NICK'S WORLD OF SYNTHESIZERS

Overview

The Chaos Engine is a 5 oscillator mini synth. Despite it's lo-fi descrete transistor design and very simple panel layout, it can produce a huge variety of sound textures. These range from simple bleepy melodys reminicent of The Silver Apples, to fractal noise and spluttering sonic convolsions similar to the sound of fax machines or old computer tapes. Because of it's fractal-like qualities, the slightest microscopic knob turn can totally change the sound.

Operation

The Chaos Engine has 3 basic modes of operation

1 No sync. The oscillators do not influence each other. In this mode it is like a primitive keyboard,only with the added creative possiblities of being able to tune the notes individually.
Sound No sync

2 Harmonic sync. The oscillators are all syncronized to oscillator 1. As you turn the tuning knobs the pitch will not glide as normal; instead you will hear a series of harmonics, sometimes very musical and strange undertone scales.
Sound Harmonic sync

3 Chaotic sync. The oscilators all try to sync to each other. This is controlled by the chaos depth knob and produces the widest variety of sounds.
Sound Chaotic sync

The Circuit

The circuit is descrete transistor because I beleve it produces the richest possible analogue sound, and because many of the timeless legendary effects and synthersizers are descrete transistor, e.g Minimoog, Univibe, Big Muff, Cry baby/Vox Wah. There is an untangible quality to their sound which is not present in modern Op-Amp equivalents.

Construction

Maybe I'm crazy for spending so much time constructing these cases, when I could have opted for the typical pressed steel jobby, but I think they look pretty cool, in a kind of retro industrial way.

where to buy

It is only avaiable on ebay at the moment.

Follow this link

More Sounds

  Bendyharmonics.mp3
  Computertape.mp3
  Convolsions,noise.mp3
  Faxmachine.mp3
  Harmonicundertones.mp3