Computer based ambient drone: Tim Hecker, Ben Frost etc...

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Re: Computer based ambient drone: Tim Hecker, Ben Frost etc.

Post by spacelordmother »

Have just started digging into the Axoloti and it's amazing. There need to be more talk about this thing. Lots to learn about the coding environment (it's a lot like MAX or PD) but making things that produce interesting sounds/possibilities isn't that hard to get ahold of. Made a quick drone synth that looks like this:

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Basically 4 pairs of oscillators (one sine, one saw with selectable offset) with the crossfade modulated by a lfo, and a filtered noise oscillator with envelope into a master resonant 4 pole LPF. Seems like lots of people try to use it to build "The Ultimate Synthesizer" (which it seems capable of) but I find it so awesome just for quick ideas/projects that pop in my head. Plus -- you can load patches onto SD cards to use like cartridges so it works perfectly for this. :snax:

Here's a quick recording -- all sounds are the Axoloti with just a little reverb applied in Ableton. (Axo does reverb, I just haven't gotten there yet.) Wish Soundcloud embeds still worked:
https://soundcloud.com/spacelordmother/axo-drone-1
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Re: Computer based ambient drone: Tim Hecker, Ben Frost etc.

Post by D.o.S. »

Going to check that out later today.


On a related note I've been looking into Noatikl recently for similar yet really different reasons. Seems like it could be fun, except that all of the music I've been making recently seems to sound like South Pacific Robot Brothel jams, which don't really require this sort of tone (yet).
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Re: Computer based ambient drone: Tim Hecker, Ben Frost etc.

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D.o.S. wrote:Going to check that out later today.

On a related note I've been looking into Noatikl recently for similar yet really different reasons.
Noatikl looks awesome. I should note (since I didn't) that the best part of the Axoloti is that you can upload the patch into the hardware and then use it without a computer, which is always what I wanted from MAX or PD.

D.o.S. wrote:South Pacific Robot Brothel jams
Link? :!!!:
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Re: Computer based ambient drone: Tim Hecker, Ben Frost etc.

Post by D.o.S. »

Sure! If you listen closely you'll hear a bit where I unconsciously start to nick the ending progression from Closer, then realize it, then say fuck it and continue anyway. (Maybe vaguely NSFW)
https://soundcloud.com/escapecraft/wait ... ot-brothel

Also, on topic, here's a test of the QuNexus + an Ableton instrument/patch of my own design for some drone-y vaguely sitarish guitar. Sounds like Queen Elephantine.
https://soundcloud.com/escapecraft/qunexus-test-2
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Re: Computer based ambient drone: Tim Hecker, Ben Frost etc.

Post by resincum »

that is fucking sick..
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Re: Computer based ambient drone: Tim Hecker, Ben Frost etc.

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resincum wrote:that is fucking sick..
Yeah, digging that almost out of control resonance!
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Re: Computer based ambient drone: Tim Hecker, Ben Frost etc.

Post by D.o.S. »

That would be a feedback loop attached to the non-filtered drum loop for the triggering with an independent LFO controlling the intensity, if I remember rightly :)*
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Re: Computer based ambient drone: Tim Hecker, Ben Frost etc.

Post by Aquietcabin1978 »

Oh dang, Have loved max since college but not toting a laptop. Sounds hip as stink.
spacelordmother wrote:Have just started digging into the Axoloti and it's amazing. There need to be more talk about this thing. Lots to learn about the coding environment (it's a lot like MAX or PD) but making things that produce interesting sounds/possibilities isn't that hard to get ahold of. Made a quick drone synth that looks like this:

Image

Basically 4 pairs of oscillators (one sine, one saw with selectable offset) with the crossfade modulated by a lfo, and a filtered noise oscillator with envelope into a master resonant 4 pole LPF. Seems like lots of people try to use it to build "The Ultimate Synthesizer" (which it seems capable of) but I find it so awesome just for quick ideas/projects that pop in my head. Plus -- you can load patches onto SD cards to use like cartridges so it works perfectly for this. :snax:

Here's a quick recording -- all sounds are the Axoloti with just a little reverb applied in Ableton. (Axo does reverb, I just haven't gotten there yet.) Wish Soundcloud embeds still worked:
https://soundcloud.com/spacelordmother/axo-drone-1
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Re: Computer based ambient drone: Tim Hecker, Ben Frost etc.

Post by Aquietcabin1978 »

One question about the Axoloti. How are you triggering? Just curious as I may snag one this week.
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Re: Computer based ambient drone: Tim Hecker, Ben Frost etc.

Post by louderthangod »

I really wish that didn't look like homework. I need to quit my day job just to find the time to learn all of this.
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Re: Computer based ambient drone: Tim Hecker, Ben Frost etc.

Post by spacelordmother »

Aquietcabin1978 wrote:One question about the Axoloti. How are you triggering? Just curious as I may snag one this week.
That patch is always on drone oscillators, so no triggering. I have 32 parameters midi-mapped to my midi fighter twister for live tweaking.

Are you wondering about midi triggers or gates or buttons/footswitches?
louderthangod wrote:I really wish that didn't look like homework. I need to quit my day job just to find the time to learn all of this.
There's tons in there to learn (feel like I've barely scratched the surface) but so far it has mostly made sense and felt like patching a synth or pedal board. Things like this are wayyyy better for my brains than trying to learn to code Arduino or something. :no:
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Re: Computer based ambient drone: Tim Hecker, Ben Frost etc.

Post by ProCarsteNation »

spacelordmother wrote:Have just started digging into the Axoloti and it's amazing. There need to be more talk about this thing. Lots to learn about the coding environment (it's a lot like MAX or PD) but making things that produce interesting sounds/possibilities isn't that hard to get ahold of. Made a quick drone synth that looks like this:

Image

Basically 4 pairs of oscillators (one sine, one saw with selectable offset) with the crossfade modulated by a lfo, and a filtered noise oscillator with envelope into a master resonant 4 pole LPF. Seems like lots of people try to use it to build "The Ultimate Synthesizer" (which it seems capable of) but I find it so awesome just for quick ideas/projects that pop in my head. Plus -- you can load patches onto SD cards to use like cartridges so it works perfectly for this. :snax:

Here's a quick recording -- all sounds are the Axoloti with just a little reverb applied in Ableton. (Axo does reverb, I just haven't gotten there yet.) Wish Soundcloud embeds still worked:
https://soundcloud.com/spacelordmother/axo-drone-1
oooooh interesting! And that Axoloti Core is just 65$?! Have you made a case for it, powersupply and all?

sweet drone, too! :thumb:
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Re: Computer based ambient drone: Tim Hecker, Ben Frost etc.

Post by spacelordmother »

ProCarsteNation wrote:oooooh interesting! And that Axoloti Core is just 65$?! Have you made a case for it, powersupply and all?

sweet drone, too! :thumb:
I know, I couldn't pass it up for that price! Only took about a week to arrive from Belgium. No case yet, but mounted it inside of a small box I had laying around to get it up off the desk surface and prevent possible shorts. It's on my list of things to do, but I am debating if I want to hardwire dedicated controls to it or just use it with midi controllers (having a built-in usb host is amazing) so I haven't really worked on it yet.

Thanks! :)*
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Re: Computer based ambient drone: Tim Hecker, Ben Frost etc.

Post by Faldoe »

Can that Axoloti be used without being tethered to a computer? Flashing that little thing for a looper and housing it in a small box would make for some cool stuff.

Can potentiometers be wired to it some how?
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Re: Computer based ambient drone: Tim Hecker, Ben Frost etc.

Post by spacelordmother »

Faldoe wrote:Can that Axoloti be used without being tethered to a computer? Flashing that little thing for a looper and housing it in a small box would make for some cool stuff.

Can potentiometers be wired to it some how?
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Let's talk about it here: viewtopic.php?f=149&t=54111
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