Drum machines are notoriously mechanical sounding and it is very hard to simulate the dynamics and randomness of a human drummer. I just discovered a little trick in Live 8 for creating some humanization in your drum rack. Put a random velocity filter in front of your rack that intercepts velocity coming from in my case the sequencer in the SevenUpLive monome app. SevenUpLive only has 2 fixed velocities of light and hard. By putting this filter in, I can inject random changes to velocity, and even gate notes that are below and above a certain range, plus move the dynamics of the whole thing up and down. Here's a track and video where I do just that. The Lemur controls the humanization module as I call it.


Gleetched from barnone on Vimeo.

Modulars

Ok, it's happened. I told myself I wouldn't succumb to the temptation of so many knobs switches and patchable wires, but what can I do? I'm drawn to this sort of thing. I finally took the leap last week to start building a modular analog synthesizer. I pretty much knew I was doomed to this fate at some point but what better point than in the middle of an economic meltdown. I figure the best music and poetry is created in times like this, so I better get my game on and be prepared.

A few pages of posts on the muff wiggler forum asking the experts there how to pack a whole bunch of functionality into 6Us of rack and I'm on my way. It was actually less painful decision-wide than I had thought once I was resigned to the task at hand.

Here's a diagram of the rack I'm shooting for.



Rack arrives on Monday so I'm prepping the studio this weekend to make room. I'm sure there will be more on this topic later.

Bleepnone

Recent project to mashup a Monome 40h with a bleeplabs thing-a-ma-kit. The idea was just to create a fun and unique monome. The real beauty in this is sometimes using the monome there is so much to do just to start making noises. Boot up your computer, open monomeserial, open your DAW, open your app...etc... With the bleepnome, you just turn a switch and instant satisfaction. A little random noise in your day makes you happy.

I was unprepared for the number of hits this little gem got after getting picked up on the MAKE magazine blog. Bleepnome on MAKE


Bleepnome from barnone on Vimeo.

Beginnings

I begin therefore I am...