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

Torley Rocks the OMG-1

Watch this awesome embedded video of Torley rocking the OMG-1.

Mark Mosher
Electronic Musician, Boulder CO
www.ModulateThis.com
www.MarkMosherMusic.com

Chernobyl Diaries Soundtrack by Diego Stocco

Just a quick heads up to let you know that the new horror film Chernobyl Diaries was scored by the epic Diego Stocco. While you may no Diego from his sound design work with Omnisphere (Burning Piano…) this is his debut as a film composer.

He is sharing fun photos related to the film on his Facebook page like the one below is a photo of Diego with director Brad Parker.

Update: Diego just tweeted me that he update some behind-the-scenes info and audio clips on the project here http://www.behance.net/gallery/Chernobyl-Diaries-OST-Instruments-and-Techniques/4037881.

I’ll be checking this film out over the weekend for sure. Learn more about Diego by visiting his official web site http://diegostocco.com/.

Mark Mosher
Electronic Musician, Boulder CO
www.ModulateThis.com
www.MarkMosherMusic.com

Photos of My Recent Tour of Moog Music Factory While at Mountain-Skies Electro-Music Festival #celebratebob

A few weeks back I was in Asheville, NC to do a play and attend the Mountain-Skies festival. On Friday morning  May 11th, the participants of the festival were invited to tour the Moog Music factory. I thought I’d share I’d share my photos to help celebrate what would have been Bob Moog’s 78th birthday. A big thanks to Greg and Hong Waltzer for setting up this tour.

Of course this is something I’d always dreamed of doing so I'm wearing my "kid in a candy store" grin as I entered the showroom. The showroom is filled with Moog products that you can try hands-on.

We also got to go behind-the-scenes into the factory. Below is a photo of Moog Voyagers being burned in.

Note that ALL Moog products that ship world-wide are made in this one factory and are hand-assembled. So running at full production that means about 4 voyagers a day. Of course they run at much higher rates of production with smaller less complex products.

The tour then takes you through shipping and the loading dock through to the Moog Studios where they film all those groovy promo videos.

The whole touru took about 45 minutes and I took quite a few photos of the whole experience which you can view the set on flckr or via the embedded player below. See photo titles for a description for each picture (“Show Info” when running the player full screen). Enjoy! Oh and, don’t forget, you can help keep Bob Moog’s legacy alive by contributing to the http://www.moogfoundation.org/.

Mark Mosher
Electronic Musician, Boulder CO
www.ModulateThis.com
www.MarkMosherMusic.com

Moog Chief Engineer Shows How to Use Google Doodle #celebratebob

In celebration of Bob Moog’s birthday, Google has released a Moog Synth doodle. Moog just released a video of Moog’s Chief Engineer Cyril Lance discussing a bit of history and the doodle.

In celebration of Bob Moog's Birthday Google created a web based synthesizer for the world to enjoy. Moog's Chief engineer, Cyril Lance, overviews the doodle' s capabilities to help you get started crafting sounds. Now everyone can explore the wonders of subtractive synthesis and express their creativity by sculpting sounds. Remember, experimentation and learning will reward you with a lifetime of rich synthesizer experiences.

 View embedded video.

Don’t forget, you can help keep Bob Moog’s legacy alive by contributing to the http://www.moogfoundation.org/.

Mark Mosher
Electronic Musician, Boulder CO
www.ModulateThis.com
www.MarkMosherMusic.com

Video Highlights from Mountain Skies Electro-Music Festival 2012 in Asheville by Hong Waltzer

Last weekend I had the honor of participating at the Mountain Skies Electro-Music Festival 2012 in Asheville, NC. It was my first time in Asheville and the first time for this particular event. Greg and Hong Waltzer and the rest of the Mountain Skies crew curated a wonderful lineup of artists who turned in some incredible performances. Hong shot and edited these video highlights (and shot the photo above) which give you a good sense of the diversity of acts and what it was like to be there.

I also want to give a shout out to Michael O’Bannon who was created visuals for my performance.

Watch part 1  of embedded video in HD.

1. Paul Harriman eigenharp ephemera
2. Klimchak electro-acoustic multi-instrumentalist
3. mindSpiral twisted matter
4. Mahoney and Peck progressive dark ambient
5. dRachEmUsiK glitch-groove ambient beats
6. Aligning Minds dubby soundscapes
7. Moog Guitar Inventor Paul Vo
8. Elizabeth Langa aka Auracene

Watch part 2 of embedded videon in HD.

• Kevin Spears kalimba and electronics
• Waveformation organic electronic (Linda Go, Greg Walzter, Chris Stack, Geary Yelton)
• Mark Moshery playing “Dark Signals” on keys, Theremin, and Tenori-ON
• Machine Eat Man Egyptronica
• Kevin Kissinger theremin
• Gerber and Vnuk tribal ambient
• Loop B Brazilian junk percussion

I took a lot of photos of the event including photos of the Moog factory tour and will include them in an upcoming post.

Mark Mosher
Electronic Musician, Boulder CO
www.ModulateThis.com
www.MarkMosherMusic.com

Music Monday: New Album by Fluorescent Echo - Glow (With Detailed Notes on My Remix of "Now is Now")

In the late 80’s and earl 90’s while I was playing in the Head Full of Zombies in Colorado Springs, Fluorescent Echo was rocking the Boulder scene with synth pop. I never bumped into them back then but I did end up meeting Fluorescent Echo’s songwriter, programmer, producer and backup vocalist Heather Valey out on twitter. Now a sound designer in Austin TX, she and Denver-based members J. Forest Kelly (vox) , and Michael Smith (guitar) have reformed to release a brand new album called Glow.

There a 5 original synth driven songs followed by a cover of “Warm Leatherette” . The rest of the album is made up of 5 remixes of the original tracks. I was honored to have been included and remixed the song “Now is Now”. Listen to the original here, and my remix here.

You can buy the album here as a digital download (MP3, FLAC, AAC…) which includes lineR notes and scans of a lyrics notebook which is super cool. That same site has link if you’d also like a phyiscal CD.

Remix notes on “Now is Now”

I worked on the remix over a three week period in January. My notes are below:

Live Rweeting Mountain Skies Festival in Asheville, NN

FYi - I've been tweeting out from Mountain Skies here http://twitter.com/markmosher Lots of pics. More tonight and tomorrow.

Countdown to Mountain-Skies Festival in Asheville, NC May 11-12th

Next week I’m week flying out from Boulder to do a workshop and performance at the Mountain-Skies festival in Asheville, NC. Come by and say hi if you live in the area.

While I’m there I’ll be touring Moog Music. I’ll take lots of pictures :^)

Watch my twitter and facebook page for updates as I go.

Mark Mosher
Electronic Musician, Boulder CO
www.ModulateThis.com
www.MarkMosherMusic.com

May Events at University of Denver's Program for Digital Practices

There are some cool events going down at DU in the next few days.

Join the University of Denver's program in Emergent Digital Practices for special events with international Marsico Visiting Artists, Francisco Lopez (Spain/Netherlands) and Paul Prudence (UK).

PLEASE NOTE THAT FRANCISCO LOPEZ'S SOLO PERFORMANCE HAS MOVED TO THE PLANETARIUM!

Wednesday, May 2, at 7pm*

The HyperCube, Shwayder Art Building

Francisco Lopez & Paul Prudence, “Hydro-Acoustic Study”

Plus a special screening

Thursday, May 3, at 6pm

The HyperCube, Shwayder Art Building

Francisco Lopez & Paul Prudence, artist talks

Friday, May 4, at 7pm*

Gates Planetarium, Denver Museum of Nature & Science

2001 Colorado Blvd

Paul Prudence, “Rynth”

Francisco Lopez, solo performance

WORKSHOPS

Thursday, May 3, noon

The HyperCube, Shwayder Art Building

Paul Prudence, visualization workshop

Friday, May 4, noon

The C-Cubed Studios, Shwayder Art Building Francisco Lopez, listening workshop

* All events are free and open to the public. Seating is limited for the performances. Attendees should send an RSVP to dms@du.edu to reserve up to 2 seats. Please indicate which event(s) you plan to attend.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

http://www.franciscolopez.net/

Francisco López is internationally recognized as one of the major figures of the sound art and experimental music scene. Over the past 30 years he has developed an astonishing sonic universe, absolutely personal and iconoclastic, based on a profound listening of the world. Destroying boundaries between industrial sounds and wilderness sound environments, shifting with passion from the limits of perception to the most dreadful abyss of sonic power, proposing a blind, profound and transcendental listening, freed from the imperatives of knowledge and open to sensory and spiritual expansion.

He has realized hundreds of concerts, projects with field recordings, workshops and sound installations in over 60 countries of the five continents. His extensive catalog of sound pieces (with live and studio collaborations with over 150 international artists) has been released by more than 250 record labels worldwide. He has been awarded three times with honorary mentions at the competition of Ars Electronica Festival and is the recipient of the Qwartz Award 2010 for best sound anthology. [Pedro Higueras, Sonom Studios]

http://www.paulprudence.com/

Paul Prudence is an artist and real-time visual performer using generative and computational methods to create audio responsive visual systems. An overview of selected works can be found at Transphormetic - http://transphormetic.com -, as well as information on performances, lectures and exhibitions. He is a researcher in the field of procedural art, computational design & earth processes. He maintains the weblog Dataisnature - http://dataisnature.com - devoted to these subjects.Join the University of Denver's program in Emergent Digital Practices for special events with international Marsico Visiting Artists, Francisco Lopez (Spain/Netherlands) and Paul Prudence (UK).

More here http://www.du.edu/ahss/edp/news.html.

Mark Mosher
Electronic Musician, Boulder CO
www.ModulateThis.com
www.MarkMosherMusic.com

Music Monday: Take to the Trees Arbor Day Music Collaboration

Artist Jack Hertz has pulled together a fantastic collaboration album Take to the Trees for charity. Donate and download here http://sound4good.bandcamp.com/.

In celebration of Arbor Day on April 27th 2012. Sound for Good is giving you a lot of great music for your donation of just $1 USD (or more) to help plant more trees. Download a large collection of wonderful music from various artists with 100% of your donation going to the National Arbor Day foundation to plant trees. Read more about the foundation at www.arborday.org

Sound for Good is a project that was created by Jack Hertz to discover how we can publish and promote great music as means to support good causes. This is an independent project that is not for profit or monetary gain in any way. The artists time and 100% of your donation will are given to support good a cause. Help make this a success so we can all learn how to use art and commerce for good.

credits released 27 April 2012
The amazing cover photo was taken by John Koch-Northrup. View the full hi-res image at the following url:www.flickr.com/photos/johei/4420730269/sizes/o/in/set-72157625072500449/

There is a huge amount of music from great artists on this album including Ian Boddy, Burning Artist, Chromasonic, Crystal Dreams, Todd Fletcher, Groupthink, Jack Hertz, HG Fortune and Inner Dreamer,inside/ outside, Oskar Menzel, Joe McMahon, Mesawzee Eagle, Mirada, Shane Morris, Mystified, redgreenblue, John Sherwood, and Symatic Star.

I’m honored to have contributed the track “And What Do The Trees Hear When the Wind Blows?”.

 

My song is an ambient sonic journey starting with natural sounds which morph into the hidden inner world of trees and back again. The piece starts off with a120 degree stereo field recording of wind blowing through aspen trees and surrounding trees in Louisville, Colorado just outside of Boulder. All harmonic content from my song is derived from the field recording. I’ll do a behind-the-scenes post on this in the future if you’d find it of interest.

Donate and download here http://sound4good.bandcamp.com/.

Mark Mosher
Electronic Musician, Boulder CO
www.ModulateThis.com
www.MarkMosherMusic.com

An Update on Tim Thompson's Space Palette Kinect-Based Instrument Including Video from STEIM

I first met Tim Thompson last Spring when I performed in Sunnyvale. He invited me over for an An “Exclusive First Look at Tim Thompson's Kinect-Based Instrument: MultiMultiTouchTouch”. Since then we’ve kept in touch and he’s made incredible progress on this three-dimensional instrument so I thought I'd do an update post.

Now called Space Palette, it offers more windows of control and expressiveness and also has interactive visuals that react to gestures. Space Palette’s design makes it a fantastic casual instrument allowing for walk-up players. Tim has been spreading electronic musical joy by bringing it to events such as:

• February 2012 Guthman Atlanta: video
• December 2011 Dorkbot SF:  Here's the slides, here's some pictures, and here's some video
• October 2011 Y2K+1 LoopFest in Santa Cruz: video
• October 2011 Decompression in San Francisco: video
• September 2011 Burning Man: video
• More here…

I got to play an updated version of Space Palette when Tim and I were in Atlanta in February. It’s expressive enough to scale beyond casual play and Tim has become quite a virtuoso with it as can be seen in his latest performance at STEIM in Amsterdam below.

Watch embedded video.

I encourage you to visit http://spacepalette.com and http://timthompson.com/ to follow Tim’s progress.

Mark Mosher
Electronic Music Artist, Boulder, CO
Official Web Site: www.MarkMosherMusic.com
Listen/Download Albums: www.MarkMosherMusic.com/music.html
www.ModulateThis.com

New Juno 106 Ableton Pack by AfroDJMac

I just bought the "Juno 106 Ableton Pack” from AfroDJMac  and wanted to turn you on to it.

It contains 22 unique Ableton Instrument racks, each one created with a unique preset from the Juno 106.  I’ve added controls for 8 macros to each instrument, which allows them to be manipulated and twisted into new and ever changing sounds.

Watch embed overview video

More here: http://afrodjmac.com/2012/04/14/roland-juno-106-ableton-live-pack/

Mark Mosher
Electronic Music Artist, Boulder, CO
Official Web Site: www.MarkMosherMusic.com
Listen/Download Albums: www.MarkMosherMusic.com/music.html
www.ModulateThis.com

Rekkerd Releases a Free Sample Pack - Sound Recordings Vol. 2

Ronnie over at the wonderful Rekkerd.org has released a new free sample pack –”Sound Recordings Vol. 2”.

Ever since recording some sounds a few years ago, I’ve been meaning to take the trusty Zoom H2 for another round. I finally took the time to capture another batch of ordinary, and perhaps some less ordinary sounds.

By the way, I have and use the hell out of my trusty Zoom H2.

For Rekkerd Sound Recordings Vol. 2 I found a number of interesting objects to hit, drop, slide, slam, press, etc. After a good amount of editing the pack ended up containing 90 samples. Various noises produced by light switches, fans, drawers, and lots more included.

The samples are in 24-bit/44kHz WAV format. Plenty of background noise is included, and those with a good ear might spot one of my kids in some of the recordings. 100% high quality lo-fi!

So why did I record these sounds? Well, I personally love create rhythms/percussions with unusual sounds so I figure I’m not the only one. Also included in the pack is a number of such loops that I did exclusively using the recorded sound and and a bunch of processing. You can listen to those loops below.

Swing by here to download a zip file with all the sounds http://rekkerd.org/rekkerd-sound-recordings-vol-2-free-sample-pack/. While the download is free, I gave a donation to Ronnie via this page http://rekkerd.org/about/.

Mark Mosher
Electronic Music Artist, Boulder, CO
Official Web Site: www.MarkMosherMusic.com
Listen/Download Albums: www.MarkMosherMusic.com/music.html
www.ModulateThis.com

Announcing a New Modulate This Video Series - "Project: INIT"

Project: INIT is a new video series I’m kicking off today. In the videos I will offer real-time behind-the-patch footage taking you on sound design missions from INIT using a variety of sonic weapons. By simply coming along for the ride you'll learn more about synthesis and how to make unique sounds for your productions.

Exploration and Discovery

A variety of synthesizers will be used focusing mainly on synths that offer interactive visual feedback making it easier for you to connect with the concepts. Don't worry if you don't own the exact synth - watch anyway - as concepts & techniques are most likely transferable to most synths and if nothing else I hope to spark some ideas for you.

So, for up-and-coming synthesists and producers the videos will help you grok the world of synthesis in less time. For seasoned synthesists and producers these videos will serve as inspiration for new ideas and help you learn your way around the featured synths more quickly.

How Does This Relate to Patch Lab?

Patch lab is now a catalog site for my bigger collections of sound sets which offer some very deep patches for your exploration. This series flips that concept over. Follow the vids, take notes, go INIT a synth in your rig, make a killer track with unique sounds, make a million bucks, take me out to dinner :^)

Project: INIT | Mission #01: Vocal Formant Lead |  Sonic Weapon: Tone2 ElectraX

Watch embedded video

 

Mark Mosher
Electronic Music Artist, Boulder, CO
Official Web Site: www.MarkMosherMusic.com
Listen/Download Albums: www.MarkMosherMusic.com/music.html
www.ModulateThis.com

Crowdsourced Mindmap: Synthesizers with Comb Filters

I love comb filters! Buying a Waldorf Blofeld a few years back caused me to start using them even more because it’s interactive display allowed me to visualize the shape of the filter and correlate that with an audio result. Waldorf Largo and Tone2’s ElectraX also offer this feature.

What is a Comb Filter?

I like the definition on p. 49 of the Waldorf Blofeld Manual:

A Comb filter is basically a very short delay that can be controlled in length and feedback. The delay time is so short that you can’t hear its individual taps but a colorization of the original signal created by peaks or holes in the frequency spectrum. The frequency of the colorization is set by the delay length, which is controlled in the Blofeld through Cutoff, while the amount of colorization is set by the Comb filter feedback, which is controlled in the Blofeld by Resonance.

To further illustrate this, I’ve included a screenshot below which has the same filter type in Waldorf Largo, but with VERY different shapes simply  y changing cutoff and resonance.

What Do Comb Filter's Sound Like?

Stay tuned for a future article on this with some video.

Crowdsourced Mindmap of Synths with Comb Filters

 A week or so back I was curious how many synths in my rig had comb filters and started to document them in a mindmap. I decided to take things a step further and crowdsource this on Twitter and Facebook and make an even more comprehensive map. The map is constrained to just synthesizers with comb filters that are in production. It also doesn’t contain FX plug-ins or processors that have combs.

Click here to view an interactive version of this mindmap full screen.

The Crowd

• Matthew Fecher
• Øystein Olsen
• Anthony Distefano
• Howard Scarr
• Garren Grant

Be Combtastic

Now get out there and crank on those comb filters!

Mark Mosher
Electronic Music Artist, Boulder, CO
Official Web Site: www.MarkMosherMusic.com
Listen/Download Albums: www.MarkMosherMusic.com/music.html
www.ModulateThis.com