Darren's posts with tag: digital
 Two-third of TBFKAS dropped by my place (Misse you never turn up!). We doodled and played with gears and decided to mess around and recorded the outcome. So here's a recording of the half hour noise/synthesis/electronic improvisation session (we were just wacking). And so we went crazy on this one, some nice moments featuring the Tenori-on vs Nintendo DS lite mid way through about 17:05 onwards till about 25:30 (Pathein rawks again); and WY had some flair with my Roland SH101 as he concocted some "bleepy-droney-sireny" noises with modulations and for the cat growls at 23:25 onwards :D ... the sherman filterbank 2 seriously bled our ears, with some bird-like talks and glitches of course... Highly disturbing sounds and noises. We dare you to listen through headphones... Gears featured in this recording:
1) Doepfer A-100 Modular System 2) Sherman Filterbank 2 3) Roland SH101 4) Tenori-on 5) Nintendo DS lite (Elektroplankton)
Recorded with KORG MR-1000; no editing done, what you hear is a live recording of this super doodle-noodle session. Just mastered the levels with a little reverb added to juice it up slightly. Yea, secretly spanking the monkey indeed... if you fancy it, are into gears, interested in Doepfer synthesis + Sherman Filterbank 2 sounds, crazy over filtering sounds, into space odyssey or sci-fi noises, sucker for Nintendo DS lite and Tenori-on bubbly-cute'sy stuffs, or you just want to soak in some chanced noises and pseudo sound art improvisations, you can download it for free by clicking the icon below...
There after we went down to S11 for some drinks and food (and ciggies). Talked about indie music, sound art, underground scenes and DIY/Circuit Bending stuffs. All in all, some good time spent!
|  | The KORG M3 pix will be up after Christmas once I've set up the studios... I am paying the Phatty by installment agreement ;) Really, it was unprecedented and unexpected that the LP now lies in my room... what a surprise.
UPDATES:
Well, finally the KORG M3-88 is here! And along came my MAGNUS vintage electric fan organ! Trust me, this thing sounds magical and very charming! And of course the KORG MR-1000 1bit portable recorder! :) Happy me... the mobile mixer rack is here too but no point taking pictures of an empty rack... |
 Well, when was the last time I post about my synths? Seems like a long time. Anyway, here's what's been going on and I felt it calls for some synths porn again. Mypapers interviewed me for having a fetish for collecting synthesizers... audiophile they call it. Well, not in the strict sense. It was, erm... a bit weird always to be in front of the cameras so again, I felt most uneasy. Anyway it went well though I was told that I mentioned too many technical stuffs and they might have to edit it away to make the programme more accessible. Well, we'll see. Not sure when this programme will be out but heard it will be in September... which episode I am not sure either but I will inform close friends of it when the time comes. Features about 80% of my synths collection (can't display all due to space constraints - about 6 synths not in), demonstrations, synths porn, modular synths and theremin (not in photo YET); getting shy, acting stupid, talking funny... and my fat face. Oh well.... Since it's all set up, I thought I might as well do some shots of them, anyway, what are the chances of putting them all together in a small house like mine? So here you go:        More photos will be updated soon (I hope!) Out!
 Well, it'd been awhile since I updated photos so finally got down to it. Getting my synths mojo back. There's a few updates: RaNdoM SyNtHs ShOtsDecided to start a new album that archives interesting synth shots that are slightly "more than just a normal shot"... I am not good at photography so such shots are hard to come by for me LOL. My HuMbLe sTuDiOAdded some updated studio shots and of course my Doepfer A100 Modular System racked. :) SoNiCbRaTUpdated Piana gig pictures and also HI.A.TUS album. I had a great day yesterday with my girlfriend. Though the time was short and we went to PS Spotlight, but we had so much fun. There were moments where we laughed till our tummy ache and I teared. She is so wonderful to be with. Love you baby. :) Attached picture shows my new rack arrangements. I've dedicated one flight case for the analogue stuffs: Akai MFC42 Filter, Doepfer A100 Modular System, Vermona RM-1, DeltaLab Effectron, Sherman Filterbank 2.
 DEMO: PeRiPHeRaLsWell, this is my first guitar drone. Very uncontrolled, ad-hoc improvisation and recording. I was talking through email with eric from France and asking him about how to create guitar drones. I asked Terence on msn as well and they both mentioned delays. Eric of course gave a more detailed explaination of the possibilities. I am still learning and fiddling around with a guitar so this is pretty new to me. I took out my Alesis Ineko, tried out with some delays and did not like the outcome. I used the space reverb instead and immediately knew that this was the right sound I was looking for. Simple eh? Just a reverb with high tone and high decay settings... this allowed overlapping of tones and I achieved this drone. If you are a guitar player or expert in it, you'll prolly laugh at my attempt. But it's all for good learning and exploration fun :) The track was played and recorded live. No multi-tracks... just direct line in. There's no post effects added in, just compressed it slightly and boosted the signals. Like I said, it's very "uncontrolled", perhaps due to my lack of experience in playing guitars as well as effects parameter settings. Anyway, this sound was what I had been looking for. Ambient, sound-scapey, meditative type of feel. I believe with an analogue reverb unit it will sound much warmer. The Ineko is afterall a digital effects unit.
| | OK, my guitar is in rehearsals so I can't use it to test the PODxt Live. So I used the Roland SH101 instead.
DEMO: [SH101]PODxtLive
Not a song but just a demo of what the PODxt Live can do to a sound. What you hear is a product of 4 tracks recorded using Roland SH101 with a square + saw wave sorta synth going on in C major. 3 tracks hold either C or G notes in different ranges while 1 track holds a C7 chord arpegiated. The effect used on the PODxt is a harmonic flange with effects. There's some filtering going on on the SH101 but minimal... What you hear is unprocessed after recording. Just SH101 through PODxt into my lap-top and mixed.
Just got this second hand off from a nice dude. I must say this is a heavy stomp, build like a tank. Controls are straight forward and interface is great. It allows you to design your own "effects chain" and the silver knobs allow you to have control over the tone of the output... It's my first impression from using it straight out without reading a manual. I can't wait to use it with my guitar and see what it can do... I don't suppose it will be revolutionary, but I am sure it will come in handy. |
I was exploring Remedy1.1 by KeytoSound. The first picture attached is an overall look at the patch designed for this session. It's not really a "complete song" perse but rather just a session to toy with the Remedy1.1 soft synth featured on Matrixsynth. It's a free download so why not? :) Perhaps just take it as a "work-in-progress" and drum beats and other layers can be added later on to complete this song. Basically, the Remedy1.1 is doing the main riff. The interface is straight forward and we tweak around to "design" the sound we want... much like a hardware synth. The filters are quite prudent in my opinion, but I like the harshness of it and also the subtlety of it's modifications to the sound. It's rather warm, considering that it's a soft synth. These are just general impressions I've gotten from first and only use of the Remedy1.1... I am sure I'll discover more if I spend more time with it. I've also used Crystal synth to do the underlying higher register ambient synths. The synths are controlled by Plogue Bidule's sequencers. The drum sounds are created via a analog drum synths doing hi-hat and also an analog kit; all plug-ins in Plogue Bidule. The main sequencer controls the hi-hats stuff and a MIDI Particle Arpegiator controlling the analog drum kit. In the second picture below, we can see portions of Crystal synth and the MIDI Particle Arpegiator in action. As for the rest, I'll spare the details here. Below is an outlook of how the Remedy1.1 looks like and the third picture attached shows how it looks in Plogue Bidule in terms of user interface: After trying out the Remedy1.1, I am quite keen to try their next product NexSyn. It looks like a bigger, more all rounded soft synth. I like the fact that they had designed the software to be as direct as how we would want to use a hardware synth. Crystal synths lacks this sensitivity in terms of user interface in my opinion. Anyway, I had fun with it, that's the bottom line. Again I stress it's not a "song" and should not be listen to like I composed this to "please" listeners. It's strictly an exploration, experimentation, what not. Doodling with Plogue Bidule to hear how the Remedy1.1 will perform. The track is recorded straight off using Plogue Bidule's recorder. It's not mastered except for amplifications. I would suggest using a headphone to listen to this track as there's some ultra-frequencies (via rebuilder) as well as very subtle underlying micro-melodies.
Here's the demo track: RHemedy. Feel free to click on the pictures to look at the patchings in details if you are into Plogue Bidule.   
| | Ok, so what happen when someone who doesn't know how to play the guitar and picked up an electric guitar for the first time and wanted to cut a track for an upcoming production? THIS:
W.K.W Dream[reject] (song number 7)
Supposed to have piano playing live on top, so this is like a backing track during performance. Yep, wanted to compose a track for Wong Kah Wai's Dream, TFP's production during arts festival. But after this track was done, I am having second thoughts so tentatively I've rejected this track myself. I am still a dummy when comes to guitar at the end of the day. Well, and I felt the song was inappropriate in a way. We'll see after tomorrow's meeting and hear what TC have to say to this.
Anyway, what's done is done, take it as an experience. It is afterall my first attempt on a guitar with no prior knowledge or training. Basically, I played by ear and loop it through EH2880 and RC20... effected through VF1 and ZebraVCF for different takes... kinda composed on the fly. For the synth parts, it was added in subtley and builds over time (JUNO106, AX60 and Radias). My favourite will have to be the SH101 (in about 03:43 and went on)... basically wanted to keep it as "acoustic" as it can be despite everything being electronic (well, analogue mostly)... have fun listening. Don't kill me if I've played the guitar really badly... It's my first time :P
Instrumentation:
Frigging brandless humbucker
Roland SH101
Roland JUNO106
KORG Radias
AKAI AX60
Looper: EH2880; BOSS RC20
Effects: BOSS VF-1; ZebraVCF
Omitted: Thingamagoop; Effector13 Synth Mangler |
| | Just got these from Mr Misse, the nicest, fairest and friendliest gear retailer in Singapore. Well, actually I've ordered it like since last year... erm... maybe august? Can't remember... time really flies. Anyway, finally it's here. So again, some gear whoring pictures before testing it out. It takes some time to doodle around this and finding the right sound for it.
In anycase, I got a Moog Pedal Bag along with a Moog t-shirt and Moog CD together with it. :) Mr Misse rawks!
UPDATES: Aight, visited Matirxsynth site (best synth site ever!!!) and I thought I should put up Effector 13 website up too... Thanks Matrix! Check out THIS POST!!! Matrixsynth had uploaded some synth mangler related stuffs! |
| | A new acquisition for my new direction; a midi to cv convertor :) a 1985 gear in mint "out of the box" condition.
For more info visit: HERE |
| | These are pictures taken whilst I compose and design for the play "Everything But The Brain" for Action Theatre. Now showing at the Esplanade Theatre. Here's the demo of three songs which I've picked out to upload (click on the title of the songs to listen):
EVER AFTER
This track, by approach was really simple. I mic'ed up a Hungarian Zither (CITERA) using a contact microphone and it's being fed into the KORG Radias audio in. Using a vocoder preset, I have made it to trigger a synth note (D flat) with a moderate attack and a long release. So everytime I plug a note, it will trigger the synth note. The signal is also routed through it's internal effects with delay and reverb. Another contact microphone was employed to sample the Citera with a BOSS RC-20 and the playback is reversed... This track was recorded live with me improvising on the Citera. (I have no idea how to play it so I just did what I think sound right) You can find a picture of the Citera below...
BEDTIME STORIES
A Plogue Bidule composition using a patch I've designed. The group has a couple of sequencers that triggers the risset bells and sine tones, which was passed through a rebuilder and some effects. Crytal Synths were employed for the generation of the glassy ambient. KORG Radias was used for a base drone...
EINSTEIN'S BRAIN
An abstract of the 10 minute long piece. The piano was from KORG Triton ST88. An improvisation based on the scenic mood was recorded and then reversed and picthed down to underlay the original recording. Another Plogue Bidule patch was designed to sound scape subtley underneath this track...
DISCLAIMER: There are pictures of other synths which was employed for the composition and design of other songs and sounds but I did not include the demo here... It's sad to see the way they treated my music in production... director's call, so what to do :/ |
| | Yummy... From unboxing to setting and hooking up. This synth looks swanky, with wooden side panels (narrow though). The KORG RADIAS... I shot it up and started noodling through its presets (NEAT! But did not like the self plugging vocoder presets of reading "RADIAS"). I am impressed by the versatility. The oscillators are quite flexible, which pretty much says for first impressions: It's a versatile VA synths. The dual filters look the part, but it's not as cut-through as I hope it to be. Rather conservative I must say. This synth, on first impression, sounded warm but hardly phat enough. Well, naturally. In anycase, I shall spend more time with this baby and in time write a short user review.
Due to job commitment, I don't think I will be cutting a demo song on it so soon. But will do so once I have time to noodle on it. Actually, I even thought the adapter looks cool. With an on/off button to it. The sliding frame for the module is simply too cool as well. Man, I can be real shallow. :P |
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