The Eternal Now

video upload by davidryle

"American Format (5U) modular synthesizer performance in real time to a stereo track in Cubase.
For an atonal wash I used the Dove Audio Waveplane and WTF vco's through an Oakley Sound Systems Ring Modulator. I then sent it through A dotcom Q150 transistor ladder filter and a Lower West Side Studio Multimode Filter/Resonator and on to a fixed filter bank and a Frequency Central Stasis Leak digital delay. This drone wash comes in at the final section and ending.
The opening reed sound and accompanying organ sounds were derived from the Synthetic Sound Labs/Mutable Instruments (Braids) Woven Spirits module.
The initial reed sound is from the AUX output of the Woven Spirits through an SSL/Ian Fritz 5 Pulser and Oakley Sound Systems State Variable Filter. The filter is stepped with a random S&H from JNP Electronics.
The secondary organ chord sound is the Main direct output of the Woven Spirits in Chord mode. The combination of both elements are sent to an Electro-Harmonix Grand Canyon in DMM mode. Feedback is applied as needed for the drone sustain throughout the piece.
The bass line comes in next with a pair of STG Soundlabs Oscillators through a Dove Audio D502 Multimode filter in -24dB LP mode. The pitch voltage is from the upper Q960 step sequencer. It's timing is from a Catgirl Synth Master Divider, clocked from a custom Dual LFO/Analog Shift Register of Ken Stone (Catgirl Synth) design. An additional tap from the STG oscillator through a Corsynth C103 Frequency Divider/Multiplier module for a sub-octave feed.
The melodic line blended into the latter section is from a pair of Q106 dotcom vco's which are pitch controlled by the lower Q960 sequencer. Each vco pitch is from a separate row of the Q960. The Q960's shift timing is from the CGS Master Divider module. The output is routed through an Empress Reverb pedal in Blue Ghost mode. Panning is from the LWSS/Yusynth Panning Mixer.
All pitch quantitization is through a Moon Modular 565 series setup.
Additional voltage modulation to the Woven Spirits module are from the STG Soundlabs voltage mini stores, and vaious LFO's etc. Timing for the additional sequencers is also managed by the Moster Divider."

Mercury

video upload by davidryle

"Racing around the Sun.
This modular synth project is a single take to Cubase. Every sound is from the 5U modular with the exception of the pad effects by the use of a Strymon Blue Sky and Empress Reverb.
The Noise sweep sound is a Joyo Classic Flanger pedal."

The Vanishing Night

video upload by davidryle

"Good things happen in pairs sometimes...

Two new Synthetic Sound Labs 1201 TZ-VC Oscillators are the main project center. I sent the lower tuned sine wave (modulator) to the higher tuned (carrier) phase modulation input. I routed the modifier through a vca with a random S&H amount to give it a little life.The modulator was pitch tracked from one of a pair of Matrix Algorithmic Composer modules from SSL. The carrier was pitch stable. The wave of the carrier is a triangle wave through the Grove Audio G294A LPF. It is the final tuned percussive sound trailing at the end with the drone.
The other paired oscillators were the drone duet played by the STG Soundlabs vco's through a Q107 SVF in low pass. The pair of STG VMS sequencers are the pitch source.
The bass part is a trio of Mos-Lab 901's and an SSL 1200 vco. They are low pass filtered with the LWSS M401 Multimode Filter/Resonator. The upper Q960 step sequencer is the pitch source.
The opening synthetic pan drum sound is a Q106 saw wave and the square wave output of the second Matrix module run through the Oakley Ring Modulator and a Q150 LPF. The Q106 is pitch controlled by taking the Matrix cv through a quantizer and then a S&H to limit the cv range.
The second percussive voice was the PWM output of the modulator 1201 through a Mega Ohm Audio MA20 vcf in high pass then a EHX Grand Canyon reverb and finally stereo phase shifters from the Lexicon MX200.
Snare sound is the SSL Woven Spirits (MI Plaits) and the Kick is the Delptronics LDB-2e. Percussive timings are handled by the Moon Modular 563 Trigger Sequencer.
The drone loop arpeggio is the Dove Audio D900 Mu-Seq into a Q106 saw wave to an EHX Canyon pedal in multi-tapped delay mode."

Lunartube Habitat w/ New Synthetic Sound Labs 1201 TZ Oscillator

video upload by davidryle

"Digging in the regolith...

The new Synthetic Sound Labs 1201 TZ Oscillator in 5U format.

https://steamsynth.com/shop/moog-unit...

This production is centered around the new VCO with other modules from SSL as well as a version of the TZVCO from The Bridechamber and Ian Fritz, who is the original gangster.

The theme is the idea of a human habitat on the moon within the lunar pits formed from lava tubes. Personally I would rather stay on Earth than live in a cave, but that's just me."

"Our newest 1201 VCO is based on the superb new SSI2130 chip. The 1201 offers all the features of our original Model 1200 with massively improved range, tracking and stability. We’ve added continuous control of pulse width modulation, and separate linear and exponential FM inputs with convenient input attenuators.

Most importantly – the 1201 offers linear Thru-Zero FM (Frequency Modulation) and PM (Phase Modulation). When paired with a secondary oscillator, these modulation types provide extremely rich harmonic textures. Thru-Zero (or TZ) has proven to be difficult to produce in the analog realm prior to the availability of the SSI2130 chip."

Something Wicked...

video upload by davidryle

"A new vco from Synthetic Sound Labs is coming soon. Something wicked and new."

First Frost

davidryle

"A generative melodic project on the 5U modular synth.
A pair of synthesizers.com Q960 step sequencers in 3rd row control of timing provide staggered phrases. Each phrase is independent clock though closely timed. The drift is important to the interaction. One phrase is eight steps and the other is five steps. A pair of LFO's set some switch modules to introduce a new loop point at random times, further diversifying the patterns.
A random gate module from Yusynth (Yves Usson design) is employed to pick when auxiliary voices will sample from the step sequencers.
The first sound is a single Q106 triangle wave to the Synthetic Sound Labs digital delay, STG Soundlabs Sea Devils filter and Oakley Sound Systems SV filter in high pass. It then is run through the SSL Tube VCA/Timbral Gate. The random gates module sets when a pitch is sampled from the Q960's.
The second sound is the bass voice from the Dove Audio WTF vco into a Q150 Ladder Filter from Synthesizers.com. The same random gates module again selects when a voltage is picked from the Q960's.
The third pair of melodic lines are a pair of STG oscillators through the tube vca again. This pair are following the Q960's exactly.
A final voice is a Q106A vco with a PWM and triangle waves selected by the SSL Segwencer module before sending them to the Empress Reverb pedal. This time a pair of sequential switch outputs from the STG Switch determine which of the four outputs from the Q960's will send a voltage to a dotcom S&H then on to a Slew Generator.
Final effects were a Behringer 3rd Dimension BBD-320, a chorus delay from the TC Electronic s D-Two and a Lexicon MX200 in hall reverb state."

Canon de Coulomb

davidryle

"Two Q960 step sequencers running independent, free tempos and using the 3RD ROW CONTROL OF TIMING setting. Both are duplicating the same timing voltages and the first row pitch voltages. The second row is a little different on two steps. Of course the drift between them is obvious and I am changing the reset and skip switches as they play. The oscillators are STG and they are run into a Synthetic Sound Labs 1530 Tube VCA/Timbral Gate module for tube saturation. Then run through a Sea Devils filter and tape delay.
The bass notes are from the Dove Audio WTF vco through a Synthesizers.com Q150 transistor ladder filter in 24dB slope. The "siren call" upper sound is a pair of Q106 vco's sequenced by STG Soundlabs voltage mini stores and run through a Post Lawsuit LPF. The final signal chain is a Meris Hedra and Empress Reverb."

Night Horse

davidryle

"Slow melodic ambient piece using 2-Q960's, Q119, 2-STG sequencers, and an Instruo Harmonaig. Oscillators include a Q106, MI Braids, and four STG oscillators. Filters include Sea Devils, Oakley SVF, Q150 and Yusynth Arp 4072. Delays include EchoFix tape delay, Modcan Dual Delay, Behringer DD400, Empress Reverb, TC Electronics D-Two, and 2-Lexicon MX200.

The main looping line from a Q960 into the Harmonaig is steady until midway when I disconnect the gate pulse from a quantizer and insert a random gate source from a Yusynth Random Gate module.

An additional faster sequence from a second Q960 through an STG Switch module is playing a Dove Audio WTF vco and a Q106 through the Q107 bandpass filter. It comes in around midway and fades out again."

Light Bender

davidryle

"STG Soundlabs Oscillators (two in Eurorack and one 5U) for the main pad line and one along with a Q106 for the bass line. An additional pair of VCO's (Dove WTF and Q106) for the faster upper sequence. Filters used for the bass line are Sea Devils and Oakley SVF. Filter used for the pad line is Q150. Filter for upper sequence is the Q107 in band pass mode. EG for bass line is STG and another for the pad sound. Q109's for the upper sequence envelopes. Main clock from the Q960. Sequencers include two Q960's and a pair of STG VMS.The Moon 563 trigger sequencer, two Q962 sequential switches and an STG switch for the shift timings. Delays included a Modcan 73B Dual Delay, Empress Reverb, Lexicon MX200, TCE D-Two and EchoFix tape delay."

Voice of the Mountain/ STG Oscillator drone

davidryle

"A little more detail about the modulation feature of the new STG Soundlabs Oscillator. Actually two of them in 5U large format.
This a longer drone so you can hear the slow and subtle pitch modulation. They are capable of very stable tuning as wee as outrageously wide modulation. All this right on the front panel with a unique type of drift algorithm.
The drone is controlled by a pair of Q960 sequencers and a pair of STG Voltage sequencers for octave and semitone transpose. The video demo is in two parts. The first part is a display of the modulation amount and drift speed, as well as the semitone and octave switching. They are also capable of LFO functions and a smooth sweeping 'WIDE' setting.
The second portion is a long (10 minute) ambient chill drone with various delays and reverbs. The slowly drifting pitch modulation reminded me of distant horns so I had to visualize some mountain voices. I also added a drifty, noisy filtered background for atmosphere."

Follow-up to this post.

A Tincture As Needed

davidryle

"A 5U modular patch with the new STG Soundlabs Oscillators. Using a pair of synthesizers.com Q960 step sequencers and a pair of STG Envelope Generators as well as a Post Lawsuit LPF and Yusynth Arp 4072 filter. Other processors include EchoFix tape delay, Maestro phase shifter, Klark Teknik 3rd Dimension and Hedra pitch shifter. The modulation aspect of the STG VCO's is very useful for detuning right on the front panel. These are very alive sounding and have plenty of character."

Tycoon Lagoon

davidryle

Audio gets going at :27.

"New STG Soundlabs Oscillators in 5U. These are excellent sounding vco's with a few unique tricks up their sleeves. So happy to have them in the large format modular synthesizer realm. This was a hurried first patch to give me a quick listen to the sound of them.
I'm using a pair of STG Voltage Mini Stores for the pitch cv to them. Both are mixed then sent to an STG PostLawsuit LPF. The lower pitched VCO is unmodulated with a sawtooth out and the upper pitched VCO is a square pulse wave out. The upper pitch VCO is also sending a sawtooth out to an Oakley VCADSR and STG Sea Devils filter which is pulsed by the STG Trigger Mini Store. Both VCO's are amplitude shaped by a pair of STG Envelope Generators with their decay (T3 stage) voltage controlled by LFO's.
Additional sounds are from the Dove Audio WTF and FM from the lower STG VCO triangle wave, and a kick drum sound from the FSFX Macro Oscillator (MI Braids). A tape delay rounds out the final mix without the kick drum.
Recorded straight from the 5U to Cubase. No post processing."

Hammer Blow

davidryle

"Echo Fix EF-X2 tape delay experiment with a more rhythmic sequencer parts.
All of it generated from the 5U large format modular. What I find especially appealing from the delay is the way it blends in without stomping all over the source signal. Also the steady nature of the new high quality drive motor and tape shuttle is evident when turning off the motor and starting it up again. No glitching from the mode knob when changing through head taps. All in all I think the Echo Fix is the best tape delay ever built. The reverb is a mix of true spring and the digital delay. Besides the Echo Fix the only other gear outside the 5U is the Canyon delay in Octave mode for the rapid slap kick coming from the Sputnik Voltage Controlled Slope module."

Radio Morning

davidryle

"A real time recording of the Moog Subharmonicon, EH Canyon Looper, Empress Reverb, Encore Frequency Shifter, a custom RADIO module for the 5U large format modular, Dove Audio WTF VCO, synthesizers.com Q150 filter and Echo Fix EF-X2 tape delay.
The radio module is voltage controlled by a Q119 step sequencer from synthesizers.com. It is run into the frequency shifter and a mix of several noise and stored random voltages from the Sputnik West Coast Random Source (a Buchla Source of Uncertainty clone) is modulating the frequency center. This is then run to an STG Post Lawsuit Low Pass Filter and on to an Oakley Audio state variable filter in band pass resonant mode. I am playing the center frequency of this filter and sending the signal on to the Echo Fix tape delay. The delay is voltage controlled from a Mega Ohm Audio LFO2 module from the 5U modular with a very slow rising ramp wave. As the voltage drops off the tape delay motor sweeps back down with a wonderful gliding effect.
The Subharmonicon is clocked from another Mega Ohm Audio LFO2. The output of Sequencer 2 is sent to a Dove Audio Window Transform Function VCO and gated to a Q109 Envelope Generator as well as run through the Q150 Transistor Ladder filter by synthesizers.com.
A separate instance of the Subharmonicon was previously recorded to the Electro Harmonix Canyon pedal looper. It is faded up at the last portion to add momentum to the piece. The Empress Reverb pedal is adding some nice modulated reverb to the SubH and Canyon.
What I really enjoyed was the glorious runaway feedback of the tape echo. It was fun to balance out the moving swells at the same time as playing the sub oscillators on the SubH and Oakley filter. As I moved about the antenna of the radio varied in how strong the signal picked up the AM radio stations. This lended another modulation and random aspect to the waveforms injected into the piece. A fun exercise."

Down to the Sky

davidryle

"Moog Subharmonicon, Meris Hedra, Strymon Blue Sky, Tip Top Z-DSP with Valhalla Shimmer and the large format modular 5U. All levels were automated by the Q119 and two Q960 step sequencers from synthesizers.com. An additional pair of oscillators (Dove Audio WTF and Mutable Instruments Braids) are following the timing of Seq1 and Seq2 clocks of the Subharmonicon and indexing the STG Voltage Mini Stores for pitch data. Finally a rumbling and squelchy effects patch is from a frequency shifter, random voltage sources and an Arp 4072 filter."

Romance in Garden Pleasance

davidryle

"A dreamlike piece using the modular synth, guitars and Korg Wavestate. A centerpiece effects line consists of the Meris Hedra pitch shifter, Strymon Blue Sky shimmer reverb and Klark Teknik 3rd Dimension spatial enhancer."

Apex 9

davidryle

"Live recording of the modular. The challenge was to create three distinct parts to string together to make a musical journey.

The first section is centered on the Moog Subharmonicon and a few extraneous sequences controlled by a synthesizers.com Q119 step sequencer. The 24 bars passes through 3 segments with pitch transpose and discrete pad sounds.

The second section is isolated to a Mutable Instruments Rings and Delptronics drum patch with an STG PostLawsuit LPF with an Ian Fritz DDVCO swell.

The final third segment is two STG Soundlabs voltage sequencers with four vco's sourcing pitch voltages from a David Dixon ASR and run through a digital delay.

All these parts are managed by a sequential switch (synthesizers.com Q962) and a synthesizers.com Q960 step sequencer.
Other sequencers included the MI Marbles, INSTRUo harmonaig, Make Noise Pressure Points (x2), and Moon Modular 563 Trigger sequencer.

I just stood back and started the thing and then tweaked some levels. Pretty easy money for managing the robots and all..."

Taurus Littrow Touchdown

davidryle

"Lost In Space again. The Moog Subharmonicon drives as the centerpiece to clock everything in the modular. All sounds are from the Subharmonicon and the modular. Additional editing for levels done after the recorded take. I added the Apollo 17 mission communications after and the bass line and additional kick drum from the midpoint. Everything else was tracked at the same time into Cubase. Delay and reverb pedals included a Behringer DD400, Empress Reverb and EH Canyon. All footage public domain from NASA and Internet Archives."

Cave Giants

davidryle

"A live performance with the 5U large format modular synthesizer.

Starting with an Encore Electronics frequency shifter and Yusynth Arp 4072 filter. Modulations to the frequency shifter from a Sputnik WCRS, and an Ian Fritz DDVCO in harmonic sequence mode.

The bass sequence is driven by the STG Soundlabs suite with two VMS and one TMS, a pair of EG's, a Switch module and the Time Divider. Clock timing from Cubase via dinsync to the Time Buffer. Four synthesizers.com Q106's into a Q150 transistor ladder filter and an Oakley SVF.

The melodic sequence is a pair of Q960 sequencers to a pair of Q106's through an STG Sea Devils filter and Q107 SVF.

The percussive tick sound is a Sputnik voltage controlled slope.

Delays and reverbs include Behringer DD400's, Empress reverb, Strymon Blue Sky, Electro Harmonix Canyon, TipTop DSP with Valhalla Shimmer and Modcan 73B.'

Ashes on the western wind

davidryle

"I am using the 5U large format modular along with the Korg Wavestate to perform a real time studio recording.
The crux of the idea was to use the Q119 step sequencer to control the voltage-select outputs of the STG Soundlabs Switch module. The main step sequence is from the Synthetic Sound Labs Mini Sequencer.

I also used the Q123 Standards module from synthesizers.com to transpose interval shifts to some of the oscillator pitches. The drone over the top of them made for some mode changes which I liked.

The kick drum and paper snare sounds were gate triggered from the Q963 Trigger Bus.

A blend of the other STG Switch outputs are layered and sent through a Modcan dual delay for the main sequence line. A trigger mini-store controls an Oakley VCADSR envelope timing from these outputs. Decay and Sustain stages of the Oakley are controlled by rows from the Q960 sequencers.

Some of the sine wave pitched drones in the background are also tapped from rows of the Q960's. Their gate envelopes are managed by the Moon 563 Trigger sequencer and a few channels of the SSL Octal VCA and Expander.
Sound sources are Q106's, Dove Waveplane, SSL DDVCO and S1200 vco. The final signal train is through the Yusynth Arp 4072 low pass filter.

The Wavestate is played by hand with a patch I constructed called Malachite Temple.

Everything is summed to three channels on a Mackie mixer and recorded direct to Cubase. Video editing done in Final Cut Pro."