I’ve been engaging with VCV RACK modular synthesis so much over the past two weeks. I get home and find it a meditating process to follow the patch and just go with what feels right. Unlike other conventional practice of creation which requires a decision of what I’m making I find modular to be so relaxing when creating. I give my ego away and let whatever happens to happen. I’m letting go and seeing the outcome. Since this term of learning modular from the university modules and moving onto VCV RACK 2 and starting with the simple built-in modules to download the open source ones, more effects and interesting oscillators and textural modules. Sequencing and using ADSR it’s gotten so much fun. I’m finding myself accidentally making ambient/minimalistic music? Or perhaps sounds/expressions? I wouldn’t consider it music perhaps, but an expression. It’s meditative.
I’m curious to see where I can take this because I’m really enjoying it, I want to include field recordings and other bits. Maybe into my tape machine and a blend of physical and digital synths. Here are a few patches, and sounds I’ve created. I do think it’s been inspired by the research into Steve Reich and other minimalist composers. Perhaps I should do a more in-depth study into that.
For the first, called waves, I decided to use white noise to replicate the sound of a wave crashing and returning into the ocean. I used a noise generator with ADSR triggered by a random sequencer on a slow bpm. I also had one note with a delay triggered by another sequencer on the first step. I also had layered oscillators to crate a chord sound.
As you can hear, very ambient. But this is what came without even deciding what I wanted to create.
The next one was faster and had different sounds and a CV octave generator that uses CV to adjust the pitch. I created a simple melody and chord sounds again.
This next one is a favorite, it sounded very out-of-space sort of feeling. having a plucked synth running continuously with a long attack at the start of the step. Layered sounds with LFOs give a spacey feel. Love it, again they are all ambient sort of feeling. I wonder why this is my immediate reaction? Is it what I require and what makes me happy or are these the limitations of modular?
For this next one, I downloaded a LINN drum free module and messed around with the drums.
This last one was experimenting with effects and this wormhole module I downloaded. The outcome was this.
I think I want to look more into this ambient sort of music, and its benefits in meditation/well-being and generative music. Perhaps explore using field recordings within it and other artists involved.