Impossible Box

Photo of Impossible Box

Impossible Box by Arius Blaze.

Release date: 09-21-2012

for good sound example, there are many recordings on my sound cloud; https://soundcloud.com/arius-blaze

The masterwork by Arius Blaze - relatively complete, still somewhat raw and imperfect. I consider this an art work and one that represents every instrument you see on this site - works that I've been creating for over twelve years as a professional artist.

Though it has synthesis and though it is in essence modular, it is not intended to be a "modular synthesizer". Specifically, there was a desire in the creation to not come out the other end with million ways to make bleepy sounds. The purpose of this work is to create sound scapes and music by any means necessary - designed with film music in mind and the concept of creating a whole living organism of sound.. Effect processing, acoustic interaction, drum synthesis, sequencing, midi clock connection, multitracking, filtration, sampling and so on. The sound can be rather sweet or rather raucous.

details;
The folding box is oak with walnut splines - measuring about 4' wide with each inner panel (lower and upper) at 2' deep, essentially making a 4' square if it were all laid out. 

Each module panel is done with player piano music paper and labeled on my Corona typewriter. This took a helluva lot of planning. The modules are also all lined with brass and I created almost all of the switches, keys, lamps and buttons.

the modules;
The time scape section is the main brain for timing of all of the rest of the impossible box time-based modules. It's a sampler with six clock outputs. Any of the clock outs can be sent to the clock multipliers.

There are two clock multipliers that output voltage to run any/all of the;
- 4 ADSR's 
- 4 relay based sequencers (used to alter the time scape sample, trigger drums or on/off switches)
- 2 CV based sequencers used to trigger;
  = analog drums (clicky, poppy, bassy goodness)
- 3 CV based sequencers used to control;
  = any of 6 oscillators (3 sine, 3 square)
  = any of four ADSR's
  = any of three filters
  = the timing of any of 3 digital delays
  = or all of the above

- Two pitch shifters, each of which is drastically different, one of which becomes a sampler. 
- A harmonizer
- three reverbs with multiple styles
- a four track looper
- phaser
- independant looper and analog delay
- digital drum with trigger outs and a piezo panel for finger drumming
- intelligent modulator that slices things up in brilliant ways
- 2 dumb modulators that slice things up in simple ways or send CV
- multiplier/audio vactrol control panel
- 4 ADSR's (as mentioned) that send CV but also take direct audio
- Midi clock out (accepts pulse from time scape)
- 2 mixers (one 4 channel mono, one 8 channel stereo)

and the amplified acoustic panels;
- 2 thumb pianos,
- single string slide-based thing
- a blank panel to scratch at or set things that make sound on.
- and finally...a melodica (yes...that's fuckin right)

Though audio patching can be done with 1/4" jacks (which I prefer) there is also a main patch panel that has most ins and outs in one place for direct complex patching.
Any external audio can be sent into just about anything.

Rather than load sounds to multiple places, I'm created a blog post which provides recordings/tracks with the Impossible Box and discusses each a bit;

http://folktek.blogspot.com/2012/09/arius-blaze-impossible-sound.html

 



 

Video

live recording - see soundcloud for complete audio