100% Metasonix Music

[thermionicjunky]

Here is a 100% Metasonix piece using the S-1000 , TM-3 , TM-6 and TM-7 as VCOs. Processing by TM-1 , TM-2 , TM-6 and TM-7 . plus a little delay and reverb. The TM-3 modulates the S-1000. There are sounds here that I've never heard from these circuits before.

http://www.twango.com/m/48ee4d5e17

Never mind the title ... iTunes identified it as a Garth Brooks song and it was too silly to change.

[Zerosum]

Thanks for posting this and appetizing my yellow hunger!

[thermionicjunky]

Here are some more sounds of the S-1000 and TM-3 , through the TM-7 , TM-6 and TM-2. One piece , broken into 3 bits.

http://www.twango.com/media/dhernandez.public/dhernandez.10004

http://www.twango.com/media/dhernandez.public/dhernandez.10005

http://www.twango.com/media/dhernandez.public/dhernandez.10006

Here is a demo of the TM-1 processing external signals.

http://www.twango.com/media/dhernandez.public/dhernandez.10007

[Zerosum]

Fuck yeah!
Keep em coming

[Jee]

It would be nice on an asiatic horror/suspense film

[thermionicjunky]

http://www.twango.com/media/dhernandez.public/dhernandez.10008

Here are the thyratron oscillators mixed into 3-note chords. There is also some extreme resonance in the TM-6. It comes off sounding like manipulated tape loops of a thyratron organ.

[Jee]

Well...

Nice sound design !

Actually, I love it, but I also love "structured tracks" (something a bit more accessible than this kind of noise/deep dark ambient tunes).

Did you ever try to tune your S-1000 with other gears like mono synths or samplers ?

edit : (because I suspect the S-1000 or the TM-3 oscillator to be completely untunable as a general rule)

[Marco]

I am deeply impressed by all the music you linked in this page and I keep on listening to it because is really inspiring (I'm even shifting agenda and thinking to add some other yellow box to my just ordered TM6 and TM7).

In your short pieces it's clear a Classical culture and the complexity of its approach. Obviously one cannot make music like this without some type of planning; do you write it?

Also you kindly let us know that you used some TMs as VCOs and other for processing, but did you apply processing on the recorded tracks or in series during recording?

Ciao
Marco

[thermionicjunky]

Thank you. I'm happy that this music does something for you. The precedent for this type of music is definitely classical (Varese, Stockhausen, Subotnick). Although it does incorporate elements of modern jazz.I still write music down on paper when I write more traditional music that is possible to notate correctly. I got into electronics because most of the music that I wanted to write was impossible to play or notate.

My compositional approach these days involves a lot of improvisation using predetermined scales of pitches and/or timbres. Right now, I am using a pretty complicated sort of step recording using the Modcan CV recorder. This process will be greatly simplified and improved when I am able to use a keyboard controller with several rows of potentiometers per key. Doepfer has been planning a controller for a few years which would be ideal. If that never works out, Modcan and Plan B (soon) have voltage controlled sequencers that can be used that way.

All processing aside from delay and reverb was done in real time. The signal from the TM-3 was sent to the main cv input of the S-1000, while each of the S-1000 oscillators was sent it's own cv so I can tune them exactly to my specifications without synchronizing them. About 2 minutes into the first piece, this patch comes in. Adjusting the output level of the TM-3 imparts a vocal quality. The TM-7 adds white noise. Reverb is used to smear all this noise together.

[Marco]

[Jee]

and also a nice wallet

[Marco]

[Jee]

lol !

I have my idea about thermionicjunky way of working, but I don't wan't to answer for him, he is the most qualified
I guess he takes full advantage of the metasonix modules sensitivity : they can be driven hundreds of different ways with only one set of knob position, so it greatly helps creating moving textures.
For exemple, the input volume alone can dramaticaly change the sound, just imagine the possibilities by moving 2 knobs at a time, or more using CV's...

[thermionicjunky]

Oh , when I said real time I was talking about frequency modulation with the TM-3 and S-1000. I realize now that you were talking about the use of the TM-6 and TM-7 as oscillators. There are multiple tracks used for each piece, but I never need to process a sound with the same unit that produced it. For some patches, the TM-6 and TM-7 were used as oscillators, for others they were processors.

At present, I am recorded manually controlled voltages. I do this so I don't need to accept the voltage scaling of any converter or sequencer. I don't know about the Evolver. Can you set each voltage level, or does it output a fixed set of voltages?. If it's fixed, is it linear or exponential?

With the CV recorder. I can record discrete pitches, joystick movements, LFOs, envelope shapes, gates, etc. The ability to manipulate loop points and vary the playback speed over an extremely wide range allows for the exploration of the concepts of Varese ( reordering of material) and Stockhausen (integration of form, rhythm, pitch and color). I also send a separate cv to each oscillator because I love the sound of the oscillators beating, but I want to control how much. Synchronized or unsynchronized, the results are much better. I've actually ordered another CV recorder, so I will have 8 channels to work with.

[Marco]

Thank you Jee for the input, I will put it into practice as soon as I have the yellow boxes and S-1000 working. Unfortunately I'm still in the process of finding all the stepdown transformers (I bought all my stuff in the US since the exchange euro/dollar and certain contacts makes it much more convenient - don't do this at home, can be harmful-).

After having heard thermionicjunky music and your suggestions, I'm beginning to realize how subtle the Metasonix stuff can be. I choose Metasonix as the best vehicle to reach a pearcing sound with a big impact (which certainly is) , but now I know that it is muuuch more that can be done than that.

I think that the Boss should take note that it's outrageous machines *are not* represented well enough by the samples on the Metasonix website. (I.E) by a simple link to thermionicjunky samples he could gain interest in his stuff not only from dance producers and super angry guitarists but from sound designers and classical trained musicians as well. This is IMHO anyway.