Verbos HO -compiled-

Verbos Harmonic Oscillator

the 2014 studio diary is a project where i will be exploring sounds in my studio on a day-to-day basis (or whenever i'm not too busy to play.) typically i'll be making loops, phrases, sounds... experimenting with different equipment and techniques. no rules, no big goals, just exercising my creativity and hopefully learning a lot along the way.

i originally intended this to be a modular synthesis sound-a-day project, as i have fully  jumped back into eurorack after 10 years away from it, but the creation of a nice loop with some non-modular gear as i was setting up my new studio lead to the start of the project. i will always choose serendipity over most planned courses of action.

please check back to this diary on a regular basis. i will do my best to explain the sounds when i can and if you have any questions please leave them in the comments section.

may your 2014 be creative, productive, and peaceful.

2014 Studio Diary

friskt humör

walks

Modular Sonic Love

taylor

Martyn + Four Tet - Glassbeadgames (8 Hours at Fabric Dub)

something simple tonight… 

sine waves ….. from the verbos harmonic oscillator

with individual control inputs for 8 harmonic sine waves.. not to mention individual outputs and various spread and tilt controls..

this is just the tip of the iceberg. a very simple demonstration of some of the evolving patterns that can be created.

the verbos is being modulated by 5 LFOs.


May 08, 2014 (verbos harmonic oscillator)

harmonic sheets…. (i feel this could be explored more, honed more.. this is quite rough. but, hey, this whole sound diary is supposed to be rough)

sound sources:
mutable instruments braids
verbos harmonic oscillator
modified serge resonant eq / feedback

processing:
univox tape echo



May 13, 2014 (harmonic sheets)

Inspired by Naviar Haiku 19 in The Naviar Haiku Laboratory https://soundcloud.com/groups/naviar-laboratory

The lotus bloomed
Before the summer breath
And now I wake up

You can hear 'Lotus Organic' on the Naviar Haiku Series 005 album from Naviar Records https://naviarrecords.bandcamp.com/album/naviar-haiku-series-005


Lotus Organic [Naviarhaiku 019 - The lotus bloomed]

I was not looking for trouble
But I got caught by a siren song
You keep me busy with your puzzles

I know I should keep off your heart
But I don't fancy normal love
You can hold me responsible
Cause I'm the one that follows you around

Så kan det gå

After its initial release 13 years ago, 12k is very happy to welcome Dan Abrams' (Shuttle358) engaging Stream album to the catalog as a download-only re-release.

"‘Stream’ is darker and more sparse than Abrams other work, and lacks the deep melodic hit of works such as ‘Frame’ and followup ‘Understanding Wildlife’. However, what we lack in melodic sweetness, we gain in bottom end and this album has a bass growl to it unseen in the rest of his catalogue." - Boomkat

Obviously, Abrams is trying a new path here that is a slightly unlike the material from his Shuttle358 alias. Stream is, inevitably, a more loop based project with less change and movement in the tracks but still remains an engaging listen over its length. - Stylus

(Original Press Release, Mille Plateaux, 2001)

Dan Abrams is a student of packaging at Los Angeles's Art Centre College Of Design, a fact that is reflected in the elegant simplicity and organization of his music. Also known as the critically acclaimed artist Shuttle 358 on the NY based label 12k, Dan Abrams has created quite a stir in the US minimal electronic scene due to his extraordinary releases on the 12k label. With his Mille Plateaux debut Stream, Abrams makes further developments uncovering dance music's archetype; be it techno, trance, drum 'n' bass or downtempo - and shows them in their most sublime state.

Stream

The Theory

BUY THE ALBUM NOW

After its release 12 years ago, 12k is very happy to welcome Shuttle358's beautiful Understanding Wildlife album to the catalog as a download-only re-release.

"What really makes Dan Abrams special is the sounds he uses and his approach which separates him from the school of clinical reduction and makes him reflect true human emotion in his music. An excellent follow up to 'Frame'. Gorgeous." - Boomkat

"Abrams uses a particular formula because it suits him and allows him to focus on other, more important things--namely, creating emotionally resonant music out of the residue of electronic noise." - Haunted Ink

(Original Press Release, Mille Plateaux, 2002)

Dan Abrams, aka Shuttle358, has made an unforgettable mark on the American electronic music community. His highly revered releases on the legendary label 12k and his release as Dan Abrams on Mille Plateaux (EFA 08099), have established Shuttle358 as a premier standout due to his wonderful ability to create fluent, natural sounding music in a category where clinical approaches to making music has dominated much of the clicks & cuts / minimalist aesthetic out there. Earning critical acclaim and a fanbase that has not forgiven him for taking almost 2 years to release this album, Mille Plateaux is proud to give this anticipated third installment in the Shuttle358 cycle the exposure that it deserves.

Truly magnificent in all means, Shuttle358 expresses his personal experiences and musical ideals about objects and forms that have carried through his whole life. Understanding Wildlife finds deeper meaning and attempts to contemplate the alienating way many perceive the world and act to it as strangers. The sounds of harps, bells, strings and synths give the listener the ability to relate more to the natural affirmation that strikes through Understanding Wildlife. Shuttle358’s makes melodies move and twist amongst unpretentious beats, relaxing and moving the listener in its emotional swell. Captivating.

Understanding Wildlife

I'm Not Afraid

BUY ALBUM NOW

really a simple structure here. the verbos harmonic oscillator being modulated by 5 LFOs and the phonogene capturing and looping a portion of it. the interplay between the phonogene loop and the harmonic loops created by the LFOs is nice.

this is how, to me, the verbos oscillator shines.

sound sources:
verbos harmonic oscillator
make noise phonogene

modulators:
vulcan modulator
zone b.f.

filter:
intellijel korgasmatron

June 16, 2014 (loop lullaby)

continuing the idea of leaving the synth patched overnight and using it again the same way the next time…. this sound is set up the same way as the previous.. just with different settings, different LFOs, etc.

i think i'm approaching what looks like a really effective little live rig…

this is the verbos harmonic oscillator again controlled by 5 LFOs.. some filtering and the phonogene.

June 17, 2014 (like yesterday, but different / verbos harmonic oscillator)

something about this, to me, sounds like a small boat adrift on a dark sea.

eurorack modular + eventide h7600

June 19, 2014 (lost at sea)

Download: http://www.xlr8r.com/mp3/2014/06/firth-manni-dee-remix

Download

Microburst - Firth (Manni Dee Remix)

Download: http://www.xlr8r.com/mp3/2014/06/skulls-mike-simonetti-remix

Silver Hands - Skulls (Mike Simonetti Remix)

a sketch for music box and eurorack modular.

July 23, 2014 (a scarcity of objects)

when i came into the studio this morning i turned on the modular and patched this patch without the monitors on, without hearing it. i got it patched up then turned on the monitors and was pleasantly surprised by what came out. i had to retune the oscillators but everything else was patched blindly (or, deafly?)

i had the simple idea to control 4 oscillator levels, via the intellijel linix, by the vulcan modulator LFO spitting out strange wave shapes via the combined outputs. the LFOs don't repeat at the same times so there's a constant shifting of when each tone comes in and out.

a simple patch, but effective i think. 

July 24, 2014 (four oscillators)

i wanted to make a patch where the make noise rene sequencer just slowly played through various notes.. a slow wander... with something like a bell or an electric piano...

this is pretty simple.. the rene plays a synth tech e350... the phonogene captured a bit of a loop that plays in the background and the whole thing runs through a 12 second delay on an eventide h7600.

this isn't exactly as i envisioned (is it ever?) but it's close and i'll certainly keeping working in this theme to see if i can capture what's in my mind.

July 25, 2014 (a slow wander)

today i received a new oscillator for my modular... the (quite amazing) intellijel shapeshifter. i'm a sucker for wavetable oscillators and the shapeshifter, even though i've only given it under an hour of play, seems incredibly beautiful and deep.

the sound here is only two modules.. the shapeshifter and a make noise erbe verb.

the reverb shape CV out of the erbe verb is modulating the shapeshifter's SHAPE parameter while the shapeshifter drones in chord mode.

you basically get a modulation that's in time with the reverb and as the sound of the oscillator changes, and pushes itself into the reverb, the reverb responds as reverbs do and in turn alters the sound of the oscillator via the Shape parameter... so there's a bit of a cyclic/feedback modulation here which is really nice.

this is just one of my first sounds with the shapeshifter... just an experiment, really... nothing more.

July 28, 2014 (shapeshifter 001)

sound sources:
xylophone
intellijel shapeshifter

processors:
make noise phonogene
sound machines UL1
intellijel korgasmatron
make noise erbe verb
serge resonant eq
eowave zone b.f.
c3 knob recorder

July 31, 2014 (a morning rain)

i set out to do something simple tonight and it worked well and quickly. a moskwa sequencer triggering a circuit abbey adsr which controls the main level of an intellijel linix vca.

the primary sound source is the verbos harmonic oscillator whose various sine waves are being controlled by 5 LFOs from an intellijel dr. octature ii. there's an oscillator layer, too, the more shimmering high sound, from an intellijel shapeshifter.

the pitches being sent from the moskwa sequencer are being quantized by an intellijel uScale and the whole mix is going through a synthrotek eko module and finally a reverb on an eventide h3000.

with the right notes and a bit more tweaking on the sound this could be a pretty good foundation.

Sept 08, 2014 (harmonic sheets)

Modular Synths
(principally Verbos Harmonic Oscillators)
Edit: Logic
2014

Dhrupad: para Éliane Radigue

looping xylophone and the voice of ichiko aoba from recordings we did together in japan.

sound sources:
xylophone
voice (courtesy of ichiko aoba)

processors:
qu-bit nebulae
mungo g0
make noise phonogene
modcan cv record
intellijel korgasmatron
intellijel dr. octature
pittsburgh filter
serge resonant eq
intellijel springray
make noise erbe verb

modulators:
flame c3
eowave zone b.f.
mutbale frames

december 18, 2014 (of xylophone and voice)

this is a very rough, first experiment with a process i've been meaning to try for a possible follow up and "sequel" album.... using the same concepts i used a long time ago, executed in a very different way.

this a rough tracking with little or no care taken to the mix. i am, however, encouraged...

december 19, 2014 (sti.ll experiment)

slow music... loops and modulations. don't listen to while driving.

sound sources:
xylophone recorded onto a cassette walkman looped by a make noise phonogene.
verbos harmonic oscillator
piano loop on qu-bit nebulae

modulation by a livewire vulcan modulator

reverb by tc m2000 and make noise erbe verb

december 23, 2014 (slow music)

recorded in florida over christmas. a recordable cassette walkman resting inside a cheap upright piano.

i tried to make long, 20-30 minute passages but the recorder kept failing.

december 25, 2014 (tape piano)

as dirty as the christmas tape piano....

testing out the synthrotek dirt filter (kindly gifted to me from marcus fischer for christmas) on a loop playing from the qubit nebulae.

resampled by the phonogene, filtered by an MMG and intellijel korgasmatron. various modulations, various signals, various hopes and dreams ground into the dirt.


december 30, 2014 (dirt loop)

this is the amazing batumi LFO from xaoc devices controlling 4 sine waves on a verbos harmonic oscillator. in addition to the LFOs patched into the verbos sine VCAs there is one controlling the center parameter and three cross-patched signals of the Batumi modulating itself.

it's recorded through a pitch shifting program on an eventide h7600 for further harmonic niceness.



october 20, 2015 (batumi meets the harmonic oscillator)

Reset Head

Track 4 off my upcoming solo project "Volume 1". Hope you enjoy and please comment!

Programs: ACID/Cakewalk

Samples: Dragonball Z

Promo Materials {Dragon Ball Z Sample}

How To Dress Well - Cold Nites (Koreless Remix)

www.soundcloud.com/howtodresswell



How To Dress Well - Cold Nites (Koreless Remix)

A generative patch using Verbos Harmonic Oscillator & Morphagene.

Eurorack Study 5.1.2019 Verbos H.O.

7 channels of Pams triggering the individual harmonics of the Verbos HO.  8th channel of Pam's is driving the tempo of the delay and also clocking the Sample and Hold that's being fed into a quantizer that's driving the sequence.

Hearts and Middle Fingers

Euclidean Harmonics

Ilya Beshevli - Night Forest (Live old Piano)

With over 100 physical releases since its inception by Taylor Deupree in 1997, New York-based music label 12k has decisively defined and developed the concept of minimalism in the realms of electronic music for more than a decade. Fusing elements from Ambient and Electro-Acoustic Composition with carefully arranged digital textures and associative micro-noises, the label's aesthetics revolve around a precisely-outlined, yet deeply emotional concoction of the technological and the organic. Eschewing the typical marketing mechanisms of the commercial music industry, Deupree has sculpted a platform whose influence today extends well beyond the confinements of the experimental community. 12k's integral approach, in which the label's instantly recognizable, elegantly spartan artwork enters into an inseparable symbiosis with the music, has created a timeless audiovisual language respected and appreciated all over the world.