Unfelds is a series of downloadable field recordings that are free donationware made available under Creative Commons licence. Denver-based sound designer and fellow Ableton Colorado member James Tobin’s work is featured in u. nfields12 “cruzin'. James also contributed a Sounds from a Distant Outpost composition “Subdude's First Excursion To The Outpost” last year. James describes this set of fields recordings:
“these sounds were recorded on a cruise trip from seattle to alaska. when i first learned that my wife and i would be taking this trip i was immediately excited by the opportunity to record such a foreign and strange environment. you see, here in denver we don't have many ships. a few boats, yes, but certainly no ships. the ms oosterdam did not disappoint. she had all kinds of great sounds around. i did run into one little unforeseen difficulty -- traveling with 3,000 people can make it a little hard to capture good, clean recordings, especially when they all want to talk about "that fuzzy thing" with me. nonetheless, i was able to find some time away from the crowds and enjoy the sounds of a ship on my own. i certainly had a fantastic time recording these sounds, and i hope they inspire you to create some fantastic new instruments. happy noise-making!
i used a zoom q3hd stereo recorder to record these sounds at 24 bit/48khz. the sounds that appear here are recorded and unprocessed, aside from dithering down to 16bit/44.1khz and adding metadata.
james tobin”
Visit the unfeld page to download a 99MB zip file with sounds and some great photos by James. There are some cool recordings in the library with my favorite being “unfields12_14_-_whipping_wind”. To support Jame’s work you can also make a donation while there.
Puremagnetik just released a new sound library of high quality multisampled wooden marimba instruments called MalletPak One. This Micropak was created in collaboration with Richard Lainhart. In addition to being an award-winning composer, author, and filmmaker – Richard also spent a number of years as a jazz vibraphonist. Puremagnetik conducted a great interview on the trajectory of Richard’s musical journey which I linked to at the bottom of this post.
I met Richard for the first time earlier this month at Electro-Music 2011 and I also caught his wonderful live performance. When I read that he was involved with this Micropak I reached out to him for some additional information on this library. Richard was kind enough to send me some high-rez photos from the recording session (click the photos to enlarge).
According to Puremagnetik, the vibraphones were “recorded in a reflective room with a pair of Shure KSM32s in an ORTF configuration to capture the wide stereo field of the instrument..”
The Micropack contains a collection of 13 multisampled instruments in Ableton Live Pack, Kontakt, Renoise and Apple Logic formats. There are over 900 high quality samples under the hood and the samples include “multiple mallet types, hit variations and sophisticated velocity.” I’ve embedded the audio samples from Puremagetik’s Soundcloud set below.
I bought the Ableton Live format of the library and I’m really enjoying it. The source samples from Richard are fantastic and the collaboration with Purmagnetik has resulted in an excellent use of Ableton Live racks that I’ve come to expect from Puremagnetik. The macro knobs offer excellent performance articulations of the marimba. Some patches are programmed to take the sound into the synthetic realm with excellent use of AM and FM synthesis and Ableton effects.
Puremagnetik System B Micropaks
This is not the first time Richard has collaborated with Puremagnetik. They have also released two Micropak’s based on Richard’s work with the Buchla 200e modular analog synthesizer. The instruments in these libraries are based on a dense and complex master performance patch that was years in the making by Richard. Here is an excerpt from the interview Puremagnetik conducted with Richard that offers more detail:
The reason I got the Buchla in the first place was to have a flexible modular system that I could perform with, which the Buchla is ideal for because of its patch memory. So, since I've gotten it, I've been developing and adding to one master performance patch, which lets me change its configuration quickly in performance but still allows for the maximum degree of sonic variety. That's the patch you're referring to, and which by now, after a couple of years of work, has gotten pretty dense and complex. The Continuum interfaces with that patch via the Continuum Voltage Convertor, or CVC. The Continuum senses finger position on its surface in three dimensions - horizontal, vertical, and depth or pressure - and the CVC converts the data stream from the Continuum into a set of 12 separate control voltages of three dimensions of control for up to four separate voices. Most of the patches are set up so that the X dimension controls pitch, Y controls filtering, and Z controls amplitude, but there are some patches where the Y dimension controls oscillator waveshaping or timbre modulation,for example, or the Z dimension control modulation index. It all depends on the patch and what I want to be able to control in that particular sound, and the system has a lot of flexibility that way.
To put this in more concrete terms, checkout this fantastic video of Oraison, composed by Olivier Messiaen in 1937 for six Ondes Martenot, transcribed for Buchla 200e synthesizer and Haken Continuum Fingerboard controller and performed by Richard in 2009.
B-System Basses and Leads Features: A richly programmed library of Buchla leads & basses from the synth arsenal of Richard Lainhart.
• Over 1000 24-bit Buchla 200e samples
• 20 expertly programmed multisampled instruments
• 30 Ableton Live Clips with integrated Macros and effects
• 30 Apple SIAL loops
• Custom Kontakt KSP GUI and native Kontakt effects
B-System Percussives Features: A unique sonic adventure through 10 electronic drum kits and 40 rhythmic loops recorded from an original Buchla 200e modular synthesizer.
• Over 650 24-bit electronic percussion samples • 10 expertly programmed kit menus • 40 Ableton Live Clips with integrated Macros and effects • 40 Apple SIAL loops • Custom Kontakt KSP GUI and native Kontakt effects
Again, both of these Micropaks are simply excellent and highly recommended. I especially like the “Morphopox” instrument in Basses and Leads and the “Voltog” kit in Percussives.
Get the Micropaks Note that MalletPak One is the current Micropak so you need to be a subscriber to get this today. Subscribers pay $5.75 a month or $60 per year. B-System Micropaks are available to those with an “All Access Pass” or for a $12 fee for everyone else.
More on Richard’s Work Watch for a future “Music Monday” post featuring some of Richard’s Releases. Till then use the social links below to explore his work. I think we’ll also see some future collaborations between Richard and Puremagnetik in the future so watch for those Micrpaks as well.
On December 17th, 2010 I released the Sounds from a Distant Outpost FREE Live Pack. Now, a little over a month later there have been over 1,000 downloads from http://www.outpostexperiment.com/! Update on 6/13/2011: Just about to hit 2,000 downloads :^).
The most exciting thing for me is that a two people have REALLY dug into the 12 instruments in the Live Pack and have taken the time to compose tracks using ONLY instruments from this pack.
I’ve attached their two songs plus a third I created below. It’s pretty fantastic that while we didn’t directly collaborate all the works are quite different yet sound they all sound like they are telling stories from the same universe.
I think it would be pretty cool to create an album or score a film with multiple composers sharing the same custom yet limited instrument palette like this.
“Subdude's First Excursion To The Outpost” First up is an awesome offering by James Tobin (aka Subdude), Denver, USA - www.jamestobin.info.
Thanks! Thanks James and Jason for your wonderful contributions.
Your Turn to Take a Trip to the Outpost! There are still stories to tell. I’d love to hear more from others so go grab the pack and tack a trip to the “Outpost”. - Sounds from a Distant Outpost.
I’ve finished programming the racks for the upcoming sound library. I’m going through each instrument and tuning any samples that have pitch to concert pitch. I like doing a first pass by ear which requires a reference pitch.
A quick way to do this generate a fixed pitch for reference is to use Ableton Operator.
Click the Fixed button for Oscillar A
Turn the Freq knob to the desired pitch. Mouse over the number below the knob and type in the frequency you need.
I then create a midi clip that plays a note. I start the clip, then can navigate away to other tracks.
Absynth 5 has a feature called Audio Mod which lets you take audio input from a DAW and use it as control voltage of sorts. Sort of like the digital equivalent of what was shown in yesterday’s post from Marc (DJ Not So Much) “Using Ableton to Provide Control Voltage for a Moog Slim Phatty”.
I used Absynth and Ableton Live to create this sound scape which made up of synthesis, and real-time processing of audio from field recordings. The first recording is a Morse code key I recorded at a train museum in Cape Cod. The second is a recording I made of crowd noise at a University of Colorado basketball game.
I wanted to mention that Absynth 1 was the first virtual synth I bought back in the day. I’ve kept up with it all these years and upgraded to 5 right away when it came out (see this vid showing off some Absynth 5 features). It’s still one of my most used synths so I’m happy to see that it’s winning in the readers poll.
PRODUCTION NOTES I created a custom patch in Absynth 5. I'm sending MIDI notes from an Ableton Live clip to Absynth. This causes Oscillator A to play a fractalized waveform that is morphed by a stepping envelope.
Oscillator B is set to "Audio In" and I'm routing field recording samples playing in Live audio clips to this Oscillator.
Oscillator C is a single hybrid waveform. This oscillator's Amp, Pitch and Morph params are modulated live audio signals routing through Oscillator B using "Audio Mod". The first audio clip is the field recording of the Morse code key. The second clip is the crowd sound. The pulsing nature of the sound during the crowd section is a result of AMP envelope on Oscillator B.
Mark Mosher VLOG–2010 Holiday Soundpack Session #1
In this video I’m working on an instrument rack that will end up in Ableton Live 8 Livepack format so anyone with any edition of Live 8 will be able to access the patch. The sound in the video start with found sound which I resysnthesize with an additive synth, then resample back into Ableton Sampler. Then lots of programming.
I will then use the same samples to create a version of the patch in either Absynth 5, Alchemy, or Blofeld depending on the results of the reader poll.
Why did I pick Absynth5/Alchemy/Blofeld for potentials in addition to Livepack? They all support using your own samples as OSC source and every patch I'm working is rooted in found sound, or re-synthesis/resampling so harmonic content is original.
In the past I’ve posted “One Patch Performances” series tracks as videos. I decided to add Soundcloud as an additional publishing method for posting these short performances as I really like it’s timeline-based commenting system.
“Blofeld LFOs Gone Mad” For this performance I am playing Blofeld factory patch H005 DCS3 Bubbles and I’m changing modulation parameters in real-time. This preset has interesting modulation routings in that LFO 1 modulates the speed of LFO2. Mod wheel controls speed of LFO1.
I think this performance also shows off the huge sonic range of the Waldorf Blofeld. Using this one preset and modulation, the Bolfeld produces timbers that are bell-like, bubbly, wet, warm, harsh and metallic. I’m also using knobs and keyboard scaling to control motion. It’s just an amazing synth. See my annotations on what I'm doing across the timeline.
One of the coolest things about Absynth is that you can draw custom waveforms. The waveform editor is simply fantastic. Custom Waveforms are not just for oscillators. They can also be used for LFO’s.
1) Click the button next to the LFO wave shape to open the waveform selector. 2) Click the “Edit” button.
This opens the waveform editor. Use the editor to create a unique waveform to be used to shape your LFO.
Try experimenting with the “Transform” function to shape your wave.
Click on the LFO to rename it so you can reference the wave shape and apply it to other modulations.
Another cool feature in Absynth is that you can apply LFO to segments of an envelope. Just click on the LFO tab when working with an Envelope then click on the node at the end of the segment where you want to apply LFO. You can even apply the custom wave shapes you have created.
Mark Mosher Electronic Music Artist, Composer, Sound Designer Louisville/Denver/Boulder
In addition to creating tutorial videos, I’ve decided to start a Video Log. Tutorials are very time consuming to produce as they are scripted and require a lot of planning - not to mention time to edit and produce. My video log will be much more casual and it will be a little more like your just looking over my shoulder while I create electronic music and sound.
I’m also working out ways to shoot live video in my studio so I can also add videos that show how I’m using my Tenori-On, APC40, Percussa Audio Cubes, and other controllers.
As always, I’m hoping the content in these videos can help inspire your creativity and save you time with your projects.
For my first entry, I’ve posted a video where I discuss the creation of a patch using the new cloud filter feature in Absynth 5. There is also a tip for Ableton users within this video.
I’ve been doing some sound design work with Future Audio Workshop Circle Virtual Synthesizer.
While most of the parameters are visible on the main page of the user interface, some are only accessible via tabs along the bottom of the interface. So to search for sounds, access keyboard and arpeggiator controls, global settings, effects, and midi modulation routines use the tabs at the bottom.
For example, if you ant to modulate the filter so that it tracks the keyboard (the higher the note the brighter the sound):
Click the “Keyboard Tab”
Drag the grey modulation output dot on the bottom pane marked “keyb1 and…
Drop it on the modulation input hole for “Filter Frequency”
That’s all there is to it. Note this same modulator is mapped by default to oscillator “Course” tuning. If you remove this modulator from “Course” tuning the pitch for the oscillator will be static and not track with the keyboard.
In my previous post, I talked about the using the Wacom Tablet with Ableton Live. This same posts mentions how to configure Ableton Live to "-_EnsureKeyMessagesForPlugins". You'll need to follow the instructions in this post if you want to enter keyboard data into Circle - such as patch info. It's worth mentioning that the Wacom also works really well with Circle interface and is extremely well suited to the drag-and-drop modulation interface.
“these sounds were recorded on a cruise trip from seattle to alaska. when i first learned that my wife and i would be taking this trip i was immediately excited by the opportunity to record such a foreign and strange environment. you see, here in denver we don't have many ships. a few boats, yes, but certainly no ships. the ms oosterdam did not disappoint. she had all kinds of great sounds around. i did run into one little unforeseen difficulty -- traveling with 3,000 people can make it a little hard to capture good, clean recordings, especially when they all want to talk about "that fuzzy thing" with me. nonetheless, i was able to find some time away from the crowds and enjoy the sounds of a ship on my own. i certainly had a fantastic time recording these sounds, and i hope they inspire you to create some fantastic new instruments. happy noise-making!
