005//Bittersweet Memories [Melodic Ambient] - 2x Mother 32 Modular, Eventide Space and Timefactor

A pensive, melodic, semi-self-generating modular patch using a small Eurorack setup sent through an Eventide Timefactor on band delay setting and an Eventide Space black hole reverb. No other processing has been applied.
The patch is semi-random; the lower Mother 32 supplies an invisible sequence with the Assign output set to random stepped voltage. This random voltage is patched to the Run/Stop input of the higher Mother 32, randomly starting and stopping its sequence, which is how the sequence moves so slowly. The lower Mother 32 supplies the bass drone, with Maths changing its pitch occasionally. The Minimod OSC supplies a higher pitch, and a Mother 32 Noise output supplies the 'wind'. The wind's 'swooshing' comes from the Timefactor; the delays are band-pass filtered with the cutoff frequency modulated by an internal LFO, creating the lovely resonant delays.
If you want to recreate this patch, you can find it here:
www.modulargri...
Do you like this patch? Do you not? Why? Tell me in the comments if you have any feedback, it helps me improve my videos!
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[@MrHollabk]

Dude you are one of a kind great gringo!! Thanks not only for the music, but also that you share the patches with us to get some insight. Thank you kind sir!

[@josephprever]

Beautiful as usual. I love to put these on while I work, both to help me concentrate and to keep me inspired for next time I get to sit down with my own setup.

[@voicedrifter]

Ditto. Listening to this stuff is coding bliss.

[@mikedavies6461]

This is so good - perfection infact. So much space between each tone , giving the whole ensemble a timeless feel.

[@datcupcakequeen]

Still Excellent.

[@angeldc54]

Beautiful music indeed

[@influxxmedia]

This really made my afternoon so much more pleasant. Thank you

[@peteinindia3914]

Nice melancholic ambient, would love to hear some little more drama evolving in between.

[@AlastairWilsonMusic]

In retrospect, I agree. I was very tired when I made this patch, and so created something that was very slow and I could listen to for an hour without thinking. Now I'm more awake, I feel it's a bit boring, but when I'm tired again I'm sure I'll appreciate it more!

[@girlinagale]

@@AlastairWilsonMusic I spend time with the Mothers tweaking drones, sipping coffee, making lunch, leaving them playing, adding a sequence note or patch cable, just spending time with them. I'd like to do an hour set like that, no drums or lead lines. But we have this conditioned voice telling us to try to entertain the "audience", but we have to do what we love and say a big FU! to the restrictions imposed on us.

[@lostoscillator]

Those are some great tones. Looking forward to the extended version.

[@itwasthewires]

this is great. thoughtful patch and soulful bleeps, well done!

Beautiful!

[@drfluffy3983]

Very nice

[@stephenparry6811]

has an eno thursday afternoon vibe to it.....

[@mistergenerator5430]

Agreed. Very Eno. A beautiful piece.

[@kentxx12]

Beautiful music :)

[@Lapinoire]

Awesome stuff! Keep it coming! :) still trying to justify buying my first MM32 XD

[@AlastairWilsonMusic]

I'm on a mission to make you get one now. Good luck resisting...

[@Lapinoire]

Alastair Wilson don't think I need much persuading just finances!! Haha! Brought a monologue recently and love it, this is my next step!

[@YannGuillermou]

Space. I should follow that example sometime! Sounds like Rings at times, weird.

[@Almanacs]

This is awesome!

[@FunkTree]

Beauty

[@josephrasbold2180]

How did you synthesize the higher/melody notes? Is that the maths? If so, could you please tell me what you did to make that sound (waveforms, filter, etc.). I love when it sounds like a plucked staccato note. Awesome job btw, I'm loving your music!

[@AlastairWilsonMusic]

Glad you like my music! The pluck is a pretty simple M32 patch - saw wave through a low pass filter with low cutoff and resonance, the envelope (affecting cutoff and volume) is a pluck with short attack and long decay. There's some modulation to make the filtering of each pluck different too. The different pluck tones you can hear are coming from the delay doing some bandpass filtering, nothing to do with waveshapers or whatever! You can see the exact settings through the patch diagram link in the description if you're interested.

[@josephrasbold2180]

Omg this is perfect. Thank you so much for taking the time to reply! It's such an expressive and emotional sound, really hits you right in the feels; especially when it sits on top of everything else in this mix. Definitely a sound I need to make use of in my own productions, thank you again!!!

[@AlastairWilsonMusic]

My pleasure! I believe most of the emotion comes from the chord progression rather than the patch though - it jumps between C major and E minor, which is a very classic emotional and 'bittersweet' chord progression (hence the video name). Play around and find out what works for you :)

[@InvertedPopesMusic]

Greatness again. Slightly off topic, what camera and lens do you use. Love the sparseness of the sound.

[@AlastairWilsonMusic]

It's just an iPhone 6S camera, nothing special. I haven't changed that at all throughout my videos!

[@InvertedPopesMusic]

Wow and there’s me thinking gotta be a nice camera. Going to try my iPhone 6s now as clearly up to the job.

[@AlastairWilsonMusic]

It's pretty awful in low light conditions, but that worked well for the lo-fi visuals so I stuck with it. I'm pretty sure you can always make do with what you have if you try hard enough!

[@jonaseggen2230]

Love it. Sweet yet dark. What is veils doing here?

[@AlastairWilsonMusic]

Veils is acting as a VCA for most of the sounds, and as the output mixer. I tend to use it like that for most of my patches - having a module which is both a quad mixer and VCA is a godsend for small setups like mine!

[@jonaseggen2230]

Tnx for reply : ) I got a mother like half a year ago and just recently a case for modules. I only got two modules that I bought second hand because I wanted to get the MI Clouds, and then for some reason I bought the MI Shelves from the same guy, what I thought was a bargain but later discovered is the older version. I also got a a Soundcraft mixer and some pedals. I use a Korg Monotron, Boss Loop Station, and a record and a tape player + a digital piano as sound sources. I also got an Arturia Keystep. As you can see Clouds at the moment is almost only like an effects pedal in this setup. I wonder whether to get another mother or a Lifeforms sv-1. The sv-1 has more to play with but not so sure I like the sound of it that much. My first synth was a Microbrute that I got bored of after a year, basically because the sound is generally to "brute" for me, so I don't want to do that mistake again. I'm also considering prioritizing modules and get some modulations, like Batumi and or Intellijel Quadra, and then something to attenuate them with like MI shades and or Blinds. Or maybe I just start with Maths, that on another hand might be a bit intimidating. As I got an external mixer I don't think I need Veils for now. Mutable has some really tempting modules though, at a what seems to be a wherry reasonable price, and not to hard to figure out for a newbie. I'm also thinking about getting another reverb, like the one from Empress, or the less expensive AvalancheRun from Earthquaker Devices. Oh! yes, what I do is basically ambient, repetitive minimalist, and drone stuff. If you have been bothered reading this far, maybe you have some thoughts on this?

[@AlastairWilsonMusic]

(1/2) My first reaction is DON'T get a Lifeforms SV-1 if you don't like the sound. You never will enjoy using it and eventually you'll sell it anyway. It's better to get a synth/module you like the sound of and supplement it with more modules if necessary. That way you'll create an instrument you actually like! I would recommend getting a semimodular if you're already considering it though. It will quickly provide you with things like OSCs, a filter, an LFO, etc, so you don't have to buy them separately as modules. You should prioritise having utility modules first, then modulation modules, then 'interesting' modules; all 'interesting' modules work best when you modulate them, and you need utilities to do pretty much anything. Clouds has 8 modulation inputs - that's 8 LFOs or EGs you need to fully unlock its power, before even considering sending many modulations to one input! If you only want to modulate a Clouds input a little, then you'll need an attenuator for that input. If you want to change the amount of modulation over time, you'll need a VCA and another modulation source. If you want to send many modulations to one input, you'll need a mixer. If you want to send the same modulation to multiple sources, you'll need a multiple. Etc.

[@AlastairWilsonMusic]

(2/2) You'll find that many modules include extras like utilities built in, usually attenuators (on the Mother 32, the 'VCA Mod Amount' knob is an example). Also, many utilities have dual functions - Veils is primarily a quad VCA, but also happens to function as a mixer, which is useful in many cases. In my setup, I have 5 'interesting' modules: 3 OSCs and 2 filters. To supplement these, I have 2 LFOs, 2 EGs, 3 LFOs/EGs, 2 sequencers, and whatever modulation I choose to get from the 2 'Assign' outputs. For utilities, in total I have 4 attenuators, 4 attenuverters, 8 VCAs, 4 slew limiters (Maths and the Glide controls), and as many mixers and multiples as I want by using Stackcables instead of modules. I'm probably forgetting quite a few too. I often find myself wishing I had more modulation sources! If I had more modulation sources, I'd need more attenuators, mixers, etc..... I'm also missing a lot of utilities that I wish I had like dedicated clock dividers, sequential switches, etc. I had to prioritise due to the limited hp I have. I think you should get Maths, Veils, and either Batumi or Intellijel Quadra, alongside another semimodular. Maths is actually not too hard to get your head around, and it's indispensable. Veils is a quad VCA, and you will use it all the time, trust me, even if it's not your output mixer (it's mine to save hp). Batumi or Quadra will give you plenty of modulation possibilities. Get those, and your setup will be much more powerful than mine! I wouldn't recommend Blinds though - it's not quite the same as a VCA and I think it will confuse you more than Maths.

[@jonaseggen2230]

Thank you so much for comprehensible and detailed advice! I think I'v decided to get another mother then. Can sometimes find them here in Oslo secondhand. The other semimodulars I've looked into eiter has to few inns and outs, like Erebus and Nyx, or something about the sound that I'm not that impressed by, like Atlantis that they sell her in a skiff, or Dark Energy. Then when I get some more money I'll probably go for Batumi, Veils, Maths and Quadra + mults (I got 84 HP minus Clouds and Shelves). After that I probably find out what I feel like prioritizing. As you say, clock dividers, attenuators, attenuverters, more vca's, another mixer, oscillator etc. etc. Thanks again. Really helpful : ) You might find these inspirational or interesting, If you don't know about them already... Hainbach He does some things on Eurorack to, but I think his works with tapes are best. He use that FieldKit a lot. "Nevada in my Dreams | Tapeloop, Fieldkit, OP1" kzbin.info/www/bejne/raitc3aDgpKkjqc Also Different artists on Modular On The Roof: Modular on the Roof 2 - Dreadbox Erebus and Intellijel Atlantis sequenced with Korg SQ1 kzbin.info/www/bejne/jGa9YYVvebhnq5I And finally: Delia Derbyshire (1937-2001) Crafted synthesized sounds for films, art, and TV, including the iconic arrangement for the “Doctor Who” theme. Delia Derbyshire - "Falling", from The Dreams (1964) kzbin.info/www/bejne/jXSpkKB-gKd7ac0

[@xorthontech]

Where are the two patch cables going to that is going off the page from Veils?

[@AlastairWilsonMusic]

Output to my audio interface, nothing that affects the patch.

[@maztik8r]

It is a little sparse the way it is. I tried turning up the volume but the bass drone ended up being too fatiguing. I tried changing the speed to 1.25x and that worked really well for the high tones, but the bass and noise were slightly too fast, but I still preferred it at 1.25x over 1x speed. I might feel differently if I were using it as a background for reading rather than something more active.

[@AlastairWilsonMusic]

Thanks for the feedback, I'll bear it in mind. Maybe just speeding up the sequence would have helped, but I'll see what I can do for future videos.

[@carlitosway8555]

Maybe you could show us how you patched it all up? Excellent piece btw. Reminds me of Blade Runner.

[@AlastairWilsonMusic]

The patch notes are in the description as a modulargrid link if you want to see all the settings and patching, but I won't be doing a separate video to re-patch it if that's what you mean, sorry. I'm glad you liked it though!

[@carlitosway8555]

Aha ! that's what i was looking for..didn't see it in the description. Thanks a lot man and really great work !

[@AlastairWilsonMusic]

No worries, just ask if you have any other questions!

[@qnonymouse1]

Man I wish there was a better patch sheet. I'd like to try these but can't really get it working just right

[@qnonymouse1]

Any advice on how to start making patches similar to this? Id love to learn what's all going on

[@AlastairWilsonMusic]

Here's what is in the description: - The patch is semi-random; the lower Mother 32 supplies an invisible sequence with the Assign output set to random stepped voltage. This random voltage is patched to the Run/Stop input of the higher Mother 32, randomly starting and stopping its sequence, which is how the sequence moves so slowly. The lower Mother 32 supplies the bass drone, with Maths changing its pitch occasionally. The Minimod OSC supplies a higher pitch, and a Mother 32 Noise output supplies the 'wind'. The wind's 'swooshing' comes from the Timefactor; the delays are band-pass filtered with the cutoff frequency modulated by an internal LFO, creating the lovely resonant delays. - To expand on that and explain: There are 4 voices in this patch: the bass, the plucks, the wind, and the higher-pitched note. The lower M32 is the bass, and is running a sequence of 1 rest. Because it's a rest, it doesn't trigger the envelope or anything. I'm running this so that I can take a random stepped voltage from the Assign output on every sequence step. That random voltage is patched to the Run/Stop input of the higher M32, which is providing the 'pluck'. Whenever there's a jump in voltage over a certain amount (perhaps 0V to 5V jump), the pluck sequence starts and stops, but because the voltage is randomly between -5V and 5V, we can't predict when that'll happen. The higher M32 also has a random stepped voltage coming from the Assign output, which changes on every pluck (it's running a melodic sequence which I've programmed). This random voltage is controlling the resonance of both M32s' filters, and basically (not quite as simply but still) the volume of the higher-pitched note (which the VCO in the row of modules provides). This M32 is being clocked by its own LFO, with the sequence Run/Stop being controlled randomly as I've explained already, and its filter cutoff is being slowly modulated with an LFO from Maths. Maths is essentially just 2 LFOs. One of them controls the filter cutoff of both M32s' filters, while the other controls the volume of the white noise (the wind sound). Whenever half of one cycle of the first LFO completes (when it stops rising and starts falling), the pitch of the bass changes. This is done by the End Of Rise gate output of the Maths being sent to the VCO Mod input of the lower M32, with the VCO Mod Amount knob controlling the tuning. You can hear how slowly this bass note changes, which gives you an idea of how slow the LFO is! The LFO time is also being modulated by a triangle LFO from the lower M32. The VCO in the module row is tuned to a high note and left there. The Triangle wave output is used, there's no modulation of the VCO. All the voices are mixed in Veils. The volume of the bass is modulated by an LFO from Maths, and the bass and plucks are mixed together in Veils and sent to both the left and right inputs of my guitar pedals (to make them mono). The white noise is sent to only one of the inputs so it's at the side of the stereo field, and the high pitched note (who's volume is controlled by a combination of random voltage and a square LFO) is sent to the other input. The rest is done by reverb and delay.

[@AlastairWilsonMusic]

As for generally how to make patches like this: I'm thinking of doing some videos on this exact topic, and in the meantime try copying the patches in my videos! (Be careful - in earlier patches I patched some outputs to outputs, which is dangerous to your gear. I stopped when I learnt that).

[@pierluigisalsano172]

Senza offesa, brani ben fatti, ma fotocopie Stessi suoni, anche non in uguale volume Troppo simili Sperimentare sarebbe meglio.... Ps e una idea.... Ciaoooo Pier

[@arneolson7114]

Appreciate all your stuff...I was looking for music to play drums to that takes me off the grid. I have some further ideas. They involve mixing other noise such as dragons and unknown creatures, traffic,human s sounds and repeating t stutterring...but this is actually spread wide enough to get some other experimenting in on the drums.

[@AlastairWilsonMusic]

Using delays/reverb tastefully and being careful with the melody lets you open up huge amounts of space in a mix before it stops working - I recommend you try it if you want to fill the gaps with drums!