Xploration • Curation • Recommendation
A first impressions dive into Isn'tses Chernobylizer Radioactive Atmospherics Noise-Maker Mini Art Synthesizer
I was somewhat wowed by Isnt’tses Mini Art Synths at the recent Birmingham Noise Maker Market Show. These are intricately designed open circuits - with topological details worked into the surface - in a mix of black, white and gold, and various strategically and topologically placed components - which often represent structures from that landscape.
For the Chernobylizer the art-side is a mix of realism and impressionism - where the 4 large capacitors represent the 4 Chernobyl Nuclear Reactors - and the meandering river from that landscape features in the background - but you won’t be able to match it all those elements against any map or photograph - as the overall shape and layout - is more about the function and performance of the synthesiser - with those 9 gold touch pads around the perimeter. So it’s largely somewhat abstract and impressionistic in its overall shape!
You have those gold 9 touchpads at your disposal - each of which consists of 3 different contact points - which combine to stutter and warp the evolving soundscape - this involves moving 2 fingers around for both hands on either side of the synth - and trying different touch-combinations - to see which interrupt and manipulate the sound, and which don’t.
There are 6 manual controls - 5 mini pots, and 1 x 2-way Power Drain toggle switch - which knobs you need to wiggle a fair amount - particularly when engaging Power Drain - not all positions yield results - or fully interact with the touchpads - while it’s relatively easy to find suitable knob positions which yield the most fun results.
The output is a mix of sort of Static and White Noise / Radio Frequency Interference, Blips and Bloops, Geiger-Counter-like sharp clicks, ticks, and buzzing sounds, a lot of the time akin to dialling in an old radio - with a lot of atmospheric interferences and glitch-outs - and blippy stutter effects!
It certainly carries all those associated ’Radioactive’ sounds - while the genuine Chernobyl site is of course a lot more silent and deadly. This is an atmospheric ambient noise-synth that transports you to the aftermath of that Chernobyl Reactor Meltdown.
Chernobylizer Controls - Filter Frequency [RV1], Filter Resonance [RV2], Wet-Dry Cross-Fade [RV3], Power-Bend [RV4], Power-Starve [RV5], 6 x Power-Starve Touch Pads with 3 Contacts per Pad - combine to warp output, 3 x Bleed and Modulate Chaos Touch Pads.
The Chernobylizer is available from the Isn’tses Etsy Store - where it goes for £149.75 Fully Assembled, and £106.20 in Kit Form - where I recommend you get the extra Perspex base (£9.50) for further protection - exactly as mine is!
The Chernobylizer in use
A good starting point is to have RV1 @ Noon, RV2 @ Max CW, RV3 @ Noon, RV4 @ Max CW, and RV5 @ Max CW - then tweak the knobs from there - and slide 2 fingers on each hand back and forth along the different touchpads at the front of the circuit. Then every now and again flip the Power Drain switch down for even more impressive textures.
Anyone who has worked with circuits will understand the impact of Voltage Starve - and this mini synth creates an fully immersive radioactive soundscape which puts you in mind of a nuclear reactor disaster very evocatively. For me it's several minutes of fun - sessions can last as long as 10 to 15 minutes. While this will be an acquired taste for most!
I'm quite a fan of white-noise effects in any case - and I'm generally a fan of experimental electronic soundscapes - so this is very much bread and butter for me. It's a cool sensory overload - where the art is in the design of the device as well as its output - this is as much an Art Project as it is a noise-maker.
For some this will just be uncomfortable noise! While I have a similar-minded Fairfield Circuitry pedal called 'Roger That' - an FM Demodulating Distortion - which blends radio frequency interference with analog distortion to great effect, also the Beautiful Noise Effects Exploder combines White Noise interference with Distortion in a similar but slightly different way. So those can be considered to be somewhat adjacent to this Chernobylizer - as far a ballparks go. All-in-all quite familiar territory for me!
Our generation (X) has been much impacted by the lore of Chernobyl - via a myriad computer games and horror movies, and various docudramas. So there's definitely an added interest and impact for us from that Chernobyl disaster - I'm not sure the younger generations necessarily connect with it quite so closely.
The Chernobylizer is an exploratory experimental noise-maker synthesizer based on the premise of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Station Disaster. It was the first of Isn'tses synths that caught my attention - with the Mars Roveriser next in line - where I will probably check that one out next month!
You need to approach this synth with an exploratory and open mindset - and you should then have a lot of fun with it - providing of course you like those somewhat glitchy electronic white noise sounds!
Chernobylizer Accessories!
The Chernobylizer has 2 x mono 3.5mm outputs (CV style), and no volume control. As I mostly use this synth with headphones - I felt it necessary to buy a 2 x Mono TS to Stereo TRS Adapter - so I could listen in stereo through my headphones. I also decided I should have an inline passive attenuator / volume control - to regulate the output.
Some of the other Mini Art Synths have just a single mono output - so I bought a Single Mono to Stereo adapter - so I can get sound to both of the cans of my headphones. All those were acquired from Amazon.co.uk at different times.
I feel that these mini synths need some kind of dust cover or box to be contained in when not in use - otherwise they will be somewhat dust-magnets - and we get a lost of dust in London! Also - as all those components are exposes as such you can accidentally manhandle said object - so it really needs some protective case when not in use!
So I'm still seeking a protective perspex box for each of my Mini Synths to live in when not in use - suggestions are very welcome!
Next one up is the Mars Roveriser in about a month or so - while I will need to build some kind of Lego base for that - with help from Lisa and Tim from Isn'tses hopefully!
Overall - the Chernobylizer is a lot of fun - and a great introduction to these Mini Synths - while I'm told that the Mars Roveriser is even better!
Demos
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