The piece uses the Midi machines of the 1990s. First of all, the Roland D-110 sound module and the pitch-to-midi Takemine system. The 3 Fragmentos were born from the active collaboration with guitarist Arnaud Dumond and electroacoustic composer Francis Faber. It is certainly a fundamental work for this 'setup', primarily because it features a complete musical and technical score, making it entirely independent in its realization.

The characteristics of the Roland D-110 are the cornerstone of the composition, combining synthetic and sampled sounds with the acoustic sounds of the guitar. The Roland module uses a series of 8 logical operators designed for synthesis creation, Linear Arithmetic synthesis, along with other sampled tones. The final sounds of the module (see image from the D-110 Manual) are thus the result of a wide range of variants, already pre-set in factory presets, and can be fully reprogrammed and stored on the memory card disk. Additionally, a Harmonizer is required for the third movement and, in general, a sound system equipped with reverb for both the guitar and synth acoustics.

Mannis's primary choice is to merge, mix, and grade the natural sound of the guitar (captured via microphone or piezo pickup for nylon strings) with the synthesizer. The pitch-to-midi is therefore considered as an enhancement, with the acoustic nature of the instrument being fundamental. The Midi protocol connects the guitar to the D-110, activating frequencies and patches. It would be reductive here to talk only about a midi instrument controlling the sound module, such as midi keyboards: the 3 Fragmentos arise from the interaction of various sounds. The patches were defined by the composer based on the score and are selected via Midi during the performance (see image from the score).

The performance of the 3 Fragmentos can also be carried out by a single performer. In this case, to the general acoustic setup - mixer, sound speakers, effects - a pedal is added for patch selection. The fundamental types then lie in the overall balance of the materials used and an adequate approach to midi (guitar and synth). The photos highlight various instruments that can be used for performing the 3 Fragmentos. Of course, the Roland D-110 is out of production, but it is still possible to find some in dedicated sectors.

- Hexaphonic pickup ® Poly Drive Rmc IV also equipped with piezo pickup (volume and eq controls on the instrument) - Pitch-to-midi converter ® Terratec Axon 100 mk II (13 ms for pitch recognition) - Sound module ® Roland D-110 with Memory Card (provided by the "La grande fabrique" center)

Bibl.
Roland Midi Multi Timbral Sound Module D-110 Owner Manual, Roland Corporation, 1988
http://www.lagrandefabrique.com/
http://www.axon-technologies.net/