OMBAK

1.2 · a gamelan-inspired instrument for the M-VAVE FM-1 · cheat sheet
The FM-1's panel, labelled for Ombak MASTER is volume. SELECT walks the modes on HOME. PRESETS walks the gamelan. ALGORITHM sets the tempo. Knobs 1 to 4 on HOME are OMBAK, DENSITY, SPACE and BREATH. OCT minus and plus move the white keys' octave. Buttons: FX the space, held for throws; SEL the page's action, on HOME an angsel; ENV SHAPE; LFO the library; EDIT the gamelan; GLO SYSTEM; HOME; SAVE; ARP the gongs by the cycle or by hand; SEQ starts and stops the cycle; PLAY and REC the loop. Black keys 1 to 5 strike the gongs, 6 to 10 bring the kotekan, reyong, ornaments, drums and suling in and out, 11 is the ending. The white keys play your gendèr and lead the core melody. MASTER volume SELECT HOME: the modeat the gong · pages: the row PRESETS gamelan ‹ ›at the gong ALGORITHM tempo, 3–96 (glides)SHAPE: the page's · holds: extra OCT− OCT+ white keys' octave, ±1 both 5 s: update mode HOME ᬒᬁ the cycle round the rim, a light travelling MODE, GAMELAN OMBAK DENSITY SPACE BREATH any page goes back to HOME after 30 s on HOME · in a hold, what the hold plays KNOB 1OMBAK KNOB 2DENSITY KNOB 3SPACE KNOB 4BREATH Hold any button a moment: it says what it does. white keys: your gendèr, and the next core note · held: bends

The holds: hold one, the knobs play it

HoldK1K2K3K4ALGO
Gong b1–5LEVELTONEHUMRINGPLACES
Kotekan b6DENSITYREGISTERTURNSPARSElevel
Reyong b7RATEREGISTERTURNSPARSElevel
Ornaments b8PICKUPOCTAVESREGISTERSPARSElevel
Drums b9KENDANGCENG-CENGBUSYSLAP
Suling b10BREATHVIBRATOREGISTERGLIDElevel
Ending b11AFTERSLOWINGTHINNINGGLIDE
White keySHIMMEROMBAKPLACESWELL
FX (throws)SHIMMERFREEZEDIP ±HUSHOMBAK

Gongs, parts and the ending keep what you set; a part held to shape it does not switch. Bends and throws drift back when you let go; SAVE while holding FX keeps the throws. A gong key strikes as you press it.

SHAPE (ENV): four knobs a page

PageK1K2K3K4ALGO
ENSEMBLECOREKOTEKANREYONGGONGSGENDÈR
GENDÈRBRIGHTRINGBLOOMDAMPlevel
BARSBRIGHTRINGMALLETBLOOMcore
REYONGBRIGHTRINGMALLETlevel
GONGSHUMSWELLBODYOMBAKlevel
DRUMSKENDANGCENG-CENGBUSYSLAP
SULINGBREATHVIBRATOREGISTERGLIDElevel
TIDESRATESPACESWELLOMBAKSHAPE
PANGENDÈRCOREKOTEKANGONGSRATE
PAN 2the same four's swayOFFSET

ENV again or SELECT: the next page. SEL on SHAPE: A/B (two shapes, this session's).

Playing

  • SEQ starts the cycle with the gong; again, it stops and rings out.
  • White keys lead: the core lands on the note at the next beat, the parts turn toward it.
  • ALGO on HOME: the tempo, the ensemble gliding to it · black 11: the ending, closing on the gong.
  • SEL on HOME: an angsel, the next beat breaks into accented strokes.
  • ARP: the gongs by the cycle or by your hand (black 1–5).
  • Black 6–10: kotekan, reyong, ornaments, drums, suling in or out.

The loop: the core, for you

RECrecord the core from the next cycle · again: cancel
PLAYhold the loop (you lead) · again: back
PLAY held, or REC + PLAYclear it

Slow and still

  • STILL: a note every ten seconds, the suling's long breath.
  • ALGO down: as far as a note every 20 s.
  • FX held: FREEZE the space, HUSH the ensemble away.
  • SLEEP (SYSTEM): the ending on its own, after 20–90 min.

Pages

FXSPACE: DECAY SIZE SHIMMER TONE · SPACE 2: MOTION INTERVAL LOW CUT LEVEL
EDITGAMELAN: tuning, mode, form, cycle, the gongs, core and kotekan instruments, kotekan style, parts in / out
LFOLIBRARY: SEL opens · MINE 1–4: SAVE keeps the work there
GLOSYSTEM: HOME, SLEEP, MIDI, output, RESET SOUND · again: BENCH

The gamelan (PRESETS)

  • GENDER WAYANG · SEMAR PEGULINGAN · ANGKLUNG
  • STILL (Ombak's own) · GONG GEDE · GILAK
  • LADRANG (Java) · GONG KEBYAR · SELONDING (iron)
  • Forms: FREE, gilak, lancaran, ketawang, ladrang · kotekan: circling, norot, nyog cag, empat

Good to know

  • It saves itself once the sound rests; SAVE saves now.
  • MIDI (channel 1): notes from middle C, black keys the gongs, CC 20–25, clock both ways.
  • Eleven measured tunings; the names and sources are in the manual.