Synthesizer Art

Hello 200e

2012-01-05T00:08:00.002Z

These things are very photogenic.

Dual Doepfer LC9 Case Stand v1 - A Design Project

2011-10-10T11:25:00.002+01:00

London Modular Meet - April 24th 2010 (Part 4)

2010-04-25T11:29:00.008+01:00

... continued ...

Fin

London Modular Meet - April 24th 2010 (Part 3)

2010-04-25T11:16:00.008+01:00

... continued ...

London Modular Meet - April 24th 2010 (Part 2)

2010-04-25T11:06:00.007+01:00

... continued ...

London Modular Meet - April 24th 2010 (Part 1)

2010-04-25T10:39:00.011+01:00

Not synth art, but this is a convenient place to upload my pictures from the fantastic first London Modular Meet. Photos are straight from he camera so apologies for any blurry ones and/or duplicates... just wanted to get them uploaded quickly... check out parts 2-4 as well.

Eurorack Builder

2010-01-20T18:50:00.009Z

The picture below shows the output from my latest Visual Basic app'. This one allows you to choose rack width, build your rack and then compose a set of modules to go in it. For each module you can specify position in the rack and all knob values. The scene description created can then be rendered to 3D along with any specified patch cables to give an accurate representation of any patch.

Doepfer's great, but....

2009-10-07T22:36:00.001+01:00

I really fancy modelling something Buchlaesque. I may not ever be able to afford such modules, but I can pay homage....

Hiatus Interruptus: A new Doepfer module - A117 Digital Noise

2009-10-07T22:29:00.005+01:00

OK, so it's been a while. Since I actually got a modular, most nights have been spent experimenting. Tonight I felt like continuing with the artwork; the A117 DNG. NOISY NOISY NOISY NOISY...

808 (in a different) State

2009-06-30T22:18:00.004+01:00

A-155 Sequencer complete

2009-06-21T13:21:00.006+01:00

A few bits of final tidying up still to do, but I'm pretty pleased with how this has turned out.

A-155 Sequencer updated

2009-06-21T11:15:00.005+01:00

A-155 Sequencer (work in progress)

2009-06-20T15:17:00.002+01:00

A bit more of a challenge this one! Lots still to do.

A quartet of new filters

2009-06-19T20:17:00.004+01:00

OK, so not a great deal of work to make as they are variations on already-modelled filters, but four new modules nonetheless.

9U Sloping Eurorack case

2009-06-10T22:42:00.002+01:00

Designed in SolidWorks

OT: The Horsman Inc. blog

2009-06-07T19:08:00.003+01:00

Just to draw your attention to a new blog that Horsmans junior and senior are starting today:

http://horsmanprojects.blogspot.com

The idea is for both me (junior) and my Dad (senior) to report on our real-world synth projects. He's currently putting together a Synthesizers.com and a Eurorack modular whereas I'm starting out down a purely Doepfer path.

Multicolour modular

2009-06-06T22:18:00.006+01:00

Just an experiment. Reminds me a bit of a Fisher-Price xylophone!

Parameterized case creation experiment

2009-06-05T08:07:00.003+01:00

Black is the new silver

2009-06-03T23:38:00.002+01:00

A-148 Dual S&H

2009-06-03T22:37:00.006+01:00

Double-decker case

2009-05-31T23:56:00.005+01:00

This temporarily solves the space issue.

I need a bigger case!

2009-05-31T22:24:00.008+01:00

Full at last (OK, there is that 4HP of wasted space on the right!). I need to start thinking about expanding the case to 2 x 84HP.

I now actually want a real version of this case! My current case is similar (see photo below), but I love the curves and finish of the green one.

6 new modules - A-114, 118, 130, 132, 160 & 161

2009-05-31T22:18:00.002+01:00

Well, I said I wanted to get 5 new module models done this weekend... I managed 6, bringing the module total to 12.

Hopping on the no. 84HP bus (board)

2009-05-29T22:40:00.008+01:00

Bigger box (full rack width - 84HP) and a power bus. Won't see it once the box is full, but I'll know it's there (and the LEDs will shine through the grille like in the image below). I'm trying to make a module a night, but am slipping behind. Perhaps I'll make 5 over the weekend? If I stick to modeling ones which conform to the 5 knobs, 5 sockets layout (like the filters, env and VCA above) then they should be fairly quick to 'letter up'. I do fancy having a go at the oscillators though...

Spot the difference. It's all in the details....

2009-05-29T00:05:00.003+01:00

Washers on all bolts, lit LEDs, improved vent, internal power rail LEDs.

Case Tinkering - A vent event

2009-05-27T23:49:00.002+01:00

It's starting to look like something that might've been used to detect radioactivity in a 1950s sci-fi movie!

A-131 VCA

2009-05-27T21:47:00.000+01:00

Retro green - Dansette style?

2009-05-26T23:41:00.000+01:00

A-180 Mults with a big pink theme goin' on

2009-05-26T23:10:00.001+01:00

A-140 ADSR and some cables

2009-05-25T19:54:00.001+01:00

OK, we're starting to bring together some of the pieces that have gone before now. Remember the patch cabling routine I developed earlier this year for the dotcom-styled modules? Well, here it's being used again in a new 3.5mm format.

OT: Jarre Concert - Birmingham, UK

2009-05-25T00:23:00.000+01:00

Just got back from seeing Jean-Michel Jarre at the NIA in Birmingham. EXCELLENT show.

A-102 continued + A-124 Wasp

2009-05-23T12:07:00.001+01:00

A-170 continued + A-102

2009-05-22T22:00:00.000+01:00

A-170: Further work

2009-05-21T23:03:00.000+01:00

Doepfer A-170 Dual Slew Limiter [work in progress]

2009-05-21T00:17:00.001+01:00

Embracing the Euro(rack)

2009-02-02T00:38:00.000Z

Thought I'd resize earlier efforts to accommodate Doepfer-style, Eurorack-sized modules.

LEDs

2009-01-20T00:03:00.001Z

Tonight I modeled-up some simple red LEDs in black plastic clips as can be seen next to the sockets in the image above.

Rebuilding the modules in SolidWorks

2009-01-12T17:38:00.000Z

I'm pleased with how the remodelling has turned out. The new Moog-styled selector knob was something that I'd been putting off for quite some time, but the results are better than I'd hoped for. To get back to where I was with the previous (pre-SolidWorks) renderings I need to model a mini toggle switch, an LED and a jack plug.

A green Casio VL-1... Whatever next?!

2009-01-08T12:43:00.000Z

Putting my newly acquired SolidWorks skills to the test last night resulted in the image above. Green makes it look a bit like a Melodica! Still some work to do, but overall I'm very pleased with the way it's working out.

Comments? (please)

2009-01-06T23:05:00.000Z

I'd love to get some feedback on the work you've seen here so far. Perhaps if you have a couple of minutes you could hit the 'Comments' link below and let me have your thoughts? What works? What doesn't? What next? Suggestions? Thanks!

SolidWorks

2009-01-06T23:02:00.000Z

I'm currently putting some effort into learning how to use the SolidWorks 3D CAD package. It's hopefully going to open up new ways of doing things - particularly when I start work on the SK-1 and VL-1 models I'm planning. Watch this space...

Improving the case

2009-01-03T19:14:00.001Z

Today I spent some time cutting a groove all the way around the front of the case and filling it in with a rounded chamfer. A great deal more work than it looks!

Just messing...

2009-01-01T17:18:00.001Z

Patching using the Patch Cable Generator

2009-01-01T15:44:00.000Z

Here you see the results of feeding the X, Y and Z co-ordinates of some of the jack sockets into my Patch Cable Generator:

Improved perspective?

2008-12-10T00:25:00.000Z

Perhaps, but worse shadow!

Linked-Up

2008-12-09T23:38:00.000Z

Thanks to Matrix at http://matrixsynth.blogspot.com/ for linking to this blog (http://matrixsynth.blogspot.com/2008/12/synthesizer-art.html) and to the 144 people who dropped by today on the back of this.

I did send an email to http://www.synthesizers.com/ last night letting them know what I'm up to but have yet to hear back...

Patching, patching... 1, 2, 3.....

2008-12-09T23:31:00.000Z

Both the modular project and another "yet-to-be-revealed-waiting-in-the-wings" project will both need interconnects (patch leads). Today I wrote a small Visual Basic application which can, given a pair of coordinates, generate a patch lead of appropriate length and curvature to join up 2 jack sockets. The image above shows what it created when told to generate 22 random cables. OK, it's fairly stylized and gravity's not taken into consideration, but all-in-all a satisfactory result.

New Module: 8 Channel Mixer

2008-12-08T19:57:00.001Z

A new '8 Channel Mixer' module today alongside various other small improvements such as better screws, better environment, better LEDs, no wavy floor!

Joe at work reckons that the perspective is bad (over-exaggerated) in this render (and all the others - thanks Joe!). I'll see if I can sort something out tomorrow to improve it.

Improved Cabinet

2008-12-08T19:42:00.001Z

The cabinet has now been redesigned to use four separate pieces of 'wood'. This allows for different (more realistic) grain directions. Also note the new bent-back edges to the modules.

Four Modules Complete

2008-12-07T23:57:00.001Z

A close up of the (almost) completed modules. I really must get rid of that distracting wobbly floor!

A New Module: Instument Interface

2008-12-07T23:55:00.000Z

I spent some time modelling a toggle switch and needed a new unit to test it on so went with a copy of the synthesizers.com Instrument Interface.

22U Cabinet + 4U and 8U Blanks

2008-12-07T23:53:00.001Z

The cabinet scales nicely to 22U (with a rough wood finish that needs more work). Created 4U and 8U blanks just to fill the gaps.

Half an oscillator and some LED fun

2008-11-11T21:52:00.000Z

A full 8 Unit box. Oscillator is a work-in-progress. The 'LED array' is just a bit of fun!

3 new modules and a 2U blank

2008-11-11T14:40:00.000Z

Added 'Noise', 'Ring Modulator' and 'Multiples' modules, the layout of which are based on the synthesizer.com's equivalents. The red recessed buttons are meant to be like the ones used on the Roland System 700. Basic screws (to be remodelled later) have been placed in each unit's mounting holes.

Sliders and blanking plate

2008-11-11T14:07:00.000Z

Slider controls built and added, three-per unit. Also created a single unit (1U) blanking plate. Notice the edges of each unit have been silvered - a bit like the synthesizers.com modules.

First module and rudimentary mounting box

2008-11-11T13:55:00.000Z

The first module is a 'sandbox' for testing the placement of components. Here we have a knob with a 0-10 scale (based on the 'Glide Rate' knob on my Moog Voyager). Also modelled are three 1/4" jack sockets and three 5mm red LEDs in holders. The module's plate has holes drilled in the appropriate places for each component and also has two mounting holes for screwing it into the mounting box.