Live hardware jam (a collaboration with a member of Elektron!)

Jay Hosking

"A live, semi-improvised performance, all on hardware, and inspired by a new collaboration. Erik Angman is a Technical Writer at Elektron, but more importantly he's a musician with nuanced taste and subtlety. Erik reached out to me about the possibility of making music together, and after hearing his work, I was happy to oblige. Here, I use some audio stems from Erik as a starting point on the Octatrack, "shred to pieces" (Erik's phrase) and then reimagined. Finally, I made some additional melodic and rhythmic content via the Octatrack, Digitone, and Monomachine. I'm very happy with the results, and here's hoping it's the beginning of a beautiful collaboration!

Elektron Octatrack MkII — Sample mangler, performance mixer, scene maker
Elektron Digitone + Cooper FX & Chase Bliss Generation Loss (into Octatrack) — Warbly melody
Elektron Digitone (into Monomachine) — Swell pad
Elektron Monomachine MkII (into Octatrack) — Drums, bass, high synth, harmony synth, and performance mixer

Written by Erik Angman and Jay Hosking. Performed and recorded live by Jay, with EQ, compression, and limiting on the master.

https://jayhosking.bandcamp.com/"

Deep & dark jam w/ Deckard's Dream, Octatrack, ContinuuMini, modular (collab w/ Crooked Walking)

Published on Jan 31, 2020

"A live, semi-improvised hardware performance, and inspired by late-night collaboration. Tim Rich (aka Crooked Walking) was kind enough to host me as we stumbled our way into making a song from scratch. I handled some of the bones of the structure, and Tim was masterful in detailing the song with rich, unpredictable modular sounds. He also took advantage of the ContinuuMini (and its EagenMatrix internal synth engine) to make a great lead voice. I'm super pleased with the results of our night of hanging out.

At the end of the session, we decided we'd both take the audio and video and mix it in our respective ways. As such, please check out Crooked Walking's version of the audio and video here!: [below]

Written and performed in a 3-hour period, and uploaded as is, with only a little compression/limiting on the master.

Elektron Octatrack MkII — Drums, bass, ambience, MIDI sequencing for the Deckard's, effects for the Deckard's, master-level effects and scenes
Black Corporation Deckard's Dream — Three synth lines

Crooked Walking's setup, in order of appearance (thanks to Tim for writing this):

Morphagene – I caught an interesting loop in the 4ms Dual Looping Delay while I was running a different Quanta patch and recorded a couple variations of the patch into Morphagene. The Gene Size and Slide parameters are being manually controlled from the left two sliders on the Intellijel Tetrapad. The morph and Organize parameters are being modulated by the Malekko Voltage Block.

QuantaPercussion – This is a drone coming from Quanta on the iPad running one of the new Hainbach test equipment patches. The Quanta is set to drone a few notes that are then run into the modular. They are patched through a VCA with a Intellijel ADSR envelope being triggered by the Monome Grid running the Kria software on the Ansible module. The output of the VCA is then run into the 4ms Dual Looping Delay which is being controlled manually throughout the video (top right of the eurorack). The output of the Dual Looping Delay is going into the Intellijel Planar for some panning effects modulated by an LFO from the Monome Arc4. Finally, it’s being output into the Make Noise QPAS. The stereo width controls are being modulated by the Malekko Voltage Block. The filter cutoff is being controlled manually from the right most slider on the Intellijel Tetrapad. The high pass output from the QPAS is then recorded.

ContinuuMini – The ContinuuMini is running a choir preset from the EaganMatrix directly into Ableton. There are several plugins on the patch, most notably Ableton Echo for delay and the XLN RC20 Retro Color emulating an old cassette tape to lower the fidelity of the otherwise pristine sounding ContinuuMini.

Kick – The Intellijel Plonk SubKick preset is being triggered by the Monome Grid (running the Kria program on the Ansible module as described above in the Quanta Percussion description). The output is running through the LoFi Junky and, most importantly, through the Klangbau Rohren Tube VCA.

https://jayhosking.bandcamp.com"

Crooked Walking x Jay Hosking | Modular, Deckard's Dream, ContinuuMini, Octatrack +

Published on Jan 31, 2020 Crooked Walking

"This is my first full track in a long time, and I'm so excited that I got to make it with Jay Hosking. Some recent major (positive) life changes have kept me from making music, but I've finally got my new space setup and am back to making sounds.

Jay is a wizard with the Octatrack and really built the structure of this piece. The first two minutes are mostly him performing with Deckard's and the Octatrack."

Reimagined jam w/ Elektron Octatrack MkII, Deckard's Dream, Empress Zoia

Published on Sep 22, 2019 Jay Hosking

"A sort-of-not-really remix of a great song and soundscape by Ian T. Lyckland. Performed live, semi-improvised, and all on hardware.

I loaded Lyckland's song into four slots of the Octatrack, and grabbed snippets for different purposes (piano and essential vocal melody from the original, bass, glitchy ambience, deeper vocals). Then I mangled an additional high piano part into a lead line, then added drums, and finally the Deckard’s Dream through the Empress Zoia (which is the obvious synthy part). I'm pleased with how different the composition is from the original, while also retaining the spirit of Lyckland's emotive track.

The original song is called 'You Are Not A Data Scientist' and is on an album of the same name. Listen and buy it here!: https://lyckland.bandcamp.com/

Elektron Octatrack MkII — Sampler (seven tracks: piano + vox, ambience, bass, and deep vocals from Lyckland's song; higher piano lead; drums from Woody Woodmansey sample), audio effects processor and sampler (for the Deckard's), audio effects processor (for the scenes on the master)
Black Corporation Deckard's Dream + Empress Zoia — Classic synth galore

Written by Ian T. Lyckland and Jay Hosking. Uploaded as is, with only a little compression/limiting on the master.

https://jayhosking.bandcamp.com/"

Synth Jams by Jay Hosking

Published on Jul 26, 2019 Jay Hosking

Spotted the first video in the playlist above on discchord.com. The Playlist contains 21 videos. You can use the player controls to skip around. Descriptions for each are below. All videos feature various gear so you should be able to get an idea of some of the capabilities of each featured. You can check out Jay Hosking's music at https://jayhosking.bandcamp.com/.

Note, more will likely get added over time. The following playlist is as of this post:

1. Jam w/ Vermona PERfourMER MkII, Elektron Analog Rytm MkII, OTO Bam, Styrmon Big Sky, Fugue Machine

A live, semi-improvised performance, all on hardware, and inspired by some pretty tough news that has me sentimental.

I loved the Elektron Analog Four MkII so much that I picked up the Analog Rytm MkII. My feelings on the Rytm are mixed. On the one hand, it's missing that spontaneity and spark of units like the Arturia DrumBrute Impact and Teenage Engineering OP-Z, with no readymade performance effects, roller bar, or global randomization, and a slower workflow. On the other hand, I really like its analogue sound engines, any unused tracks can be converted into impressive analogue mono synths, it does beautiful things to samples, and like all Elektron boxes it integrates the effects into the sequencer really nicely.

As for the Vermona PERfourMER MkII, I'd been pining over it for ages, and it was fun to finally tinker with it. The Perfourmer definitely excels in the mid- and high- range, and I love how the independent voices making really interesting voices for chords.

Vermona PERfourMER MkII + OTO Bam — Three synths (left chord note, right chord note, melody)
Vermona PERfourMER MkII + Strymon Big Sky — Bass chord note synth
Elektron Analog Rytm MkII — Drums, samples, sample melody, punchy bass
Fugue Machine (iOS) — Sequencing
IK Multimedia iRig Pro Duo — MIDI out from iOS

Written and performed within a 24-hour period, and uploaded as is, with only a little sidechain compression on the Perfourmer (to emphasize the sound that the Rytm was already making), and compression/limiting on the master.

https://jayhosking.bandcamp.com/

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Dark jam with the Ableton Push 3 Standalone (live performance)

video upload by Jay Hosking

"A live synthesizer jam performed entirely on the Ableton Push 3 Standalone, recorded to a stereo audio out.

I'm hoping to play some more live shows this year, and that means I want to create another live set. I thought that if I were creating a new live set, I might as well create a bunch of new songs at the same time. And if I were creating new songs, I might as well try a completely different style/genre of music.

So here's my first attempt. The Push 3 Standalone is still the best choice for me, in terms of making a live set. It has its limitations and foibles for performance, but in terms of sheer number of tracks and effects, in terms of sequencing length and arrangement, and in terms of reducing the mental juggling necessary during a set, the Push 3 works well for me.

Many of the tracks were bounced down to audio, to increase the number of elements in the song. I may also eventually add a stereo effects loop with the Zen Delay, but that's for a future video. For now, I'm happy with this template, and looking forward to creating more like it.

Thanks for listening.

Ableton Push 3 Standalone - all sounds and effects and such
Many in-the-box sounds used as well, notably Tympo from Teletone Audio, which was used for the drum sounds

Recorded and performed live to a stereo channel, with EQ, compression, and limiting on the master.

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"

Ambient jam with the Arturia Polybrute and Soma Cosmos

video upload by Jay Hosking

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

With some busier jams coming up, I wanted to put another simple, ambient setup on the table. It had been ages since I explored the Polybrute, not because I don't like it, but because it's so big! But the Polybrute has great oscillators, filters, and effects, as well as a layout that is a joy to explore. Paired with the Cosmos, i.e. my favourite looper, and I've actually been making improvisations on this setup for a week.

Arturia Polybrute — All synth sounds and effects
Soma Cosmos — Asymmetrical drifting loop station

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

https://jayhosking.bandcamp.com"

Outdoor jam with the MPC Live II

Jay Hosking

"A live, semi-improvised track, performed entirely on the Akai Pro MPC Live II.

I've been dipping my toes in the MPC world recently, and was very impressed with the MPC One. Since I'm always on the hunt for a true successor to the Novation Circuit, I thought I'd give the MPC Live II, with its added portability, a shot.

My first impressions were that the MPC Live II was too big (the MPC One is a perfect form factor, in my opinion). My second impressions were that the battery and speakers on the MPC Live II are incredible additions, and that this is maybe the most comprehensive all-in-one box I've tried. The synths sound good, the drum and melodic library is a great foundation, the effects are varied and flexible and pretty great, and there's more horsepower than any competitor in the same price range.

I would still love more performance effects and less navigating mid-song, but overall I'm super impressed with the MPC Live II, and I'm looking forward to it being my new travel companion.

Written over the last few days, recorded live to stereo output, and uploaded as is, with only a little EQ, compression, limiting on the master.

https://jayhosking.bandcamp.com/"

Uptempo jam with Midicake ARP, Dreadbox Nymphes, Moog Minitaur, Mother 32, MSW-810, DrumBrute Impact

video upload by Jay Hosking

"A live synthesizer jam performed entirely on hardware.

I've had this chord progression kicking around for a little while, the product of a voice-leading exercise I was doing. I was super happy with it but never able to incorporate it into a larger arrangement. Recently, I realized I could just run the chord progression through the Midicake ARP and get some inspiration on the song arrangement, and sure enough, that was all it took (along with a few amazing synthesizers and effects). Really happy with where this one ended up.

Full disclosure: I cut and paste a previous drum fill to the outro drum fill, because I felt the outro drum fill didn't match the quality of the earlier one. Seemed a more judicious approach than recording the whole thing again.

Thanks for listening.

Dirtywave M8 - chord progression sequence
Midicake ARP - four-part sequencing arranger for the chord progression
Kenton MIDI Thru - MIDI Thru out to five devices
DrumBrute Impact through Empress EchoSystem - Drums
Moog Mother 32 through Kinotone Ribbons - Slower mono synth
Michigan Synth Works MSW-810 through Hologram Chroma Console - Faster mono synth
Moog Minitaur through Boss DM-101 - Bass synth
Dreadbox Nymphes through Empress Reverb - Pad synth

Performed and recorded live (minus that small drum edit) to a multitrack recording, with EQ, compression, and limiting on the master.

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 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"

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 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"

Ambient cassette w/ Moog Matriarch drone mode, Octatrack, Marantz PMD430, Eventide Space

Published on May 7, 2020 Jay Hosking

"A live, semi-improvised performance, all on hardware, and inspired by the drone mode on the Moog Matriarch. Here I recorded the drone to cassette tape via the Marantz PMD430, along with some mangled samples on the Octatrack. The sound of cassette tape is embedded in my psyche.

While I usually only play the Matriarch in drone mode when I'm looking to relax/decompress, I thought I'd record the results here. It's my first track of this sort, and in retrospect there are things I'd do differently, but as an exploration, I'm happy with this initial foray into droning ambient.

Thanks to friend Matt Campbell for lending me the Marantz.

Moog Matriarch + Eventide Space — drone synth
Elektron Octatrack MkII — samples, performance mixing (via its scenes)
Marantz PMD430 — recording and cassette sound

Written and performed within a 12-hour period, and uploaded as is, with only a little compression/limiting on the master."

Dark ambient jam w/ Moog Matriarch, Dreadbox Abyss, ARP Odyssey, Empress Reverb, Big Sky, Timefactor

Published on Feb 21, 2020 Jay Hosking

"A live, semi-improvised performance, all on hardware, and inspired by grief. This track is something of a culmination of the ambient pieces I've been doing recently, taking advantage of three analogue synths with a lot of character. The Matriarch, Abyss, and Odyssey are all kind of dark and textural synths, and with some spectacular effects (thank you as always, Empress, Strymon, and Eventide), they immediately put me in a mood."

Follow-up to this post.

Ambient jam w/ Soma Cosmos, Take 5, Polymoon, Marantz cassette tape piano, and guitar

video upload by Jay Hosking

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

A common feature of many of my songs is a sort of upward progression in dynamics; so here, I wanted to try to do something different, a soundscape that flowed from one palette to another, its feelings moving laterally instead of vertically. This approach was inspired by the Soma Cosmos and having the feedback (loop decay) set below 1.0, so that the loops gently cascade out over time and allow for new loops to take over. I love the effect. I love the Cosmos.

For audio fodder, I had recorded an improv piano piece the night before to cassette tape, and found myself using it for more than just notes/snippets, instead following its chord progression at the end here. For live sound generation, I used the Take 5—I really love the warm pads it can do—and a baritone guitar through compression, reverb, and an amp simulator. Switching the Cosmos off and on, I let the guitar take the lead in the first section, and the piano and synth in the second, with the instruments switching roles into the loop. I love that the Cosmos's on/off is silent!

Thanks for listening.

Fender Jaguar Baritone into Union Lab into Union C-Verb into Strymon Iridium - Electric guitar
Marantz PMD430 - Cassette with piano on it
Mackie Mix5 - Mixer
Meris Polymoon - Delay/reverb on everything out of the mixer
Soma Labs Cosmos - Looping

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

https://jayhosking.bandcamp.com"

Autumnal jam w/ Elektron Octatrack MkII, Deckard's Dream, Moog Sirin, Minitaur, Strymon Ola, Big Sky

Published on Sep 9, 2019 Jay Hosking

"A live, semi-improvised performance, all on hardware, and inspired by the changing of the seasons here. On this track, I make good use of its fantastic compressor, as well as the Octatrack's ability to incorporate external gear into the scenes and an overall mixed, cohesive sound.

While exploring the Octatrack further, a used Deckard's Dream went up for sale in my town for a very good price. It is no exaggeration to say the Deckard's Dream (or rather its inspiration, the Yamaha CS-80) has been the sound of my musical imagination for my entire life. When I brought it home and paired it with the Octatrack, this improvisation finally made sense and came together. And yes, I think the Deckard's sounds just as good as I'd hoped. I'll probably show it in some more "traditional" ways soon.

Elektron Octatrack MkII — Sequencer, samples (drums, weird loops), effects for external devices, master effects
Black Corporation Deckard's Dream + Strymon Ola + Strymon Big Sky — Pad
Moog Minitaur — Bass
Moog Sirin — Lead

Written over fragments of the last couple of weeks, performed live, and uploaded as is, with only a little compression/limiting on the master.

https://jayhosking.bandcamp.com/"

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"

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"

From DAW sketch to DAWless song with the Elektron Octatrack MkII

Published on May 30, 2020 Jay Hosking

"A live, semi-improvised track, performed entirely on the Elektron Octatrack MkII. Still in the island cabin, I decided to load some old stems into the Octatrack and see what happened.

Before I got into this all-hardware approach, I stalled out for years making fragments of songs in DAWs; it was really only the immediacy and performability of hardware that got me finishing electronic music with any regularity. So I thought I'd find something not too dusty and transfer it from DAW to DAWless. These are the results.

All the loops are my own, and made primarily with Maschine. Sounds come from a variety of Maschine-compatible formats, including Arturia's V Collection and the Korg Gadget series, as well as the Maschine sample library (the 808, in particular). The main loop of the song adheres pretty closely to my original DAW sketch.

But it's really the Octatrack that takes this from a sketch to a finished song. First, I created an entire second section with the Octatrack, a 'chorus' where the samples are chopped and pitched to a new progression. Second, and critically, I use the Octatrack's scenes to add variation to the samples, to progress through the song from a beginning to an ending, and of course to make things get wild and weird. Scenes are Octatrack magic.

Performed live and uploaded as is, with some limiting on the master (I used the Octatrack's master-level compression for most of the dynamics-shaping).

https://jayhosking.bandcamp.com/"