Mobenthey/Ciat-Lonbarde (synthmall) thread

[emenel]

I just got my Gerassic PCBs today! I probably won’t get to it for another week, but I’m already planning my build. I’m going to build two, one more bass and one more treble.

Any tips? Is there a BOM that you could share?

[mlogger]

I think i already put everything in this thread - i would go for a 6 position switch not a 12 position switch. Pots for all the trimmers. I don’t have a BOM as i used parts from another build, but everything is pretty much labelled on the pcb. Theres alot of info on the Ciat Lonbarde Addicts Facebook group which i have been crossposting here, but better just join with specific questions. They have been helping me with A Din Datin Dudero build - it a great bunch of people on there. Heres a master list for the symbols

[emenel]

Thanks! I totally forgot about that symbol list, thanks for the reminder.

[Rodrigo]

Looks like the Shbobo Shtar is finally made!

[lijnenspel]

Also a new Deerhorn Organ!

[badkidstothefront]

So Peter Blasser went to my school and he made a custom Rollz For Plumbutter for our department, and I’m currently renting it for the next two weeks. I’ll definitely share some recordings!

[emenel]

Does anyone have any tips on small cases for Ciat-Lonbarde instruments? I seem to be carrying mine around a lot, and wrapping them in small towels just isn’t cutting it. Maybe some sort of neoprene sleeve?

There are some pelican cases that look like a good size for 2 or 3 of them at once, but that feels like overkill since I’m not flying or anything.

[wednesdayayay]

In the same boat currently would love any recommendations

[mbleming]

I bought a couple cases for my Ciat gear from https://www.carrycasesplus.com/ in the USA…they aren’t the most durable, but they’re are cheap and do the job. I bought ones with the pick and pluck for my sidrax, tetrax and coco. On another note, I JUST found this thread and forum and noticed my old garish green Fyrall way up there in Sandy’s post!!! Man I’d love to have that thing back, but I will likely buy a Din Datin Dudero Fyrall sometime next year. I was dragging my feet on the DDD oval synths, thinking that they seemed particularly expensive for a noise synth with two giant knobs…that said, I bought the DDD Srine and it’s gotten more use than anything else I have since I received it in July…I like it so much that I NEED the Fyrall now, I’m super curious so see the similarities and differences between the two. If you’ve been on the fence on the Din Datin Dudero oval synths, get one!!! They’re SOOOOO much fun. I bring mine to work to play in the car during lunch break everyday…endlessly entertaining, wild sounds…

[wednesdayayay]

oh good lord what have you done

I have thought about these synths so much as I feel like it is somewhat close to something I built with the shnth

the patch I made with the shnth is my favorite synth period I could play it all the time

also has anyone noticed peters somewhat new julia child flavored blog posts? if he is saying what I think he is saying there will be the possiblity for communication between shnths and or shnth and shtars coming?!?!

so about the DDD snyths (I’ve been waiting to buy the stuber as this is a piece of CL gear if lusted after for a long time now but have never been able to pick one up) do you have any sounds/videos that I might be able to study instead of pestering you with questions?

the srine is a little bit mellower in tone right?
would you say this allows a lot of dynamic range between noise/chaos and melow/melodic (as melodic as CL instruments can be )

yeah I think srine would be my first step here too

thanks for rekindling this particular fire I thought had burnt out long ago
haha

[mbleming]

Glad I could rekindle that DDD fire! I thought about the ovalsynths constantly for months before I finally pulled the trigger…I was really torn between which one I wanted, but I feel I made the best choice for my tastes. The Srine is probably the more ‘mellow’ of the two, though I haven’t gotten my hands on a Fyrall yet. As you probably know, it’s based around triangle waves, so it’s sounds are less harsh, and the stepping isn’t quite as defined (for lack of a better word). When I presented the quandary to Peter I asked if a comparison between the Tetrax (Fyrall) and Sidrax (Srine) sounds would suffice generally…Peter seemed to agree slightly, but also noted that the ovalsynth sounds are also very different (which is true)…The Srine can be mellow without patching, lots of clear triangle tones that step into different frequencies as you turn the knobs…they really open up beautifully with a bit of reverb. When patched though, the Srine can also create fire breathing, hell-storms of glitching, stuttering noise. Patched in certain combos can result in some really cool patterns that shift and change on their own…it’s just an endlessly entertaining synth (for my tastes anyway). I’d love to post some videos but they’d be phone mic’d and I know how annoyed people get with those…you also lose the awesome panning effects of the Ciat stuff. Like all his instruments, it’s hard to get a grip on them in a video, you’ve really just got to dive in and get your hands dirty. I’ll try to put something together tho, maybe a basic idea of the different types of sounds that are possible.

I’m with you on the Stuber…after playing the Srine I do feel the Stuber would just be SUCH an awesome addition, I’m definitely having a hard time waiting on that one…I thought it would be released shortly after the other ovals, but still no sign of it. Hope he didn’t scrap the design!!!

[lijnenspel]

Good to hear that the Srine is more mellow. I’ve played the DDD Fyrall and loved the interface, but it seems super screamy, even more than my original Fyrall. Maybe I should sell some more of my neglected euro and buy a Srine…

[mbleming]

Yeah, the Srine can be piercing and intense as well, but it excels at more ‘round’, bubbling, and unique FM sounds. I went with the banana option, so my patching with it is more methodical…I have about 100 pictures of patches on my phone so I can make attempts at recreating some of the sounds/patterns. The two bananas at the top, next to the round on/off button are unique and are a quick way to create movement and chaos…blips, stutters etc. I totally love my Srine…I could go on all day

[wednesdayayay]

ok so here is the patch I was talking about
this one is using saw rather than triangle but my patches operate just the same
this is the non chaotic/feedback version for maximum nicey nicey

I explain it pretty well here Shbobo Shnth patches and appreciation
ok just re read that and it isn’t explained that well

the oscillators are going into [salve]s which count to a specified number of threshold crossings and outputs a pulse
the number to count to and the level of the pulse are all controlled by one of the 8 sequencers in the patch

the pulses from the slaves go to the slews
the up and down slew amounts are also set by 2 of the other sequencers
and the volume of the slew is set by one of the other slews

the 8 sequencers are all controlled in only one direction in the patch by one of the 8 buttons on the shnth

the saw oscillators nume and deno are set by 2 more of the 8 sequencers

then the panning is two of the different slews added together (in two different ways)

then the overall oscillators volume is set by the last slew

so each voice uses all four of the slews in different places
each voice uses a different combination of 6 of the 8 sequencers in different places

this is my dream machine heavily influenced by peter and his work
it is just such a blast to play

so if you are still with me from the description (if you can follow my rambling ) or from the video I linked to of the patch do you get a similar vibe at all from the DDD structure at all?

I think I’ll send this to peter via email as well and get his opinion too

if it is at all similar I am 100% in and will be buying this week

[wednesdayayay]

Hi Nichole, thanks for the email! Stuber should be an oval synth in the
future, but not in the near future… Maybe a year for that one. I am
working hard on a new shbobo, which is a stringed instrument based on the
persian tar. It has been a long time coming! Thanks, Peter

oh also I got the above reply from peter in late July RE the oval Stuber

!!!
if you are interested in it email him so he knows there are more of us wanting this design

[mbleming]

Hmmm, reading over your patch notes here and listening, I’m feeling that DDD is a bit different, though I might be misunderstanding. I’m not entirely sure, but it seems like the DDD functions differently. Have you read Peter’s paper posted here?: http://econtact.ca/17_4/blasser_ovalsynth.html
There seems to be a lot of sample and hold or (digital?) shift register action going on in the DDD, and maybe you are approaching this differently via the Shnth sequencers? I have a shnth and it’s my least used Ciat device as I’ve never really sat down and pushed myself to learn the programming aspect of it…the patch you describe sounds great though! Your patch appears to operate in a similar manner to the Tetrax/Sidrax family, while the DDD deviates significantly. I suppose the knobs are like bars in that when you turn them they trigger the sounds, but the behavior is quite different, particularly when patched and things get chaotic. In it’s natural state you turn a knobs which trigger sounds of different pitches through envelope/vca combo…sometimes they fade quickly, other times they sustain longer or even indefinitely. It’s definitely an experimental synth and will certainly appeal more to those who don’t mind giving up a lot of control and embracing the chaos of Peter’s vision here…part of the fun is finding patches where you do have SOME element of control, going from serene to chaos with the twist of a knob. If you’re really interested I can try to record some of the basic behavior of the synth patched and un-patched so you can get a better idea of the capabilities. I will admit that I’ve used it most frequently on its own, doing it’s own crazy thing…it’s not always easy to incorporate it with other gear, even other Ciat gear.

[wednesdayayay]

if I could use a shift register like object here I would absolutely I haven’t patched in a while perhaps I’ll see what can be modified!

if you ever feel the need to fish I’d be happy to lend a hand via email, phone or video chat

I have some that are a little bit crazier wherein the slaves, slews and oscillators also populate the sequencers in order to introduce multiple feedback paths

I’d love to hear some snippets I’ve mostly heard from the fryall but I’m more interested in the srine

thank you so much!

[mbleming]

I’d definitely like to get back into fish at some point, thanks for the offer. Video would likely be a mess, but I’ll try to put together some examples of the Srine on soundcloud or Bandcamp this weekend. I’ll post a link here if I can find the time this weekend to put something together.

[Yasha]

I was raving a week or two ago in the Ciat Lonbarde Facebook group about how I approached the Tocante as a new age meditative instrument, and I don’t think I was joking too much. I’ve only played the Bistab, so I don’t know how it compares to the others, but it seems capable of a rich, evolving sound. I like how some of Pauline Olivero’s pieces on accordion and digital delay seem like journeys, and that’s what I’ve been trying for when I play the Bistab late at night, the only light being that from the street outside and the blue LEDs of my battery pack

Of course, messing about with recording would spoil the mood, so I did this on a Saturday afternoon while my spouse was napping (and our cat hiding out from the noise…) It’s just the Bistab with reverb added afterwards (Smartelectronix Ambience).

[shreeswifty]

I ended up selling my Bass Bistab. I really liked the sound but for some reason my fingers are too dry for the thing to react without me licking or wetting my fingers first and it started to creep me out.
But the Landscape Synth is different ballgame even thoughi it’s not IFM/CIAT it kicks some major behind