Posts on Euphonia

Nibbus Maximus: 3d Photo Journal

Mon, 27 Feb 2017 12:45:07 -0800

Reposting from the halcyon days of 2011.

The family and I went up to Skinner Hall this afternoon where our friends at Gage School of Fine Arts were hosting the pen and ink artist, Jim Woodring. Woodring was giving the first public showing of his giant pen Nibbus Maximus, and was allowing members of the public to use the pen to complete a giant drawing. The following pictures are in 19th century stereocard format, which somehow seemed appropriately surreal.

Using the Arduino for electronic music #3

Wed, 23 Mar 2016 15:30:02 -0800

Testing the analog output resolution of the Euroduino:

Note: Audio samples are not included yet, and there are more tests to be done on the sample rate section.

The previous articles in this series are:

Using the Arduino for electronic music #1, which introduces the subject.
What signals are found in modular synthesizers?, which contains background information on the signals found in a modular synthesizer (Eurorack system modulars).
The digital representation of modular synthesizer signals, which talks about what sampling rate and bit depth is needed to correctly represent these signals without artifacts and distortion.
Using the Arduino for electronic music #2, which takes that background information and applies it to what the Arduino can be expected to read and write, with a focus on the Euroduino Eurorack module from Circuit Abbey.

So far, we have dealt with the subject in the abstract, using best case scenarios and working from specification sheets. Reality is, as always much more messy. To start with, lets look at the most problematic part of the platform, the analog outputs of the Arduino in it’s default state using the Euroduino module as a testing ground.

Using the Arduino for electronic music #2

Sun, 13 Mar 2016 22:02:12 -0800

How much of what we want can the Arduino do?

This article is a continuation of Using the Arduino for electronic music #1, and picks up where that post left off.

By now we have discussed:

It’s now time to dig into the abilities of the Arduino, particularly it’s ability to handle analog to digital conversion, and digital to analog conversion. Having done that, we can compare expected performance to the specifications listed in: The digital representation of modular synthesizer signals, and we can determine what an Arduino (and by extension the Euroduino eurorack synth module) is good for in electronic music.

Using the Arduino for electronic music #1

Fri, 11 Mar 2016 18:48:57 -0800

Introducing the Arduino and related devices

Disclaimer: I’m not an engineer, and some of this material approaches the speculative. Hope it is as useful to you as it is to me, and please feel free to comment on any errors or omissions you find.

Over the last few months I’ve been studying the
features of different microprocessor families to determine which are most suited to electronic music and synthesis. The big winner so far is the $19.00 Teensy 3.2: But that’s not what this post is about.

The hurdy gurdy in Japanese game culture

Thu, 10 Mar 2016 13:25:28 -0800

A fellow reader of the Hurdy Gurdy Mail list pointed this out on ebay today. Pretty strange. Even stranger is the fact that the game, New Rainbow Islands: Hurdy Gurdy Daibo, is around 4 years old, and no one I know in the hurdy-gurdy world has ever heard of it. From what I can tell, (it is in Japanese after all) Bub and Bob shoot rainbows from traditional French luteback hurdy-gurdies in an attempt to defeat an evil record label. Something that MANY of us wish we could do, actually.

Best Hurdy Gurdy Recordings?

Thu, 10 Mar 2016 13:02:35 -0800

A friend of mine was purchasing a selection of hurdy-gurdy music, and it got me thinking of great Hurdy Gurdy recordings. First of all, a disclaimer: As much as I love traditional French music, the kind of hurdy-gurdy playing that really excites me are the albums where performers create something new and personal, with more relevance (presumably) to the modern communities they live in. This might mean playing with other unusual or underused instruments (clarinet, button accordion), or playing in a band, sometimes even with electronic instruments. Not all of those experiments can be called a success, but some of them stand the test of time. These CDs are becoming easier and easier to find as iTunes and other services begin to take notice. I’ll list Amazon links for the albums when available, since these are DRM free MP3s that will play on any device, and can be listened to before purchase. As an aside, I use an online subscription service that lets me hear just about any recording on demand.

The Tiny Tim Effect

Thu, 10 Mar 2016 11:45:56 -0800

In Jim Beloff’s book, The Ukulele, A Visual History, there is a table that contains the yearly number of ukuleles produced by the Martin Guitar Company. It provides an interesting glimpse into a half century of (mostly) American popular musical history, and of course provides a view into the popularity of the instrument.

The major high and low points of the last century are represented – The great depression and World War II both have a significant impact on the popularity of the instrument. Cultural milestones appear as well – the growing American fascination with Hawaii and the flapper era coincide to create the first boom in uke sales. The second big boom coincides with Arthur Godfrey’s rise and his popularization of the instrument. This boom lasts fifteen years.

The Hurdy Gurdy

Thu, 10 Mar 2016 11:01:55 -0800

I’ve been wrestling with the challenge of introducing the hurdy-gurdy to blog readers. I’ve lived with and around the instrument for most of my adult life, and simply don’t know where to start.

I stood on a Star Trek transporter and nothing happened

Sun, 07 Feb 2016 23:32:40 -0800

Back in the 60’s my uncle Jerry was a science fiction writer. He had some fame in the 50s as a novelist, and became involved in the motion picture industry. I suspect his career was unfairly stunted by his involvement with HP Lovecraft’s gothic horror novel “The Color out of Space” for Shepperton Studios. The film was released in the US as “Die Monster, Die”, and features the last performance of Boris Karloff. It is also rumored to contain massive amounts of acting under the influence of LSD. As such, it resembles Hertzog’s “Heart of Glass” as much as it does a HP Lovecraft story – not well received at the time, but increasingly well regarded as a cult classic in modern times (rotten tomatos, 71% and rising).

Euphonia is back

Sun, 07 Feb 2016 23:11:25 -0800

The previous blog by this name was perhaps better looking, but not well funded. This means that it died due to neglect and due to changing priorities and interests. It is now back, with some of the better articles reprised, some new material added, and a new focus on electronic music, modular synthesis, and general instrument making. I think.