The latest loopop video takes a look at four ways to get started with making quadraphonic music.
The video covers four potential setups for making quadraphonic music, including:
- Making quadraphonic music with a DAW;W
- Using Eurorack modules to make music in quad;
- Quadraphonic music using VCV Rack; and
- DAWless set-ups for quad music.
“If you create music, you’ve got to try doing it in quad,” he notes. “The experience of sitting in the middle of music you create while your sounds rotate around you is like none other. I’m hooked.”
Part 1 of his look at quadraphonic music making featured an interview with Suzanne Ciani, who discussed and demonstrated her approach to spatial electronic music:
Here’s a list of what was used in each setup:
Setup #1: DAW
Touche by Expressive E
Continuum by Haken
Launchpad from Novation
AudioFuse and Piano V2 from Arturia
Maschine MK3, Bite and Reaktor from Native Instruments
Live 10 from Ableton
The jam is a cover of 09 Ghosts I by Nine Inch Nails
Setup #2: Eurorack
248 VCA and two Mixvert8rs from VoicAs
A-144 from Doepfer
ADDAC803 Quadraphonic Spatializer
PanMix from Happy Nerding
Aither from Instruo (with Parat+ from Incalcando)
Belkin splitter
Bitbox from 1010Music
Maths from Make Noise
ES-8 and Disting MK4 from Expert Sleepers
Rings and Plaits from Mutable Instruments
Z-DSP from Tiptop Audio
H9 and EuroDDL from Eventide
SBG, Beast’s Chalkboard and Pam’s New Workout (with an expander) from ALM
Hermod from Squarp
iPad by Apple
6U and 3U cases from Arturia
The 6U case is sitting on SpikeXL from Cremacaffe (you can’t see it but it’s there…)
Samples from Scar Polish
Not used in this setup but potential alternatives: Poltergeist from KOMA and the 227e by Buchla
Setup #3: VCV Rack
Quad Panner from NYSTHI
Quadraphonic patch from Omri Cohen
Set up #4: DAWless
Arcade Pocket Operator from Teenage Engineering
Digitone from Elektron
MacBook Pro by Apple
VCV Rack, audio, MIDI CC and LFOs from VCV
Quad Panner from NYSTHI
Mix 4 from BogAudio
Raspberry PI?
Topics Covered:
0:00 Intro
1:30 Hardware
2:30 ABLETON
3:00 Swirling noise
3:45 Surround panner
5:05 Synced random
5:45 Traveling notes
6:45 Manual control
7:15 EURORACK
7:25 Morph+VCA
8:20 Recording motion
9:45 Adding distance
11:25 Distance fx
13:10 Multiple motions
14:55 Mixing quad
18:00 Quad jam
19:25 VCV RACK
20:00 Quad panner
22:00 DAWless quad?
22:30 Proposed solution
In my naïve view, since home quadraphonic installations are very rare (to say the least), wouldn’t it be simpler to create music for surround systems such as the 5.1 standard, and obtaining results that would probably not match a true quad system, but could come close?
you’re right but quad is retro and therefor much cooler.
The main difference is that quadro assumes 4 equal loudspeakers, in 5.1 otoh each speaker (/pair) has its distinctive role.
Yeah, but emulating a quadrophonic setup with 5.1 shouldn’t be too hard…
I agree with Un Herisson; while it might not be the same, I think it would be better to pursue spatial sound using a standard that is in current practice. There is still panning within each pair, so I think the results would be similar.
5.1 might be fine for home listening but quad would be more interesting and easier to implement in a live show.
Live electronic shows that would utilize a multichannel system are in spaces where the audience is not focused on a performer as in a theatre or band setting bit are in an immersive space. I have been involved in hundreds of electronic shows and only a few have tried an existing 5.1 or 7.1 system. It was not ideal.
For musical performance, electroacoustical music or installation art, 5.1 is not the standard. The standard is simply a multi speaker array. Be it quad, octa, deca, etc. It assumes an equal number of identical speakers placed evenly apart and centred towards the listener. 5.1 is a cinema standard and not useful in musical situation.
It’s 1974 all over again.