We can set up a succession of harmonic arpeggios using a sequential switch 1-to-X like in the video behind the following link. Each of the arpeggios belongs to another voice playing another chord and using another timbre. The voices are fed into a mixer, and the mixer channels are randomly activated and deactivated by the […]
Face 1: Looping Envelopes Plus S&H Feedback The principle of this face reads in short: a looping envelope (or two, or three ...) trigger a sample & hold module, which not only modulates the pitch of a VCO, but also feeds back its output to modulate the time related stages of the envelope(s). As a […]
When I write “building blocks” in the headline to this chapter, I don ́t mainly think of certain modules. Discussing certain modules will be the matter of chapter 5. I think of certain combinations of modules here, and only exceptionally of a certain module, and only when I want to show a rather uncommon way […]
We are approaching chapter 4 about building blocks of generative patching with this sub-chapter 3.4. But whereas in chapter 4 the more technical and organisational aspects prevail, I ́d like to talk about a few patches of special musical and compositional meaning here in chapter 3.4 at first. Chapter 3.4.1: Switching voices and larger parts […]
This chapter is not at all meant to deliver a conclusive enumeration, but rather talks about and shows some especially remarkable and useful techniques. Well, let ́s start now. Chapter 3.3.1: Pitch dependency I talked about relations between normally independent sonic parameters in the last chapter. A quite special relation is pitch dependency of parameters. […]
There are three groups of basic compositional techniques, which are not exclusively generative music, but are taught at any school, high school and university, which deals with musical matters, only that we meet them in slightly different shape and forming here in generative music than we are used to see them in other musical styles […]
Nowhere else than in making music with modular synths do musicality & technique go such tightly hand in hand, does the artist need such deep understanding of both music & physics.
Chapter 2.3.1: Voices Another kind of modulating, of changing the whole development of a patch is switching on and off different voices. We can achieve this with a (square wave) LFO-VCA combination or with dedicated switches (e.g. Gray Code modules). But a far more interesting way to switch between and merge whole voices (audio paths) […]
Chapter 2.2.1: Filters Yes, of course filter. Simple. Common. Boring. No need to say a single word about it any more. Really? Let me start quite simple indeed. I take a VCO, feed its audio output into one filter, but modulate all three parameters (cut-off frequency, resonance and drive) with 3 different LFOs running at […]
This chapter is more a systematic list of documented examples than a recipe of how to set up a complete patch. The aspects of setting up whole (finished) patches are dealt with in chapters 3 and 4. But making music (any kind and with any kind of “toys”) needs a good knowledge of the instrument. […]
