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The EAR Performance Synthesizer

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In May of 2006, Alessandro Cortini, keyboard player for Nine Inch Nails, contacted Electro-Acoustic Research to develop a custom mid-sized performance-based synthesizer. Housed within a 26 x 18 inch Zero Halliburton suitcase, this synth is completely portable and is fitted entirely with Livewire and Plan B modules, many of which were developed exclusively for this instrument. It's caught the eye of the media. Go here

Detailed information on this system follows.

Take a tour into the belly of the beast: Click on any of the modules in the photo above for a top-up functonal description. Warning: some of these modules are narrow and hard to locate here, but all are selectable (including all regions of the top and bottom utility strips, such as the headphone pre and trigger actuators). The photo as shown is not the final configuuration of this instrument, but does include all of its functionality

System Overview:

Top Utility Strip:

Multiples

Top Row:

Plan B Model 15 Complex VCOs (3)
Plan B Model 13 Dual Timbral Gates (2)
Livewire Dalek Modulator (1)*
Plan B Model 10 Polyphonic Envelope Generator (1)*
Plan B Model 18 4 in/stereo out mixer with VC pan*
Plan B VCA/Inverter

Middle Row:

Livewire Sub Divider (1)
Livewire Dual Bissell Generator (1)*
Plan B Model 24 Heisenberg Generator (1)
Livewire Dual Cyclotron (1)
Livewire Noise/Sample and Hold (1)*
Plan B Model 12 State Variable Vactrol FIlter (1)
Livewire Frequensteiner Multimode filters (2)
Plan B 4 in/ 1 out mixer

Bottom Row:

Plan B Model 10 Polyphonic Envelope Generator (2)*
Plan B Model 14 Dual Processor (1)*
Livewire Trigger Divider
Plan B Model 21 Milton Grande (prototype) fitted with internal VC Clock Plan B Model 10 Polyphonic Envelope Generator (1)*

Bottom Utility Strip:

Plan B Dual Manual Trigger Source
Multiples
Livewire Headphone preamp w/level control

* - slated for commercial release in the coming weeks