Tag Archives: Sound Design

Playlist Started for Rev2 Experimental Patch Set

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This incomplete playlist will eventually feature all 128 presets from the AudioCookbook.org Experimental Patch set for the Prophet Rev2. This collection includes experimental, glitch, special effects, and a few conventional patches. All the patches are entirely original creations built from the ground up or through custom morphing software developed in Max for Live for the Rev2. I’ll post more tracks to the playlist soon. Let me know if you have questions or if you’re interested in the set. Thanks!

Experimental Sound Set for the Prophet Rev2

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Although I haven’t mentioned it here, I have had a 16 voice Sequential Prophet Rev2 since November 23, 2018. In the last two months I have programmed a full bank of 128 patches for the instrument. This isn’t something I would normally do for any instrument. For most instruments I program a handful of patches that I need, or simply create or modify the patches as I work in the studio.

So why spend two months creating 128 patches? One reason why is because the scope of timbral possibilities is vast. One can create glistening, glassy, and bright tones or contrasting warm and dark sounds just as easily as one another. Secondly the process of creating patches is fun with minimal menu diving. Thirdly, if the patches are received well I’ll offer them for sale as a downloadable set.

Lastly, I have designed a Max for Live device (see image above) that morphs, interpolates, and/or randomized specified parameters on the synth. This software, titled Rev2 Patch Degrader, is similar to the what I created for the PreenFM2 and for the Yamaha TX81Z. It has allowed me to discover and tweak dozens of experimental soundscapes with many more to come. Developing the software took over a month, but I was able to get some excellent features packed into it. For example, there are four ways to initialize new patches: init 0s, init pad, init perc, and init random. The degrading process will then change parameters over time (clocked or in milliseconds) to new values.

In the next few weeks I’ll share some more examples of patches I have made on the Rev2. In the meantime, please let me know if you’re interested in what I’m tentatively calling the AudioCookbook Experimental Sound Set. Also, let me know if you’re interested in the Rev2 Patch Degrader for Max for Live. Thanks!

Video: Panic by Proxy Live at the Walker

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On August 23, 2018 I debuted a new piece in remote collaboration with Syrian artist and filmmaker Khaled Alwarea. PANIC BY PROXY is an audiovisual translation of clips from Alwarea’s award winning film Panic Attack. The piece was commissioned by MN Artists for their MN Artists Presents series at the Walker Art Center, curated by Essma Imady.

The performance featured audiovisual objects projected and amplified while being granulated using Audiovisual Grain Machine (AVGM) — software I developed that performs audiovisual granular synthesis in realtime using a touch controller. Other instruments included Rhodes, Moog Sub 37, Novation Circuit, Korg KP3+, and an Electro-Harmonix Memory Man Delay. The dissonance, distortion, and uncanny synchronization in the sound and visuals illicit feelings of disturbance and confusion as an expression of the artist’s anxiety.

This video includes most of the performance and has only been edited for length. Thanks to Esmaa Imady for inviting me to participate in the event, Khaled Alwarea for his amazing film work, and Emily Gastineau at MN Artists for organizing the event. Read more about Esmaa Imady and the other artists who participated in this event on Hyperallergic.

StoryCorps at the Fitzgerald Theater

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I am excited to announce that I was commissioned by Minnesota Public Radio to compose music with Cody McKinney for a StoryCorps event at the Fitzgerald Theater on Thursday, April 5th at 7:00pm. Tickets are free and can be reserved on the event page.

As we have learned in the last couple of weeks, composing music to be performed live as accompaniment for recorded stories poses a number of interesting challenges that are significantly different from composing music for film, animation, games, and even podcasts. First of all it is important to stay out of the way. The compositions are short and simple vignettes that may simply emphasize a point or enhance an emotional state. More than that might obscure the story or twist its message. Secondly, fewer is better than more parts. Often one instrument is enough, but more than two and you might be starting to interfere with the dialogue. The parts generally need space and atmosphere rather than density and complexity.

Thirdly, sound design is music. Yeah I said it. I believe it shouldn’t be separated from the music in this instance. Treating the sound design as an instrumental layer in the compositions has been a very good way to approach this task. Giving the sound design meter, dynamics, and rests allows it to fit well within the piece. Rests and dynamics might seem obvious, but what about meter? I don’t mean meter in the sense of literal tempo and time signature, but instead a sense of pacing so that the sound design elements enter and exit with purpose.

Fourth, but not last, including an element of theater is a valuable approach. Theatrics in music definitely gets me out of my comfort zone. Generally I am the last to agree to anything that resembles theater. However, because the stories are not being delivered by a performer, it’s helpful for the audience see what the musical performers are doing to illustrate the depth of the narratives. To that end we will be providing “tells” for many of the sound design elements, and performing most of the parts on instruments and noise making devices.

Drone Trick with Arturia KeyStep and Novation Circuit

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Look, ma! No capo!

Lately I’ve been using a capo (yes the kind for guitar) to hold down a note on the KeyStep in order to drone a note on the Novation Circuit’s Synth 1 while playing notes on Synth 2. It’s awkward but works. Today while prepping for ISSTA.ie I stumbled on a way to drone a note on the Circuit with the KeyStep and no capo necessary! Here are the steps to drone Synth 1 and then play new notes/sequences/arps on Synth 2:

1. Make sure the KeyStep is setup in Keyboard Play mode by pressing Shift and Oct+.
2. Enable hold by pressing the Hold button.
3. Put the KeyStep in pause mode so that the pause/play button is flashing.
4. Hold Shift and press the low F to set the KeyStep to MIDI channel 1.
5. Play and hold the note(s) you’d like to drone (anything but the low Gb because you’ll need that key to switch channels)
6. Keep holding the note(s) and switch to MIDI channel 2 (Shift + the low Gb).
7. Un-pause play/pause and release the note(s)

Once you’ve lifted the note(s) you can re-pause or play arps or seqs on Synth 2 because essentially you have a stuck note on Synth 1 (just double tap stop to unstick the note). If you don’t want to hear Synth 2 when un-pausing, just make sure it’s down in the mix. This trick works while the Circuit is stopped or playing and will continue until double tapping stop on the KeyStep. It’s even possible to change the existing stuck note(s) by following the same steps. It’s easier than it reads, as you will see in the video below: