From TQDOQ on YouTube, via matrxsynth. See if you can spot the cat.
This is the way we do it in Japan. Dubstep music using TRAKTOR and a
vintage design Serge Modular synthesizer.
Syncing is accomplished over Wi-Fi MIDI clock, with TRAKTOR as the
master and Ableton Live as slave. Latency is compensated “on the
fudge”.This set up is being ported to local clubs in Tokyo, where the DJ
lives. The cat “nyamu” lives in a tower, inside the studio…
Pancakes and noise music may not be the first combination one thinks of for a Sunday brunch. But that is precisely what is offered at Godwaffle Noise Pancakes, a monthly noontime show organized by Grux at The Lab in San Francisco. I had the opportunity to perform at the most recent event on March 3.
I opted for a “purple theme” revolving around the purple Monorocket case I have for my Eurorack modular system. I selected an outfit and hair to match, and even found an old toy keyboard that was purple.
[Photo by Michael Zelner.]
The performance itself was on the subtle side, attempting to dial in on specific sounds and module combinations. It was an exercise in managing unpredictability and finding musical structures and phrases even in the noisiest of situations. You can see the performance in the video below.
Godwaffle Noise Pancakes live performance, March 3, 2013 from CatSynth on Vimeo.
The hall was quite dark during the set and my attempts to lighten the video resulted in a lot of artifacts. But it does complement the sound in a way. One take-a-way for future performances with the instrument is to be mindful of how one adapts the output of the small Eurorack jacks to standard live-sound systems. Investing in some strong audio adapters for the modular itself will cut down on some of those unpredictable pops. But overall I was quite happy with the set, and got a lot of positive feedback (about the visual as well as the aural).
The next performance featured Abyss of Fathomless Light featuring Bert Bergen. His fast moving performance combined vocal recordings on a series of cassette players with analog electronics into a thick and fast moving soundscape. He was followed by fslux, whose performance moved between longer more mellifluous sounds featuring her vocals and harsh electrical output from effects pedals.
[Photo by Michael Zelner.]
The performance by J. Soliday (Jason Soliday) was undoubtedly the loudest and noisiest of this noise-based show. There were long sequences of repeated loud glitches that required a bit of effort to listen to, but also a few gaps and pauses with space for quieter detail.
The final performance featured a collaboration by Wobbly and Thomas Dimuzio. I have seen them perform together before, but this was the first time with the technological combo of Dimuzio on analog modular and Wobbly on iPad and other digital synths.
[Photo by Michael Zelner.]
This was the longest performance of the afternoon (all the others including mine were quite short), but also the most captivating. They were able to create enveloping soundscapes that at times felt otherworldly and at others more meditative. The overall texture was lush, but there were dry moments with more staccato details from both the analog and digital instruments.
Overall, it was a fun afternoon of music. I am glad I was able to participate and hope to do so again soon.
From http://m.matrixsynth.com/2013/01/l-1-vocoder-complete.html:
via Aleksei Laman on The MATRIXSYNTH Lounge
“L-1 Vocoder. Final device, tested – OK. Start shipping boards this week, panels – in two or three weeks.Muffs thread” Muff Cats on the panel.
You can find a couple of audio demos posted here.
Today we look back at my latest performance with Pitta of the Mind at the Luggage Store Gallery in San Francisco, a show that also featured a set by the Mezzacappa-Phillips duo.
Pitta of the Mind is my music-and-poetry duo with poet Maw Shein Win. It was our fourth performance as a duo, and probably our most polished to date. As with our previous performance at last year’s Skronkathon, we selected a color as the overarching theme for the set. That time it was silver, this time it was blue, which was reflected in our costumes, props (including a little blue tree), and the content of some of the poems. The selections were a bit darker and melancholy than at the Skronkathon, and overall the set had a more serious feel. There were, however, humorous moments in both words and interpretive dance moves from Maw. For the music behind the poems, I used a variety of iPad apps including Sunrizer, Animoog and Bebot. The challenge was to provide sound that fit with the poems without overpowering them.
[Maw Shein Win. Photo: PeterBKaars.com.]
After the main course of our poetry-and-music set, I played a solo improvisation on the analog modular system as dessert.
A subpatch with the E350 Morphing Terrarium from Synthesis Technology, the Make Noise Maths, and the KOMA Eletronik SVF-201 filter formed the foundation, with other modules patched in and out during the course of the performance. I was aiming for noisy rhythmic patterns, and sometimes succeed, while at other times allowed the sound to move in the direction of longer drones or unstable chaos.
[Click to enlarge.]
The set was well received by the small but appreciated audience, and we got quite a few positive comments for both words, music and our coordinated blue outfits.
Lisa Mezzacappa and Noah Phillips opened with with a set of improvised music for upright base and guitar, respectively. Both are virtuosic improvisers, and I expected good things from their set. They explored a wide variety of extended techniques, some percussive and some more drone-like, and moving freely between more structured and free-form rhythms. Overall, the timbres, harmonies and textures were quite beautiful and visually evocative.
[Noah Phillips and Lisa Mezzacappa. Photo: PeterBKaars.com.]
Interestingly, this was not the first time we shared the bill with the Mezzacappa-Phillips duo. We were all together at a show in Oakland in 2011. I’m glad we had the change to perform together again.
By musicalgeometry on flickr.
This cat has quite the collection in this Eurorack modular system. I see several modules that I have as well, including the Make Noise Maths, and 4ms Pingable Envlope Generator. I also have the outboard version of the Kenton MIDI->CV converter.
From @muffwiggler who manned the Tiptop Audio booth this year. http://tiptopaudio.com
Via matrixsynth.
Earlier this week, we had rehearsals at CatSynth HQ for my Thursday-night performance as the poetry-and-music duo “Pitta of the Mind.” And Luna was on hand to supervise and support.
Her annoyed expression has more to do with the camera flash than anything else. She was very curious and hung out with us during the rehearsal, which was great to see as she is usually quite shy. And of course, she is quite used to the strange sounds from the iPad and modular synth.
The show itself was great, and will be the topic of a separate post in the near future.
The Carnival of the Cats will be hosted this Sunday by Samantha, Clementine and Maverick.
And the Friday Ark is at the modulator.
The visit the Analogue Haven booth is another of the annual pilgrimages at the NAMM show. The highlight of my visit this year was a performance by Richard Devine on a system consisting exclusively of Make Noise modules.
This virtuosic performance showed what these modules are truly capable of with practice. The music moved between rhythmic staccato textures and longer resonant tones in multiple layers. It was also a showcase for the DPO, Make Noise’s oscillator, which was the only tone generator in this system. I have a Make Noise Maths and an Ecophon, and the performance inspired me to practice these along with the other modules to get more complex musical results.
Analog video is looking like a potential area of creative expansion, and LZX Industries was prominently demonstrating their video modules. Here we see our mascot being processed live.
One thing I would like to see more in video synthesis is interaction between analog audio, video and control signals.
On the opposite end from the modules was the massive Schmidt Eightvoice Polyphonic Synthesizer. A beautiful looking instrument with an interesting set of filters inspired be Moog and Oberheim:
This synthesizer is truly a labor of love by its creator Stefan Schmidt, who spent many years on this project. It remains to be seen if it will sell.
Other quick views from around the Analogue Haven booth included this demo of modules from Snazzy FX:
Percussion modules and a novel sequencer from Delptronics:
And the distinctive orange controls of the Harvestman modules.
There were three new releases from Harvestman, including a new Hertz Donut.
And the distinctive clean white design of Koma Elektronik, including the SVF-201 Vactrol Filter module and their infrared controller.
It is great to see the popularity of the analog instruments and new designs coming each year. If there are any drawbacks, it is that the field of available modules and effects boxes has become quite bewildering, and that the Analogue Haven booth is always quite crowded.
It’s time for our traditional end-of-the-year image. It is always a challenge to decide what to include, but we thinks this captures a few of the significant elements. 2012 was a crazy and at times and a bit nerve-wracking, but it full of richness and opportunity. I except more of the same in 2013. It’s going to be a busy and challenging year ahead, but I hope to be able to continue to keep this site going and maintain the friendships I have made here.
