Hypnotic jam with Sequential Take 5, Midicake ARP, Dreadbox Nymphes, Roland SH-101, DrumBrute Impact

video upload by Jay Hosking

"Please support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jayhosking
A live, semi-improvised synthesizer jam performed entirely on hardware.

I'm lucky enough to have access to a new studio space, and am now in the process of moving over there. That means the days and nights have been long. One evening I was casually noodling on the Take 5 and came up with a patch and arpeggio I liked, but didn't feel I had time and capacity to do a full sequence and arrangement with other devices.

That's where the Midicake ARP comes in to save the day. Rather than sequence anything, I simply sent my MIDI data out of the Take 5 and into the ARP. The ARP then recontextualized the notes and can send them out to up to four other devices (here, I used three, plus MIDI clock to the DrumBrute Impact). Thanks to the ARP, I could explore chords and improvisation without having to write a single note in a sequencer. The ARP really is a great solution to a classic songwriting problem: being able to find the song with all the parts at once, rather than imagine all the parts and then write them.

From there, it was a matter of laying down some instruments and effects I liked the sound of. No surprises here, other than the Boss DM-101, which I got recently. It doesn't quite have the personality of the Matriarch delay, but it's a great and more versatile analog delay that I look forward to using more.

All in all, a really fun jam, and I was extremely grateful to have the tools I needed to write the song on the fly across multiple instruments.

Thanks for listening.

Sequential Take 5 - main arpeggio, MIDI controller/data out
Midicake ARP - "sequencer" (note recontextualizer? arpeggiator?)
Arturia DrumBrute Impact - drums
Dreadbox Nymphes through Strymon BigSky - arpeggio two
Blackout Model D through Boss DM-101 - bass synth
Roland SH-101 through Walrus Sloër - arpeggio three (the slow high one)
Kenton Pro-Solo Mk3 - MIDI to CV for SH-101
Kenton MIDI Thru - MIDI through to all devices

Performed and recorded live, with eq, compression, and limiting in the box.

https://jayhosking.bandcamp.com"

Analog synth jam with the Roland SH-101, Moog Subsequent 37, Walrus Sloër, Source Audio Ventris

video upload by Jay Hosking

"Please support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jayhosking
A live, semi-improvised synthesizer jam performed entirely on hardware.

I got an SH-101. Yes, it's simple. But I love its particular sound and find it endlessly deep and soothing. Thinking of it that way made me think to pair it with the Subsequent 37, another synth that provokes exactly the same feeling. Turns out the two make a good team.

Roland SH-101 into Source Audio Ventris - Bass / melody synth sequence
Moog Subsequent 37 into Walrus Sloër - Lead synth

Performed and recorded live, with EQ, compression, and limiting on the master.

Thanks for listening.

https://jayhosking.bandcamp.com"

Ambient jam with the Soma Terra and Soma Cosmos

video upload by Jay Hosking

"A live, semi-improvised synthesizer jam performed entirely on hardware.

First, apologies for the change in video quality. I upgraded my camera, but some problems with the SD card led to a reversion back to 30 frames a second (I'm a big believer in 24fps). It also isn't looking quite how I want yet. I hope it's not too jarring.

Second, I got the Soma Terra. It is a joyful experience.

Some of the Soma stuff just doesn't work for me: the Lyra was always halfway to what I wanted, the Pulsar has great sounds and (for me) small sweet spots. But the Cosmos was a revelation, like something I'd always wanted but didn't know how to put into words. The Terra has a similar feeling.

The Terra is expressive and has complexity, but also is immediate to understand, musically. It's quick and easy to modify in terms of the sound engine and the notes associated with each brass button. The sound engines were a real positive surprise, with lots of warmth and musicality. The reverb and delay are good and totally useable, but not near the level of some of the dedicated pedals out there.

The Terra's not perfect for me—the number of buttons, and general layout, make it feel more like a device for solos versus a complete arrangement like guitar or piano—but it's a joy to play, and utterly unlike anything else. I wonder if Soma will iterate upon the design, make something a little more for two-handed playing. I'd also love to see diatonic transposition, though that would require some sort of way to set the scale; in the meantime, I love how fast and relatively seamless it is to switch patches (and thus switch the notes). Ultimately, I'm sitting here thinking about going back and playing the Terra some more, and that's always a fantastic sign.

Thanks for listening.

Soma Terra - synthesis and performance
Soma Cosmos - asymmetrical looping

Performed and recorded live to a stereo output, with EQ, compression, and limiting on the master."

Breaks and death jam with Elektron Octatrack MkII, Novation AFX Station

video upload by Jay Hosking

"A live, semi-improvised performance of Edvard Grieg's "The Death of Åse" (from Peer Gynt) performed entirely on synths and sampler hardware.

I love this song in all its incarnations, on strings, on piano. So while on the island, I thought I'd try it on synths and samplers. I sequenced the main lines in the box, using Native Instruments' Noire (piano) and Arturia's Prophet V (synth) doubled up. Then I chopped that into segments and imported into the Octatrack.

Once in the Octatrack, I took the Amen break and did some mangling, adding some glitch, pan, and randomization. I also added a second break I created, and a line of weird percussion (from a Patreon community member), both from a community sample pack in my Patreon.

Finally, I wanted some real-time hardware synth, and was smart enough to bring the Novation AFX Station with me to the island. This thing has so much versatility going for it, sounds phenomenal, and has an absolutely stellar layout for creating. It's wild to me that the Bass Station II / AFX Station is both one of the best mono synths out there, while also being so widely available and so affordable.

Once it was all together, it was just a matter of tweaking some scenes for effects and transition, and then capturing the performance. Really happy with this one.

Thanks for listening.

Native Instruments Noire and Arturia Prophet V - piano/synth main line, sampled into the
Elektron Octatrack Mk2 - sample mangling, mixing, performance effects, scenes
Novation AFX Station - synth arpeggio thing"

Dance jam with Roland T-8, S-1, Crum Drum

video upload by Jay Hosking

You can find more info on the Crum Drum here.

"Please support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jayhosking
A live, semi-improvised jam performed entirely on hardware.

Text, phantasmagoric visuals, masking, art, and more created by Vincent Venoir. Please check out his music project here!: https://hyperfollow.com/chonkerbot

I've been travelling quite a bit over the last few weeks and decided to get the "Rolcas" to keep me company while travelling. I have been super impressed with the T-8, J-6, and S-1, and been having a blast while sitting in hotel rooms or ferry line-ups. The T-8 in particular leads to instant fun, and the S-1 is a surprisingly deep synthesizer with fantastic sound.

Here, I made a pattern from scratch on the T-8, quickly transposed something I had noodled on the S-1, and then performed it on the spot. I also added in the Crum Drum, another cheap drum machine, for some fun percussive performance. It made a great combo with the Rolcas (although its synch occasionally lost a 16th note). The three together made a fantastic, fun, and fast jam.

It was the fun of these devices, and this jam, that made me think to reach out to Vincent and see if he wanted to make some of his magic on the video. He really captured the spirit of the jam, and I was delighted by the end results!

Roland T-8 - Drums and bass
Roland S-1 (+ XLN RC-20 plug-in for a bit of dirt/warble) - Chords
Nyström Crum Drum - Percussion

Written a few minutes before recording. Performed and recorded live, with EQ, compression, and limiting on the master.

Thanks for listening."

Ambient jam with Dreadbox Nymphes, Tasty Chips GR-1, Walrus Slöer, Meris LVX

video upload by Jay Hosking

"Please support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jayhosking
A live, semi-improvised synthesizer jam performed entirely on hardware.

In my previous video, I tried the Walrus Slöer reverb pedal with a few fun synths. During that session, I stumbled into a chord progression on the Nymphes that sounded really lovely with the Slöer, and this track was born from it.

I knew it needed some accompaniment that matched the feeling, so I brought out the GR-1, my favourite granular hardware. With its four-layer timbrality, I could both create textures, and also use a timbre to double the Nymphes for some building/progression. I'm really happy with how hardware explorations can quickly lead to finished songs, and this is no exception.

Dreadbox Nymphes into Walrus Slöer - Pad
Tasty Chips GR-1 into Meris LVX - Four granular synth sounds
Arturia Keystep 37 - MIDI controller
Kenton MIDI Thru (not seen) - MIDI Thru

Performed and recorded live, with EQ, compression, and limiting on the master.

Thanks for listening.

https://jayhosking.bandcamp.com"

Ambient bliss with the Walrus Slöer reverb and synths! (Nymphes, Moog One, TT-303, MS-20)

video upload by Jay Hosking

"Trying out Walrus's new stereo reverb with some hardware synthesizers.

I recently purchased the Walrus Slöer and thought I'd try it with some hardware synths. The Slöer is an update to their Slö pedal, now with stereo input/output and a couple of new algorithms. I'm extremely impressed with the overall sound of it, and got lost in my explorations. It's got a particular texture and character that's unlike my other reverbs, and I can foresee myself using it for other ambient work in the near future. In fact, I wrote the start of a few songs while noodling with it!

There's about 90 minutes of footage, which is available for supporters of my Patreon, but I trimmed it down to about 15 minutes for YouTube. And for those of you who prefer my actual music performance videos, I've recorded a song with the Slöer and will release it in about a week, when I have a moment to get it in shape.

Thanks for listening, and I hope this is useful and musical.

Synths used:
Cyclone Analogic Bass Bot TT-303
Korg MS-20
Dreadbox Nymphes
Moog One"

Arps and acid with Midicake ARP, Arturia Minifreak, TT-303, Dreadbox Erebus, Roland TR-06, Meris LVX

video upload by Jay Hosking

"A live, semi-improvised synthesizer jam performed entirely on hardware.

Important note: Midicake sent me over the ARP for free. I rarely get free gear, though I'm very grateful when it happens. There was no expectation for me to put it in a video, and no request from Midicake other than to share my thoughts with them. That said, I really enjoyed using it and I'll be keeping it around, as it strikes a nice balance between the "plug-and-pretty" of the NDLR and the "depth and detail" of a traditional sequencer. I've still got plenty to explore with it. Thanks, Chris!

I started with the ARP, because I wanted to see what it could do. I didn't want to overload the table at first, so I took out the Minifreak, which has voices to spare. Very quickly I was creating arpeggios and sequencing lines I really liked, and easily able to customize the lines to what I was looking for, from rhythms to polymetrics to inversions etc. I started with just standard major and minor chords, but it was extremely easy to customize the chords on the eight chord buttons once I wanted some 7ths and 6ths. And to have a chord sequencer built in was extremely helpful, as it reduced the amount of gear I needed on the table.

Once I had the bones of the song structure, I filled out some more parts, with Erebus on bass and the TR-06 on drums. Finally, I felt it needed something a little gnarlier around the interlude, and luckily I'd just picked up the awesome 303 clone from Cyclone Analogic. Once that was in place, it was just a matter of shaping the song through performance parameters. The final result is pretty cool, and adds some tones, timbres, and textures I haven't been getting as much these days.

Thanks for listening.

Midicake ARP - most sequencing (i.e. for Minifreak and Erebus)
Arturia Minifreak - three synth lines
Dreadbox Erebus - bass synth
Cyclone Analogic Bass Bot TT-303 - acid bass (using its own sequence)
Meris LVX - drive and delay for TT-303
Kenton MIDI Thru - MIDI splitter/thru box"

Ambient synth jam with Dreadbox Nymphes, Erebus, Kinotone Ribbons, Chase Bliss Mood MkII

video upload by Jay Hosking

"A live, semi-improvised synthesizer jam performed entirely on hardware.

I recently bought the Kinotone Ribbons, and a member of my Patreon community wisely suggested that I run the Dreadbox Nymphes through it. He was very right (thanks, Robbie!): the Nymphes already has tons of analog synth character, but the Ribbons' stereo reverb plus its tape effects really made the perfect ambient sound.

I played around on the Keystep until I found some chords I liked, sequenced the chord progression on the Keystep, and then went searching for a second synth to complement the Nymphes & Ribbons.

I settled on the Erebus because it's small, sounds fantastic, and has lots of hands-on control. To add some character of its own, I used the Mood MkII to add some sample-reduced tape, plus some of its own reverb. It ended up lo-fi in its own way, and quite different from the Nymphes & Ribbons combo.

At first I thought I might play the Erebus separately, but the slow pace, plus wanting to keep it meditative, made me try something different instead. Here, I sent the same sequencing data to both synths. However, since the Erebus was in mono mode, it had to choose a single note from the polyphony of the chords, leading to a sort of melody line of its own. It was a happy accident, and a peaceful finished song.

Dreadbox Nymphes into Kinotone Ribbons - chords
Dreadbox Erebus into Chase Bliss Mood MkII - lead
Arturia Keystep 37 - sequencing

Thanks for listening.

https://jayhosking.bandcamp.com"

Making sample magic with the Elektron Octatrack MkII (live performance)

video upload by Jay Hosking

"For all the samples used here, plus the amazing community of musicians who made the sample pack, please support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jayhosking

A semi-improvised jam performed solely on the Elektron Octatrack MkII.

For our spring collaboration, my Patreon community and I put together our first sample pack, a collection of loops and one-shots for both melodics and drums/percussion. It's an incredible collection of over 250 samples, and to celebrate its creation, we made songs using the samples as our starting point.

Here, I started by taking my favourite loops and one-shots from the sample pack and turning them into a collection of perfectly sized sections for the Octatrack. Once I imported them into the Octatrack, I started mangling and developed scenes, transitions, and extra parts to fill in all the gaps. The Octatrack is the perfect device for taking an 8-bar loop and figuring out a way to get from the beginning to the ending of a song.

Thanks for listening, and I hope you check out and use the sample pack for yourself."

Apocalyptic synth jam with PWM Malevolent, Meng Qi Wingie 2, Chase Bliss Mood MkII, Zen Delay, DFAM

video upload by Jay Hosking

"Please support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jayhosking
A song that started as a live, semi-improvised synth jam, and was finished by adding some extra sounds in the box.

I recently bought the Malevolent and Wingie 2 from the same friend, and thought it might be fun to get such different pieces of hardware in the same song. The Malevolent really can get monstrous with its drive/distortion, whereas the Wingie 2 reminds me of MI Rings, bright and ringing, but with tons of playability. From there, I filled out what I needed to quickly improvise, some effects on the synths, and some drums to play with. Finally, I added some extras like guitar and a little more synth after the live performance was captured. Notes below. It's fun to have no sequencers on the table and to just make music by playing the devices.

Meng Qi Wingie 2 via Chase Bliss Mood MkII - stereo plucks
PWM Malevolent via Erica Synths Zen Delay - bass synth wildness
Moog DFAM (x 2) - kick (on one DFAM), hats and snare (on another DFAM) - the DFAMs also had compression, a little stereo delay, etc. in the box (see the Patreon walkthrough vid)
Godin Stadium 59 via Elektron Analog Drive and Strymon Iridium - guitar
Reason Europa - synth pad
Reason Thor - additional bass emphasis on kick drum
XLN Audio Addictive Drums 2 - ride cymbal doubling one DFAM for last chorus

Thanks for listening.

https://jayhosking.bandcamp.com"

Ambient jam with Elektron Octatrack, Roland SH-4D, and Soma Cosmos

video upload by Jay Hosking

"Please support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jayhosking
A live, semi-improvised synth jam performed entirely on hardware.

This one came together unexpectedly as I was wrapping up a longer video on some of my favourite gear (spoiler alert). I stumbled into some ideas with the Octatrack and Cosmos, and added the closest synth on hand—the Roland SH-4D, which I just got and am exploring—to fill in the gaps. Add in a sample from an old favourite and the song was complete. The Cosmos always creates music that sounds like the music in my dreams, ambient and blurred, ideas reverberating across the sonic space.

Thanks for listening.

Elektron Octatrack MkII - Samples, effects,
Roland SH-4D - Synth lead and bass sounds
Soma Cosmos - Asymmetrical looping into infinity

https://jayhosking.bandcamp.com"

Soundtrack music with Korg ARP Odyssey, piano, Dreadbox Typhon, and Nymphes

video upload by Jay Hosking

"A song comprised of two live performances with both hardware and software.

I have a hand surgery scheduled for this week, and wanted to get in one last piano performance before my hand was out of commission for a while. These are the results. The end result seems clearly inspired by some of my favourite OST music.

Native Instruments Noire (played on Kawai CA49) - piano
Korg ARP Odyssey - melody
Arturia Analog Lab and Dreadbox Nymphes - pad
Reason Thor and Dreadbox Typhon - bass
Red70 controlled by MIDI Fighter Twister - doubled right hand piano arpeggio

Recorded as two live performances into Reason Studios' Reason. Additional effects (mainly Arturia and Reason) added in the box, plus EQ, compression, and limiting on the master.

https://jayhosking.bandcamp.com"

Ambient then heavy with Moog One, Subsequent 37, Hologram Microcosm, and eurorack drums

video upload by Jay Hosking

"Please support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jayhosking
A live, semi-improvised synth jam performed entirely on hardware.

The Moog One has become my end-of-day synth, where I just sit down and play for comfort. That ends up shaping the music itself, I think, and definitely is where this song emerged. I started with something ambient and melancholy, but I knew I wanted it to get huge.

Using the Moog One's multiple timbres, I made a pad, motif, and bass sound, and sequenced it all internally. For some extra oomph, I added my eurorack drum setup, which is sounding even better now that the Endorphin.es Ghost got a firmware update to improve filter and add sample rate reduction.

I couldn't get the Moog One to send clock out to the eurorack drums, so I had both synth and drums free running at the same tempo. I was happy they didn't drift too much!

And toward the end, I realized I needed another timbre for melody/lead, so I added the Subsequent 37. It's still one of my absolute favourites; it just has "that sound." The Microcosm adding some nice character to the melody, as well.

Moog One - three synth timbres (pad, motif, bass), effects, sequencing
Moog Subsequent 37 + Hologram Microcosm - lead/melody
Eurorack drums:
- Intellijel Steppy 1U - drum sequencing
- Mystic Circuits IDUM - extra drum sequencing colour
- Prok Kick, Tiptop 808 Snare, Prok Hats, WMD Fracture - drum voices
- Intellijel Mixup - mixer
- Intellijel FSR 1U - performance pad for extending perc decay
- Endorphin.es Ghost - filter, delay, reverb, compression, drive, sample rate reduction

Performed and recorded live, with additional drive on the bassline, plus EQ, compression, and limiting, especially on the master.

Thanks for listening.

https://jayhosking.bandcamp.com"

Mood jam w/ Oxi One, MiniFreak, MicroMonsta 2, Model D, Tetra, Polymoon, Echosystem, and eurorack

video upload by Jay Hosking

"A live, semi-improvised synth jam performed entirely on hardware.

Big thanks to Michael at Capra Design for making custom stands for so many of these pieces of hardware. Go check them out!: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CapraDesign...

I picked up the Oxi One not so long ago and have been excited to finally get it on the table. It didn't disappoint! Here, I'm using four different types of sequencing (monophonic, polyphonic, generative, and chord) for the four different synth instruments, all on the same sequencer. On top of that, the Oxi One's diatonic transposition (called "HARMON" scale mode) has the chord sequencer controlling the transposition of two of the other sequencers, so that the bass and melody play along with the chords. It's a fast and fun sequencer that also feels physically sturdy and great (except for the larger pad buttons for me). Plus it's battery powered! Definitely a sequencer that works for me.

A few other notes on gear here:

The MiniFreak and MicroMonsta 2 continue to be great, and can play a few types of roles in a setup while also being compact.

I got the Tetra in a trade, because I was curious, and I actually think it'll be a great multi-timbral solution for setups with the Octatrack or other sequencers. More with it soon, hopefully!

The Endorphin.es Ghost is really working for me. Moments after I recorded this video, they released a firmware update that greatly improves the filter, plus adds signal-rate- and bit- reduction, which sound great and are super useful. It's a great all-in-one effects unit.

Oxi One - Melodic Sequencing
Arturia MiniFreak (using only its internal effects) - pad
Audiothingies Micromonsta 2 (using only its internal effects) - generative plucks
Blackout Model D through Meris Polymoon - bass
Sequential Tetra through Empress Echosystem - melody
Kenton Audio Thru - MIDI thru box
Eurorack drums:
- Intellijel Steppy 1U - drum sequencing
- Mystic Circuits IDUM - extra drum sequencing colour
- Prok Kick, Tiptop 808 Snare, Prok Hats, WMD Fracture - drum voices
- Intellijel Mixup - mixer
- Intellijel FSR 1U - performance pad for extending perc decay
- Endorphin.es Ghost - filter, delay, reverb, compression

Performed and recorded live, with some additional EQ, compression, and limiting, primarily on the master.

Thanks for listening.

https://jayhosking.bandcamp.com"

Ambient orchestra with piano, Sequential Take 5, Novation AFX Station, Korg MS-20

video upload by Jay Hosking

"Please support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jayhosking
A live performance on piano and Sequential Take 5, with a couple of extra "orchestral" layers added afterward.

Despite putting so much time into synthesizers, drum machines, etc., I probably play more piano than anything else these days. I love music arranged for piano and synth, and I watch a ton of it here on YouTube. So it's nice to finally be making some of that on the channel.

Here, I use the Take 5's sequencer with some slow attack to create a backdrop for playing piano over. As the song moves, I progressively open the Take 5's filter to fill more and more of the space.

For bass, I added the Novation AFX Station (aka Bass Station II), not exactly what you might think of when you hear "orchestral", but is amazing for bass and strikes a balance between fitting in and standing out.

To double the melody, I added the Korg MS-20. I've got both its filters tuned into the midrange with a good deal of resonance, so it cuts through the mix without taking up too much room. I've also got a little LFO on the pitch and some noise modulation on the filter cutoff to give the whole thing a warbled, falling-apart feeling.

For piano, I'm playing my Kawai CA49, which has a great keybed and wooden keys, though the sound isn't quite good enough for a recording (great for practicing, though). I'm sending its MIDI to Native Instruments' Noire (for the deeper, richer part of the piano) and also to XLN Audio's Addictive Keys (for more of the percussive/hammer/strike of the piano); I think the two blend really well.

All in all, I'm really happy with this piece and the mood it provokes, both through its melodic choices and its timbral choices. Thanks for listening.

Kawai CA49 into Native Instruments Noire and XLN Audio Addictive Keys - piano
Sequential Take 5 - Pad sequence ambience thing
Novation AFX Station into Valhalla Shimmer - Bass
Korg MS-20 into Synapse Audio Deep Reverb - Melody

Piano and Take 5 recording as a live performance, with bass and melody overdubbed afterward, and the standard EQ/compression/limiting on the master.

https://jayhosking.bandcamp.com"

Synth jam with Arturia MiniFreak, Dreadbox Erebus, eurorack drums, and Reason 12 synths

video upload by Jay Hosking

"An impromptu song that started on hardware synths and eurorack, and was finished by adding some extra sounds in the box.

This is a great example of why I love both hardware (it's inspiring!) and software (it has incredible power and can get the job finished!). Here, I was just trying out a new eurorack drum sequencer, decided to send the kick trig to the Erebus, and then began noodling on top with the MiniFreak. I wrote the song before I even knew I was writing a song. And while it was super inspiring, I could tell that I'd need a bunch more instruments to make the song feel finished. Rather than expanding the table and slowing down the creative process, I captured the inspiration already there and finished off the job in Reason afterward. It was definitely the right approach.

Dreadbox Erebus through Source Audio Ventris - bass synth locked to kick
Arturia MiniFreak - melody and pads
Eurorack drums:
- Intellijel Steppy - sequencer
- Mystic Circuits IDUM - extra glitch sequencing
- ALM Busy Circuits Pamela's New Workout - clock and LFOs
- Prok drums - kick, snare, hats
- WMD Fracture - glass-breaking claps
- Intellijel Mixup - mixing
- Noise Engineering Desmodus Versio - ducked reverb
- Intellijel FSR 1U - performance of glass breaking and reverb room size
- Endorphin.es Golden Master 1U - multi-band compression and EQ
- Intellijel Mixer 1U - output mixer
Reason 12 instruments:
- Monotone - extra bass stabs in bridges and choruses 2 and 3
- Complex-1 - arp thing, and drone/brass/pad thing
- Audio editing/pitch adjustment of the Erebus notes in the chorus (didn't have enough hands during the jam)

Hardware synths recorded together live, with a few extra tracks in the box afterward. EQ'd, compressed, limited, etc. during the final mix/master.

Thanks for listening.

https://jayhosking.bandcamp.com"

Hypnotic jam with Arturia MiniFreak, Dreadbox Erebus, Mystic Circuits IDUM, and other eurorack drums

video upload by Jay Hosking

"Please support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jayhosking
A live, semi-improvised synth jam performed entirely on hardware.

I had the MiniFreak and Erebus set up for an exploratory livestream on my Patreon, and totally stumbled across this combination of MiniFreak drone and Erebus bass with fifths. I'd also been tinkering with modifications to my eurorack drum setup, so I decided to quickly integrate the two together and capture something loose and fun. This came together extremely fast and I love how easy it was to get into the flow.

The MiniFreak and new Erebus are both brand new to me, and early impressions with both have extremely positive. I try a lot of gear and expect that I won't connect with much of it, so I was pleasantly surprised when I found myself saying, "Oh, yeah, this is great" for both of them.

The MiniFreak shines in its oscillators (especially those from Noise Engineering!) and its robust effects section, with three effects slots and far better sound than most integrated effects on big fancy flagship synths. There are so many bread and butter sounds the MiniFreak can give you, but it can also give you some wonderfully weird and warbly unique sounds that I haven't been able to get from a hardware synth.

The Erebus is exactly what I want in a desktop mono synth: small profile, huge sound, what-you-see-is-what-you-get settings, flexibility in sound design, great bass, and fun to explore. This one seems like a no-brainer if you're on the market for a desktop mono synth for a hardware setup, especially if you need something to contrast against Moog monos. Thanks so much to Michael for building this Erebus for me! (They have/had both DIY and pre-built kits.)

And then there's my eurorack drum machine, which continues to be my favourite way to add drums to a track. Two recent additions include the Mystic Circuits IDUM (to add a lot of hectic variety to the drum sequence) and the WMD Fracture (which is my new favourite clap/perc module). Really liking where this drum machine is going, though I'm going to try at least one more configuration.

All in all, this one really captured a moment in time and was a blast to explore. I may leave this setup on the table for a little more exploration.

Thanks for listening.

Arturia MiniFreak - Drone pad
Dreadbox Erebus with Source Audio Ventris - bass
Eurorack drums:
- ALM Busy Circuits Pamela's New Workout - clock and many LFOs
- Prok drums (3) - kick, snare, hats
- WMD Fracture - clap/perc
- Mutable Instruments Grids - drum sequencing
- Mystic Circuits IDUM - drum sequencing spice/character/glitch
- Intellijel Mixup and Duatt - drum mixing
- Happy Nerding FX Aid XL - drum colour/compression
- Endorphin.es Golden Master 1U - compression & EQ
- Intellijel Mixer 1U - final drum mix out

Performed and recorded live, with EQ, compression, and limiting on the master.

https://jayhosking.bandcamp.com"

Mood jam with the Elektron Analog Rytm MkII, Korg MS-20, Meris LVX

video upload by Jay Hosking

"A live synth jam performed entirely on hardware.

The origin of this song comes from my friend Vincent's awesome new ambient album, "every day a part". (Check out more of his stuff at https://chonker.bot) Vincent was putting together a remix album and I was happy to participate.

Here, I took four or five snippets of a song, pitched them up, and rephrased them into a melody via the Rytm. Then I added drums and bass, with some additional sample manipulation for atmosphere. For the structure of the song, I simply chained some patterns and muted/unmuted as needed.

The track felt like it needed some melody, so I added the Korg MS-20; the MS-20 is one of the few synths that it makes sense to play with the filter resonance cranked up. To add space and dimension to the melody, I added the Meris LVX doing an ambient delay thing, closely based on one of the presets. I haven't explored the LVX too much so far, but I really like a lot of what it has to offer, especially in its flexibility of routing.

Altogether, it ended up a moody, thoughtful piece, and I hope Vincent (and you!) like it.

Elektron Analog Rytm MkII - Samples, drums, bass, texture
Korg MS-20 into Meris LVX - melody/lead thing

Performed and recorded live, with EQ, compression, and limiting on the master.

https://jayhosking.bandcamp.com"

Video game mood music with Dirtywave M8 Tracker

video upload by Jay Hosking

"A full performance on the Dirtywave M8 Tracker, using its synths, sampler, sequencer, and effects.

At the end of August, I went on a trip, my first proper holiday in about ten years. I brought two small pieces of gear with me but used only one: the M8. I had expected to find the M8 too static or non-performative to be enjoyable, but I was drawn in by its fantastic sounding synthesizer designs, sampler with lots of editing and control, lush effects (reverb, delay, chorus), and workflow that led to new ideas. The M8 fits well in the hands, feels good to use, and has a great battery life. It's the perfect portable idea machine for me at the moment, easy enough to stash on any outing, and powerful enough that its sounds are inspiring.

This video isn't a 'jam' by any means, simply me pressing play and letting the M8 go. This is the M8's biggest drawback, in my opinion: it isn't conducive for live, dynamic performance. But that said, I imagine that I'll be using the M8 to create stems—it has a stem export feature—and then loading the stems into something more performative, like the Octatrack. It's a great little idea machine and gives me fodder for jams later.

If you're looking for a portable device for coming up with musical ideas, the M8 might be a good choice.

Thanks for listening.

The recording has EQ, compression, and limiting on the master.

https://jayhosking.bandcamp.com"