November 2013

"Clouds 21" (Jules Laplace), "Clouds Remix," "Fog Computing"

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Have been working on some collaborations with Jules Laplace. His original song, "Clouds 21," is below. Taking the mixes in reverse order:

"Fog Computing" [4.2 MB .mp3]
A MIDI file of Laplace's "clouds21" was played in Winamp and a few "general MIDI piano" notes were sampled. "Fog Computing" is made with those samples using the Doepfer A-112 8-bit sampler module and the Octatrack for sequencing. Some of the patterns were re-arranged and remixed in Cubase and imported back into the Octatrack.
It's uber-noisy and dirty. Both the wavetable and sampler functions of the A-112 were used. The really dense static-y sound is the sampler playing the notes very slowly.
Thing I learned: how to reduce an LFO signal to swing between 1 and -1 volts to modulate the wavetable: this adds Hammond-like grit to the sound.

Tom Moody and Jules and Laplace, "Clouds Remix" [4.1 MB .mp3]
Some of the gritty patterns also used in "Fog," but playing in conjunction with the march-like MIDI piano version of Laplace's tune below. This isn't the same Winamp piano as above -- it's a sampled concert grand, but "played" with very little nuance.

Jules Laplace, "clouds21" [6.2 MB .mp3]
I maximized the volume to CD level. A diaphanous, faintly Kirk Degiorgio-esque synth confection, very nice, that can in no way be blamed for what came later.

body snatcher type scenario

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Humorless pink-shirted associate at T-Mobile: "How can I help you today?"
Rebellious sage: "I need some minutes for my phone."
Hpsaatm: "OK. Hmmm, whoops. I was going to help you using this tablet but there's no signal. Can you come with me over to the desk?"
Rs: "Yeah, those tablets are a really bad idea."
Hpsaatm: [Blank look with a hint of condescension]

a beat

Hpsaatm: "OK, the desk computer's up. What's the phone number?"
Rs: [Gives number]
Hpsaatm: "There's no name showing here."
Rs: "Right, it's one of those burner type deals."
Hpsaatm: "That's fine, I don't need the name. But we do recommend for your safety and security that you give us a name."
Rs: "Just out of curiosity, what could happen?"
Hpsaatm: "Someone could claim their phone was stolen and use your number if they had it."
Rs: "I've had the number for years and that's never happened -- I'll take the risk. In fact [feels a rant coming on] this is one of the last services where you don't have to give your name, and that's great. I assume it's because T-Mobile is a German company."
Hpsaatm: "Not anymore, it just became an American company."
Rs: "Well then, guess what -- the policy will change. This time next year you'll ask my name, address and Facebook."
Hpsaatm: "We just ask your name, that's all. Your reasons for not giving it are your business."

Update, February 2021: It took a while but T-Mobile appears to be out of the burner phone business. Rebellious sage is still able to buy minutes for his "legacy" burner phone but when it breaks the only way he'll be able to get a phone from this company is to buy a "plan" and give up all his contact info. Tracfone, here we come.

"Slow and Go"

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"Slow and Go" [mp3 removed -- tune is now on Bandcamp]

Octatrack playing modular patch(es) with some overdubbing/multitracking in the sequencer.
In the patch an LFO is opening a filter frequency control in one synth on the upstroke and closing on the down, the inverse of the same wave is opening and closing a volume gate on another synth.
While this is going on continuously a 1V/OCT signal plays a tune.
Things I learned doing this:
How to use a "scene" in the Octatrack arranger to switch delay effect on and off in a single track.
Slicing an LFO-d wave into 64 slices and then muting every other slice to get an additional gating effect.
Tempo changes in the arranger to make these "gated" slices play faster and slower in sync with the percussion.
This is mostly analog but sounds computer-gamy due to MIDI-triggering and "simple waveforms."

"Rack Dance 3 (Atonal Variations)" [demo]

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vermonaqmi500

"Rack Dance 3 (Atonal Variations)" [mp3 removed]

This is a bit noodly for my taste but some of the tunes are stuck in my head and I have to deal with that. It's not really all that atonal but I'm calling it a [demo] rather than a piece due to a heavier-than-usual machine agency.
After those disclaimers: I kept the settings for the four modular synth patches in "Rack Dance 3" and then played the MIDI-to-cv notes that triggered them, this time using the above module's "polyphony" and "monophonic 2" modes (the toggle switch at the bottom left).
"Polyphony" as they define it means four notes played simultaneously on a single MIDI channel are stacked as a chord until one ends, then it's assigned to the first available CV out. This adds a random element distributing notes to different patches than they were originally written to play. It's not completely random, though, there is a logic to it. Polyphony uses 1-2-3-4 distribution and M2 uses 1-2 / 3-4. In this four minute piece I'm switching from M1 to M2 to Poly while the sequencer is playing. This method results in a lot of outright unlistenable trash. Originally I had 14 minutes of playing and edited it down to four.