Did a synthwave thing

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1/12/2021 edit: So - in December I came across a demo somebody made on Youtube of a Japanese synthesizer. At the end of the video they do a brief little jam with it which inspired me. I kept wanting to hear it expanded and I made a quick song using it and built some accompanying visuals. After putting the video up the person who made the demo video that I sampled in this project, who I very prominently credited up front for this personal, unreleased, non-monetized project, made it abundantly clear through a barrage of comments and DMs that they were opposed to any use of his demo video that isn’t explicitly authorized, so this is gone now.

I've never understood that sort of mindset and, to be honest, I think that sort of thing is everything that’s wrong in the creative space. After they saw the posts (two weeks after I posted them and tagged them?) I was immediately bombarded with “This is illegal!” (it’s not) “All rights reserved, you can not use this!”

What this was is a fun personal project that I did, sampling their demo video, because it inspired me. If they’re unhappy with seeing their demo video re-contextualized, fine. But the aggressive bombardment of comments and DM’d threats due to a personal project that sampled some synthesizer demo footage, which again, was prominently credited to them right up front, is a massive bummer. It was needlessly aggressive, and that sort of mindset and approach discourages collaboration, drives people away from your work and the thought of engaging with it, limits exposure, creates an air of self-importance, and breeds creative isolation imho. This is a net negative for everybody involved. Nobody was making or losing money on this one-off, unreleased, short personal project.

While I don’t know the exact reason that my sampling of their demo video was such a massive issue for them, it’s their right to ask me to take it down and I tend to try and take the path-of-least-resistance, so it’s whatever. Just a bummer.

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Edit: 5/28/2024

I am placing the video here, on my personal website, unlisted.

I came across something I built 10 years ago in the wild.

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In a bizarre turn of events I came across a photo the other day of Vaporwave artist Skeleton Lipstick’s gear and thought "Hey... wait a minute. Is that...? WHAT it is!"

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It's a Casio PT-87 that I circuit bent and sold on eBay in 2010!

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I reached out and learned that they're the one who won my eBay auction for it back then and have been using it to this day! Even passed along a photo of their set up from a few weeks ago where it still lives. After ten years.

I often wonder about all of the instruments I've done through the years that are still out there. Early on I was churning things out that I auctioned off on eBay and after that they were just sort of gone. There are a few commissions I've been lucky enough to see or hear being used (A Casio SA-2 I did for Darren Korb can be heard on the phenomenal soundtrack to Pyre by Super Giant Games which I didn't even know until after having played through it!), but it's not all that common that I get to.

The best thing about building these things has always been knowing that I'm playing a part in somebody's creative process. To somehow come across something from my earlier days and have that confirmed has really made my week. I can only hope some of them are getting this same sort of love!

To add to the coincidence, Skeleton Lipstick did the after party for 100% Electronicon that I went to here in Brooklyn last year - which ALSO ends up tying back to the 100PFB video synth I did for Adam Kane the other month! What a small world!

Check out Happy in Disguise, Am I Close to the Edge?, and Philadelphia by Skeleton Lipstick to hear the PT-87 in use!

This device has some photos and a demo video over at gleix.net/misccasio

Live Show & Collaboration // Dec. 27th in VR via VJ Open Lab & Never Knows Better

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Stop by VJ Open Lab Berlin in VR on December 27th for a collection of artist collaborations.

Event page

I’ve got a 15 minute set of original music, including some unreleased material, with visuals provided by Niki Cardoso Zaupa of Pink Noise.

Gleix Video Synth #7 // Winter Freeze

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 Gleix Video Synth #7 // Winter Freeze

Feedback-centric video synthesizer & continuation of the series. Somewhere between the 100PFB & IFD in terms of feature set. Check it out over at this device’s page in the visual devices section.

Gleix Video Synth // The I.F.D. // A semi-modular analog video synthesizer

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The I.F.D.

A self contained semi-modular audiovisual synthesizer for video feedback, digital glitches, drones and colorful experimentation

I feel like I’ve spent as much time documenting this build as I did making it, so I’m really excited to finally be sharing it with the world. This is what I might consider my “flagship” video synthesizer for the time being and it will serve as a reference point moving forward. Check out the page for this build here at gleix.net/ifd

Via the IFD page:

The I.F.D., or Industrial Feedback Device, is an audiovisual synthesizer based around a no-input video feedback loop, video RAM and buffer manipulations, simple oscillator functionality, audio reactivity and sound generation, and CV implementation to allow easy integration into an existing modular ecosystem (esp. eurorack).

The I/O includes two composite video outputs, a VGA output, an external audio input (1/8” and 1/4”), and a standard 2.1mm barrel jack for a 5v power supply.

The originally beige enclosure was painted with an industrial theme and intentionally weathered and the primary aluminum control panel was given a circular brushed look to fit the theme.

Making a more colorful oscilloscope // Modified CRT Television, DIY X-Y scope with video input

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New device page with a full video here!

Via the crt scope page:

This is a variation on a fairly common build where audio is piped directly into the horizontal and vertical portions of the deflection yoke inside of a CRT Television. The additional features this one has are two internal audio amplifiers (very basic LM386 circuits), the ability to run audio to the TVs internal speaker (with adjustable volume), and the ability to send color video signals to the TV to “color” the waveform which I go over in the video here on this page.

This build can be replicated extremely easily - without the internal amplification circuit - and also made to run in different modes for a more standard horizontal wave display. Plenty of information on that can be found online with a little searching, but I’ve included the schematics for this particular build here.

If you do plan on recreating this thing for yourself BE CAREFUL. There are elements inside of CRT Televisions that hold enough charge to KILL YOU. Do not attempt if you are unfamiliar with electronics, and do your research beforehand on how to properly discharge the device and how to safety deal with this sort of device.

November, 2020.

Premiering two audiovisual pieces @ Lightbox NYC, part of the Creative Code Art festival on the 12th through the 15th

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Super excited to be a part of this event coming up on November 12 - 15th. I’ve got two pieces being debuted, “Ablation Cutie” and “Aurora (Migration)” this Thursday, the 12th between 8pm and 9pm.

Those in NY can come to the festival at Lightbox in Manhattan, and those outside of NY can take part virtually in Sansar & watch the pieces streamed on Twitch!

Tickets here

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Drip // A sketch with the in-progress Gleix Video Modular

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Via youtube description -

I've been quietly working on a DIY Modular Video Synthesizer. Here's a little sketch using the current working modules, a circuit bent Casio SK-1, and the Modbox 37. Lots to document on the modular! A lot has been done but I've not documented it just yet, hoping to get to that soon - more to come.

Casio SK-1 & MB37: http://gleix.net/modbox-37

Initial blogpost re: modular: http://gleix.net/updates/2020/9/25/beginning-the-gleix-video-modular

Footage from my installation @ The Cityfox Experience Halloween 2019

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Put together some footage of my install at last years Cityfox Halloween festival.

gleix.net/installandav

Around this time last year I was given the opportunity to put together a themed composition with synchronized lighting for the "Lobby of the Lost" at the Cityfox Experience Halloween Festival at Avant Gardner here in Brooklyn.

The 30 minute piece moves through a series of dark atmospheres, anxiety driven percussive moments, ambient textures and (given the room's theme) some eerie circus-type melodies. The music is accompanied by a collection of sequenced strobe lights, chandeliers, wash lights, and glowing gowns that surround the room.

Both the music and the lighting sequence were written in Image-Line’s FL Studio. The lighting sequence, written in a series of 14-bit MIDI triggers and automation envelopes next to the music, is sent in real-time via a loopback into Derivative Touchdesigner where the data is processed and sent out as DMX values to each of the fixtures. A simple previz system was also built within Touchdesigner to visualize the lighting data during the sequencing process.

It was an absolute highlight of my year getting to dive into such a unique project and see it all come together. To everyone at the venue who helped in any way, Billy for the opportunity, and those who came by to check out what I went nuts working on for a couple weeks, thank you. Hope to do something like this again some day 🎃 Happy Halloween!

https://www.gleix.net https://www.instagram.com/gleix

Thank you to https://www.brendanzoltowski.com for helping capture footage during the event.

#cityfox #halloween #installation #synchronizedlighting #touchdesigner #flstudio

New build: Circuit bent Casio SA-8

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Model No. GSA8-03

A commissioned circuit bent Casio SA-8 build.

  • Hard on/off switch

  • 1/8” switching audio output jack

  • Squealing feedback/distortion knob with on/off

  • Glitch trigger button with depth knob

  • Power indicator LED, lightly flashes to audio output

  • Five additional tone select buttons allowing access to an additional 75 voices

  • A switch for dropping the clock speed of the SA-8 allowing it to run in a much slower, pitched down mode

    October, 2020.

Via the Casio SA series page.

Beginning the Gleix Video Modular

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After building the VGS-35, VGS-FB, and eventually the 100PFB, I realized that I wanted to do a more fully-formed video synthesizer for myself.

I went back and forth on layout designs, enclosures, what to include, how to include it, and ultimately realized that the project was continuously expanding in scope as I learned more and more. I was removing features based on the size of the enclosures I could find, and limiting the functionality as a result.

So, after realizing that I don’t want to limit myself, and I want to be able to expand my video synth as I continue to learn, I’ve decided to go the modular route.

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Panel Progress

I’ve been working first on designing a layout and building a few panels. None of these are functional yet, except for the LFO which I built based on Niklas Ronnberg’s design as I needed a module for testing purposes.

As things develop I hope to build out a dedicated spot in the Devices section for these modules so I can document their development and share resources.

For Sale: Circuit bent Hing Hon EK-001, Casio SA-2, Casio SA-9

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I’ve got a few things for sale which you can check out here!

I’m in the process of making videos for each device, but I’ve linked to previous builds that are very similar to the ones for sale. Feel free to get in touch with any questions you might have!