Glitch - Zine Several pages on circuit bending, digital sound design and e-waste. Richard Divine David Cranmer Digiboy Design

1. Circuit
Bending
Richard Devine
E-waste
Nervous Squirrel

2. Page 1 Page 2 Page 3-9
What am I reading History Richard Devine
Page 10
Custom Toys
Page 21-29
Nervous Squirrel
Page 12 Page 13-20
Devine Studio E-waste China

3. W H AT A M I R E A D I N G ?
The circuit bending process has been developed largely by individuals
experimenting with second-hand electronics in a DIY fashion, either with
inexpensive keyboards or drum machines, or with electronic children's toys
not associated with musical production. Aesthetic value, immediate usability
and highly randomized results are often factors in the process of successfully
bending electronics and when purposfully creating Glitchs. A glitch is a short-lived
fault in a system. The term is particularly common in the computing and electronics
industries, and in circuit bending, as well as among players of video games, although
it is applied to all types of systems including human organizations and nature. Although
the history of electronic music is often associated with unconventional sonic results, such
innovators as Robert Moog, Lev
Sergeivitch Theremin, etc. were
electrical engineers and concerned with the consistency and sound design of their
instruments. Circuit bendingis typified by inconsistencies in the instruments built
in an unscientific manner. While many pre-fitted circuit bent machines are on
offer for sale at auction sites such as eBay, this somewhat contravenes the
intention of most practitioners. Machines bent to a repeated configuration
are more analogous to the well known practice of "mods", such as the
Devilfish mod for the Roland TB-303, or various Analogman
or Pedaldoc guitar pedal circuit modifications.
Glitch gives an insight, into the lives of
people working with elecronics, in
inovative and experimental ways
and gives a rare glimps into the
world of the sounds designer,
circuit benders and also a
look int our own waste
and what happens
to it.
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4. 2

5. RICHARD DEVINE

6. RICHARD DEVINE
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7. Q How did you first start creating your own electronic instruments?
A Well, it started way back in 1995, when I started to collect early
analogue synthesizers. My first synth was a old beat up Oberhiem Expander.
It wasn't working when I first got it. So I contacted a local tech in Atlanta,
named Tim Adams who was an ex-Oberhiem/Sequential synth technician,
and was very knowledgeable in this field. I met up with him, and discovered
that he was building his own synthesizers. It had never dawned on me to
make my own instruments. He was the first person to hint the idea, of
making something totally new and custom. We became great friends from
that point, and started to build several instruments that I still use today.
From that point I started to modify and get into circuit bending, and
building a collection of odd instruments ranging from all different areas.
Q What inspires you to compose?
A I am inspired by so many things. I love looking to the visual arts world. Modern architecture
from Frank Gehry, Santiago Calatrava and zaha-hadid. They seemed to always push the
boundaries of texture, form, and space. Manipulating the very same design elements that
I am trying to do with sound. I also love listening to other musical artists, like Francious
Dohmont, Natasha Barrett, and Trevor Whishart. I have also been getting into Curtis Roads
lately, researching the techniques of granular synthesis.

8. Q What are your opinions on solid objects or imagines, and their relationship
to sound?
A
I have been studying how certain objects resonate into each other. For example we recorded
my old 1920 Kurtzman grand Piano, that we prepared much in the same way John Cage did with
his early recordings. The idea is basically altering the piano by placing objects (preparations)
between or on the strings or on the hammers or dampers. I used hematite magnates, nails,
slinky's, waterphone, and a strange assortment of different objects to create entirely new
timbres and sounds. You can get completely different sounds by colliding two solid objects
together, like taking two pieces of glass and lightly tapping them into each other, gives you this
beautiful granular elastic effect. I the possibilities are endless.You start to understand that sound
is a very physical thing, that vibrates in all living things.
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9. Q What do you think the future holds for musical or sonic
advancements?
A
Well, a lot of advancements in my opinion, have been made within the digital realm. I am
amazed at what you can do now with just one computer. I primarily work doing mostly
DSP processing and sound manipulation with sound processing environments like
MAX/MSP, Composer's Desktop Project, and Kyma.You discover that their is an entire
world of sound that can be created within these applications.
Q Do you regard the progress of technology and sound in some
kind of parallel?
A I think to some degree that is true. In giving people better tools will make it easier
for people to get into making music. It doesn't necessarily mean that everyone will
make great music though. It can also help create accidental new music, in giving tools
to people who aren't really musician's and will approach things completely differently
thus creating new music, that can be really exciting. Using technology in ways it wasn't
meant to be used.

10. Q When producing folly or sound
design - do you have some
kind of process or formula?
A Well, I record with a large collection
of microphones, when recording foley
object stuff, and sound effects. I use
contact microphones like the "barcus
berry" and sometimes I might use a
Sony Ecm-55 Laviler Microphone and
purposely use them in a wrong way to
get new sounds. Like swinging the
Laviler microphone in front of a TV
that is playing just white static to get
whoosh and fire like effects. I also use
the Nuemann KMR-81, DPA-4017 and
Sanken CSS5 stereo Shot gun
microphones when I go out and record
foley object stuff, like ambience, and
breaking glass, tree branches etc..
I usually go out and record anything
interesting, in out side locations, or
mechanical machinery, fireworks,
firearms, and have been looking into
buying some Hydrophones to do more
underwater recordings.
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12. C U S TO M TOY S
On the right is a photo of some
custom built circuit bent instruments.
The orange and black keyboard with
the Joystick controllers is the custom
instrument made by Ivo Ivanov's
(http://www.myspace.com/glitchmachines)
Its called the Logic Bomb Devine Custom
originally a Casio SK-5 rhythm.The Joystick
controllers glitch the sounds into crazy
insanity, and can all be manipulated in
realtime all together.
The banana jack wired panel boxes to the top left is the another custom set made by my friend
John at Highlyliquid.com (http://highlyliquid.com/). Its called the GltichDesk.
(http://glitchdesk.com/glitchdesk/bw/). Its a 70-point patch surface.
with Bend I/O via two DB-25 ports. You can use MIDI clock, program change, controller,
and note commands to control 8 patch circuits and digital rheostat.You can also Extract audio
using patchable 1/4 jacks. Its really interesting because you can circuit bend two instruments at
the same time. I have my TR-707, and Casio CZ-101 keyboard.The combinations are ridiculous.
You can patch at each stage which bend point you want to sequence. Its genius, in creating chaotic
glitched patterns.
The box to the top right and side, in cream vanilla cover is the "Chaos Box" designed by
my close friend Tim Adams. Its a touch sensor 2 voice chaotic noise generator. Its got
CV-outputs, and has been known to blow a few sounds systems in the past with its violent bass,
and super intense modulation.
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14. DEVINE STUDIO
This collection is my new addiction, Euro rack analogue modular.You see pictured the
Cwejman S1-mkII, and a wide assortment of Doepfer, Plan-b, Livewire,
Banalogue, Analogue Systems, and Make Noise modules. Its completely
customized and designed to create other worldly alien sound scapes and textures.
You also see the Eventide H-3000 DS/E and Sony Viao running Sound Forge 9.
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15. E - WA S T E @ C H I N A

16. This article looks
at the phenomina of
e-waste. “It has become
appallingly obvious that our
technology has exceeded our
humanity.”
ALBERT EINSTEIN.

17. CHINA’S E-WASTE PROBLEM
In recent years, environmentalists in China and elsewhere have expressed rising
concern about the large quantities of electronic waste (“e-waste”) that wealthy
countries continue to dump in the developing world, particularly in Asia. At a
forum on e-waste recycling in Beijing last week, participants explored ways to
address this daunting problem in a more realistic and pragmatic way.
While it is difficult to estimate how many discarded computers, mobile phones,
and other electronics flood into mainland China each year, a 2002 report from
the Basel Action Network and Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition estimated that 80
percent of the world’s high-tech trash is exported to Asia, and 90 percent of
this flows into China. Most of it ends up at family recycling workshops, where
laborers disassemble the electronics manually for reclaimable materials. Wearing
little protective gear, they are exposed to heavy metals like lead, cadmium,
and mercury, and to toxic compounds such as acids, polychlorinated biphenyls
(PCBs), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs, common flame retardants).
To stem the negative effects of this activity, China banned the import of e-waste
in 2000. However, the labor-intensive nature of electronics recycling has
perpetuated a black market in the trade, taking advantage of China’s abundant,
cheap, and skilled labor force. Much of the discarded equipment is shipped to
Hong Kong in containers labeled “for recycling,” then smuggled overland to
several “recycling towns” in adjacent Guangdong Province, and to areas further
inland. E-waste recycling can generate huge profits for local governments, so
authorities often turn a blind eye to the practice, which serves as passive
encouragement to its spread.
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19. At the Beijing workshop, experts predicted that the e-waste problem will be
exacerbated by new external factors, including recent laws regulating
electronics manufacture in Europe and elsewhere. “With the implementation
of the European Directive on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment
(WEEE), quantities of obsolete e-waste will increase, and the costs for recycling
will rise as well. This will probably fan e-waste smuggling to China,” said Zhai
Yong, an official with the Environmental Protection & Resources Conservation
Committee of the National People’s Congress, China’s parliament. The EU
Directive, which entered into force in August 2005, holds producers
responsible for financing the collection, treatment, recovery, and environmentally
sound disposal of waste electronics.
The domestic picture is bleak as well, as Chinese demand for electronics
and electrical equipment surges. According to Xinhua News Agency, China
has generated roughly 1.1 million tons of e-waste annually since 2003, including
5 million TV sets, 4 million refrigerators, 5 million washing machines, 5 million
computers, and tens of millions of mobile phones. And it will continue to pile up:
Greenpeace estimates that by 2010, there will be 178 million new computer
users in China alone.
Despite the potential environmental damage caused by electronic trash,
experts believe it can also be a significant source of recycled material to alleviate
the country’s tight natural resource constraints. “Discarded home appliances
contain large quantities of reclaimable metals, glasses, and other materials. If
properly treated, its recycling value could not be underestimated,” said Ma Dejun,
Vice President of China Home Electronics Appliances Research Institute (CHEARI).
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20. According to statistics from CHEARI, steel comprises 49 percent of a refrigerator,
52 percent of a washing machine, and 12 percent of a television set, while copper
comprises 4 percent, 2 percent, and 3 percent of these items, respectively.
Computers are highly recyclable as well, with 90 percent of the average machine
made of reclaimable copper, aluminum, iron, steel, and plastics.
A closer look at some of China’s e-waste disasters reveals that commonly
used recycling practices can harm the environment more than the waste itself.
Investigations by Greenpeace found that workers often use acid baths to dissolve
the lead, silver, and other metals contained in the electronics, washing the residues
directly into nearby rivers and other water bodies. Components that cannot be
recycled are sent to landfills or burned in the open, releasing additional toxins
into the environment.
But “China’s problem cannot be solved by only purchasing a few sets of fancy
recycling machines from developed countries,” says Li Jinhui, Professor with
Department of Environmental Science & Engineering at Tsinghua University.
Lacking in advanced technology yet rich in labor, China should develop a path
for e-waste recycling that is suitable to its current situation, Li believes. “The
most important thing at present is to guarantee the safety of the disassembly
and treatment process, while taking full consideration of the environment and
workers’ health.” Such reform, however, would require an overhaul of the
country’s labor rights structure, as well as greater enforcement of environmental
regulations.
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22. Chinese electronics producers may soon be forced to share some of the burden
as well. According to CHEARI’s Ma Dejun, the most urgent challenge domestic
manufacturers face is to use “greener” design. In February, seven government
departments and administrations jointly issued the Administration on the Control
of Pollution Caused by Electronic Information Products, slated to take effect on
March 1, 2007. Similar to the EU regulation restricting the use of certain
hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment
(the so-called RoHS Directive), the Chinese ruling will gradually phase out the
use of several hazardous materials, including lead, mercury, cadmium, and hexavalent
chromium, in electronic products.
Though China does not yet have comprehensive legislation on electronics
manufacture and disposal, the National People’s Congress is considering measures
to prevent pollution from discarded e-waste. “The legislative process embodies
two considerations: one is to encourage the recycling and reuse of resources,
and the other is environmental protection,” said official Zhai Yong. “A clear principle
is that sending e-waste to landfills or incinerators will be strictly prohibited.” Such
leadership at the highest levels of government points to a growing effort to address
this problem in a pragmatic and effective way.
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23. N E RV O U S S Q U I R R E L

24. THE FURBY
“My name is Dave Cranmer, I live in East London and like to pass
the time soldering, making strange noises and gradually spreading little
bits of aluminium around the house. I've always enjoyed listening to
unusual music and making things, and so after a while it seemed like
a good idea to combine the two different pastimes. My 'day job' usually
involves working in a workshop, which is fun because of the range of
projects that come along (from stage props for AC/DC to sculptures
for Antony Gormley), and it's useful to have access to the different
machinery.”
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25. G U R DY
The second version of the Furby Gurdy has four Furbies that can be played
in a sequence by winding a handle. Different rhythm patterns can be 'programmed'
by arranging the screws that press down on four microswitches. There is also a
trigger out socket to link it to a sequencer. The first Furby Gurdy had eight Furbies,
but I'd really like to make a motorised version with ten or twelve Furbies in a nice
mahogany case!
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26. How did you first start making
custom instruments?
I'd always been interested in electronic sounds
and music, but the thing that really started the
home made stuff was a demonstration by
DJ Paul B. Davis where he showed me
how to modify a battery powered
doorbell.
Which of your custom creations
are you most proud of?
Hmm, at the moment probably the musical
ship's wheel that was made for Mucky Sailor,
just because it has been made to survive
going on tour and it should hopefully
last about 100 years. It's also a lot
of fun to play!
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27. In regards to circuit bending, what are
you working on at the moment?
The main project at the moment is a home
made modular synth, which although isn't
strictly all circuit bending will definitely have
some Early Learning Centre circuits in there
at some point. It's always good to be able to
choose between 'dog' and 'cat' as a modulation
source...
Do you have any 'idols' / people that
have inspired you to take up interest
in Circuit Bending?
I suppose my Dad's Brian Eno and Tomita LPs
when I was a bit younger, then musicians on
Warp/Rephlex/Planet Mu, rather than any
specific circuit benders. I think that the people
who have maybe inspired me most for the things
I make are Tim Hunkin and Arthur Ganson, who
make really brilliant mechanical sculptures.
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28. Modified Stepladders, each containing four samplers, trigered by
spring loaded steps. The dial allows control over the
samples rate and frequency.
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29. D. I . Y W I L L N E V E R B E T H E S A M E AG A I N .
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30. Musical ship’s wheel - A commision for Mucky Sailor.
Eight turnable oscillators are played in a sequence when the wheel is spun.
Mounted on a robust steel stand with an expression pedal for changing
the overall pitch. It also has L.E.D’s to make it look cool. Mucky Sailor Filthy
under-evolved trilobites from the primeval undersea sludge of the Leeds
Liverpool Canal featuring Gus (vocals & piano) and Steve (drums).
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32. GLITCH