Category: sketches

I made Float using all the skills I have learnt throughout this unit: Simpler, Sampler, Drift, Midi controls in addition to Wavetable. I tried a new technique while working on this piece, though out you can hear drum samples which I arpeggiated to add a stuttering effect, I then set each sample to be played with a random LFO which can be heard best from around 1:40 – 1:50. This was also my first time using wavetable synthesis while really understanding it, and I pleased with the outcome, this track is just a vibe. It features a piece that Cameron, Jack and Vic were working on during class though out, but I think the two pieces compliment each other very well. This is the reason why I have enjoyed recording with my phone so much rather than bouncing out the track. My intention is not to have a perfect track but to capture the moment surrounding it.

In this session we were going through Collision, Ableton’s mallet/ percussion synth. I often use bell sounds within my work and that influenced the way I approached the sound design in Collision, creating a relatively low pitch bell sound with reverb that grounds the track. The other elements were patched in simpler and drift. I set some of the parameters like filter cutoff and LFO rate to be controlled via midi controller to add add to the performance.

In this track, I made use of the jitter function on Ableton’s LFOs to create tension throughout the piece. All throughout this unit I have enjoyed using LFOs to my advantage to create subtle movements within my work and to add interest. As the name of this track suggests, frustration with my situation is the theme of this piece. As I draw closer to the end of term I am learning to make the best of a bad situation, creating these sketches has been fun and I will continue to do so. Using my phone as the recording device has also been a pleasant surprise, talking and clicking become part of the track, not only capturing the piece but the moment surrounding it too.

Not all the recordings made for this project have been successful. Mixing is often my weak point and this piece showcases that the best. I frequently forget that a mix will have different qualities when coming from different sources. Although this piece sounded great in the headphones, it did not translate well when coming from the built in speakers on the university Macs. Overall the track sounds muddy and a lot of the details are lost. The lowers frequencies can barely be heard, but they are still competing for space in the mix which I think is causing an effect that sounds similar to a filter.

This piece was my introduction to using the Ableton synthesiser Drift. I quickly got used to its simple design and stripped back UI. I enjoyed adding LFOs to most of the parameters leading to a dreamy meandering soundscape. I even added LFOs to the LFOs to create even more movement for each element. Making this track was also my first time using virtual audio driver blackhole to send information between Logic and Ableton. This made controlling a patch I had created in Logics synth Alchemy easy to perform on Ableton’s session view along with the other patches I had made in Drift as I recorded the piece.