Balduin – Here In A Land

I just made a videoclip today. This song is from the new album “Rainbow Tapes” coming out very soon!

BALDUIN – RAINBOW TAPES

Upcoming sleeve artwork for my new album «Rainbow Tapes», designed by Lopetz09:Büro Destruct. Digital release March 27th, followed up with a Vinyl release in May 09, published by Everest Records. Release Party at r3s3t mark3t. Stay tuned!

Jacques Tati – Trafic poster art comparision

A very nice and rare poster art printed by Lalande-Courbet for the film “Trafic” (1971) directed by Jacques Tati. I’m still waiting for a blu-ray release of this film and of course “Playtime” (1967) in 70 mm.

Actually the same art in cyan but with cars. I prefer the first one.

This is the title logo which appears in the beginning of the film. The dot of the “i” is squared.

The italian cover is an adaption from the french logo design.

This is the american film poster. The logo in the traffic sign is similar but has now two f (traffic) and comes in bright colors.

The Belgian film poster looks totally different and hasn’t got the logo.

The german poster, in my opinion the worst of all.

Finally Balduin goes org

By the way, happy new year and thanks for all your comments!
Big news for Balduin music lovers: The official space of Balduin music has just moved to www.balduin.org.
Check it out, I put a lot of effort in it, that’s why I didn’t write any posts here so far!
On balduin.org you can listen every single track from Balduin. And soon there will be a new album coming out in April 2009. Feel free to comment about the new website. Stay tuned and have a happy time!

Koh Otani’s Score on Shadow of the Colossus

This is the cover of the game soundtrack of Shadow Of The Colossus, an epic score written and conducted by Koh Otani (大谷 幸). The japanese album title is called ワンダと巨像 大地の咆哮, which means Wander and the Colossus – Roar of the Earth. The album was released 2005 only in Japan on King Records.

Here I’ve found a short live performance with Koh Otani conducting the Eminence Orchestra.

16 COLOSSAL COLOSSI

On this map there are 16 colossal Colossi.

And here they are all together!

1. Valus (Minotauros)

2. Quadratus (Bull)

3. Gaius (Knight)

4. Phaedra (Horse)

5. Avion (Bird)

6. Barba (Bearded Colossus)

7. Hydrus (Electric Eel)

8. Kuromori (Salamandar)

9. Basaran (Turtle)

10. Dirge (Sandworm)

11. Celosia (Tiger)

12. Pelagia (Lake Monster)

13. Phalanx (Flying Snake)

14. Cenobia (Lion)

15. Argus (Warrior)

16. Malus (Magician)

All pictures taken from the “Shadow of the Colossus Official Artbook”
(ワンダと巨像 公式攻略&設定本 古えの地綺譚).

Shadow of the Colossus

Besides ICO and Okami, Shadow of the Colossus is still the best 3D platform game ever released. The  PS2 game was released in North America and Japan in October 2005 and PAL territories in February 2006. I’m very excited what game Fumita Ueda and his developer team will bring next on PS3.

BBC Radiophonic Workshop 50th Anniversary

Originally a BBC internal library record in 1968 before a belated official release three years later, this reissued and remastered album contains some of the greatest adventures in electronic music ever.

Delia Derbyshire using reel-to-reel tape machines.

2nd album originally released 1975. Some of the equipment used in making this record:
Studer A80 8-Channel Master Recorder
Studer B62 1/4″ Stereo Tape Machines
EMS Synthi 100 ‘Delaware’
ARP Odyssey
EMS VCS3
Countryman Phaser
Glen Sound Mixing Console
AKG 451 Condenser Microphones
EMT Stereo Echo Plate

Malcolm Clarke with the “Delaware”

John Baker and Paddy Kingsland

If you haven’t seen the documentary “Alchemists Of Sound” about the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, then you can watch it right here:

TOMI UNGERER

THE THREE ROBBERS

THE BEAST OF MONSIEUR RACINE

MOON MAN

THE HAT

Go visit the Tomi Ungerer Museum in Strasbourg. It’s worth to visit. You also can see a huge image collection here.

WONDERWALL (1968)

Finally reissued on DVD by e-m-s!

Yellow Submarines

Corgi 05401

Corgi 05404

This McFarlane plastic model came with Ringo. It’s from the Beatles Yellow Submarine Series 1. More about the figures will follow soon.

AMT ERTL Model Kit released in 1999

Magical Mystery Bus

Corgi BT78210

Roll up – roll up with the Magical Mystery Bus!
I hope a Magical Mystery Tour DVD release is rolling up too!
Corgi’s association with The Beatles began 1969, an association that now continues in 2008.

Their Satanic Majesties Request [1967]

Original album artwork by Michael Cooper (1941-1973)*

* Limited first edition 3D cover
Later editions replaced the glued-on 3D image with a standard photo (see first image), due to high production costs. The master materials for re-printing the 3D cover were intentionally destroyed.
There’s a 3D cover replica mini LP (CD) reissue from Universal Music Japan. Unfortunately The Stones don’t turn their faces while moving the cover from left to right as the original 3D cover. It’s just a simple 3-layered room effect. And the image section of the 3D image is even smaller!

She’s A Rainbow/2000 Light Years From Home (Single)

There are 4 hidden faces on the album cover. If you can’t find them click “Read the rest of this entry »” to see them. If you click on the photo above you can find in a bigger size where they’re located.

TUNING THE OSCILLATORS

The new oscillator board (Serial Number 10175 and Above) uses temperature regulated circuits and because of the very precise tracking of the three oscillators on this board, it may seem at times that the instrument does not produce the “fat”, rich, multiple oscillator sound. This is NOT the result of a change in the sound of the oscillator but can be the result of setting the oscillators too precisely at the same pitch. To achieve the rich sound, it may be necessary for the customer to detune the oscillators slightly as desired for the rich, rolling sound.

Text taken from the service manual

Tuning the Oscillators
Only the SHIFT, OCTAVE, and SCALE trimpots are accessable through the access holes on the rear cover. So to get access to the HI END trimpots you have to take off the rear cover. Anyway, it’s better to take the rear cover off, because only the HI END trimpots need to be adjusted by a screwdriver, the other trimpots can be adjusted just by hand, which is easier and even more precisely than with a screwdriver. Last advice: An Auto Tuner can be very helpful to tune the oscillators without listening to it (it can really hurt your ears after a while).  Just be sure that the Auto Tuner is always showing an A tune at 0 cent, which is in the middle.

Set the front panel controls as follows:

TUNE=0
GLIDE=0
PITCH WHEEL=CENTER (detent)
MOD WHEEL=OFF
OSCILLATORS
OSCILLATOR MOD=OFF
OSC 3 CONTROL=ON
ALL OSC RANGE SWITCHES=16
ALL OSC WAVEFORMS=RAMP
OSC 2 RANGE=0
OSC 3 RANGE=0
MIXER
ALL OSC MIXER VOLUME=7
NOISE/EXT IN=OFF
FILTER
FILTER MODULATION=OFF
KEYBOARD CONTROL 1=OFF
KEYBOARD CONTROL 2=OFF
CUTOFF FREQUENCY=(+)5
EMPHASIS=0
AMOUNT OF CONTOUR=0
CONTOURS
ATTACK=1M
DECAY=1M
SUSTAIN=10
MAIN OUTPUT VOLUME=10
MAIN OUTPUT=ON

SCALE
OSCx=OSC1, OSC2, or OSC3

• Turn on OSCx in the mixer on the front panel. All other switches in the mixer should be OFF.

• Change OSCx RANGE switch on the front panel to 16.

• Hold down the LOW A key and adjust OSCx SHIFT trimpot for 55hz.

• Hold down the HIGH A key and adjust OSCx SCALE trimpot for 440hz.

• Repeat steps until no further adjustment is necessary.

Repeat for each oscillator.

HI END
OSCx=OSC1, OSC2, or OSC3

• Turn on OSCx in the mixer on the front panel. All other switches in the mixer should be OFF.

• Change OSCx RANGE switch on the front panel to 2.

• Hold down the LOW A key and adjust OSCx SHIFT trimpot for 440hz.

• Hold down the HIGH A key and adjust OSCx HI END trimpot for 3520hz.

• Repeat steps until no further adjustment is necessary.

Repeat for each oscillator.
Repeat SCALE and HI END sections until no further adjustment is necessary.

OCTAVE
OSCx=OSC1, OSC2, or OSC3

• Turn on OSCx in the mixer on the front panel. All other switches in the mixer should be OFF.

• Change OSCx RANGE switch on the front panel to 32.

• Hold down the HIGH A key and adjust OSCx SHIFT trimpot for 220hz.

• Change OSCx RANGE switch on the front panel to 2.

• Hold down the HIGH A key and adjust OSCx OCTAVE trimpot
  for 3520hz.

• Repeat steps until no further adjustment is necessary.

Repeat for each oscillator.

SHIFT
OSCx=OSC1, OSC2, or OSC3

• Turn on OSCx in the mixer on the front panel. All other switches in the mixer should be OFF.

• Change OSCx RANGE switch on the front panel to 16.

• Hold down the HIGH A key and adjust OSCx SHIFT trimpot for 440hz.

Repeat for each oscillator.
Congratulations, your minimoog is tuned now!

The story of the sad & now happy minimoog

The minimoog from outside didn’t look so sad. But from inside?

The Pratt & Read Keyboard

New Bushings: You can see that the black metal rack is very rusty and dirty and the metal legs have to be alligned.

Removed old Bushings

After playing with my newly arrived minimoog, I immediately realized that this synth wasn’t happy for a long time. All the three oscillators were completely out of tune and the keys were noisy, loose, and very sloppy. I really felt sad about it’s condition, so I began to solve these problems by reading the minimoog operation and service manual, and many other useful and informative webpages. Thanks for putting this up!
The first thing I’ve done was tuning the oscillators. This is not very hard to do if you follow step by step as written in the manual.
I bought new Pratt & Read bushings from Archive Sound, WD-40 and Cramolin® Contaclean and spray. But for what Vaseline?

First I was scared and didn’t feel ready for it. After checking all out and comparing photos on the web, I started to take off the keyboard. There are a few manuals and photos from people who had the same problems, so I followed their descriptions. I was very shocked when I looked into the Pratt & Read mechanism after I removed each keys (first the white ones). The black painted metal rack was very rusty and full of dirt. The minimoog must have stooden in a very humid room for a long time! The key mechanism with the little red springs were very noisy, you could hear while moving them up and down. Even one red little spring was missing (the lowest key), so I replaced it. I sprayed these mechanism parts with the WD-40 spray.
Some of the rubber keycaps weren’t on it’s right place, but sticked under the metal keyholder. The keycaps need a litte greasy material, so that the metal keyholder get in smooth touch with the keycap. And yeah, this is why I used Vaseline .
Replacing the bushings was the easiest part of the whole job, thanks Richard. I just had to be sure to put them all the same way.
More tricky was to put back the springs which hold the metal keyholders. I realized later that there are different ones. Some of them are stronger. I found out, that these must be for the 2 white (H/C) keys, which are next to each other.
I always was aware not to touch the golden bus bars and springs on the back with my oily fingers and the WD-40 liquid.
After replacing the bushings and putting back all 44 keys I was ready to put back the keyboard into it’s wooden case.
Then I cleaned with Cramolin® Contaclean the dirty, conlaminated and corroded golden bus bars, which generated the howling tunes, while playing the instrument.
The result after 8 hours of hard work: No howling tunes, no sloppy and noisy keys, my moog became happy, me too! Now it’s play time!