Friday, December 26, 2014

CHIPSHOP [Free Chiptune Sample Pack] Download

A free sample pack crammed with over 800 individual samples and 70+ Loops. All recorded directly from the C64, Atari St and Nintendo Gameboy. The pack contains 844 samples.



Gameboy [Nanoloop, LSDJ]
  • 91 x Bass, Synth, Lead, Perc and SFX Hits
  • 117 x Sampeld Drum Hits

SID [Cynthcart, Retroskoi]
  • 61 x Bass, Lead and SFX Hits

YM2149 [Various]
  • 36 x Bass Hits
  • 48 x Custom FX
  • 124 Drum Hits
  • 145 x Multi-samples [5 Instruments over 5 octaves]
  • 29 x White Noise Hits
  • 29 x Sampled Hits
  • 110 x SFX Hits
  • 54 x Synth Hits
  • 70 x Loops [22 Full Loops and 48 Drum/Synth Loops]

Sunday, September 14, 2014

DIY Elastic Bands Life Hack

If you need some small, strong elastic bands - check this out! I had an old inner tube with too many puncture repairs to be worth running. I wanted to do something with it....




This simple life hack is inspired by a  resourceful Russian I once worked with. We had no elastic bands, but she made some out of a balloon which we had loads of.

You will find if you cut them at an angle, they can be much bigger!


They are very durable and strong, much stronger than normal bands. Look how many you get!!!

Bypassing the Valves on the Korg ESX and EMX


Needles to say there has been much debate on the sound quality of the valves contained in these machines - which, incidentaly, are made by Electro Harmonix. This tutorial will show you how to bypass the valves permenantly, which gives a much cleaner sound (even with the valves on the lowest volume they add noise!).



Put simply the valves colour the sound at all times. The first picture is a kick sound (with 0% valve). Picture 2 is the same sound with 100% valve. The third picture is the same kick one the valves have been bypassed.

Some stuff you will need:
  • Screwdrivers 
  • Hex keys
  • Soldering iron + solder
  • Wire cutters
  • Needlenose pliers 
  • Multimeter
  • Sharp knife

I would highly recommend looking over the service manual for the ESX/EMX:  http://electribe-forum.com/public/EMX1_Svc_man.pdf

Fundamentally, all we are going to do is route the stereo signal that goes to the valves, to the place where the vavles send their stereo signal. therefore bypassing the valve PCB completely.

** Disclaimer - This has worked for me on numerous occasions, but I will not take any responsibility for any damage caused by this mod - if you are not confident about electronics I would advise you to find a qualified technician **


1) First, use your hex key to take off all of the front panel screws


















2) Now take off all the caps for the potentiometers (keep them in the same formation as you take them off)



















Take off the faceplate - the naked machine will look like this:



















3) Unscrew the silver screws near the valves. There is no need to unscrew the black ones! 









Now open up the secondary panel and you should see something like this:



















4) Now you need to start removing the connections between the various PCBs.  Most of them have a small section to push in to enable you to remove it easily. Don`t use (mini)brute strength! 




































Right, you`ve done very well to get this far. But now for the higher level...I think you`re  ready!!

5) On the main PCB you need to identify two resistors: R54 and R62




















6) Similarly, identify the two capacitors: C43 and C50 - they are next to each other.



















7) Now, it is essential to identify these exact components on the REVERSE of the board.

The capacitors have been circled in organge and the resistors in green.
















8) Now for the `Balls out of the bath` moment. We are going to cut the connection between these components using a sharp knife. Make sure you cut where they are joined - after this there is no going back!



If you`re a seasoned professional like me, you too
can test the connection with a multi-meter.






So now with the lines cut, the Korg will output nothing! We don`t want that so the signal that originally went to the valves will come back in here where we made the cuts.

Below are the stereo inputs the tubes receive: 











On the other end of this cable remove the pins by wedging them with a small flat edge screwdriver.


The main connection will now look like this.

















9) So now the signal is not physically going anywhere. We need to make these two points connect to the capacitors we disconnected earlier. This is best done on the reverse of the PCB:


Remember you are soldering points 4 and 6 from the valve ouput board to the outer capacitor points.














That is it! Now make sure the connections, screws, hex keys and caps are put back in the same way as they were removed. Take a deep breath and fire up the beast!



Thursday, September 11, 2014

ROBOTICA Sample Pack - Out Now!





ROBOTICA - A collection of androgynous sounds from a myriad of electro boxes, toys and machines. Sampled directly to reel-to-reel for some wholesome analogue richness.

http://www.loopmasters.com/system/products/banners/000/003/363/big/RT-Rectangle.jpg?1410429049


Saturday, August 16, 2014

Sunday, April 20, 2014

Free Loops and Samples

My soundware page has a number of freebies, featuring the sounds of the Roland SH101 vs Moog Moogerfooger.


 Also, loops from the Korg ESX sampler:



..and many more free loops and samples!

Saturday, April 12, 2014

DIY Commodore 64 (C64) Paddle for Cynthcart

If you have Cynthcart, you may not know that a `paddle` enables you to control filter cutoff and assign another control on two knobs.  There are a number of tutorials on this, but most of them are very convoluted with errors. So, here we go:

You Need:
  • 2 x 240k LOGARHYTHMIC potentiometers*
  • 9-Pin cable (female connector)**
  • Enclosure
  • Wires
  • Soldering Iron/Solder
  • Multimeter

First identify the wires that are connected to the female connector. You can do this using a multimeter and a wire placed in the relevent holes. The holes you need to hook up are: Pot1, Pot2 and +5v.



This site explains the pinouts http://old.pinouts.ru/Inputs/ControlPortC64_pinout.shtml

Now, solder the wires to the potentiometers making sure there with be enough slack to fit them into the enclosure. Both get Pot1/2 and the +5v.





Once they`re soldered, get the enclosure drilled with two holes. I used an old joystick base for my enclosure (It looks like a robots face!)



Attach the pots to the enclosure, close it and put the caps on. Test it, then you`re done!




*with 480k I found they only have an effect for 50% of rotation.
**make sure you have a connector that features the correct pins - the one in the picture is from a C64 joystick and doesn`t have pins for the paddle controls.


Monday, March 24, 2014

Korg ER1 as a MIDI Sequencer

The Korg ER-1 is a great little machine, and one of the first pieces of kit I ever owned. It has a built in sequencer for saving up to 256 beats. Each of the pads can trigger MIDI notes, so I hooked the MIDI OUT up to a synthesizer to see what would happen... Second part of the video has the AUDIO IN from the synth running into the ER1. Slight issue in that INPUT 1 not only allows the audio to be triggered...but it also triggers a MIDI note.

Saturday, March 1, 2014

Break Freaks 003 (DJ Set)


The third installment of my Break Freaks series of bass heavy breaks and electro beats.

Download for free here
 

Tracklisting:
Freddie Fresh - Years Back
Plump DJs - Big Groovy Fucker
Koma and Bones - No Beast So Fierce (Forged Mix)
Unkle - Eye for an Eye (Unkle Variation)
Klaus 'Heavyweight' Hill ‎– Northern Lights
Stanton Warriors - Da Virus (Initial Research Remix)
Backdraft - Fool
UNKLE - In A State ( Elite Force vs Meat Katie Remix )
Alter Ego - Rocker
Protocol - She Waits for Me
The Knife - Forest Families

Saturday, February 8, 2014

Acceptable in the 90s

I found some old FHM, Loaded and other such publications deep in the archives. I cut them up then stuck `em down to have some cool-as-caterham A3 posters. Here they are in all their high-res glory, the perfect wallpaper (4890 x 3424) for those who found this sort of thing acceptable in the 90s.




 


Feel free to share them with your friends and fellow arms dealers.

BBC Introducing Plays!

I had my first BBC radio plays this year on from Josh Withey and Sam Fleet on BBC Introducing in Shropshire. They played my remix of `Fantomatics - Recorriendo` - a Brazilian band I met while in Porto Alegre.




A free download is available here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/8zkt2snueynpd1l/Fantomaticos%20-%20Recorriendo%20%28mIDI_eRRor!!%20rmx%29.mp3

More information on the Fantomaticos https://fantomaticos.bandpage.com/

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

DJ Sets from the Archives

In preparation for my first DJ set in a long while, I dug out some old ones from the archives.

First up, Break Freaks 002 recorded live in South Wales about 5 years ago:



Aaaaand..... If you still want more, you can`t go wrong with this one. Techno all the way. Lets go...


Saturday, January 25, 2014

What to do with unwanted old records?


At one time I was hoarding a phenomenal amount of records and in sorting through them had a lot to get rid of. I had a desire to use the ones I didn`t like for something else, so I came up with the idea to spraypaint them with bands I did like.



I made a fair few as you can see, even some for other peoples musical tastes...



Many of them became gifts for friends, this one was for Bristols Dr Meaker. 


But my personal favourite was this one, Factory Records. Made like the Clash one above, with a textured spray.












midierror Soundware



I recently opened a Soundcloud page where I give away free loops and samples from my collection. You will find analogue synths, lofi loops and various home-made oscillations.

https://soundcloud.com/midierror-soundware

The History of MIDI Guitars

Since its inception in the early 1980s MIDI has cemented its presence as the standard communication method between electronic instruments. It is well known for its studio applications, particularly in electronic music, but what has MIDI ever done for guitar players? Can something as established and natural as a guitar ever work in harmony with the robotic data transmissions of a 30 year old data protocol?

Keyboards have always been the flagship MIDI control method, becoming an essential part of studios the world over, but what about the guitar? In 1983 one of the first available fretted MIDI guitars was released: the Yamaha DG-10. Imagine propelling laser-guided strings sections from the pluck of a string, or firing chunky FM bass tones through the swing of a translucent plectrum. This was now possible with a guitar. And, what soon followed was an infinitely more powerful, versatile and (inevitably) expensive MIDI guitar...the SynthAxe. It offered a mind-boggling array of play modes using a combination of plucked strings, built-in keys and foot pedals that made the DG-10 look like a child’s toy. These devices opened up a new world to musicians using the conventional form of guitars to play notes, chords and riffs on a synthesizer without touching a keyboard or computer.

While the above mentioned machines brought the guitar interface to MIDI, it was devices that did the reverse which made the experience truly authentic. MIDI pickups began to bridge the gap between guitars and technology, allowing any fitted guitar to transmit the sounds being played and convert them into MIDI notes. Many such devices are available; the Snous G2M is a monophonic device which transmits one note at a time (suitable for solos and simple bass parts), while devices such as the Roland GK-3 pickup and the super-low latency Fishman Tripleplay wireless transmit polyphonic chords across six strings as seamlessly as they can be heard on the guitar.

A British company by the name of Mansun has produced another example of the technological evolution of guitars, while keeping to the traditional design with the MB-1. Famously used by Matt Bellamy of Muse, it is a conventional electric guitar fitted with a touch pad which sends MIDI information to an effects unit, while a built in sustainer allows the guitar to ring out during performances. This allows for multiple dynamic manipulations and modulations, not possible with a pedal board alone – giving the player the ability to instantly change from soundscape to distorted lead riffs in milliseconds.

Recent developments in technology have allowed for guitars with more experimental,innovative and futuristic designs, while still keeping to the basic form. The Starrlabs Ztar MIDI Controllers are a range of ice-cool instruments which feature buttons laid out like those on a fret board, which can be played in a conventional manner or by pressing the desired keys. Used prolifically by Pendulum on tracks such as `Granite` and `Propane Nightmares`, they have also been used by more established artists like Lou Reed. Taking the idea to a new space-age level is the Misa Kitara, which uses a touch screen instead of strings, throwing in a host of configuration and performance possibilities that makes it essentially a new instrument in its own right.

For the traditionalists, the guitar need not change. But for many, in combination with MIDI musicians now have an added dimension for the guitar, and perhaps inspiration for the instruments of the future.

Misa Kitara http://misa-digital.myshopify.com/
Manson MB-1www.mansons.co.uk
Fishman Tripleplay http://www.fishman.com/tripleplay
Starrlabs Zitar http://www.starrlabs.com/

DIY Effects Pedals - The Death Egg


Having got into tampering with all kinds of electrical kids toys through circuit bending, I have made a number of my own effects `pedals`. This one was originally an ELC Microphone for children to alter the pitch of their voice, or make them sound like a robot. Version 2 (above) was housed in a more authentic pedal tin. 





Yamaha FB-01 Editor


Continuing my home-made synth/software adventures, I set out to make an FB-01 editor for Windows. There is no way to edit this machine from the unit itself, so in order to make your own sounds you must use some kind of software. Back in the day, this was YMEDIT.PRG for the Atari ST.

Nowadays, you can run this program from an Atari Emulator such as STEEM; but for me the process of doing so was convoluted. So I made my own, and my god it wasn`t easy! Many hours went into this, and I`m pleased to say it has worked out very well, with 95% of the synth parameters functioning - I am especially fond of the authentic UI.


Here is a video of me talking through it`s workings:




Frederic Meslin has also made a decent Windows editor for the FB-01 available here: http://sourceforge.net/projects/fb01editor/

Loopmasters presents Junkyard Percussion Volume 2



Included in this, my second sample pack are percussion sounds found in the home and garage. Featuring a grandfather clock, type-writer, cutters, strimmers, machines, switches and many more percussive sounds within the home.

I created this sample pack using a vast range of metallic sounds recorded at a secret location in North Wales.All manner of objects are included - as diverse as petrol tanks, gates, chains, blades, nuts, bolts and anything we could hit with a massive spanner.

For more information, or to purchase the pack click here:
http://www.loopmasters.com/product/details/2234

Novation A-Station Editors


Having worked for many years in MaxMSP, I began building editors for my synths. This was for two reasons: 1) I wanted to make controlling the synthesizers more accessible and 2) I wanted to learn everything about how they worked.

This first video is a patch made in Guru, which is a tool for the Renoise DAW. What makes this software so useful is that it is hosted inside the DAW, allowing patch editing and recalling in one box. Unfortunately what it doesn`t do is allow you to automate the parameters. BUT! That can be done quite easily with MIDI CC messages anyway. 

This demo features the main riff ripped from `The Hacker - Fadin` Away` and Public Enemy showing off the vocoder.


This second video shows the early stages of making a MaxMSP standalone editor for Windows. This was my learning curve for the one above, so is a little rough around the edges. I won`t thank Novation for their abuse of MIDI LSB and MSBs! A picture of the UI is below.


More recently, a very good A-Station editor has been made by Angular Momentum, and is available for free here: http://www.amvst.com/astation

Early Circuit Bending Experiments


These were some of my first adventures into circuit bending, on the Casio PSS-140. The ethos behind circuit bending is one of have-a-go and see what happens. I welcomed this approach as my technical knowledge of circuits and electronics was pretty poor. With that in mind, it opened up a new dimension to making strange noises from anything that emitted a sound. 

 
At this time I became obsessed with the idea that I could fix broken equipment, and so my passion for electronics grew. Years later, I have serviced and repaired hundreds of pieces of music equipment...and other things.


This bend is quite simple: cutting the data lines to the main microchip; and replacing them with DPDT switches. Instructions can be found here: http://no-device.blogspot.co.uk/2009/04/yamaha-pss-140-data-line-bend.html



Korg DDD-5 Drum Machine


Another 1980s drum machine, this time from Korg - the DDD-5. It features nice 1980s drum sounds, and the best velocity sensitive pads I`ve ever used...unsurpassed imo. Each drum pad has two sounds, selected by pressing the `shift` button.

Roland R8 Drum Machine


An absolute beast of a drum machine, in both stature and sound. None of the sample kits you hear of this thing ever sound quite as punchy. The 16 assignable pads are exceptionally sensitive, and the quantity of built in sounds is (was) staggering. It has two input slots for sound expansion cards; I personally had the Jazz Kit `SN R8 05` but it wasn`t used in this video.

One of the best features is the `flam` button which triggers multiple hits for each press of the pad, the rate of which could be altered. It is no wonder that this machine was used on many a seminal 90s dance album.

It also features the best loading screen ever seen on any music equipment: 




How to program a Casio VL-Tone


This was one of the first lo-fi casio keyboards that gained widespread use and acclaim. Many industry professionals including New Order referred to it as a main-stay in the studio, and rightly so.

It comes with 5 built-in sounds, but most people who own them have no idea that you can make your own sounds on this thing! It refers to how to do it in the manual, but no-one ever does that, do they?!

So, I decided to change the world...

Wireless Rock Band Guitar as MIDI Controller


A fun little project; using the Xbox wireless Rock Band guitar as a MIDI controller. Seen here controlling the Novation A-Station.

The guitar triggers 5 note on/off messages, of which the octave can be raised or lowered using the strum button. The tremolo arm sends a CC message, in this case to the filter cutoff frequency, while the tilt feature creates a pitchbend.

Boss DR-550 Drum Machine


The Boss DR-550 drum machine, controlled via MIDI clock from Cubase. It`s not the best drum machine in the world (No MIDI out) but does at least feature some authentic sounding 808 and 909 kits.


Wacom Tablet Controlling Amen Break


Here is a Wacom Tablet, controlling the loop point and pitch of the (im)famous amen break. When the pen is lifted, the software retains the last sent co-ordinates.

A future improvement to this would be to assign it to a global sync, so it can be used in time with DAWS. As it is, it`s a fun little sketchpad. 

XBox MIDI controller for YMVST by Gwem


Using a USB Xbox controller, I am controlling various features of the excellent YMVST by Gwem.Using MaxMSP v5 I converted the incoming messages from the pad to MIDI CCs which are then transmitted to the VST.

YMVST is one of the best Chiptune VSTs and is available from here:
http://www.preromanbritain.com/ymvst/

Playstation Controller and Software Multi-FX


This was my final year university project, and my introduction to MaxMSP. I spent 6 months learning to use Max, designing, building and testing it. Aside from a dogy UI the core engine worked very well.


 I used MaxMSP as a host for a number of freely available VST effects, and routed the signals from the controller to them..I hope you will agree that the later versions had an improved user-interface.