Category Archives: Sound Design

Sound design examples

Video: Rhodonea II at SEAMUS

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This video is a new interpretation of Rhodonea (Rhodonea II) that I performed for SEAMUS (the Society for Electroacoustic Music in the US) at Purdue University on Saturday, March 22, 2025. Attending and performing at the conference was a fantastic experience. I’ll share more about the event in future post.

The animated, generative, graphic score developed with Processing.org sends corresponding MIDI data to one of my favorite electronic instruments of late, the Dirtywave M8. Previously I performed the piece in Ireland at the inaugural Radical Futures conference.

The piece serves as a model of how we might collaborate with near future synthetic entities. Software feeds automated, algorithmic, projected visual cues, tempi, and low frequency oscillations to improvising electronic musicians. The visuals, based on Maurer Roses, suggest melodic, harmonic, and percussive gestures that are modulated by data streaming from the generative animations. Throughout the piece the artist adapts to the familiar yet unpredictable graphic scores and corresponding signals.

Note: please watch in full screen with the lights off and listen on headphones or high fidelity stereo speakers

Tracker Comparison – Polyend Tracker Mini vs Dirtywave m8

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First-time poster so I now seems like the best time to introduce myself. My name is Erik Tinberg – I’m a synthesizer enthusiast and sound design experimenter from Minneapolis, Minnesota. After spending a year with the Polyend Trackers and a few weeks with a Dirtywave m8 I wanted to write up an impartial comparison between the Tracker Mini and the m8 – which I originally posted on my website here. John asked if I’d post it here as well. I’m looking forward to continuing to experiment and participate in the AudioCookBook.

Polyend Tracker Mini and a Dirtywave m8, side by side.

Polyend Tracker Mini and a Dirtywave m8, side by side.

Recently I became enamored with two portable hardware Tracker machines: the Polyend Tracker Mini and the Dirtywave m8. The Mini is the smaller successor to the Polyend Tracker and the predecessor to the Polyend Tracker+. I originally purchased a Polyend Tracker when they were significantly discounted when the Tracker Mini was announced. While I was aware of the Dirtywave m8, I decided to purchase the Tracker for the following reasons:

  • The cost of the m8 was significantly more expensive.
  • The Tracker features a far greater number of dedicated buttons – making it appear more immediately usable.

Continue reading →

Electroacoustic Piano Concert via Modular Synthesis

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The last time I performed a series of electroacoustic piano pieces was November of 2016 (click the link for an audio example). However, I am always imagining interesting ways that the piano, one of the most ancient of all synthesizers ;-), can be processed, resampled, or re-synthesized. To that end I was recently offered an opportunity to play at Berlin, Not the city in Germany but the music venue in Minneapolis, on April 15, 2024.

In my previous performance I had used a Korg KP3+ and a Minifooger delay to simply sample and process the piano. While that simplicity allowed me to focus more on composing, this time I wanted to take a more flexible and unique approach to the electronics. Modular allows for this so I pillaged some modules from my main system and purchased a Happy Nerding FX AID XL to make an electroacoustic skiff designed for sampling, resampling, filtering, and processing incoming acoustic piano signals. From right to left the system includes Bela.io Gliss, Make Noise Morphagene, ALM Pamela’s Pro Workout, Make Noise Maths, Shakmat Dual Dagger, Electrosmith patch.init(), Happy Nerding FX AID XL, and Intellijel Outs. Continue reading →

Audiovisual Collaboration: Chris LeBLanc & Shawna Lee, Part 1

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This is the first in a series of live audiovisual collaborations with Chris LeBlanc and Shawna Lee. The performance was captured at at the Lakely in the Oxbow Hotel, Eau Claire, Wisconsin on September 30, 2023. Chris and Shawna produced live visuals using their integrated, modular video synthesis systems as I performed. This as yet untitled piece is driven by morphing drums and sequences on the Dirtywave M8 tracker. I also live looped a Rhodes pattern on the Numa X Piano GT. The formant-filtered-voice-like-lead was played on the Osmose Expressive E.

I’m thrilled with the analog visuals that Chris and Shawna produced. The image above shows Shawna’s (left) and Chris’ (right) video systems. Please take a look at their Instagram feeds to see more of their work:

Chris LeBlanc (@blindprophet)
Shawna Lee (@iamadot)

Osmose Expressive E and the Uncanny Valley

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The internet has been buzzing with demos of the Osmose Expressive E since they started arriving to VIPs studios earlier this year. I have been fascinated by it since 3D renders of it showed up in November of 2019. Four years later, I finally have it and now that I’ve had a day or two to allow my brain to reassemble itself I’m ready to say something about it.

There are many directions that artists will steer this machine. One is by leveraging physical modeling to emulate acoustic instruments. Doing this requires developing the techniques and having the knowledge to work the Osmose into matching the range and textures of the target instrument. Secondly it requires expertly designed patches that can translate the subtleties of the player’s expression into the expected nuances. Benn Jordan has a great video here that goes into detail about how this can be done. I do not intend to address the debate regarding “should this be done?” in this article, other than to state that there is an ongoing debate (perhaps since music was electrically amplified) along with far reaching consequences to musicians and the music industry at large of which we all ought to be aware. Continue reading →