3am - self conjured (modular synths and guitar looping)

[justin3am]

Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01W8yoGFAYY

Soundcloud (uncompressed .wav available via download)
https://soundcloud.com/justin3am/self-conjured

MP3
3am - self conjured

It took a while to get this one right and in the end, I still messed it up! I had setup the foot controller so that I could transpose all of the sequenced stuff and even the recorded loops but for some reason it stopped working during the best take, so the sequences and loops get a bit repetitive. Whatever... I had a lot of fun working on this so I decided to post it anyway.

There is a ton going on here...
Using Nektar Pacer foot controller to change patterns and trigger pickup machines (loopers) on Octatrack, control AVID ElevenRack, Eventide Pitch Factor and control DAW functions.

Octatrack sequences modular voices via HexInverter Mutant Brain. Additional sequencing via Make Noise Rene, Pressure Points/Brains.

Octatrack also responsible for sequenced drums (modular and sampled).

Guitar -
Shitty Epiphone Less Paul > EHX Memory Man Deluxe TT1100 > Mooger Fooger Phaser > Eleven Rack > Eventide Pitch Factor > Octatrack

Synths...
Make Noise Shared System, 0-Coast, Morphagene, Intellijel, The Harvestman (IME), Audio Damage, Mutable Instruments, Hex Inverter, Noise Engineering, Arturia MiniBrute2, Elecktron Analog Four

Effects -
Field Kit FX, Plague Bearer, Roland Bitrazer, Elektron Analog Heat, Korg KP3+, TC Fireworx/M-OneXL, Elysia Kompressor 500/Karacter 500/XFilter 500, API 2500

Software -
Bitwig, Sound Toys FilterFreak/Decaptiator, Unfiltered Audio Sandman Pro, Fabfilter Timeless, Audio Damage BigSeq2, DMG Compassion/EQuilibrium, New Fangled Equivocate, Eiosis AirEQ, Slate VMR, u-he Presswerk

[experimental.crow]

quite enamored with the synth programming , in general ...
i thought the outro worked rather well ...

[Frantz]

There is a ton going on here...

You can say that again! The amount of real time tweaking of different pieces of equipment you are doing here would send me running back to my ITB setup where I can concentrate on one thing at a time.

The basic guitar riff is pretty simple but it's relation to the bass is not that obvious. And then you've embellished it with all sorts of modular atmospherics creating a rich listening experience. Good job.

[justin3am]

quite enamored with the synth programming , in general ...
i thought the outro worked rather well ...

Thanks! They mostly do their own thing. There is a lot of random and chaotic modulation going on, but I have a bit of control over the intensity. I use a joystick to control a bunch or parameters on a scale from 'kinda weird' to 'super weird'. I just push it closer to 'super weird' as the piece progresses.

[rvkYoDleFool]

I would change the guitar riff or add some more variation. Nice equipment.

[vurt]

that was lovely
had a ring of "transambient communications" about it.
only issue is id prefer to see it in some dark club, with other weirdos

[toonertik]

Oh it's YOU... well ofc it's you, YOU know that and so do I now...
I mean I have seen a few of your U_Tube vids before.. now I know who here!

What a friggn mess of a room... I do wish mine was like that though...
unfortunately for reasons I am restricted to VCV_Rack but it does, sort of.

I have a criticism>>> too short
Very nice..

[toonertik]

only issue is id prefer to see it in some dark club, with other weirdos

mmmmm dark club.. pulsing music... pulsing flashing lights... beer sticky floor...
a sweet smell in the air
Mum_Did_Momentarily_Approve the son lurking in the corner hugging the PA...
body moving with the pulses around...
waiting.. waiting... waiting...


ahahahaah here she is, moving in time, feeling the rhyme and ..
out came the toonertik...
tock..
ain't no time like the NOW time...
Weirdos>>> what fng weirdos?

[justin3am]

There is a ton going on here...

You can say that again! The amount of real time tweaking of different pieces of equipment you are doing here would send me running back to my ITB setup where I can concentrate on one thing at a time.

I would normally do all that with automation but in a video, I have to make it look like I'm doing a bunch of stuff. I don't play any instruments well, so I turn the knobs and press the buttons. It's a huge pain in the ass to get everything back to it's initial state after a failed take, I'll tell you that.

The basic guitar riff is pretty simple but it's relation to the bass is not that obvious. And then you've embellished it with all sorts of modular atmospherics creating a rich listening experience. Good job.

Thanks! This approach to recording forces me to make a lot of compromises when it comes to composition. I have to use sequencing tricks to give the illusion of a complex arrangement. But it's a fun and challenging way to work. It feels like playing in a garage band but I can be alone in my studio.

[justin3am]

that was lovely
had a ring of "transambient communications" about it.
only issue is id prefer to see it in some dark club, with other weirdos

Yeah, my wife also prefers to see it in the dark, with other weirdos...

Thanks for listening!

[wagtunes]

My Feedback

Music - 7.5
Instruments - 8
Performance - 8
Mix - 6.5

Overall - 7.5

Comments: This is just my unprofessional, not worth a hill of beans opinion, so please take it with a micrograin of salt. This would have been a much more enjoyable listening experience if everything wasn't so buried in the 200-300 range. I can tell you have a lot going on, but most of it I can barely hear. The guitar is so muddy and low in volume I just get the gist of it. The percussion seems to cut through a little better. The synth sounds, of which I can tell are many, IMO, need to come out more. The track itself feels like you've put a blanket over it and I just want to rip it off the bed so I can see what kind of sheets you have. Musically, what little I can get out of it, it's a bit quirky and not uninteresting. But the same riff for 8 minutes gets a little old. Some variation would help. And yet, with all that, there was something about this track that made me want to keep listening. I'm not sure why. I think a little EQ and some volume boost would help this a lot. Again, just my "not worth shit" opinion so please feel free to ignore it completely as I have no idea what I'm talking about when it comes to musical criticism.

[vurt]

that was lovely
had a ring of "transambient communications" about it.
only issue is id prefer to see it in some dark club, with other weirdos

Yeah, my wife also prefers to see it in the dark, with other weirdos...

er ...

Thanks for listening!

because, and watching

[layzer]

some very interesting, intricate textures in here, and that guitar sits nicely over it all.
i enjoyed the subtle variances all the way to the end. an entertaining ride.

[justin3am]

My Feedback...

Wow, a real review! I did better than I would have expected. How the hell did I get an 8 for performance? I think you are being a bit generous, there.

Thanks for your thoughts! I agree there is a lot that could be improved but the goal with these videos has been to get from pre-production to delivery in one day, so I didn't have much time for polishing the mix. Any kind of change to the arrangement would be obvious in the video, so I keep things as-is, warts and all.

Thanks for listening!

[justin3am]

What a friggn mess of a room... I do wish mine was like that though...
unfortunately for reasons I am restricted to VCV_Rack but it does, sort of.

Hey man, fun is fun! You don't need tons of gear to make good music or have a good time. I don't see VCV rack as a restriction. That's freedom! Being limited to one of each module (or I have to buy multiples of modules if I want more than one) is itself a limitation. But we all know limitations can inspire us to get creative, working around those limits.

I have a criticism>>> too short
Very nice..

LOL! Most have said it goes for too long. Maybe I should do more 20min noise/drone compositions?

Thanks for listening!