Michael Tiemann
The Jimmy Herring Band plays Matt (Slocum)'s Funk at The Miraverse, Pittsboro NC, 8/18/12
updated 13 years ago
A 296e module "conducts" while the shift registers of a 263v send attack and decay parameters through the 281e quad function generator. Enjoy the slow unfolding of a sonic landscape that sounds both familiar and alien--meditative noise, if you will.
Shot on Red #Komodo using an eMotimo ST4 + Dana Dolly for camera motion. Rendered as UHD HDR (REC2020 ST2084PQ) in Davinci Resolve 17b6. Enjoy!
Camera is a RED Monstro. Graded on an FSI-XM310K montior.
Much less interesting camera work this time, but hopefully much better music. Let me know in the comments! Presented in #UHD #HDR (and also graded for SDR).
Featured in this video are a number of new modules from 1979.ws, which I'm very happy with. The Dual Algorithmic Oscillator is a Swiss Army knife of analog synth sounds, while the Digital Resonator is like the Swiss Alps--plenty of fascinating reverb in case one feels like yodeling. The Modal Synthesis Voice and Dual Voltage Controlled Mixer also fit into the mix (MSV on bass, DVCM helping fade between DR+MSV and DAO).
The heartbeat of the patch is the Pendulum/Ratchet, with lots of patch logic to combine and compute groovy rhythms from the basic time divisions it provides.
This "performance" is basically live, with me switching back and forth between roles as both musician and camera operator. The video was graded to be played in #HDR on a #UHD screen (Rec 2100 / PQ). But I also took care to include an SDR LUT with the YouTube upload, so it should still look good if you don't have HDR. Special effects were also part of the fun.
Questions entertained and feedback welcome!
While we had many human witnesses for this event, accurately measuring the height of the projectile was very difficult because the projectile is very small (difficult to discern against a busy background), it never launches to exactly the same location twice (you cannot know ahead of time where to set your gaze for the apex), and the launch velocity is extremely fast (so even though the starting point of the launch is known, it's virtually impossible to follow the trajectory with the human eye).
To solve all these problems and record the world record, I brought a high-resolution camera (a RED MONSTRO 8K VV camera) matched with a very high-resolution lens (Tokina Vista Cinema Prime 50mm prime lens) and shot vertically at 120fps (5x faster than real-time). The video footage provided all the necessary evidence for the team to measure and document this new world record.
It was a #GDTBATH (Great Day to be a Tar Heel)!
Here's a link to our entry in the Guinness Book of World Records:
guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/428375-highest-launch-from-a-galilean-cannon
This was the third time I've created video documentary evidence for a world record. The first two times I recorded my brother setting some juggling records (13 balls flash tying WR, and, separately, 9 sticks, setting WR). See youtube.com/watch?v=ZqbDItZQF38, for example.
P.S. To make room for my new modules, I've put a few of my more duplicated modules up on eBay. The Triple Morphing Filter has already sold, but others still available. Send me a message if interested!
Mastered as REC.2100 (REC.2020 color primaries, ST 2084 gamma), 1000 nits. Do *you* have a screen that can play it as HDR? If so, how do you think it looks?
Once the major components are understood for what they are, then the performance (on the one hand) and the tutorial (on the other) should provide sufficient clues that one can, with a little patience make sense of all the wires and all the modules.
Shot on RED cameras at 4320p resolution, scaled down to UHD. This is also my first attempt at using the Rec.2020 (non-HDR) color space (rather than Rec.709). If you have a whiz-bang new monitor, this should look GORGEOUS ;-)
The fundamental structure of the patch (and its theory of operation) is as follows:
A 262v Harmonic Oscillator functions as a kind of aeolian harp, strummed by a Fluctuating Random Voltage (B) from a 266e Source of Uncertainty, which in turn drives the frequency of a 259e Complex Waveform Generator, analyzed by a 296e Spectral Processor. All octave harmonics (yellow banana cables flowing down) go directly to the harp, whereas all other harmonics (fifths, major third, dominant seventh, major second) feed to a 210e Control Voltage and Signal Router. By selecting which of these harmonics are selected or not (and in what order), the harp can be "tuned" to different modes (Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, Harmonic Minor, Melodic Minor, Phrygian n3, Lydian b7, Major Pentatonic, Minor Pentatonic, Octaves only, Octaves + 5ths, etc.)
The harp's output can be played directly, which sounds a bit like a pipe organ in timbre. But also feeds a 285e Frequency Shifter and Balanced Modulator, which can make it sound like chiming bells. In this performance I crossfade between the harp and the bell tones (or mute them entirely).
A 261e Complex Waveform Generator provides the lead instrument sound, with variable timbre, symmetry, and high-order harmonics. The top-most unit of a 255 Control Voltage Processor selects between treating the harp or the lead as the instrument in charge. Rhythmically, the harp is driven by the randomness of a Fluctuating Random Voltage (A) from a 266e Source of Uncertainty, whereas the lead is driven by self-cycling 281e Quad Function Generator (but also governed by an Eardrill Pulse Balloon). When the harp is in charge, the lead can follow it rhythmically, or, using the OR function of the 281e, the lead pulses can be OR'd with the pulses derived from the fluctuating random voltages to create hybrid rhythms.
The 256e Control Voltage Processor processes pitch ranges and pulses to drive the Quantized Random Voltages and Stored Random Voltages of the 266e Source of Uncertainty. Different distribution and time correlation parameters govern whether the Quantized Random Voltages select truly random values from the Number of States, or whether the selection is more a question of randomizing the magnitude and direction of the next selection based on the current state. In any case, the selected voltage selects a stage of the 250e Dual Arbitrary Function Generator. Each stage provides three control voltages: time (which feeds the Decay parameter of the harp's 281e function generator), and two control voltages that represent the low and high range of the pitches that the 256e will use as its pitch range.
The 5 other parameters controlled by the 255 (as given by their index in the unit are): 4-green = pitch of the frequency driving the harp; 5-purple = pulse balloon taps to inhibit lead; 6-yellow = high order harmonics of lead; 7-brown = symmetry of lead waveforms; 8-blue = portamento (or not) of harp pitches. For this performance I used a Gray Code to cycle through 8 combinations of pulse taps/high order/symmetry before controlling them directly according to my own AI.
A 263v Quantizer/Shift Register gives us the modes and scale degrees that give shape to all the random improvisation coming from the Source of Uncertainty/Dual Arbitrary Function Generator. The shift register allows us to keep separate the pitches for the harp/bells and the lead and to keep them stable until a pulse tells us "time for the next note".
What I have learned in all of this is that a little theory goes a long way.
Video recorded with RED Helium S35 cameras and Tokina Cinema Vista lenses. Audio recorded via RME Fireface 800 interface.
Audio mixed with MixBus v4 DAW from Harrison Consoles. Video edited and rendered with Resolve 14.2 from Blackmagic Design.
No AI were harmed in the production of this video.
Why does using HARD SYNC on the 259e and 261e modulation oscillator play a pentatonic scale when sweeping the principal oscillator?
How can one use the principles of modulo arithmetic to create a "playable patch" using just a pair of oscillator sources, a 281e, a 292e, and an optional 210e and/or 256e to do some extra math?
It addition to walking through various patches wire by wire, this video includes a number of graphics that illustrate the mathematics underlying the richness of both the Buchla tones and the expressive power of using its control voltages in clever ways.
To make a long story short, my explorations into oscillator sync (which will be part of another Buchla tutorial video) led me to look at a similar phenomenon in the world of control voltages, specifically the interactions between an LFO and the 281e Function Generators. This exploration led me to a video by Djangosfire (youtube.com/watch?v=Gktt7z2thvk), which gave me the idea of extending my Sync work to cover pulse trains. After replicating the patch, then adapting it to my preferences, I set out to try to explain the many possibilities of this patch.
But there were so many. No explanation was either concise enough or complete enough. Then I started noticing something: the mathematics of Bach kept emerging! Soon I realized that the best explanation was to simply give a performance.
What starts as a basic exploration of arithmetic synthesis (rhythmically-based melodic runs periodically interrupted) organically transforms into a Dance of Maya mayhem, all derived from the same basic principles! You have to see it (and hear it) to believe it...
1:58 Nugget of wisdom from Todd Barton
2:37 Wisdom from JS Bach
9:17 256e processor can fold ranges of notes so that highest and lowest returns to same tonic; middle breakpoint can define the high end (or low end if below tonic) of the range
12:52 I meant to say "between D1 and D2". But the point is huge: we can run a sequence between two voltages, and even when that sequence is random, between two random voltages, if we "know" what we just played and we know what we're going to play, the random sequence between two random notes sounds intentional!
16:44 It's not a Hamming code, it's a Gray code! See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gray_code
18:03 The 285e Frequency Shifter (and splitter of notes!)
19:31 How a fixed pattern can still give us highly random sequences (which take good care of themselves)
22:18 to the end shows how the patch can be animated with a small bit of human intervention.
There are many other details I didn't have time to discuss, but if you have questions--and my memory doesn't get zapped by Buchlydian Memory Police--I'll be happy to give you answers.
Canon 8-15 f4L at 10mm f6.3
RED Helium Sensor, 8K FF
This video was encoded as having a 180 degree horizontal field and a 94 degree vertical field. Google over-ambitiously treats the video as VR360, which adds a ton of viewing distortion. Some day they will make VR180 available to us plebs, and I'll re-upload.
Trick #1: Use a 259e oscillator as a starting point, not the 261e. I ended up liking the mysterious "b" selection (with a mem skew of just over 4).
Trick #2: The reference frequency should be high (1KHz can work, but higher often works better). Too high and the bell sounds too small. But too low and the bell starts to sound more like one is striking the bass strings of a grand piano.
Trick #3: Use a reverb from the Eventide H8000. I used an Ambience reverb with a 5 second decay time, but also set the room size to be very, very small (5% instead of 30% or more). The very small room size created extra excitations and distortions that made for some extra warped sounds.
I played along using a 222e keyboard that assigned the top two rows of keys to a 18edo scale. The long keys were location sensitive, which selected the harmonic overtones from the 262v. Pressure (on both rows) determined how many overtones to play around the location-selected centers. The harmonic overtones of the keyboard often found precisely the sum-and-difference intervals of the balanced frequency shifter, making it possible to stay in tune with a highly detuned set up bells!
See if you can notice what I've done to make this self-generating patch more "playable".
Shot with a Canon EF 8-15mm f4L lens at 8mm, many details are clearly visible in this 8K extravaganza. Have fun exploring both the patches and the music that they make.
The basic approach was to have two rhythmic forms that we can switch between at any time, have two sources of pitches we can switch between at any time, and then let randomness rule over both the larger and the smaller details of the patch.
As I constructed it, I ended up creating four different ways to feed the two basic rhythmic forms, so I could have easily created four totally different patches just by twisting a few knobs (or creating a mega-patch that would switch between all eight states, not just between two of the eight).
Very happy with how it turned out!
6144x3072 original resolution.
This video tutorial explains how I made one using components I do have: the 250e and the 256e. Note that with a 2nd 256e, I can build a oct (not merely a quad) sequential switch.
If you like this tutorial, please like the video. If you want to comment on the lighting or camera work, please leave a comment!
1. Krell + a duophonic 250e with stored control voltages for pitches (featuring a 262v alongside a 259e and 261e)
2. Krell + a Pendulum Rachet providing rhythmic motion with starts and stops (using a pair of 259e oscillators and 263v voltage quantizer)
3. Krell + a Morphun with stored control voltages (using a pair of 261e oscillators)
For those unfamiliar, the Krell Patch is a simple, powerful starting point for self-generating harmonic and sonic motion, named and demonstrated by Todd Barton in 2012: vimeo.com/48466272
The principle architecture of the Krell Patch are the cross-connecting patches between a Source of Uncertainty (266e) and a Quad Function Generator (281e). The 266e feeds a pair of fluctuating random voltages to the bottom pair (C and D) of 281e function generators (using one or both random voltages to drive either attack, decay, or both of each function generator). The output of the two bottom two function generators are then fed (respectively) to the attack and decay parameters of the top (A) function generator. This creates a very random, but also organic modulation (which then usually feeds the CV input of an oscillator). The remaining (B) function generator modulates the timbre of the oscillator(s) (or other things that need modulating). One can also choose from among the outputs of four function generators, control voltages to modulate frequency, bandwidth, and/or amplitude of a Triple Morphing Filter (291e). Combining the modulation of timbre parameters, the variable lowpass filter of the Quad Dynamics Manager (292e), and/or the 291e, one can provoke a wide range of pleasing, evolutionary tones from whatever oscillators you might have (258v, 259e, 260e, 261e, 262v, and even the blue, pink, or white noise of the 266e).
As this video shows, that's only the beginning...
Music by Chris Vaisvil (used with permission): http://chrisvaisvil.com/still-life-in-106-notes-per-octave
Camera: RED WPN-W (5K WS @ 120 fps)
It starts with essentially the same patch, but it explores how the relationships between the principal oscillator and the FM modulator affect the final timbre of the result.
258v top and bottom sine oscillators (principal and FM oscillators)
256e (transfer functions)
263v (octaves and other notes)
281e + 292e (of course)
250 (good measure)
266e (can't do anything without uncertainty!)
You might notice that this video begins with the ritual bows of the first video (youtube.com/watch?v=JweEHsecFD0). That is because in our Dojo we always show respect for our training partners.
Music "Sunray (metal beach mix)" by RobbH
Available at ccMixter.org http://ccmixter.org/files/RobbH/37026
Under CC BY NC license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0
Enjoy!
Music "Sunray (metal beach mix)" by RobbH
Available at ccMixter.org http://ccmixter.org/files/RobbH/37026
Under CC BY NC license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0
Enjoy!
Music "Sunray (metal beach mix)" by RobbH
Available at ccMixter.org http://ccmixter.org/files/RobbH/37026
Under CC BY NC license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0
Enjoy!
For you video nerds, I upped the exposure +2 stops so that it's easier to see the black-on-black details that are so common in studio environments. Without the +2, the white tape labels are fully legible ;-)
There will be a live streaming of the WTC in HD Video which you can find at this UStream channel: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/miraverse---wtc-kimiko-ishizaka
Join the Google Event (plus.google.com/events/cf6pucsmkucdcmnd6kisdip1s9o) to get a link to our HD video stream starting 5pm.
http://miraverse.com
Filmed with a BlackMagic Designs Cinema Camera. Graded with DaVinci Resolve.
Originally streamed by Ustream via The Miraverse (http://miraverse.com)
Hymne 2 was originally composed by Thomas de Hartmann and Georges Gurdjieff
Originally streamed by Ustream via The Miraverse (http://miraverse.com)
Hymne 4 was originally composed by Thomas de Hartmann and Georges Gurdjieff
Originally streamed by Ustream via The Miraverse (http://miraverse.com)
Hymne 5 was originally composed by Thomas de Hartmann and Georges Gurdjieff
Originally streamed by Ustream via The Miraverse (http://miraverse.com)
Dervish 10 was originally composed by Thomas de Hartmann and Georges Gurdjieff
Originally streamed by Ustream via The Miraverse (http://miraverse.com)
Dervish 35 was originally composed by Thomas de Hartmann and Georges Gurdjieff
Originally streamed by Ustream via The Miraverse (http://miraverse.com)
Originally streamed by Ustream via The Miraverse (http://miraverse.com)
Dervish 23 was originally composed by Thomas de Hartmann and Georges Gurdjieff


