Something Rich And Strange

[bwanasonic]

It seems someone always makes a really interesting point worth discussing in one of those threads from hell just as they finally get locked down. While I can't personally embrace "everything that will be invented has been", I embrace the gist of this post:

On the topic of new designs, I believe on the 'top level' of things, everything that will be invented has been. Everything after is really just a permutation of those top level ideas.

Examples of what I consider to be 'top level' are (but not limited to):

Distortion effect (nonlinear waveshaping):
Daddy of the Big Muff, Fuzz Face, name yer poison etc.

Time based effects:
Reverb, echo, chorus, flanging, doublers, dopplers etc.

Filter based effect:
Wah pedals, phase shifters (all pass), auto filters, EQ, etc.

Dynamic based effect:
Compressors, tremelo, boosters, etc.

Don't know what ring modulators, aural exciters and octave boxes would fall under, but that's the drift (and I'm sure I'm not saying anything that hasn't been said before).

So, when someone says 'build something new', I think the implication is to come up with a new way of doing the above, a new control scheme of doing the above, and/or a wonderful mix of one or more of the above into something rich and strange.

I was a guitarist, now I'm a synthesist (I was taken in that direction by the thrill of stompboxes, BTW), so I might suggest to anybody who is wanting to go into uncharted stompbox territory, a zillion ideas could be had by looking at what analog modular synthesizers do.

My case in point: as I understand the Seek Wah, you have eight pots that you adjust for certain a certain depth of wah, and the control cycles through those eight (or how ever many) settings in order to control the wah filter. Cool idea indeed putting that into a stompbox.

If I am understanding this effect correctly, this would be absolutely nothing new to a modular synthesist (Buchla did this kind of thing in the 60's), and really is a very basic patch. Take a step sequencer, program the pots, run the CV either directly or through a lag circuit, and control a VCF with it.

With a modular synth, it would be just as easy to control anything else with that patch - resonance, amplitude, frequency of LFO's, waveform, delay time, whatever is voltage controlled. Hey - want to spice up a ring modulator? Control the VCO with a setup like that.

So, there's the rub - think in modular terms and then think how you would like to put that in a stompbox. There a zillion modular synth schematics out there - all they need is a stompbox to live in.....one that doesn't look like it was built by MXR, obviously Very Happy

Take care,
Scott

A toast to strange!

Kerry M

[mlabbee]

In 1899, then Patent Commissioner, Charles H. Duell reportedly announced that "everything that can be invented has been invented."  

[Paul Perry (Frostwave)]

Kerry, this is yet another case of "why designing & building fx is like cooking".
Nice to see that octopus in it's natural habitat

[zachary vex]

there's no end to creativity.  it begets itself.  8^)

[Peter Snowberg]

The Universe is a far bigger and deeper place than humans are able to even remotely grasp.

I don't buy the concept that, because the letters are all old you can't make new words.

[GFR]

The entropy of the Universe never decreases.

:!:

[zachary vex]

ahh,  yet, randomness can be created that the universe never thought of!  8^)

[Peter Snowberg]

When people ask how I can operate in my "mess" of a development environment, I always reply with the question/statement, "what's the natural state of the universe? ....sort by entropy of course!".

You see, this whole concept of "neat" is very un-natural! :lol: It's a crutch for those who can't accept the natural state of things. :lol:

Now for the Terence McKenna kicker question.... where does the consciousness that receives this creativity exist and where does this creativity come from?

[zachary vex]

people?

[stm]

On the Histiory Channel I heard the following sentence said at the beginning of the 1900's (rephrased): "the secrests of flight won't be unveiled by man during this century"  This was said by one of the Wright brothers two years before they did their historic first flight!

At that time, putting a man on the moon was simply unthinkable (except for Jules Verne, of course). In years to come it is likely that many unthinkable things (for our today minds) will finally occur, such as light speed space travel, teleportation, etc.

[zachary vex]

at this point, we can't write science fiction fast enough.

[R.G.]

at this point, we can't write science fiction fast enough.

Does anyone but me find it depressing that we got to the moon in 1969, left it in the early 70's and never went back?

[petemoore]

I've got some designs for light speed motors, but they're rather 'large'...
 Still I see no reasons other than the massive energies/efforts it would take to prototype, that either of them wouldn't work! [might take a few tries !!! L O L !!! Like 'anything else 'new to you'].
 I'ts sureley got to be 'easier' to just build another Fuzz Box and Go to the Moon Again though,.
 Once I got a glimpse of understanding Quasars, Supernovas, and Black Holes [even in the 'kinda' understand' language in which they are discussed], my interest in LSM's rose markedly.
 We put out signals at the speed of light all the time, just not any 'big' objects have been accellerated to LS ... yet ... I understand they' re working on these In Cal. and Switz.
 LS multiplied by X...that's the immediate forseeable goal I think of.
 Warp Speed Scotty !!!

[Doug_H]

at this point, we can't write science fiction fast enough.

Does anyone but me find it depressing that we got to the moon in 1969, left it in the early 70's and never went back?

Yes.

[zachary vex]

at this point, we can't write science fiction fast enough.

Does anyone but me find it depressing that we got to the moon in 1969, left it in the early 70's and never went back?

depressing?  no.  interesting, yes.

[GFR]

On the Histiory Channel I heard the following sentence said at the beginning of the 1900's (rephrased): "the secrests of flight won't be unveiled by man during this century"  This was said by one of the Wright brothers two years before they did their historic first flight!

It would be interesting to know what Santos Dumont expected for the 1900's.

[Doug_H]

The problem with saying there are all of these categories and everything is a variation on a theme within an existing category is that, gosh darn it, every once in a while someone comes along and creates a new category.

IMO there is an unlimited potential for creating anything you can imagine (and a lot of things you can't). The reality however is that most things fit into the existing categories and are variations on a theme.

In general, IMO music electronics is a horribly conservative industry.

Doug

[casey]

i generally agree with the first post, except that i beleive that it's all going to digital instead of analog, and some of the sounds out of plugins you can achieve are amazing....

[Eric H]

at this point, we can't write science fiction fast enough.

Does anyone but me find it depressing that we got to the moon in 1969, left it in the early 70's and never went back?

Yes.

I was 16 in 1969...
I was also living in Dallas when they were building the super-collider --i used to drive by and watch the construction...

-Eric

[Oliver]

Hi,

maybe, no one ever made a step on the Moon?

I know there are two sides of opinions about that Story, but some Fotos
seem to be fakes. (shadows landscapes and so on)

I wonder that no one try to repeat that jurney  

bye
Oliver