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Hybrid Machine Zone

Welcome to the "Hybrid Machine" Zone! Here you find some information about "Hybrid Machine":

• CDs and sound clips

• The project

• International reviews

If you want to order our CDs please fax us the completed CD order form or simply send an e-mail.

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ICDs von "Hybrid Machine" 

Hybrid Machine: Debut (1996)

This is the first CD by the synthesizer project "Hybrid Machine". The CD contains enjoyable electronic music with modern sound structures, interesting sequencer lines, superb melodies. 

Debut! impresses the listener with it´s superb musical and technical quality.

Originally Debut! was released by the EAR label, and we are very happy to offer you a limited quantity of this excellent album. This CD is available for Euro 13,50. Please use our CD order form. 

Hybrid Machine: Eloquence (1998)

An enthusiastic fan wrote: Eloquence starts where Kraftwerk has stopped years ago. ;-) This CD is available for Euro 13,50. Please use our CD order form.

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Although I (Alexander Guelfenburg) am absolutely fascinated by the technical aspects of synthesizers, I also like the musical output of electronic sound systems. I am very happy to present you my "private" project: Hybrid Machine

Since 1986 I´ve been working with electronic sound sources like synthesizers, samplers and also text-to-speech systems. My personal target was the creation of a virtual pop group. 

Robovox - The MIDI-controllable synthetic voice
The large interest in synthetic voices and language lead to the development of Robovox*, a MIDI controllable voice synthesizer. It can be played with a MIDI keyboard (or a sequencer) in addition of a phonetic MIDI keyboard (or a sequencer). This prototype (see the photo on the right) can sing syllables interactively, but playing it is very complex. Creating a sung verse takes several days. The challenge is to get a smooth sequence of syllables. 

Functional principle 
The Robovox prototype consists of two separate MIDI interfaces (Heavily modified Doepfer MCV-1). The upper interface controls the syllables which are stored in the voice chip (it is installed in a small board). The lower interface controls the clock of the oscillator and therefore varies the pitch of the voice. When producing a song I use two separated tracks in the MIDI sequencer to play Robovox. The first track plays the melody and the second track controls the syllables.  

Evolution of Robovox
In the beginning Robovox was able to play it´s voice with a fixed frequency only. After recording the voice I used an Eventide H-3000 Ultra-Harmonizer or a Roland Vocoder to get the voice to it´s correct pitch. Interesting is the fact that the Eventide was my only harmonizer which worked properly with artificial speech. All other harmonizers produced annoying artefacts, which you can hear in sound clip no.1 (Data Dreamings).

Robovox MP3 Download Area
Artificial voice; pitched with artefact	MP3
Artificial voice; pitched with artefact	MP3
Artificial voice trough vocoder	MP3
Artificial voice without pitching	MP3
SPO 256 Chip	MP3
Artificial voice sequence	MP3
Votrax Chip	MP3

Text-to-Speech
For creating artificial voice I use special TTS-chips (Text to Speech). These electronic chips produce artificial speech depending on the binary code, which feeds the chip. Several text blocks give the impression of a spoken text. In Robovox I use three different chip types: The SPO-256, the Votrax SC-01 and the Votrax SC-02. You can hear the SPO-256 in the beginning of my version of "Being Boiled", which is on my second album "Eloquence". This chip has a very cool and metallic voice. It sounds similar to the SAM software on the Commodore C-64 computer. The Votrax-chips sound softer and more "comfortable". You can hear them on "Virtual Reality" on "Eloquence", too.  

The first CD: Debut!
Hybrid Machine´s first CD - Debut! - contains "conventional" synthesizer music. Although the hardware of Robovox was finished the operation of the prototype was not optimal. In Debut! I used Robovox several times, but only as an effect and not as a singing voice. 

The second CD: Eloquence
It took another two years to finish the "Robovox" prototype and I began to produce this conceptional album. The combination of synthetic voices, digital harmonizers, analogue vocoders and various effect units lead to the two virtual pop singers "Arthur Artificial" and "Sindy Synthetico".

Only another two years later the prototype "Robovox" was perfected and I could produce this concept album with that. The combination of the synthetic voice with various Vocodern, Harmonizern and other stock exchange securities led to the two virtual pop-stars; namely "Arthur Artificial" and "Sindy Synthetico".

Eloquence contains 11 tracks, the album always seems to be entertainingly, interesting and humorous, although it has some social critical thoughts. E.g. the track "Kronado de maschino" - sung in the artificial language "Esperanto" - warns of the perfect machine which can take control over men. In "Data Dreaming" Arthur sings that robots have feelings, too. There are also two cover versions. Kraftwerks hit "The model" and Human League´s "Being Boiled". Both versions sound very modern and are sung by Arthur Artifical, the virtual male singer.

Eloquence got some rewards, e.g 1999 the "German award of contemporary music".

Robovox today
Robovox is still a prototype for creating artificial singing voices. Robovox won´t be sold nor rented out. These voices are exclusively a property of the project "Hybrid Machine".

* Approximately at the same time Florian Schneider von Esleben developed a similar system and gave it the same name "Robovox". I declare that neither Schneider nor I copied the concept or the name of "Robovox" from each other.

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