This work-in-progress is based on several self-developed modular performance systems that are compact and small. They are neither one-trick ponies nor all-in-one systems. Each one expresses a specific musical idea and represents a specific instrument for improvisation and live performance. All components are analog. There's no MIDI, no sequencers, and no keyboard.
Rhibozom
A hybrid modular instrument consisting of a Doepfer A-110-2 VCO, a Doepfer A-114 Ring Modulator, a double LFO generator, a Doepfer A-121-3 Multimode filter, a Doepfer A-118-2 Noise generator, and a Doepfer A-138f Dual 3-Way-Crossfader. Two compact, battery-powered loudspeakers are manipulated by metal tea boxes and conch shells that act as filters, distortion units, or resonators.
Karlheinz Essl playing Rhibozom
Studio kHz (9 Apr 2026)
PowerHorse
This small device produces a wide range of sounds, from harmonious to noisy, glitchy and unstable. It comprises a voltage-controlled oscillator, a ring modulator, a function generator and two LFOs, as well as a voltage-controlled filter. Pink noise and a sine wave are supplied by the KORG NTS-2 oscilloscope, which also displays the resulting waveform.
Karlheinz Essl playing PowerHorse
Studio kHz (20 Feb 2026)
TimeJunk
A minimalist modular system comprising a phase-locked loop, a random generator, a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) and a resonating voltage-controlled filter (VCF), with lots of feedbacks and cross-modulations. The resulting waveform is displayed on a KORG NTS-2 oscilloscope.
Karlheinz Essl playing TimeJunk
Studio kHz (9 Feb 2026)
MTM
My first experiment with the Music Thing Modular Workshop System, a powerful compact modular desktop system. In this patch, I was creating a chaotic system using two ring-modulated oscillators with frequency modulation from two slope generators and a self-resonating bandpass filter.
Karlheinz Essl playing MTM
Studio Ölberg (15 Jan 2026)
The Noiser
A small modular performance system based on simple Doepfer modules, including a basic VCO, a noise random generator, a quad LFO with a signal mixer, a ring modulator, and an Endorphines function generator for creating pulses. The mix of the three sources (VCO, ring-modulated VCO and ring-modulated noise) is controlled by a dual 3-way crossfader. No filter is used!
Karlheinz Essl playing The Noiser
Studio kHz (3 Dec 2025)
The WaveBreaker
A small modular performance system based on a ring-modulated Benjolin and two ring-modulated MakeNoise MATH function generators. It is controlled by the new WORNG Quiver modulation engine. The sound of both sources is enriched and distorted by a feedback patch on a small Mackie mixer.
Karlheinz Essl playing The WaveBreaker
Studio kHz (27 Nov 2025)
The Wobbler
A small modular performance system based on a MakeNoise Wogglebug, an ORBIT 3 Chaos Oscillator, a self-resonating bandpass filter, a CLANG wave shaper a VALLEY timbre generator controlled by a Soundmachine LS1lightstrp.
Karlheinz Essl playing The Wobbler
Studio kHz (19 Sep 2025)
The Miner
A small modular performance system with an Airstreamer function generator, a Doepfer Phase-Locked Loop, a standard VCO and an Opto VCF that is controlled by a Theremin controller.
Karlheinz Essl playing The Miner
Studio kHz (20 Feb 2025)
The ChaoStick
A small modular performance system based on a Benjolin that is controlled by a Doepfer joy stick. The rhythm is created with a ring modulator controlled by a MakeNoise MATH function generator.
Karlheinz Essl playing The ChaoStick
Studio kHz (10 Feb 2025)
