TONTO article generating comment

[apropos of nothing]

Just thought I'd post this. Seems that the TONTO article in the most recent Tape-Op seems to have spawned some discussion on the Analogue Heaven mail list.

http://elists.resynthesize.com/analogue ... 1/1291555/

http://elists.resynthesize.com/analogue ... 1/1291746/

[BrianK]

TONTO is a pretty cool design, I visited it a few decades ago when it sat alone in the dark (almost abandoned at Studio 56 and NRG here in L.A.) Eventually, Malcolm set it up in Mutato basement (where Mark Mothersbaugh and other DEVO members work).

One of the coolest aspects was the shielding, the whole back is a kind of Faraday cage of copper. Really beauitful woodwork too.

Boob Moog says that - as the first modular Moogs were designed for "experimental composers, tight pitch stability was not an issue. This became an issue late in the '60's!

[apropos of nothing]

One of the coolest aspects was the shielding, the whole back is a kind of Faraday cage of copper.

I guess I hadn't thought about that aspect of it. It would have to have, wouldn't it. Wow.

Boob Moog says that - as the first modular Moogs were designed for "experimental composers, tight pitch stability was not an issue. This became an issue late in the '60's!

Bwahahaha. Good old Bob!

[inverseroom]

One of the coolest aspects was the shielding, the whole back is a kind of Faraday cage of copper. Really beauitful woodwork too.

We actually got some great photos of that, but there mustn't have been room for 'em in the mag. The "service loops" he added to prevent having to unplug the modules in order to repair them is really a wonderful bit of engineering. It's as clean and organized behind that thing as Condi Rice's underwear drawer.

Those Analogue Heaven guys are even bigger geeks than I am!

[apropos of nothing]

Those Analogue Heaven guys are even bigger geeks than I am!

Ferreal, yeah? A lot of those fellows seem to be hardware hackers on systems I will never be able to afford.

(sheepishly) I'm rather amused by this response:
http://elists.resynthesize.com/analogue ... 1/1291799/


Say Inverse, remember before when I described some "live" (no sequencer) electronic stuff I was doing and you inquired about it? I got a mix of one of the tracks kinda... finished. My boy Vern came down and threw down some synth and violin on it and we called it a day. Here ya go:
http://www.unc.edu/~jkidder/samples/AvianLady.mp3

[inverseroom]

Hey Apropos, that is really great, actually. I'm going to forward the link to my friend Jim Spitznagel--he's an electronic music composer and in fact was the guy who took the photos for the article. He will dig it.

How did you do those voice bits live without sequencing? Is it arpeggiated on a sampler? I do like the way you cut out all those bits of words, and when the "Everlasting Life" line arrives I nearly jumped out of my seat.

Great stuff, thanks a lot!
John

[apropos of nothing]

Um yeah. Ion makes arpeggiation, the MIDI signal of which triggers the little chopped vocal samples off of the sampler. Additionally other text is being sent into the Ion, for which the arpeggiation is acting as the amplifier envelope, and that's being also run out to a Moogerfooger LPF which I was also goofing with. So then I just increased the decay parameter on the amp-env a couple of times, and that's where the little phrases that pop out at you come from.

It all seemed quite straightforward at the time.

I'm listening to Jim's mp3s right now. This is lovely. Very organic feeling. Hmm.

[obermorph]

That track is making my bi-amped DynAudio's fucking move!
r

[inverseroom]

Um yeah. Ion makes arpeggiation, the MIDI signal of which triggers the little chopped vocal samples off of the sampler. Additionally other text is being sent into the Ion, for which the arpeggiation is acting as the amplifier envelope, and that's being also run out to a Moogerfooger LPF which I was also goofing with. So then I just increased the decay parameter on the amp-env a couple of times, and that's where the little phrases that pop out at you come from.

Very clever, I'm impressed! I would have thought you'd be manually triggering those phrases--the fact that it's more or less random makes it even cooler.

[apropos of nothing]

That track is making my bi-amped DynAudio's fucking move!

Heheh. That's the Moogerfooger LPF for ya! Thing is badass.

[Electro-Voice 664]

I bought a Steve Hillage record "Motivation Radio" a couple weeks ago and it has Malcolm Cecil on it. Very cool record if your into GONG (kinda spaceship trippy hippy). I love the sound of this recording, very 1977 with ultra warm drums by "Joe Blocker". I think this style of 1970s recordings are truly unique. The musicians play in a style that works well with the saturated sounds. The insert has a picture of Tonto and Malcolm, (he looks weird back then too). Cool tunes, with 'third eye' approved synth, check it out.

[apropos of nothing]

Very clever, I'm impressed! I would have thought you'd be manually triggering those phrases--the fact that it's more or less random makes it even cooler.

The coolest part is actually kinda hard to detect -- the ASR can do this groovy thing where you can modulate loop points dynamically. I sampled a very long text piece, and then set a very short loop point, and then used the mod-wheel to select the place in the sample to start looping. Due to weird interaction that sample didn't actually sound unless I was moving the mod-wheel at the time. When you hear higher-pitched vocal samples, that is what was (I used a woman speaking for that sample).

I love the and randomness of synth-programming, regardless of digital or analog. I guess that ties it back into the TONTO thread.

Synthesizer is the truly rebellious instrument at the moment, to my eyes. Unless you're making your own instruments like Ubertar or something. =%>

[No Wave Casio Kitsch]

Cool track, apropos! I think I am going to pick up one of those little ION buggers.

[apropos of nothing]

Thanks!

I love my Ion. With an external analog filter tied into it, its about the perfect synth.

[Piotr]

Lovely bass. I love those LPFs! I recently went all out and got the Moog Phaser. Pretty Sweet.

I noticed a click at the beginning of the track. Is that an artifact?