:D

'Exploding Symmetry' is now in post-production yay

Big smile after figuring out how to end that one... now mixing and mastering and editing small detailsssss wheeeee ! 

Some observations...

Made my first synth patch last night at around 5am.  I'm still figuring out how the parameters programming section of Thor works, so until then it's a bit of trial and error.  Thor is amazing.  As a friend said last night, "it's like audio alchemy."

Thor patches, incredibly powerful in themselves, are only the tip of the iceberg of the power contained in the synth.  The design allows for extremely complex programming of patches.  You are able to hand pick the oscillators (and within each oscillator set several parameters such as wave form) and also set a ton of routing options and filter options.  It is providing me with a graphical interface for programming patches, which is something I'm becoming extremely interested in.  I'm reading more and more about the physical properties of waves and how to manipulate them to custom create different sounds and effects.  I suppose I never considered that synth patches are crafted in this way- blending of certain wave forms to create desired effects.  A square wave has a different sound than a sine wave because of the harmonic series contained within.  I find it all very interesting and I can see myself devoting hours to the process of patch creation.

This made me think about a subject I was tossing around last week - types of complexity within sequencer based/electronic music.  Artists such as Aphex Twin and Squarepusher have stated in several interviews that they use their own algorithms for sound creation and manipulation.  This is one type of complexity in sound, and it is a field I'm extremely curious about due to my recurring obsession with coding and programming.  The knowledge that I learn from Thor's easy to use programming interface can then be applied to such 'pure' programs as Pure Data and Csound.  These programs are slightly intimidating, as they are strictly code based.  The Thor allows an amazing 'training' interface, as I am able to use my growing knowledge of the physicality of audio-forms and through a process of trial and error programming.  Additionally, I'm practicing a type of 'reverse engineering' by loading the default and custom Thor patches included with Reason and seeing how the oscillators, filters, and programming corresponds to what I'm hearing.

Anyway, getting back to some production so I'll finish with more posts.

P.S. : I've discovered that I absolutely love automating the semi-tone parameter.  Combined with vocal samples, this can create some absolutely alien sounds. ;)

-lr.

Air on a Sample_Start

i r lol @ elitist snob culture :D

New piece "I Have a Photographic Memory (aka Air on a Sample_Start)" cooking.  It's fun and may quite possibly result in temporary loss of sanity.

In other news, 'i still r lol @ elitist snob culture :D'

-lr.

RAM

I really have to order the RAM upgrades for my Powerbook.  The current piece I'm working on 'Exploding Symmetry' is becoming extremely hard to work on because all of the automation and programming keeps pushing the DSP (CPU limit) to roughly 75%.  I set the threshold on Reason to 85% so that the tracks continue to run, but it's becoming increasingly difficult to sequence because it is constantly lagging.  

My Powerbook currently is only slotted with a single 512mb RAM slot, so I'm going to order at least a single 1gb stick.  I don't know how annoying it is to remove the memory stick that's already built in (the 512mb), but if it proves to be rather easy I'm definitely upgrading to 2x1gb.  The Powerbooks can only use 1gb sticks because they require DDR-1, whereas the new Intel Dual Macbooks can use up to 2x2gb.  I see myself eventually switching to a 2.67ghz Macbook Pro, but I'm thinking that going from 512mb -> 1.512gb or 2gb RAM should make a considerable enough difference that I can actually, you know, process my tracks without lag and explosions.  ;)

printf("Hello Blog\n")

Hi.  I've recently decided that maintaining a blog about my music projects is a good idea.  As such, this is a good place to find information about what I'm working on.  I deleted my personal facebook and replaced it with the name 'Linear Rebirth', and archived/deleted all blog entries about my personal life.  

I plan on posting entries about my compositions and essays on technology and music.  Once I get a grasp of audio options I may post audio.  

Cheers.