Luminous Trilogy & A CATALOGUE OF FM MATERIALS by Element433 ( a.k.a. Pere Villez)

via Element433 (Pere Villez)

"When I made the popular YouTube series 'FM Catalogue of Materials', many viewers commented that they would love to see some more of the 'music tech as cinema' style created in the videos.

My new project 'Luminous Trilogy' release, does exactly that. In part 1 'WTD', synths and synth technical diagrams, together with Pure Data/Max patches, become casual parts of the film's environment, which is set in an alt near future. Part 1 was realised with analogue modular, whereas Part 2 "Breath" was scored using binaural audio, VCV rack and live Indian tablas. Part 3 'Contrails' uses physical models, Samplicity's Berlin Studios and vintage FM hardware."

Update: Element433 has made the VCV patch and assets used in the film "Breath" below a free download. You can find instructions on downloading the patch and setting it up here: http://tinyurl.com/e433WpBrvcv.

Luminous Trilogy

video uploads by Element433 ( a.k.a. Pere Villez)

"Three music shorts around the theme of light, from incandescent urban folklore set in the near future, electric neon glowing medussae to impossible skies, all to the sound of dark ambient and techno-world music"

Playlist:

Walking The Dulzaina - Luminous Trilogy - Part 1

Walking The Dulzaina is an edited one-shot music film which details the manic walkthrough time-lapse of an imaginary synthesised dulzaina (Spanish folkloric instrument) being taken for a walk through the "Las Vegas" like dressed streets of a small village festive celebration set somewhere in the near future.

The visuals are nods to the Bladerunner, Lynch, Weirdcore and Kubrick where the glow of transparent neon CRTs, display technical diagrams with a music technology theme. Some suddenly slide up from the ground, while others cross from one side of the street to another.

The music is inspired by minimalism, industrial techno synth-folk where Steve Reich and Techno meet Raymond Scott and 1960's BBC radiophonic.

Musical Equipment Detail:

Intro: Moog Subharmonicon through Fairfield Randy's Revenge ring modular - into two crunchy Elby Systems stereo valve preamps and out into a stereo pair of Doepfer A-199 spring tanks).

Dulzainas: Buchla Easel Command sometimes untreated and sometimes solo through a J.H. 'Son of a Storm Tide' stereo analogue studio flanger (built by Van Daal Electronics (second dulzainas and very low transition whoooses). Buchla and Subharmonicon sync locked and clock divided by Ornaments and Crime clock divider.

Final wormhole sequence: Subharmonicon through stereo A-199 Doepfer spring reverbs and Paulstretched.

This work is not sponsored by any the manufacturers mentioned. They are personally purchased pieces of equipment.

Album:
https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/ele...

Breath - Luminous Trilogy - Part 2

"Made for HI-Fi listening.

'Breath' as in the verb

Indian tablas performed by Pere Villez

"Breath" is the escape from the loud neon lit alt-reality in Luminous Trilogy part 1. The destination, an imaginary utopia where electric medusae coil, flicker and turn hovering over a calm brooding seascape accompanied by dark resonant melodic drones and Indian tabla.

Music Equipment Details:
Breath originated from a live performance VCV Rack synthesis patch in which the binaural recording of a huge Valencian firework display called a 'Mascleta' is fed into modal resonator synthesisers. This is layered with Indian Tabla loops and then triggered in a round robin fashion. It is performed using a standard MIDI controller.

The VCV patch and instructions comes with The Luminous Trilogy album (see link below)

The VCV patch consists of 5 mix layers + 3 control layers:

-Live mix using CME 3X Bitstearm MIDI controller
Fader 1 - Binaural Mascleta pitched down 2 octaves (recorded in Valencia 2018)
Fader 2 - Mascleta through VCV stereo Resonators.
Fader 3 - 8 bit Static
Fader 4 - Binaural sea surf (recorded in Cambrills 2023)
Fader 5 - 6 Tabla loops (recorded in 2023)
Knob 1 - Resonator tuning deviation (this creates the melody)
Knob2 - Arpeggio speed (how fast notes change)
Knob 3 - Amount of pitch deviation
Knob 4 - Eventide H3000 pitch shift amount.

This work is not sponsored by any the manufacturers mentioned. They are personally purchased pieces of equipment.

Visuals Details:
Medusae created using Ian Fritz Chaotica by Elby Designs into Disting III, to Max/Msp/Jitter and finally filmed on a 1960s Brionvega Algol monochrome television.

Album:
https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/ele..."

Contrails - Luminous Trilogy - Part 3

One of the greatest sites we can see is the seemingly impossible colours and shapes of the changing sky.

Time-lapses are often overused, without a context. Here, however, the context was very personal and a psychological one.

They were filmed between 2017-2021. Nearly 600 of them.

I tried to capture the experience of each evening as the sky's theatrics unfolded before the dark curtain covered everything. Nothing compares to the real thing, so these are "memories" of those moments. Many were shot during the pandemic, when we in a very strict lockdown and thus, the project became a form of experiencing freedom and maintaining sanity. Like part 2 of this trilogy, "Breath", the theme is the "escape from reality", finding utopia.

I didn't apply any effects or treatments to the footage and did not colour grade the result.

Music equipment Detail:

-Mutable Instruments Rings through Samplicity's Berlin Studio (intro percussion and chimes)
-Yamaha FB01 through Eventide H3000 Factory
-Pure Data (Red Ekkko) custom synthesiser (Cumulus Song) through Eventide H3000 Factory

This work is not sponsored by any the manufacturers mentioned. They are personally purchased pieces of equipment.

Album:
https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/ele...

A CATALOGUE OF FM MATERIALS

video uploads by Element433 ( a.k.a. Pere Villez)

"Intermediate Level FM Synthesis"

Playlist:

FM Synthesis. A Catalogue of Materials. 01 Metal

"This is the first of a series of videos for intermediate level F.M. synthesis. As such, each video shows frequency data of the patches. They are templates to go away with and work with so you can find your own variations.

Most of the patches are either percussion or sustained sounds and thus the amplitude envelopes should be obvious at intermediate level (either decays or sustains). The operator levels are found by following each example’s operator steps as they are switched on and then comparing the video with ones own trials.

Each video contains the blueprint for the synthesis of the basic sound of physical resonant materials such as metal, wood, air, strings as used in musical instruments. Some of the videos cover more abstract electronic sounds and SFX.

The idea of this series is to show how to improve on the original “plasticky” sounding F.M. factory presets that were/are so ubiquitous on the original F.M. Synthesisers of the 1980s. Remember the original “ Tubular Bell” or “ Timpani” ?

Subscribe to follow the series.

H O W T O U S E

Each example has a "structure" (synthesis parameters) and a "creative" context, which in this case are short film clips.

Synthesis Parameters

C = Carrier M =Modulator (As shown in VOPM)
"Detune" is for slightly detuning for phasing and chorusing effects

The most universal F.M. parameters (mainly frequency ratio data) are provided from which to create variations of the "material" timbres in the videos. For example, you will be surprised how much variation is possible by changing the fundamental frequency and the inharmonic frequencies of the bells.

Ratios, how to:
If you are using VOPM, FB01, DX100, CX5 use the CXRatio column. Example:
The first number in the CX ratio is the "Mul" or ratio multiplier (0.5 to 15) and the second number is the "DT2" in VOPM or "IF" on the FB01, CX5 etc. (Should be between 0-3). The Detune is more of a standard fine detune you find on any synth's oscillator and is for adding chorusing, beating frequencies etc. On the CX5, VOPM etc it is between 0-7

If you are using a DX compatible synth use the DXRatio columns and use that number in your operator frequency.

Levels and Envelopes:
Level and envelope data varies quite a lot depending on the model of F.M. device you have so they were omitted here, however, it is fairly easy to work them out by listening and following the order in the video.

1. Make sure you have the correct algorithm.

2. Start with the first operator as the loudest operator (full level). Then get the level for each subsequent operator. Follow the order in which they are switched on in the video and experiment to get the timbre as close to the videos as possible.

2. The envelopes are pretty easy to work out if you listen to each operator as it is switched on in the video.

If you are are still stuck I recommend learning the basics of FM.

Unfortunately because of time constraints, I am unable to offer support."

FM Synthesis. A Catalogue of Materials. 02 Wood

"This is the second instalment from the 'FM Catalogue of Materials' synthesis cinematic videos.
These are intermediate level F.M. synthesis, so they require a little knowledge of synthesis in general.

Most of the patches are either percussion or sustained sounds and thus the amplitude envelopes should be obvious at intermediate level (either decays or sustains). The operator levels are found by following each example’s operator steps as they are switched on and then comparing the video with ones own trials.
Each video contains the blueprint for the synthesis of the basic sound of physical resonant materials such as metal, wood, air, strings as used in musical instruments. Some of the videos cover more abstract electronic sounds and SFX.

The parameters on the videos are from the VOPM free FM plugin. They are the same as the Yamaha FB01 and CX5M. They will work on most Yamaha 4 operator FM synths. They work well on, Preen FM2, Korg early FM synths and NI FM7 and FM8 too
http://www.geocities.jp/sam_kb/VOPM/

Synthesis Parameters
The idea behind this series is to provide the most universal F.M. parameters (mainly frequency ratio data) from which to create variations of the "material" timbres in the videos. You will be surprised how much variation is possible by changing the fundamental frequency and the inharmonic frequency of the bells.

Ratios, how to:
If you are using VOPM, FB01, DX100, CX5 use the CXRatio column. Example:
The first number in the CX ratio is the "Mul" or ratio multiplier (0.5 to 15) and the second number is the "DT2" in VOPM or "IF" on the FB01, CX5 etc). The Detune is more of a standard fine detune you find on any synth's oscillator and is for adding chorusing, beating frequencies etc.

If you are using a DX compatible synth use the DXRatio columns and use that number in your operator frequency.

LFO. This is the most important parameter for creating the "woodiness".

The LFO wave must be a random wave (sometimes called Sample and Hold)
Set the speed to max and then dial in depth/intensity until you get the wood texture. You will also notice it creates ambient reverberation. Unfortunately the DX7 LFO's are to slow to create this effect. On the Sy77 and TG77 use a noise operator as an alternative.

1. Make sure you have the correct algorithm.

2. Start with the first operator as the loudest operator (full level). Then get the level for each subsequent operator. Follow the order in which they are switched on in the video and experiment to get the timbre as close to the videos as possible.

2. The envelopes are pretty easy to work out and are fairly obvious if you listen to each operator as it is switched on in the video.

Unfortunately because of time constraints, I am unable to offer support."

FM Synthesis. A Catalogue of Materials. 03 Air (Turbulence)

"This is the third instalment from the 'FM Catalogue of Materials' synthesis cinematic videos.
These are intermediate level F.M. synthesis, so they require a little knowledge of synthesis in general.

Levels and Envelopes, how to:
Most of the patches are sustained or decaying sounds and thus the amplitude envelopes should be obvious at intermediate level (either decays or sustains). The operator levels are found by following each example’s operator steps as they are switched on and then comparing the video with ones own trials.

Ratios, how to:
If you are using VOPM, FB01, DX100, CX5 use the CXRatio column. Example:
The first number in the CX ratio is the "Mul" or ratio multiplier (0.5 to 15) and the second number is the 'DT2' in VOPM or 'IF' on the FB01, CX5 etc). The Detune is more of a standard fine detune you find on any synth's oscillator and is for adding chorusing, beating frequencies etc.

If you are using a DX compatible synth use the DXRatio columns and use that number in your operator frequency.

Each video contains the blueprint for the synthesis of the basic sound of physical resonant materials such as metal, wood, air, strings as used in musical instruments. Some of the videos cover more abstract electronic sounds and SFX.

This one is called "air because it shows how turbulences can create a sense of airiness and breath which becomes part of the sound rather than if noise was just added by mixing in.

This F.M. technique is related to the Wood materials. It employs the same random modulations (approx between 50-100Hz on the frequency of the operators in order to create turbulence. This case differs from the wood materials in that there is more depth of random modulation and the timbres use long sustained envelopes to create drones and pads. Pads, in general don't have to have huge thick layered oscillators in order to create atmosphere, in fact, it could be argued that those are somewhat overdone.

The parameters on the videos are from the VOPM free FM plugin. They are the same as the Yamaha FB01 and CX5M. They will work on most Yamaha 4 operator FM synths. They work well on, Preen FM2, Korg early FM synths and NI FM7 and FM8 too
http://www.geocities.jp/sam_kb/VOPM/

Synthesis Parameters
The idea behind this series is to provide the most universal F.M. parameters (mainly frequency ratio data) from which to create variations of the "material" timbres in the videos. You will be surprised how much variation is possible by changing the fundamental frequency and the inharmonic frequency of the bells.

The LFO wave must be a random wave (sometimes called Sample and Hold)
Set the speed to max and then dial in depth/intensity until you get the wood texture. You will also notice it creates ambient reverberation. Unfortunately the DX7 LFO's are to slow to create this effect. On the Sy77 and TG77 use a noise operator as an alternative.

A couple of points worth noting.

Frozen Sines is deceptively simple. Two things make this timbre work. The right amount of turbulence (created by a random LFO modulating the frequency of the operators and the detuning between each operator in order to create the ondulating polyrhythmic pulsing that creates makes this. The polyrhythm changes depending on the amount of detuning (under the Detune column).

Lenticular Ships is quite simple. Operator 1 ( M1) has a slower attack and a sudden decay to create something similar to backwards tape.

Fugal Contrails. Dark cassetified pipe organ, which give a vintage sound. ONe of my favourite and earliest sounds from the CX5M. Depending on the mix of random LFO speed and depth you can get anything from cassette like wow and flutter to dark breathy baroque pipes.

Wind Cymbal. The only thing to note about this timbre is that the attack needs to be adjusted depending on the tempo of the arrpeggio.

Wind Gong. Slow attack gong like timbre. Adding more noise LFO will create a whispier airy feel to the tone."