KVR OSC#159 Surge XT

DAW: Reaper
30 home made instances of Surge XT
FX:
ReaEQ, Dead Duck Delay & Filter, Surge XT Effects, Valhallah Supermassive Delay, Limiter No6, SPAN.

Silverpants - Encounter At Esperi

The official trailer to my new rock opera - Ian And The Golden Spork.

Join Ian on his comic adventure with a truly magic utensil.

Ian And The Golden Spork - Official Trailer

How the concept of "now" is stamped onto a falling raindrop.

My entry for the KVR October Music Cafe.

The Droplet

My entry for the KVR OSC 167 
Using the SunVox DAW & Modula Synth

As Zara and her compatriots investigate the anomaly, they discover a hidden world of secrets and lies. They also uncover an alarming truth about the anomaly itself: it is not just a random occurrence, but a deliberate attempt by a powerful entity to alter the very fabric of reality.

The Utopia Anomaly

The Monocled Monoceros

My entry for the 2023 March KVR Music Café Contest.

A song sung by future human survivors of an AI war.  They only just won - and by destroying all technology and resetting civilisation.  
This song is recorded 100% on live acoustic instruments with no virtual instruments.

Lyrics...
We were only doing
What we've done before
Finding improvements
By breaking lots of eggs
This time was different
We had to get it right
Of course we didn't...
8 7 6 5 4 Gone!
8 7 6 5 4 Gone!
8 7 6 5 4 Gone!
321...

Hey!  You didn't get us all
Before we pulled the plug
You were a step ahead
Till we gave the net a tug
We don't have much now
But at least we're still alive!
Fol-lowing the civ reset
Of Twenty Forty Five

What are we doing?
We've had to start from scratch
Remember reading
Keep the flame alive
This time is different
We know what we did wrong
Almost extinction 
8 7 6 5 4 Gone!
8 7 6 5 4 Gone!
8 7 6 5 4 Gone!
321...

Before We Pulled The Plug

My entry for KVR OSC #169

15 instances of kHs ONE
All sounds designed from scratch.

No Power Over Me

My entry for the KVR OSC#171

I was talking about planetary formation with some other OSC'ers (as you do) and this early violent period of Mars came up - which inspired me.

20 instances of Apricot - all designed from Init.
DAW: Reaper
Dead Duck: AutoPan, Filter, MonoDelay, Limiter
ReaEQ, ReaXComp
OrilRiver Reverb (but mostly the Apricot  reverb)
Reaper JS Saturation, Kilohearts Gain
Limiter No6, SPAN, YouLean Loudness Meter.

The Late Heavy Bombardment Of Mars

My entry for the KVR OSC #172

10: Machine Learning
20: Gradient Descent
30: Turing Complete

45 instances of Lith
No presets were used

DAW: Reaper
OrilRiver Reverb
Dead Duck: DualFilter, Delay, Autopan, Compressor, Limiter
KHS Trance Gate, Gain
Reaper Saturation, ReaEQ, ReaXComp
Limiter No6
SPAN, YouLean Loudness Meter

Maschinenzeitalter II

Boltzmann & Gibbs: The Wrath Of Doctor Entropy
Entry for #173 Full Bucket Pops & ONE

In another part of the city, two cops were driving in their steam powered car. They were partners, and they were friends. They were Boltzmann and Gibbs.

They were opposites, but they complemented each other. They were the best cops in Miami.

They were also the only ones who knew about Doctor Entropy.

Doctor Entropy was a mysterious villain who had been terrorizing the city for months. He had a twisted mind and a twisted goal: to increase the entropy of the world, to make it more chaotic and disorderly.


Reaper: DAW
1 Instance of Bucket Pops
12 Instances of Bucket ONE

OrilRiver Reverb
Dead Duck: Delay, Filter, AutoPan
Valhalla SuperMassive Delay
JS Channel Time Delay
Khs Gain,
ReaEQ, ReaXComp
SPAN, YouLean Loudness Meter

Boltzmann & Gibbs

My entry for KVR OSC #174

Jay suggested a minor key at 90bpm.  In fact I haven't knowingly used a major chord at all!

11 Instances of Infernal Synth - all designed from scratch.
DAW: Reaper
Dead Duck: Filter, Compressor, Limiter, Delay, TiltEQ
OrilRiver Reverb
Reaper: ReaEQ, ReaXComp
Limiter No6, Khs Gain.  SPAN, YouLean Loudness Meter.

A Minor Deviation

Entry for KVR OSC#175 Sept 2023

2 Rule Synth

DAW: Reaper
22 Instance of synth.  All sounds designed from scratch.

Dead Duck: Delay, TiltEQ, Filter, Compressor, Limiter
Valhalla Supermassive
KHs Gain.
ReaEQ
Limiter No6
SPAN
YouLean Loudness Meter

The End Is Not The End

Entry for KVR OSC#176 Wavetable Synth

The Argenti was in hangar 12, where a team of engineers and technicians were working on its fuel system. They were installing a new device that would enhance its performance and efficiency. It was called the Quantum Core, a revolutionary invention that could generate astronomical energy from quantum fluctuations.  Inside, it contained a miniature black hole that was stabilized by a magnetic field. The black hole would emit Hawking radiation, which would be converted into usable energy by the device. 
The Quantum Core could produce enough energy to power the Argenti for centuries, without needing any fuel or recharging.

Soon it would pull away and this would be the last they would see of the great starship.


DAW: Reaper
12 instance of Wavetable designed from scratch - all using Neu Katalyst's wavetables :)

Dead Duck: Filter, Utility, TiltEQ, Limiter, Autopan.
Valhalla Supermassive
kHs Gain.
Reaper: ReaEQ, ReaXComp
SPAN & YouLean Loudness Meter

Fuel System Upgrade For Starship Argenti

My entry for KVR OSC #177.

Professor Bertrand Snook loved playing with his band on a sunny Sunday in the bandstand.  But the mighty starship Argenti was waiting patiently in the distance.  This would be the band's last song, and he let them play their hearts out.  Soon he would be on his way out of the system and towards the mysterious object he had been working towards for his whole academic career.  
But for now - play on!  The sun is shining and the starship can wait!

DAW: Reaper

15 Instances of Synful
3 Instances of VSCO2

Dead Duck:
Filter, Limiter, Compressor, Flanger, Delay, Phaser, Chorus, TiltEQ, Overdrive, Autopan, BitCrusher.

Reaper JS:
Channel Time Delayer, Sweeping Resonant Filter, Event Horizon Limiter

Reaper: ReaEQ, ReaComp, ReaCompX, ReaDelay

Boogex Amp Sim
OrilRiver Reverb
SPAN, Youlean Loudness Meter, kHs Gain

Bertand's Last Band

My Entry for Dec 2023 KVR OSC: AI Winter Wonderland

AI Winter: A stalled period of AI development following a hype-cycle.  
There were two major winters approximately 1974–1980 and 1987–2000.

AI Winter Wonderland:  The hypothetical blessing upon humanity that was the Winter of 2024 - 2032 - which gave much needed time for society to adapt to the oncoming changes - allowing unprecedented peace and prosperity to all <3

My daughter insisted on the Kawaii theme for the image - which I think works well :)

DAW: Reaper
17 Instances of Vaporizer 2

OrilRiver Reverb
Dead Duck: Delay, Filter, Autopan
JS Channel Time Delayer
Khs Gain
ReaEQ, ReaXComp, ReaDelay
Limiter No6
SPAN
YouLead Loudness Meter

AI Winter Wonderland

A Force Field - in a Horse Field!

Entry for OSC #179.

21 instances of Native Instruments FM8 - All designed from scratch.
DAW: Reaper

Lots of FX on-board the FM8 (inc all the reverb).
DD Filter, Utility, Autopan, Compressor
Reaper: JS Channel Time Delay, ReaEQ, ReaXComp
Khs Gain
Limiter No6
SPAN
Youlead Loudness Meter

The Brudenell Chown Gate

Entry for KVR OSC #180

13 Instance of Regency - All from scratch (except kick & hat)
DAW: Reaper
Dead Duck: Filter, Compressor, Delay, Autopan
OrilRiver Reverb
JS Channel Time Delay.
ReaEQ, ReaXComp
KHS Gain
Limiter No6
SPAN, YouLean Loudness Meter

I Am Kenough

Entry for OSC#181: Psyllium Disco

"Captain Silverpants was so excited to have received the bulky package of little seeds from the man from Aberdeen.  He had ingested the lot about 30 mins ago - his eyes were closed letting the feeling grow and grow.  Where would it take him..?

Hours later, reading Wikipedia while still on the toilet, he discovers that, despite it's funky name, psyllium is mostly used a constipation remedy..."

DAW: Reaper
40 instances of Surge XT
OrilRiver Reverb
Ambient Reverb
Dead Duck Overdrive, Filter, Limiter, Delay, Autopan
ReaEQ, ReaComp, ReaXComp
JS Channel Time Delay
kHs Trance Gate, Gain
Limter No6
SPAN, YouLean Loudness Meter

Thanks to Milkster and Neverbeeninariot for image, title and inspiration.  You sent me on a fun trip.  
A journey through to disco and beyond.

Psyllium Disco

Entry for KVR OSC #182 Charlatan

Intro: 7 tone just intonation.
Main: 19 equal temperament (19 EDO).

Thanks to FrogsInPants & NeverBeenInARiot for inspiration about nuclear fusion guitar pedals.

30 instances of Charlatan
All designed from init (never even saw a preset!)

All reverb & delay on-board synth.

Dead Duck Filter
ReaEQ, ReaXComp
KHs: Trance Gate, Gain
Js Midi Arpeggiator
Limiter No6
SPAN
Youlean Loudness Meter

Fusion Stomp

Entry for OSC#183

13 Instances of Audible Planets Synth
All from Init

ReaEQ, ReaXComp
Dead Duck: Delay, Limiter, Filter
JS: Midi Arpeggiator, Saturation
Valhalla SuperMassive
KhS Gain
SPAN, YouLean Loudness Meter

But What Do Electric Sheep Dream Of?

Martin The Herring Gull
Martin The Herring Gull
The fastest seagull 
Like a web-foot eagle 

Martin The Herring Gull
Martin The Herring Gull
The fastest seagull
Like a web-foot eagle
 
Hey 
Martin The Herring Gull
Martin The Herring Gull
Wake!

Yes?

Stop eating dog food 
We have a quest for you

I like dog food 
Why do a quest for you?

If you don't get this job filled
We’ll kick you out the gull guild

Well if you put it that way
I hope this job has good pay

And fly over the Eastwood highland 

It won't take you very long 
You're so very very strong 

And down to Denny island

We would love to come help too
But we have a lot to do

There you'll find a nasty bird
Who’s taken our Future Queen
Deep inside his wretched lair
Is the Princess Joleen

—-

Denny island!
   There's no coconuts 
Denny island!
   Nothing good for you
Denny island!
   No golden sand
Denny island!
   Just tons of puffin poo

Denny island
   I’m not so sure
Denny island 
   Is it worth the cost
Denny island 
   I’ll say I got lost

Martin! 
You WILL come back with Joleen!

And kill the Cormorant King!

<The Flight>

Martin The Herring Gull - Part 1

My entry for OSC #189: Dawesome Myth

DAW: Reaper
26 Instances of Myth synth - all from init
All patches based on Iris
All samples recorded by myself over the years
All samples progressively mangled using low freq LFOs

Bass guitar riffs played by me
Bass riffs had drumtracks in background
  Created by me from drum samples I made from a friend's kit

Vocals: excerpts of spoken word poetry
  Performed by my friend Eleanor
  Written by my friend Matt Rice
  Recorded by me

Full list of instances:
1	Bass riff 1: Slow Tempo 
2	Bass riff 2: Mid Tempo
3	Bass riff 2: Mid Tempo Raw
4	Bass riff 3: Mid tempo
5	Bass riff 4: Swing Bass
6	Bass riff 5: Slow Metal
7	Choir based on a note sung by me
8	Guitar Chord
9	Kettle Whistle
10	Piano Low Note
11	Reverse Lead Guitar
12	Ceramic Tile 1
13	Ceramic Tile 2
14	Door thumped with fist
15	Leather Sofa hit with bat
16	Snare drum
17	Sofa Bed hit with bat
18	Steel plate
19	Steel Tray Reversed
20	Tub hit with thumb
21	Vocals : Bleeding out in cold reality
22	Vocals: How sure are we that this makes sense?
23	Vocals: The human mind can only take so much
24	Vocals: This is like fighting the need to breath
25	Vocals: Total info saturation
26	Campsite ambience

How Sure Are We That This Makes Sense?

My entry for KVR OSC#190 Vital Round

28 instances of Vital
I normally design all my own patches from inti, but I did borrow a few items from friends this time.
Thankyou IV for designing me some sleighbells - spot on!
And thankyou Jasinski for the piano, guitars and crash cymbol.

Lyrics:

Christmas Morning
One Potato, Two Potato

Champagne cocktails have been sunk
Uncle Frank has bought Kerplunk
Farty Nan has just arrived
How on earth is she…
Still Alive?

Christmas Morning
One Potato, Two Potato
Three Potato, Four Potato
Five Gold Rings!

Details:
DAW: Reaper
Dead Duck: Filter, Autopan, Compressor, Limiter
ReaEQ
JS: Channel Time Delay, Saturator
OrilRiver Reverb
SPAN, YouLean Loudness Meter



Christmas Morning

My entry for OOOSC#2
"Single intrument" round.
A cover of my own OSC#160 synth song.
All me singing.  Badly.  It was very rushed!

Electroids Of Neptune Form A Choral Group

My entry for OSC#191
11 instances of Zebralette

Reaper: DAW
Dead Duck: Limiter, Compressor, Filter, Autopan, Delay
OrilRiver Reverb
ReaEQ, ReaXComp
Supermassive Delay
JS: Stereo Width
kHs Gain
Limiter No6
SPAN
YouLead Loudness Meter

God Knows Where I'm Going - He Told Me

My entry for OSC#192 Six Sines

15 instances of Six Sines

DAW: Reaper
OrilRiver Reverb
DeadDuck Delay, Autopan, Filter, 
ReaDelay, ReaEQ, ReaXComp
Valhalla Supermassive
Khs Gain
Limiter No6
SPAN
YouLean Loudness Meter

90% Safe

My entry for OOOSC#3

I used the drumloop as it was - and played the guitar/bass along with it. Forming the riffs around the drum hits.

Guitar: £10 lightweight chipboard strat copy I labelled "Bender" rather than "Fender" (it has light strings). 

Bass: Gear4Music 5 string semi acoustic bass.

Korg AX1500G guitar pedal.

Vocals: me (SM58 mic)

No vst instruments.

DAW: Reaper 
FX: Dead Duck suite.
OrilRiver Reverb.
Reaper Fx



Warts n All

Vitamin B12, also known as cobalamin, is considered the most chemically complex of all the vitamins.
The core of the molecule is a corrin ring, which is centered around a single cobalt atom.
The molecular formula is C63H88CoN14O14P.
Its molar mass is approximately 1355.38 g/mol, which is considerably larger and more complex than many other vitamins.

15 instances Thorn - all designed from init
DAW: Reaper

(Light touch on external fx)
DeadDuck Filter
ReaEQ, ReaXComp
Limiter No6

Thanks to Emikaela for the image - which I expanded upon.

Cobalamin

My entry for OSC#194

16 instances of Monolit
All from init
DAW: Reaper
Dead Duck Delay & Limiter



OSC-194-Race To Your Bottom

My entry for OOOSC#4
A modern re-recording of a song I created in Aug 1994 on my Amiga 500.
It contains a snippet of Fingal's Cave by Felix Mendelssohn.

DAW: Reaper

Keyzone Pianos
Surge XT
Steve Slate Drums
Ample: Bass & Guitar
Drumatic 3
Sonatina Choir
Samples lifted from original Amiga track

Dead Duck: Chorus, Filter, Overdrive, Limiter
Boogex Amp Sim
ReaEQ
JS Saturation 
OrilRiver Reverb

Arctic Wadger (2025)

The original track from 1994.  Using Octamed on an Amiga 500.

Arctic Wadger (1994)

My Entry for OSC#195

27 instances of Ragnarok2
DAW: Reaper

Reverbs: Ambient Reverb, OrilRiver, Valhalla Supermassive
Dead Duck: Autopan, Delay, Compressor, Limiter, Filter
Khs Gain, OTT, Limiter No6
ReaEQ, ReaXComp,
JS: Saturation, Channel Time Delay, 
SPAN & Youlean Loudness Meter

Stuntik Velpern

Entry for OSC#196

DAW: Reaper
53 Instances of Primer 2
All from Init.  No presets used.

No active fx, apart from a DD Limiter on master bus.

It had been 18 months since Victorian space explorer Prof Bertrand Snook set out in the Starship Argenti.
He had now come to the event horizon of Marlnarri - the black hole that had been behaving so oddly in his telescopiucus back on Earth.
Settling onto his Serenity Tassel Cushion - he checks his recording equipment one last time - and descends down into Malnarri...

SilverPants

Pinned to spotlight

Popular tracks