Recently I had a couple of ideas that resulted in this project. I was putting the finishing touches on two CGS Serge VCS modules and started thinking about loading one of my portable cabinets with a set of modules to do a minimal ‘west coast’ type of performance. Here’s a simplified explanation. The term ‘west coast’ refers to an approach to synthesis that creates rich timbres starting with waveforms of low harmonic content like sine and triangle and modulating them into more complex types. This is the Buchla and Serge way, vs. the Moog ( ‘east coast’) technique of using complex waveforms like saw and pulse waves passed through voltage controlled filters.
The other idea was to let some audience members in a close setting participate by using hand-held controllers like the one in the picture to change the sound during the performance, in effect jamming with me. To this end, I put together the ‘west coast’ box in the picture, containing:
- Cynthia ZerOscillator
- CGS Wave Multiplier and Grinder
- Blacet/Wiard Miniwave
- Two CGS Serge VCS
- CGS Super Psycho LFO
- Dual CGS Slope Detector
- MOTM-800 Envelope Generator
- MOTM-190 Dual VCA
- MOTM-OMS 820 LFO/EG/Lag
- My own Matrix Mixer
I arrived at this combination of modules after a lot of consideration and trial. The Matrix Mixer allows me to do the mix live without needing an external mixer. The outputs can go directly to powered speakers. I was looking for signal purity in this patch and designed it to avoid the need for external mixers, effects, computer interfaces, etc.. I can still run it through any of those if I want to.
The patch shown in the photo uses 9 modules: the ZO, Wave Multiplier, Grinder, Miniwave, Matrix Mixer, a VCS, a VCA, 820, Psycho LFO. And only 10 patch cords are used, not counting the hand controller. The Slope Detectors and MOTM-800 weren’t used here.
Three signal paths are patched. 1) ZO sine wave through the 190 VCA into the Miniwave (on the Socket Rocket EPROM), 2) ZO morph (variable wave shape) output through the Grinder, 3) ZO triangle through the Wave Multiplier. The VCS is used as a VCO for linear through-zero modulation of the ZO. The Psycho LFO modulates the Wave Multiplier. The 820 is used as an LFO on the VCA to control the depth of the sine going into the Miniwave. Everything else is hand-twiddled.
This is a performance: There are no chance elements, only the combination of oscillators and manual operation. I was pleased with the range of sonic possibilities available from this simple setup. The title refers to the use of the center position of the BIAS switch on the ZO, which starts the oscillator at zero HZ with an infinite modulation index. Some sections use this setting, while others do not. The telltale sign of non-zero bias is a more strongly pitched result. It may be of interest to note that I did not touch the big ZO frequency knob. Glissando effects all originate in pitch changes of the VCS.
