AndreasKrebsBlog

Here we go, one video in full length:

Andreas Krebs: Improvisation XXIII - L’Origine du Monde from Andreas Krebs on Vimeo.

Have fun,
Andreas

Here’s a new work:

http://www.andreaskrebs.de/assets/media/improvisation-20101120a.mp3

Track length is 21:55. 

No overdubs, everything is done on a Doepfer A-100, recorded with Ableton Live and mastered with Steinberg Cubase. We have six voices here, in pairs of two:

1 + 2) At the beginning, you hear a simple melody (taken from my “work in progress for years” second symphony), unisono on two solo voices, slightly panned left and right. First one is an A-111 VCO (saw out) sent through a modulated A-137-1 Wave Multiplier I and then into an A-106-5 SEM VCF (LP/HP out) and an A-132-3 VCA. The second one is another A-111 VCO (also saw out) sent into a modulated A-137-2 Wave Multiplier II and an A-124 Wasp VCF and an A-132-3 VCA.

3 + 4) These are sequencer / bass lines we hear somewhat later. First one (panned slightly to the left) is made of thee A-110 VCOs (triangle and saw out) mixed and sent into an A-121 VCF (HP out used) and then into an A-132-3 VCA. VCA output is then processed by an A-188-2 Tapped BBD, two A-108 VCFs (one for each BBD mix out) and an A-101-3 Vactrol Phaser. The other sequencer line (panned slightly to the right) is also built from three A-110 VCOs (triangle and pulse outputs used), mixed (with some white noise) and sent into an A-101-1 Vactrol VCF and an A-131 VCA. After this, we go into an A-199 Spring reverb (with an A-188-1 BBD inserted into its feedback path) and an A-126 VC Frequency Shifter, controlled by an A-143-9 Quadrature LFO.

5 + 6) The last two are kind of percussion voices: Some A-117 Digital Noise is put into an A-101-2 Lowpass Gate and then into an A-132-3 VCA. The other one uses some colored noise from an A-118 sent into an A-106-6 Xpander VCF. Four of its outputs (4B, 2H1L, 4L and 2L) are then sent separately into an A-151 Sequential Switch. The 2H1L is sent into an A-189-1 VC Bit Modifier, the 2L into an A-115 Audio Divider before switching.

That’s it, basically. There are 6 A-140 ADSRs in use, some controlling via joystick and ribbon controller, as well as usage of master clock and midi recording of the main melody from Ableton Live (via Kenton interface). Rhythmical complexity is derived from two A-155/154 Sequencers (only using prime tone and octave), as well as some trigger twisting via A-160/A-161/A-186-1/A-162/A-165 and an A-113: the 113 being mis-used here as a programmable and automatically switchable clock divider for triggering the sequencers. Switching between stored divisions of the master clock is done as wel manually as automated via the two sequencers.

The two videos were filmed after recording of the track (well, obviously..) and show some of the nice blinkenlights of the patch used here.

Part 1:

Part 2:

Have fun,

Andreas

Again, I’m trying to combine and contrast well-known harmonics, rhythms and sounds with stranger (and sometimes quite ugly) things. Tone can become noise or rhythmic pulse and vice versa. Here we go:

http://www.andreaskrebs.de/assets/media/improvisation-20101101a.mp3

Track length is 28:20. No overdubs, everything is done with an A-100, recording and mixing with Ableton Live, mastering with Steinberg Cubase.

I’m starting with some chords, sounding somewhat cheesy. Three A-110 VCOs (pulse width modulated pulse waves, done with an A-143-9 ) are mixed with some blue noise from an A-118. The result is sent into an A-127 Triple Resonance VCF and then into an A-106-5 SEM VCF (highpass mode). Amplification by an A-132-3, controlled by an A-140 ADSR. The chords are “hardwired”, i.e. fixed transpositions of the VCOs, all VCOs are controlled by an A-155 Sequencer. The ADSR is triggered by the same sequencer, the sequencer trigger had tro be prolonged with an A-162 Trigger Delay.

Next thing you hear is a bass line (starting around 1:50). Three A-110 VCOs (sine wave 1 oct down, two sawtooth waves) were sent into an A-105 SSM 24 dB lowpass VCF and then into an A-131 VCA (for additional coloring), controlled by an A-140 ADSR. The bass sequence is controlled by another A-155 Sequencer (which is transposed by the first A-155 - via A-156 Quantizer) in 16-step mode, switching is done with an A-150 Dual VC Switch. This sequencer is the “clock master” of the patch. The above mentioned sequencer for the chord progression is triggered every 32 steps (via A-160 Clock Divider).

Then (around 3:35) there’s a rhythmic element. It is based on an A-117 Digital Noise Generator, sent through an A-132-1 VCA (for percussive loudness) and then into an A-188-2 Tapped BBD. The VCA is controlled by an A-142 VC Decay, triggered by an “rising / falling” trigger from the “clock master” sequencer’s clock. BBD output is then processed by an A-108 48 db lowpass VCF (to remove the BBD oscillator noise) and then by an A-136 Distortion / Waveshaper. Output is sent into an A-132-3 VCA (no modulation, just to control gain).

Another rhythmic / “sound effect” element appears around 6:10: two A-111 VCOs are sent into an A-114 Ring Modulator. The frequencies of the VCOs are controlled manually (with x- and y-voltages of an A-174-1 Joystick). After the ring modulator, we go into an A-188-1 BBD and an A-108 48 dB lowpass VCF (again to remove BBD noise). The result is sent into an A-199 Spring Reverb and then into an A-106-6 Xpander VCF. Both 3-pole lowpass and 3-pole highpass outputs are then crossfaded with an A-134-1 VC Panner. Filter crossfading and filter cutoff frequency are controlled by the joystick mentioned above. In order to keep the rhythm in sync when I use very low frequencies (i.e. some Hz only) as VCO frequency, both VCOs are softsynced to the “clock master” sequencer.

Around 13:30, another rhythmic element is introduced: white noise from an A-118 is sent through an A-101-1 Vactrol VCF and then into an A-189-1 VC Bit Modifier and an A-131 VCA. Filter (frequency, q) and Bitcruncher (bit manipulation and sampling rate) are controlled manually with an A-198 Ribbon Controller.

Somewhat later (around 16:50), the last element is introduced: a fast rhythmic sound, done with an “808-style” noise from an A-117 sent into an A-124 Wasp VCF and an A-132-3 VCA (modulated by another A-140).

Have Fun,

Andreas