This set of videos, via Ghost Money, captures a selection of pieces and demonstration for modular Mixtur-Trautonium, with Trautoniks, Doepfer, Analogue Systems and SynthTech modules.
The Trautonium is an electronic instrument that uses a wire controller to capture continuous pitch and pressure, allowing for vibrato and other types of expressive performance. This particular set up features dual ribbon controllers, controlling a modular synthesizer.
The next video takes a look at Oskar Sala’s Mixtur-Trautonium formant filters:
The filter was originally designed by Freidrich Trautwein as vacuum tube (or rohrentechnik) technology in 1930. The filters here are version of the design from the halbeiter, or semiconductor mixtur trautonium, dating from around 1989, and were made by Trautoniks.
The next pair of videos take a look at the Trautonium’s Subharmonic Generator:
Finally, here’s a performance video, by Ghost Money, of Meadow Clary:
For further information, interviews with Oskar Sala, explanations of the instrument and musical examples, see the Trautonist Youtube channel.
The wire controller of the trautonium is kind of the blueprint for MPE controllers.
The Trautonium also is alive again…live on stage with the original electronic works especially composed for it from 1930 onwards, as well as new compositions and live accompaniment to films.
Check this if you are interested:
http://www.peterpichler-trautonium.com
is the pressure just from the string, or from the movement of the metal bar beneath it?
sounds good.
Hi Joboby,
In answer to your question, the vertical movement of the bar determines the amplitude or volume of the sound. Underneath the bar is a liquid resistor. If you imagine a see saw with a silver rectangle or ‘flag’ dipping in and out of a bath of glycerin, the further the flag rises out of the bath the louder the sound. One can see this in action here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nv9ZQtjlCh4
Hi Joboby,
It’s the movement of the bar that determines the amplitude or volume of the sound. Underneath each manual there is a liquid resistor, if one visualises a see saw with one end contacting the manual and the other with a rectangle or ‘flag’ of silver dipping in and out of a bath of glycerin, the further the flag rises from the glycerin the louder the sound.
That’s how things were done in the olden days. You can get an idea of it here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nv9ZQtjlCh4