Hi All,
I recently came across this picture of Del Dettmar of Hawkwind. The picture will have been taken between 1971 to 1974 when Del what in the band:
I was intrigued by the silver box with the switches at the bottom of the picture so asked on a Hawkwind forum. An expert (and I trust that he is) replied:
"Its a pitch to voltage converter. Used to put Dave Brock's guitar through the VCS3."
and that:
"Its quite possible that Dels PVC was built by John Perrin,He was part of the lighting crew and all round electrical genius"
I think the first commercial P2V was in the Korg MS20 ? Is it possible that this is a an early Pitch to CV ?
Andy
Early Pitch to CV ?
Moderator: Moderators
Early Pitch to CV ?
- Andy Cobley
Regular -
Posts: 122 Joined: Thu Sep 25, 2003 12:00 am
Location: Fife, Scotland
Contact:
Re: Early Pitch to CV ?
The Roland GR-500 and ARP Avatar guitar synth systems were both pitch to voltage converters and both came out in 1977, (Roland was first), so a year before the Korg.
But not as early as that picture would suggest there was one.
So the Hawkwind unit may not have been a guitar ‘synth’ as such but was more about giving the ability to control bloops and bleeps, rather than play synth style notes.
But not as early as that picture would suggest there was one.
So the Hawkwind unit may not have been a guitar ‘synth’ as such but was more about giving the ability to control bloops and bleeps, rather than play synth style notes.
Reliably fallible.
Re: Early Pitch to CV ?
I do wonder though if this was a case of time distorting memories and it was in fact an envelope follower used to control the VCS3 filter and then Dave's guitar was fed through the filter for a sort of Auto-Wah. We may never know because those involved are getting on a bit.
Andy
Andy
- Andy Cobley
Regular -
Posts: 122 Joined: Thu Sep 25, 2003 12:00 am
Location: Fife, Scotland
Contact:
Re: Early Pitch to CV ?
A bit of Googling suggests that Hawkwind used an EMS pitch-to-voltage converter, and that these were produced in the early '70s. It doesn't look like that silver box.
Maybe it was repackaged, or the silver box did something else. I haven't found definitive info on when it came out or if this was what Hawkwind used.
"Goat Willow" was released in 1974...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hall_of_t ... tain_Grill
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgFt6IrH5z0
...and Dettmar describes using a pitch-to-voltage converter on that, for a kalimba.
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=GLy ... ge&f=false
(I suspect the silver box was either an accessory possibly related to pitch/CV, or did something different. This Matrixsynth entry likewise suggests that Hawkwind used the EMS one pictured above.)
Maybe worth noting that the silver box is a row of 10 switches, and the EMS had 10 jack sockets; four inputs and six outputs. Maybe it was for routing or something. Looks like it has a jack and multicore connector, so I'd say it was for switching of some kind.
Maybe it was repackaged, or the silver box did something else. I haven't found definitive info on when it came out or if this was what Hawkwind used.
"Goat Willow" was released in 1974...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hall_of_t ... tain_Grill
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgFt6IrH5z0
...and Dettmar describes using a pitch-to-voltage converter on that, for a kalimba.
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=GLy ... ge&f=false
(I suspect the silver box was either an accessory possibly related to pitch/CV, or did something different. This Matrixsynth entry likewise suggests that Hawkwind used the EMS one pictured above.)
Maybe worth noting that the silver box is a row of 10 switches, and the EMS had 10 jack sockets; four inputs and six outputs. Maybe it was for routing or something. Looks like it has a jack and multicore connector, so I'd say it was for switching of some kind.
Re: Early Pitch to CV ?
Thanks,
Based on your post, I remembered, this photo thats seems to show the EMS pitch to voltage convertor, with the silver box gaffer taped to the top
So maybe thats it !
Andy
Based on your post, I remembered, this photo thats seems to show the EMS pitch to voltage convertor, with the silver box gaffer taped to the top
So maybe thats it !
Andy
- Andy Cobley
Regular -
Posts: 122 Joined: Thu Sep 25, 2003 12:00 am
Location: Fife, Scotland
Contact:
Re: Early Pitch to CV ?
Andy, this thread was priceless if just for that one pic alone.
Cheers
A
Cheers
A
- Adam Inglis
Regular -
Posts: 471 Joined: Wed Sep 01, 2004 12:00 am
Location: Gold Coast Queensland Australia
Contact:
A Disco Ate My BABY!
https://linktr.ee/a.d.a.m.baby
Funboys
https://www.beatport.com/artist/funboys/191455
https://linktr.ee/a.d.a.m.baby
Funboys
https://www.beatport.com/artist/funboys/191455
Re: Early Pitch to CV ?
Adam Inglis wrote: ↑Tue Aug 03, 2021 10:13 am Andy, this thread was priceless if just for that one pic alone.
Cheers
A
Hands up who saw the EMS pitch to voltage convertor before they noticed anything else.
-
- shufflebeat
Jedi Poster - Posts: 9092 Joined: Sun Dec 09, 2007 12:00 am Location: Manchester, UK
“…I can tell you I don't have money, but what I do have are a very particular set of skills. Skills I have acquired over a very long career” - (folk musician, Manchester).
Re: Early Pitch to CV ?
shufflebeat wrote: ↑Tue Aug 03, 2021 10:39 amAdam Inglis wrote: ↑Tue Aug 03, 2021 10:13 am Andy, this thread was priceless if just for that one pic alone.
Cheers
A
Hands up who saw the EMS pitch to voltage convertor before they noticed anything else.
Lol. I think we can safely say somethings in life place gear a distant last.
-
- tea for two
Frequent Poster (Level2) - Posts: 3286 Joined: Sun Mar 24, 2002 12:00 am
Re: Early Pitch to CV ?
shufflebeat wrote: ↑Tue Aug 03, 2021 10:39 amAdam Inglis wrote: ↑Tue Aug 03, 2021 10:13 am Andy, this thread was priceless if just for that one pic alone.
Cheers
A
Hands up who saw the EMS pitch to voltage convertor before they noticed anything else.
I can't even see the EMS thing, I keep looking
-
- Guest