# micronaut - trapezoid (Fun With Synthi!)... - Site: Analog Industries - Author: Chris Randall - Date: 2011-09-02 - URL: https://analogindustries.com/2011/09/micronaut-trapezoid-fun-with-synthi/ I'm busy as fuck right now, as I've mentioned not upwards of half a dozen times. But I took a couple hours late last night to bust out this little improvisation with the Synthi. This is entirely computer-free, start to finish. It is clocked from a single shitty Doepfer LFO, which is driving an Intellijel uStep and a MakeNoise Réne to do all the sequencing. The sounds in the beginning are the Synthi and the Korg Monotribe. The Synthi is shitting a lot of sub bass, so if you're listening to this on laptop speakers, you're simply not hearing about half the track. The accelerando-thing that comes in every now and again is the Univox Maxi-Korg, and the other reverby thing that comes in later on is the MS-20. I still have a couple tracks free on the tape, so I might do some overdubs with melodic shit and turn this in to an actual song. But not this day. Too much to do. ## Comments (26) **wgparham** (2011-09-02): Quick! Do another Micronaut EP with the Synthi before you have to give it back. Or just spend all of that time to do some deep sampling and sell a sample set that would compliment the Sonic Couture set. Or do both the EP and the samples... Because, I know you've got a ton of free time on your hands right now! -William **Mike Nickel** (2011-09-02): So how do you come up with the names of your instrumental songs? **Chris Randall** (2011-09-02): Just lucky, I guess. -CR **DGillespie** (2011-09-02): Sub bass is right, it barely came through on the 7506's I had handy. Also, synthi-a is my bff. **beauty pill** (2011-09-02): I love Micronaut so much. - c **beauty pill** (2011-09-02): BOX SET! BOX SET! - c **neB** (2011-09-02): One day...I will have a Synthi of my very own...till then, I plot...but one day... **studio nebula** (2011-09-02): I'm guessing that Trapezoid refers to the shape of the Synthi case. --Adam **DGillespie** (2011-09-02): It also has a trapezoid envelope shape, right? **Chris Randall** (2011-09-02): The envelope's control voltage output is called "Trapezoid," for some inexplicable reason. I'm actually using it in the audio path, in addition to triggering filter freq. It is a lot of the "click" sound you hear early on. If you watch closely, you'll see me push a pin in at 0:51. This routes VCO3 to filter freq, so you can tell the difference between trapezoid controlling filter freq and both trapezoid and the LFO controlling it. (Easier to tell with headphones or on a sound system with bottom, of course.) The Synthi is a very strange animal. I don't think I'd pay $9K for one (their current going rate) but for $2K? Sure. -CR **stevehumbert** (2011-09-02): Synthi? When did this happen? How did it happen? I try and maintain a zen-like attitude to life, but you have succeeded in making me green with envy. Mind you, I should be careful what I wish for... when I finally got my hands on a Big Moog I was strangely underwhelmed. Possibly because there was such a long period of prior yearning nothing could have lived up to it. I suspect the Synthi would be slightly less able to bear the weight of 30 odd years of anticipation. **synthetic** (2011-09-02): Zappy. Do you prefer to work with headphones on or was wifey sleeping? **Chris Randall** (2011-09-02): The latter, although I work with headphones 90% of the time anyhow, since her office is right next to mine, and her interest in hearing a piece of electronic music being built petered out c. 1995. -CR **inteliko** (2011-09-02): ears are liking it.. I thinks its fine the way it is...good outro tune also... needs no melody... **mad ep** (2011-09-03): "her interest in hearing a piece of electronic music being built petered out c. 1995." My wife is the same... of course, I don't think she realized that me practicing classical cello is even more monotonous when we married... every little phrase (sometimes just a few notes at a time) being worked over and over and over and over... **mad ep** (2011-09-03): ..(and of course, cello can't be muted to the world by headphones)... **javahut** (2011-09-03): Me being a lover of sub bass... I love this. Just crank up the sub bass a little so it matches that kick and the other drums. Killer stuff! **bongo_x** (2011-09-03): Your wife once cared about the process? Or was that a typo? My wife still can't get over the fact that I'm "listening to the same thing over and over". It's just one of my weird habits. bb **fussylizard** (2011-09-03): I grew up listening to my Commodore 64 instead of the radio, so I have a high tolerance for repetitive electronic music. The same 90 second loop for hours at a time... **Chris Randall** (2011-09-03): The time between Elle discovering that songwriting involved listening to the same pice of music over and over and Elle deciding that was something she Didn't Like One Bit was maybe 20 minutes. In 1995. Ever since it has been a continual battle between my process and her patience. We've reached a detant of sorts. I write and pre-mix in headphones, and do the final mix and mastering on monitors, after polite notice that such is about to take place. -CR **kid vs chemical** (2011-09-06): I thought you said you didn't like the sound of the monotribe's drums, "unusable" if I remember correctly (alas i may not be). But you keep using em in these micronaut videos. Anyhow, I think they sound cool for what it's worth, more like a casio mt-68 than a tr606 or dr110, but still cool (I love casiotone drums). Did you change your mind or was it just convenience? **seancostello** (2011-09-06): Outbuilding idea: Airstream or vintage "canned ham" trailer. Park it, strip out the interior, build a smallish studio inside, haul it away when you move. A description and pics of a small Airstream Bambi converted into a studio: http://www.podcastingnews.com/content/2008/02/coolest-podcast-studio-world/ Depending on the towing capacity of the CReagle, this may be your best bet for a self-contained studio that is also zombie resistant. **Chris Randall** (2011-09-06): @kid: convenience. @sean: yeah, I'm gonna leave $30K worth of gear out in a trailer, in 115F heat, in a high-crime city. That's right up there with getting my taint pierced on things I'm likely to do. "Here's all my melted gear in one easy-to-steal package! Have fun! While you're here, do you happen to have a taint-piercing device?" EDIT: on the other hand, the insurance claim would mean NEW GEAR!!! Hmmmm. Trying to decide if it's worth the effort. -CR **seancostello** (2011-09-06): Yeah, you're right. You sure make living in a high crime city with unlivable temperatures sound SEXY. It's INSANE, this guy's taint! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Anm44OEkFFk **boobs** (2011-09-06): mr show ftw! **MR-808** (2011-09-06): "The envelope's control voltage output is called 'Trapezoid,' for some inexplicable reason." Its most common output shape is a trapezoid, though if the on time is set to minimum, it's more of a triangle. As for the silly price of Synthis, I totally agree. I'm going the DIY route and building clones of the key bits: Oscillators: http://www.jhaible.de/living_vcos/jh_living_vcos.html Trapezoid Generators: http://www.jhaible.de/trapezoid/trapezoid.html Filter: http://yusynth.net/Modular/EN/EMSVCF/index.html If you're not into DIY, Analog Systems makes licensed clones of the filter and trapezoid generator in Eurorack format: http://www.analoguesystems.co.uk/modules.htm