TAL J-8: Brass / Flute
Pianoteq 7: HB Steinway-D Classical
U-He Repro-5: Brass and Bass
Arturia Pigments 2: 2 Pads
Arturia Matrix-12 V2: Bass
Arturia Mellotron V: Pad
Synapse Audio Obsession: Pad
Native Instruments Kontakt: Choirs and Strings

TAL-Chorus-LX
Arturia Chorus JUN-6
Native Instruments Phasis: on bass
Valhalla Delay
Valhalla Vintage Verb
Melda Production MAutoDynamicEQ
Melda Production MDynamicsMB
Caelum Audio: Tape Cassette 2

Massimo Fasciano

Ocean Of Stars

Check out the video: https://youtu.be/IZeSZR0RtHs

Instruments:

Cherry Audio Voltage Modular (melody and bassline custom patches)
TAL Sampler (resampled and sliced melody)
Native Instruments Kontakt (percussive noise)
Sitala (kick and hi-hats)

Effects:

U-He Satin (stereo mix)
Melda Production MAutoDynamicEQ, MDynamicsMB
Valhalla Delay (bassline, melody, percussive noise, hi-hats)
iZotope Trash 2 (on bassline), Neutron 3 Elements (kick), Ozone 9 Elements (master)
Aberrant DSP Sketch Cassette 2 (bassline, kick, hi-hats)
Transient-Driven Auto Pan (melody)

Voltage Modular patches:

1) Melody

PSP Nitro Noise (brownian+gaussian) was fed into a Sample And Hold unit.
It was then passed through a Glide unit and a Quantizer in D Harmonic Minor to generate a melody.
An LFO was used to slowly shift the input of the Quantizer.

A multi drum trigger sequencer was used to trigger the VCA and apply a rhythm to the melody.
Release and decay of the VCA were LFO-modulated.

The sound comes from an MS-20 VCO run through an MS-20 filter (parallel HPF and LPF) and then through a
TB-303 filter. The filters were LFO-modulated.

This was processed in the DAW using a light auto-pan and Valhalla Delay.

2) Bassline

TB Oscillator and TB Filter (TB-303 emulation)
EG-20 Envelope Generator (MS-20 style)
PSP Nitro LFO
PAN control
The AR envelope controls the VCA
The ADSR envelope controls the filter
Smoothed spike LFO A/B out of phase
A is applied to the filter
B is applied to the PAN
This is fed a midi bassline from the DAW and is further processed with Trash 2, Sketch Cassette and Vahalla Delay in the DAW.

TAL Sampler:

The melody produced by Voltage Modular was sampled and sliced using TAL Sampler.
It was played back in short bursts in the middle section of the performance.

Massimo Fasciano (2021)

Aladdin's High Voltage Lamp

This project started as a quick remaster of a track called Eighty Seven that I released on 2021-10-04.
The original name was taken from the release date of the original Ensoniq SQ-80 that inspired the Arturia emulation that was used exclusively on the track.
The SQ-80 is a digital/analog synthesizer with a very typical retro sound from that era.

At first I was not 100% satisfied with the final result and started an alternate version as a subproject.
Then after working more on the original I got the sound I liked and released it on 2021-10-04.

I revisited the alternate subproject a few weeks ago and liked some of the changes I had experimented with, especially for the drums and bass that had more punch. That did not work well with the original lead part so I decided to create a remake as a distinct release with some new lead sounds. I named it "Eighty Eight" for lack of inspiration but the name stuck.

The chord structure and rhythm remain but the harsh digital guitar-like lead was replaced with a combination of an analog arpeggiated lead and some digital SQ-80 orchestral stabs.
I also shortened the track to make it fit better with the new arp + stab elements and avoid repetition.

The Arturia SQ-80 is still used on most of the tracks but I added the Cherry Audio Mercury 4 (Jupiter 4) for the analog lead.
I think that the contrast between the colder SQ-80 and the warm analog arp lead is interesting.

I am listing the plugins that I used, including the ones from the original:

Cherry Audio Mercury 4: Lead Arp
SQ80-V : Bass, 2 Pads, Background Arp, Percussion, Orchestral Stabs
Wavesfactory Spectre: Orchestral Stabs, Mercury 4 Lead Arp, Reverb, Bass, individual drum tracks
Valhalla Plate: Reverb bus
Cherry Audio Stardust 201 Tape Echo: Echo bus
U-He Satin (on most tracks)
Klanghelm SDRR2: Bass
Klanghelm DC8C3: Drum bus
Klanghelm MJUC: master bus
Boz Digital Labs Transgressor 2: individual drum tracks for extra punch
TDR Molot GE (on busses: Melodic, Background, Rhythm)
TDR Slick EQ GE (on most tracks)
TDR Kotelnikov GE (on Reverb and Echo busses)
Melda MAutoDynamicEQ (on Bass as dynamic EQ and ducking for Kick, on background Arp and Pads)
La Petite Excite by FineCutBodies (as a subtle exciter when Spectre is not used)
iZotope Ozone Imager 2: Pads
iZotope Neutron 3 Gate: Bass
SPL Transient Designer Plus: Bass
SPL Vitalizer MK2-T: Bass
Brainworx bx_subsynth: Kick
TDR Slick EQ M (master bus)
TDR Limiter 6 GE (master bus)
Voxengo TEOTE (master bus)

Eighty Eight

Synths: 
- Synapse Audio Obsession (4 instances: pumping, sweep, groovy pad, polysynth)
- Unfiltered Audio Triad (send effect: tremolo sweep reverb)
- Hornet Valvola (polysynth, groovy pad)
- Arturia Efx Fragments (groovy pad)
- Wavesfactory Spectre (4 instances)
- TDR Nova GE (4 instances: bass control)

Drums:
- Audio Damage Tattoo
- Melda Production MAutoDynamicEQ
- Hornet Valvola
- Unfiltered Audio Triad
- Wavesfactory Spectre
- Audio Assault Sigma EX

Master:
- Voxengo TEOTE
- U-He Satin
- TDR Nova GE
- TDR Kotelnikov GE
- TDR Limiter 6 GE

Genetic Manipulation
2022-03-03: initial release
2022-03-05: reworked pad track with "groovy" granular effect
2022-03-06: remixed the synth tracks (saturation + eq)
2022-03-11: rebalanced pad and pumping, removed delay on pumping
2022-03-12: master eq, pad eq, sweep eq

Massimo Fasciano (2022)

Listen on Spotify

Genetic Manipulation

2022-05-18 initial version
2022-05-21 remix
2022-05-23 remix

Instrument plugins...

Arturia DX-7 V (FM Bells)
Arturia Prophet-VS V (Jazgitar)
Arturia Augmented Strings (Low Cello and Strings Ensemble)
Scaler 2 Sampler (Synth Strings)
Native Instruments Kontakt (Choir, Staccato Strings)

Various Effects...

Arturia Rev PLATE-140, Delay Eternity, Tape Mello-Fi, Rev Intensity, Comp FET-76, Comp Tube STA
TDR SlickEQ GE, SlickEQ M, Kotelnikov, Molot GE, Nova GE
Wavesfactory Spectre
Plugin Alliance Black Box Analog Design HG-2
Plugin Alliance SPL Transient Designer Plus

Spring Fairies

2022-06-14: initial release
2022-08-16: remix

Phases Of The Moon (remix 2022-08)

Based on my "Blade instrument series" experiment where I re-arranged the same piece 7 times using different plugins, usually multiple instances of a single plugin for each arrangement.

Inspired by Vangelis.

For this release I used the best parts of each arrangement and remixed them.

TAL J-8 (Roland Jupiter 8)
Synapse Audio Obsession (Oberheim OB-Xa)
TAL Sampler instruments using sampled Korg Monotron

2022-07-14

Jupiter's Obsession (new arrangement 2022)

2019-09-02: initial version
2022-08-31: remix

Hexed Mallets

Echoes Of Golden Sunsets

initial release: 2017-10-13
remix-remaster: 2023-02-02

Massimo Fasciano (2023)

Serpent Of The Eastern Sky (remix 2023)

The fast movements of the flight of the bumblebee in contrast with the slow changing of the seasons.

Remastered 2022-06-26 for streaming services.

1) Lead brassy synth: Synthmaster (customized version of Nori Ubukata "JMJ Equinox 4" preset) + Valhalla Vintage Verb (Chaotic Hall algo)
2) Deep Bass: Synthmaster (Nori Ubukata "Wendy's Bass" preset) + heavy compression + Valhalla Space Modulator (Doubler Mode) + Valhalla Vintage Verb (Chaotic Hall algo)
3) Light Kick: Kontakt 5 Street Knowledge Kit + heavy compression + Valhalla Space Modulator (Ocho algo) + Valhalla Vintage Verb (Ambience algo)
4) Light Snare: Kontakt 5 Street Knowledge Kit + heavy compression + Valhalla Space Modulator (Doubler algo) + Valhalla Vintage Verb (Smooth Random algo)
5) Ambient Strings: Synthmaster (customized version of Nori Ubukata "JMJ Oxygène Strings" preset) + Valhalla Shimmer (custom preset Dual Reverse Dark algo)

The Return Of The Bumblebee (remaster 2022)

initial version: 2017-11-25
remix: 2022-08-19

Percussion: bigcat Instruments VSCO-2-CE for Kontakt
Cello Section: bigcat Instruments VSCO-2-CE for Kontakt
Choir: Soundiron Olympus Elements Choir
String Section: Embertone Intimate Strings

The Knights Of Olympus (remix 2022)

initial release: 2017-12-04
remaster: 2022-08-16

What you are hearing is all from a real first generation Korg Monotron unit, except for the percussive elements and reverb.

The objective was to create a small orchestra using the sound of the Monotron.

Because the Monotron is purely monophonic and has no midi control, I sampled some sustains and filter sweeps from the Monotron into Kontakt and sequenced them into 3 tracks using a 4-pole Kontakt filter in addition to the Monotron filter to add some extra expression.
Valhalla shimmer was used with a very short reverb length to widen up the sound and give it a nice dreamy presence.

The 3 tracks represent the horns, the tuba and the organ. Obviously, they don't sound anything like acoustic instruments because the Monotron is what it is but they were sequenced and modulated to emulate those instruments.

Each Monotron sample is looped and cross-faded, which gives it some interesting phasing effects because of the long crossfade.

The percussive elements are a phased bell percussion sound by Nori Ubukata (Synthmaster Historical Synth Giants Vol.4) and some ambient bell and drone background sounds from Embertone Arcane Inferno (Kontakt).

The Funeral Of Queen Jasmina (remaster 2022)

Cinesamples Piano In Blue
Cinesamples Tina Guo Legato
Embertone Intimate Strings LITE

Cold Beauty

initial version: 2018-12-13
remix: 2022-09-23

Cinesamples Cinesymphony LITE
Pianoteq Steinway D Ambiant Hybrid (custom preset)

The Book Of Lost Tales (remix 2022)

2019-07-25: initial version
2022-09-09: new recording and mastering

Pianoteq: Bluethner Model One BA (reduced pedal and key noise)
Melda Production MEqualizer: custom EQ profile with harmonic shaping
Valhalla Vintage Verb: Dark Pad 6.4% mix

Moonlight Circle (2022 version)

Piano: Pianoteq 6 Custom Preset
 - based on Viennese Grand Piano 3 (from fxp corner)
 - microphone setup from "Steinway D Classical"
 - reduced hammer noise by 25%
PAD: Synthmaster ONE Custom Preset
- based on Pad Atlantic DH
- slower envelopes
Multi-band compression and Dynamic EQ by Melda Production

September Sorrow

Watch the video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/K1lHTL53OKk

For this piece I wanted to create a mix of real orchestral instruments and synthetic granular-based instruments.
The real instruments are the stars of the show with the granular sounds acting in support.
The main melodic elements come from the natural woodwinds, cello, brass and string ensembles.
The granular violins, first appearing between 0:10 and 0:20, and the granular harmonica, first appearing around 0:28, add a very interesting texture to the sound.
I used a Steinway Piano sample as a base for my "Granular Metallic" patch. It plays in the low bass register with an interesting metallic character.
The Bechstein piano plays chords through an ambient Valhalla Supermassive preset that turns it into a lovely pad. It is featured around 2:35 in the track.

Patch information:

Woodwinds: Cinesamples Cinesymphony LITE
Cello: Cinesamples Tina Guo Legato Cello + Valhalla Delay
Strings: Cinesamples Cinesymphony LITE
Brass: Cinesamples Cinesymphony LITE
Percussion: Cinesamples Cinesymphony LITE
Granular Violins: Cinesamples Soundscapes custom patch using internal sample
Granular Harmonica: Cinesamples Soundscapes custom patch using a sample from my Harmonica
Granular Metallic: Cinesamples Soundscapes custom patch using a Steinway D sample (C1 with sustain pedal)
Piano Pad: Pianoteq 6 Bechstein + Valhalla Supermassive "Happy Little Clouds"
Reverb: Valhalla Vintage Verb 1970 Hall on most tracks

Ursae Majoris

Watch on Youtube: https://youtu.be/WETsuQ2SWLM

The following plugins were used on this piece:

u-he Diva (lead, pads, arp bassline)
u-he Repro-1 (arp pad, pulsating bass pad)
u-he Repro-5 (background pad)
u-he Satin (tape emulation)
Arturia Emulator II V (drums)
Arturia OB-Xa V (creamy pad)
Arturia Jup-8 V4 (keys)
Arturia Chorus JUN-6
Melda Production MAutoDynamicEQ
Melda Production MDynamicsMB
Valhalla Delay

Ganymede's Shadow

Watch the video of this track on Youtube: https://youtu.be/wUJa8HGKvcA

The following plugins were used on this piece:

u-he Podolski (chord stabs, pad)
u-he Diva (lead, bass pad)
u-he Repro-1 (bass, mono pad)
u-he Repro-5 (trance arp)
u-he Satin (tape emulation)
Arturia Emulator II V (drums)
Arturia Vocoder V (my voice)
Melda Production MAutoDynamicEQ
Melda Production MDynamicsMB
Valhalla Delay
Valhalla Vintage Verb
Valhalla Supermassive
Valhalla Shimmer
Cymatics Diablo Lite (percussion enhancer)
Native Instruments Phasis (phaser)

The Biggest Event In Human History

I love film scores, electronic and ambient music. I gravitate towards electronic and ambient simply because I love creating cool sound textures.
Please follow me on Spotify, Apple Music, Youtube Music. It really helps. Links in my profile.

Massimo Fasciano

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