Make Noise Phonogene User Manual

PHONOGENE

Limited WARRANTY:

Make Noise warrants this product to be free of defects in materials or construction for a period of one year
from the date of purchase (proof of purchase/invoice required).

Malfunction resulting from wrong power supply voltages, backwards power cable connection, abuse of the
product or any other causes determined by Make Noise to be the fault of the user are not covered by this
warranty, and normal service rates will apply.

During the warranty period, any defective products will be repaired or replaced, at the option of Make Noise,
on a return-to-Make Noise basis, with the customer paying the transit cost to Make Noise.
Please contact Make Noise for Return To Manufacturer Authorization.
Make Noise implies and accepts no responsibility for harm to person or
apparatus caused through operation of this product.

Please contact [e-mail] with any questions, needs & comments, otherwise...

go MAKE NOISE.

http://www.makenoisemusic.com

THANK YOU
Firmware engineer: Flemming Christensen (Gotharman http://www.gotharman.dk)
Beta Analysts: Aaron Abrams, James Cigler
Test Subject: Surachai
Spiritual Advisor: Richard Devine.
Special Thanx to Curtis Roads for his book “Microsound”

Installation:

The Make Noise Phonogene is an electronic signal processor/ generator requiring 70mA of
+/-12V regulated power and properly formatted distribution receptacle to operate. It is
designed to be used within the euroformat modular synthesizer system.

Go to http://www.doepfer.de/a100_man/a100t_e.htm for the details of this format.

To install, find 20HP of space in your euro-rack synthesizer system, confirm proper installa­tion of included power cable on backside of module (see picture below), plug the 16pin end
power cable into the euro-rack style power distribution board, minding the polarity so that the
RED stripe on the cable is oriented to the NEGATIVE 12 volt supply line. This is USUALLY at
the bottom.

Please refer to your case manufacturers’ specifications for location of the negative supply.

Proper installation of included power cable on module.
Please note the RED BAND.

OVERVIEW

The Phonogene is a digital re-visioning and elaboration of the tape recorder as musical instrument. It takes
its name from a little known, one of a kind instrument, used by composer Pierre Schaeffer. While it is not an
emulation, it does share the primitive, tactile nature of its namesake, and expands upon the original
concepts. It is informed by the worlds of Musique Concrète (where speed and direction variation were
combined with creative tape splicing to pioneer new sounds) and Microsound (where computers allow for
sound to be divided into pieces smaller then 1/10 of a second, and manipulated like sub-atomic particles).
Having voltage control over every parameter, it is most dynamic as a digital audio buffer for the modular
synthesist. The Phonogene is comprised of a pair of tool-sets, which work well together. Tape Music Tools
allow for sounds to be recorded on the fly, layered using the internal Sound On Sound function, manually cut
into pieces using the SPLICE function, and re-organized with the ORGANIZE control. Once it is spliced up, it
is possible to create nearly infinite variations of the original loop by modulating the ORGANIZE parameter.
VARISPEED allows for the speed and direction of playback to be controlled continuously with one control
signal. GENE-SIZE, GENE-SHIFT and SLIDE make up the Microsound Tools. GENE-SIZE divides the audio
buffer into progressively smaller pieces called Genes (aka particles, grains, granules). A clock signal applied
to GENE-SHIFT will step through those pieces in chronological order, while a control signal (such as the
Wogglebug Smooth CV) applied to SLIDE, moves through those pieces in a nonlinear fashion. Using
SLIDE, random access of the audio buffer is possible. Obviously, functions such as VARI-SPEED and
ORGANIZE are useful for Microsound as well, which is why these functions were grouped into one module.
The end result is a sampler/ looper/audio buffer that is able to exist within a modular synthesizer system, and
offer a vast amount of real-time sound manipulation in a fast and tactile way.

PERSPECTIVE

There is often the expectation that “bad sounds,” such as clicks, pops, distortions, wrong notes, phase
inaccuracies and otherwise, should be impossible with modern musical instruments. Many designers are
making instruments which are fool-proof, and which guarantee some specific musical result, thus making it
easy to create the same music over and over again. The Phonogene does not use this approach. In fact, we
have made it very possible to make the “bad sounds” and “mistakes” that have led to some of the greatest
moments in musical history (and of course, some of the worst!). With the Phonogene, it is possible to Splice
sounds in such a way that you will hear sharp contrasts, clicks and pops. This is the physics of sound! It is
possible to slow down a recording to the point of complete decimation, so that all that remains is trail of
digital artifacts. Such are the limitations of digital sound. It is possible to render the source material
completely unintelligible, to cut busted loops, to distort digitally, to obscure, to regenerate to the point of
almost no signal integrity. This is the nature of the Phonogene. If you seek the perfect looping tool, in the
most contemporary sense of the word “loop,” then please look elsewhere. If you desire to explore the realm
of modular, digital sample manipulation and microsound, read on!

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PHONOGENE Panel Controls

1. Signal IN Rotary Level Control: For Line Level set at 70% CW, and for 10Vpp at set
30% CW. Faceplate is marked accordingly.

2. Signal IN: Line Level or typical Modular Synth levels acceptable. AC Coupled.

3. Sound On Sound CV IN: sets mix of previously recorded Loop with Live Signal input
when recording, to allow for Sound on Sound type “overdubs.” Also allows for
setting monitoring level of Live input signals with previously recorded Loop. May be
misused as a Voltage Controlled Crossfader (between Live and Loop) or VCA for \
Loop (no Live Signal). Range 0V to 10V, linear response. Normalized to +10V.

4. Sound On Sound Attenuator: with nothing patched to SOS CV IN (which is normalized
to +10V) works as standard panel control. With Signal Patched to SOS CV IN,
works as attenuator for that signal.

5. Signal OUT: 10Vpp (depending upon Signal IN attenuator setting and source material),
AC coupled.
6 & 7. VARI-SPEED and Splice Indicator LEDs: These LEDs tell user in which direction
the Phonogene is playing. The LEFT Blue (7) LED indicates reverse playback,
right Orange LED (6) indicates forward playback. When no LEDs are lighted,
playback is stopped.

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