Turned-On Tijuana, An Ambisonic Surround-Sound Analogue Synth EP, AMBI0001
(Not available any more as the limited MCPS license has been used up. You'll have to search for the few CD-Rs sold if you're really feeling that way inclined:)
This is a four track CD-R containing four transcriptions from the original 1960s hits. It comes in a standard jewel case with decorative printed booklet, rear inserts and CD label. The booklet spiele gives an accurate impression of what to expect.
Booklet Spiele
Turned-On Tijuana; An Analogue Synthesiser Ambisonic Surround-Sound Album
The
Turned-On Tijuana concept combines a synergistic fusion of high
grade traditional analogue synthesis, audiophile quality
Ambisonic surround-sound techniques and the latest digital
recording methods in a concentrated, strongly melodic, and
purely entertaining musical experience. Taking the very finest
Tijuana tunes from the 1960s and 70's, they are faithfully
transcribed then rendered into sound using genuine
one-track-at-a-time multitrack analogue synthesiser methods with
the utmost care and attention to detail. None of the complexity
of melody, harmony, beat, or humour is lost. Indeed it could be
stated that the inner beauty of the songs is revealed in an even
sharper light than ever before possible, thanks to modern
solid-state technology and the synthesist's respect for the
idiom. All actual sound generation is created externally from
any digital computer system with a home-made modular synthesiser
comprising both traditional modules and some truly unique units.
These include a graphical abitrary waveform generator, a
hardware additive synthesis Hammond emulator, authentic
tape-based "Itchycoo" flanger and triple-tank spring
reverberation. Vintage Audio and Design Ambisonic mastering
equipment is used for soundfield placement and real time
movement of individual tracks, while a novel oscillator based
panning system is used to spin sounds around the listener at any
variable speed or under manual joystick control.
While
a commercial Ambisonic microphone is available from the
Soundfield company, a home-made economy version was used for
this collection of tracks, in keeping with the idiosyncratic
low-budget, high-value style. This tetrahedral array of four
directional microphones is used to capture live sounds on
location, and performances in the environment external to the
studio which form a key aspect of the Turned-On paradigm. This
serves to transport the listener out of the limited space of
purely electronic synthesis and into a strange and unusual
nether region of startlingly accurate recorded sounds combined
with the finest ambient electronica.
So
dance to the beat of the Ambisonic Synth, the all-new surround
sound that is... Turned On Tijuana!
UHJ Encoded Ambisonic Surround Sound
Sometimes considered to be a throwback to the unfortunate quadraphonic era of the 1970s, Ambisonic surround sound is fully compatible with conventional mono and stereo reproduction on loudspeakers or headphones and demonstrates a remarkable compatibility with Dolby Stereo decoders. In common with Dolby Stereo the system encodes full horizontal surround sound into any conventional stereo delivery medium, be that Compact Disc, AAC, MP3, WAV file, SACD or even FM stereo and the lowly compact cassette. While true Ambisonic decoder systems are rare, Dolby Stereo is now commonplace in the home, and the B-format Ambisonic mastering method enables highly musical surround placements to be generated with minimum complexity and an unparalleled independence from individual speaker placement restrictions.
Track List
1. Tijuana Taxi, Featuring the 1992 Peugeot 205XT
2. Spanish Flea, featuring a concrete fire escape
3. Casino Royale, featuring a Vodka Martini, shaken not spilt.
4. South Of The Border, featuring the lower bong of a Friedland chime in lieu of a tubular bell.
The underlined tracks are links to mp3 files which you can listen to, but note that they have been doctored to avoid copying. The CD version is un-doctored and also uncompressed of course.
Extras
For the tecchies, the data section of the CD-R contains B-Format .wxyz wav files of the tunes for those with special Ambisonic decoding equipment. There are also about thirty pictures of the analogue synth equipment, soundfield microphone etc.
For those with the correct
playback equipment, B-format versions of some of the tracks
are available at the Ambisonic Bootlegs site.
These recordings İHenry J. Walmsley. All copyright works have been cleared for use, and royalties paid via MCPS.