Analog Computers for music | Livestream with Hans Kulk & Professor Bernd Ulmann

In which I sit down with Hans Kulk of Willem Twee Studios and Professor Bernd Ulmann of the Analog Computer Museum to chat about analog computing and its use in music. We will chat history, technology and patching for music, with hands on demos on our respective analog computers.
www.analogmuseu...
www.willem-twe...
music: hainbach.bandca...
looking good: teespring.com/de/stores/hainbach
connections to like-minded humans: / hainbach
General gearlist (some Amazon affiliate links, I get paid a little if you order through these)
AUDIO:
RME Babyface Pro amzn.to/2LzASyh
SHURE SM7B amzn.to/2X4ClSq
GEFELL 670 M70
RAMSA WRS 4424 mixing disk
SONY PCM-D100 recorder
Telefunken M15 reel-to-reel
Ableton Live 10 amzn.to/3dS5jf8
HEDD HEDDPHONES
HEDD 20 Monitors amzn.to/2B4lmsH
MEZE Audio Classic 99 amzn.to/3hWoPdh
Panasonic GH5 amzn.to/3dRVttY
12-35 Lumix amzn.to/2WDbEWk
Blackmagicdesign Pocket Cinema 4K www.blackmagic....
Panasonic 12-60 Lumix
Blackmagicdesign Atem mini
www.blackmagic....
Manfrotto 055 Stands amzn.to/2Tefq6l
Aputure Amaran lighting amzn.to/3dQM85p
Phillips Hue lighting amzn.to/2AtQnFG
BenQ ScreenBar plus www.amazon.com...
Final Cut Pro X www.apple.com/...

[@Hainbach]

Sources thread PT1: www.analogmuseum.org/english/introduction/ www.analogmuseum.org/english/library.html Analogrechnen:www.springer.com/de/book/9783642527418 FGAA Board: zrna.org

[@Hainbach]

PT2: Hans Reader: drive.google.com/file/d/1V9VJrWcAUqXoTPTEu0CHizMXtF8pK90L/view?usp=sharing

[@2jpu524]

It's great to hear Bernd Ulmann. I've read some of his books, and it's nice to hear his associated voice. I have an interest in hybrid computing.

[@Hainbach]

Here it is, this time for real (last time it started while I was changing settings)

[@tiadiad]

Real treat for all the sound junkies out there. Thank you for shedding some light on this fascinating side of sound creation.

[@famitory]

"an analog computer on a chip that can be reconfigured" sounds like a dream come true for retrocomputing enthusiasts, as it would represent an analog counterpart to the FPGA. now hybrid analog/digital chips like the SID could be broken down into their two parts and recreated using new hardware so that old, failing vintage parts aren't the only option

[@UNSCPILOT]

I'd be interested to see a mass production synth using one (or more) of these chips as part of the sound creation and or filter process, though how to program it might be interesting to figure out

[@Geopholus]

@@UNSCPILOT In a way all the old analogue synthesizers WERE analogue computers, but generally the different modules tended to be used in very specific ways. One could certainly make a pretty sophisticated analogue computer with modern parts, and even hold programs for the analoque computers modules, in the digital realm.!

[@duon44]

I really like this discussion, on one side we get information about these machines in a scientific setting, very well explained too. And on the other side we get the fun you can have with these in a musical sense. I’m interested in both and I love the overlap. These machines remind me of math class where i didn’t pay much attention to the classes but was still trying all kinds of equations on my graphical calculator using trial and error. I think it’s really interesting that you can learn about this type of math and science and apply it in a very creative way. Bernd mentioned that these machines are tinker toys for adults but I would bet that lots of teenagers could be thought about maths in a playful manner using these. I know i would’ve loved to. I guess the price is just too high though

[@davidpetersonharvey]

It's so good to see you so animated and happy; you're usually much more sedate. It's fun seeing you talk about things you love doing. Btw, I started with the JP8080 and Juno 60. Still love them and progressing over the years.

[@UNSCPILOT]

That child-like glee when he's having fun with his equipment is infectious, I haven't even been awake 20 minutes and he has me wanting to test stuff on my Microfreak, love this channel

[@jdanielcramer]

This is most most nerdy, esoteric discussion ever 🤓 I love it! 😻 I’m very interested in the crossover between Analog Computing and Modular and am starting to tinker with DIY circuits but I’m way to dumb! Lol 😼

[@Sharlot2016]

I would want to make my own analog computer one day. a cute dream.

[@ThisIsDownstate]

once again thankyou.its lovely how passionate you all are and how well you explain things. could watch these talks for hours and hours and hours. Just so fascinating, really my biggest dream is to get to visit william twee someday ! peace

[@compositecone92]

I was waiting for when you would do a video on analog computers. I have been fascinated on learning some more. Thanks!

[@snörre23]

I never wanted to make music on a synth, even with my first MS20 (and the 303 and Drummachines) in the 90s it was all about the noises, bleeps and plops these things can make. Still love it.

[@antoninprochazka374]

Love this all. Didn't understood everything, but that's more about me. I do love the explanations of Hans which makes it a bit more down to my earth ;) :D Love

[@simonpettersson6788]

Amazing. Completely amazing episode. I love this.

[@thelaboratoryofspacerecord5239]

Missed the live-stream, but who doesn't love the sounds of differential equations. y'=y int 1/y [dy] = int 1 [dx] ln(y) = x + c e^ln(y) = e^(x+c) y = Ae^x Great stuff, thanks for the chat.

[@BurkhardusX]

Hi Hainbach, one could say, that modular synthesizers, are very specialized analog computers? Even a envelope generator, a voltage controlled oscillator or a voltage controlled filter, are very specific and simplified analog computers, created for a limited task and a musical use case. Because they all feature INPUT, PROCESSING and OUTPUT. And that's the basic definition of a computer.

[@Muck-qy2oo]

Digital isn't anything new. But the idea to have a digital machine being used for solving highly complex problems by applying complex algorithms is new, because digital machines weren't capapble of it until recently. So if you compare an abacus with an astrolabium or similar you will see how much easier it is to solve complex problems with an analog computer compared to a digital one when it comes to speed and ease of use.

[@zsteinkamp]

It was fun to try to recreate the quantizer trill from 7:20 in the computer ... take a smoothed self-oscillating filter such as SoundToys Filter Freak and pass into a autotune/quantizer like Auburn Sounds Grallion 2. Automate the filter cutoff or use something like the Shaper device to draw a bouncing ball shape and enjoy!

[@fer_fdi]

👌🏼! Thank you all three

[@paulkhimasiamorgan631]

A fascinating discussion of an esoteric area of music production. The audio demonstration/improvisation was sublime!

[@taymurstreng110]

thanks for this instructional introduction...

[@absurdengineering]

The idea that the real world doesn’t execute algorithms is not really founded on anything but presumption. We truly don’t know. And we may never know. But there are some indications that the world is more than merely “quantized”. Wolfram & al. are doing some interesting work that if nothing else shows that physics could be implemented on something like a digital circuit - not even a full blown computer but just a bunch of simple state machines. It’s of course early for anything solid in this direction of pursuit, but it at least opens a new horizon that we perhaps didn’t collectively think of (except a few people it’d seem).

[@brhodes0]

How do you think Chelsea will do next season?

[@johanwk]

Thank you very much for opening this exciting topic to a broad audience. Seeing there have been no (non-live) comments, I'm breaking the ice with the first one ;) This recording has the feel of a classic. Will there be a new wave of synth modules now, applying the design concepts?

[@petezadoe4677]

Entertaining, educational and inspiring. Thanks

[@MikkelGrumBovin]

Excellent Hainbach !

[@edgeeffect]

+1 for your analogue computer coffee table book!!!

[@simonkormendy849]

Here's a bit of trivia for you, a special electronic circuit, called an Operational Amplifier, is a circuit originally designed for use in Analog Computers, Operational Amplifier circuits were originally built using Tube circuitry, they had two inputs, a non-inverting input, and an inverting input, later-on when Integrated Circuits were invented, Operational Amplifier ICs like the LM308 and the LM741 became available, they were followed by more modern Operational Amplifier ICs like the LF353, TLO71, and TLO72CP which had better electrical specs.

[@freeelectron8261]

Really fascinating - links between analogue computers and modular synths.

[@temporoboto]

Fascinating!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you so much.

[@ComradeJX8P]

Aphex Twin - Bucephalus Bouncing Ball is another great application of this :)

[@Cheyne_TetraMFG]

I was just thinking about this!

[@adarshsahu9631]

Great Work

[@autoauto2000]

jetzt bin 60 und finde immer noch hochinteressante Sachen in Musik

[@Hainbach]

Es hört nie auf, denke ich immer wieder

[@justinmoore9282]

Hainbach, a great video. Do you have a link to the article by Hans? Great episode. Absolutely fascinating. Interesting in that I'd been reading about Lord Kelvin's Harmonic Analyzer (an analog computer that measured the tides). All the best and thanks for sharing this amazing conversation.

[@willemtweestudios8239]

www.telesoniek-atelier.nl/ta_relay_01.html

[@justinmoore9282]

@@willemtweestudios8239 Thanks Hans, I appreciate the link! Will be reading it here in a minute. Excellent, excellent discussion. Inspiring!

[@davidrosh]

Hola desde México!! :D

[@loopinnerthe]

Just pondering all this. An analog synth is a load of oscillators and filters and noise generators part joined together with the option to tweak a proportion of the connections, the control mechanism tends to quantize the output frequencies into something that is pleasing to the human ear, the output via the connected human affects the next input and possibly the patching and other values. An analog computer is a load of integrators multipliers, adders that can be joined together in many combinations, the input mechanism is widely variable and the output is something that should be pleasing to mathematical part of the human mind and brings light to a problem being solved. If the problem is not solved, as the human requires, the computer gets repatched or values adjusted. Perhaps in analog things the human is more important than a digital machine where the right answer is delivered... as long as the algorithm is correct.... mmmh?

[@didiercarter4133]

Cogratulations, that's a great work as always, Hainbach & friends. Can I ask witch platform you use to comunicate with the other musicians? Thank you for your inspiration. Best regards! Di

[@Hainbach]

Streamyard

[@orangewiggler6838]

Wow thanks! Hard for me to understand more than the basics, but nonetheless very interesting.

[@philliphelbig579]

I have the same headphones as Hainbach!

[@philliphelbig579]

Meze 99 classics. Not that expensive, and better than almost everything costing orders of magnitude more!!!

[@freeelectron8261]

A ring modulator uses an analog multiplier!

[@absurdengineering]

Here’s how you get rid of the patch panel: you don’t :) Make the patch panel an input device to a computer that enumerates (scans) all the connections, builds a netlist, and uses that netlist to configure whatever switch matrix is used to configure the analog blocks. The patch panel is then an optional part: if someone wants it, they get it, otherwise they can use simple UI on a PC to configure things.

[@eddy_sonik]

👍i LoVe ! 💙⚪❤

[@RadicalCaveman]

Hans said he counted from one to three, but he skipped two. So he actually got it wrong.

[@delta-9969]

yeah but can it run DOOM?

[@wiegraf9009]

Not really, but you could definitely run DOOM through a hybrid setup!

[@RoboticusMusic]

Why would I need an analog computer if I have a modular synth?

[@wiegraf9009]

It may help with some precision operations, but yes basically a modular rack is an analogue computer