Impossible Box; more looks

I thought I'd take this opportunity to take more photos of the Impossible Box in an attempt to capture finer detail in a somewhat dark room and pretty much failing.
Still, a bit of a different look for your enjoyment.


In the photos, it's still patched from creating the short film score to the Permeation teaser in which only the Impossible Box was used; posted on the kickstarter.
If you haven't seen the teaser, see it here;

Sound Field

Built in the style of the Impossible Box with custom lamps, keys and switches, all cloth covered cable patch cables, labeled and brass framed panels all built into the custom oak case with internal power supply. Designed to act as a standalone acoustic electronic bio-feedback workstation capable of entire lush  compositions. All sections have tip connectors specific to the sound field, and/or each section features a standard 1/4" in and out to allow them to be used to process, sample, mangle or transform any external audio. The cloth covered cables included are also stackable to allow for a range of other possibilities. All CV control jacks are 3.5mm.

The central processing section is essentially a time machine - a piece designed to heavily alter captured loops in thousands of way by use of a magnetic patchbay with patchable keys. This section has 3 voltage clock and/or LFO voltage signals which can be used to synch the other sections via CV, or sent out to control external modular synthesis. Additionally, the 1/4" "tap out" can be sent to any equipment that recieves tap signals, or as a simple method to convert to a midi clock.

There are four acoustic elements - two garden panels, a stringed section reminiscent of the mobius harmonizer and a textured blank panel which can be used to capture micro sounds. Any of these acoustic sections can be sent into any of the other panels for processing/sampling, or they can be sent into the four channel mixer.

The mixer amplifies the signals and allows for volume control of each to be sent into any of the following;

the delay section provides delays from extremely tight to about 1.5 seconds with near endless repeats - like that of the micro garden. It also accepts control voltage from either the time machine section or any external CV to control on/off and time.

The wave reverb section provides lush waves like that of the Luminist Garden, but also switchable to provide analog delay like that of the illuminist Garden. It also features CV in to control on/off and has decay when switched off so there are no sudden stops in  the wave. The time machine CV out will activate and deactivate the reverb in time if patched to the clocks.

The Filter section has mix, resonance and frequency control and CV in to control the frequency - also patchable from the time machine for synchronization.

The result is a piece that's capable of entire fields of sound and deep, rich and layered compositions.

Aside from the Impossible Box (Arius' own studio piece), this is the finest work by Mr Blaze to date.

the Impossible Box (official post)

It's been a long time coming and a busy summer but it's time to shed a little light on the impossible box.

I made this for myself in consideration of the fact that after making instruments and inventing oddities for ten or twelve years or whatever it's been, I was never really capable of having my own works for making music/playing with sound. So in January of last year I started compiling a list of works I've created that I've always wanted to be able to consistently work with - to get back into music with. Initially the list was a few things (a time machine, a garden, some drum synthesis and sequencing, etc) but in further consideration it occured to me that I'd be happier making multiples of those things, diving into new realms, expanding on sequencing and so on. Eventually the list was admittedly a bit out of control but rather than crossing off a few ideas, I said fuck it and went for it.
At first I was uncertain about exactly how it would all work together and I spent a solid month agonizing over all of it, drawing plans and even dreaming about the details so that when I woke I was able to write it all out. It was terrible, honestly. I was also not so confident in my woodworking skills and the box was a bit beyond me but I pieced away at it and it all worked out nicely.
The project took a year to "complete", though there are still a few things I'm working on before I can call it a done deal. It was more work than I had ever anticipated, it came out larger and more full of sound than I had considered and in the end I couldn't be happier.

details;
The folding box is oak with walnut splines - measuring about 4' wide with each inner panel (lower and upper) at 2' deep, essentially making a 4' square if it were all laid out. 

Each module panel is done with player piano music paper and labeled on my Corona typewriter. This took a helluva lot of planning. The modules are also all lined with brass and I created almost all of the switches, keys, lamps and buttons.

the modules;
The time scape section is the main brain for timing of all of the rest of the impossible box time-based modules. It's a sampler with six clock outputs. Any of the clock outs can be sent to the clock multipliers.

There are two clock multipliers that output voltage to run any/all of the;
- 4 ADSR's 
- 4 relay based sequencers (used to alter the time scape sample, trigger drums or on/off switches)
- 2 CV based sequencers used to trigger;
  = analog drums (clicky, poppy, bassy goodness)
- 3 CV based sequencers used to control;
  = any of 6 oscillators (3 sine, 3 square)
  = any of four ADSR's
  = any of three filters
  = the timing of any of 3 digital delays
  = or all of the above

- Two pitch shifters, each of which is drastically different, one of which becomes a sampler. 
- A harmonizer
- three reverbs with multiple styles
- a four track looper
- phaser
- independant looper and analog delay
- digital drum with trigger outs and a piezo panel for finger drumming
- intelligent modulator that slices things up in brilliant ways
- 2 dumb modulators that slice things up in simple ways or send CV
- multiplier/audio vactrol control panel
- 4 ADSR's (as mentioned) that send CV but also take direct audio
- Midi clock out (accepts pulse from time scape)
- 2 mixers (one 4 channel mono, one 8 channel stereo)

and the amplified acoustic panels;
- 2 thumb pianos,
- single string slide-based thing
- a blank panel to scratch at or set things that make sound on.
- and finally...a melodica (yes...that's fuckin right)

Though audio patching can be done with 1/4" jacks (which I prefer) there is also a main patch panel that has most ins and outs in one place for direct complex patching.
Any external audio can be sent into just about anything.

I'm currently contemplating how to distribute sound but there will be things to listen to soon coming exclusively from the impossible box. But basically, it goes on forever. I patch and run sound into sound into adsr into effect on multiple pathways, into a mixer and out drips the sweetness.

____________

that is all for now. end transmission.

DJ Rupture remix, impossible boxing and music in general

Arius Blaze here with a shout out and share - the Impossible Box has been a pleasure and it's coming up on official listen time. I'm up on this sound cloud shit now and would like to extend an invitation to listen and follow up with musical happening;  http://soundcloud.com/arius-blaze

I recently revisited Dutty Artz (for those who don't know; check it out), home of Matt Shadetek and DJ Rupture (a personal long-time hero), only to discover a little remix contest Rupture's put up. The contest requires the remixing of a track by Rupture's band Nettle - which is also a great listen if you haven't heard it.

I personally LOVE to remix and have been doing it for years, so I took the opportunity to utilize the Impossible Box (my personal music lab) to alter, shift and diddle with those bits and pieces of Nettle. I'm a bit of a remix purist in a sense believing that a proper remix (for me personally) should utilize the bits and pieces of the original track exclusively (with the exception of straight vocal remixes). My sampler took care of the beats but the Impossible Box allowed control over the rest.

So please have a listen and enjoy! I also suggest having a listen through the other remixes that folks from around the world have entered on the official DJ Rupture remix challenge page via sound cloud - it's a pleasure to see where people are coming from with music and specifically remixing which tends to expose people in interesting ways. And though it's a bit of a late notice, if you have a chance to hunker down in the studio and create your own remix, it is encouraged and I would love to hear it.

I'll be adding my own music and sound from the Impossible Box laboratory to my offical sound cloud page as it's completed and soon the folktek records site will be complete and interwebbable.