Sketchy

Heres a little sketch on the CS80 and Buchla 100. I managed to get them to almost play in tune!

Syndrones & Syntones

And look - a brand new Benge album too - this is my session that I recorded for the Source Of Uncertainty podcast at the end of last year - actually, I don't think I posted about that - you can listen to an hour long interview with me over on their archive HERE

The album was made on the Buchla 100 and 200 synthesisers only, two studies with each

Boxset

At last! The Expanding Records box set is out! Actually, they have nearly all sold already - after only 2 days - whoopee! Theres a downloadable compilation below, that features one track from each of the 17 albums too

videoz

Here are some recent videos from around the studio - pretty self explanatary really, but go to the YT description for more info. This first one is one I found on a hard disk of Zan flying a drone round the control room a couple of years ago... WHIZZY!

Bord

This patch uses 6 square wave oscillators with fixed frequencies (tuned to a harmonious chord) going into the 107 VC mixer. The 114 touch plates control the duration of the notes. Two of the trigger outs fire off a 180 dual attack generator which varies the frequency of the 191 filter (all the oscillators are summed through it in mono). There is some 185 frequency shifting added in (acting as a phaser) and also some RE201 Space Echo. This mono signal is then going through a delay line (Bel-BD80) and is panned hard left and right with the original signal

Saint Simmons

The Simmons SDS6 is an absolutely stunning rhythm sequencer from the 1983. It came out just after the introduction of the first Simmons drum kit the 1982 SDSV. It has a highly intuitive interface and can trigger up to 8 sounds, and be synced to incoming clock, so it makes it perfect for hooking up with modular gear. Here I am using it with the SDS200 (1984) and the Emu and Polyfusion modulars. You can chain patters together to create extremely long patters or songs, but here I'm just looping round one page (32 steps)

Emu Square

I put the Emu Modular into a new hardwood cabinet - it matches the original 14U Emu cabinets from the 1970s. Woooo!

Zerotheque Tome One

For some reason I have never set up my ARP Odyssey and matching 1601 sequencer alongside the ARP2500, until now

They are very different sounding beasts. The 2500 is much sharper and more precise than the Odyssey, which feels noticeably soft and squidgy in comparison. Good combo though, especially with additional 16 step sequencer (which has quantised outputs). There is much to explore combining all the sequencing and gating options in the two systems

Jupiter On Acid

Look at this amazing artifact. It's a Roland Jupiter 6 (one of Roland's most interesting instruments) that was pimped up by UK space-rock pioneers HAWKWIND

The other day my Jupiter 6 broke down mid-arpeggiation. So I made the call to "Mr Fixer" (Keith), who suggested he could take my Jupiter in for repair and, most generously, lend me his Jupiter so that I could continue my very important arpeggiations

I was aware that Keith was actually a member of the aforementioned space-rock supergroup in the early 2000s, and to my amazement the Jupiter that we exchanged was one that had been transformed into the space-psych-acid-soaked-fire-licked-pimp-my-synth masterpiece that you see before you here

Apparently it was originally bought new by Ozric Tentacles who sold it to Hawkwind bassist Alan Davey and he did the paint-job, or maybe it was Alan Powell the drummer. Anyway Davey used to trigger the Jupiter by hitting it with the end of his bass guitar

Keith also mentioned that the presets programmed into the JP6 were done when he was on acid, and are therefore completely bonkers. Judge for yourself: