Add the Groundbreaking 223e to Your Buchla System
Though Buchla’s 223e Multi-dimensional Kinesthetic Input/Tactile Input Port module is admittedly a mouthful, it's core functionality is straightforward. The 223e is comprised of two core elements: the input/output module and the control surface. The former manages the I/O functions of the latter, including its own CV outputs, editing/programming, and a built-in arpeggiator. Buchla’s control surface is the aforementioned Multi-dimensional Kinesthetic Input — a 27-pad module with an ergonomic arrangement that is befitting of the Thunderbird of Indigenous mythology (as was the case with its predecessor: Buchla’s own Thunder controller). Each keypad is pressure sensitive from featherweight to several pounds of force, with 14 responding to location in one or two dimensions. At Sweetwater, we’ve seen plenty of synthesizers throughout the years, and Buchla’s 223e is a concept as groundbreaking and fascinating now as it was in the 1980s. Experience it for yourself and add one to your system today!
Tactile topology and sonic morphology
While the control surface may look aesthetically pleasing, it’s difficult not to wonder how one approaches something like this. It may best be thought of as a sampler of sorts, but with the tactile scope of a pressure- and velocity-sensitive keyboard controller. Using the input port module, user-defined groups can be programmed for anywhere from 1 to 25 keys, controlling pulses, control voltages, pressure, and impact responses. The 12 long keys respond to movement along the keys as well as direct pressure and impact, while the two hexagonal pads operate in two dimensions as joysticks with X/Y responses, creating unorthodox and compelling opportunities for expressive composition. This 3-panel controller can be integrated into any equal-sized spot within a 200e-series cabinet (typically on the bottom for player convenience), or mounted in a passive frame, separately.
Programming and arpeggiation
The Input Port may run the gauntlet of “most outputs in a Buchla module,” and you’ll be happy they’re there once you get your lay of the land. An LCD screen is accompanied by “page” and “cursor” buttons, and a “data” wheel — with these, the programming begins. Out of the box, the 223e control surface is zeroed out; it will not produce sound right away, even if you get your outputs and inputs going. The Input Port module allows you to program each key, including impact, CV, pressure, pulse, and (in some cases) location data. This allows you to create any myriad of arrangements of tone, scale, and expressiveness, such as sending location data (tactile input along a long or hex key) to modulate spatial dynamic swirling in the quadraphonic playback of a 227e, for example. Buchla also employs the use of “radios” to implement a sort of polyphony, producing luscious soundscapes and multi-variable texture fields. The 223e’s arpeggiator can be programmed across five patterns that draw from a selected key groupings: rising, falling, triangle, random, and spiral. In conjunction with the 225e or 206e preset manager, all parameters and key maps can be locally store and subsequently recalled — this is highly recommended for anyone looking to incorporate the 223e into their Buchla system.
Buchla: the crossroads of sonic excellence and game-changing technology
The name Buchla is synonymous with some of the most compelling, convention-breaking technology to emerge in the musical spheres of the mid-20th-century’s electronic awakening. A pioneer of electronic music and instrument design, Don Buchla founded his namesake company in the 1960s, following the success of a modular electronic music system that was commissioned by composers on a Rockefeller Foundation grant. For the next 50 years, Don lived on the bleeding edge of electronic music synthesis. He incorporated uncommon coding languages, touch- and pressure-sensitive surfaces, and spatial location modulation, eventually innovating for the likes of Oberheim, CBS, Zeta Music, E-Mu Systems, and Moog. Meanwhile, he also dedicated himself to make good on MIDI’s promise of the 1980s to be more than just a piano keyboard controller. By the 2000s, Don introduced his magnum opus with the 200e, a love letter to a half century of unparalleled innovation in modular and analog synthesis. Today, Buchla U.S.A. works diligently to uphold Don’s rich legacy and provide his classic designs alongside new iterations of products that are “designed to introduce the unique world of Buchla synthesis to a whole new generation of electronic music makers.”
Buchla 223e Multi-Dimensional Kinesthetic Input/Tactile Input Port Module Features:
- Multi-dimensional kinesthetic input port delivers highly customizable and ergonomic control options for your Buchla system
- Input port allows for complex programming and management of signal information for optimal system integration
- Onboard arpeggiation can be synched to pulse, internal, voltage-controllable clock, or MIDI
- Store presets, key mappings, and data for latter recall*
*Note: Storing and recalling presets requires use of the “remote enable” function, which is only available with the inclusion of a 225e or 206e in your Buchla system. Please contact your Sweetwater Sales Engineer with any questions or concerns.
