How to make Brian Eno style Generative Music // 20 ideas & tools // Ableton, Eurorack, Modular, VCV

[@MatheusLeston]

After many many years trying completely different approaches in electronic music production, I finally feel that I arrived at something I'm truly happy: last year I started building my modular system and I have no sequencers, lfos or any kind of "cv generator". Everything is controlled by Max/Msp via a bunch of very weird sequencers I programmed. And for me the most inspiring thing to do is to generate everything by controlled randomness: looped sequencers that change length, speed and notes randomly. As an old time generative / ambient music lover and programmer, it has being a truly amazing journey and I finally feel that I got something special and inspiring (at least to myself).

[@blakejaeger154]

This video is the culmination of basically everything I've been looking for in the past week, well organized and explained as usual. Love this channel

[@loopop]

Great to hear!

[@Finiteintelligence]

The fluency in multiple paradigms is astounding. Great video.

[@OmriCohen-Music]

Oh man, there are so many things to explore now... Great video!

[@wimwijn1]

VCV guru, well done Omri

[@loopop]

Thanks sooo much for contributing!

[@ferment4life]

Part 2 would be amazing! I really love your videos and am always up for new generative ideas - it's one of my favourite things to do with modular. Thank you for the wonderful insights!

[@storkystork7262]

I really appreciate you showing some things in ableton, as I work out of ableton, but derive a lot of inspiration from modular-style music production.

[@loopop]

Thanks! Yes it’s really great that tools like Ableton and Bitwig are increasingly implementing modular style tools

[@ConwayBob]

One of the things that attracted me to Cakewalk nearly 30 years ago was its inclusion of a scripting system and language (CAL). You could use it to program generative (or, as people back then tended to call it, parametric) music, and you could include random elements via the Random function.

[@ClayF403]

I absolutely love the details in your videos, like the timestamps and the glossary on the left side. So perfect!!

[@Fedor_Tkachev_Music]

+1 for part 2, 3, 4 and so on))

[@Gruftgrabbler]

+1 Part 2

[@pawnotdaw4559]

What they said, please

[@loopop]

Mr. Fedor I got to 4! See description

[@Fedor_Tkachev_Music]

@@loopop my man!

[@GuitarManiac1975]

Once again the full load of inspiring creative ideas (and even a little bit of iOS apps) in a definitely NOT too long video 😉! Thanks, Ziv!

[@jeffersonyahir6507]

Instablaster.

[@thetonynealproject7400]

This is sooo great! I’d love to see another video of making Generative music just using ableton! You are awesome!!

[@ebrainv]

That's a great video, Can't wait for part 2...

[@danglover4603]

This is one of my favourite videos of yours ever, definitely need a part 2!!

[@NeekoTheFreeko]

Great stuff. Laughed with love at 2:18! Thumbs up Bud. Generative is what drew me to modular and I appreciate your teaching style. Lay on

[@SynthSoundscapes]

Thanks for this, has really inspired me to explore that Eno-esque approach. You really nailed sharing the philosophy, the results and the practical ideas.

[@Elizabeth-vh6il]

Interesting video. Thanks. Most generative videos I've seen tend to focus solely on the "out of control" stuff rather than the more subtle things.

[@dlanier2622]

Absolutely brilliant - lots of great ideas clearly communicated. Terrific channel!

[@cesarreula]

So instructive, original and reusable! Please, yes, make a second part. Your whole channel is great.

[@loopop]

Thanks! See link in description for at least 3 more as of now

[@octanehead]

This is the best and most interesting modular tutorial I’ve seen. Thanks for sharing this!

[@manniejof4670]

Loopop , u never cease to Amaze me with your creative thought process mixed with ingenious ingenuity ! Thanks for sharing 😌

[@rochefsky]

that patch walkthrough was hiding well in here.... Wow - thank you once again!

[@rayderrich]

This video opened my eyes and ears to some many possibilities. I am very grateful!

[@PeterJoslynHarris]

Amazed at the beauty that can come out of these tools. Thanks so much for this video. Would love to see another one too.

[@loopop]

Thanks! Links to 3 more (as of the time of this comment) in the description

[@somegeezer]

Big love for some Omri appreciation.

[@loopop]

Yesss!

[@moosgummi4480]

Wouldn´t it have been great to put a link somewhere? You told me to check out their channel, and I only had to browse some comments to find out how their name is written, but it should be easier...

[@loopop]

Added!

[@moosgummi4480]

Nice!

[@infn8loopmusic]

This is my new favorite channel. Great tutorials, great sounds, great patches and awesome production value. Thanks for putting time and effort into these videos and this channel.

[@Larry30102]

Being a few years old, these concept are still valid most helpful. You’re a great teacher, and much appreciated!

[@douglasl2409]

This video is so incredibly useful! I do hope you decide to make that follow up. Thanks for making this and all your other videos.

[@loopop]

Thanks! I have - see description for 3 more episodes!

[@SimoneDMarques]

Very useful tips, thank you for this video! It contains almost everything you need to create a lovely generative song.

[@daveclark4204]

I can’t like this enough and I don’t even have Ableton or a modular set-up! I love your videos in general and this one is very fascinating. The problem is that I’m afraid of generative music and modular stuff because I would never leave the house and be poor as can be, hahaha! Yes, I would love to see a part 2 video! Keep up the great work!

[@fakshen1973]

This is like the Rosetta Stone between the DAW and Eurorack. We are not worthy.

[@taurean904]

Yes, please do a part 2 (if you already haven’t). So useful to get this info in video form vs. written!

[@loopop]

Thanks! Yes, hopefully in a couple of weeks...

[@DisintegrationZerfall]

I found your channel as I was looking for demos of microfreak and I stumbled upon this video. Instant sub!! Please make a part 2 of this and upload the generative eurorack patch as a seperate 10 minute video just for listening purposes.

[@loopop]

Thanks! there's a 30 minute version on Patreon and a 9 minute on my Facebook for free ;)

[@theboytheycalljonny1]

Thanks for another fantastic video. Really well put together and easy (as it can be) to understand. Please keep these coming. Thank you.

[@robertsyrett1992]

I would definitely love to hear some more of your generative patching ideas! Especially on iPad and Digitakt (maybe those two together?).

[@theorist5497]

Would love to see a follow up to this video and more videos like the tape loop sampler trick. I love these kinds of things from the slightly more experimental or left-field of music production. Regardless, I love your videos. The ones on the Deluge helped me out especially well when first getting my hands on it. Thanks for all you do!

[@jimmy_jamesjams_a_lot4171]

SO MANY videos featuring the modular gear are tagged with the word ‘ambient’, until I’ve grown ashamed that this word could be applied to music at all! But this last patch of yours, with the pentatonic minor quantizing on the O and C! That is the MOST ambient patch that I’ve ever heard! It’s so beautiful that I’ll be playing with these principles that you’ve shared here until I’ve got a fairly close example of a patch that sounds close enough to it! I’m reminded, though, of the 4ms Multi Spectral Band Resonator(?!) because that module seems to me to be a great way to play with harmonic components and timbres of a sound, and get these generative sine waves to sing out at random. I want that spectral resonator module, I’ll buy it soon as I can afford it. Thanks for sharing, you have great insight and have strong vocabulary that’s well suited to your topics! Great job again!

[@toxto]

I might have missed it but since I don't have a quantizer I use Keystep to give me random quantized notes. In Arp mode I select random pattern, press the hold button and hold the notes/scales/chords I want in my set of random notes. I set the rate really fast and then sample and hold with a module in my modular the pitch CV at a lower, musical rate.

[@dr.strangevelo6031]

New to the channel. This was gorgeous. Great stuff, I loved this even though it really drove home how little I know. Thank you for taking the time to talk these things through.

[@freeelectron8261]

The U2 Sunday bloody example was so clever!

[@McN4styFilth]

This is one of your best videos yet. Really informative and helpful for a lot of different types of production.

[@loopop]

Thanks!

[@DrVagoLoco]

Out of a lot of videos, this one really is a mind opener. Can’t wait for more :)

[@CodyDeMatteis]

this is why i back you on kickstarter. comprehensive ideas not just locked to a module or platform.

[@garaughty]

Awesome tutorial... love the Turing machine concept used in music !

[@winddealer1]

Consistent purposeful quality and value again and again!

[@RikMaxSpeed]

Fantastic video: really appreciate how many ideas & approaches you’ve covered - I’m sure i could lose days evolving patterns and patches!

[@loopop]

Thanks - Glad you enjoyed it!

[@dormaettu302]

the way this is teach is amazing, from the resume to the visuals, instructions... thanks

[@JosefK93]

Very inspiring video, thanks! Generative music is interesting but very challenging, it's often tempting to throw away all the cables after a few hours and just multitrack a monosynth with the keyboard :p

[@lorinatzen]

Love this one! Please more! Episode 2, 3, 5, [Rnd] -> Out

[@loopop]

Others in the description!

[@DanielDaniel-ql6oq]

Love love love that you’re relating these concepts. Need to sit down with my synthesizer and explore more generative stuff!

[@raytbrown2]

The U2 reference melted me. Thank you!

[@raytbrown2]

I just sent this link & timestamp to a friend. We saw them open with this song in MIA a few years ago. Both awesome & unexpected; just as this was a Christmas gift from you to us; as I have been watching & learning from you for years and only this once have I spotted an actual song. Thank you for the unexpected gift! @loopop

[@lince4824]

A definitive way to put an end to boredom forever lol, thank you!

[@accidentaltrigger]

Always like your modular chats, thanks for this one on generative.

[@AlejandroGuerrero]

I just put an NI TR-01 9-step bass cycling pattern in a 4/4 trance theme and only that changed the whole and made the track unique... I started digging and landed in your video! This is incredible! I'll give it a try with the Max for Live randomizer devices. Thanks!!!

[@unsaame9505]

That’s it, have my money then ;-) Seriously, many thanks for sharing these videos. they are immensely helpful. And of course we want a part 2!

[@loopop]

My pleasure - thanks for your support - it’s what keeps these coming ;)

[@RasTuft]

Awesome!! I’m gonna have to watch this several times. Thanks. Can’t wait for part 2

[@loopop]

Thanks! See description for parts 1-4!

[@TravellingSynths]

Part two, please! This is great (and definitely not too long). Curious to hear more thoughts on the concept of generative music. Analysis of Brian Eno and other composers' works perhaps?

[@loopop]

Thanks! Working on it...

[@hmosc]

Your videos are brilliant. They are more than demos or tutorials. Thanks.

[@LiamFlanagan-dd9wb]

Hi loopop, great video would love to see a part 2 or more if possible.

[@TROGULAR10000]

Definitely up for part two if you are. After watching your videos and having learned a few tricks also from the book it makes me wonder who would be a couple of your favorite artists currently releasing generative, modular, and even hard-wired synth music.

[@loopop]

On the generative side I really like what Ann Annie is doing - even though there's some non generative stuff there too. Regarding the rest about half the intro jams in my videos original but the other half are covers of artists I like so there's quite a lot of them ;)

[@TROGULAR10000]

@@loopop thanks, will listen to Ann Annie more closely

[@vladimirponikarovsky2097]

This video is just marvelous! Thank you very much, I am a fan of your work and style.

[@tennhard]

Fantastic work. I love the back and forth between DAW and Modular. Very inspiring all around.

[@djpeterso23662]

+1 for part 2. It would be lovely to hear about some Cubase options similar to the Live options. Great video!

[@SteveMc870]

Great stuff, as always. Would definitely be interested in a part two on this topic!

[@Dayglodaydreams]

I'm only into the 1st 6 minutes of this, and I'm loving it.

[@CCL1603]

Great video! Reviews are great but i would sure appreciate more educational ones, thanks for this!

[@loopop]

Thanks! I feel like this entire video was an educational one, but let me know which topics you think I should expand on, and I would be happy to consider it.

[@AaronHuslage]

Phenomenal! I love the discussion of generative techniques.

[@bgebhard]

This is a very well done video! I'd love a part 2!

[@denovaire]

wonderful generative solution for arturia's matrixbrute is putting in a scale and "empty" steps into the sequencer and randomizing it! good thing: already quantized and in sync :)

[@shaft9000]

@ 4:25 the first sequence was more interesting than the later scaled notes. As soon as I heard it, it evoked a heightened sense of urgency, as in a chase or psychodrama. As soon as you forced it to scale it lost this character, and was yanked into shape by the quantizer to sound like a warm-up at the start of a piano lesson.

[@drewburke6371]

I actually found myself liking the totally randomized sequences more at times too

[@PanopticMotion]

Your modular rack sounds amazing. I want to create a replica for myself :)

[@AmbientMusicStudio]

When I hear this style of music I just want to run to my studio and start making sounds. These tips are really helpful.

[@loopop]

Holy crap the alert I got for your message said "When I hear this style of music I just want to run" so I'm happy it turned out quite differently

[@AmbientMusicStudio]

@@loopop LOL! Sorry for the scare.

[@loopop]

Ha no worries not your fault :)

[@isaac.anthony]

You just taught me what a quantizer was in eurorack, thanks!

[@Michael-vd2tv]

“unless you speak droid” had me weak

[@robgrainger5314]

I've just started investigating Kotja, which was written by the developers of Koan Pro, the program Brian Eno used to release Generative Music 1. The amount of control available is a bit overwhelming initially, but is so flexible that I'm going to persevere.

[@timmbrockmann959]

I find this very interesting...some people might say, this is for non musicians and it requires less skill, which to a degree might be true, but it gives somehow more life to the machines, so they become more intelligent, and the human is more in position of a conductor who makes decisions - in a way, this is very describing for recent evolution in technology and artificial intelligence in general. Very fascinating

[@seanrubin2897]

You are so awesome, man. Thank you for all of your hard work on these videos.

[@erynwells4606]

Would love to see a part 2. This was great!

[@scottmetoyermusic8449]

Fantastic - got a month's worth of ideas in the first 5 minutes!

[@litpnm]

Dude. Love your stuff. Just joined your Patreon, because I've wanted to read your book for a very long time. You should convince Omri Cohen to do his own book!

[@loopop]

Awesome - thanks for your support! Yes, Omri is a fountain of knowledge for sure!

[@valk_real]

Thank you so much for all the information Loopop!

[@AlexanderPossegger]

yes, please part 2 aswell and THANK YOU!

[@loopop]

Thanks - see description for 3 more!

[@briannolan]

Another vote for "more of this type of thing"!

[@mckrisbo]

+1

[@ninakramer1047]

That's fantastic! Thank you very much and yes, please for part 2.

[@loopop]

Thanks! Already released it - see description

[@munkejens]

Oh yes please! Part two! Very very nice video.

[@SeanKearney]

I've been following your work for a while and am a loyal Patreon subscriber too (and your constantly evolving book is easily one of the best I've read by anyone!). That said, this is the video I've been waiting for and loved every timestamped bit of it! Part 2 (and more) would be greatly appreciated especially with focused topics like iPad apps, racks, etc. Thanks again for helping making KZbin what it can be!

[@loopop]

Sean Kearney thank you so much! Yes there will certainly be a part 2 in light of the response to this. The main ideas of 2 will be in the next book update but I will probably beef it up some more when shooting time comes ;)

[@lfarrolas]

This video is a must.

[@adamalthus]

One of your best vids yet. Yes to parts 2,3,...

[@smacksalad]

Thank you. I learned a lot from this video. I definitely would like a part 2 and more. An ongoing series would be marvelous. Personally I'm using Reaper DAW and a load of software, but also a beatstep pro, softpop, field kit + fx, and a reface cs. I havent quite cracked how to get it all doing what I want, generatively speaking :) This video has helped a lot, thanks!

[@kirkegodfrey414]

Nice work and I see what you were referring to re that Blocks patch I sent.

[@HiItsCal]

part 2 please, amazing video as per usual!

[@heathrezabek]

I've been thinking a lot about this lately, and also beginning to hesitantly look into Eurorack. I'd be really curious to see or hear an update on this question, and whether anything's changed in the year and a half since this excellent video was made!

[@loopop]

Thanks! I made three other generative videos (linked in the description) and all the tips and ideas are in my book, including whatever else I figure out along the way

[@equalequalslopezcartoons3702]

Alright, you win I've enjoyed too much of your content and I need that book.

[@loopop]

Thanks :)

[@snoopyoverthehills]

what a great and inspriring video! it definitely needs a part 2! also it's great to see you team up with omri cohen!

[@Hyper5nic]

Thank you for sharing these interesting musical ideas to run with. For a long time (about 14 years) my first and only synth was a Roland SH-101 paired with a simple multi-effects unit. When I ran into it's limits this inspired me to become more creative. This group of modifications I like to call, 'ride the arpeggio'. Instead of just playing chords I modify all kinds like: - switch 'latch' on and off - vary the arpeggio-length - vary the gate-length and last but not least - play melodies and chords alternately The result isn't always musical, but still lots of fun. Would love to know if you tried this and what your thoughts are. Have a magical musical week, cheers.

[@f_stop]

Fascinating. Part 2, please!

[@marcotronic]

Awesome video! Seems there never was a part 2, right?! Would love to see this! :)

[@loopop]

Thanks - there are three others :) see description

[@marcotronic]

@@loopop great! Thanks!!! :)

[@Hyper5nic]

Thank you for sharing so many great ideas in such a short space of time. Most of what I learned of sound synthesis was from a book 'Becoming a Synthesizer Wizard'. If any of these ideas are found in your e-book, I look forward to learning from that one too. Take care and have a great weekend!

[@DMT1985]

I looooooooove this! Been following you for a while. Thanks for sharing and helping

[@loopop]

Thanks for your comment ;)

[@donaldpfotenhauer8517]

Would love to see a part 2.

[@maxmartinez6430]

Reason has a good one called the Quad Note Generator. It has 4 lanes of sequencing in which you set the parameters for the randomness

[@PaulRichards78]

Amazing Thanks Especially Ableton, different clip lengths for polyrhythms