Patch ideas for processing audio

[osyrus11]

Hey peoples of Muff,

I've spent almost all of my time using the modular as a synth/soundsource itself. Most of time I'm just waking with oscillators or other modular sound sources, all synth theory. But Now I'm looking for some ideas on using the rig to process itself. Like record the outputs of the patch. then feed those signals back into the modular and just use that to affect the original output, having the same clocks and triggers to time events from.

This is pretty wide topic, but I'm just curious what kinds of interesting patches have you all worked with that where the sound shaping doesn't come from oscillators?

[soggybag]

To me the Phonogene and Echopon seem like the direction I'd go.

[eeling]

Also interested in this question +
hearing more about using modular to process external audio, feedback looping etc. I'm in the eternal planning stage for a set-up that I'd like to do something along these lines with.

[luketeaford]

Processing external audio is flexible in modular. Anything you can do to an oscillator can be done to an external sound source but some things might not have the effect you're looking for. Some fun things to try if you haven't already: ring mod, wave folding, filtering, etc.

[Ramases]

Matrix mixers are pretty useful for this sort of thing as you can bring in and out various elements of the patch that you want to effect and also easily patch up feedback loops.

[osyrus11]

Matrix mixers are pretty useful for this sort of thing as you can bring in and out various elements of the patch that you want to effect and also easily patch up feedback loops.

oooooh, never thought of using a mixer matrix for feedback looping good idea!

[osyrus11]

Anyone have audio examples of just some audio through a wavefolder? the only wave folding in my system is the timbre section on my Complex Oscillator, so I can't really try it out for myself right now, but pretty damn curious what that sounds like.

[ersatzplanet]

I have 6 wav players in my rig, 2 Nebulae, 2 ADDAC101's and 2 DIY WaveTrigger modules. I use the whole rig to make a sound, burn it to media, and then use the same rig to process the resultant wav file. It works really well. Basically the wav players act as very complicated VCOs. It is much better than just playing the sound back because you also can do pinch and time manipulations and grain-table effects. You still use the standard compliment of synth modifiers. Filters and lots of them. Ring modulators and pitch dividers. VCAs and AM effects. I also process them through the Nord so I can use the Vocoder and other effects there too.

The main pro is that you can reduce the size of your rig and still have plenty of sonic variety. I am down to 3 standard VCOs now.

[osyrus11]

I have 6 wav players in my rig, 2 Nebulae, 2 ADDAC101's and 2 DIY WaveTrigger modules. I use the whole rig to make a sound, burn it to media, and then use the same rig to process the resultant wav file. It works really well. Basically the wav players act as very complicated VCOs. It is much better than just playing the sound back because you also can do pinch and time manipulations and grain-table effects. You still use the standard compliment of synth modifiers. Filters and lots of them. Ring modulators and pitch dividers. VCAs and AM effects. I also process them through the Nord so I can use the Vocoder and other effects there too.

The main pro is that you can reduce the size of your rig and still have plenty of sonic variety. I am down to 3 standard VCOs now.

good lord, let's hear that

[ersatzplanet]

good lord, let's hear that

I know. It is a bit obsessive. I have decided to focus the modular on these task since I have other synths that will do the standard VCO oriented duties (I have a Nord G1 and a G2). They are much easier for melodic task. I have just recently gotten the second Nebulae and the second 101 is not that old either. I decided to sell almost half of my rig and traded for them and some other things (a smaller, more focused modular). The WaveTrigger ones are strictly playback and don't modify the samples at all. I use them for background beds and ambience - found sounds of forest and city noises etc. They will both be retired soon since I bought a Tsunami board to replace them. It has 8-channels of outs verses the stereo WaveTriggers. I just have to make the front panel for it.

I love the others but would trade them all for a OD RE-301 which would do the job with a better interface. Each wav play has its pros and cons and they are not the same. The Nebulae is great for warping the hell out of the sample and for playing samples at different speeds without changing the pitch and visa versa. They are great for graintable like things. They are not that easy to play back the sample at the original pitch though. The ADDAC101's are great at slice and dice things, don't do as much as the Nebulae do, but will play back chunks of the files in the right pitch when needed.

The key to using most wav players for me is to control them with a programmer. I have a PGM-4X4 dedicated for each one (advantages of making them) so I can have 4 presets waiting for each player. Actually 3 presets and a "live" preset that is modified live. then you can always go back to the other settings.

[osyrus11]

James,

I have a phonogene for slicing and dicing, but it's so awkward to co-ordinate recordings, that it's use is often unintended experimental tape loop / music concrete style tasks (feed it from a radio music or just some random things off my phone) I usually rely on my Octatrack for sample based stuff, which is probably the best thing about that box (it's more than a tolerable sequencer too, but it was really intended to be a next generation sampler) How do you find the workflow in the modular setting? are you using you PGM's in sequencer mode?

[ersatzplanet]

James,

I have a phonogene for slicing and dicing, but it's so awkward to co-ordinate recordings, that it's use is often unintended experimental tape loop / music concrete style tasks (feed it from a radio music or just some random things off my phone) I usually rely on my Octatrack for sample based stuff, which is probably the best thing about that box (it's more than a tolerable sequencer too, but it was really intended to be a next generation sampler) How do you find the workflow in the modular setting? are you using you PGM's in sequencer mode?

The workflow using wav modifiers/sample players in modular world for me is really geared for a live performance. The samplers I have are not accurate enough for some things. The CV ins for start and length settings seem to drift or move over long periods, I hear subtle changes happen that give it a "live" feel, not as solid as Ableton playing clips for example. That just may be the way I use them. I use the PGMs primarily in manual programmer mode though sequencing can be very cool depending on the loops being played. You can have extreme differences between columns/steps or subtle ones. I typically program the things you would expect - on the nebulae it is Speed, Pitch, Start, and size. On the ADDAC101 it is usually just File Size and Loop Length because I tend to play the loops that I want to be pitched correctly on them. The other columns on this programmers will drive filters and Echo times (great to have different timed echo "presets" for bass and drum loops). I will often fork the audio over to a couple of A-119's I have to derive gates and triggers off the audio to try and time things from them (using loops and stepping programmers driving other wav players is fun). That of course is the "problem" with using loops in a modular environment. Unlike Ableton or other computer based loop players, it is not easy to derive timing signals from them. They have no way to figure beats from the loops other than by detecting audio peaks. The audio track through a BP filter to a Envelope detector is very useful for that. On some loops you can zero in on particular drums in the loop and make a gate train from it.
I imagine that working with a high-end wave player like the OD ER-301 is a different experience entirely. That looks like the holy grail for me in modular wav players. So much can be done right in that module itself.
I haven't seen the new Nebulae yet too. There has been some teaser images but who knows what it will offer. More than the first one for sure.