Ciat-Lonbarde Plumbutter
A synth manufacturer owned by Peter Blasser in Baltimore, Maryland USA. Ciat-Lonbarde specializes in making analog synthesizers in what might be called an "organic" style: cases are made from various woods (often salvage woods), and the general appearance and arrangement is to have the look and feel of a "folk" instrument. Most Ciat-Lonbarde synths are semi-modular to a greater or lesser extent depending on the model; banana jacks can be used to alter signal routings. The connection points are usually connected in a manner such that patching is more like circuit bending ; the general function of a jack is indicated by its color, but there is no other labeling. Similarly, controls are usually either unlabled or labeled by stylized nature glyphs, which are often etched into the wood. The idea is to encourage free-form experimentation.
Ciat-Lonbarde is known for publishing "paper circuits", this being a circuit board layout that can be printed on paper (or cardboard, cloth, etc.) and then constructed by laying copper tape on the paper to form traces. Through-hole components are pushed through at the indicated locations. Additional connections are made by point-to-point wiring. The idea is to provide a very inexpensive way to build interesting circuits.
