Brüel & Kjaer multiplexer from ESA makes test equipment music

In which I show the musical application of the Brüel & Kjaer 2811 Multiplexer that was used by a European Space Agency lab before.
I have been using switches in my music for a long time - the Doepfer A-151 is one of my favorite Eurorack modular synthesizer modules. In test equipment, oscilloscope switches helped in automating note or rhythm sequences. When I discovered the 2811 on my visit to ‪@LOOKMUMNOCOMPUTER‬ I was impressed by the musical possibilities. Luckily, eBay came through and I got a unit that was in use at the ESTEC space research centre in the Netherlands before.
The multiplexer enables eight step sequencing of audio signals, which is a game changer for test equipment music. Its fun and playable and would probably be even nice to have in VST form.
Support what I do and get tons of stuff in return: / hainbach
Find my music on bandcamp, spotify, etc: linktr.ee/hain...
MULTIPLEXERS FOR Max4Live/Ableton by @sissyfus and Hans Daun ([e-mail]) : drive.google.c...

[@seleniticdawn]

The camera shot you have set up in your library makes me wish you had a series of videos in which you read us bedtime tales and spooky stories.

[@simoantere8738]

Schwebungssummer! It's so fun to watch these past videos and find music that's released at the later point. I got my copy and I LOVE it!

[@cornerliston]

You get out more interesting sounds and music on you test equipment than most musicians get from their modulars. Well done.

[@spurioustransients]

Really loved that piece of music you played in this video!

[@SpiderofPnyx]

Loved the jam SO much. Sorry for the loss of footage, it always sucks hard when it happens. Somehow i had missed this video, and oh boy, do i regret it, that jam was boss

[@cyuntz]

Beautiful instrument you’ve created. Amazing sound and wow the sheer size of it all. The context is an interesting one also, the use of test equipment. Machines built to aid someone in their experimentation. Love it!

[@Bartyron]

The TapeLoop from EMMA is absolutely fabulous!

[@redshift4707]

the best show on youtube is back!!! i'm loving this mate,i whish you a great 2020 :)

[@danhectic5629]

your sounds speak to my soul- inspiring me to create!

[@ConwayBob]

From Spacelab to Berlin. That is so freaking cool!!!!!

[@nickmarkham3743]

Old video, I know. But I really love the sounds in this one! And it inspired a setup that does the same thing without a sequential switch. I have a Moog 960 eurorack sequencer module from Behringer, and a Doepfer A-130-8 Octal Linear VCA. (a 6hp 8 VCA module with individual and mixed outputs that can all be used simultaneously!) Turns out, the 960's individual stage output gates are exactly +5 volts, enough to open each VCA all the way! You can get all kinds of interesting rhythms with Berlin-school style playing, or the "CV 3 to clock CV" switch on the bottom. With the 914 fixed filterbank, Doepfer spring reverb, Bode 1630 frequency shifter, and the lovely 921b oscillators with linear FM and a sync circuit based on a phase locked loop, the synth reminds me a lot of your test equipment content from this time. ^^

[@ancientmartianunderground6413]

You are such a great inspiration ...bummer about the footage loss but we wouldn't have known and your humble perspective is endearing...bravo my friend

[@HBCrigs]

That reverb (I think) is gnarly af I love it!

[@LittleZdy]

I love everything about this video, it looks like a post production machine room.

[@tinyderppotato5410]

happy new year hainbach!

[@Hainbach]

Happy new year to you, too!

[@kiboards1830]

Its crazy going back to your old videos and see all the bins instead of the science music wall

[@Hainbach]

Yeah, I have found something I really enjoy in all this stuff.

[@humanbeing_]

HAINBACH! The jam around 10:18 when you start to bring in harder sounds was SO DOPE! Love this video and the sonically charged rhythms! Super funky and great synth sounds. This made my night! 🤘👍😬👏🤙

[@Ashkalun]

This video is pure bliss!

[@jojoDUB]

You should be able to do something like the Multiplexer pretty easily inside Ableton Live with the chain function of the Instrument Rack. You would load 8 sound sources into their own channels and distribute them however you want. You can then automate that chain switching parameter with an Lfo for example.

[@5meohd]

Yes. Maybe overthinking it. Just midi map mute switches. Or map an LFO or step sequencer output. Or put 8 synths in a parallel chain on one track and use the chain division and macro knob. Or look at followactions with looped sustained notes and have 8 other midi tracks with note-in filters.

[@chromaticcurrents5629]

This is so great. Your setup and videos have gotten so creative!

[@PeteJohnson1471]

That's a nice addition to your setup.

[@edgeeffect]

Having been playing with muxs in my non-musical electronics recently.... yeah a mux would be great for source sequencing! And having one that's come from a sacred site like this can only be a further plus. Reminds me a bit of my old Korg Wavestation (I miss my Wavestation). Thinking about the old-school test equipment composers... using only their analogue test equipment was something of a limiting factor... sequencing brings rhythm... having some digital-age T.E. with pulse and pattern generation makes things so much more "funky". Thinking about the origins of EMS in London... one of their first thoughts were "we've got to get a little digital computer into this setup so we don't have to do everything by editing tape". I always love the "test equipment close-up" videos... that part where the "overload" light flashes every time the "big drum" sounds is just wonderful.

[@demoscenes]

Happy 2020 Sir. Hainbach! What an inspiration. Totally so cool to see how you tweak and fiddle around to get all them cool sounds. Like true fireworks for the ears :D The next you want is a clock divider, halt/hold/latch buses :) As mentioned... now you *must* do a tribute to "SpaceLab".

[@guerrillaradio9953]

The ultimate dystopian cyberpunk soundtrack generator...love it!

[@KPsTboy]

12:30 More like ‘trial & happy accidents’ 😉

[@synthocado6736]

Shivers down my spine within ten seconds of starting the video? Must be Hainbach

[@ruudimus]

10:02 mood. sounds dope.

[@EleniEliades_]

Wondrously beautiful and Amazing sounds !

[@acreil]

You can also easily make sequenced melodies with function generators (or alternatively an oscilloscope's sweep output) by feeding a synth oscillator into the trigger input. This might go against your approach somewhat, but the results can be very interesting, as the timbre changes with pitch, the function generator may lock onto harmonics or subharmonics of the input signal, you can simultaneously do FM on the function generator, feed a mix of multiple oscillators into the trigger input, play it from a keyboard, etc.

[@ssilk]

Hi, at the end you mentioned how to use that with Abelton/Max4Life. But I think you should try out Reason for that job. It can do that with some signal routing out of the box and there are Rack Plugins, which do that kind of multiplexing, triggering etc. in multiple ways and as it is available as VST you can just use it inside Ableton. (No, I'm not from Reasonstudios, it's just so, that this triggered me a lot, because I already have done such kind of experiments similar to yours inside Reason). Grüße aus Würzburg

[@iantanner7579]

Nice! - certainly adds another dimension to the system. ~ *Unleash the Beast!*

[@Brumata]

That's such a powerful tool! It reminds me of a Steevio rig with lab equipment! It's nearly as large too.

[@vassilisp4974]

Happy and creative 2020!

[@stacybigfoot4801]

Hippest shit on earth right now. Everyone wants in. Well played, Hainbach.

[@emmaessex]

that multiplexer is really something else, wow. it makes me wish every audio/video switch or splitter in my house could be sent a clock signal! i'll be thinking on this idea for sure.

[@Hainbach]

I think you could mod every switch - at least the Heathkit I have was modded for external switching. So every trigger would switch it. Or gate.

[@LR-wd1od]

Absolutely beautiful !

[@stancarpenter7358]

I love your video Mr. Brüel & Kjaer and I think David Bowie must have used this equipment in the hit film "The Man Who Fell to Earth" directed by the Australian Director by the name of Nicholas Roeg. Perhaps I am sadly mistaken however on this most ludicrous supposition. 7/2/2020 SRC

[@OneSwitch]

Your work gets better and better. Top job. :)

[@Hainbach]

Thank you! It is a process for sure, and with this I have levelled up.

[@SOULDIY]

Beautyful. INSPIRERING. My diy thinking wobbles around . A stepsequener with vca(vactrol) in/Outs for each step. Very Inspirering ....

[@sp3ct3rsd3mos]

just wonderful

[@baltergeistsound8366]

That jam with the tape loop... waaaaaauuuuuugh.

[@pcr6014]

This video brought to us by the rare “The Life Aquatic” Hainbach 😄

[@MetaHoudini]

Kinda funny how you can't find a similar module in ableton. That just further proves you have something super unique!

[@BasariStudios]

What's an Ableton?

[@enavorkind2101]

your so cool Hainbach

[@klontart]

Nuts! But loving it. And great sounds.

[@wouterjaspers]

The Tektronix TM500 format is the eurorack of test equipment!

[@LeonTrimble]

so beautiful

[@euglossine_tristanwhitehill]

Please make a test equipment techno record

[@MuslimShortanov]

Very nice. I will support you tomorrow and I want those sounds !! Tape loop in 10:02 is massive !!

[@MichaelTVickers]

I started building a setup like this in puredata. I know you can export the puredata files to max for live, though I've heard the results aren't great. I'll share it here when I'm done and folks can give it a try.

[@unartu]

exellent collection of monoliths hainbach, sounds remind me some frank bretschneider works, cheers!..

[@slowscape]

Happy 2020 looking forward to where the monoliths take you this year! 😆

[@my4trackmachine]

Interesting. I was looking at divkid’s mute to handle switching of my signals in a similar way. The sequencing looks really fun too.

[@kabood777]

Happy new year Hainbach, wish you and your family a healthy, happy, wonderful year...regarding this beautiful beast you have got there, have you ever thought of designing some sort of a new interface for it and maybe take their guts out and putting them in one unified body, keeping what is aesthetically beautiful but with a more functional design, I don't know like making patch matrix or something for it ???

[@Hainbach]

I am installing a matrix mixer soon - that was in the lost footage. For some things I have to make a rack, that would help a lot.

[@kabood777]

@@Hainbach That does make sense, I mean it might help you to move it a little easier if it is packed in one object like a rack, have fun doing it man 😊

[@nmnmnm9509]

4:49 , 5:0 i love these sounds do you can make a melody line on keyboard or a midi controller with them? Also 10:37 - 12:15 has so beautiful rhythm ( it looks like blade runner arppegio bass ) i think with recording and mixing separately you can make a completely new atmosphere.

[@thom-alphaxiii-5106]

that reminds me why i bought my old trusty make noise RxMx :)

[@stefan1024]

Making polyrhythms the most complicated way possible, I like it! You could use the word generator additionally to clock pitch or modulation sequences of the sound sources that go into the multiplexer, with different sequence lengths or something like binary word modifications you could get even more complex patterns. I love to do similar stuff with Evolver and/or Tenori or even programm such patterns on my Patchblocks :)

[@Hainbach]

Absolutely, cool ideas! I need to make BNC splitter boxer, every output of every word generator is already in double use.

[@stefan1024]

@@Hainbach Simple audio mixers might work too. Glad you like!

[@hudsongray199]

Hi Hainbach! I just ordered one of these on Ebay and watching your video had me wondering, is it possible to run the mixer as 4 in x 4 out? Thanks!

[@Hainbach]

I can’t think of how that would work

[@dylanpybus]

the bit around 9.40 til 10 is gold! would love to hear a track out of that! or the audio file?

[@Hainbach]

These are in the soundpack and you can use them however you want: www.patreon.com/posts/soundpack-bruel-32802345

[@PaulChabot]

Amazing sounds at the end... However, how does it make the monolith more portable? We need 500 series Hainbach modules :D

[@Hainbach]

The smallest I got it Tektronix TM500 😄

[@tegenfase]

Nice bit of gear and music! Have you ever tried creating envelopes by patching a pulse generator through a low-pass filter with a very low cutoff (

[@Hainbach]

Cool idea! But there is really VCA I could use that shape for, except on one Wavetek.

[@wmwragg]

HAINBACH You could also use a low-pass filter as a VCA/LPG, assuming you have CV control over the cutoff, and it can go low enough to cutout all the signal

[@5T3LTH]

I have a bruel and kjaer superheterodyne voltage meter. Is there any application for it in something like this?

[@Pulecocz]

I wonder how Berlin wall would be like if HAINBACH (senior) could it build it just from test equipment. And I wonder much more if such wall could be realized (or at least started) in 2020. Go for it HAINBACH!

[@waltmodul7948]

Haha. Kennst du den Film ..... Die Tiefseetaucher... von Wes Anderson ?

[@janiviitamaki3775]

Hyvä Hainbach!

[@pawnotdaw4559]

Great jam!!

[@faxmachine1162]

OMG IS THAT TAPE FROM THE EMMA I THINK IT IS IM GOING TO SCREAM.

[@23Gears]

Its fantastic - who is she? Link anywhere to her music?

[@defdac]

That track at 10:02 is the coolest thing I've heard. Remind me of Underworld, but more trancy.

[@defdac]

I totally see space crafts racing through asteroid fields listening to this.

[@Hainbach]

That is awesome!

[@geoffbeyrent6950]

Nice! I have one of these Multiplexers and was considering selling it... but perhaps not. Need plenty of 7-pin microphone connectors through...

[@Hainbach]

You can use the BNC unless you want to sequence B&K mics.

[@geoffbeyrent6950]

@@Hainbach nice! Was sitting on this unit for almost 8 years, was planning on sequencing some HP square wave generators

[@jpinto9935]

Amazing

[@danielleohallisey4218]

Will the multiplexer switch fast enough to get amplitude modulation effects? I’m thinking you could bump the clock speed way up and make a single enormous, weird tone...

[@Hainbach]

Tried it, but it has a some sort of speed limit sadly.

[@Lu_Woods]

A slow stroll through the hedges of a mandelbrot forest, ...who's got bread crumbs? ;)

[@FoundationStepper]

Hallo Hainbach, Wieder mal sehr gutes Video. Danke für deine Inhalte :) Ich bin auf der Suche nach einem Bandpassfilter aus dem Testequipmentbereich und verspreche mir davon, dass sie so funktionieren wie bei alten dub Aufnahmen der 70er/80er von King Tubby. Wenn du magst, hör mal in irgendeinen Song rein, damit du weißt was ich meine. Meinst du, dass man das mit testequipment hinbekommen könnte? Und/oder kannst du mir irgendwelche bandpassfilter empfehlen? Viele Grüße

[@Hainbach]

Der sound ist der Kron/Hite 310/315

[@李一一-d9e]

hi Hainbach,hello from Shanghai.i;ve been your fans for 2 years,learning a lot from you,thank so much.recently I got a multiplexer,I want to play it like you do,but it seemed that,when I press RESET,it start from 1 to 8,then it stops,I have to press RESET again if I want it to continus,it DOES;T LOOP AT ALL,not like you did in this video.did I do something wrong?plz help me,thanx!

[@Hainbach]

Try feeding it an external clock - I think it’s middle pin of the connector on the back of I remember correctly.

[@李一一-d9e]

@@Hainbach ok，I‘ll try,thanks Hainback.waiting for your new stuff!

[@TheSlowGrowth]

Re: Clicks when switching: This sounds like a DC offset in the actual audio signals. What happens when you feed audio from a soundcard into the inputs (this should have no DC offset on it)? Does it click aswell? If the click goes away, it might be that your input signals have a DC offset on them. In this case, you could simply put a capacitor in series with the inputs to eliminate it (>1µF - Wima film is a good choice). If the clicks comes from inside the sequential switch unit, you're out of luck. But honestly, I like the clicks. It contributes to the "analog warmth" imo.

[@Hainbach]

Yeah, agree. I don't really notice them with the rhythm, it's nice actually. And I did not get into test equipment for ambient anyway 😃

[@Lalaland.001]

@@Hainbach Not being ironic here, but if your music is not ambient what would you use to describe it otherwise...

[@Elektronijaenis]

Even if there is no DC offset, you end up with a click if you switch anywhere else than on a zero crossing point of the signals. The audibility of it depends on the frequency of the signal (higher frequencies tend to mask it better than lows, yes this was an oversimplification), the the instanteous amplitude of the signal on the moment of switching and the actual speed the signal switches from one to another... Well... Actually if you switch on at a time when both signals have the same instantaneous level you get no no click so there are other moments than the zero crossings, but mostly you won't get that lucky.

[@raulrodriguez82]

@@Lalaland.001 Rythmic Noise, Power Electronics, or... Unclassifiable

[@varis0843]

Love the end song. Any idea if this is the type of machines Pan Sonic used? Sounds similar.

[@Hainbach]

I saw them using something like a typewriter case mod of function generators back in the day.

[@Bridge_Studios]

​@@Hainbach That must have been mid to late 1990's? I saw Panasonic a few times around then in the UK, left a big impression on me too.

[@wul01]

Why not use channel mutes in Ableton. Could then be midi or key mapped as desired, then on a separate track control the mutes (if midi mapped) from clips. Therefore sequencing the mutes.

[@Hainbach]

You would loose the skipping of not activated steps that way, which the biggest fun I would say.

[@lukemoll2521]

One idea for a sequential switch in Live: use Instrument/Effect Racks and Chain Selects Each "input" is a different chain in the instrument rack, then you draw automation on the track to change the Chain Select parameter. For example, if your automation could be a straight line from 0-127 over 4 beats. I believe Ableton can now loop/copy-paste automation. You can then play around with the zones on each chain - to start off with, 4 zones evenly spaced. But why not have gaps, or some zones larger than others? In this way the zones behave a little like the pulses sent from the word generator. You're only really limited by what you can put into the instrument/effect rack, I don't have Max for Live but if there's a device that behaves like an instrument but simply takes input from another audio channel, you're sorted!

[@Hainbach]

Yes! Check the description, there are two different versions came up with, one in M4L one similar to what you describe. Both fun!

[@Hainbach]

Jørgen Skjulstad ( kzbin.info ) made a multiplexer that does fun stuff if you send it odd waveforms - download here: drive.google.com/open?id=1cPH6ecchan1sHm7GUCV_8ERyzNzkDKYy "You said you wanted to code a multiplexer in Max 4 live for Ableton. I started checking if this could be done in Ableton without max, and I found you could make a rack of External Intruments and automate the muting of 8 different inputs. This gives you something similar to one of the modes of the Bruel and Kjaer-thing. To make it run you either have to use automation or the Max 4 live LFO, but you could use any controller or modulation source in Ableton to control it, I included the device and the project also as a pack, feel free to share it Happy new year and peace out from Oslo, Norway!" Give him a follow over at kzbin.info One thing to note is that its not doing the track skipping of deactivated tracks, which is great fun in the 2811. But you can do similar stuff by feeding it odd and offset waveforms, pretty cool!

[@Hainbach]

Also, Hans-Georg Daun made a cool Max4Life plugin multiplexer that lets you mute actual ableton tracks. Its also in the folder. "Das Plug-In wird als MIDI Effect in einem MIDI Track installiert. Es empfängt MIDI Note-On und Note-Off-Signale und schaltet in Abhängigkeit davon Tracks ein und aus. "Base Key" ist die tiefste Note, auf die das Plug-In reagiert, also z.B. "48" für C2. "Base Track" ist der erste Track, der geschaltet werden soll. "Num Tracks" ist die Anzahl Tracks, die geschaltet werden sollen. Ein Note-On Signal schaltet einen Track ein, das zugehörige Note-Off Signal schaltet ihn wieder aus. Mit den Standard-Einstellungen Base Key: 48 Base Track: 1 Num Tracks: 3 werden die Tracks 1 bis 3 durch die Noten 48 (C2) bis 50 (D2) geschaltet. Alle anderen Tracks bleiben unbeeinflusst. Alle MIDI-Signale werden vom TrackSwitcher auch unverändert an den Track weitergegeben, können also z.B. auch noch ein Synthi-Plug-In steuern. Zum Ausprobieren am besten eine kleine MIDI-Sequenz in einen Slot des Track, in dem der TrackSwitcher installiert ist, eingeben, abspielen und verändern. Input via Keyboard (mit oder ohne Arpeggiator) geht natürlich auch."

[@env4n3]

fuck yes it can music

[@RCAvhstape]

You are awesome. Still.

[@smclmn]

When are you playing Berghain?

[@nunofernandes4501]

You have Europa Endlös options.

[@superjubs]

not sure if it can be done in ableton but i'm fairly certain it can be done in reaper using midi sends and midi note blocking

[@Hainbach]

I put a DL for Ableton multiplexer viewers made in the description. If you want to do one in Reaper I will be happy to add that!

[@BenjaminByriel]

When Eurorack is just like, TOO MAINSTREAM, this is where you go I guess 😅

[@Hainbach]

Yeah, after seven years it can become a bit boring :-)

[@thewolfin]

Next is handheld test equipment, arranged on a pedalboard...

[@noelwalterso2]

I once made an Ableton live rack that might work for you. I originally thought of it as a way of comping between multiple takes. It works by automating the chain selector. Here is a picture www.sharehost.co.uk/Live/comp4.jpg And another which uses gates instead of compressors but the principle is the same. www.sharehost.co.uk/Live/comp.jpg I'll try and find the original adg file.

[@Hainbach]

Oh that is cool! Would you be up for making it download and shareable? I would pin it to the top of this video.

[@noelwalterso2]

I'll have to hunt for the file. It was a long time ago.

[@noelwalterso2]

The basic principle is to automate the little button that let's you monitor the sidechain signal.

[@Ruchkine]

Demon..

[@MichaelTVickers]

I've finished my build of a PureData patch inspired by this setup. I've included pd exports for max for live, but because I don't have max myself I'm not able to test to see if they work. github.com/mivicker/PDMultiplexer

[@bazedjunkiii_tv]

#spacephonk !

[@viralempire1986]

So what the hell does your power bill look like?

[@Hainbach]

It's ok - I turn on each part of my studio only as needed, and turn everything off religiously.

[@DJ_Cthulhu]

You ought to get yourself a 19" Rack. A lot of that kit will slot straight into one. It would simplify the power and cabling too 🤔

[@Hainbach]

Absolutely! There are some great industrial racks.

[@5meohd]

3 industrial open frame racks on casters instead of that fixed shelf. Then use 19" shelves for the devices without ears.

[@counivers]

6 people does not approve of making music by multiplexing testequipment.

[@agua9362]

ESA ? LOL !