Booktip XII - How To Make A Noise by Simon Cann

Simon Cann is a musician and writer based in London. He is the author of a range of music-related and music business-related books and published this book in 2005. (my copy is the revised 2007 edition)

The book is " a comprehensive, practical guide to sound design and synthesizer programming techniques using subtractive (analog) synthesis, frequency modulation synthesis, additive synthesis, wave-sequencing, and sample-based synthesis. "

Every function of a synthesizer gets discussed in this 278-page book, and the author shows practical uses for these building-blocks to make/recreate sounds.

The book is illustrated with many pictures and screen-shots from (software) synthesizers that i had/have never heard of, and that might be the only 'problem' that i have with this book.

In my opinion this book is a bit too much focused on Software synths and some of the sounds can only be created with these soft-synths.

For analog purists (like me) this can be a bit of a trouble, but nevertheless i enjoyed reading it and had fun trying out new patches.

I like the book a lot because it is stuffed with info, patch-ideas and other suggestions, but i advice beginners to start with the more basic synth-books. (check the BookTip section of this blog)

Published by Coombe Hill Publishing

Paperback   178 pages
ISBN10      0955495504

ISBN13      9780955495502

Click here if you want to get hold of the full free download of this book for your tablet or PC.

The author recently wrote 3 digital (not on paper) follow-ups to this book.
A video with more info on these 3 e-books can be found HERE
Find additional info/ ordering details at http://simoncann.com/ or http://noisesculpture.com/
or follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/simonpcann

Random Video: Doepfer A-100 Modular Madness 1 by Frequenzverschiebung

A new A-100 video that caught my eye today is this next one by YouTube user Frequenzverschiebung, simply called 'Doepfer A-100 Modular Madness 1'



" Random Doepfer A-100 patch, all movement controlled by two LFO modules (A-145, A-146) and noise, S&H (A-118, A-148), SSM2044 filter (A-105), ring mod (A-114), 2 VCO (A-110) and more.

Additional delay and reverb with software plugins ValhallaÜberMod and ValhallaRoom. "

Subscribe to his YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/Frequenzverschiebung

Filters VI: A-122 24 dB Low Pass Filter VCF3

Module A-122 (VCF 3) is a voltage-controlled low-pass filter, which's circuitry uses a Curtis Electromusic chip (CEM3320), and sounds very similar to the classic Oberheim filter that was used in the OB8, OBX-a and Xpander synthesizers.
(and also in the Sequential Circuits Prophet 5 and Roland SH-101)

Because of its different circuitry and controls, the A-122 has a considerably smooth but thin sound, different like the A-120 'Moog-like' filter and other Doepfer filters.
Also the way the resonance behaves is quite different.

Luckily this module does have Voltage Controlled resonance that cannot only be controlled manually, but by voltages as well, right up to self-oscillation.
In this case, the filter behaves like a sine wave oscillator.
In this oscillation mode, you can simply use the FCV1 input to contol the pitch because it also works on the 1V/ octave rule, like regular VCOs.

I love the sound of it, you can use it to make fat and smooth basses up to the squelchier TB-303 style sounds.
A very nice filter, but not on top of my favorite filters list.
PatchPierre rating: 7/10

Check out the short (and not too in-depth) demo that i shot earlier today:
Video: Doepfer A-122 VCF3 Demo

" Short Doepfer A-122 Demo by NetPierre
Starts with a sequenced bassline, generated by my Doepfer MAQ16/3 and Doepfer VCO A-110 (saw wave)
Slow LFO sinewave A-147 into QCV input - ADSR into VC2 input
Drums provided by an Elektron Machinedrum "

As the special circuit CEM3320 used in this module is no longer available the module was discontinued.
Doepfer recommends the A-106-6 XP VCF, that is based on the filter circuit of the Oberheim Xpander, as a replacement module.

DIY Modular Case Ideas

There are many ways to house your (eurorack) modular synth, i wrote about the pre-manufactured options from Doepfer earlier, find that post HERE, but of course you can also try to build you own case.
There are many ways to make your own A-100/Eurorack case if you start out with just the basic rails and busboard, and you can make it as cheap or expensive as you can.

Check out a few ideas;
Wooden cabinets and side-panels are still very popular amongst (modular) synth enthusiasts.
These simple case standards for the pre-manufactured LC9 cases are very simple, and can be sooo useful
http://synthesizerart.blogspot.com/2011/10/dual-doepfer-lc9-case-stand-v1-design.html Also check out the other great modular pictures on his site.
Matthew Goike (@Goiks) also has some nice wooden cabinets on display and for sale on his website: http://www.goike.com/node/5

...or do what Stretta did (or rather what his brother did), make a high-end wood/brushed aluminium cabinet with integrated LED-lights and some kind of ingenious integrated cable-tree-hanger-thingy.

Stretta's Modular cabinet, made out of wood and brushed aluminium

...with an eye for detail

On his blog he writes: "The basic criteria was to widen the six row monster base/monster case combination another rack width, creating a triple-wide configuration that is easy to reach across. The width of such a configuration is about the same a standard piano keyboard. The curved design brings the top row dow to a more reachable height. The foot print of the system isn't much wider than my previous configuration." ,and
" The 1512 gets its name from the amount of hp it houses. To put this in perspective, the 1512 puts 54U of rack space, all within an arms reach."
Find more pictures of this cabinet HERE
(pictures by stretta.com )

Tony's Modular Toolcase

Tony Steventon's 'Modular in a Toolbox' case is also a very nice idea.
I personally like it's portability, plus the fact that you can travel with it without having to unpatch your whole system because the lid covers and protects all your patch-cables nicely.

Find his step-by-step building instructions at http://synovatron.blogspot.com/2011/11/modular-in-tool-case.html

Last but not least i find these custom side-panels for Dark Energy very cool. If you are handy, you could make something like this for your Dark Energy, Dark Time or Dark Matter, or try to find a pair of these on eBay.
Find more of these custom-made wooden side-panels at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OI1KuWWAP8c

Quick Tip IX : A-119 As a Clock Generator

A quick tip that i 'borrowed' from the Yahoo Doepfer A-100 User Group is this next one:

It could happen that you run out of MIDI or other signal-converters to synchronize your A-100 system.
If you have a free channel out on your soundcard you can use the A-119 Ext. Input / Envelope Follower to produce some kind of clock signal as an alternative.

To do this you should create a channel in your favorite sequencer/ sampler/ sound-card that sends out 16th notes of some short sounds like a rim-shot, snare,claves or woodblock for example.
The A-119 can simply turn this audio-signal into a (steady) gate signal, which can be multiplied/divided and used throughout your A-100 system.

Merry Christmas from PatchPierre

PatchPierre wishes all the regular and occasional readers of my blog a very merry Christmas!
I am having a little writing-break these days, so here's an old video this time;

Usually i am not a huge fan of those free-running modular synth- patches, especially the noisey ones, but this video (by YouTube user belempa1) definitely has some musical value... and ehhh what a nice rack! ;-)

Video: Doepfer Monster Modular 2


" This is a patch that i always wanted, a dreamy sound like that from Tangerine Dream or Klaus Schulze.
A single oscillator; Audio Frequency Generator Livewire, has a strong personality and the quality is superb.
The A-149-1 and 2 Doepfer, which incorporates some features of the "Source of Uncertainty" by Don Buchla, are the essential elements of this patch. This patch in a loop without any external effect." *

*roughly translated

A-132 Dual VCA

Module A-132-1 Dual Low Cost VCA contains two simple voltage controlled amplifiers, each with a linear response.
They are most suitable for controlling the level of all kinds of control voltages like LFO or ADSR amount,  Joystick or Wheels voltage etc.

In non-critical situations though, these VCAs can also be used to control audio signals, and i have to say it still sounds pretty good; audio controlled by an ADSR or Ribbon voltage through this module.
Amplification is controlled by the sum of the voltages patched into the two CV inputs.

Although these 'Dual' modules are small and don't have many other controls (like knobs or switches), they are very useful low-cost solutions for your amplification needs...

They are cheaper (two-for-the-price-of-one) than the A-130/131 VCA's so you could consider using one of these in your next setup if you are on a budget or want to spare valuable rack-space...

CD-Tip VI : More Electronic Music by Badings - Henk Badings

Henk Badings is still pretty unknown to a lot of us, but he was a classical-schooled Dutch composer/ engineer who was born in 1907 and passed away in 1987.

He had been composing since his youth, but after the 2nd World War he discovered (early) electronic and tape-music.
From 1956 until 1963 he worked with other Dutch electronic music pioneers like Dick Raaijmakers (who declined Stanley Kubrick's request to make the Clockwork Orange soundtrack)  en Tom Dissevelt in the acclaimed Philips NatLab.

He has written symphonies, concerto's, electronic and film music in his life, but this 2CD-set contains 5 of his most important electronic works.
Did they already "partly cover Badings' Electronic Music on the Popular Electronics Boxset (Basta 3091412), here's the best of the rest, to say so" (so not containing tracks that were already on THESE CD's that i reviewed earlier)

Fans that like Wendy Carlos, other NatLab CD's that i posted and such will probably like this collection of weird and sometimes dreamy, well composed soundscapes and even the more progressive electronic poetry-slam track "Dialogues for Man and Machine" with lyrics by Dutch singer/poet Ramses Shaffy

Preview:
  Capriccio (1959) for violin and 2 sound tracks - Henk Badings by Basta Music

More info and tracklisting HERE
Published by Basta Music

http://BastaMusic.com
Cat. Nr.: 3091 722
A more comprehensive list of all his works can be found HERE (in Dutch)
- also see http://www.badings.nl/

Raul Pena's 12 Days of Modular (Complete Playlist)

Raul Pena just finished a new video series for the upcoming holidays.
It's called the 12 days of Modular, so he posted one video a day for 12 days,
themed around Modular Synthesis and sound.
Very nice demonstrations of Sound Sources and Modulation, accompanied by waveform views.
"Good for seeing wave-forms, annoying the neighbors, or lots of other uses."
No talking, just sound. Sound and Video by Raul Pena

As always feel free to leave feedback (on his YouTube playlist, not here...)

Full Playlist : 12 Days of Modular / Parts 1 - 12 /

                                      Total length 29 minutes and 36 seconds

Please take some time to fill out Raul's short survey regarding information, suggestions for future videos. 
(no sales or money involved) 

Just information that will help guide the interest/content of the videos.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/K3Z9PVF

150th PatchPierre Post

Woooooot! ...all over again. :-)
My 150th post already, who would have thought that?
I didn't expect to still be able to post every 3 to 4 days, because i thought there wasn't much to blog about anymore, but it looks like i was wrong...
Okay, my posts are not always very long and pretty basic (so far), but that is the whole point of this blog; 'basic A-100 -news, -tips, -patches, sound-examples and other general (Eurorack analog modular) synthesizer info', for all modular synthesizer enthusiasts...

I found a good schedule to write now; when i am in the mood, a good part of my Sunday afternoons is spent on writing 2 or 3 posts and if there is any news (new video's / news from the forums / new thoughts) i try to fit them in between the 'regular' posting schedule.

The traffic-numbers are still going up, but slowly; I expect to reach 3000 page-views this or next month (was around 1700 last May, at the moment of my 100th post, and around 1000 in October last year).
The visitors come from 102 different counties, and it feels like my blog is slowly changing into some kind of Doepfer A-100 archive, which is also very cool.

I hope my numbers will keep on growing, but i'm not yet sure how to do that and where i could promote my site some more.
If you have an idea on how i could do this feel free to let me know, and feel free to let the whole world know about my blog... of course...
Spam it where you can ;-)

I must say i was very pleased to see Raul Pena's amazing A-100 tutorial video's popping up this summer.
Great video's that were very informative and clearer than i could ever have written for you in English.
It did save me the time to write about some hard to explain modules, like the A-188 for example...
Also check out his 12 days of Modular series HERE

So what can you expect in my next 50 posts?
I haven't even written about all the modules that i own, so you will see a bit more of that, even some more short reviews of the simple basic modules.
Sadly i don't have a big budget to invest in new modules at the moment.
A few more synth-books are on my book-shelf that i will write about.

Starting next year the CD-Tip section of the blog will include some more 'classic synthesizer albums', instead of the how-to-, sample- and more off-beat CD-tips i posted so far.
Although i am not a professional CD-reviewer i would like to let you know what CD's i find worth listening to.
Think of 70's and early 80's albums like "Cyborg" by Klaus Schulze, "Switched on Bach" by Wendy Carlos and Tomita's "Pictures at an Exhibition" or "The Planets".
I guess i should not name more now, but if you have any suggestions please leave a comment below.

Thank you all again for your feedback / re-tweets / +1's and Facebook likes so far.
I'm looking forward to write my next 50 posts...

(also check my 50th post from December 7, 2010,
                                          and my 100th post from May 22, 2011)