Modulate This! - Electronic & Experimental Music Tech, Technique, & People

Watch Depeche Mode - In-Studio Collage 2012

Here is a cool behind-the-scenes video – “Depeche Mode - In-Studio Collage 2012”.

Photos and Video From the Pacific Northwest Spring 2013 Synthfest

I finally got around to gathering and posting photos from my trip to Seattle. There are videos popping on YouTube of my performance as well. I also wanted to give a shout out Lunchbox Audio who were kind enough to loan me a Theremin for the show!!! Definitely checkout their store and web site.

PHOTOS
First up, here is a flickr photo set of photos of the event and of my performance.

VIDEOS

I debuted my new 2013 rig and show based on interactive Resolume visuals with live camera input  at this event so it was great to see these videos from others on YouTube.

“Dormant”

Here is a video of my song "Dormant" which will be on my upcoming album. This video was shot by Matrixsynth who has been kind enough to do multiple posts on my work. It’s played mostly on Maschine (which replaced Launchpad in my 2013 rig) and on keys (Remote SL 25 MKII).  Only the drums are sequenced. Everything else is performed live.

 

“Stealth”

Here is video for my song "Stealth" from my album REBOOT. This is a very cool edit from Brad Marvin. He captured the show with two cameras - one camera on me, the other on my new projected visuals which include my human-alien hybrid alter-ego projection. At the 1:10 mark, he superimposed the hybrid so it appears right next to me!!!

Synthfest Was Great and Worth Checking Out

This was my first time at this event in person and there were probably 150 people between the performance room, jam room, vendor area, and petting zoo. It was a really fun event with some very interesting artists, presenters, and manufacturers. They have a few of these a year and I recommend you checkout the event if you get the chance. Watch the http://www.mostlymodular.com/ site and their Facebook page for future events.

------

Mark Mosher
Synthesist, Composer, Performer
www.markmoshermusic.com

What Will U-He Announce at Musikmesse 2013?

I just saw this on KVR - www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=377987.

- we'll showcase Bazille 1.0 (to be released in June/July)
- we'll showcase Satin (tape machine emulation, due in May)
- we might showcase Presswerk, a massive compressor (ui pending)
- we'll have a Digital oscillator module for Diva
- we'll have a new "Uhbie" filter module for Diva and ZebraHZ
- we'll have a sequencer/arpeggiator combo for Diva (all coming in June)
- we'll have Caffè corretto to pick you up
And also, wish us luck for Diva's second nomination for the MIPA award. It took Zebra twice to get it, so we're in good spirits.
More screenshots will be posted as they come...

- Urs

Mark Mosher
Synthesist, Composer, Performer
www.markmoshermusic.com

Great Pairing FabFilter Plugs + AudioCube

I’m arriving late to the FabFilter party, but I did bring an AudioCube. It’s super easy to map AudioCubes to FabFilter plug parameters. Just hit the plus sign, add a “New MIDI Source” for each cube face you want to be a modulation source. Set the source to “Controller” and match the MIDI CC setting the face is programmed to in MIDI Bridge. Then map the controller to a destination – like Filter Freq. Image below illustrates this Timeless 2.

Mark Mosher
Synthesist, Composer, Performer

www.markmoshermusic.com

Watch Depeche Mode’s New “Soothe My Soul” Video

http://vevo.ly/ZZrbKw

Watch: Waldorf Rocket Synthesizer Test

Musotalk just posted a new video  "Waldorf Rocket Synthesizer Test". It's in German but even  non-German speakers will get a sense for the Rocket from this video.

View Mindmap of What's New in Ableton Live 9

Every month I host the Boulder Synthesizer Meetup which is the 2nd Tuesday of every month. This month I delivered a “What’s New in Live 9” talk along with Darwin Grosse from Cycling ‘74. To prep for the meetup, I dug through the Ableton web site and Live 9 manual and then documented the new features into a Mindmap. The map also includes a list of all the Max for Live "essentials" devices.

Having all this on one page was quite handy so I posted an interactive slideshow version for you here and also embedded the map below.

Create your own mind maps at MindMeister.

Mark Mosher
Boulder, CO
 www.MarkMosherMusic.com <-- Support my art and research through album buys and donations

Listen to "Falling" Sound Design Experiment with Live 9 + Max for Live Convolution Reverb Pro Using IR Made with Pitch-to-MIDI Absynth Patch

I was experimenting with Live 9’s new pitch-to-MIDI and Max for Live Convolution Reverb Pro a few days back and come up with this idea.

 

 

Here is the process I followed.

1. I started with a vocal sample by the wonderful artist Snowflake (CC-BY-NC faccmixter.org/files/snowflake/37827). BTW I remixed one of her tracks last year – click here to give it a listen.
2. Use “Convert Melody to New MIDI Track” to convert her Melody to MIDI. This creates a new MIDI track with an Ableton instrument.
3. Swap the Ableton instrument on the MIDI track with Absynth 5.  You could of course stick with Ableton instruments here. I used a dissonant bell preset with major reverb decay.
4. Create an audio clip from the Absynth patch. You could resample it or  freeze the track,  insert a new audio track and drag the frozen clip to the new audio track to create an audioclip.
5. Insert the Max for Live Convolution Reverb Pro on the original vocal track.
6. Apply the Absynth sample as the Impulse Response file for the Convolution Reverb by dragging the audio clip from step #4 and dropping it I on the waveform display of the Max for Live device.
7. Play the original sample through the Convolution Reverb

What’s great about this process is since the Impulse Response was derived from pitch-to-MIDI of the original sample, the resultant reverb follows the phrasing of the original vocal track – but of course is also slewed and torqued in an organic way by using the Absynth patch with more sustain and bigger reverb and space. I also love how this creates new harmonics.

I also want to point out that while each of these discrete processes are available in separate tools already, having this all integrated in Live 9 with Max for Live makes for a rapid and creative sound design workflow. It’s taken me way longer to explain it her than id did to think this up and execute the idea (which only took about 5 minutes).

It’s also worth mentioning you don’t need to be a programmer to use Max for Live as an artist. Just drag in the devices that come with Max for Live essentials and use them like any native live device.

Links:

• More articles on Live 9
• More articles on Max for Live

Mark Mosher
Synthesist, Composer, Performer
Boulder, CO
Artist Site & Album Downloads: www.markmoshermusic.com

Watch Max For Live Mono Sequencer Primer Videos

Via http://cycling74.com/.

Matthew Davidson, the developer of the new Mono Sequencer device, gives us a quickstart primer on using this creative MIDI effect. Watch for new videos over the coming weeks!

Live 9 Mono Sequencer - Episode 1

Live 9 Mono Sequencer - Episode 2

Mark Mosher
Composer, Performer Synthesist
Boulder, CO

Watch 45 Minute Depeche Mode Set from Live on Letterman Webcast

Depeche Mode performed a 45 minute set on Live on Letterman webcast series to promote their upcoming album Delta Machine. Here is a video of the entire performance. More on the tour and album here http://www.depechemode.com/ 

Watch full concert performance.

Here is the set list via Consequence of Sound.

1. Intro
2. Angel
3. Should Be Higher
4. Walking In My Shoes
5. Barrel Of A Gun
6. Heaven
7. *Personal Jesus
8. Soft Touch/Raw Nerve
9. Soothe My Soul
10. Enjoy The Silence

Later that evening they performed on Late Night with David Letterman.

Oliver Chesler from Wire to the Ear was at the show. Checkout his post here.

Mark Mosher
Composer, Performer Synthesist
Boulder, CO