Intruments and technology
- Yamaha Custom oboe 2001. The instrument has been developed and voiced by oboist and technician Michael Scheitz in Oslo
- Marigaux Cor Anglais - mid 1960
Back up instruments:
- Marigaux oboe - early 1950
- Marigaux oboe - med 1960
Yamaha WX 7 - Midi Wind Controller –1987
The WX7 is a great musical invention. It even looks great.
The finger clefs are electronic buttons with one contact for each note in the scale, more or less. When blowing, a small propellor is spinning inside the mouthpiece. The harder you blow the faster the propeller is moving. The speed is turned into sound level data.
A little sensor is attached to the reed on the mouthpiece. When moved up a down by the lips of the player, the different positions of the sensor are turned into varying pitch bend data.
In general, the various wind controllers are instruments with an enormous potential. The WX7, especially, has polyphonic capabilities different from other and newer models. The challenge of wind controllers is to programme the sounds well and adjust the horn accordingly. Some of the sounds I use are programmed by Matt Traum at Patchmanmusic.
The rig
- Yamaha MCS 2 Midi Control Station
- Yamaha WX7Â Midi Wind Controller
- Yamaha VL 70-m Synthesizer
- Yamaha TX 81Z Synthesizer
- IVL Pitchrider CV to Midi Converter
- Art Mach II Effects Processor
- Lexicon MX200 Effects Processor
- Korg MS 20 Analog synthesizer
- Roland SPV 355 Analog to CV synthesizer
- Alesis MMT 8 Midi Sequenzer
- Mac G3/ Cubase-IPSÂ Interactive Phrase Synthesizer
- Digitech JamMAn Loop recorder/player
- Barcus Berry Transducer Contact Microphone
- Sennheizer MD 441 Microphone
- 12 ch Mixer
I think of the gig rig as one unit, one single, but very complex instrument. It has taken a lot of consideration to obtain the ultimate combination of parts in the rig. In fact, there never seem to be a final set up. The rig in it self is an ongoing project where the synchs, the effects, the mixer and so forth, are linked together in special ways in order to produce new events, sounds and patterns.
Tel Aviv, 1987
Actually, the rig has become kind of a museum of vintage electronic equipment. The Roland SPV 355, Korg MS 20 and IVL Pitchrider 4000 that I bought in 1985, now seem to be legendary in the world of electronica.
The rig is idiomatic. Idiomatic means that it has been designed to be optimal in producing musical effects and situations in its own unique way. Still, the combination and interactivity is bound to have limitations. These limitations can be calculated. Limitations will of course define the sounding outcome, at times more than the possibilities of the instruments. I am very conscious of these limitations since they tend to generate creativity.
As any other musical instrument, the rig has to be ergonomic. Knobs and controller buttons are therefore meticulously positioned. The pedal board is a bit unique in its design. I found that the pedals that were commercially available brought me out of a good balanced position when playing. The pedal board is one of many examples of particular needs and purposes that could not be fulfilled by shopping at a music instrument dealer.
It is banal, but unfortunately very true: the design of the system has been overly time consuming. It comforts me to know that it still is a kind of compositional work. It is a kind of engineering work, but still involves a lot of artistic thinking. Composition is making certain events possible. Experimenting with new technological solutions is sometimes necessary to make interesting musical events. The tradition for this kind of work is fairly strong among composers and musicians. It is even quite possible that music as a whole started out like this. Someone must have done the first very practical sound experiments.
The rig diagram
