C.Anderton's Pulse Width Multiplier

[R.Fahl]

Today I finished a copy of Craig Anderton's Pulse Width Multiplier from
Polyphony, Jan/Feb of 1981.

I built it not expecting much, as I've heard mixed things about Mr.
Anderton's designs, but this one kicks serious ass!

Here's some of the article:

" This construction project turns a static triangle waveform into a highly
animated variation of a pulse waveform. ....... The PW multiplier uses four
comparators, three of which have voltage controlable thresholds, to turn a
triangle wave into a number of pulse waves with varying duty cycles.  These
pulse waves are then mixed together digitally via EX-OR gate, resulting in
a very complex composite wavform."

That's the core of it, I won't bore you by typing in the rest of the article.

I tested it by running two sequenced VCOs into the audio inputs and a
sequencer cv and two LFOs into three of the CV inputs.  Depending on how I
had the inputs set, I got something that sounded like aluminum cans going
through a meat grinder,  to swishy, swirly phasey effects which reminded me
a lot of the more screwed up programs in my Lexicon Vortex.  It's really
hard to compare to any module or effects processor I've heard so far.  It's
something between a fuzz box, a phaser, a pulse width modulator, and an
80's arcade game violently self reproducing. Sexy and evil at the same
time.

Romeo


ABSTRACT: Synaesthesia (one sense triggering another) has recently become
amenable to scientific investigation. Recent findings are reviewed. Maurer's
developmental theory of synaesthesia is then discussed. The theory states
that all human neonates have synaesthesia, but that by about 4 months of age
the senses have become modularized to the extent that we no longer have
synaesthesia.

[(c) Simon Baron-Cohen 1996]