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.