INTRODUCING: The Electric Western PHANTASTRON!
The Electric Western Phantastron is an amazing, new, all-tube synth VCO with capabilities for waveshaping and crazy effects
if you don’t want the details, just listen to the MP3 samples here (recorded direct line in, no effects).
Electric Western Phantastron Sample One - Square / Ramp wave generated at the plate. First controlled by a CV envelope (just a dc signal ramping up and down slowly), then synced with a sawtooth and tweaked.
Electric Western Phantastron Sample Two – Pulse wave output from the screen. First controlled by an envelope CV, then connected to an LFO and "knob tweaked". When synced to a high source, you can hear it locking and unlocking with the octave and other partials…
I can’t wait to Sing and Plug the drum machine into this thing. It will pulse and sync with anything!
Try and get a chunk of silicon and an led to do that!
Details:
The majority of the instrument is based on a classic pentode circuit, "The Phantastron" — No kidding, that’s what it’s really called. For more info on that I’ll send you to find some good books on vacuum tube computing or radar timing (try teh 1946 Cruft Labs book from Harvard, it’s one of my faves)…
Nerd Talk:
The phantastron takes a sharp timing pulse from a gas thyratron and integrates and differentiates it between its grids. The suppressor grid acts as input, creating a drop between suppressor and plate, then the screen grid grabs some of electrons from the pulse (creating a sort of rounded pulse). The control grid, meanwhile, which is held high, above the low-biased cathode charges more slowly, introducing a very steady voltage ramp between the plate and cathode. I’m kind of oversimplifying here, maybe badly, but you get the picture.
The 5 unique points within the pentode all react differently to an incoming pulse, and generate different waves for each pulse. A sort of square, a very linear saw, and some very interesting asymetrical pulses. The pentode itself also acts as a bit of a tank and resonates the waveforms, creating some filtering, ringing and sync possibilities.
To alter the Phantastron to musical usage, I had to do some serious tweaking… Not many precedents apply to audio-rate signals (although Leon Theremin {Lev Termen} is rumored to have used the phantastron circuit as a basis in his "terpsitone".
Regardless, this module REALLY sings. There are soooo many tonal possibilities. Plus, the inputs and outputs interface very well with existing analog modulars, audio signals and CV driven equipment. It also functions alone as it’s own instrument and could be hooked to far more sensors and controllers than just a knob… Or you could simply play drums or guitar through it and process your music in this unique way.
This will be the first kit that Electric Western offers to the public. So enjoy, and look forward to making and tweaking your own very soon.
This is a very special circuit and remind me of the old days playing with HeathKits in the basement. I’m very glad that I can offer this experience to you. It’s a great way to learn about tubes, synthesis and extra-super-old-school synth-brewing.
Lorin
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