Monday, 23 March 2009
Random Roundup or 'The Art of Surprise'
A test of random event generators featuring Doepfer's A-149-1 Source of Uncertainty, Analogue Solutions' SH-NZ and Colin Fraser's Sequentix P3 sequencer.
The S&H/ Noise variant is the classic random generator and I've had much mileage out of my SH-NZ. However, sometimes I need something more controlled, for example when randomising the decay of an envelope or addressing one of the A-152 Multiplexer's eight outputs. Another situation might be when I want positive-only or scaled voltages.
Enter the Buchla-inspired A-149-1 Source of Uncertainty. It offers attenuatable, quantised random values and is a great alternative when you need more control over your 'un-control', so to speak. The additional digital random outs further enhance its flexibility. However, being based on a digital algorithm, it's not quite as random as you might think.
The P3 is the deluxe option in this test. It offers a wealth of aleatoric possibilities or, if needed, precise control. Of course, it's no longer in production and will set you back considerably more than the A-Sol & Doepfer modules and some modular purists might call it cheating.
You can download the test (10.5MB) here.
And here's a quick demo of the P3 doing it's thing:
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3 comments:
Great demos and info-- thanks for posting this! Very helpful.
"Random Blues" is great!
Very nice!
Ta! Good to finally get it posted ;)
I think the control you get with a sequencer is great but, by the same token, you can't beat the immediacy of an analogue module.
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