Peter Blasser’s highly unique paper circuits fascinate me for three reasons.
The voice architecture is based on a ring of self modulating oscillators, they are living sound beings. They can be “played” by touching the wires of the circuit it self, the musician becomes part of the circuit. And most importantly they are easy to make thanks to Peter’s use of paper circuit boards, a technique perhaps borrowed from the old time feminine art of needlepoint.
My main break-through with the Magic Organ build was to use one of my much treasured but previously useless cardboard LP covers as the front panel/paper circuit structure. The photo shows a two channel version of Peter’s “Old Mr Grassi” synth that I am currently building. I have downloaded the layout from his site http://www.ciat-lonbarde.net/paper/index.html, photocopied it, sticky-taped it to a chosen LP cover. Punched holes with an awl and am using tinned copper wire to connect the components underneath. When finished, the photocopy will be ripped out to leave the album cover artwork showing thru the playable circuitry. I have strengthened the LP cover with a layer or clear contact sheet. Characteristically Peter has taken this a step further making some versions just with wire and components by ultimately dissolving the paper! (see a pic on the site above)
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