Tending to the Timbral Garden - rhythmic modulation

[Ben Asaro]

I've been thinking a lot about mono synths lately; not monophonic synths, but more like monolithic synths: Taking a single synth voice, warping and twisting it, sculpting it into something new, something that doesn't need other voices alongside it to sound full and interesting.

This started with thinking about filters, modulation, and modulating modulation sources. I decided to see if I could set up a few complex, random, but interactive moduation lanes which I could then apply to a single voice and take something that is, when uneffected, utterly boring and bland, and make it into something interesting.

I started with a 4 note sequence on the NerdSeq (clocked from Pam's) feeding into a Boomstar Oscillation, sine wave output. I ran that through a wavefolder (Disting) and LPF (Doepfer Vintage). Simple!

I then took several of the outputs from Pam's and used them to trigger another step sequencer, Euclidean Circles, Branches, and Function. I mixed and matched rythmic triggers with envelopes and LFOs into a swirling mass of modulation that I then fed into VCAs and modulated further, and then brought them all back into the wavefolder and filter.

My initial findings are promising, and I'm looking forward to seeing how I can continue to grow in my sound design, explore this idea further into incorporating more improvisational and chance elements into my compositions, and folding all of this into the big project I'm currently working on.

https://soundcloud.com/asfollowswriting ... eriment-01



I would love to hear your thoughts on this subject in general as well as any critiques you may have of my own modulation experiment.

[Ben Asaro]

Further experimentation into the land of the weird; added a layer of Lyra-8, also going through a low pass filter and being modulated by 3 CV sources (and lfo and two envelopes being triggered by Euclidean Circles).

https://soundcloud.com/asfollowswriting ... on-test-02

[Martin Walker]

What I love about your posts Ben is that once you start exploring a new sonic concept I can be sure that there will be a link later on in the post so we can hear the results.

So much more inspirational than imagining it

(currently listening to Modulation Test 02 to hear how this new experiment is developing )

[Arpangel]

I’ve been thinking about this for a long time Ben, how to make the most out of one, single, monophonic synth line, it’s a never ending challenge.
I’ve tried lots of ways to nake things interesting electronically, but I think I’ve failed, when it works, for me, is when I’ve stumbled across a good emotionally charged melody, you don’t need anything else.
Put it in the right context, in the right place in an album, and it can work well.
Check out my track "Exit"

https://agflynn.bandcamp.com/track/exit

Also, this is a prime example,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMNvmVe0PcA

I like the modulations in your piece, they have an organic quality, I'm walking, with rolling cans, down a windy street.

[Ben Asaro]

when it works, for me, is when I’ve stumbled across a good emotionally charged melody, you don’t need anything else.

Oh, absolutely, sound design is the icing on the cake, but you need to have a cake first!
Only being 4-5 years into this synth lark, I feel as if I’m still trying to wrap my head around certain concepts. And for me the procedure is part of the result, technique and melody combined. Once I have a melody I like, I will try it in as many contexts as possible.

[resistorman]

Niice...

[Eddy Deegan]

That first jam is great, and has got me looking over my shoulder at the modular at the other end of the room. I'm nearly done with work for the year and shall be breaking out the patch cables for a bit of an experiment later today!

[Ben Asaro]

LOL glad I could be of service!

[Ben Asaro]

Today's experimentation led me down strange pathways. I'm still fighting the urge to use NerdSeq to generate sequences of notes until I see how much I can get away with using the mod matrix.

Today I use two of the CV inputs to create modulation envelopes, along with two LFOs going to various places ... and that still leaves me with 3 modulation sources and something like 20 unused destinations.

SubH is creating the main melody, VCO 2 is playing a pedal tone. I ran both of these sequencers into Disting set for fractional offsets and fed that into Quantimator. That in turn went into Mother-32. Random modulation envelopes are being triggered by Branches.

Both synths went into the RV-500 and then Clouds.

Euclidean Rhythms is being fed from Branches and then into Pico DRUM running through the TC Hall of Fame reverb. Played with the pitch ranges of the M32 whilst recording.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TxkdCX ... share_link

[Chimera]

Hi Ben, I like what you are doing. I became interested in repetitive rhythmic modulation after finding Johan Baeckstrom’s music. I know Johan uses the gated sequencer on the Prophet 08. I’ve picked up a DC-coupled AI and hope to incorporate a hybrid software/hardware setup. Unfortunately I am awaiting some studio furniture and am completely unwired so cannot test it yet.

Keep it coming. Videos or tracks explaining which module is doing what would be great.

[Ben Asaro]

I wish I could! By the time I'm done with a patch I don't even know which end is up any longer!

I'll give it a go, though!

My next test will be to run a step sequencer into one input of Disting and the other from the Subharmonicon's sequencer to see if I can come up with countermelodies using fractional offsets and a quantizer.

Another test I want to try is to use 3-4 envelopes going through a sequential switch for stepped modulations.

[Ben Asaro]

I’ve picked up a DC-coupled AI and hope to incorporate a hybrid software/hardware setup. Unfortunately I am awaiting some studio furniture and am completely unwired so cannot test it yet.

Although my next interface will probably be DC coupled, I have zero desire to wed my synths and computer together.

I record my jams directly to an RC-5; no clocking, no further mixing, nothing.

[Chimera]

Definitely sounds similar to what I would like to do but you clearly have deeper modular knowledge than me. I can see this conversation resulting in “purchases.”

[Ben Asaro]

Definitely sounds similar to what I would like to do but you clearly have deeper modular knowledge than me. I can see this conversation resulting in “purchases.”

HA

[Ben Asaro]

Experiment no. 2 for today is a bit more cogent. This time I am sending Seq1 from the SubH and the output of the Pittsburgh Modular sequencer into Disting, taking that output and putting it into Quantimator, and then that goes to the Mother-32. Wow, this is expansive sounding!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/15uppxl ... share_link

[Martin Walker]

Nice!

The underlying drone tones are soothing, while the upper echoed parts add rhythm and texture

[Eddy Deegan]

Definitely sounds similar to what I would like to do but you clearly have deeper modular knowledge than me. I can see this conversation resulting in “purchases.”

I have three modules en-route, expected to arrive in 2-3 working days

I love what you're doing Ben and I'm looking forward to putting up as many ad-hoc bits and bobs as I can muster throughout Jamuary. My plan is to try and involve the modular as much as possible but I'll be seasoning it with other synths/sound sources as well.

[Ben Asaro]

Go on then! What did you order??

[Eddy Deegan]

A 2hp Tune Quantizer, a Mordax Systems DATA and an After Later Audio uTides2 (more modulation basically, to complement the Maths!). I'll probably grab a Sample & Hold module during January as well

[Ben Asaro]

Man, DATA had been on my short list for ages!

But I literally have zero space for it. Sounds like a wonderful haul!

[Eddy Deegan]

I'm trying to fill some specific gaps, though I've got all the basics covered and then some. The uTides provides more complex modulation than the average LFO of course, I grabbed a 2HP Pluck Oscillator relatively recently and I think there's an absolute ton of fun to be had with the MIDI and note processors in the Squarp Hermod, which I've not used as much as I'd like to recently.

I got the quantizer as I don't have one already. Nothing fancy, just 11 or so scales, a transpose function and an in and out

Apart from the utility factor, the nice thing about DATA was getting a couple of extra oscillators and some interesting clocking capabilities along with the obvious oscilloscope/spectrum analyser/voltage monitor features.

I just finished building a Make Noise Turing Machine MkII but it appears to have issues, which is unlikely to be a quick fix I think. I may have to chalk that down to experience but I'll spend some time and see if I can get it working before giving up. It was my first kit-based module and I learned a lot while putting it together, so if it's not something I can fix then I may well order another one with a view to applying the lessons learned and getting it right next time!

[Ben Asaro]

Having complex LFOs is so much fun! I use Modbox and Vector Space when I want a lot of variation on LFOs, or need several LFOs in a patch. I almost never sync my LFOs even though Modbox can sync.

The 2hp Pluck is fantastic! Sending random triggers to the decay creates awesome effects and you can get creative chords with the latching. Plus it sounds fantastic! The tuning is a pain with that tiny control, though!

The Pico quantizer is fantastic as well, in my opinion. I like Quantumator for the shift registering but I rarely connect it to three voices. I may do that for Jamuary, though, as I’ve never really mastered the hocketing on Quantumator. The real issue is eating two filters to use it in stereo.

Is your TM Make Noise, or Music Things? I use the 2hp TM, it works perfect and doesn’t use up much space. It’s a great alternative to the SubH sequncer for instant idea generation.

[IAA]

Wow, this is expansive sounding!

It is. Very nice harmonically rich and evolving. I have resisted modular given my analogue synth habit, but for how long? Lovely work Ben.

[Arpangel]

Last module bought here was a DivKid OCHD, beautiful, I never use my modular for sequencing, I find all that easier on semi-modular's.
All my modular is ever used for is random noises, or random melodies, generative stuff, anything else I use a conventional synth, modular is so good at random stuff, it’s here simply because nothing else does it so well, even though my 2600 comes pretty close.