Connectors for Pitch, Pulse, Pressure, Strip, Clock, Preset Voltages
Buchla Music Easel (Retro) in detail:
The Buchla Music Easel (Retro) is a reissue of the famous original Music Easel from 1973 and uses the two main components Easel Command and LEM218. The capacitive touch controller and the extraordinary analogue synthesizer have been modernized in some aspects and exciting details have been added. Today, as in the past, the Music Easel is presented in a high-quality, beautiful case with a few extras. Especially premium looks the red leather frame, which frames the two Module from three sides. The left side has a power connector at the upper end, which eliminates the need for a fiddly external power supply. A BNC connector for a gooseneck lamp has also been thought of. The lower section offers large jack connectors to complement the outputs of the synthesizer module. In addition, there is a separate USB-C connector for Easel Command and LEM218 each. MIDI inputs and outputs are TRS connectors and an input for a Sustain pedal has also been implemented.
Easel Command
The Easel Command aka 208C is the revised version of the famous Music Easel from the same house. Typical for Buchla and the resulting Westcoast philosophy is the sound and control concept; a different one than most other analogue synthesizers. The basic sound is formed with the Complex Oscillator and the Modulation Oscillator together. With this combination, very bass-heavy, but also very overtone-rich sounds are possible; these are always just one knob movement away from subtle to extreme FM and AM sounds. The generated spectrum is processed with the dual Lowpass Gate (LPG). The LPGs are mixable in level and lead to a reverb effect as the last link in the audio chain. In addition to a three-stage envelope (attack, Sustain & release), there is a pulser for modulating the sounds, a random generator, a sequencer that plays up to five steps and, of course, numerous control voltage inputs and outputs.
LEM218
The LEM218 is a touch-sensitive keyboard controller. Capacitive touch controllers have a long tradition at Buchla, dating back to 1973. The 29 capacitive keys produce a well-controllable touch dynamic despite 0mm travel. The longitudinally mounted touch strip functions as a modulation wheel. To play notes, it is sufficient to simply place the finger on the key without applying pressure. This opens up new playing techniques that are perfectly suited for expressionistic respectively generative music. The arpeggiator has its own clock, but can also be synchronized to MIDI, USB or a Buchla pulse. The Preset Voltage Source generates four adjustable control voltages, one of which can be active at the same time. The selection is done via the buttons below; pressing the buttons generates a pulse at the same time. The Preset voltages make sense in all patches where context-related sound changes have to be brought to the point. If, for example, the bias parameter of Waveshaper is to have a different setting in certain passages, the corresponding input is patched first and the appropriate setting is made with the controls.
Features:
Manufacturer:
Buchla Electronic Musical
Construction / Number of Keys:
Desktop without keyboard
Velocity sensitive:
Yes
Sound Generation:
Analog
Polyphony:
1
Arpeggiator:
Yes
Integrated Effects Processor:
Yes
Number of Faders:
22
Number of Pads:
29
Number of Knobs:
15
Pitchbend, Modwheel:
Ribbon Controller
MIDI Interface:
Yes
USB MIDI Interface:
Yes
LINE IN:
Yes
LINE OUT:
Yes
Headphone Connection:
Yes
Sustain Pedal Connection:
Yes
Power Supply:
Adapter, internal
Case included:
Yes
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