Tin box recordings
This new series of small articles and short videos sets out to discover how the world would sound if we observed it from the inside of large tin box.
I´m going to record a variety of environments with the recording equipment placed in a tin box. There are 2 different piezo elements (contact microphones) as well as two dynamic microphones placed in the closed tin box.
What At All Is Generative Music?
Every real understanding begins with asking the right questions. Here are mine (concerning generative music,):
α
Generative Music transfers some of the responsibility for a musical composition to a “machine” (a system). How? How much? Which ones? Why?
Short answers:
Making Generative Music With Voltage Modular - Volume 1
Making Generative Music With Voltage Modular - Volume 1
Without a lot of words about “how great” or “how important” this book is, here´s what it contents, followed by a copy of the first chapter.
Decide yourself!
Cheers and peace!
Rolf
Chapter 0: Some Words About Generative Music And About This Book 006
Chapter 1: Pseudo Randomness And Its Advantages and Disadvantages 008
Chapter 1.1: Using LFOs To Generate Pseudo Randomness 009
Chapter 1.2: Special LFOs And Other Cycle Generating Modules 028
Chapter 1.2.1: R_ware´s “LFO-inator” 028
Chapter 1.2.2: R_ware´s “SplineCurve” 034
Chapter 1.2.3: Looping Envelopes 041
Chapter 1.2.3.1: Mini Envelope VCA Plus by Andrew Macaulay 041
Chapter 1.2.3.2: Super Envelope Generator (Cherry Audio) 050
Chapter 1.2.3.3: AHR Generator (Adroit) 058
Chapter 1.2.3.4: Playertron´s Membrane Function Generator 065
Chapter 1.2.3.5: Benard´s Stochastic SR Envelope 075
Chapter 1.2.3.6: Voltage Modular And the Music Of the Krell 079
Chapter 1.2.3.6.1: Step 1 - Patching a Krell Engine 080
Chapter 1.2.3.6.2: Step 2 – Adding Breakpoints And Modulations 083
Chapter 1.2.3.6.3: Step 3 – The Role Of Sequencers In Krell Patches 091
Chapter 1.2.3.6.4: Step 4 – A Cascade of Krell Engines 093
Chapter 1.2.3.6.5: Step 5 – Modulating Minima And Maxima 095
Chapter 1.2.3.6.6: Step 6 – Polyphonic Krell 099
Chapter 1.2.4: Sequencers 102
Chapter 1.2.4.1: Stochastic CV Sequencers 108
Chapter 1.2.4.1a: Playertron´s Stochastic Note & CV Sequencer 114
Chapter 1.2.4.2: Stochastic Trigger Sequencers 121
Chapter 1.2.5: Shift Registers 125
Chapter 1.2.5.1: DMT´s Shift Register 131
Chapter 1.2.5.1.a: Parrot Machine 132
Chapter 1.2.5.2: Micro Feedback Shift Register
(Synthetic Future x R_Ware) 134
Chapter 1.2.6: Sequential Switches 138
Chapter 1.2.6.1: CHASER by Borkman 146
Chapter 1.2.7: Gray Code Modules 150
Chapter 1.2.8: Samples And Recordings 156
Chapter 1.2.9: Euclidean Sequencers 159
INTERLUDE 1: Randomness, Probability, Stochastic 164
Chapter 2: Different Kinds Of “Real” Randomness 169
Chapter 2.1: Sample & Hold Modules 169
Chapter 2.1.a: Andrew Macaulay´s “Sample/Track And Hold” 172
Chapter 2.1.b: Micro¨Sample And Hold (Synthetic Future x R_Ware) 174
Chapter 2.1.1: Sample Sources for Sample & Hold Modules 175
Chapter 2.1.1.1: Sampling From Regular Wave Shapes 176
Chapter 2.1.1.2: Sampling from Audio 179
Chapter 2.1.1.3: Sampling from Anything 182
Chapter 2.2: Turing Machines 184
Chapter 2.2.1: DMT´s “Turing Universe” 185
Chapter 2.2.2: Playertron´s Turing Algorithm Tape Splicer 191
INTERLUDE 2: Gates And Switches 203
Chapter 2.3: Probability Gates And Random Gates 210
Chapter 2.3.1: HetrickCV´s “Random Gates” 210
Chapter 2.3.2: “Stochastic Trigger Distributor” (Playertron) 212
Chapter 2.3.3: “scrambler” (sys.6 / planet.6) 213
Chapter 2.3.4: “Pulse Train” (Centripidity) 215
Chapter 2.3.5: Bernoulli Gates 227
Chapter 2.3.6: Probability Router 125 (Insomniac Music) 238
Chapter 2.3.7: Real World Triggers And Gates 230
Chapter 2.3.7.1: Triggers And Gates From Field Recordings 230
Chapter 2.3.7.2: Triggers And Gates From Observations 233
Chapter 2.3.7.3: “The Rhythm Of a Day” 234
INTERLUDE 3: Nature´s Paradigm 236
Chapter 3: Modulation Targets And Trigger Targets 248
Chapter 3.1: Pitch 249
Chapter 3.2: Timbre 252
Chapter 3.3: Filters and Equalisers 260
Chapter 3.4: Wave Shapers And Wave Folders 263
Chapter 3.5: Additive Techniques (Partials And More) 271
Chapter 3.6: Voices 281
Chapter 3.7: Rhythm 284
Chapter 3.8: Effects 291
Chapter 3.9: Envelopes 295
Chapter 3.10: Quantizers 297
Chapter 3.11: Grains 299
Chapter 3.12: Sample Player 307
Chapter 3.13: Slew Processors / Limiters 311
Chapter 3.14: Comparators 313
Chapter 4: Compositional Aspects Of Generative Music 316
Chapter 4.1: Basic Compositional Decisions 316
Chapter 4.2: Basic Compositional Techniques 327
Chapter 4.2.1: Contrasting 327
Chapter 4.2.2: Repeating, Modifying And Inverting Relations 330
Chapter 4.2.3: Basic But Exclusively Generative Techniques 335
Chapter 4.3: Specific Compositional Techniques 339
Chapter 4.3.1: Pitch Dependency 339
Chapter 4.3.2: Rhythm 340
Chapter 4.3.3: Tension And Layers 345
Chapter 4.4: Certain Patch Techniques And Examples 347
Chapter 4.4.1: Switching Voices And Layer Parts Of the Patch 347
Chapter 4.4.2: Sculpture Randomness And Setting Borders 353
Chapter 4.4.3: Mixing Regular And Random Elements 356
Chapter 5: Building Blocks Of Generative Patching 363
Chapter 5.1: The Instrumentation Of Envelopes 363
Chapter 5.2: 5 Faces Of Randomness 370
Chapter 5.3: Random Harmonies 381
Chapter 5.3.1: Basic Random Arpeggio Set-Ups 381
Chapter 5.3.2: Certain Modules To Work With Harmonies 384
Chapter 6: Generative Principles In Nature And Society
And Their Musical Reproduction 391
Chapter 6.1: The Physicist´s Tunes 391
Chapter 6.1.1: Heisenberg´s General Pings 391
Chapter 6.1.2: Einstein´s Melody Of the Spheres 393
Chapter 6.1.3: de Broglie´s Electron Concert 393
Chapter 6.1.4: Heisenberg´s Cosmic Pings (plus a fun patch) 398
Chapter 6.1.5: Feynman´s Dance Of the Quarks 403
Chapter 6.2: The Biologist´s Tunes 407
Chapter 6.2.1: The Symphony Of Photosynthesis 407
Chapter 6.2.2: Enzymatic Choirs 410
Chapter 6.3: Society´s Tunes 414
Chapter 6.3.1: The Wailing Shopping Mall 414
Chapter 6.3.2: City Death Tune 417
Chapter 7: Modules Which Are Especially Useful
When Making Generative Music 421
Chapter 7.1: Quadrature VLFO by Cyberwerks Heavy Industries 421
Chapter 7.1.1: Functionality 421
Chapter 7.1.2: Applications 424
Chapter 7.2: “Feigen” by Vult 428
Chapter 7.2.1: Functionality 428
Chapter 7.2.2: Applications 430
Chapter 7.3: “Distributor” by Vulpus Labs 433
Chapter 7.3.1: Functionality 433
Chapter 7.3.2: Applications 434
Chapter 7.4: Jadwiga Single Pole Filter (Playertron) 437
Chapter 7.4.1: Functionality 437
Chapter 7.4.2: Applications 443
Chapter 8: The Bridge to Volume 2:
Certain Patch Ideas And Their Musical Meaning 447
Chapter 8.1: Competing Melodies And the Turn Of the Tide 447
Chapter 8.2: Stream Of Life 449
Chapter 8.3: Immanent Threat 451
Epilogue 453
Appendix A: Your Personal Advantages As a Buyer Of this Book 454
Appendix B: Contact And Social Media 455
Appendix C: Copyright 456
Some Words About Generative Music And About This Book
The very first that I want to say is “Thank you!”
Thank you, dear reader, for buying this book!
Thank you, dear Robert (Cherry Audio), for making this book possible at all!
Thank you, dear Chris (R_Ware), for helping me out with a whole bunch of modules!
Thank you, dear Chris (Playertron), for your wonderful cooperation regarding the topic of
Stochastic note & CV sequencers!
(all mentioned in “generatively random” order)
The second thing I have to say is:
This is not a cook book. You won´t find complete recipes for finished patches here. It´s more a book about the ingredients and how to use the kitchen tools – to stay in the picture. Well, at least chapter 6 comes a bit nearer to delivering some recipes.
This book is the first of a trilogy about making generative music with Voltage Modular, and this trilogy is laid out systematically and aims to be as complete as possible.
“Systematically” means: starting at the beginning with the ingredients and the kitchen tools.
And of course a third statement right at the beginning:
A lot, if not all, of the modules mentioned and discussed in this book deserve even more detailed and comprehensive treatise than are given on the following pages. This book is not a kind of encyclopedia of modules, nor am I aiming to substitute or complement the module help (well, sometimes I complement the module help indeed).
This book is about the “kitchen tools” of “cooking” generative music, and a lot of the modules that you are going to meet here offer also functions, which are not THAT important for setting up generative patches, and which I´m not going to focus on therefore.
I´ll try to produce as many videos as possible in the weeks (and months) after finishing this book. Videos which demonstrate and discuss the whole functionality of these modules, not focussing only on generative music. Just visit my website https://dev.rofilm-media.net from time to time. There you will find a “NEWS” block with links to these videos.
I´m not always showing the “smallest” patches nor the most direct way of patching to reach (only) the described goals. Quite a few patches could be more “compact”, more “compressed” (sometimes voices could share a module instead of having their “own” ones for example), but I´ve tried to make it as easy as possible to see and understand the structure.
I leave longer explanations of what generative music is (and what it isn´t) to Volume 2, where there are going to be the patches to demonstrate such rather theoretical thoughts, and where those of you, who like “cookbook recipes” find more material to serve their taste than in this volume 1.
But a few short statements shall be made even here.
Is generative music all random? No, it isn´t.
Is generative music always ambient? No, it isn´t.
Is generative music always “slow”? No, it isn´t.
Is generative music always/better unattended? No, it isn´t.
May there be something like e.g. “generative Acid? Yes, why not?!
Is it possible to “compose” generative music? Yes, it is. (even if not in the common
“classic” meaning)
Is generative music a musical genre, a style or a production method?
Well, here things get a bit more complicated – let´s leave that to the next volume of this
trilogy.
The following volumes (2 + 3) build on this book, assume knowledge of the topics discussed here and delve ever deeper into the subject matter.
But how can I describe the trilogy which this book is the first volume of?
Let me try:
All of my books shall be as practical as possible, and this trilogy is going to be even more practical than ever. But it´s a bit more thoughtful at the same time. To damp it down to a few basic statements I´d say that the trilogy answers the following 3 basic questions:
Question 1 (the technical aspect):
“How do I achieve things, how do I reach certain musical/sonic goals with Voltage Modular?”
Question 2: (a question of art):
“Why should I want to chieve these things, why should I want to reach this musical/sonic goal?”
Question 3 (an aspect of motivation):
“How do I have the most fun while producing my musical pieces with Voltage Modular?”
Some of you may know my e-book trilogy about making generative music, which I wrote during the last 3 years, and you may think Ohh, it´s a Voltage Modular version of this “old” trilogy!
But I you´d be wrong to think so. This book here as well as the whole trilogy is something completely new. Yes, there´s a bit of a similar structure, and, yes, some thoughts and here and there a paragraph are similar. But 90% are new. New patches, new explanations, new ways to implement typical sub-patches etc.
Enjoy your day!
Cheers and peace!
Your
Rolf Kasten, Karlovy Vary (the Czech Republic), April 2024
Two New Books In 2024
I´m going to publish two new books again this year. The first one is about modular synthesis, about making generative music with modular synthesizers – with Cherry Audio´s Voltage Modular. You might think “Ohh, it´s a Voltage Modular version of your e-book trilogy about generative music!”
But you are wrong! It´s something completely new.
“Voltage Modular Partial Oscillator – a Universe Of Sound”
In this video I´m going to patch a complete simulation of one of Yamaha´s 4
operator DX synthesizers, I´m going to demonstrate all functions of the Partial Oscillator module – and show and explain it´s musical meaning.
This video is about creative and artful sound design and creative and artful ways of producing MUSIC.
And these are the main topics:
linear frequency modulation
through zero frequency modulation
exponential frequency modulation
Yamaha DX7 and DX27
FM operator
FM algorithm
“The Passenger Oscillator Mystery – Voltage Modular”
My new video “The Passenger Oscillator Mystery – Voltage Modular” is online now:
I dive deep into the functionality of Playertron´s “arcane” Oscillator module, and show a couple of (not only) spooky sound demos. See the content list for details.
Timeline / Content:
00:00 Intro
02:16 Tuning, FM and Frequency Ranges
Make Generative Music That Really Matters
New online course! Bring your skills to a new level!
My Newsletter October 2023
The Triumph Of a Misconception
My huge Voltage Modular Series has started, and the first video is on line now.
“The Triumph Of a Misconception” talks a bit about the legendary Roland TB-303, demonstrates and explains even the smallest details of the Voltage Modular “303 Bass Synth” module, introduces even two more Voltage Modular bass modules, which are inspired by Roland´s TB-303, and recreates three original vintage bass tracks, 2 from the 1980s and one from the 1990s
Rebuilding Everything!
The picture tells the whole story!
But be prepared for something
EXTRAORDINARY
at the end of next week!
Cheers and Peace!
Rolf