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mosc
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Joined: Jan 31, 2003 Posts: 18195 Location: Durham, NC
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Posted: Tue Apr 11, 2006 8:59 am Post subject:
The Cracklebox - Great things come in small packages |
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| Steim CrackleBox
The CrackleBox is a tiny battery-powered portable electronic musical instrument that you can take with you almost anywhere. Designed by Michel Waisvisz when he was with Steim back in the mid-seventies, this was one of the first bent instruments. The CrackleBox may not have the legendary status of a Mini Moog, but this instrument is destined to be a classic.
CrackleBoxes aren't that well know in North America. I first saw one at the Nord Modular meeting in The Hague back in 2004. There as a big show of nearly 100 vintage synths. One guy there had a CrackleBox; I fell in love with it. Of all the synths at the event, the CrackleBox made the biggest impression on me. (I even took a picture of it, ).
In 2004, Michel started a new manufacturing run of 500 CrackleBoxes. They are obviously hand-made. I ordered one and got number 130. It is wonderful. There is a web site for the CrackleBox, http://www.crackle.org/CrackleBox.htm , were you can read a very interesting history of the device - well worth the read. Michel Waisvisz was a pioneer of bent instruments, and the Crackle Box may be the seminal bent instrument.
The CrackleBox doesn't come with a manual or instructions - it's completely intuitive. You play the CrackleBox by first turning on the power switch labelled "aan" and touching the front panel. It ships with the 9 volt battery installed, so you can start enjoying it immediately. The sound comes up through 24 small holes. I don't think it is possible to figure out what these touch-pads exactly do because with changes in humidity and your skin resistance, you are constantly getting different sounds. Playing the CrackleBox is a process of constant discovery.
When you don't touch anything, the box is silent, so you can articulate different notes by touching and releasing the playing surface. You won't be able to play melodies in a conventional sense, but the device is very musical. If you have every played a bent instrument, you'll love the Crackle Box. You can get it to make very low pitches, even discrete pulses, and very high pitch wails and squeaks. It's loads of fun.
I'm used to carrying a harmonica along on walks in the park and on trips. I like to make music whenever there is an opportunity. My new CrackleBox is going to replace my harmonica.
There are a few improvements I'm going to make to my CrackleBox when I get the time. These are:
1) a headphone jack
2) a line out jack
3) a volume control
You don't have to buy a CrackleBox, you can build one yourself. On our DIY forum there is a discussion about that already, or check out this page. I wanted to get an original CrackleBox. I'm glad I did. They say money can't buy happiness, and maybe that is true, but to me at least $70 US for a CrackleBox makes me pretty darn happy. Happy, happy, joy, joy... _________________ --Howard
my music and other stuff Last edited by mosc on Tue Apr 11, 2006 7:49 pm; edited 5 times in total |
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softfreak
Joined: Feb 12, 2006 Posts: 149 Location: zürich switzerland
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Posted: Tue Apr 11, 2006 9:24 am Post subject:
Re: The Crackle Box - Great things come in small packages |
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mosc wrote: |
1) a headphone jack
2) a line out jack
3) a volume control
Crackle Box makes me pretty darn happy. Happy, happy, joy, joy... |
true, I^m absolutly addicted to mine.
Must have been a strange day when I ordered two of them ...
_________________ electroscape
noise love ! |
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blue hell
Site Admin
Joined: Apr 03, 2004 Posts: 24075 Location: The Netherlands, Enschede
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Posted: Tue Apr 11, 2006 12:34 pm Post subject:
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Here are some pics to give a bit of an idea of the atmosphere around the kraakdoos ( that's how the crackle box was called back then). In the mid 70ties I went to an exhibition a bit like the one depicted. It was great fun as all those weird devices could be played and touched ! _________________ Jan
also .. could someone please turn down the thermostat a bit.
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mtvic
Joined: Feb 03, 2003 Posts: 523 Location: Townbank Cape May NJ
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mi_dach
Joined: Dec 17, 2005 Posts: 133 Location: Sweden
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Posted: Thu Apr 13, 2006 5:05 am Post subject:
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I am NOT touching THAT. |
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ocp
Joined: Sep 14, 2004 Posts: 533 Location: Porto, Portugal
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mtvic
Joined: Feb 03, 2003 Posts: 523 Location: Townbank Cape May NJ
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mosc
Site Admin
Joined: Jan 31, 2003 Posts: 18195 Location: Durham, NC
Audio files: 211
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Posted: Sat Apr 15, 2006 1:54 pm Post subject:
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Here are a couple of tracks made with the Cracklebox. A dynamic microphone was used. One track is naked - just a straight recording. One track has some signal processing done with the G2. All tracks are real-time - no editing or post processing.
Description: |
Plain Cracklebox recording... |
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Download |
Filename: |
cracklebox-plain.mp3 |
Filesize: |
2.32 MB |
Downloaded: |
2917 Time(s) |
Description: |
Cracklebox with some signal processing... |
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Download |
Filename: |
cracklebox-with-g2.mp3 |
Filesize: |
2.85 MB |
Downloaded: |
2712 Time(s) |
_________________ --Howard
my music and other stuff |
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seraph
Editor
Joined: Jun 21, 2003 Posts: 12398 Location: Firenze, Italy
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Posted: Sat Apr 15, 2006 2:52 pm Post subject:
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mosc wrote: |
Here are a couple of tracks made with the Cracklebox. |
at first I thought my computer was getting sick then I realized it was the demo playing _________________ homepage - blog - forum - youtube
Quote: | Don't die with your music still in you - Wayne Dyer |
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ocp
Joined: Sep 14, 2004 Posts: 533 Location: Porto, Portugal
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Uncle Krunkus
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Joined: Jul 11, 2005 Posts: 4761 Location: Sydney, Australia
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Posted: Sun Apr 16, 2006 7:16 am Post subject:
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The Crackle Box is a very cool thing. I love the samples Mosc! _________________ What makes a space ours, is what we put there, and what we do there. |
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mosc
Site Admin
Joined: Jan 31, 2003 Posts: 18195 Location: Durham, NC
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Posted: Sun Apr 16, 2006 8:25 am Post subject:
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We had relatives over for the holiday. (The Morman side of our family often comes to celebrate Passover with us.) There were a couple of kids - 10 and 13. The kids loved the CrackleBox, but the adults, except for me, found it very annoying. It was interesting to see that the two kids each played it quite differently than I did. I thoroughly enjoyed hearing them play. In it's own unique way, it is a very expressive instrument.
I wish I had the money to buy about 20 of them to give as gifts. _________________ --Howard
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softfreak
Joined: Feb 12, 2006 Posts: 149 Location: zürich switzerland
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Posted: Sat Apr 22, 2006 3:08 pm Post subject:
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the so called "Crackle Synth"
" ...this unit contains three crackleboxes, three preamps, a giant speaker,
three control knobs, an on / off switch, and 22 brass contacts for human interaction ... "
build by http://www.notbreathing.com/ _________________ electroscape
noise love ! |
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Uncle Krunkus
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Joined: Jul 11, 2005 Posts: 4761 Location: Sydney, Australia
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Posted: Sat Apr 22, 2006 4:47 pm Post subject:
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That is an extremely cool little artifact. _________________ What makes a space ours, is what we put there, and what we do there. |
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mosc
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seraph
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Joined: Jun 21, 2003 Posts: 12398 Location: Firenze, Italy
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Posted: Sun Apr 23, 2006 10:38 am Post subject:
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the one I prefer is "Chock Full o' Jesus Christ"
holy cow _________________ homepage - blog - forum - youtube
Quote: | Don't die with your music still in you - Wayne Dyer |
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v-un-v
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Joined: May 16, 2005 Posts: 8933 Location: Birmingham, England, UK
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Posted: Mon Apr 24, 2006 1:10 am Post subject:
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mtvic wrote: | Jan Werner of Mouse on Mars fame is now director of steim
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Ah- We were both wondering where that mouse had got to. now we know! _________________ ACHTUNG!
ALLES TURISTEN UND NONTEKNISCHEN LOOKENPEEPERS!
DAS KOMPUTERMASCHINE IST NICHT FÜR DER GEFINGERPOKEN UND MITTENGRABEN! ODERWISE IST EASY TO SCHNAPPEN DER SPRINGENWERK, BLOWENFUSEN UND POPPENCORKEN MIT SPITZENSPARKSEN.
IST NICHT FÜR GEWERKEN BEI DUMMKOPFEN. DER RUBBERNECKEN SIGHTSEEREN KEEPEN DAS COTTONPICKEN HÄNDER IN DAS POCKETS MUSS.
ZO RELAXEN UND WATSCHEN DER BLINKENLICHTEN. |
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softfreak
Joined: Feb 12, 2006 Posts: 149 Location: zürich switzerland
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Posted: Mon Apr 24, 2006 5:32 pm Post subject:
crackle sound |
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actually I did a small crackle session yesterday
in the kitchen of a dear friend who was performing
some solo ...
there are two crackles involved
and a nice akg stereo mic.
http://www.sendling.ch/music/projects.html
on top there are three links.
_________________ electroscape
noise love ! |
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mtvic
Joined: Feb 03, 2003 Posts: 523 Location: Townbank Cape May NJ
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mosc
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Joined: Jan 31, 2003 Posts: 18195 Location: Durham, NC
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Posted: Tue May 02, 2006 2:13 pm Post subject:
Re: crackle sound |
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softfreak wrote: | actually I did a small crackle session yesterday |
Very nice. Crackle 1 is my fav. Crackle 3 is mislabeled, BTW.
Maybe we should have an international streaming cracklebox festival on radio.electro-music.com _________________ --Howard
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softfreak
Joined: Feb 12, 2006 Posts: 149 Location: zürich switzerland
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Posted: Wed May 03, 2006 10:23 am Post subject:
Re: crackle sound |
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mosc wrote: |
Very nice. Crackle 1 is my fav. Crackle 3 is mislabeled, BTW.
Maybe we should have an international streaming cracklebox festival on radio.electro-music.com |
thank you... labelling has been corrected.
I didn`k know you had a radio on electro-music.com.
where is it ? _________________ electroscape
noise love ! |
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mosc
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Joined: Jan 31, 2003 Posts: 18195 Location: Durham, NC
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Posted: Wed May 03, 2006 10:52 am Post subject:
Re: crackle sound |
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softfreak wrote: | electro-music.com.
where is it ? |
It's broken most of the time.
We have a server with shoutcast. We run it when we are streaming live events. Blue Hell used it for his Noodle Radio experiment. Anywho, I'd like to have a full-time internet streaming radio running here in the not too distant future. _________________ --Howard
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FLechdrop
Joined: Nov 11, 2005 Posts: 72 Location: Amstelveen, Holland
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Posted: Sat May 06, 2006 5:40 am Post subject:
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I'll be sure to get one! Can you pick them up directly in Amsterdam? (I've never been to STEIM, it appears that I should.)
Mosc's demos remind me of playing my vacuum-cleaner (but these are more portable!). |
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blue hell
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Joined: Apr 03, 2004 Posts: 24075 Location: The Netherlands, Enschede
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Posted: Sat May 06, 2006 5:58 am Post subject:
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FLechdrop wrote: | (I've never been to STEIM, it appears that I should.)
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After all it's just about at walking distance :-)
I'd phone them first though, as it was a limited series they made. _________________ Jan
also .. could someone please turn down the thermostat a bit.
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FLechdrop
Joined: Nov 11, 2005 Posts: 72 Location: Amstelveen, Holland
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Posted: Sat May 06, 2006 6:25 am Post subject:
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Exactly!
It appears as if they are still being sold through their website, so I'd figure that there are still some in stock, wouldn't you?
http://www.steim.org/steim/cracklebox.php |
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