music - tm

Production notes for "Chord Bingo," from the Terra Organization LP:

Uncropped screenshot of Tracktion Waveform page. [Standard disclaimer: The Waveform DAW is used for editing and mixing on Ubuntu Studio; the tracks also incorporate sounds playing or triggered on other PCs and devices. This isn't a "score" so much as a form of notekeeping (I prefer these colored blocks, monotonous though they may be, to (a) the Soundcloud waveform with "this rocks"-level superimposed commentary or (b) YouTube demos showing dudes' hairy hands turning knobs.]

In the screenshot many of the tracks and clips are named so there's no need for a complete track breakdown. This tune combines live recordings from a Eurorack synth (SIDGuts, SIDGuts Deluxe modules) with a couple of software sythesizers (Plogue Chipsounds, Arturia SEM V2). The softsynths (which don't have Linux versions) are played on a Windows PC and recorded individually into the Tracktion Waveform DAW running on a Linux PC. On the Linux side, the Multisampler track plays percussion and the Collective ROMpler plays the piano at the end.

Production notes for "Tape Hiss Tree," from the Terra Organization LP:

Uncropped screenshot of Tracktion Waveform page. [Standard disclaimer: The Waveform DAW is used for editing and mixing on Ubuntu Studio; the tracks also incorporate sounds playing or triggered on other PCs and devices. This isn't a "score" so much as a form of notekeeping (I prefer these colored blocks, monotonous though they may be, to (a) the Soundcloud waveform with "this rocks"-level superimposed commentary or (b) YouTube demos showing dudes' hairy hands turning knobs.]

Tracks (Tracktion Waveform DAW on Windows 7 PC):
1.-2. A tuned percussion hit playing from a Eurorack module (I forget which one) is processed with a couple of types of delay. On Track 1 it's recorded dry and processed through Tracktion's "Tape Delay" plugin, which also adds hiss (hence the song's title). On Track 2 the delay FX are from a Eurorack module (I forget which one), recorded directly into Waveform with no DAW effects added.
3. Loop of Reaktor Memory Drum sequence
4. Loop of Reaktor Monark softsynth played with Reaktor Monoliner sequencer
5. Loop of ADDAC wav player module percussion processed through Reaktor Reflektor reverb plugin
6. Loop of ADDAC wav player module percussion with Eurorack (Doepfer) delay effect
7. Vocal sample processed with Qu-Bit Nebulae granular synthesis module
8. Vocal sample processed with Qu-Bit Nebulae granular synthesis module
9. Vocal sample processed with Qu-Bit Nebulae granular synthesis module
10. Loop of Doepfer mini-synth module played with Reaktor Monoliner sequencer
11. Reaktor Monark softsynth with Tracktion LFO modifier randomly turning the cutoff knob
12.-13 Renderings of Track 11.
14. Multisampler (Tracktion sample-player plugin) playing "house bass" hits

Production notes for "Softsynth Comparison," from the Terra Organization LP:

Full size screenshot of Tracktion Waveform page. [Standard disclaimer: The Waveform DAW is used for editing and mixing on Ubuntu Studio; the tracks also incorporate sounds playing or triggered on other PCs and devices. This isn't a "score" so much as a form of notekeeping (I prefer these colored blocks, monotonous though they may be, to (a) the Soundcloud waveform with "this rocks"-level superimposed commentary or (b) YouTube demos showing dudes' hairy hands turning knobs.]

It's unfortunate to have to do forensics on stuff you produced six months ago (because you forgot how you did it). Am alienating internet visitors with these "notes" posts because going through this recollection process publicly seems to help nail down both the details and What It All Means. In this piece I was dredging up loops from earlier tunes using Waveform's internal file-browser, then mixing them with new loops made with various softsynths for this track. The earlier loops were so disguised here I didn't recognize them a few months later when I started working on this post.

Tracks:
1. ADDAC wav player module, with delay effects - trimmed and looped
2. "Resobeat" loop
3. Mutronix Mutator loop from Mutator Folly track
4. ADDAC wav player - kick drum
5. Helm softsynth - slap bass-sounding patch
6.-7. Plogue Chipsounds softsynth (chord/pad)
8. U-He Diva softsynth (chord/pad)
9.-11. ZynAddSubFX softsynth organ/keyboard riff - MIDI notes (muted after rendering) plus rendered tracks
12.-13. Multisampler playing percussion hits, MIDI and rendered tracks
14. Commercial (sample pack) snare loop