Minimalist setups wasn't working for me until I tried THIS!

First actual music making video of the year! Appreciate all your comments and feedbacks!
#pianomusic #modularsynth #modularsynthesizers #modularsynthesis #granularsynthesis #musicstudio #recordingstudio #instruo #makenoisemusic #1010music #bitbox #arbhar #lubadh #arbhar #picasso #homerecordingstudio
___________________________________________________________________________
The keyboard on my desk is the
www.qwerkywriter.com
___________________________________________________________________________
Perfect Circuit Affiliate Links
1010 Music bitbox mk2
tinyurl.com/5n8r7y9a
Bluebox Performance Mixer/ Recorder
tinyurl.com/2s36btkp
Arbhar V2 Granular Audio Processor
tinyurl.com/596y7wt4
Lubadh Tape Emulator / Looper V2.0
tinyurl.com/53pm83cu
Morphagene Granular Sampler
tinyurl.com/pdkcs6ss

[@benasaro1043]

Interesting ideas! But I think you are conflating minimalism and reductivism a bit, and what you are demonstrating here is reductivism (taking a musical idea and subtracting from it until it becomes a new idea, as demonstrated by the Picasso series of drawings) not minimalism (adding as little as possible to to an idea until it is complete). I think you correctly refer to the process as reductivism, but you open the video talking about minimalist aesthetics, which isn’t the same thing to me, even though minimalism CAN be viewed as a type of reduction 😅. But thanks for getting me to think about these things on a deeper level than a typical ‘here’s my super stripped down rig’ video.

[@DUNGEONMUSICTHEATRE]

Thank you for the feedback. I think you are correct that I’m smearing minimalism with reductivism. In fact as I was editing this video, I thought similar. I will pin this to the top!

[@cardboardmusic]

Good point, to add to a fun and interesting video.

[@larix.elektro]

In fact, a lot of modular users say "Minimal setup". So it' not so wong to use the term "minimal". Maybe juste don't use "minimalISM" to avoid confusion. Because in this case it refers to a musical genre. Reductivism is less used, and so less understandable by most people (Am I right ??). But it's a very interesting comment, and video !

[@antfactor]

It's nice to hear you play piano! Cheers from Chelsea... 🙂

[@longline]

This is very relatable to me at the moment. I'm enjoying a cycle... Arrange, de-arrange, arrange, de-arrange, re-arrange, derange... Arrange. For me the result is a bit closer to the lawful improv you get among skilful band members. Musicians can know which note comes next, play it, not play it, or subvert expectations, etc. Musicians play off each other. Deconstructing composition, I'm learning to play off my own expectations a bit better.

[@DUNGEONMUSICTHEATRE]

Thanks for sharing! That aspect of musicians playing off each other - that’s something a lot of modular synth heads and solo home studio folks either have forgotten or seldom experience. Powerful stuff!

[@thomas_dries]

For minimalist setups, knowing exactly what you want to do is very important. I have a 42 HP setup for soundscapes consisting of just three modules (not including utilities). Having such a small setup can sometimes be limiting, but imposing limitations on yourself will force you to be more creative. Another cool thing about smaller setups is that they're portable, my setup runs on battery power so I am truly capable of taking it anywhere.

[@PandaPotPies]

This is a good jam thats valid for actual use

[@kevinallan126]

Brilliant! Would love to see the whole video 🙂

[@DUNGEONMUSICTHEATRE]

Will do!

[@maarzt]

the Dream well articulated

[@maxistork6060]

I think resuctivism is like forgeting an old memory. Sometimes we only keep the deep feelings, until it dies. Its a cycle just like life. Its beatiful though

[@dudfaz]

YES!

[@romanstehling6329]

Awesome! Always inspiring your creative use of modular! I find your approach of reduction similar to Picasso quite interesting. I am working with my setup, including Arbhar, Bitbox, Nebulae and Morphagene on a Wagner piece. My goal is more deconstruction, but I am just starting out and working on a concept. So, you just gave me some ideas at the right time! ;)

[@d3ndesign]

Good to see you are back in full swing. Really liked the modular composing you were doing, obviously very talented on the keyboard as well, but is nice to see that then expressed in modular format. And obviously we're here because of the modular side of things. Reductionism, or not, the resulting modular composition is very complex. One or two modules, as demonstrated, can do wonders with sound (I think Arbhar would fit so nicely in my setup... if I had the room) and as embellishments - depending on the context - it does make for a maximalist sound from very little, which I personally like and would love to do the whole orchestra thing on modular. The danger I think is the Picasso vs Dali duel, both contempories at the time. Picasso's abstract minimalism vs Dali's detailed surrealism. So just how close to a real orchestra should we strive to create. If we are going for realism but say with melting clocks then we are in the Dali camp, but if just hinting at the shape, of say an Oboe, then we are in the Picasso camp, how we get there is probably immaterial, the listener does care unless they are minimalists themselves. Personally I prefer Picasso to Dali so hopefully that would be reflected in my art. You asked about ideas we may also be working on or willing to share... well currently using modular to explore harmonics, amongst other things, and particularly interested in the choral frequencies that can be produced without using voice samples. Using the DAW to subtract the original frequencies producing the harmonies is quite a challenge though, especially from a stereo mix recorded dawless (Silicon Hearts, if you want to check it out... not self promoting btw).

[@DUNGEONMUSICTHEATRE]

Amazing! Thank you for sharing! Great insights here. Dali example is also right on point.

[@user-ng9uc3vu3k]

Thank you .. been meaning to get into kind of thing, too .. with a couple of chords that play off of each other, and into a granular module (Beads, in my case). That Arbhar looks pretty effective. And perhaps some kind of alternate part with Bitbox Micro, .. the reversing loop feature can be a pretty musical presence.

[@chambre466]

❤

[@seancharles8461]

Thank you for sharing. Curious as to what make is that small monitor/screen you are using in your minimalist setup with the Pulsar 32.

[@DUNGEONMUSICTHEATRE]

Can’t recall the exact model number but it’s a small portable USB-C display that camera people use. A lot of them you can find on Amazon. Cheers!

[@harrywoodell7008]

The piano playing has maybe 50 millisecond pauses when you get the idea of how to proceed. Wish I could come up with the next part that fast.

[@BlackMan614]

I have never gotten into granular stuff, probably due to PTSD from using samplers in the 80s (Mirage... Akai S950... and EMU E6400). I think I still get twitchy when I see a Mirage or a S950. The hours spent/wasted on getting loops without clicks using a 60 character LCD screen. Never again. LOL

[@DUNGEONMUSICTHEATRE]

I had the KORG T3 (successor to their famous M1) I remember spending hours on that awful sequencer. Did one of my final University projects on it and to this day, I have an acute aversion to step sequencers. Having said that, granular modules like the Arbhar and Morphagene is SO much easier and more intuitive these days. Thanks for sharing! :)

[@michel5148]

in the context of minimalist setups, what if you use only a daw such as ableton. therein is an unlimited supply of instruments, given the fact your computer is powerful enough... maybe the problem is the person itself. for instance, you can tell yourself out of the millions of possibilities today i only use this or this. i think people are weak in general and lack filters, and striving always for succes or what somebody else thinks.

[@DUNGEONMUSICTHEATRE]

For sure it’s the person behind the setup. Certainly setups can help. But it’s the whole cart before the horse thing! Thanks for your thoughts!