Exploring the Hexinverter / Erica Synths Mindphaser | Drone Sound Study

video upload by synthetic theory

"Yesterday was Drone Day and technically I'm one day late, because I didn't finish the post-processing in time. But anyway: this felt like the right moment to share something a little different.



I'm currently expanding my rack and learning how to operate a few new modules properly. One of them is the Hexinverter / Erica Synths Mindphaser. At first, I honestly wasn't completely convinced. I tried it, struggled to find the right tones, packed it back into the box and was already planning to send it back.



But then I gave it one more evening.



Instead of judging it too quickly, I tried to understand how it actually works. I slowed down, explored the interaction between the oscillators, the modulation paths, the waveshaping, and the strange areas between tone and chaos. And then the potential suddenly became clear.



Some modules simply need more attention. They have a learning curve and they don't always reveal themselves immediately. But once you reach that point of understanding, they can turn out to be real powerhouses.



So this is not one of my usual performance videos. It's more of a slow exploration: a drone-focused sound study with the Mindphaser at the center, sometimes shaped by effects, filtering, gates, and modulation.

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Instruō Introduces dåpf Dual All-Pass Filter Effects Processor Eurorack Module

via Instruō

"Introducing dåpf, the first dedicated effects processor in the Instruō product line. The Instruō dåpf is a set of two analogue all-pass filters.

You might be asking yourself, “What is the point of a filter that passes everything?” All-pass filters don’t actually attenuate frequency amplitudes directly, but rather alter the phase relationship of frequencies across the spectrum. All-pass filter stages appear in the vast majority of voltage-controlled filter topologies as well as serving as a core building block within DSP.

The normalled I/O of dåpf allows for cascaded or independent use of the two all-pass filter circuits, offering everything from classic phase-shifting to psychoacoustic stereo enhancement and synthetic Doppler effect.

• Two parallel all-pass filters
• Independent attenuverters for voltage control
• 1-Pole/2-Pole configuration for left channel
• Cascaded normalisation
• Global 1 volt per octave tracking"


Instruō - dåpf Overview

video upload by Instruō

"This video is long... But the second half is very much optional expansion and deep dive into some theory of all-pass filters.
The first few examples are much quicker, more practical examples of dåpf patched.
Thanks for watching :)"
~Jason
---
00:00:00 Instruōduction
00:03:24 Overview | Stereo Enhancement
00:04:19 Stereo Enhancement - Subtractive patch sound source
00:04:55 Stereo Enhancement - Traditional stereo panning
00:06:13 Stereo Enhancement - Spectrally transparent waveshaping
00:07:22 Stereo Enhancement - dåpf inputs/outputs
00:09:42 Stereo Enhancement - Controls and CV inputs
00:10:14 Stereo Enhancement - 6dB/12dB pole switch
00:11:18 Stereo Enhancement - Mono to Stereo patching
00:15:41 Stereo Enhancement - Static phase shift
00:17:32 Stereo Enhancement - Level 1: modulation
00:19:40 Stereo Enhancement - Level 2: modulation + waveshaping
00:25:02 Stereo Enhancement - Level 3: modulation + timbre
00:27:50 Vibrato Everything
00:28:17 Vibrato Everything - What is vibrato?
00:29:35 Vibrato Everything - Non-FM vibrato
00:30:22 Vibrato Everything - (tangent: sine phase)
00:31:34 Vibrato Everything - (tangent: sine spatialisation)
00:32:37 Vibrato Everything - Non-FM vibrato (sine wave)
00:34:11 Vibrato Everything - Non-FM vibrato (sawtooth wave)
00:38:42 Vibrato Everything - Non-FM vibrato (complex audio)
00:40:46 Vibrato Everything - Non-FM... FM? ...PM! (Phase Modulation)
00:43:47 Feedback Processing |"Doppler"
00:44:33 Feedback Processing |"Doppler" - Lúbadh feedback patch
00:46:38 Feedback Processing |"Doppler" - Doppler shift description
00:48:08 Feedback Processing |"Doppler" - Doppler dåpf 1pole/2-pole
00:49:20 Feedback Processing |"Doppler" - Doppler dåpf 3-pole/-4pole
00:51:28 Feedback Processing |"Doppler" - Doppler dåpf in stereo!
00:52:02 Feedback Processing |"Doppler" - Delay feedback
00:54:54 Feedback Processing |"Doppler" - Audio rate modulation
00:56:32 Building a phaser - Deep dive into all-pass filters
00:58:44 Building a phaser - Phase shift of a fundamental
00:59:41 Building a phaser - Quadrature: sine | cosine
01:00:43 Building a phaser - Drawing perfect circles
01:01:41 Building a phaser - Drawing (non-)perfect circles
01:02:16 Building a phaser - Frequency dependent phase shift
01:04:22 Building a phaser - 1V/octave tracking
01:07:40 Building a phaser - More than one sine wave
01:08:58 Building a phaser - The harmonic overtone series
01:10:19 Building a phaser - Sawtooth wave low-pass filtered (reference)
01:11:15 Building a phaser - Phase shifting harmonic overtones
01:15:42 Building a phaser - Inside a phaser
01:18:00 Building a phaser - Stereo Phaser
01:22:19 Building a phaser - uPhaser Befaco FXBoy
01:23:46 Building filters - Any-pass filter?
01:25:05 Building filters - RC low-pass filter
01:26:03 Building filters - Spectral cancellation principles
01:28:35 Building filters - APF to LPF
01:30:10 Building filters - APF to HPF
01:32:03 Building filters - Parallel dual all-pass filters
01:37:41 Building filters - Resonant filters"

And a video from Divkid:

Wow! I didn't know All Pass Filters could do this // 3 Patches with dapf from Instruo
video upload by DivKid

"I'm always striving to learn and explore with sound and music and dapf (the new Eurorack module from Instruo) certainly brought a big slap of school day into DivKid HQ. I was aware of all pass filters, getting past the funny idea that "all" frequencies pass (so what's the point?) and knowing they were use for phase shifts. What I didn't know is how core and important to filter topologies they were and how creatively useful they could be.

Some exploring later and here we are, with 3 patches that really show the power of phase manipulation. While dapf makes a fantastically chewy phaser FX unit I didn't expect it would be such a great stereo expander for a single VCO nor did I know I could be MUSICAL and totally analogue 3 operator FM/PM (like the digital Yamaha DX and Casio CZ phase/FM methods) synth."

MSHR - Liquid Conglomerate Presence Cycle

video by FACTmagazine

"MSHR is the audiovisual performance collective of artists Birch Cooper and Brenna Murphy, a collaborative project focused on the building and exploration of sculptural electronic systems, cybernetic sessions that are captured as AV compositions, installation work and live performances. For the last decade they have toured the world with their unique, improvisational live show, centered around self-built analog synthesizers that use feedback from light and movement to create dense sonic landscapes. This innately somatic approach to synthesis is complemented with reactive visuals that form city-like circuitscapes, which are themselves extruded from diagrams describing the signal flow of MSHR’s electronic musical systems.

“The physical design of our musical interfaces comes out of our installation practice. It is important for the interfaces to have a poetic logic and facilitate deep, intuitive playing,” they explain. “This work explores the intuitive and technical gradients between sonic and sculptural forms, using digital chip conglomerates run as analog circuits and open-source software to sculpt mutually resonant hyperobjects.”

Liquid Conglomerate Presence Cycle marks 10 years of their singular performance practice, serving as a multimedia document of both the sound and visuals of their live show. The film is split into four chapters, Symbiotic Vocal Weave, Knotted Presence Tracer, Light Pulse Formation and Liquid Hand, with each chapter featuring a different improvisation with its own cybernetic framework. Recorded during a residency at the sound art organization Sonoscopia in Porto, Portugal, Cooper and Murphy describe Liquid Conglomerate Presence Cycle as a “a prism for the live set,” one that showcases the improvisational, exploratory DNA of their performance practice.

“In performing this composition, we act as agents within a synthetic ecosystem,” they say. “Improvisation inside a light-audio feedback system feels like moving stones in a river, interacting with an environment to shift the flow of its elements. These recordings capture the sonic dimension of raw electricity surging through a morphing constellation of analog computer chips, flashing bulbs and extreme (in)human presence.”

“This exploration comes out of an ongoing fascination with the emergent complexity displayed by the interwoven biological, ecological and technological structures that frame our experience as embodied humans today.” they continue. “Constructing and exploring our own synthetic generative systems is our way of engaging with these unperceivable fundamental forms.” Editing glimpses of live footage into the refractive textures of their lysergic circuit landscapes, MSHR visualise the emergence of the human from within the machine.

As much a response to their unique approach to improvisation as it is to the complex spatial theory that is central to their work, the pair have developed a reactive visual language to interpret the insertion of somatic gestures into electronic forms. Over its four chapters Liquid Conglomerate Presence Cycle represents a comprehensive statement from the duo in this language, tying together the many facets of their varied audiovisual practice.

Liquid Conglomerate Presence Cycle will be released collaboratively by Sonoscopia and Ehse Records. The sounds Liquid Conglomerate Presence Cycle of will be available via Ehse Records on May 14."

AAS String Theory—Adam Pietruszko sound pack for String Studio VS-3 and AAS Player

Published on Dec 6, 2018 Applied Acoustics Systems

Update: 2nd performance video added.

Note this is a follow-up to the earlier post today on String Studio VS-3 from AAS. Adam Pietruszko of KNOBZ.NET has a separate sound pack available for String Studio. Details follow. Note I updated the previous post with this as well. You can find an interview with Adam at AAS here.

"Purchase String Theory at 50% off introductory price
→ https://www.applied-acoustics.com/str...

Or get String Studio VS-3 +PACKS bundle at 50% off as well
→ https://www.applied-acoustics.com/str...

Description
With String Theory, Adam Pietruszko takes meticulous advantage of String Studio VS-3's two-voice multitimbrality and MIDI-controlled sound variations features to deliver rich, complex, and refined sounds. From strings to a wide selection of basses, leads, plucks, pads, and keys, with tonal qualities ranging from acoustic, through electric, up to far-out synthetic, String Theory forms a sweeping collection that will tackle any musical genres with ease. Adam Pietruszko shares a tremendous amount of insight about synthesis as well as expert information to take full advantage of String Studio VS-3’s capabilities.

Who’s Adam Pietruszko?
Adam Pietruszko is a sound designer and audio engineer from Poland. Even though he specializes in cinematic and avant-garde sound design, his expertise also covers electronica, experimental music, techno, IDM, Synthwave, EDM, and many other genres. Additionally, Adam also teaches at the Academy of Audio Engineering and Polish-Japanese Academy of Information Technology in Warsaw, Poland. He provides lectures on sound synthesis, acoustics, electroacoustics, digital audio theory, as well as electronic music and FX production. Visit his website to find out about his latest projects.

Website → www.knobz.net

The music in this trailer is made by Adam Pietruszko and uses only the String Theory sound pack (except for the drums).

What's included in my purchase?
· 110 String Studio VS-3 presets
· AAS Player plug-in (VST, AU, AAX, RTAS)
· Serial number
· Installation instructions

This sound pack can be used with the free AAS Player plug-in as well as the String Studio VS-3 synthesizer.

AAS Player—included with purchase
· Distraction-free playing experience
· More than a hundred free extra presets via Swatches

String Studio VS-3—sold separately"

Introducing String Studio VS-3 string oscillator synthesizer plug-in—VST AU AAX NKS

Published on Dec 6, 2018 Applied Acoustics Systems

Update: two new videos added above: Working with layers and MIDI-controlled sound variations. Also see the sound pack from Adam Pietruszko of KNOBZ.NET further below.

"String Studio VS-3 is a synthesizer in which a collection of unique string oscillators replaces the traditional VCOs, DCOs, and operators as the main sound source in VST2, VST3, Audio Units (AU), and AAX formats for Reason, Live, Logic Pro, Pro Tools, Cubase, Reaper, Cakewalk, Sonar, FL Studio, and many more. Try String Studio VS-3 for free.

Applied Acoustics Systems (AAS) was founded in 1998 and is based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. As a privately-held company, it specializes in software-based synthesis tools for professional musicians and sound designers. Since releasing Tassman, the first virtual instrument based on physical modeling, AAS has come to be recognized as the industry leader in this exciting new field of synthesis.

§ WHAT’S NEW §
We have streamlined String Studio and brought it to a whole new level.

NEW Two-Voice Multitimbral
String Studio VS-3 combines two independent timbres—either stacked or split—to create performance-friendly, texture-full, and spacious sounds that are sure to make a good impression.

NEW Modulators
String Studio VS-3 now boasts two performance modulators per layer that respond to user-defined MIDI controls. Each and every sound features effect and morphing assignments that can be played in real time for enhanced expressivity and sonic dimension.

PEPPED Factory Library​
A long and fastidious process of fine-tuning went down in the AAS quarters. Each and every sounds went under the eyes of all team members to exit with a consistent gain-stage, unity-gain effects, better dynamics, and compelling real-time sound transformation assignments. This is our most perfected sound library to date.

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An Interview with Barry Schrader

Hi everyone! As you know Barry Schrader will be giving his farewell concert at CalArts on September 26. The following is the beginning of my interview with him. I opted to post the questions and answers as they come in.  New QAs will get a new post so you do not miss them and they will be added to this post so we have one central post for the full interview. This should make it easier for all of us to consume in our busy lives, and it will allow you to send in any questions that may come to mind during the interview process.  If you have anything you'd like to ask Barry, feel free to send it in to matrixsynth@gmail.com.  This is a rare opportunity for us to get insight on a significant bit of synthesizer history, specifically with early Buchla systems, and I'd like to thank Barry for this opportunity. Thank you Barry!

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The vOICe - Video to Audio - Seeing With Sound

Brian writes in with the following:
"I came across this program while searching for a PC version of Metasynth. It can use either live video or a picture and converts it to sound. Lots of experimental stuff too - using the mouse position as input, sonifying a URL (?!), and much more. Very cool!...

It actually uses images (either video or still pictures) to generate sound. I've attached an AVI illustrating what was generated from a wolf picture. You can apply a filter for what colors to use - kind of a spectrogram ran backwards. Speaking of, I attached another AVI illustrating what a spectorgram (made in Audacity) of me saying "funky town" sounds like after running it through vOICe. There's even a mode for entrainment of brain waves (must register to use that mode)!" Videos below.

via http://www.seeingwithsound.com/
"The vOICe vision technology for the totally blind offers the experience of live camera views through sophisticated image-to-sound renderings. In theory this use of digital senses could lead to synthetic vision with truly visual sensations ("qualia") through crossmodal sensory integration, by exploiting the existing multisensory processing and neural plasticity of the human brain through training and education. The vOICe implements a form of sensory substitution where the goal is to bind visual input to visual qualia with a minimum of training time and effort, and improve quality of life (QoL) for blind users."

Update via Brian in the comments: "I tried to sonify the Matrixsynth page URL, but I got an error of "Too many links" :)"

The vOICe Wolf

YouTube via matrixsynth | Mar 1, 2011 |

The vOICe Funkytown

Bitnotic Chill

"Bitnotic chill 1.5 plays ambient music soundtracks. Each time a user presses Play or
Next, they hear a unique song, that no one has ever heard before. Using the Mood
and Mix controls, users can create their own style of music.

Users can save individual songs or whole albums to iTunes, AIFF, or MIDI files.
Saved music is royalty-free, so users can use it in their own works, including
presentations, videos, and games.

New features include:
• Drums & Percussion track
• Space setting to adjust balance between acoustic and synthetic instruments
• The Pulse control lets users set ranges of busy-ness
• Stations to listen to or to use as the basis of new genres of music
• Updated music algorithms, now with a much better sense of melody
• Much better handling of pentatonic and whole tone scales (using the Octavian music theory engine)
• German localization

It's a free upgrade from 1.0 and still only $19.95.

There's a screen shot and sample music at http://www.bitnotic.com/chill.html"

Note this is not an iphone app but you can also find bitnotic on iTunes:


"Album of Jingle Bells variations, as recorded by Bitnotic's chill / Concordia software for Mac."