Mondo Modular Episode 8

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Modcan Super Delay & Digital Delay Comparison

YouTube via scootermccrae | Feb 27, 2011 |

"People have been wondering about the difference in sound between the Modcan 30B Super Delay (which is a true analog delay) and the Modcan 59B Digital Delay, so I set up a simple audio demonstration. It's not meant to be an analog vs. digital contest -- as you'll hear, both of them sound beautiful but have very different tonal characteristics as well as unique reactions to control voltage manipulation.

The Modcan Sequencer is triggering a Modcan 58B VCDO that is passing through a Modcan 68B Matrix Filter (using the 4-Pole Bandpass output). In the first half of the video, that signal is passing through the analog Super Delay -- which is a mono device. I twiddle the knobs throughout and then eventually let triangle waveforms from the Modcan 61B Quad LFO take over the invisible finger chores.

The second half of the video is the same sequence and signal chain passing through the Digital Delay, which has been engaged to output the audio in stereo mode. Again, after some manual twiddling I put the 61B Quad LFO to work once more and send a slow-moving triangle waveform into the control voltage inputs.

As may be apparent from the studio configuration, I do love the Modcan modules for their sound, aesthetic beauty and a user interface that squeezes myriad functions per module into a reasonably-sized space. I hope you find this a useful and entertaining video."

Manuel Gottsching Talks About Moog Instruments

YouTube via scootermccrae. Don't forget the upcoming Moog event!
"Wow, almost one year to the day after-the-fact, I'm finally posting this video footage of Manuel Gottsching at one of the three U.S. concerts he performed last summer (his first time performing in the United States).

As I'm a big fan of his music and his legendary group Ashra Tempel, I made contact with him just before his arrival in New York to see if I could help out by videotaping the concerts (which he was happy to have done). I also asked if I could shoot some interview footage so I could help out the Moog Foundation with a little video of his visit so they could post it on their youtube channel.

The Moog Foundation has been (happily) very busy lately with some wonderful stuff and not as interested in posting new videos with so much other work to be done, so I thought I'd finally put this on youtube so like-minded folks could enjoy a brief snippet of one of the excellent performances Herr Gottsching gave -- and also hear him reminisce a bit about his own and the Moog's wonderful legacy.

Hopefully someday the concert footage will be edited together and sold via his website. For now, please enjoy this excerpt (and if you're not already familiar with his work, please do visit www.ashra.com to find out more).

And of course, don't forget to visit the Moog Foundation at www.moogfoundation.org

Thanks as always for taking a look,

Scooter McCrae"

Mondo Modular Episode 6

YouTube via scootermccrae. You can find prior episodes here.
"A whole new set-up for the equipment and some esoteric additions to the line-up make for an episode in which audio aesthetics take a backseat to the simple reality of making sure everything is just plugged-in and working.

So this one is not as musically pleasing as some other episodes, but I hope you still find it interesting viewing nonetheless.

Even more equipment has arrived since this was recorded (gasp!) so the next installment should really be something...!

Thanks as always for your patience and interest!

Scooter McCrae

P.S. I have tried posting replies to those nice enough to leave comments whenever I can, but more often than not they just don't register on the site so I've given up trying for now. My apologies as I'm not ignoring anybody or what they have to say."

Mondo Modular Episode 3

YouTube via scootermccrae
"Yet another attempt to deliver the most amazing electronic sounds possible with my meager talents holding on tight to the controls of a spectacular modular sound generating system.

Give this one two or three minutes to warm up; I promise the second half delivers stuff that sounds like Robby the Robot barfing Anne Francis a star-sapphire encrusted dress.

(Also want to note that the end of this episode actually happened the way you hear it -- I did not overdub any sound effect and it really did happen as it appears on-camera)

As always, thanks for watching."

Muff Wiggler Forum July 2009 Gathering

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"On July 18th, 2009, I had a number of strangers who I know (or know of) from the muggwiggler.com forum come to my apartment to have fun working with the modular analog audio equipment I had lying around or the machinery they brought over themselves to integrate into whatever systems we were spontaneously creating.

So there was much drunken debauchery and noise-making to be had amongst the participants.

Keep in mind that this is just a non-linear overview of the day that demonstrates how people traveled from one room to another to patch cables and twiddled knobs. Over the course of the nine hours that people spent in my apartment, there were many audio breakthroughs and learning experiences that would be impossible to document here without a far more thorough camerperson than myself at the helm.

Needless to say, as the cameraperson, I'm not in this video -- so it's NOT a Mondo Modular episode (so I apologize to any subscribers expecting otherwise).

Please enjoy and thanks as always for checking this out.

Scooter McCrae"

Mondo Modular Episode 5

YouTube via scootermccrae. You can find all episodes here.
"Back-in-action after a short hiatus (note new studio set-up -- but more about that in an upcoming video), I'm finally making good on some of that Herb Deutsch footage I promised a few episodes back. I figured there was no better time to do this than around the time of what would have been his 74th birthday (May 23rd).

I'll post a couple of fun stories from Gershon Kingsley next time and then return to the familiar format (ie: my dorking around with my various knobs and patch cables).

Special thanks to the Grammy folks who recently gave some money to the Moog Foundation to try and get the various papers and prototypes in Bob's old work shed in some kind of order and will hopefully see to the future preservation of."

DREAMSCAPES Composed & Performed by Herbert Deutsch

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"DREAMSCAPES for Ancient Instruments and Computer-Generated Sounds -- Composed and Performed by Herbert Deutsch.

For shofar, rainstick, mbira, Peruvia ocarina, didgeridoo and computer-generated sounds.

Composed in 1995 and dedicated to Albert Tepper."

Mondo Modular Episode 7

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Mondo Modular Episode 9

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"Step right up, ladies and gentlemen -- this latest episode is presented via the miracle of SUPER-THEREMIN-ATION -- a process that allows the viewer to see for the very first time exactly what is going on INSIDE of a Theremin while the performer is playing. Literally no expense has been spared to bring this technological innovation to the forefront so that you, dear observer, can experience the awe and mystery, the thrills and chills, of having the sounds of the Theremin come to life as if it were in your very own lap!

Enjoy, and don't say you weren't warned when the miracle of SUPER-THEREMIN-ATION materializes and dances right before your disbelieving yet awestruck eyes."

Mondo Modular Episode 1

YouTube via scootermccrae. via Nusonica
"Noodling around with various modular synthesizer cabinets with modules from Synthesizers.com and Modcan. Hopefully the first in an on-going series of episodes concerning the generation of electronic tonalities (or something pretentious-sounding like that)."

Mondo Modular Episode 2

YouTube via scootermccrae
"Yet another bold journey into an audio world where many have tread before and even fewer haven't... (wait a minute -- this doesn't make any sense?!?)

Anyway, just me again getting some cool sounds out of my truly amazing modular sound generating system.

Please bear with me and in an episode or two I'll post some video of electronic music giants like Herb Deutsch, Gershon Kingsley and Bernie Kraus that I've shot over the years.

See the rewards that lie ahead for making it throught these punishing viewings? Who sez I'm not a pussycat sweetheart?"

Mondo Modular Episode 4

YouTube via scootermccrae
"What kind of modular madman makes use of not one, but TWO Sample & Hold modules at the same time?!? Prepare to have your ears seared right off by the twinkly-dinkly beauty of randomly generated tones and whatnot.

This episode has a very special guest whom I hope will be making many more appearances as these audio experiments continue (and I hope you find her as adorable as I do).

Thanks as always to the faithful, patient and downright curious who choose to give these videos a perusal.

Scooter McCrae"