Theremin: Magic Ceramic Custom Synth

Happy New-Year everybody!
I hope you all had a great holiday season...
I found this one on the web, but it's not really new...

Video: Magic Ceramic Theremin Lamp Doepfer A-178

" The first test of the Magic Ceramic Theremin lamp. 

It was developed as a peculiar piece for the opening of the Exhibition of several ceramists in Gallery Artibrak. from November until 28th of December 2011.

A Theremin is normally step-less, but in this case an A-156 is used as a quantizer..

Small explanation for those who are not familiar:
In this magic piece of ceramic two antenna's are integrated. 

One antenna for the volume and one for the pitch. 

The instrument does not have to be touched. 

The volume can be controlled by your left hand (when approaching it the volume increases), the pitch can be controlled by your right hand (when approaching it, the pitch of the sound goes up). 

 By approaching the antenna's you are influencing the potential difference. 

Just like the antenna of your transistor radio which functions well or not when approaching it.

(Ceramic Art by Mance)

The Magic Ceramic is based on the original Theremin invented by Léon Theremin in 1919. 

That electronic instrument is step-less variable and very expressive. 

It sounds like an opera voice or violin.

This ceramic version of the instrument has a much more variety than it's original. 

You can make the sound stepless or let it be quantized, so that you hear a real tonescale/musical scale. 

The sinus-tone of the Magic Ceramic is quantized (chopped in pieces), and in the way it is presented now only the Minor notes are heard. (like the black keys on a piano) 

In this way the steps between the notes are bigger and easier to distinguish. 

Other possibilities are just Major notes or the complete tonescale, quantized or not. 

There is also a small sampler added, so when you reach the highest note a spoken voice can be heard."
More info HERE

Video uploaded by creativegallerysynth

A-156 Dual Quantizer Tutorials by Raul Pena

Raul Pena has published the first (of 5) episode of his next tutorial video series.
This time it is all about the A-156 Dual Quantiser module.

Video 1: Doepfer A156 Dual Quantizer Basics

" Description and Overview of the Modes of Operation of the Doepfer A156 Dual Quantizer Module. A basic demonstration of the Major, Minor, and Chord modes. Continued in Doepfer A156 Dual Quantizer Modes of Operation Part Two. Sound and Video by Raul Pena."

Video 2: Doepfer A156 Dual Quantizer Modes of Operation

" Description and Overview of the Modes of Operation of the Doepfer A156 Dual Quantizer Module. A basic demonstration of the Major, Minor, and Chord modes. Continued in Doepfer A156 Dual Quantizer Modes of Operation Part Two. Sound and Video by Raul Pena."

Video 3: Doepfer A156 Dual Quantizer Modes of Operation Part Two

" Continuation of the Modes of Operation of the Doepfer A156 Dual Quantizer Module. A basic demonstration of the +7,+6 and quint modes. Next Video Doepfer A156 More Voltage Sources, Transposing, and using triggers. Sound and Video by Raul Pena."

Video 4: Doepfer A156 Dual Quantizer More CV Sources, Transposing, and Triggers

" Continuing Exploration of the Doepfer A156 Dual Quantizer. This section examines using an Envelope as a CV source for the quantizer, transposing quantized sequences and triggers. Next Video Doepfer A156 More Voltage Sources, Transposing, and using triggers Part Two. Sound and Video by Raul Pena."

Video 5: Doepfer A156 Dual Quantizer More CV Sources, Transposing, and triggers Part Two

" This section continues examining transposing quantized sequences and triggers.Also demonstration of quantizing a modulated CV source.Sound and Video by Raul Pena."

More videos will be added after they appear online.
Don't forget to check out Raul's website at http://raulsworldofsynths.com/

Random Video: Doepfer A-100 Manual Arpeggios

You might already know that the A-156 Dual Quantizer is one of my favorite modules, you can read more about that module and my modification HERE and on the Synovatron blog.
I recently found this video on YouTube, by someone who also seems to have fun with it.

Video: Doepfer A-100 Manual Arpeggios
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A31ZpPVqRHI

" A patch on the Doepfer A-100, featuring the A-156 Quantizer "

Uploaded by JWolfMusic

Modifications I : A-156 Quantizer Follow

A-156 with modification

Yesterday i picked up the spare parts that i ordered from Doepfer; a few switches, 3.5 mm sockets, LEDs and blindplates of different types and sizes. Now that i have them i couldn't wait to start with my first project.

One of my personal little annoyances that i have with the A-100 system are the tiny internal jumpers inside of some modules. Behind these jumpers are sometimes great functions that make these modules a lot more flexible.

Where i can, i will try to replace the internal jumpers with switches on the front on more modules, but i started with the A-156 Dual Quantizer Module.

A-156 after removing all the knobs
and frontplate

This module has two separate Quantizers, one that only uses a semitone-scale and Quantizer 2 that has much more options like minor/major/chord/quint/6th and 7th scales. There is a way to let Quantizer 1 follow Quantizer number 2 by replacing an internal jumper, but why there? It is probably a cost-saving thing from Doepfer's side but there is enough room on the frontplate of the module to place a switch with the same function. You can find a neat step-by-step guide with pictures on how to do this HERE , but it is quite easy.

Wiring the new switch

After removing the frontplate and drilling a hole for the new switch ( there is enough room above or under the printed 'Options Quantizer 2' text ) i could fit a new Doepfer 1-0-1 (on-off-on) switch in the hole and mount it back together again.

A-156 detail close-up

The wiring was quite simple, so even with my mediocre soldering-skills this was a piece of cake for me. The result is a simple and invisible modification that works perfect. Switch down couples the 2 quantizers, switch up puts quantizer 1 in it's original mode.

Okay... a similar result can be obtained with the use of an extra multiplier, but i found this one more adventurous... and rackspace-saving.

Now its time to experiment with the new options that i have. I can think of some nice patches already, but there are also some good suggestions for the use of this module and this modification at Synovatron's blog.

Best Friends Forever III

My next unseparable combo is a threesome this time.

This is another essential combination for me, because i use my A-198 Trautonium/Ribbon Controller a lot to control my A-100 system.
The yellow patchcables between these modules always stay connected whenever i start a new patch.

The Voltage Control output ( pitch control ) of the Ribbon Controller goes straight into the A-156 Dual Quantizer.
This module divides the signal into various little steps that provides many different possibilities to scale the notes that are played, allowing the player to play more accurate notes and scales.

Note that I use the lower and more extended half of the Dual Quantizer.
The upper half has less functions and can only divide the signal into steps of 1 /12th Volt = 1 Volt per Octave


Last in the line is the A-170 Dual Slew limiter. With this one i can add a subtile portamento to the signal.

Again, only the lower half of the module is used in this patch, because this half has more possibilities.
The slewrates are adjustable from low to mid or high, and it has separate controls for rise and fall times.

This patch gives me all the control that i need, and i cannot do without any one of these in my live-setup.