Thanks for the post on the BugBrand stuff. This looks pretty interesting and not that expensive. I am aware of the photo cv controller but I can also build these for cheaper. They are easy to build.
They have MIDI to servo stuff. Now what if a servo was used to control the angle of a lens that was focused on a photocell or better yet, spins it at different rates. Hook it up to a delay and you get a MIDI controlled variable flanger.
Just brainstorming but there are so many ways this stuff can be used with foogers and other modular gear.
It depends. Sometimes the response of physical systems is different and adds a certain character to sound. Certainly Morley pedals and the Univibe might have been considered going through a lot of trouble my using a photocell. And vactrols are not even meant to be used for music but are the basis of much of the Buchla sound.
Much of exploration into sounds is finding those interesting sweetspots in using different ways to create sounds and those wonderful accidents that lead to new and interesting sounds.
I agree with you.
A few times I experienced a sound surprise when I engaged a RM for example.
I didnt expect that result and I didnt know what was going on,but it motivate me and I made something great with music what I never did before and I dont believe Im gonna do it again.I love this kind of unexpected results, they can be very creative!
Not sure what a peep controller is but if its a photocell then to some extent yes but the response would not be the same. Realize first that strobes produce short bursts of very bright light. Vactrols use small LEDs at very close range and in a plastic encapsulated electronic component which insures consistancy. This is why they are used in modular synth modules.
Yes, these are basically photocells. I can make something like that for a lot less than what they want for those of course you are paying for labor.
The different between that and a vactrol is again, vactrols combine the led and the photocell and ecapsulate it so that no light from outside will effect it.
I have built 3 of his boards (for various projects) and have 2 waiting to be built and another one that I bought used and assembled. The kits work great and are easy to assemble.
I would love to see Moog Music come up with a lower cost version of this.
I will eventually buy a modular but I am not sure how well this would interface with one, especially Euro rack which is probably the format I will have.
Moog won’t build one. Know why? Because Buchla has been building those for almost as long as Bob Moog’s name has been famous! That’s Don Buchla’s baby. Now, the Moog PianoBar was made by Buchla and Associates but sold through Moog. Perhaps a partnership like that would be a thought? That doesn’t help with the cost, and the logistics of such a partnership would be nightmarish. I personally like the Lightning III, but would never expect Moog to either make or sell them.
I do understand the relationship of Moog and Buchla and it’s true, a very expensive product. But I find myself wondering is something like this can’t be made less expensive. Certainly the Korg Chaos pad has enjoyed great sucess and is also very much affordable.
There is also the Harkin Continuum but to me, not nearly as innovative as the Thunder design. To me, the continuum has two problems, first, its price makes it innaccesible to many including me and second, it is in the box thinking. Sure, its got a touch sensitive pad but that is old technology repackaged. There are many hexagonal keyboards boards, some of which I believe are dropping in price (SOS showed one) and microtonal boards that I believe are far more innovative than the continuum.
I also think the “V Bow” looks very promising although again, so far outside the price range of most that it makes it all but unusable.
