Wiardgroup

Mike Murphy sent me a very entertaining book recently which has spurred a lot of thought 
about recent electronic music technique advancements.

For years Mike and I have used the term "electronium" to refer to any purpose built 
electronic music synthesizer, usually stand alone and a one-off, but often used in concert 
with other electroniums.

The term "electronium" originated with Raymond Scott and The Electronium Corporation of 
America (never launched). Scotts original idea was to have devices like small radios which 
had self contained aleatoric controllers and music synthesizers. These were for the home 
market.

He eventually built only one enormous device for Barry Gordy of MoTown records.

http://RaymondScott.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQ671ZuulyY
http://www.last.fm/music/Raymond+Scott/_/Cindy+Electronium

The next appearance of the word "electronium" is from the Hohner company that made an 
accordian like device and called it an electronium. Stockhausen used it in ensemble.

http://squeezyboy.blogs.com/squeezytunes/2007/06/hohner_electron.html
http://www.vintageaudioberlin.de/vabgalerien/tasteninstrumente/Hohner-Roehren-
Electronium/index.htm

More recently, the "Electronium Hat" was boosting IQs on Futurama:

http://futurama.wikia.com/wiki/Electronium_Hat

It is also the name of a physics electron orbit analysis software package.

The word was up for grabs, so we grabbed it. I didn't give it much thought until Mike sent 
me "Handmade Electronic Music" by Nicolas Collins from Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Handmade-Electronic-Music-Hardware-
Hacking/dp/0415975921/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1210962662&sr=8-
1

Which is a high school level introduction to the construction of what I can only describe as 
"electroniums" a class of one-off purpose built electronic noise makers/instruments.

I had the flash that these ideas actually exposed another playing mode for the 300 series. 

Each module in the 300 series is very close to a self contained electronium. The 
Wogglebug is CERTAINLY an electronium. Each module has audio generation capability, 
except the Mixolator, which is a mixer. And a lot of feedback and chaotic patching can 
occur within the self contained patch bay of each module. (i.e. balanced modulation with 
the bottom crossfader and the Envelator in audio range gives "klang" tones)

So the fifth playing mode is to view each individual module as a voice in an ensemble. 
Patch only inside the patchbay of each module, and bring one or more outputs from each 
individual module to a mixer or Mixolator.

This will definitely change things up when you get tired of the old VCO-VCF-VCA.

And for those who tap their foot to frying bacon, this technique will be comparative 
heaven.

Dear sirs, (or madams)
   With all due respect to my august colleagues in woggleness, and
conceding that it is unseemly to openly contradict so erudite a
scholar and gentleman as Prof. G. Richter QbE.
   i must, nevertheless, take issue with the oft-repeated and
apocryphal accusation that i consider the sound of frying bacon to be
music. 
   i hope to lay this spurious myth to rest once and for all. i, and
all the residents of Mabuse Manor, are vegetarians. At breakfast time
we tap our feet to sound of frying TOFU.
   (now THAT's entertainment!)

-respectfully submitted this sixteenth day of May 2008
-M.Murphy esq. (aka dr.A.C.Mabuse) sub-vizier 2nd class, loyal order
of the Wogglebug

Thanks for the detailed definition of an 'electronium' Grant, but what the hell is 'frying bacon'? I know Doc 'frys bacon', but for those of us 'across the ways', please tell?? ;-)
 Matt,
 from OZ (not THAT OZ!)

Grant Richter wrote: 

>             Mike Murphy sent me a very entertaining book recently which has spurred a lot of thought 
> about recent electronic music technique advancements. 
> For years Mike and I have used the term "electronium" to refer to any purpose built 
> electronic music synthesizer, usually stand alone and a one-off, but often used in concert 
> with other electroniums. 
> The term "electronium" originated with Raymond Scott and The Electronium Corporation of 
> America (never launched). Scotts original idea was to have devices like small radios which 
> had self contained aleatoric controllers and music synthesizers. These were for the home 
> market. 
> He eventually built only one enormous device for Barry Gordy of MoTown records. 
>  http://RaymondScott .com/ 
>  http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=PQ671ZuulyY 
>  http://www.last. fm/music/ Raymond+Scott/ _/Cindy+Electron ium 
> The next appearance of the word "electronium" is from the Hohner company that made an 
> accordian like device and called it an electronium. Stockhausen used it in ensemble. 
>  http://squeezyboy. blogs.com/ squeezytunes/ 2007/06/hohner_ electron. html 
>  http://www.vintagea udioberlin. de/vabgalerien/ tasteninstrument e/Hohner- Roehren- 
> Electronium/ index.htm 
> More recently, the "Electronium Hat" was boosting IQs on Futurama: 
>  http://futurama. wikia.com/ wiki/Electronium _Hat 
> It is also the name of a physics electron orbit analysis software package. 
> The word was up for grabs, so we grabbed it. I didn't give it much thought until Mike sent 
> me "Handmade Electronic Music" by Nicolas Collins from Amazon: 
>  http://www.amazon. com/Handmade- Electronic- Music-Hardware- 
> Hacking/dp/04159759 21/ref=pd_ bbs_sr_1? ie=UTF8&s= books&qid= 1210962662& sr=8- 
> 1 
> Which is a high school level introduction to the construction of what I can only describe as 
> "electroniums" a class of one-off purpose built electronic noise makers/instruments. 
> I had the flash that these ideas actually exposed another playing mode for the 300 series. 
> Each module in the 300 series is very close to a self contained electronium. The 
> Wogglebug is CERTAINLY an electronium. Each module has audio generation capability, 
> except the Mixolator, which is a mixer. And a lot of feedback and chaotic patching can 
> occur within the self contained patch bay of each module. (i.e. balanced modulation with 
> the bottom crossfader and the Envelator in audio range gives "klang" tones) 
> So the fifth playing mode is to view each individual module as a voice in an ensemble. 
> Patch only inside the patchbay of each module, and bring one or more outputs from each 
> individual module to a mixer or Mixolator. 
> This will definitely change things up when you get tired of the old VCO-VCF-VCA. 
> And for those who tap their foot to frying bacon, this technique will be comparative 
> heaven. 
>

patch sheet: scrambled tofu

garlic --> castiron skillet module, saute input  (adagio, 8 measures)
1 lb tofu --> smooshed using fingers as LPF  (vivace)
1 tsp tumeric, 2 tbl brewers yeast --> saute modulation (sprinkleondo)
tamari to taste --> mixolator (requisite Wiard reference)

backing tracks/pads: whole wheat toast and/or grits.


con gusto!


fluxmonkey




--- In wiardgroup@yahoogroups.com, "drmabuce" <drmabuce@...> wrote:

>
> Dear sirs, (or madams)
>    With all due respect to my august colleagues in woggleness, and
> conceding that it is unseemly to openly contradict so erudite a
> scholar and gentleman as Prof. G. Richter QbE.
>    i must, nevertheless, take issue with the oft-repeated and
> apocryphal accusation that i consider the sound of frying bacon to be
> music. 
>    i hope to lay this spurious myth to rest once and for all. i, and
> all the residents of Mabuse Manor, are vegetarians. At breakfast time
> we tap our feet to sound of frying TOFU.
>    (now THAT's entertainment!)
> 
> -respectfully submitted this sixteenth day of May 2008
> -M.Murphy esq. (aka dr.A.C.Mabuse) sub-vizier 2nd class, loyal order
> of the Wogglebug
>

another tale from under the electronium hat...

i'm always disappointed that David Tudor is frequently overlooked in
all the modern chatter about electronic instruments. 
He was a concert pianist turned radio-shack junkie and most of his
gadgets are 'compositions-in-solder'. There is no question that from
an electronic engineering perspective his designs were technically
naive and primitive but there was nothing unsophisticated about the
music that  emerged from the output jacks....That, to me, is the
design ethic of an 'electronium'* in a nutshell.

There's some data here:
http://www.emf.org/tudor/Gallery/photos.html
but is only a bare smidgen ....way less than the impact of this quiet
giant deserves

Tudor's work has always served as a catalyst to clarify that which
distinguishes how i design a module for my sprawling modular pile from
my designs for an electronium. 

i always think about the module as a cog in the machine; a -component-
that must integrate into a very wide range of applications. Thus when
i think about a module i try to keep as many options open as possible.

In designing electroniums my conceptions are perhaps not quite -the
opposite- but definitely VERY different. I certainly don't worry about
closing down options. For instance, in one of my electroniums, one
oscillator ALWAYS warbles between two pitches, the player can affect
the interval, rate, and regularity of the warble but he cannot stop it
and make the Osc. rest at a steady pitch. (The other two Oscillators
don't warble but they are also prevented from playing a steady pitch too)
This is unequivocally a limitation that no designer of a commercial
instrument could afford to make but to my ear, this fairly draconian
restriction imparts much of the character of the instrument. 

In designing idiosyncratic gadgets like this, the finesse is always in
balancing the 'character' with the options. Too much 'character' and
the gadget turns into a one-trick pony fast.... Too many options and
it's 'just a synth'. It has to thwart the users intentions just enough
to push them out of their riffs and not so much that it plays them
rather than the other way around.

Before i started working in solder, i used to 'compose' a lot of
improvisation structures (John Zorn's COBRA is an outstanding example
of this genre). i found that all of the conceptual tricks and
techniques (many of which are VERY counterintuitive) that tended to 
goad, nudge, and tempt musicians into successful performances of those
pieces, could be translated to hardware terms as an interaction
between a creative musician and capricious and inconsistent, ensemble
of electronic automata** 

I view the successful performances as a sort of entertaining dance
performed by a slightly exasperated composer as she tries to herd a
flock of robot cats.

Another analogy that i find illustrative is an apocryphal story that
has been making the rounds in weirdo music circles for a long time....
It has been attributed to David Tudor but AFAIK there is no proof.
It's a good story nonetheless. 
As it goes ... There was a post concert 'cocktail confrontation' over
the accusation that a set of instructions and a few processing gadgets
that produced different results each time was not Composition.
Reportedly he conceded the semantic title of 'composer' and said he
saw himself more as an Abner Doubleday (the reputed inventor of baseball)
To wit: his job is to create a set of rules that partially restrict
the interactions of a group of independent entities. If he does his
job well and the rules govern but do not tyrannize the action the
results is something of nearly inexhaustible interest that remains
recognizable while never being the same twice.

That's a pretty good basic design spec for an electronium

Remember, Tudor was a pianist of formidable ability but he chose to
design circuits that disobeyed him in an effort to create better work
than his intentions would have allowed.

"I can't understand why people are afraid of new ideas, I'm afraid of
the old ones."
- John Cage

TGIF!
-doc

* i wonder how long it will take before i am not tempted to put the
word: electronium in quotation marks

**thus, in nuts and bolts terms, each functional block tends to
involve tightly coupled control and interdependent audio devices

yes David Tudor is highly underrated...I was thinking this myself 
yesterday whilst reading Leonardo Music Journal 14, which is pretty much 
all about Tudor...He is one of my fav artists :-)

Hi Timm

--- In wiardgroup@yahoogroups.com, "Timm Mason" <timm.mason@...> wrote:
>
> Thanks for bringing Tudor up - I was pondering only yesterday
whether the
> resonating objects in "Rainforest" fit the definition of electroniums
> (electronia?).***

 They certainly conform to MY definition....
  and since 'electronium' (there are those gosh darn quotes , again!)
is, pretty much, still a made-up word.... WHY NOT????!!!!
;'>
  i distinctly remember when 'Synthesizer' was just as undefined and
i'd argue that the likeness between (i.e) the first Buchla 100 and a
Korg Triton doesn't lend much credibility or specificity to the
definition that exists now.

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet."
-Romeo and Juliet (II, ii, 1-2) W. Shakespeare

> 
> I am thinking a lot of teaching myself circuit design and this
conversation
> is stimulating many ideas...

bon voyage!
it's a beautiful road but it's beauty is a terrible one!
;'>
the best advice i have is to bring along TWO wheelbarrows of cash.
Learning to push them both at once will be invaluable when trying to
unsolder transistors without melting them!

-doc

***first a confession:
i am a self-confessed, fanatic, obsessive, unreconstructed, recidivist
etymology nerd and any abuse that one would heap upon someone for such
pedantry ...i abide deservedly...
thus...
Because Electronium is not latin, but instead, is a latinization, with
a Greek root and a latin suffix , in a Victorian-era pseudo-latin
construction, my take is that it is cognate to modern English and
therefore the plural would be formed in the dominant English,
consonant-terminated form (adding an S):
Electroniums

Hello all,
 i'd like to apologise to everyone about my emails.
For some reason, every time i sent mail, characters
&#39 replaced '. This must have been very frustrating
for the reader. Subsequently, i'm off to fight the big
service provider in the sky to resolve this issue. Til
then,
    Matt
--- drmabuce <drmabuce@yahoo.com> wrote:

> Hi Timm
> 
> --- In wiardgroup@yahoogroups.com, "Timm Mason"
> <timm.mason@...> wrote:
> >
> > Thanks for bringing Tudor up - I was pondering
> only yesterday
> whether the
> > resonating objects in "Rainforest" fit the
> definition of electroniums
> > (electronia?).***
> 
>  They certainly conform to MY definition....
>   and since 'electronium' (there are those gosh darn
> quotes , again!)
> is, pretty much, still a made-up word.... WHY
> NOT????!!!!
> ;'>
>   i distinctly remember when 'Synthesizer' was just
> as undefined and
> i'd argue that the likeness between (i.e) the first
> Buchla 100 and a
> Korg Triton doesn't lend much credibility or
> specificity to the
> definition that exists now.
> 
> "What's in a name? That which we call a rose
> By any other name would smell as sweet."
> -Romeo and Juliet (II, ii, 1-2) W. Shakespeare
> 
> > 
> > I am thinking a lot of teaching myself circuit
> design and this
> conversation
> > is stimulating many ideas...
> 
> bon voyage!
> it's a beautiful road but it's beauty is a terrible
> one!
> ;'>
> the best advice i have is to bring along TWO
> wheelbarrows of cash.
> Learning to push them both at once will be
> invaluable when trying to
> unsolder transistors without melting them!
> 
> -doc
> 
> ***first a confession:
> i am a self-confessed, fanatic, obsessive,
> unreconstructed, recidivist
> etymology nerd and any abuse that one would heap
> upon someone for such
> pedantry ...i abide deservedly...
> thus...
> Because Electronium is not latin, but instead, is a
> latinization, with
> a Greek root and a latin suffix , in a Victorian-era
> pseudo-latin
> construction, my take is that it is cognate to
> modern English and
> therefore the plural would be formed in the dominant
> English,
> consonant-terminated form (adding an S):
> Electroniums
> 
> 
> 
>