Sonicware ELZ_1 Play | Ambient explorations

video upload by Jay Hosking

"Please support my work on Patreon: / jayhosking
Two ambient pieces composed and performed live on the ELZ_1 Play, with effects.

00:00 - Song 1
04:22 - Song 2

Sonicware sent the ELZ_1 Play over for me to explore because of its big new firmware update. To be honest, there is an overwhelming number of synth engines and effects within the ELZ_1 Play and I only briefly explored the options with any systematicity. Most of the time, I found the synth was a nice device to tweak presets or dial in a sound quickly based on a particular engine type.

A few of the synth engines are quite beautiful and unique, including some tuned noise that it is really pretty. For these explorations, I was mainly drawn to sounds I can't normally make on my other synths, like electric pianos or organs. The options to make and tweak whatever you want are there, but they require you navigating the menus to find them. That aspect works perfect well, but mostly I found the ELZ_1 Play was a great couch device where I noodle.

The biggest and best surprise was definitely the looper, which allows you to have four separate, synchonized or asynchronous loops just spinning away. The looper is an easy way to quickly find inspiration and compose something new.

For these live performances, I've also paired the ELZ_1 Play with a few effects to extend or build the ambient sketch into something a little more complete. The Walrus Qi adds some granular, delay, chorus, and reverb to the finale of the first piece, and the Meris Polymoon adds its phased delay-verb to the second. I also thought I'd try the Soma Cosmos as a different take on the looping idea for the second track.

Overall, I found the ELZ_1 Play to be a good companion for those tired days where all the music-making energy I had was on the couch. Having so many engine types meant I could explore new sounds, and having the asynchronous looper meant I was often quickly in the territory of a full piece.

Thanks for listening.

https://jayhosking.bandcamp.com"