I was looking at a page Classic Waveshapes and Spectra about waveforms and Fourier analysis. And one of the waveshapes they showed stopped me in my tracks: it was a wave made of harmonics in the Fourier series: 1,2,3,5,8,13,21,46 etc where n = n-1 + n-2. A Wave made from Harmonics of the Fibinacci Series …
Blip! Waveshaper: the Backstory
The Variophon synthesizer is very rare. It used a method of waveshaping based on the "pulse forming process" of double reed and lip instruments, and this method is in fact almost impossible to replicate by stringing together standard synth modules, even though it is quite simple in concept. What to do? I designed and simulated …
Clean Envelope Generator: the Backstory
On the one hand, the ADSR Envelope Generator is one of the most successful abstractions. It was first specified for Robert Moog in 1965 by composer Vladimir Ussachevsky. It has been so successful, that many synthesizer players don't consider there are any other abstractions possible, just for more or less of the same: apart from …
Velocitizer: Pimp my Velo
I designed the Velocitizer in early 2011, simulated it in SPICE (TINA-TI) and put the schematic out as a Public Domain thing, on Electro-Music.com. So anyone is free to implement it, though they will need to tweak it. You don't even need to credit me! In 2018, Elby Designs put out their version of it, …
Velocitizer Waveshaper: the Backstory
I wanted a module to add velocity to my keyboard or sequences. I could see that a simple multiplication (e.g. by a VCA), while nice, did not really represent the kinds of variation that people find so stimulating in physical instruments. And what I wanted was a simple module that I could just plug in …
Fricko Eurorack Modules
This website is being developed to support a range of Eurorack Synthesizer modules I am currently preparing. My intention initially is to provide them as PCB/panel combos for DIYers. They are based on designs of mine, which were put into the Public Domain. Pronounce fricko like Freak Out! Rick
Freak Out! 