Exploring The Ciat-Lonbarde Benjolin (now Peterlin)

Peter Blasser of Ciat-Lonbarde adopted Rob Hordijk's Benjolin into his own wooden synth world. He made it into a surprising idea machine that brings out new patterns and riffs from tiny dial nudges by the player. I have had the pleasure of trying out many prototypes along the way, and here is a demo of the production unit I received as a thank you for my feedback. Thanks to Richard Scott ( / @drrichardscott ) for the insights.
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[@ToyotaVangelis]

I completely missed the news of Robs passing. A true inspiration for whole generation of synthesizer designers. I have meet him at his workshop and that is also where i have meet Peter Edwards of Casper Electronics. Time to play my benjolin now

[@DivKid]

I had the pleasure of spending some time with Rob when he'd come over for our Modular Meets Leeds events and stay with us. Always a total pleasure and an absolute wizard on his Hordijk system. A couple of people around here have his modular system and it's a thing of beauty.

[@TomMadisonSoundsLewis]

Been lucky enough to play on a vouple of Hordijk systems, they're absolutely stunning both visually and sonically.

[@thealmightycommenter]

Omg long awaited hainbach back on a ciat Lonbarde video. Can’t wait ❤❤❤

[@Hainbach]

I am playing it all the time, only live though. Still some of best electronic instruments ever made.

[@SnoopLazersnake]

@@Hainbach Still holding my breath for a Hainbach Plumbutter tutorial 😂

[@the_washington_monument_am9714]

What I deeply love and hugely despise out hainbach is that he can show me a wooden box with knobs on it and make me want it more than anything in the world. Bravo sir 🎉

[@DRRNNDGL]

Had seen the Benjolin around but never knew anything about the man himself. What a lovely introduction to Rob's legacy

[@Hainbach]

If you enjoyed the music, check out my new album: hainbach.bandcamp.com/album/voice-magnetic It is now called Peterlin and is available at patch-point.com/ for pre-order and at Perfect Circuit: bit.ly/3pjGZy0

[@kaitlyn__L]

Wow, that’s quite a bit more affordable than the other ones! Despite its size I honestly expected it to be about the same. That’s nice.

[@jaguarvssnake]

Did Perfect Circuit sell out already? I’m not seeing any.

[@agentmith]

I’m curious what Peter has done with the Benjolin compared to other commercial offerings. The Tuesday Night Machines did a good breakdown of Tom Hordijk’s eurorack Benjolin too, if you got here early and want to check it out. His channel is great too!

[@vinylarchaeologist]

“Inspiration box” is KZbin euphemism for “this instrument is weird AF”. 😅 Thank you for a great video, Hainbach ❤

[@Hainbach]

I feel I am weird AF 😄

[@devinjacksun5681]

​@@Hainbach yes but that's a good thing

[@alexanderkuhn2721]

Und wieder ein Sonntag Abend, an dem ich mir sage, dass ich endlich wieder das tun sollte, was ich am besten kann. Danke für deine Beiträge! 🖖 Viele Grüße…Alex

[@pongtrometer]

Gr8 piece…and soundpack, thank you for always capturing the magic.

[@playthesoundmusic]

Such a huge sound even with no outside input.

[@TockTockTock]

Love that you worked with Richard Scott on this.

[@Hainbach]

Yes, he shared a lot of inside knowledge, plus I got to play an "anomaly" he has: one of only two Benjolins Rob made into a Blippoo style instrument.

[@TheScreamingFrog916]

I built one from scratch, even etching and drilling my own PCB. Really love that thing. This version looks wonderful. Might have to get one. Thanks for the demo, and have a great day.

[@AndersWeijnitz]

Amazing presentation. Thanks for this Sunday night session! Love the moody piece at the end.

[@Hainbach]

Thank you for watching!

[@electricdawn2258]

Die Schlussmusik ist sehr, sehr schön. Allgemein hatte ich schon von dem Benjolin gehört, aber nie gewusst, was es eigentlich macht. Das ist wirklich ein sehr interessantes Instrument. Mal schauen, ob ich es nachbauen kann. Toll, dass es Menschen gibt, die auf solche Ideen überhaupt kommen und dann noch mit der Community teilen. Wunderbar!

[@Hainbach]

Danke dir! Die Schematics findest du im Netz, viel Spaß!

[@chrissherman01]

The Serge! 🥰 Great video

[@mikenoface]

The SOMA RoaT and Benj combo was cute. Especially since the RoaT has a little rungler spirit in it as well. Nice work, Peter and as always Herr Hainbach.

[@paulie6446]

Wonderful upload man, thanks for sharing 🙏

[@stuartchapman5171]

Like a really tricked out Cacophonator. Love it. Great demo as usual x

[@jwiener1948]

Well done Hainbach!

[@DonaldSchuster]

Just ordered one...🤓Can't wait to hold it in my hands

[@CVinyl]

Sounds Amazing!!! 🎛

[@CVinyl]

#AnalogBrothers

[@bzqp2]

I really like the advertisement style they went for. Buing from them feels almost like a schizophrenic experience. :o

[@Metamerist625]

oohhh, I love the track you started around 3.40 that was really inspiring.

[@Hainbach]

Thank you!

[@Brumata]

That track at 3:43 goes REALLY HARD! 🤘

[@Hainbach]

Thank you! I am working on a „TV Music“ record for the harder tracks like this

[@straightforwardAcidTechno]

wow!! thats beautiful

[@jhonviel7381]

hainbach instrument videos are a fucking vibe!

[@johnp9650]

That thing is AWESOME! I found myself getting ideas as I watched. Not to dwell on it, but at one point it sounded a bit gassy. My son & I had a good laugh!

[@Hainbach]

The classic synth fart is always close

[@edgeeffect]

I love how Ciat-Lonbarde gear has that lovely home-made aesthetic but at the same time (judging by the condition of your Deerhorn compared to your OP-1) they are still sturdy enough to gig with for years and years.

[@imwaiting]

ugh this is so rad

[@RobFlaxMusic]

I absolutely adore my Benjolin! I ended up with the Eurorack version by After Later Audio, but it's in the context of a larger system... I like the Ciat-Lonbarde approach to making it standalone, small, portable... Great for traveling! I imagine it'd make a superb companion to something like a Digitakt or Zoia Euroburo...

[@Hainbach]

Yeah this and OP-1 is lovely for travel.

[@sawsquaresinetube]

That was awesome!

[@Hainbach]

I think you are on the wrong channel 😄

[@sawsquaresinetube]

@@Hainbach opps 😅

[@hatecouture]

2:54 ZX Spectrum loading from tape 3:07 Thundertruck by AC/DC // Besides whole unpredictability fun, the filter of Benjolin sounds awesome, especiallly with high resonance. I wish it existed as a separate compact eurorack module =)

[@Niven42]

Now I wanna get me one of those Cbat Lanolins.

[@blas5i]

182.000 ...?! Why has this brilliant man not LOT more followers? Spread the word!

[@inthefade]

It seems somehow unfair and I’m not sure why he’s so slow to grow compared to other music makers on YT. I certainly tell everyone who will listen about him.

[@Hainbach]

Wow, thank you! I guess it’s my own fault as I have music commisions and touring that take me away from making videos, so there are breaks in posting.

[@GizzyDillespee]

Ba ba ba bird bird bird, Bird is the word

[@bleigh6562]

I hope you tour the states. Perfect circuit should host you, selfish of me they are local. Thanks wonderful video.

[@Hainbach]

Oh I would love that. It’s just very expensive and complicated to Tour in the US, visas are designed to keep people out

[@bleigh6562]

@@Hainbach hopefully they might sponsor it. But so happy for internet and you putting your work on KZbin. Last album was wonderful. 🎶

[@lindsaywebb1904]

I always lusted after a Blippo Box. I have the Eurorack module from Epoch it's great and all but the output stage on the filter is too quiet which makes integration a little awkward. ( I believe they fixed the problem in a second version). Would love to see Hainbach explore one of Rob's modular systems one day... as an aside, - so many factory patches on in the Nord G2 live on with his name

[@janzabram]

I had the honor of using one for a semester while in grad school. I've felt like I've needed one of my own ever since. I was one the waitlist for one but... 😢

[@collisiondevices]

That's sweeeeeeet !

[@thebadproducer]

Nice Frequency Shifter Richard has there! :-)

[@Hainbach]

Yeah I was eyeing that too 😄

[@GizzyDillespee]

The only Benjolin I have is a Softpop... it rocks!

[@rp8564]

It sounds great with an instrument through it! Does the Peterlin always play at a very fast tempo when it is in solo? I love the unpredictability of it but is it possible to 'slow it down' so that there is more air? Like the clock speed? Imagining it through a Hologram Microcosm for ambience...

[@AaronFerenc]

Whaaa...you got a new OP-1~

[@Hainbach]

Yeah a while back. Sounds so much better than the original

[@AaronFerenc]

@@Hainbach I kept wondering when you would get a new one haha. That's cool, I sold mine to get an OB-6. Loving it to pieces. Sometime I'll have to try out the new OP-1.

[@jakubberan2720]

For those who owns wingie 2 there Is alternative blippoo like firmware

[@user-yp5ym4nt2m]

The CL Benjolin sounds great, but what I really want now is a Harmona!

[@GoCreateSomething]

I feel like it shares a lot of similarities with the Filtatron app by Moog. I think it would be fun to run the audio from the Filtatron or any of a gazillion other apps into this. I kind of want to use it as an effect pedal for my guitar too! Could be super cool as the filter in a no input set up on a mixer. So many possibilities. Seems like a wonderful way to destroy all your time without you noticing.

[@doctorc-ton1099]

This was a wondrous presentation, a love letter if you will, to the music machine you have shown us. At 1:06, the sounds you were making reminded me of the Spitfire Audio digital instrument of your Landfill Totems. In other words, it's like you have your test equipment now in a portable format. How awesome is that?

[@Hainbach]

It solves the missing piece in my portable setup - something analog with chaos. Yeah it’s a lovely thing

[@bluskaya_docneo]

nice !!! it remember me the Kastel by bastl instruments

[@malwida1022]

The Bastl Softpop 1 is also based on the Benjolin, btw

[@ToyotaVangelis]

The Kastle LFO step output is also inspired by the rungler of the Benjolin

[@jaguarvssnake]

Yes I was thinking about the Kastle too!

[@RabRabNZ]

Check out the Gehrin Bean Jelly for a sick euro implementation of this.

[@BBLENDER]

Love it. Just when I said "no more synths"... 😅

[@Hainbach]

I do know that feeling

[@juanpumarinorodriguez8348]

I hope you can convince Bram Bos to make an app based on the Benjolin :)

[@adeptusmechanicus7572]

Are you going to do a full album with this? I really hope so.

[@Hainbach]

It will appear for sure - two of the tracks here are candidates for my 2024 Seil Records album

[@bitegoatie]

So “Peter’s version is “by the sheet”? Are we to take this to mean there are no alterations from the original (beyond the appearance/form) or simply that the differences do not stray from the spirit of the original? Or are there indeed significant differences? It was hard for me to decide what you meant to say here, if anything (that is, maybe you intended not to get into that question at all).

[@Hainbach]

He followed Rob‘s design, but like Glenn Gould playing Bach, he made it his own. The most drastic change is making so it works from only a positive power line instead of +-, which makes it work with solar panels. There is an essay of his where he goes into the details on Patch Point SoundCloud

[@edwardfletcher7790]

Wooooooo, it sounds fatter than a Hippo ! 😲

[@SirSybian]

release the benji's !!!! wonder how long it'll be before the ulibenji

[@juliantaylor5956]

It’s such a shame so few exist, someone fund this guy already!

[@malwida1022]

I miss the beaten up OG-1

[@Hainbach]

I doubt I could have made the track in the beginning with it - there are 12 layers of Benjolin in there. The noise floor would have been high on the OG.

[@janzabram]

If anyone knows where to get a Blippoo Box, please tell me! I got to use one at school for a bit, and I absolutely fell in love. It's the one piece that I felt truly talked to me but also sorta know, in the back of my mind, I'll likely never play it again.

[@Hainbach]

No, tell me! 😂 It is a wonderful instrument, I never had the money to buy one when Rob still made them, and now they are more precious than gold.

[@janzabram]

@@Hainbach I was on the waiting list before the master passed, but I don't know if that meant anything. I haven't seen one go for sale in over 4 years. I think estate sales will be the only way to find one now.

[@PereAmengualGomila]

There will definitively will be further production of the Blippo from Biyi Amez, who owns the rights of all of Rob's creations. Yes, that includes the Benjolin's name which Rob always wanted to protect, as he did personally redesigning the licensed v2 by After Later Audio. Rob and Biyi were working together in a 5-volt version of the Blippo and that is what will be released in the future. The looks of the new Blippo will be similar, though not identical, to the former versions of the Blippo and there's no reason to foresee any major changes either in sound, behaviour, user interface or price. Biyi is the person who built the last two or three batches of Blippos with Rob in The Hague before the Rob's passing so he knows already the Blippo inside out, as well as his other designs. He built Rob's modulars as well as repaired some modules when Rob was ill. Nowadays Biyi is revising all the documentation that Rob gave to him (a life of documents and schematics) and it will take some time until we see something in the market. I believe Biyi Amez has made, or will make, a public statement about the state of its legacy and future projects related to it. Follow him on social media for any official news.

[@Paolo_Pino]

It's strange but the thing that capture my interest in this video is that kalimba with little rings going up and down... what is that and where I can buy one? 😅

[@Hainbach]

That is an eKalimba you can get at patch point

[@marcochaiwallah811]

R.I.P rob 😢 btw whos deluxe mixing desk with single channel strips is that at 2:41... is i a neve desk ? heinbach that would be quite the upgrade... its like very politely showing off a ferrari in the background 😂

[@Hainbach]

It’s an ANT 700, a rebadged SEEM Broadcast desk. Absolutely impeccable sonically, especially for quiet work

[@otorlymern]

does anyone know what happened to the preorder for this? it seems to have been taken off of perfect circuit and patch point !

[@Hainbach]

back up AFAIK

[@dzir]

I wonder if this plays well with Buchla bananas

[@Ratimus_]

3:07 THUN-DER!

[@permanentmagnet]

Peters esoteric instruments i the hands of Hainbach - ummmmmmm.

[@dasczwo]

I dont know. Yes its beautiful. Wow how snazzy, that 9v clip dangles out. Due to be ripped of soon. Dunno, but taking a diy open source thingy, scramble it around and distribute it for 349… thats a heap of dough.

[@okinawa1312]

mhm, but the idea stays open source and for people who don´t want to hustle with self building it´s a fair price. I really thought it would cost 6 or 800 bugs. The 9v clip is indeed a little bit sketchy for a commercial product.

[@jodd5534]

Where can we find the pcb files for these open source designs?

[@isaacc7]

Reminds of the BugBrand Chirper a bit.

[@Hainbach]

Oh I got to ask Tom if there is any influence of Rob

[@Onionbaron]

DAF sounds...

[@Hainbach]

Best sounds!

[@TrinityCodex]

He died???

[@Hainbach]

Rob? Yes

[@JM-yg5xg]

Hey Hainbach, someone named Synthpunk has ripped your footage without consent or attribution and is using it in his own video. Pls take action!

[@Hainbach]

As If I cared about that racist troll.

[@robburbrink8277]

Meh CL benjolin, okay so what's next? Peter is super intelligent, I'd like to have seen him push the envelope a bit on this one, surely he couldve added some features not seen previously on other benjolins. I mean it's kinda all the same shit man. I've been fucking w benjolins for a decade, let's see some advancements please! Also CL gear is way too expensive for what it is

[@malwida1022]

Bastl Softpop 1 is another interesting take on the Benjolin

[@jodd5534]

Still with that 9v clip lazily hanging out the side in 2023, looks like the build quality will be just as lazy as the rest of the cl gear.

[@Hainbach]

I have toured around the world with Peter‘s instruments and they have survived countless checks at airport and gigs, as well as my less than optimal packing habits. So you sir are frankly talking out of your ass.

[@Semc_Sucks]

ciat lombarde is some of the most overpriced shoddy built synths. They should be embarrassed to sell for those prices

[@Hainbach]

I have not had a single instrument fail me even after seven years of touring.

[@okinawa1312]

Would be the perfect birthday present for me. :)