Photo-set 16344493664:
Ralph Dyck’s prototype digital sequencers, which then evolved into the Roland MC-8 MicroComposer.
The Blog
“sequencer”
Video 13177503699:
Tour of the Experimental Television Center
More on the ETC and their history can be found at their website.
Video 7251309980:
Late night live jam with my Yamaha Tenori-on, recorded ~1AM, 5th July, 2011.
Not recommended for those allergic to synthetic cowbells.
Well, yeah, I’ve had the TR-808, TR-606 and mouth samples loaded into my TNR-W for years so it’s about time I did something with them. And it’s also good to force oneself to escape the seductive low-tempo ambient Tenori-on habit where most of it’s sounds sit most comfortably, idly noodling along at 70 BPM. This is what resulted.
I don’t know why the video glitches occasionally - I recorded the laptop’s webcam with PhotoBooth - but I like it. Audio was taken directly from the Tenori-on into the MacBook Pro’s audio input where Ableton Live was waiting to gobble it up. No post-processing was applied other than tweaking the level and a touch of soft compression & limiting. Monitoring was done through my Grado SR80i headphones, again plugged straight into the MacBook Pro’s built-in audio output.
That’s about as minimal a gear load-out as I can get without twitching. Oh wait, I guess a Yamaha BC1 breath controller should also be included as I used it to prop the laptop up at an effective angle for it’s iSight camera to catch all the high-octane point-and-poke “action.”
Audio 7188780056:
Raymond Scott demonstrating his Circle Machine sequencer:
…Now I would like to demonstrate a practical use of The Circle Machine. The problem: To create a sound that goes with the sequence of a TV spot in which the storage battery is dying because the electrolyte is rapidly evaporating, ending in a short circuit. The following demonstration starts with a Circle Machine impression of a dying battery. To keep the sounds generic in this commercial, The Circle Machine is also used in a punctuation manner. Here is our Ford ‘AutoLite Sta-Ful’ battery commercial…
Photo 6677101648:
♥
Post 4837201400:
Let’s Upgrade a Yamaha RM1x Sequence Remixer!
Hey, RM1x, how you doing?
You’re looking a little bit old, and my tingling spidey-sense tells me you could do with being a bit more modern in your outlook on life.
[To access the RM1x service menu power it up whilst holding down the “Pattern”, “Pattern Chain” and “Utility” buttons. Be careful with the “Factory Set” option, though, as it will immediately reset the device back to factory settings — removing all your unsaved phrases, patterns, styles and configuration — without a “are you sure” step.]
Well what do you know - there is indeed some newer gubbins designed just for you. How about that!
[Contact your nearest Yamaha service department and ask for the v1.13 OS upgrade. They’ll charge for sending out the new chip but will refund that amount upon receiving the older part. Don’t ask me why - it’s probably some form of legal or tax requirement.]
These inviting holes are too small!
This orifice is shaped wrong!
Hrm. Let’s assemble some tools.
Not pictured: rubber gloves on hands, gas mask on face, and side arm in waist band.
Look away, prudes, here be naked knobs!
It’s not necessary to remove the caps for this style make-over, I just felt like being crude.
Nope, this dirty job just requires some bottom access.
The proctologist’s view of a sullied warranty.
[Put down some nice foam padding to avoid damaging her facial protusions, flip her over and then disrobe by removing her screws on the bottom and backplate. Not all the backplate screws need removing but its easier to unfasten them all than figure out which secure the base. Store the base plate and backplate screws separately as they are of slightly different species. Fully disassembling the chassis to clean all the switches is a more involved process that is left as an exercise for the reader.]
Fun things to fiddle with!
[The highlighted rectangle is the RM1x’s OS chip, labelled on the circuit board as “IC2” and is what will be replaced here. The highlighted circle is the battery that only needs replacing when she informs you that she’s getting tired of having to remember all your noisy nonsense. For future reference, its a common 3 volt lithium CR2450.]
Ah, job done!
You can put your clothes back on now - I’m going for a cigarette.
[Be careful replacing the OS chip to avoid bending or snapping it’s legs and ensure that the notch on the new chip aligns with the semi-circle marking on the circuit board. Keep the old chip as you need to return that to Yamaha to get your money back.]
Oooh, look at you being all fashionable and contemporary.
But are you still willing to put up with my hurried and unpracticed fumbling?
Solomon Automaton - Gamboge Garbo
That’ll do, babe, that’ll do.
Photo 4147761880:
Taken with instagram
Why, hullo there, 250e Arbitrary Function Generator. You look like you know how to have fun. Fancy sharing some of that fun with me?
Video 3179131138:
David Vorhaus Analogue Electronic Music 1979
What you heard in this film has been just a tiny sample of the sounds technology now offers the musician. Are we witnessing technological self-indulgence, or is music going through an exciting period of development?
You might find it reassuring to remember that this development never stops. Be it spinnet, serpent, sousaphone or synthesiser there has always been a new sound of music. However bizarre some of it may sound today, we are perhaps privileged to be witnessing this development at a time when technology is presenting a range of possibilities wider than ever before.
It took some respected composers 30 years to accept the piano forte as a serious instrument. Judged on that time-scale, this revolution has hardly begun.
— Michael Rodd, narrating.
(via @_lemon and @CoLDSToRAGE)
Photo 2716624523:
ancient EMS sequencer
