Korg Monologue, Arturia MicroFreak, Volca FM, Novation Circuit Jam - Silver Glass

This jam features the Korg Monologue, Arturia MicroFreak, Korg Volca FM and Novation Circuit, with the Circuit sequencing the MicroFreak and VolcaFM and the Monologue running its own sequencer unsynced.
UPDATE 2020-01-12: This track is part of my "Silver Glass" album on Bandcamp: waveformer42.bandcamp.com/albu...
Synth 1 on the Circuit controls the MicroFreak, and also plays some subtle synth-bell-like sounds on the Circuit (reminds me of snow and ice). The MicroFreak patch uses the Virtual Analog oscillator, with some random variations on envelope decay times, from the Random LFO shape. CyclicEnv is set to one-shot and modulates the cutoff frequency.
Synth 2 on the Circuit controls the Volca FM and also plays a base sound on the Circuit itself, using a custom patch. This patch has max velocity sensitivity for the amp and filter envelopes, so notes with minimal velocity in the Circuit sequencer does not produce audible sound on the Circuit but still triggers the Volca FM (which ignores incoming velocity). Notes with max veloicity plays a (very) audible base sound on the Circuit and triggers the Volca FM at the same time.
The Monologue is used for intro, outro and misc solo parts, and also plays a sequence on its own. I didn't sync the Monologue to the rest of the synths, just set the tempo on the Monologue to the same as the others and started the sequencer manually on the beat.
Volca, Freak and Monologue runs through 3 Zoom MS-70CDRs for delay and reverb and misc other stuff.
Midi from the Circuit to the MicroFreak is sent over a standard minijack audio cable, as the pinout is the same for the midi ports on those two devices.
The audio is recorded on a Korg KP2S and normalized in Audacity. Video is recorded on iPhoneX. Audio and video is synchronized in DaVinci Resolve 15.
Gear:
- Korg Monologue
- Arturia MicroFreak
- Korg Volca FM
- Novation Circuit
- 3 x Zoom MS-70CDR
- Korg Mini Kaoss Pad 2S (for recording)
Connections:
- Monologue - MS-70CDR - Mintbox Mixer
- MicroFreak - MS-70CDR - Mintbox Mixer
- Volca FM - MS-70CDR - Mintbox Mixer
- Circuit - Mintbox Mixer
- Mintbox Mixer - KP2S
- Midi: Circuit - MicroFreak - Volca FM
Effects:
- MS-70CDR (Monologue): Vibrato - Tremolo - AutoPanDelay (dotted eighth note) - HD Reverb
- MS-70CDR (MicroFreak): Delay (dotted quarter note, ping pong) - HD Hall
- MS-70CDR (Volca FM): LoFi Delay (dotted eighth note) - HD Hall
Misc:
- Tempo 86 bpm
- Chords: | Am - Am - Am - Am | Hm - Hm - C - C | F - G - A - A | Am - G - Am - Am |
If you want to support me, consider using these affiliate links when buying gear (or other stuff):
- Thomann: www.thomann.de/?partner_id=65575
- Reverb: reverb.grsm.io/Waveformer
- Amazon: amzn.to/2SfJleI

[@ChrisLHommedieu]

You had me at the modulating key changes.... so very subtle you barely notice then you're like wait. He modulated. Again.

[@timeconsumer325]

dude I don't know how you don't have a ton more subscribers. I feel like you're one of the most musical people i've seen on synth youtube. awesome stuff.

[@Waveformer]

Thanks Will, that’s kind of you 😊.

[@enzymeXfactor]

Beautifully done! Also the best liner notes I've seen. Thanks!

[@Waveformer]

Troy Hornbrook Glad you liked it 😊.

[@Raku777]

Yes, I concur! On both the beauty of the composition and the quality of the notes.

[@Waveformer]

Raku777 Thanks 😊

[@legibby]

You’re making the absolute BEST synth jams on KZbin brother

[@SoccerClassics]

Unbelievable vibe. I love all of your videos! Just bought me an microfreak right now because of your jam sessions

[@Flat8G]

What a magnificent improvisation!

[@pkskyutube]

Really beautiful. Inspiring.

[@sennstrato7281]

That is great sounding! I am going to order a micro freak this week looking forward to playing around with it.

[@SebticSmile]

Awesome stuff as ever - love the tones you get from your Monologue.

[@Waveformer]

Seb Synth Thanks. The combination of the slowly drifting VCOs and the filter in this thing is really something. Makes for a great instrument for playing solos. I’m growing to love it more and more.

[@eldontyrellcorp]

Very nice ! I love improvised jams such as this one !

[@Waveformer]

eldontyrellcorp Thanks. It was fun to play this one 😀.

[@sisterzzbro4215]

💚 Good that you made it! It sounds so beautiful ...

[@Waveformer]

Vegan Bro Thank you. I’m glad you liked it 😊🥕.

[@Pheonix0114]

Great sounds as always!

[@Waveformer]

Corey Newkirk 😊😊😊

[@Beatprisoner]

That was fantastic, so relaxing. I really like these bell arpeggios. Nice setup btw. Will definitely buy your bandcamp album. 🙂

[@meneerjansen00]

Great session. I really, really appreciate that you give detailed information about the gear and settings that you use. Keep up the good work. :-)

[@Waveformer]

meneerjansen00 Thanks 😊. I’m glad you found it useful. I also enjoy seeing how other people use their gear. Great both for learning and for inspiration 🎹.

[@EquestrianSport]

you are a real artist and professional. great thanks for posting this lovely piece.

[@Waveformer]

EquestrianSport Thank you, you are too kind 😊.

[@danjohncook]

This is awesome! Thanks for sharing the detailed wiring :)

[@Waveformer]

Glad you liked it 😊

[@wendlinka]

that bass... great sound and sits well in the mix. Bravo!

[@Waveformer]

Thank you 😊. The Circuit has a great sound engine.

[@kevdavies3445]

really beautiful got a micro freak yesterday brilliant synth thanks

[@luke3055]

Wonderful sounds and thanks for adding in great descriptions on audio and midi set up too. So useful. Love the mint box mixer 😀

[@Waveformer]

Thanks 😊😊😊

[@rayderrich]

This was an amazing jam with your lead playing on the Korg Monologue as the big star of the show. Wow man!

[@googlepigs7027]

You've really got talent friend ! And thankyou, thankyou for always identifying your gear and explaining things.

[@Waveformer]

Thank you 😊. Glad you find my notes useful 😁.

[@falazarte]

Such a cool arpeggio and the beautiful disruptive monologue. Love it.

[@Waveformer]

Fabian Lazarte Thanks. The Monologue and the Freaks really goes well together.

[@MyriadDubstep]

Love this jam dude, I’m looking into getting a micro freak next and then actually a circuit to be able to go full dawless. Def a sub 🤘🏻

[@Waveformer]

Myriad Dubstep thanks! I love both the Freak and the Circuit, and I notice that I am much more inspired to jam when I’m dawless.

[@alexandregeneau2875]

Super Jam dude! The music sounds great, the synths are used perfectly for the set, we couldnt ask for more. Keep up with the great jams!

[@Waveformer]

Thanks, Alexandre!

[@dietervoser4425]

Very nice done ! And a super Relaxing Sound ! Chapeau :-)

[@Waveformer]

Thank you 😊. Kind of easy to fall asleep to, I guess 😀.

[@SilentPity]

I am brand new to synthesizers and found your channel while looking for live examples. I have been listening to your stuff while I work almost every day for a week. You make fantastic music and I see your setup as a goal for my own rig. Thank you for the details on the gear, effects, and everything else while you work; it helps me so much as a beginner. And of course, thank you for the music!

[@Waveformer]

SilentPity thanks 😊. I’m really glad you found it useful.

[@MidnightVoid]

The song is amazing

[@MrJackal43]

Very cool man, nice job!

Very chilled..

[@Waveformer]

Ian Philp 😊😊😊

[@lucasbrasil4650]

makes me feel happy :) thanks for sharing Bro :D

[@Waveformer]

Thanks, Lucas 😊😊

[@scottharris7222]

Really nice textures... Silver Glass... perfectly named... Subscribed. Listened to the last note, very satisfying.

[@Waveformer]

Scott Harris Thank you. Glad you liked it 😊. Some of the sounds in there reminded me of glass 🙂.

[@scottharris7222]

@@Waveformer - Just bought the MicroFreak - have a couple of the others you are highlighting here.

[@Waveformer]

Scott Harris Cool! Hope you’ll be happy with it 😀.

[@amirpf]

Loved it! ❤️

[@Alexander1At]

It’s amazing!

[@Waveformer]

Thanks 😊😊

[@ralph_mmgproductions2854]

Bruh this is amazing ‼️‼️

[@Waveformer]

Ralph_MMG Productions Thanks 😃😃.

[@Philipplus]

Beautiful track.

[@Waveformer]

Philip+ Thanks. Glad you liked it 😊.

[@Neurotypique]

I've been rearranging my eurorack case to this, it was amazing

[@Waveformer]

Neurotypique Thanks 😊. Myself, I haven’t crossed over to the dark side yet. I guess some kind of semi modular will be my first step at some point.

[@Neurotypique]

@@Waveformer eurorack is far from being the ultimate goal, full synths are a pleasure to play with, especially with your skills ;)

[@isosthenie8271]

@@Waveformer The good think about the microfreak is that it actually has cv outputs, so its not that much of a leap. Think of all the nice effects and... tubes! ( :D )

[@aptudo]

Some really nice chord changes in this one!

[@Waveformer]

Rob Fowler Thanks 😊. I wanted to work the Super Mario Cadence in there 😃. Three major chords in a row, one whole note between each chord, F - G - A for an uplifting feel, and then I go straight back to Am to bring back the melancholy 🙂.

[@aptudo]

@@Waveformer nice, that's a very effective progression

[@HorologicRannygazoo]

This reminds me of my favorite Narada/Windham Hill artists of the late 80's who would take months and tens of thousands of dollars to record something like this. Fantastic job!

[@Waveformer]

It’s amazing what instruments and equipment we have access to these days, compared to 40 years ago. It’s a great time for those of us who love synths 😀🎶🎛

[@PunguinYoga]

Great job.

[@Waveformer]

Thanks 😀

[@FunkTree]

Beautiful

[@Waveformer]

Glad you liked it 😊😊

[@selin8912]

Very nice!

[@Waveformer]

Thank you 😊

[@bitethebeat_music]

holy shit! so inspiring ! this gives me the idea to turn off ableton and start doing live music with my microfreak. The novation Circut seems to be so powerfull as well. What a setup, and what an amazing skills bro, my respect!

[@gabrielsudholt1870]

Excellent

[@arcturusvmoon]

Very cool!

[@WildernessMusic_GentleSerene]

For the analog purist...if you patch the ZoomMS-70CDR's through an effects loop of your mixer (aux send and return) you will retain the full sound of the analog voice and add the digital effects in parallel then output the stereo mix from the left/right outputs to your recorder. I have wondered if the Zoom effects pedal with the mix control outputs the analog signal with the digital effects? OR converts AD and DA of the entire signal.

[@Waveformer]

Good point. I haven’t thought about that before. As the Zoom has multiple effects in series, with individual dry/wet settings on each, and both dry and wet signal is mixed at the effect module output and goes into the next effect module’s input, I’d be very surprised if the whole signal chain wasn’t digital.

[@LukezyM]

Whole signal chain is digital.

[@tomburnip7565]

Superb!

[@Waveformer]

Thank you 😊

[@kindreadproject]

nice jam mate! monologue sounds lovely! I think I need ones cheer from italy ciao ;-)

[@simpletech]

Wow...so well done. Nice to hear what quite often results in a wall of sound freakout jam actually sound so chill and pleasing to the ear. Not that there is anything wrong with the occasional freakout..ha. I was surprised at the end of your signal chain is the kp2 for recording -- I might have expected a more dedicated audio recorder. That being said my go-to portable playtime rig is the Kaossilator and Kp2 in a small case and I also record the results in the Kp2. Sounds great, so why not? Keep doing what you're doing....sounds GREAT!!

[@Waveformer]

simpletech Thanks 😊. Yeah, I know the KP2S isn’t very professional. And it does add some noise to the recording. But it’s just so easy to use. And very portable. And I run a noise reduction in Audacity afterwards, and I’m happy with the result. So, I guess I’ll stick to that for the time being.

[@laax8588]

great work. subbed!

[@Waveformer]

Glad you liked it 😀

[@williamthazard]

beautiful stuff! Reminds me of some of Jan Hammer's music from the 1992 direct-to-VHS CGI art film Beyond the Mind's Eye. I think seeing that as a little kid was a part of what got me interested in synthesizers. Also, love the mintbox mixer, btw

[@SisterRose]

Wow, nice to get a good look at Vangelis's 2020 setup

[@Waveformer]

Sister Rose haha 😊

[@reedtrygd4277]

Missing the CS-80

[@jonnyhead]

I really love this piece and it makes me wish I hadn't sold my monologue even though I have many more larger synths I still think this little beauty had a unique sound

[@DaVeTheWaVe]

nice melodies!

[@impulsecoupling]

Composition is great but the stereo expansion really takes it over the top. Way more fun to experience in headphones.

[@gianfrancoyorio4987]

Man, you're awesome

[@Waveformer]

Cheers, my friend :-).

[@NYC_GenX]

Sooo maaach chill!!!

[@Waveformer]

Johnny Kalmar 😎

[@christopherwilliamsinpdx]

Very nice 👍

[@Waveformer]

christopher williams Thanks 😀.

[@medved6914]

Nice!

[@Volcaniced]

Brilliant

[@Waveformer]

VolcaNiced Thank you very much 😊🙏🏻.

[@MIXtofMusic]

Great & relaxing 🤓👌

[@Waveformer]

Thanks 😊

[@alainbarre7483]

Love it

[@Waveformer]

😊😊😊

[@ogonek]

DOPE!

[@gabrielamador9220]

Awesome. :)

[@Waveformer]

Gabriel Amador Thanks 😊😊😊.

[@IvarTryti]

Such a beautiful track! Love everything about it; great chord progression, great melodies, great patches and effects. Also very tidy desk, it looks so good :D. I'm getting some serious Deus Ex feelings from this track.

[@Waveformer]

Ivar Tryti 😊. Thanks. The rest of the room is usually a mess, electronic workshop in one corner, home office in another, and the synths I’m not using in the jam at the moment in a third - so I try to keep it all off camera 😀. I haven’t played Deux Ex much, but had a listen to the soundtrack now, and I see what you mean 🙂. Lots of great game music out there. Lena Raine’s Celeste soundtrack is brilliant in its simplicity.

[@miguelbarrera8674]

tasty melodies

[@quintondeanmusic]

zoom is love. zoom is life

[@Waveformer]

Quinton Dean yes. They are easy to love 😀.

[@17thvillain9]

Wow!

[@Waveformer]

17th Villain 😊

[@stempek121]

I really like your Monologue patch.

[@Waveformer]

Artur Strzępka Thanks 😊. If I remember correctly, the MS-70 patch is the same as I used in my Hedgehog jam, and the patch is included in the description. kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z4Ckdoerr8Rrq68

[@michaelkoloch]

This is such an awesome and relaxing jam. Thank you. Which Circuit Pack are you using?

[@Waveformer]

MichaelKoloch Thanks 😊. I use the free Simple Circuit 3.0 pack, and also create my own patches.

[@Waveformer]

In this specific jam, I used two patches from the Simple Circuit 3.0 and added some modulation to them. To the bass patch, which is a basic square wave patch from the pack, I added some noise, and let a random LFO modulate decay times for env 1 and 2 slightly. I also added drive to the filter and to the patch as a whole.

[@draganokic2696]

bravo

[@Waveformer]

Dragan Đokić Thanks 😊

[@AseGarcia]

Awesome job! I've seen you usually put the Korg Mini Kaosspad as the final piece in your gear setup. May I ask what's its purpose? I have one but I haven't find its right place in my setup yet. Thank you :)

[@Waveformer]

Ase Garcia I use it for recording the jams. And I sometimes use for instance the talking delay or a distortion effect sparsely.

[@AseGarcia]

​@@Waveformer oh, nice! Thank you :)

[@doctorwhyphi]

Stunning. Try this with softsynths and a DAW, it will take you weeks to produce 5 minutes of music. I want a hardware thing, just not sure what is the most versatile, to begin with.

[@Waveformer]

Doctor Depends of the kind of music you want to make, I guess. The MicroFreak is great value for money, and one knob per function, so it’s easy to tweak during the jam. Paired with an effects pedal, like the Zoom MS-70CDR, it’s a lot of fun 😀.

[@Waveformer]

The Monologue is more limited, but better keyboard, and you can get some beautiful sounds out of it. The Circuit is great as a groove box, but you need to use an external editor or midi controller to get the most of it.

[@doctorwhyphi]

@@Waveformer I guess I need it all then - thanks for the tips!

[@Imetalman2000]

Love your videos. Long time follower. Im very curious about your mint box mixer. Is there a video on it that can tell us more about it. Is it home made, is it passive, where can I get one?

[@Waveformer]

It’s passive, there are some more details in the “Community” section on this channel :-)

[@stevenmoss5295]

Nice performance. I keep seeing a lot of these small tins with cables routed through. Can you tell me what it's function is and how it's made?. Thanks..

[@Waveformer]

In this case it’s a home made passive audio mixer. Check out the Community section of this KZbin channel for some images and instructions.

[@RosssRoyce]

Your reverbs part of the Zoom sound very smooth! When I try to add some of the verbs there to a delay they sound very binary and granular! Like, all of them. Are yours smooth because you use only a small verb mix? To me they sound rich, not small!

[@chsm72]

What's the recording capacity in minutes on the KP2s please? Nice jam btw

[@Solanaar]

I would love a deep dive of this performance. How did you do the signal chaining? how did you prepare the sequence?

[@ld8341]

Aaaand that's another subscriber.

[@Waveformer]

Thanks for the subscribe :-)

[@appomusicproducer9761]

I have one question you can convert the microfreak in a 4 oscillator synth with the novation circuit? I'm right? Or they ar independent? Thanks in advance, great videos Bro, subscribing now 😉💪🏻✌🏻👍🏻

[@InkyDaCaT]

Wow

[@Waveformer]

Inky AT DaMm CaT studios 😊

[@thomasgobs5492]

Damn... what if Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider watch that setup and listen to that sound ???? Isnt it weird what is possible 40 years after KlingKlang Studio?????

[@Waveformer]

Thomas Gobs 😊. Kraftwerk is a great influence and inspiration for me. I listened to them a lot in my teens, and still do 😀.

[@SynGirl32]

Did you use the Zoom pedal to create the Moog lead at 7:12? I own a Monologue, and would love to know how to draw Moog sounds from it like that.

[@Waveformer]

Yeah, the Zoom does vibrato and tremolo combined with delay and reverb, which really helps fatten up the sound.

[@SynGirl32]

@@Waveformer Which base patch did you use on the Monologue?

[@justinsaunders1459]

holy cow, the sound from the monologue - what is that getting processed through?

[@Waveformer]

Justin Saunders It’s just one multi-fx pedal, the Zoom MS-70CDR. I’m using a vibrato, tremolo, autopan delay with dotted eighth notes, and the HD Reverb effect.

[@justinsaunders1459]

@@Waveformer oh thanks, I see it there now. Lucky that pedal is already on my Christmas list!

[@Waveformer]

bookmarkthis haha. I don’t mind. I guess I’m just happy that people bother watching my long jams 😀.

[@harleyproveau]

H minor is my fave chord

[@Waveformer]

Haha 😊

[@reedtrygd4277]

Wait-

[@WildernessMusic_GentleSerene]

Hard to believe you are getting all this atmosphere with ZoomCDR effect pedal...when some reviewers say they won't even review the pedal because it is so bad. Maybe these reviewers don't know how to program it like you do. The effects are giving you a wonderful recorded stereo field and front to back visualization for your great jam.

[@Waveformer]

Wilderness Music Yes, I’m very satisfied with the ZoomCDR. Of course I see the point of those reviewers. If you look at each effect in the CDR individually, and compare it to a dedicated professional pedal, the CDR will probably fall short every time. So they have a point. But the whole package together is really great, and unbeatable at that prices. There are so many effects to choose from and so many sound design options 😀.

[@WildernessMusic_GentleSerene]

@@Waveformer Yes there are many. If I was rich I would simply by a Eventide Space or a BigSky...but I am a poor musician and have to find alternatives. HEY...I will be the first to buy one of Korg's NuTect synths because the effects are fabulous...have you listened? Just $100 US. I will be using it as an effects device in my aux loop of the mixer.

[@MrJoemono]

In my opinion, that specific reviewer you mention cannot admit that the Zoom does a great job, otherwise he couldn't justify why expensive gear he reviews is so... expensive. The Zoom IS definitely a great all-in-one pedal for those who can't afford having 3 Eventides and Strymons and all boutique BS... So, by saying that he ain't gonna review that because it is so bad, he is just being a SNOB. It really doesn't matter, as long as you can make beautiful music out of simple stuff and this video is the absolute proof of it.

[@Waveformer]

MrJoemono I definetly agree with you. It’s not about expensive gear, its about being creative with what you have.

[@Waveformer]

Wilderness Music Yeah, the NuTect looks really exiting. High on my wish list!

[@valeriomenon]

How you conneted monologue, volca and mikrofreak to the novation? It has only 2 midi possibilities, right?

[@falazarte]

The Monologue sounds very Pinkfloydesq

[@thelevicole]

Is that little mintbox just a DIY passive mixer?

[@Waveformer]

Yes :-). Check the Community page on my KZbin channel for a description of how I made it.

[@soundvandal3570]

I can hear the warehouse rattling... Waiting to get in..

[@Waveformer]

😊

[@damianwilliams8372]

So good. If Pink Floyd c. wish you were here met the boards of Canada and made a record.

[@Waveformer]

Thanks - thats a record I’d love to hear 😀.

[@r3dsh1ft3d]

How did you get the bassline to follow your lead with the monologue around the 8:00 mark?

[@Waveformer]

Russell Barnes It’s all controlled by the sequencer in the Circuit.

[@Waveformer]

I restart the session at 7:10, and the Circuit will play the whole chord and bass progression in a loop until I select another session, or reprogram the pattern sequence on the fly.

[@r3dsh1ft3d]

@@Waveformer So the circuit is sequencing the Korg?

[@Waveformer]

Russell Barnes No, the bass sound comes from the Circuit itself. In parts of the jam I manually start the sequencer in the Monologue as well, and play around with the note division. The sync is purely manual.

[@r3dsh1ft3d]

@@Waveformer Okay, well thanks for answering all my questions!

[@EarlyMist]

6:30 onward flows to Moroder and Decker and every expectand including this author

[@themagickreport]

how are you gonna get all the grittiest growliest digital gear and do nothing but emulate classic analog synth sounds? drop the octave on the microfreak and get down with some formant growls and fm digital grinding. ima still watch tho.

[@Waveformer]

Thanks for the tip 😀. I know I’m really not utilizing the MicroFreak to its full potential. Exploring it more is definitely on my todo list. Thank you for listening 😀.

[@valeriomenon]

How you conneted monologue, volca and mikrofreak to the novation? It has only 2 midi possibilities, right?