Buchla sound

funkyfarm

http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=Tb-zW2XtY2c&feature=related

How to mimic this typical sound ?
it heavily relies on buchla vco, a lot of FM is involved or is it more some sort of vactrol filtering ? or is it ringmodulation overdose ?

The Music Easel

Peake · Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 5:44 pm Post subject:

The 158 and 258 dual oscillators are the largest-sounding of the vintage batch. The 259 and Easel aren't as full and "vintage", although they certainly have their own thing (but are second-choice in my book for the reasons given).

Search Charles Cohen, who has done amazing, musical things with the Easel.

funkyfarm · Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 5:48 pm Post subject:

I've once saw the HD movie with circuit-bending style on the cartridge Smile

cbm · Joined: Oct 25, 2005 Posts: 381 Location: San Francisco

I haven't used an Easel for quite a while, but it's oscillator certainly in the same family as the later 259 and current 261e. The Easel oscillator is more or less the father to the 259 and grandfather to the 261e.

I would say that the sound in the clip relied heavily on the low pass gate, some FM, and some timbre mod.

It's also worth noting that the four Random voltage outputs are uncorrelated, so that every pulse into the Random section generates four random voltages, so that each note can have a variety of parameters randomized independently.

As far as the 259 & Easel oscillators not being as "vintage", I think that the word vintage starts to loose its meaning if the 1972 Music Easel isn't considered vintage.

Scott Stites · Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 12:10 pm Post subject:

The Buchla uncorrelated random voltage function is grand. I breadboarded it and recorded it slapping around some other breadboarded Buchla stuff (LPG and/or 291 IIRC). I remember torturing Romeo Fahl with that sample...

Anyway, I re-drew the schematic as a stand-alone function (extricated from the Easel's program switching) and posted it in this thread:

http://electro-music.com/forum/topic-26928-0.html&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=

Cheers,
Scott

Peake · Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 1:36 pm Post subject:

cbm · Joined: Oct 25, 2005 Posts: 381 Location: San Francisco

funkyfarm · Posted: Sat Aug 23, 2008 12:43 pm Post subject:

(cool topic Very Happy

)

Peake · Posted: Sat Aug 23, 2008 7:48 pm Post subject:

Isn't it indeed odd how Buchla pretty much limited himself to the Spectral Gate and the 291 bandpass design, for all those years, but constantly came up with new and exciting ideas in oscillator design and timbre? He didn't throw a dozen filter types at a single type of oscillator...and no one has come close to matching his work, to this day, 40 years later. Items such as the AFG and the new Cwejman oscillator are moving forward into new waveshaping territory, which is so important...

funkyfarm · Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2008 7:11 pm Post subject:

I realise Buchla systems don't allow CV to be processed through VCA.

Both 292 LPG and 110 GATE have a cap at signal input (which means AC coupled ?)

What can be cool with noise/S&H and ramdon things is not to control a parameter directly (i.e. vco cv input), but to apply periodic control (lfo, adsr) processed with a randomly-controlled vca...

cbm · Joined: Oct 25, 2005 Posts: 381 Location: San Francisco

funkyfarm · Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2008 10:25 pm Post subject:

TekniK · Joined: Aug 10, 2008 Posts: 1059