CC at ccmixter. Licensed under Creative Commons.

Disclaimer: I’m affiliated with Fugwhump.

I just released a new Slipmat package at sourceforge. This latest version comes with three new examples, including one that uses a basic Java GUI. Four out of the five examples are now pre-rendered as CSDs for convenience. There are also a handful of new synth Modules to play with.

The documentation has been improved, including better Javadoc support. The Javadocs are not pre-rendered as to keep the size of the release to a minimum, so you’ll have to generate them yourself. Many IDEs, including NetBeans and Eclipse, will generate them for you.

There is also the PseudoTutorial example that gives a broad overview of the design of Slipmat and how to use it.

And in case you’re wondering, Slipmat is “A Java-based modular computer music library built on top of the Csound API.”

flickr photo by me

thumbuki20070702.csd

The Csound Blog
Issue #10

In the previous blog, “Modular Instruments“, I presented an instrument design model that takes advantage of Csound’s modular nature by breaking the common instrument structure apart into three elements: Synth Engine, Memory and Interface. (SEMI)

In todays blog, I create a new synth named MonoSynth based on the original SEMI Simple synth by replacing the zak memory with a memory core based on the chn opcodes, extending functionality of the engine, introducing modulation parameters, and by incorporating a method that links instances of instruments into an audio chain from within the score.

Topics:

• Modular Design
• chn
• Memory
• Signal Routing
• Modulation Instruments

More at The Csound Blog. For more information about Csound, please visit cSounds.com.

This is a very casual observation of contour and contour only, so please do not read too much into my findings. Here are the results:

Csound Digital Oscillator

This first graph shows a digital sine wave generated within the computer music language Csound. This is what I used as my test reference. Being that this is a purely mathematical construct, I figured this would be the perfect wave to compare against its analog counterparts.

Doepfer A-110 Standard VCO

Upon casual observation, you may notice that the sine isn’t the most accurate in the world. In fact, you might go as far to say this isn’t a sine wave at all. One noticable feature of this oscillator is that little glitch you see at 90º. This is consistent among every cycle at the stated frequency. I have two of these modules, and there were no significant differences when compared to each other.

Now it might sound like I’m completely down on this module. The truth is, I’m actually quite happy with this dirtiness of this unit, as it adds character. It is sometimes the imperfections that make something great.

Plan B Model 15

This unit has the smoothest contour of the three analog examples. Though the shape doesn’t adhere completely to the perfectly generated Csound test reference, it certainly gets close. The peak and the dip seem to be a bit rounder, almost as if they are slightly compressed.

Cwejman D-LFO

Now, I must say that it probably isn’t fair that I’m comparing a device designed specifically for low frequencies. With that being said, the contour fared noticeably better than the Doepfer. You might notice that the peak and the dip are both a little on the sharp side. The D-LFO comes with two oscillators, both of which I tested. I found both to be consistent with one another.

All Examples Compared

For fun, I thought it would be nice to superimpose each example over one another so we can better observe how much variation can exist between sine wave oscillators.

Other Variables in the Equation

Since I recorded the three analog signals, there were at least two extra variables that may have introduced distortion to the resulting wave shapes. The first would be the recording device, an Apogee Ensemble with the soft limit feature set to off. The second is the cable. I used the same cable for all the recordings. I always patched directly from the sine wave outputs to the Ensemble input.

I did go the extra step and recorded the Csound sine wave with the Ensemble and cable. I found there were no significant differences, in terms of contour, between the original generated wave and the recorded version.

My Methods

Last, I want to share the methods I used to collect and present the data. I recorded the three analog signals with the Apogee Ensemble, and with the software Peak. I took screen captures of peak, and then processed them in Photoshop. In Photoshop, I removed the dotted zero line, and replaced it with a solid line. I also resized each image so the waves would have matching periods. Though I compressed the width of each waveform, the contours of the waves were not affected.

And like I said, this experiment is just the casual observations of one guy, and completely non-scientific.

thumbuki20070420.csd

The Csound Blog
Issue #7

“I’m continuing with what I started in the last blog ‘Adding Zak to the Mix.’ As promised, I’m breaking down the zak mixer into its respective modular components, beginning with Csound macros.”

Topics covered:

• Macros
• #define
• #include

More at The Csound Blog. For more information about Csound, please visit cSounds.com.

My electronics workstation in the garage has been closed for the winter due to extreme cold.  Not that I’ve had the time, anyways.  However, the temperature is on the rise, and I’m looking forward to getting back out there.  The big goal I’ve set for myself is to make some of my very own eurorack modular synth units.

And perhaps by cosmic coincidence, a modular synth enthusiast, who goes by the name of fonik, commented on one of my flickr photos a couple of days ago.  This led me to his photos, which led me to www.modular.fonik.de.  On his site, he shares in detail his custom modules and schematics.  Having a DIY guide to follow is exactly what I need.

“Rather a musician than an electronics engineer I was always looking for new sounds. This finally(?) let me to modular synth. Once I purchased some Dopefer modules for a modular guitar effect the plan rose to build my own modular synth… this was about 2 years ago and I never held an soldering iron in my hands before.”  – fonik

This is the position I’m in today.  The fact that he has been able to accomplish so much with in such a short period of time gives me hope that I, too, will be able to succeed in my modular synth building endeavors.

EAST

I have just finished rewriting Exploring Analogue Synth Techniques, a Csound tutorial I wrote as an undergrad back in 1998.

Some of the topics include:

• bias
• phase
• legato
• phasors
• simulating a sync oscillator
• modeling a step sequencer

Enjoy!

“It works okay, I guess.”

I’ve recently taken a detour from the alien world of circuit-bending into the greater cosmos of electronics. And what better thing is there to do with my new found hobby than to build modules for my Doepfer Modular? If you answered “why nothing,” you deserve a cookie.

Inside the box

Above you’ll see the result of my entire Saturday, the Shinola Low-Pass. It is a simple, passive knob-controllable low-pass filter. Its constructed from an old GBA-SP box, two capacitors, wire, two 3.5mm jacks and a 50k potentiometer.

It works okay, I guess. I intentionally crowded the jacks and pot into the corner, giving me room to expand it’s functionality later. The cutoff only goes so low, which could have been fixed with higher capacitance capacitors. Still, not bad for a first try. Despite being mostly useless, I’m quite proud of it.