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Four self-generating experiments
Alder_Dice
UKBeta Tester Posts: 128
I wanted to push probability-based sequencing and side-chain modulation as far as I could, with short looping sequences that never sound the same twice. There's next to no human interference with the arrangements; I just pressed play and record and let them run for a few minutes.
All 100% Deluge with no external gear.
https://alderdice.bandcamp.com/album/scrapbrain
Hope it's of interest to someone here. Say hello if you are trying similar experiments.
Comments
That's crazy! Thank you for sharing!
I tried stuff like this and aimed at something Brian Eno like, but failed so far. I'd love to be able to make generative ambient myself. Do you have any helpful insights in that field?
Soundcloud | YouTube | bandcamp | Buy me a coffee (:
Hello Alder_Dice,
I am interested in your Process; How you go about making tracks that are "self-generating". I would be grateful if you would share - perhaps here on the Synthstrom discussion boards.
MBC
Thank you @Heptagen and @DaEmbassy
I'm never quite sure if 'self-generating' is the right term for music like this, but it's a term some people recognise as music that comes from a set of rules given to a machine, rather than from a specified sequence of notes or sounds.
I'd say the simplest form of this is the arpeggiator's 'random' mode. I use that a lot, but for more rhythmic variation, I'm fond of heaving a stack of notes whose probabilities add up to 100 in total, with some of the notes set to velocity 0 to create rests between notes.
My main technique is creating side-chain events, sometimes triggered by a kick drum, but sometimes by a silent part. For example, I might have a looping bar of kick sounds, one on every 16th step. I'll set the probability for all the steps to 5, maybe higher on the first beat of the bar. Then I'll send that sound to the sidechain bus.
The parameters you can have responding to the sidechain signal is well documented. I think somebody even made a video about it. I like to make the sidechain push one group of sounds out of the way (either filters or volume), while making it bring other sounds into focus or do weird stuff. Track 3 on that EP has an FM synth sound with the modulation ratios and amounts randomised. It's arpeggiator speed is pretty slow, but modulated hard by the side-chain. So every time the kick hits, you get this slowing down barrage of random FM sounds. By the time it has slowed right down, another sound has been allowed to come back into the frame by the sidechain, with a similar release time to the FM sound.
I don't think any of these techniques are new. I'm enjoying discovering them for my self and trying to make musical use of them though.
Thanks again for listening and commenting. As much as I make music for my own fulfilment, it's cool to make human connections with it too.
Peace.
Thank you for your detailed answer! That is quite something, I'll have to try again 😁
Soundcloud | YouTube | bandcamp | Buy me a coffee (:
Thank you for taking the time to answer, @Alder_Dice , and for sharing your process.
I understand the principle of assigning a probability to a note on the Deluge, so after checking out The Guide I should be good to attempt it.
As for Side-Chain events, I am out of my depth here. I thought side-chain was an effect that was added to a waveform, so it looks like I need to do some research to find out about it. If a Deluge User has made a video of it I guess it must be up on YouTube somewhere.
Cheers,
MBC
There is a video from Synthstrom about sidechain
🅽🅾🆅🅸🅲🅴 🅳🅴🅻🆄🅶🅸🅾🅽🅸🆂🆃?
Well, done, @Alder_Dice ! I just got my Deluge about a week ago, and had been experimenting with just probability on notes with kits. I hadn't thought about the side chain idea --- I'll have to watch the tutorial video and play with it.
You've got some interesting stuff here!
Thanks a lot @KF6GPE ! Every time I turn the machine on I feel like it takes me somewhere new.
Be sure to share the results