I started this track as a 4ms exercise. Trying to suss chords out of the EnsOsc in a pleasant way. I was initially going for an ambient track. But as soon as I heard the Music Box samples go through the OAM Time Machine, I knew there was a trance-y track hiding beneath.

There’s a lot going on with this patch in just the EnsOsc part. Panning between 2 delays, granular treatment with dual Dradds, all being filtered through the Bizarre Jezabel Blossom. Modulation ahoy! We have loads of chaos, plus every output on both the 4ms Dual EnvVCA and the Shaped Dual EnvVCA. 

The Music Box samples are from the Disting SD Multisample algorithm being triggered by one of the < trigger outputs, which goes through the Time Machine and out to the mixer.

The kick drum is via pinging (ringing?) in the Frap Tools Cunsa. A Falistri envelope to the input, with an attenuated version of the same envelope to the FM. This filter is set in LPG mode. 

Hats are using white noise from Sapel to 1 of the Cunsa filters, also in LPG mode.

I found that in filter mode, the harmonics were just too much.

Everything is run through the Walrus Audio Slöer reverb.

Recordings

EnsOsc - Music Box - Frap Tools Jam

Sam Sakr is an Australian musician, sound artist and producer. He has written for artists like Sarah Aarons, Dua Lipa, Cardi B, Carly Rae Jepson, The Veronicas, and many more. His introspective solo project Sakr blurs the lines between sound design and electronic music, creating a world of his own.

Sam's music: https://sakrmusic.bandcamp.com/music

Listen to the podcast here:
• Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/0mfJXL5LGSl5sCM0pIFoOV?si=518eebac405f41e1
• Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/it/podcast/lets-talk-music/id1717656645
• Soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/fraptools/
• Google https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zb3VuZGNsb3VkLmNvbS91c2Vycy9zb3VuZGNsb3VkOnVzZXJzOjgxNjEzMDMzMy9zb3VuZHMucnNz?sa=X&ved=0CAMQ4aUDahcKEwiwuPuHkIWEAxUAAAAAHQAAAAAQAg

Join our Discord community: https://discord.com/invite/TgAjm7aVWZ


00:00:00 Introduction
00:00:45 Sam's musical journey
00:19:30 The modular synthesizer in the daily work of a producer
00:38:18 The Sakr project
00:48:16 Sam's patch
00:50:53 Patch breakdown
1:00:57 Patch discussion
01:09:30 On keyboard synths
01:18:13 What could be the next Frap Tools module?
01:27:01 Giovanni's patch and breakdown

8. Sam Sakr: Textures, Music Production, and Sold Motorcycles

First track I've ever recorded with Bitwig, and some fresh tools: RYK Algo 4-operator FM oscillator module, Waldorf Microwave 1 wavetable synth plugin, and new percussion plugins from Klevgrand.
arp: USTA Sequence; Dixie2+/Rubicon2/Bifold complex oscillator into Natural Gate, with Falistri envelopes
Percussion: Klevgrand Borsta and Skaka
Beats: RolandCloud TR-808
Microsound: Morphagene into Sealegs
Bass: RYK Algo into Blades with Tangrams envelopes
Stab Chords: Microwave 1 into Eventide Blackhole Immersive 
Modular modulation: Sapèl, øchd, and Batumi
Additional effects: Valhalla and Eventide
Mastered with Vertigo VSM3, SPL Passeq, Ampex ATR-102, and AMEX Mastering Compressor.

20240910 Voyages

Drone: Morphagene into QPAS; modulation from Krait, Batumi and øchd; performed on Planar2.
Bass: USTA sequence; Brenso into Korgasmatron II with Falistri envelopes. Krait modulation.
Beats performed on Push2 with RolandCloud TR-808, Klevgrand Skaka and Softube Heartbeat.
Effects: Eventide and Valhalla.
Recorded with Bitwig. Mastered with Vertigo VSM3, SPL Passeq, Ampex ATR-102 and AMEK Mastering Compressor.

20240917 There Is Only Our Side

Microsound1: Morphagene into Fumana with Falistri envelope and slew limiter
Microsound2: Arbhar into Zagrzeb
Pulse: USTA sequence; Brenso into Belgrad with Quadrax envelopes
Modulation from Batumi, Sapèl, øchd and Krait
Pad: Super6 with Valhalla
Reverbs: Valhalla SuperMassive and Eventide Blackhole Immersive
Mastered on SPL Passeq and AMEK Mastering Compressor

20240921 Shelter In Place

A rhythmic patch, driven by chaos. This chaos driven sequence is prone to drifting in very organic ways, but always falls back in line. It’s a beautiful dance of real life incursions into the everyday.

Everything in this patch from the gate sequence to the pitch sequence, and everything else, is derived from 4 chaos outputs from the Nonlinearcircuits The Hypster. They feed Let’s Splosh and Numberwang, and both control the entirety of the patch. All modulation is either direct from Let’s Splosh, or triggered by Numberwang, sometimes both.

4 Generate 3 outputs go to Natural Gate inputs, which are gated by Numberwang. The NG outputs are mixed to stereo en route to the stereo matrix mixer, and are sent to Time Machine and Dradd. The Dradd and Time Machine outputs are sent to Panharmonium, which uses the Bizarre Jezabel Mimosa as an insert. All outputs are mixed together and sent to the final mixer in AUM on the iPad.

The kick is a simple filter ping in CUNSA (with a FM envelope). Hi hats are high pass filtered white noise from Sapel, enveloped by a lightly decay modulated Schlappi Engineering Boundary.

Reverb is the always beautiful Vongon Ultrasheer.

Rhythmic

Drifting Numbers

Recorded live with Bitwig.
Microsound: arbhar into zagrzeb.
Bass: USTA sequence; Cš-L and Tš-L mixed into I-ō47 with cnōc and cèis envelopes
SaxLead: Metropolix sequence; Brenso into QPAS with Falistri envelopes; Sealegs echo and reverb.
Melodic: Performed on Push2; RYK Algo into LXd with Delta-V envelope.
Modulation from Sapèl, Batumi, øchd and Pamela.
Pad: Waldorf Microwave 1
Beats performed on Push2 using Klevgrand Skaka and Slammer; Softube Heartbeat and RolandCloud TR-808.
Effects: ValhallaDSP and Eventide.
Bus compression: Valley People Dyna-mite, Empirical Distressor and Purple Audio MC-77.
Mastered with Vertigo VSM3, SPL Passeq, Ampex ATR-102, and AMEK Mastering Compressor.

20241004 Keep Yourself Busy (making Time Pass)

Three stereo drone layers:
D1: Morphagene into Fumana
D2: RYK Algo into Blades
D3: RYK VectorWave into Zagrzeb
Modulation from Pamela, Batumi, øchd and Sapèl.
Arp: Metropolix sequence; Dixie2+ and Rubicon2 into Korgasmatron II, with Tangrams envelopes, into Sealegs echo/reverb
Reverbs: Valhalla SuperMassive and Eventide Blackhole Immersive

20241008 I Am At The Station, But It's Beyond My Control

Layers of polymeter arpeggios using my 5 favourite modular synth voice structures.
v1: USTA Sequence; RYK Algo into Make Noise LXd (stereo) with Cosmotronic Delta-V envelopes
v2: USTA Sequence; Cš-L and Tš-L (3 VCOs) into I-ō47 with ceis and cnōc envelopes
v3: Metropolix sequence; Dixie2+/Rubicon2 into Bifold and Korgasmatron II (Stereo) with Quadrax and Tangrams envelopes
v4: USTA Sequence; Brenso into Blades with Falistri envelopes
v5: USTA Sequence; Sofia into Belgrad with Radar envelopes
Modulation: Sapèl, Batumi, øchd, Pamela
Pad: UDO Super 6
Beats: Klevgrand and RolandCloud TR-808

20241012 One Thousand Ways I Can Touch You

Drone: USTA Sequence; Rings into Fumana with Morphagene spectral modulation, into Beads
Arp: USTA Sequence; Brenso into NaturalGate
Bass: Metropolix sequence; Cš-L into I-ō47 with ceis and cnōc envelopes
Pad: Oberheim OB-X into Eventide Blackhole Immersive
Effects: SSL, Eventide, ValhallaDSP and Lexicon.
Mastered with Vertigo VSM-3, SPL Passeq and AMEK Mastering Compressor

20241123 Slow Intense Sensations

I'm a lab-rat. gear-head. Composer of sonic explorations. Seeker of tone and frequency. Patcher of modules. Twiddler of knobs. Bender of strings. Programmer of sequences. Lover of all things that oscillate, resonate and reverberate.

My main instrument is a Eurorack Modular synthesizer comprised of approximately 70 modules. My favourites include modules from Frap Tools Instruō, Intellijel, and Xaoc Devices. I use a 16-channel Line converter from nw2s to get modular signals into my DAW.
My main polysynths are an UDO Super6 and a Sequential Prophet Rev2.
Production tools are Bitwig with an Ableton Push 2, with two Universal Audio and Focusrite AD converters; and plugins from GForce/Oberheim, Waldorf, UAD, Valhalla DSP, Plugin Alliance, Eventide, Softube, and Roland.
I also compose with electric guitars and basses, Toontrack Superior Drummer, and various Brazilian samba percussion.

Modular synth makers from Italy hosting a monthly podcast about music, art, and creativity. Every episode features a laid-back conversation and two synth patches: one by the guest, and another by the host.

New tracks tagged #FrapTools