Posted on

20171205

A randomly triggering Automatonism (virtual modular) song recorded in Pd (using recorder delivered in 2.1 update).

My first Berlin Wall Distortion circuit board etching failed. I’m using a halogen lamp to transfer the circuit and I think the heat is causing the positive photoresist to stick to the board. My old natriumpersulfat might have been exposed to moisture etc. So I’m investing in ferric chloride and a new batch of developer agent. The Berlin Wall Distortion is a relatively costly project… I’ve used 40-60€ in components alone.

“Writing is the physical hope of a counternarrative” says Frances Morgan in Technology Now: Sonic Feminisms from ICA London.

Posted on

20170805

Interesting experiment with mG2! Made a piano roll in Logic X which triggered samples (through midi) that I chopped from an interview of my grandfather. mG2 can play 6 samples per bank but it accepts program changes to access new sample banks (I think it can have over 60 banks). I wrote program change messages in the piano roll so I could access all of the interview samples through Logic X. I could experiment chopping an interview into samples (which I would keep in the synth) and edit the interview using some kind of (partially automated) drum system. Instead of editing an interview this approach would synthesize the voice of a person. As discussed with Pietari editing an interview can be approached as some kind of narrative-granular-synthesis.

Succeeded in building an almost functional midi clock sync between Automatonism and external midi gear!

Posted on

20170719

My Bastl microGranny 2.5 kit arrived. The assembly looks very challenging.

I succeeded in installing Pure Data (Pd) on my RasPi 3 and I’ve been playing with Automatonism 1.1. It works great and even got my Novation Circuit to work with it! Automatonism is a virtual modular audio system. It’s the successor of XODULAR (both systems have been written by Johan Eriksson). Automatonism is a great way to learn both Pd and audio synthesis.

While fiddling with Pd I figured our that I can use it to write a midi CC modulator/translator which will change the CCs Novation Circuit sends over midi into CCs which the microGranny understands. The Circuit synths CC values can be automated using the inbuilt sequencer. The combination should make for very interesting results. Much like some Elektron sequencers with parameter locks. I guess I could run a Raspberry Pi Nano which only works as a Pd midi CC modulator/translator: ctlin (isolate CC) -> values -> ctlout (to desired CC). Or something.

I’ll try to learn Pd by making a midi clock input for Automatonism. Also discovered the Piz MIDI plugin collection which seems very useful. The plugins have been updated earlier this year. By the looks of it midiForceToKey can be used to make microtonal stuff.