[sdiy] Milton as VC Harmonic Generator "A Simple Blaster"

[Cynthia Webster]

on 9/3/03 2:19 AM, Michael Zacherl at sdiy-mz01 at arsprototo.at wrote:

> Hello Cynthia and All,

Hi Michael!

>> I just hooked one of the Miltons up here to try it out and it's exciting
>> as a sort of quad VC harmonic Oscillator!
> 
> YES!! I knew it!  :-)))
> 
>> Turning all 16 of the knobs to the lowest, the audio output of the Sequencer
>> is most mellow sounding.
> 
> Shouldn't that be a flatliner - errm - flat line? Or am I mistaken?

Actually, you are correct!  That's true if all the knobs are turned down,
but turning any of these even a small amount results in a tone, (and a
sawtooth waveform on the scope with a somewhat instant rise time, and
the typical sawtooth linearly sloped decay).

Oddly, any of the knobs do this except the very first knob for some reason?
which is silent when it is the only one turned up

> Or is it just because of several component tolerances being summed
> together and then not getting a zero-line?
> <dizzy>
> 
>> As you turn up the knobs, real spiky harmonics
>> can be generated resulting in ever more harmonic content that ultimately
>> gets somewhat raspy sounding, (really wild waveforms on the scope).
> 
> Maybe a Little Lag (hint hint) processor would increase the range of
> possibilities?

Good idea, (or low pass filtering for those who are slew challenged).

> How's Milty doing signalwise? Very sharp edges? Or rather long
> transition times?

Very sharp spikes!  Turning a few knobs quickly results in steep
"mountain range" type waveform variations, as well as ever increasing
amplitude.  I have to add a negative bias voltage from a processor /
mixer in order to keep the waveform centered on the scope.

>> This all gets very interesting when an LFO is presented to the Voltage
>> Control input on the Sequencer, as then the harmonic content is under
>> voltage control... .
> 
> Sounds like one has to keep her/his audio recorder of choice running
> since the results would be rather unpredictable and also impossible to
> recreate.

That's also true.  

Glen suggested that I create an MP3 file which is a great idea, except that
I loaned some gear to some friends and am not really able to do any
recording at the moment.

I tried a lot of audio range experiments tonight with the Milton,
and found it capable of many klangerous tones.  While being clocked up
into audio range, it is interesting to try different sources into the
sequencers control voltage input.

An LFO modulating an audio Oscillator, which is in turn fed to the Milton
VC input, created sounds that one might swear were processed though reverbs,
echoplexes, or delays (when in fact these devices were not used at all)

very "Forbidden Planet" at times!

>> I'd like to try a patch like this feeding each row's output
>> into a different audio channel of a quadraphonic setup.
> 
> hey ho - and now picture two quintuple Miltons ... (errm ... if only my
> ordered PCBs would finally arrive ;-)

When they do, take your time and be real methodical when constructing them.
These babies are diabolically complex, but the results are worth the effort!

Cyn