I'm starting to build a Eurorack system, beginning with a Pittsburgh Modular System 10.1+. Here's a bit from Day 1 trying to figure it out. Focusing here on working the clock and LFO to get some rhythmic noise. No idea what happens at the end.

pittsburgh modular system 10.1: first day

This is my first noise recording, made 20 years ago! I recently found it on an old cassette — you can hear at the end that it was recorded over a terrible indie mixtape. 

Recorded with a Realistic [Radio Shack] DJ mixer for feedback and crossfades, Technics 1200 turntable and audio test record, belt drive turntable and "locked groove" [scratched, skipping] sound effects record, and Akai S612 sampler. 

I have no idea how I was triggering the sampler; I had no MIDI at the time. Maybe I borrowed something. I know I was most excited about the S612, complete with mini  floppy discs, which I bought just to make this kind of noise with. 

Now you can tell that I've basically been remaking the same thing for decades. 

a real piano

My first go with the Sputnik Quad VCF/VCA, attempting some Buchla-esque bongo action with variable envelopes to the gate and long cv action. I didn't really bother with the classic bongo sound, and went straight for low-end nastiness. Eventually it devolves into some wicked howling that makes me glad I got all these filters now. The main source comes from a Pittsburgh Modular Synthbox. Bonus spaces noises from filtering a noise-disrupted oscillator from Jupiter Storm. 

eurorack study 13: bongo destruction

At long last, my pre-ordered Mutable Instruments Edges arrived, and I'm in love. It's the perfect companion to Jupiter Storm, but here it is alone. All four voices sequenced from a Beatstep Pro. Additional modulation from outside LFO and S&H modules. 

eurorack study 14: dungeon blaster

Adding some new modules to my system, and trying to figure out how to use them. I've been making the SynthTech E950 blab while I use the EAR Gristleizer to thicken the mix with a resonant filter and lots of modulation on the i/o. 

I have just about no idea what I'm doing here, other than getting a sense of how these modules work with the chiptune setup I've been using to do this: https://soundcloud.com/princess-gleech. 

eurorack study 15: gristleman

Ok, I've basically figured out the Gristleizer here, I think. The somewhat resonant VCF and CV i/o is giving me some magic for making my patches more dynamic and providing some instant industrial brutality.

eurorack study 16: gristled ambient

I sync'd my eurorack with some classic '90s hardware including a Yamaha TG77, EMU Proteus 2/XR, and Korg M3R. 

I set out to make Latin Freestyle, but obviously missed the mark. Regardless, it's fun to have all this gear playing together.

Vocals curtesy of some outtakes from a rap recording I produced a while back.

eurorack study 17: freestyle?

Working out with Mutable Instruments' Rings. The opening is all Rings, then some other rhythmic accompaniment fades in, including some robot vocals from the always-fun SynthTech e950. Rings was sequenced with a simple 4-bar melody from BSP, and it was in one of the basic resonator modes (no secret handshakes)with nothing patched to the input. I'm delighted by how organic it sounds when the settings are just right, though you can definitely tell when I wind up getting it wrong.

eurorack study 18: rings

there has been a worrisome proliferation of free electronic music apps. these programs come loaded with the most inane, generic presets imaginable. 

for this collection, a selection of the dumbest presets were destroyed through a pile of hardware stomp-boxes, and layered with similarly processed FM radio broadcasts. 

the result is these punishing tracks demolishing contemporary tropes of electronic genera. 

tromasom

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