Help me catch up on what I missed!

jwmmakerofmusic

Hey all,

Been roughly 2-3 weeks since I've been totally active on here. I once again fell into a musically creative rut after creating the "Beyond the Edge of the Universe" piece of Ambient. I did create an EDM remix, although I can't share that just yet since I don't know what the original artist plans to do with it, but that's about it.

However, upon getting stuck in the rut, I fell away from visiting here as often. So my main question is, what pieces are there in the Creations section (especially Ambient ones) that I missed? Link me below so I can listen and comment.

Also, have there been any significant new AUv3 plugins released recently? Yes, I have a little bit of GAS given I'm looking for something to respark my imagination.

Montreal_Music

You should buy Nambu.

rottencat

I’ve posted a few tunes. I like this one best.

rottencat

…and, yes, Nambu.

Svetlovska

Did you get TB Flowtones? Very big rich analog-y sounds: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/tb-flowtones/id1576472437., used it here:

Made a piece using the actual frickin’ sound of a black hole (!) that you might like:

And a vid using only a tiny lunchbox modular in completely hands-off self generative mode, all effects and everything all in the rack, just a straight ‘performance’ recording:

Er… that’s it! Good to see you back

jwmmakerofmusic

@Montreal_Music @rottencat I do have Nambu. I've yet to do a deep dive into it, but soon I will.

@rottencat Honestly that is such a beautiful serene calming piece of Ambient. I honestly love how deep and mellow your Ambient is. If only I could harness that into my own Ambient pieces which usually end up a bit more chaotic and brighter in timbre.

@Svetlovska Holy shit! "After the Angels Came" is a brilliant masterpiece! Flowtones sounds a lot like that Bladerunner synth everybody's coveting, although not quite 100%. I have Flowtones but also need to deep dive into it, especially after listening to your Angels piece. "Supermassive" is also incredible with what you did there! I remember that thread about Nasa's black hole recording, and you did an amazing job with it!

"Neither to touch the Earth nor see the Sun" is brilliant dark Ambient as well. I envy those who know how to use modular systems in a self generative mode, lol. I don't know how people do it, and I probably never will fully grasp it despite having MiRack where I could build my own lunchbox modular system. I also love the hypnotic video you paired with the piece. Lumafusion? Or...?

Anyways, thanks for the welcome back mate.

Telefunky

... Flowtones sounds a lot like that Bladerunner synth everybody's coveting, although not quite 100%...

Of course not. Bladerunner is 80% Lexicon 224 and 20% of some Yamaha synth.

Svetlovska

@Telefunky The Yamaha synth concerned in Bladerunner is the CS80. That is indeed, some Yamaha synth… as Vangelis said: “the most important synthesizer in my career — and for me the best analogue synthesizer design there has ever been …”

@jwmmakerofmusic : You are too kind, thank you I’d like to pretend that I carefully planned out the generative lunchbox noodle but the truth is I got there like I get to all my stuff - just mashing about until something starts sounding good. Then leaving it alone in case I break it!

No, not LumaFusion, just a quick n dirty hash through Glitch Studio, then top n tailed in iMovie. I’m trying to find the fastest way to make somewhat interesting visuals to accompany pieces which don’t fit with my SoundCloud page, where I now have to delete something old each time I post something new, and so justify putting them on YouTube instead.

So far, Glitch Studio is the fastest route to that I’ve found, and very flexible. If I’m doing something more considered and ‘narrative’, CapCut is now my go-to. So much easier to get my head round than LumaFusion, which I find a bit too ‘pro’ for my tastes…

Telefunky

@Svetlovska said:
@Telefunky The Yamaha synth concerned in Bladerunner is the CS80. That is indeed, some Yamaha synth… as Vangelis said: “the most important synthesizer in my career — and for me the best analogue synthesizer design there has ever been …”

The „some“ was in fact a bit sarcastic because the reverb was so much more important for this sound.
The Lexicon 224 has a kind of bite while keeping an extremely lush decay and can change a synth sound completely... likely lifting the Flowtone (or similar) up these final 10%.
Which is no contradiction to Vangelis‘ statement. The CS80 is a great synth without question.
Just in this movie it was rather best supportive actor, than main character.

Anyway, there‘s an affordable (?) device inspired by the L224 (it‘s not an emulation).

Section 4 (12.00) quotes Vangelis on a Digitone, the final sections give a good impression of the CXM1978’s versatility and influence on sound.
Maybe @jwmmakerofmusic gets some inspiration - warning: watch at own risk, I take no responsibility for gas attacks of any kind

Svetlovska

That’s a hell of a pedal. (With a hell of a price tag to match.) Reminds me of the afternoon in my old music gear mag office in the 80s. All three of us editorial staff, each took delivery of our own trade-price purchased units of the first affordable digital reverb released by Alesis, the Midiverb:

https://www.pro-tools-expert.com/production-expert-1/the-reverb-unit-that-shocked-the-80s-wasnt-a-lexicon-or-an-ams

We spent the afternoon with a mike, a guitar and, I think, a little Casio CZ synth, just absolutely freaking at the awesome epic lushness of it all. Ignited a love of mahoosive reverb in me which led inevitably to my current Dark Ambient cavern, 35 years later…

Telefunky

Cool... I can imagine that scenery. The tiny unit would certainly spark some creative moments with today‘s high powered mobile gear.
It‘s limited (no tweaks, quick decision) and gritty (adding color).

I still have a CZ1000 (identical to the CZ101 you probably used) and recently added this virtual counterpart as a controller
https://www.olilarkin.co.uk/index.php?p=virtualcz
Works like KQ Dixie for the DX7, except that AU/VST output is often very different from the original, while Dixie is only nuances off a real DX-7.
Screen operation is way more convenient than button pressing on the CZ, and it results in stunning presets that only today reveal the true potential of the synth engine.
(prices have increased in recent years, but there are still budget units... the synth is fully operable via Midi, so dead buttons don‘t matter)

Similar to the tiny Alesis reverb it simply extends the sound „spectrum“ of IOS devices, the details are almost impossible to emulate because there are no algorithms for the flaws of ancient digital technology.
In the 80s people would have paid a fortune for Apple‘s standard AU reverb (crystal clear, very transparent). But while technically brilliant, it‘s range in sound design is quite limited.

BTT (or rather to the thread‘s context): imh ears there‘s a lot of repetition in recent releases, not restricted to IOS.
Seems like everyone is focused on mathematically accurate implementations, that result (no surprise) in accurate sound production. There may be different screen approaches for parameter control, but output is (essentially) identical.