Modulate This! - Electronic & Experimental Music Tech, Technique, & People

My 100th Patch with Absynth – LFO Rotors

I went on a bit of a synth “walk about” in the last year and mainly went deep with one synthesizer for programming from INIT – the mighty Absynth. Yesterday maked the 100th patch I’ve made with it.

This a sound design experiment using three samples as oscillator sources. Sample 1 is a recording I made of my daughter 10 years ago (I left the beeps in from the low budget digital recorder I used at the time). Sample 2 is crowd noise from a CU Basketball game. Sample 3 was made by resynthesizing a bell through an additive synth called Morphine which I then loaded into Absynth in granular mode.

I then turn down the volume on all oscillators and use LFO’s with square waves running in mono-mode and in series to modulate the OSC volumes. So the LFOs act as a gate shaped by the LFO waveform turning on the audio round-robin as the samples play out. I then modulate the LFO speed with a performance slider all the way up to audio rates as the piece progresses.
This is ALL absynth including effects (resonator with surround motion).

So thanks to Brian Clevinger for making Absynth (which will continue to be a main focus). Also thanks to John Bowen for showing me his Solaris Synth rotors a few weeks back when I was in Seattle for Pacific Northwest Synthfest which inspired the sound design concept behind this piece. You both have made amazing instruments!

Mark Mosher
Synthesist, Composer, Performer
www.markmoshermusic.com

Pure and Broken Circuits 01 - Absynth Sound Design Experiment

"Pure and Broken Circuits 01" is an Absynth sound design experiement. A sound design experiment showing the darker virtual analog modelling side of Absynth (no samples here) to illustrate Absynth's range beyond the typical motion pad :^) This piece is an improvisation using an original preset patched with two oscillator in single mode and two Filters with feedback. I'm using waveshaping feedback mode and modulating filters and resonance with envelopes which creates the sonic movement as the envelopes play out.

Absynth Tutorial: Modulating Filter Frequency with Keyboard Scaling

Happy New Year! My resolution last year was to go deeper with fewer synths. It’s one of the few resolutions I managed to keep – lol.

Absynth is one of the synths I focused on in 2012. While it was my first virtual instrument (started using it back in 2002 when I started migrating to computer-based music), some elements remained a mystery to me. After a year spent writing presets to use features I’d not touched, reading and re-reading the manual, watching tutorials,  and forcing myself to use it it for for single-patch projects (Tracks 3 & 4 on my last album, and for this soundscape) Absynth has now become my go to “axe” for programming from INIT. Even after all these years it’s simply an amazing synth.

With all that said, I thought I should kickoff 2013 by sharing an Absynth tutorial to help you discover some of the interesting features of Absynth.

Goal: Change the brightness of a sound so the sound gets less bright as you play higher on the keyboard.

Step 1: Add a master low pass filter to a patch.

Step 2: Select Performance>Note>Param and select “Filter Freq Master”.

Step 3: Use your mouse to draw a curve. You'll notice you can use your mouse to get feedback and key and scaling value. Now if you play a a note you'll hear the sound gets less bright towards the higher end of the keyboard.

Tip: If you want to be even more accurate, you can do per note scaling. Click the keyboard button, then play a note on your MIDI controller (or use the keyboard at the bottom of Absynth. While you can now set the precise modulation value for that note.

Note, the following parameter groups can be modulated by keyboard note values.

Happy modulating,

Mark Mosher
www.MarkMosherMusic.com

"Inside the Grid on Altair IV" - A One-Note One-Patch Soundscape in Absynth 5

"Inside the Grid on Altair IV" by Mark Mosher. A One-Note One-Patch Soundscape in Absynth 5 from Mark Mosher on Vimeo.

Update: I’ve also made this available as an MP3-320 audio download on soundcloud.

"Inside the Grid on Altair IV" is a soundscape created with one patch from scratch using the Absynth 5. It is performed be pressing and holding a single note for the entirety of the song. While I have used Absynth as the sole instrument for songs in the past (Tracks 3 & 4 on my last album markmosher.bandcamp.com/album/no-ghosts-just-fear), I've never created a patch where one held note triggers the entire composition. Recent works by Absynth creator Brian Clevinger and artist Anthony Distefano have inspired me to do start working on some pieces of this nature and this is my first of many to come.

The audio is CD quality, and the video shows a behind-the-scenes look at Absynth's wonderful 68-stage modulatable envelopes in action. So all the movement and changes in dynamics, pitch, timber are meticulously drawn and programmed as part of the patch. The envelopes also support LFOs on segments. The envelopes can be extremely long and also loop independently which making Absynth fantastic for evolving soundscapes.

Note, I am also using an envelope to change the “effect time” of the Pipe Effect which is a unique audio effect within Absynth. P. 88 of the manual describes it best “Let’s take the image of a string. A loudspeaker (a contact loudspeaker) is connected to a string, which begins to vibrate as a result. You can determine the position of this virtual loudspeaker on the string via the parameter Input Position. Above the string are two pickups, similar to an E-Guitar. The pickups’ positions can be determined through the parameter Output Positions. Changing those two parameters can be compared with changing two microphones. You can modulate the string’s length and the pickups’ position through the LFOs or a MIDI Controller. This way, various flanging, pitch-shifting and rotary speaker effects can be achieved. These effects are particularly apparent when the modulation of the pickups are modulated in op¬posite directions.”

 

 

Enjoy,

Mark Mosher
Synthesist, Composer, Performer | Boulder, CO
MarkMosherMusic.com

Absynth Creator Brian Clevinger Posts One-Note Soundscape to Accompany the Mayan Apocalypse

 

Brian Clivinger just posted this fantastic one-note soundscape patch “made with Native Instruments Absynth 5 to accompany the mayan apocalypse”. It really shows what can be done with those amazing 68-stage modulatable envelopes!

Enjoy, and talk to you tomorrow :^)

Mark Mosher
Synthesist, Composer, Performer
www.MarkMosherMusic.com

My First Solo Flight with Space Palette Kinect-Controller

My First Solo Flight with Space Palette from Mark Mosher on Vimeo.

Tim Thompson flew out from San Jose to present on his Space Palette kinect-based casual instrument this week Boulder Synthesizer Meetup (meetup.com/The-Boulder-Synthesizer-Meetup) on Nov 13th, 2012.

The big news for me is he gave me a Space Palette frame! He actually came in a before the meetup and stayed to configure my system with his custom code and all the dependent parts and taught me how to launch, calibrate and customize.

After he flew home, I tore the system down and put it all back together and got it all running on my own :^). I then swapped out the audio instruments behind the scenes with Absynth patches to make my first solo performance. I shot this video while holding the camera behind the frame as I played. All audio and visuals are interactive and in response to the Kinect tracking my multi-touch movement (X,Y, Depth) through the various windows in the frame.

More here SpacePalette.com

SYNTHESIST MARK MOSHER, Boulder, CO 
Artist Web Site: www.MarkMosherMusic.com
Show your Support with an Album buy: http://markmosher.bandcamp.com/
Synth Geek Blog: www.ModulateThis.com
Local Meetup: http://www.meetup.com/The-Boulder-Synthesizer-Meetup/

NO GHOSTS. JUST FEAR. - 5 Original Dark Ambient Synthetic Soundscapes

New Dark Ambient Album

I’m happy to announce the release of my new album No Ghosts. Just Fear. It’s an EP with five original horror soundscapes. The album is only available as an album download from Bandcamp.com as they supports the high-resolution formats required for proper listening :^)

Here is a link http://markmosher.bandcamp.com/album/no-ghosts-just-fear

Go for the High-Rez Download :^)
The dark ambient sounds and music within these arrangements was created and performed on various virtual instruments (see notes below). In some cases original audio recordings were used as sources then re-shaped with granular synthesis to turn these recordings into playable expressive instruments with huge sonic range and motion.

The album was mastered by the wonderful Gannon Kashiwa who is the Director of Digital Media at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science  - so you'll hear the incredible sonic range and detail of these pieces if you go for the downloads. The streaming versions just don’t do the tracks justice.

With this in mind I’m making the entire album (14 minutes of horror in 5 soundscapes) available for only $3. I hope this is a no brainer price that makes you want to go for the lossless CD Quality FLAC or at least MP3 320 (click here if you have questions about format). A lot of work went into the sonic detail so it’s worth it to take the time to listen on good system with a sub – or with great headphones. No earbuds please – lol.

Liner Notes +

The Liner notes pasted in below with the addition of “Synths Used” for you Modulate This! readers. Note tracks 2-4 each use a single synth and single deep performance preset programmed from INIT.

I hope hearing these tracks inspires you to dig deeper into programming from INIT with a smaller number of synths in your rig. Going deep allows you to create expressive patches and presets with performance in mind and transcend these synths making them true instruments.

I’ll also add that the entire album was produced and mixed with Ableton Live. Gannon Mastered in Pro Tools.

Thanks for your support and If you enjoy the album please pass it on. Happy Halloween!

Mark Mosher
Synthesist & Composer, Boulder, CO
http://www.MarkMosherMusic.com

------------------------------

ABOUT THE ALBUM
This album contains five original instrumental horror soundscapes by Boulder-based synthesist and composer Mark Mosher. Listen in the dark on a great sound system with a sub-woofer or with good headphones (not ear buds) and let your imagination run wild! Then remember, it’s all in your head :^) 

 

 

CREDITS
© 2011-2012 (CC-BY-NC) Mark J. Mosher www.MarkMosherMusic.com
Composed, Arranged, Programmed, Performed, and Produced by Mark Mosher
Mastered by Gannon Kashiwa
Cover Design by Dave Weed
Cover Photo by Mark Mosher

TRACK NOTES

1 Primeval
Amygdala kicks in as you enter the fear zone. Remember, it's all in your head!

I use hand crafted synthetic sounds (subtractive and additive synthesis) to create strange tones, textures. and rhythms to build tension. Fast note-runs, and radical tempo changes will creep you out. This piece was performed using Percussa AudioCubes. Note I released this as a single in 2011. Even if you've heard it before I recommend you buy the album to get this new high-resolution remix. For this remix I reprogrammed some of the effects, remixed the track a bit, and then re-rendered with highest quality synth settings. Plus this track and all others were mastered by Gannon Kashiwa and it sounds simply incredible!

Synths Used: Waldorf Largo, 4 Instances of Image-Line Harmless. I also used Percussa Improvisor with original sequences controlled from AudioCubes which got fed into Live to drive the virtual synths. Further editing and production was done in Live.

2 Alone in the Dark
When you are alone in the dark your mind will play tricks.

Over the last year I've been spending time listening to the tone. harmonics, overtones, and distortion created by expressive electric guitar greats like David Gilmour. "Alone in the Dark" is my exploration of expressive manipulation of harmonics and distortion with a single synthesizer patch custom programmed. As a result you'll hear me go beyond the sonic range of guitars into the sub-harmonic realm.

Synths Used: Waldorf Largo

3 Fight or Flight
Your brain is on overload as you run for your life through a dark building searching for the exit.

I broke a long complex original audio recording into small chunks called "grains" with a custom patch in a virtual instrument called Absynth. My patch allows me to traverse, manipulate and perform with this massive sample as if it's an expressive instrument with a very unique harmonic palette.

4 Under the Spider’s Web
There is a dim golden light ahead in the dark. Between you and the light, there is a spider and of course a large web blocking your path. Was that something crawling down the back of your neck?

Like the last track, this is custom granular synth performance.

Synths Used: Native Instruments Absynth 5, Rob Papen Predator FX

5 Orbiting Miranda
Inspired by the film Serenity.

I used a variety of custom programmed virtual synths and effects to create this lush but dark ambient piece. Note I released this as a single in 2011. Even if you've heard it before I recommend you buy the album to get this new high-resolution remix re-mastered by Gannon Kashiwa.

Synths Used: Native Instruments Absynth 5, 3 Instances of Tone2 Saurus, Rob Pappen Predator FX & RP-Verb.

Absynth 5 Synthesizer Envelope Editing Tips

One of the best features of Absynth 5 are the 68 breakpoint envelopes. If you’ve mainly been shaping envelopes by dragging breakpoints around with your mouse here are some tips on adding even more character and expression to your envelopes.

Type in Breakpoint Times

You can set the time for a breakpoint manually by entering the number of seconds for the break point. The Abs/BP switch determines the position of the breakpoint on the timeline. From p. 116 in the manual:

Abs/BP Time control: Determines the Breakpoint’s position on the time axis. Enter the duration in seconds. Depending on the setting of the BP Time Toggle on its left, you can either enter the duration since the previous Breakpoint (Bp sec) or since the beginning of the Envelope (Abs sec).

This is such a cool feature because you can not only be very precise but you can create extremely long envelope segments adding subtle motion and character.

Add LFOs and Modulate Breakpoints

I used Absynth quite a while before I bothered to click on the LFO and Control tabs. Using these tabs you can add LFO’s to envelope segments and modulate Amp and Time of a breakpoint using controllers.

More Tips on Absynth

• http://www.modulatethis.com/absynth/

Mark Mosher
Electronic Music Artist, Boulder, CO
Official Web Site: www.MarkMosherMusic.com
Listen/Download Albums: www.MarkMosherMusic.com/music.html
www.ModulateThis.com

How to Trigger Absynth 5 FX Envelopes with MIDI Notes in Ableton Live

In a previous post I mentioned the use of stand-alone FX versions of synths like Zebrify,  Absynth FX, and Predator  FX as effects processors. Here is a tip for you Absynth FX fans who are using Ableton Live and want to process the output of a another virtual MIDI instrument and then trigger envelopes in Absynth FX.

MIDI Won’t Pass Through By Default

If you drop Absynth FX into a MIDI track  that already has a synth in it – say ZebraHZ - the audio will be processed as you’d expect via the patch settings. MIDI notes however are not passed through to Absynth FX which means the envelopes won’t be triggered.

Ableton Routing to the Rescue

1. Drop Absynth FX into '”A Return”
2. Route the ZebraHZ audio to with the “Send A” knob.  I set the track to “Sends Only” so I only hear audio routed through Absynth FX.
3. Create a MIDI Track in Live and route the MIDI to “A Absynth 5 FX” return. (Click the image above to see the screen shot full screen).
4. At this point you can arm both the MIDI Track and the ZebraHZ track and play in real-time and notes will go to Absynth FX as well. Instead, I created a MIDI clip with a note pattern that repeats and…
5. triggers the Absynth FX Envelope while I’m playing different notes in ZebraHZ.

Ok, give it a go and expect crazy and interesting results from the most epic Absynth FX and monster envelopes implementation.

Mark Mosher
Electronic Musician, Boulder CO
www.ModulateThis.com
www.MarkMosherMusic.com

Sound Design and Workflow Tip: Make Better Use of the Stand-Alone FX Versions of Your Virtual Instruments

When I’m producing I use a lot of Ableton Live’s built-in FX. I do this because a) I like them and b) they adhere to the same workflow in everything else in Live so I spend more time making music. Of course sometimes I also want to use a third-party effect for variety or to take advantage of a cool feature. The down-side is that they all have unique workflow and you may find yourself scratching your head a bit rather than making music.

One way to have your cake and eat it to is to make more use of the effects within your favorite virtual synth as stand-alone processors. For example, in my rig, Absyhth, Rob Papen Predator, Slayer 2, Zebra 2 (Zebrify) all have FX only versions of their plug-ins allowing you to route signal through the FX processor sections of these synths.

The advantage of this is your synth chops can now be applied to your FX work and you can get more unique sounds in less time.

The Soul of a Synth in the Effects Processor

In many synths, it’s hard to separate the effects processor from the soul of the synth. Absynth for example has some very unique effects such as the wonderful Aetherizer which is used heavily in many factory patches. By using it as a processor on another synth or audio source you can combine the unique sonic character of the input with this wonderful granular effect.

More on External Input

Want to use your audio input as a modulation source? Both Absynth FX and Zebrifiy have envelope followers. Zebrify also has a pitch follower so you can map the pitch of an incoming signal back to synth parameters.

Below is an example of  my Theremin routed through an audio track in Ableton live with Zebrify in the device chain. As I slowly pitch up on the Theremin, Zebrify processes this signal with two comb filters and modifies the pitch of these filters with a step LFO.

Modulation Mania

Another advantage of using FX from your virtual synths as processor is that most modern virtual instruments are structured to make heavy use of modulation and a modulation matrix. This offers a lot of possibilities for automation and real-time control that often aren’t possible with many stand-alone FX processor plug-ins or even FX in your host.

Unifying Color

I also sometimes apply effects from a single synth FX plugin to all tracks (or a group of tracks) in a mix to help unify the palette of the piece. For example, in my recent track Ambient Drone track “Orbiting Miranda”, I used one instance of Absynth and three of Tone2 Saurus and then used Rob Papen’s Predator FX to do multi-effects with automation on every single track. One of the effects I used is a comb filter which nudged and shifted the timbral character of these synths more towards a center of color I wanted for the piece.

Download MP3 of “Orbiting Miranda”  here.

Presets to Get you Started

When you load the FX only version of these synths, you’ll see factory presets dedicated to just the FX parameters. Jump in, route audio through, and poke around. I was personally blown away at what is possible.

Maximizing Your Investment

I’ll close this by saying you’ve already invested money and time into learning these instruments. If you’ve not explored the use of the stand-alone FX capable plugs in your rig , your really missing out.

Happy producing – and workflow FTW!

Mark Mosher
Electronic Music Artist, Boulder, CO
Official Web Site: www.MarkMosherMusic.com
Listen/Download Albums: www.MarkMosherMusic.com/music.html
www.ModulateThis.com