Recently I have been working hard on getting my Max for Live instrument, GrainMachine, ready for release. It’s just about ready to go. I can’t name a date just yet, but I can tell you that it will be available as a free download. Here’s an example sound that I created with the instrument to go along with an example Live set I’ll be including with the release.
GrainMachine Example Sample
Here’s the same passage from the last entry without the subharmonics for comparison purposes.
Arppegiated Polysynth Sans Subs
Here’s another example of manually applying subharmonic frequencies to a musical phrase. I used the Bitstream 3X arpeggiator to drive the Roland MKS-80 then duplicated the track. On the second track I dropped the frequency by twelve semi-tones and ran it through a low-pass filter effectively eliminating upper harmonics and creating subharmonic frequencies based on the original piece. Although this technique sounds good, it’s not exactly practical, so soon I repeat the experiments with some processors that are designed specifically to do this.
Arpeggiated Poly Subs
Played these chords on the Super Jupiter the same day I recorded the last sound. As is my habit, I programmed the patch without saving it, so this will be a one off microtrack unless I decide to reverse engineer the sound for one reason or another. Again, I decided to apply the same technique to add the bass frequencies as I did before (adding it to another layer, dropping the pitch an octave, and running it through a low pass filter). Out of curiosity, what processors do you use to create subharmonic frequencies in your work? Do you use hardware or software? What in your opinion are the advantages and disadvantages of each?
Polyphonic Synth with Subs (Part 2)
I played this passage of notes on the Roland MKS-80 after spending a couple of days programming sounds. Listening back I wanted to hear more bass, so I looked around for a good subharmonic generator plugin, but didn’t find anything and decided to just add it to another layer, drop the pitch and then run it through a low pass filter. After some customized chorus settings, delay, and reverb, this is what I ended up with.
Polyphonic Synth Passage with Subharmonics