Rough ideas and sketches of stuff I'm working on

Sketches

LinnStrument

Taking a break from coding the firmware of the LinnStrument, here's a quick recording of a first instrumental sketch on the LinnStrument in its current state of development.

This is using Omnisphere as a sound-source with a tweaked version of the Classic Nylon Strings patch.

Linn S. Was Here (LinnStrument Jam)

This is an instrumental cover of The Choice from The Last Of Us, written by Gustavo Santaolalla. I'm using the row-per-channel configuration so that each row acts as an individual string. The sound is coming from Trilian with an 8-part multitimbral setup (one for each row).

More information about the LinnStrument here: http://www.rogerlinndesign.com

LinnStrument cover : The Choice from The Last Of Us

A late night venture into electro (or someone other e-genre) using the LinnStrument with U-he Bazille's per-note expression and Logic Pro X's Drummer. Everything played in one take without editing and using a single synth patch.

ElectroLinn

LinnStrument with the Model 15 app got me to venture into very different musical territory. This is an initial unfinished sketch, all played live on different tracks and no sequencing.

LinnStrument Model 15 sketch

Video available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQilV-OrDYQ

As a Kickstarter backer I've had the Parva for several months, but there were a few problems with the firmware that prevented me from fully using it. Today, Brad from futuresonus released firmware update v0.51, fixing everything that was important to me.

So here is a demo video with Roger Linn Design LinnStrument. I've set it up so that the x-axis controls per-note pitch and the y-axis per-note filter cutoff, I'm not using the z-axis. The LinnStrument is connected directly to the Parva's USB MIDI host port, which also provides power. The audio is recorded through my Metric Halo ULN-8 audio interface without any sound processing besides normalisation.

The Parva has eight independent analog voices that can be configured in a multi with a dedicated MIDI channel for each voice. Each voice can play a different preset, but I'm using the same preset for all voices here to allow for per-note expression. In this multi, each MIDI channel is also sent to two voices, creating a unison sound, while still having full control over 4 independent notes.

I think it sounds pretty great!

Parva analog poly-synth with LinnStrument

While experimenting with upcoming features of EigenD 2.0, I was testing out the new audio input support and came up with this experiment.

I'm playing my Moog Slim Phatty with the Eigenharp Alpha by routing its audio back into EigenD through my Metric Halo ULN-2 audio interface. This allows me to use Audio Units for real-time performance effects while playing the analogue synth through MIDI at the same time.

The Slim Phatty is full driven with 14-bit MIDI for modulation and volume, modulation being tied to a key's sideways motion, while slight volume changes are tied to pressure. Pitch is, as usual, tied to a key's up and down motion.

The audio units used are Rob Papen's Delay, Distort and the iZotope Ozone limiter. The Eigenharp's breath pipe is tied to the amount of distortion that's applied and the first strip controller is tied to the amount of feedback that is used in the delay. At the same time, the key modulation also changes the filter frequency for the distortion effect.

The sample rate of EigenD an my audio interface is set to 96kHz with only 96 samples as a buffer size. This really captures the nuances of the analogue audio as well as reduces the latency so much that every interaction with the effects feels instant.

Eigenharp Alpha with Slim Phatty experiment

I was feeling quite a bit emotional and stressed tonight and needed something that really relaxed me, so I started playing with my custom Eigenharp Alpha Hang Drum setup. Since I got some requests to record a video with it, I just recorded the session and I came up with these themes. I'm not a great percussionist by any means, so this is just what it is, hope you like it.

This is solely using the sampled Mk1 and Mk2 Hang Drums from SonicCouture's Pan Drums product.

Instead of playing them as regular instruments on the Eigenharp, I arranged the two different sampled Hang Drums on the playing surface of the Eigenharp Alpha so that one is on top and the other at the bottom. The notes of the Hang Drums are structured in colored 'zones' of five keys which correspond to the different articulations for the same note. This means that I can just hit the area without thinking about musical notes and get into a percussion mindset. The arrangement is very similar to what would happen if you cut a real Hang Drum in two and bend each half until it's straight, with the Ding and Gu stuck at the top end.

It works very well and feels extremely nice with the super sensitive keys of the Eigenharp. The colored lights are also naturally soothing and it's truly a relaxing experience to play.

Eigenharp Alpha Hangdrum improvisation

This is an original composition on the Eigenharp Alpha using just the U-he Diva virtual analog synth.

Many thoughts of what remains after people have left this earth.

That . What . Remains

A quick sketch of a song I found last night. The text is not finished at all and actually improvised on the spot as I usually do during brainstorming sessions. It also needs to be arranged with the band of course.


Solo Sketch - Undecided

This is a quick sketch of one of our upcoming songs.

Same place again

I'm a singer-songwriter and combine my vocal melodies with the electric and acoustic guitar and new instruments like the LinnStrument. I have lots of musical ideas that go into many directions. I've channelized most of it into my band Flytecase, but there are now quite some compositions that are either too personal or that don't fit with the style of my band.

I'll be posting my experiments and sketches online. If you like them or have some suggestions, don't hesitate to leave comments.

Buy my CD:
http://gbevin.bandcamp.com

Buy my band's CD:
http://music.flytecase.be

Parva analog poly-synth with LinnStrument

G.Bevin