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20190701

Wrote a summer text for Mustekala.info Puu kaatuu metsässä – Tunnelmia Kiilan äänipäiviltä Kemiönsaarelta [Tree Falling in the Woods – Vibes from the Kiila International Sound-Days at Kemiönsaari]. An easygoing review which includes a short history of the event and an overview of all of the works presented this year. Includes some fancy casually post-humanistic sentences: “[their piece] explored constructions, which enable the production of sound in bodies, animals and other wind instruments” (concerning a performance by Ragnhild May and Kristoffer Raasted). Also summarized Yan Jun‘s from last year performance which I wrote shortly about. Got to interview Tolvi, Juho Laitinen (got a micro-lecture on art!) and Teemu Lehmusruusu for the text too.

Jesse introduced me to the concept of post-ore (jälki-malmi). He came up with the concept after spotting scum with aluminum and copper traces in the lot of an old foundry. Its a very useful concept for Ore.e Refineries. Post-Timber works too (see this crafty palindrome as a performance). We build a sauna (using post-timbre) with him in two days. Needs insulation but gives a good löyly.

Breadboarded a Microphonie (Music Thing Modular) and made a unit on perfboard too. Turns out my DC 5-24v to Dual Power 12v -12v 5v -5v 3.3v is incredibly noisy. Works ok, not as loud as I hoped and a bit noisy (most likely because of my building skills). Using a battery works cleaner. Tested it with my μZEUS too and begun to build a (water)capacitor (will be dry tomorrow).

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20190607

Added an array of capacitors to my Electroslush. 4u7 does not do much, 10u has a more audible effect. Changing the caps next to inductors has as a stronger effect. My plan is to build a capacitor myself (using mineral water as the conductor or electrolyte and plastic as the dielectric), use this cap as a filter on an audio amplifier circuit which will amplify the sound of the Electroslush (which will be listening to filter capacitor I build). This should make for an oscillator, which sound character is determined by the electromagnetic field of the diy mineral water capacitor.

I might use Tom Whitwells SimpleEQ (with exposed sockets for the capacitors next to the the bass and treble pots) and Mikrophonie as basis for the design. Electroslush -> Mikrophonie (or two for stereo) -> SimpleEQ (which capacitors are listened by the Electroslush) -> VCA/Output. In the long run I might combine the Electroslush and Mikrophonie into the same circuit.

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20190531

Successfully build a Music Thing Modular Spring reverb mk2 and a Kassutronic ASR Envelope (which also loops, so now I have an additional LFO too!). I don’t have a frontpanel for the envelope, I’ll have to figure something out. Even tough it’s a really simple module, it has been my most complicated build so far as I had to source all the parts (some had very specific measure specifications) and trust my judgment in the assembly. Powered it for testing using a power supply I build earlier. Feeling confident in my diy.

Traded my Drumbrute to a Expert Sleepers Disting mk4 (the trade was balanced monetarily). Disting has a steep learning curve. Got some multisample Mellotrone running using the the J-6 algorithm. Compiled a samplepack for it (cello, choir, flute). Seems that my departure from sample-life was short lived.

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20190228

Build my first module: “Tip/Ring Thing (Breakout)”. Its a 4hp unit which divides a 3.5mm TRS socket to two separate mono sockets. I can now transmit CVs (and audio) from-and-to my softPop with the module. It’s essentially a passive two channel splitter and/or mixer. It also works with my QuNexus, which sends CV trough a TRS connection. (Building the module costed me less then 5€ but four hours of time, because I wanted the panel from wood).

I’ve now compiled all of the modules I have planned. Feeling content but I want to deepen my understanding of sounds. I need some kind of drum-sound generator (re-discovered Kastle 1.5), a looping envelope, more VCAs (I’ll possibly build them using vactrol), a second LFO (for slow movements), a second attenuverter (for the second lfo) and a spring echo. Today I used the Turing Machine as an oscillator (by clocking using softPops square wave output), I patched the same clock signal to my clock divider (which serves as a square oscillator, when clock very fast). I then routed the sound of the Turing Machine to the softPops filter and used the QuNexus to trigger the Skis envelope/VCA to control the sound (of the filtered sound and the clock-div sub-osc). I wonder.. Would psychotherapy be more affordable?

My review titled Kun kirjasto lukee meitä (When the library reads us) on the The Library’s Other Intelligences art project is available on Mustekala.info.

Listening and studying Toshimaru Nakamura NO-INPUT MIXING BOARD (2000).

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20190209

Successfully built a Music Thing Modular Turing Machine Mkii and its Volts expander (which indicates faults in the assembly). Only four steps of the expander produce changes is the voltages which indicates bad solder joints, a problem with the 4015 chips, an issue with the clock input (using Ginko Synthese LFOv2), the pcb or something else. Checked all of the solder joints but they look good. I’ll have to get new chips, reheat all the joints and try again. The issue seems common and similar behavior is described on a Muffwiggler thread. Forgot a 10k resistor from Volts, soldered it down and everything works now!