Analog Studio for Electronic Music

-Experiment-Education-Production-

Technical information (update jan 2017)

In general
The workspace consists of the following equipment groups:
1. Hewlett Packard (HP) test & measurement instruments (function
generators, filters, frequency counter, scopes, voltmeter), EG&G filters,
PAR Lock-in amps and NIM modules, and Rohde & Schwarz tube
filters and oscillators
2. An ARP 2600 analog voltage-controlled synthesizer
3. A Hitachi 240 analog computer with two 4-channel scopes
4. Two Tascam 16-channel sub-mixers, and main Soundcraft 32-channel
recording mixer with active monitor speakers, FX units
5. Studer analog tape recording, and digital recording on Mac, with
Reaper software

A patching panel is used to connect the instruments with the sub-mixers

(BNC), the Arp uses mini-jack leads, and the analog computer uses banana-
type leads. Provisions are made for interconnection of these cable types.
The studio is completely modular to obtain maximum sound synthesis
flexibility.

Some technical specs of the studios’ highlights

First, this studio is unique in the amount of precision instruments by HP,

EG&G-PAR, and Rohde & Schwarz.
Most units contain various specific functions in addition to their main function.
Key features: stability, precision, wide frequency range.

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Secondly, this studio offers a fully operational analog computer: a modular
analog electronics engineering ‘breadboard’ consisting of OpAms, Integrators,
Multipliers, ten-turn Potentiometers, and some control Logics like Counters,
Gates, and Flip-flops.
In both audio and sub-audio range one can patch-program the computer to
generate oscillations, filters etc. in real-time.
The computer operation voltage range matches the control voltage range of
the ARP 2600, which make them a very interesting couple for full
experimentation.

Some studio equipment in detail:

A. HP3590A Wave Analyzer, freq. range 0-620KHz, 4 bandwidths, BFO,
sub-audio voltage control of band-pass filter frequency,
internal/external sweep, USB/LSB demodulation

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B. HP8056A Filter Set, freq. range 40 Hz-1.5KHz, 24 bands, individual
filter band outputs, fixed or variable filter mix

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C. HP203A Variable Phase Oscillator, freq. range 0.0005Hz-60KHz, sine
and square wave outputs, additional sine and square outputs with
continuous variable phase-shift 360 degrees

D. HP3300A Function Generators with HP3305A Sweep Plug-in, freq.

range 0.01Hz-100KHz, sine, triangle and square wave dual outputs,
plug-in with internal sweep generator, adjustable sweep speed, width
and direction. A third HP3300A is available with a Phase-lock Loop
function, and single and multiple triggering options.
The Function Generators can be voltage-controlled.

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 E. EG&G PAR model 121 Lock-in Amplifier (LIA), freq. range 1Hz-
150KHz, internal/external reference oscillator, internal dc low-pass
filter, phase indicator.

This instrument, rarely found in electronic music studios, is capable of filtering

and distorting sounds in many unexpected ways. Its’ original application is to
detect low-level periodic signals buried in noise.

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F. ARP 2600 analog semi-modular voltage-controlled synthesizer

Hitachi 240 Analog Computer

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Recently added equipment (fall 2016):

G. PAR/EG&G NIM modules (Nuclear Instrumentation Modules); This

modular system is originally used in particle research, but can offer very
interesting functions in this studio, both in audio and in voltage control.
This NIMBIN is kindly supplied by Technical University Twente Stichting
Ampere. Our thanks go to mr. Schouten, Quentemeijer, Beusekamp, and
Regtien!

H. The Rohde & Schwarz equipment gives the sound and feeling of the first
electronic music studios of the early 1950’s, in particular the UBM
Abstimmbare Anzeigeverstarker that also has been used at the NWDR studio
Cologne.
Ultra stable wide-band sine wave oscillators (SRM) and the PBO ½ octave
band-pass filters enable the production of vintage electronic music sounds,
especially when combined with analog tape techniques.

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High-quality analog tape recording has been brought to the studio by Renier
Linssen from Utrecht, who has kindly installed his Studer A80 master recorder
here, and has meticulously serviced and calibrated the machine for optimal
performance. Thank you Renier!
In addition there is a Revox A77 for sound production and loops etc.

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Full Studio Equipment List:
Hewlett Packard:
HP4204A sine generator(3);
HP3300A voltage-controlled function generator(3);
HP3305A sweep plug-in (2) /HP3302A phase-lock loop plug-in;
HP3310B voltage-controlled wide-range function generator;
HP8005A pulse generator(2);
HP8006A 16/32-bits serial word generator/pseudo-random noise
generator(3);
HP3722A noise generator gaussian and binairy, variable bit-length and
clock(2);
HP8056A 1/3-octave filter set, 24 bands, individual band outputs;
HP215A narrow pulse generator;
HP3590A wave analyzer, filter, sine generator, sideband demodulator;
HP120B oscilloscope(2);
HP5325A frequency counter;
HP3430A digital voltmeter dc;
HP3400A RMS voltmeter ac-dc converter (2);
HP5200A frequency meter FM demodulator;
HP141 2-channel memory scope;
HP7035B XY pen-recorder.

EG&G PAR model 121 Lock-in Amplifier (special filter, phase indicator, sine
generator); EG&G model 189 Selective Amplifier (multi-mode filter,
quadrature sine oscillator)(2);
ORTEC NIMbin with: PAR 215 Operational Amplifier; PAR 220 Lock-in
Amplifier; PAR 225 low-noise Pre-amplifier (with HPF and LPF); SR 250
Gated Integrator/Boxcar Average (2).

ARP 2600 (3 VCO, VCF low pass, VCA, ring modulator, noise generator,
adsr, pre-amp, mixer, spring reverb, envelope follower, invertor);

Hitachi 240 analog computer, with 40 OpAmps/inverting summers, 12

integrators, 6 multipliers, 40 potentiometers, 2 variable diode function
generators, control logics (2); OS262S 4-channel oscilloscope (2).

Rohde & Schwarz (tube equipment):

UBM variable filter (2)
PBO passive LC ½-octave band-pass filter (3)
SRM sine wave oscillator (4)
SRT low-frequency sine/square wave oscillator

PAICE dual (in series) EQ 11 bands

Dynachord 3310 1/3-octave EQ 31 bands (2)
Roland SRV 2000
Roland RSP 550
Behringer Virtualizer & Modulizer Pro
Electroharmonix: envelope filter; equalizer; delay/chorus/flanger, fuzz

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Tascam M216 16-4-2 sub-mixer(2)
Soundcraft LX 7 II 32-4-2 main mixer
RTW stereo Peakmeters (2)
Philips PM3202 2-channel scope/XY operation
ResidentAudio M8 active monitor speakers (2)
Kurzweil KS 40A small active monitor speakers (4)
Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 soundcart, 8 analog in and out
I-Mac , Reaper recording software

Studer A80 analog recorder/reproducer 2-track;

Revox A77 analog recorder/reproducer 2-track;
- tape format ¼ inch

Sennheiser Microphones: MD421 (2), MKH415T shotgun (2)

Additional electronic instruments:

WASP synthesizer and SPIDER sequencer
Korg 770 monophonic synthesizer
Fender Rhodes e-piano
Large custom-build modular synthesizer by the late Peter Heijnen (recent
donation, not yet operational)

Scheduled for early 2017:

-Studio 2: vintage analog voltage-controlled modular synthesizers and digital
recording, cable connection between studio 1 and 2
-Audio/Video/UTP cable connection between the studios and the Toonzaal
concert hall (studio 3) with its Steinway C grand piano.
-Restoring the second Hitachi 240 analog computer
-16 Linear VCA’s unit, designed and build by Jarno Verhoeven

Text: Hans Kulk

Photography: Reinier Bonis (except for the last blurred ones by HK:-)
Thanks to Paul van Twist for specialist technical support.
oct, 2015/sept, 2016/nov, 2016/jan 2017

hanskulk@willem-twee.nl

https://www.willem-twee.nl/analoge-studios/

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