NICK'S WORLD OF SYNTHESIZERS

THE HARMONICON

THE BEAST THE HARMONICON THE SPRINGOTRON 3000 THE STRING RESONATOR THE INTUITIVE SEQUENCER VALVE FILTER PLATE REVERB THE MACHINE MY FIRST SYNTHESIZER

INTERACTIVE SYNTHS↓

THE BEAST THE HARMONICON

VIDEOS LINKS

Sound 1 spooky.mp3
Sound 2 sad.mp3
Sound 3 horror.mp3

This is a polyphonic synthesiser. It was the hardest of all my machines to make because there is a separate synth circuit for every note on the keyboard - there are 88 notes.

I think I damaged my eyesight making it because of all the hours spent staring at tiny components.

There are 22 notes in every octave and it is tuned in 'just intonation'.

Most instuments we use today are tuned in equal temperament. You may think that my system looks complicated but it is tuned to simple frequency ratios, the same ones that have been used by musicans for thousands of years. They are so natural that I was able to tune them all by ear Most musicans don't understand the science of tuning and are unaware of just intonation, but to the ears the difference is obvious.

Listen to my sound files. You can hear something special in the sound even though I am not playing anything that special.

Sound 1 spooky.mp3
Sound 2 sad.mp3
Sound 3 horror.mp3

Major scale

Minor scale

When I finished making it I was very pleased with how rich the sound was. I don't really know why it sounds so good.

Please Leave a comment

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Message:

Name: frankle
E-mail: clam@bake.com
Date Posted: 03:53, 30 07 2009
Message: Nice machine, demos sound very interesting, and playing with the flash version of this was quite an ear-opener. Those master oscillator cards from a Yamaha organ? They sure look it with the alternating coil orientations.
F

Name: ApexFan
E-mail: has@nomail.com
Date Posted: 11:34, 02 05 2009
Message: Cool :) U could add keyboard mapping too :)

Name: M
E-mail: mstruzina@hotmail.com
Date Posted: 21:10, 12 03 2009
Message: Incredible work Nick, on the samples is that the dry sound out of the organ ? What can you tell us about the synths parameter controls, I can see sine and triangle waves , what else have you got going on there. Is each synth based on an available circuit or one of your own design.
thanks for sharing your amazing work.

Name: Keith Irish
E-mail: punkasadoornail@yahoo.com
Date Posted: 04:43, 04 11 2008
Message: I'm trying to find a synth that plays in just intonation...any suggestions?

Name: Cole
E-mail:
Date Posted: 16:33, 04 07 2008
Message: i just saw your pod on current on current tv.

awesome.

Name: John Glantini
E-mail: john@johngalantini.com
Date Posted: 12:10, 01 06 2008
Message: Ive had a lot of fun playing with your synths Nick. Thanks for making these easy to use and access. Lets say I am interesting in using this instrument on my home recordings... would you be happy with that?