Content Spotlight August 2018 - Mark aka thetechnobear
Aug 17, 2018 18:19:20 GMT
NightMachines, thetechnobear, and 1 more like this
Post by admin on Aug 17, 2018 18:19:20 GMT
Every month we will feature either a topic or someone who is doing cool things with AE Modular.
This month we shine the spotlight on Mark aka thetechnobear who is one of the most prolific contributors here on this forum and who explores the possibilities of connecting the AE Modular system to various other experimental hardware and software platforms.
Before listing some of his very informative and interesting posts we would like to ask him a few questions.
How do you use or plan to use your AE Modular system in your musical workflow?
Music for me a is a hobby, so it’s all about enjoyment...
I backed AE Modular on kickstarter, as a way to experience a physical modular, to see how it differed from the virtual modulars I was already playing with. From there, well, I'm still experimenting to see where it will take me...
Probably the thing that interests me most, is the idea of AE Modular as a hybrid system, where analogue meets digital, hardware meets software - how can I get the most from each of these?
You experiment a lot with DIY kits, Axoloti, OMsynth and recently the Bela Mini. Where does your fascination with DIY come from and where do you want to take it?
As a software developer, I love the flexibility and opportunities computers and software gives us, so when I got back into music, I thought, I wanted to use software but I wanted a physical interface - then I came across the Eigenharp, this futuristic device which aimed to be an expressive interface into a virtual sound world.
However, my Eigenharp, and latter the Soundplane, were controllers, which were tied to the computer, not really a problem but I missed the immediacy of a complete instrument that produced sound on it own - so I started to wonder, could I build 'a thing' that would make them a complete instrument - this led me to Axoloti, and then later Bela.
Whilst playing with Axoloti, I realised I needed to learn a bit more about the hardware side, and OMSynth, I thought was a fun way to explore this, as its kind of a 'test bed' kit for electronics, and help me re - familiarise myself with some basic electronics I’d learnt at school (ICs etc)
You are playing the Eigenharp quite well in some of your videos. Have you thought about playing the AE Modular synth with this?
Sure, AE modular and the BelaMini module are really part of this thing I'm trying to create. I found that AE modular was a great way to add a more physical side to sound creation, so I want it to be part of it.
So, there are two projects I’ve been working on for quite a while, that are currently run on Raspberry Pi, Organelle and Bela including Bela Mini.
The first, MEC, is focused on connectivity. It enables me to connect the Eigenharp, Soundplane and Push 2, and to talk OSC and MIDI including MPE.
The second, Orac, focuses on producing sound. Orac is a virtual modular with modules written in Pure Data.
The first is self explanatory, but the second is an interesting area in the context of AE modular.
Eigenharps are polyphonic expressive, But generally polyphony and modular don't sit well together, as it requires so many physical modules. But polyphony is not a problem for software.
So for Orac and AE Modular, I'm creating a hybrid modular, combining physical modular with its CV and audio, with virtual modular - trying to get the physicality of a real modular with but with the polyphony and flexibility of a virtual modular.
I'm hoping this will work, as I have the tactile Eigenharp and Soundplane as a playing surface, the wires and pots of AE Modular being used to send CV to modulate Orac, and using the Push 2 to give a physical interface to the virtual world.
You can see an example of my experiments here:
and here:
Its almost there, Orac and MEC are running nicely on the Bela, and the BelaMini module on AE Modular is there, so a few things to resolve but its tantalisingly close.
As an experienced DIYer, are there certain challenges you encounter regularly across projects, or are most projects completely different from each other?
Honestly I'm really just a hack on the hardware side... so I’ve chosen platforms which make it as easy as possible for me.
I think the challenge that keeps hitting me, is actually the physical side, getting things to physically fit into an enclosure or a module. I’ve tended to focus so much on how the electronics work, that I forget to think about how I'm going to mount or enclose the final thing. I suspect partly this is because I use protoboards, so things get a bit bulky, perhaps once I'm more confident on the hardware side, I could get PCBs made up, so I can reduce the size.
I’d love to hear more from the community on this, I've still a lot to learn.
Have you noticed any trends in the DIY scene over the past years, both regarding manufacturers and the community?
The main thing is an increase in choice, and of course things getting smaller and faster.
I think for these platforms building a community is perhaps the most difficult thing, as lots of DIY'ers are spread out over many platforms.
This is why I like Axoloti and Bela a lot, as they both foster a community to help users realise their projects. On the Raspberry PI side, I think Blokas (PiSound) are doing something similar for the PI with a musical bias.
Software seems to play a big role in DIY projects nowadays. There are a lot of options between coding in a text editor and working with visual environments and virtual "modules". Do you have any tips how beginners could start in the DIY music software domain?
Coding/Patching for these type of projects is a cross-discipline of software, hardware and DSP, this makes it fun, but there’s a lot to learn. So look for a platform with a good community, this is a fantastic resource when you have inevitably have questions, and makes it a lot more fun.
Then start with small/modest projects, something you can get working quickly then build up slowly from there.
It’s easy to get over ambitious - I know I have, and this just leads to frustration, and often ultimately the project never getting completed. on the flip side, I’ve built simple things, that don't do anything revolutionary, but I still enjoyed them, just because I built them, and I learnt a lot, and so from there can extend them, or do something a bit more ambitious.
Do you prefer Visual or Text coding?
Visual is easier initially, and some patching environments take modular as a frame of reference (e.g. Axoloti) , so that gives you a head start. But like any programming it takes a while to get used to it, so start simple, you'll get better with practice.
Text, there are some interesting musical languages around, things like SuperCollider, they are initially more complex than visual programming but I think ultimately they are a bit more flexible, and tend to scale better for larger projects - I find huge visual patches become unwieldy.
So I'd start with visual patchers like Pure Data/Axoloti, you'll learn quite a few things about DSP, and general programming, which means if you decide to switch to something else, it'll will lessen the learning curve.
Below is a selection of links to Mark’s posts on this forum and Youtube. Given Mark’s enthusiasm, we’re sure there will be more to come!
Mark has created these two videos on Youtube about his DIY experiments with the AE Modular which were even featured on Synthtopia! These also feature the OMSynth and Axoloti boards which Mark is writing about with great enthusiasm and explores with boundless creativity.
AE Modular #1:
AE Modular #2:
In this post Mark talks about his experiences with connecting the AE Modular with the Bastle Kastle and Folktek Mescaline:
forum.aemodular.com/thread/10/using-folktek-mescaline-bastle-kastle
He has recently managed to build a Bela Mini (bela.io/) into an AE Module and discusses some of the design process here:
forum.aemodular.com/thread/20/belamini-module
Mark is also an avid supporter of the Axoloti system (www.axoloti.com/) and he is describing his quest for integrating this with AE Modular in this post:
forum.aemodular.com/thread/32/axoloti-connectivity
And very similar to the Axoloti the OMSynth board invites for countless hours of experimentation which Mark is writing about in this post:
forum.aemodular.com/thread/29/bastl-omsynth
In this video Mark demonstrates how he integrates the AE Modular with his Eurorack system:
forum.aemodular.com/thread/24/exploration-new
You can find many more informative videos on his Youtube channel:
www.youtube.com/cortijogazquez
If you are interested in the things that Mark writes about and would like to know more or have your own creations to show off - please post a reply below!
This month we shine the spotlight on Mark aka thetechnobear who is one of the most prolific contributors here on this forum and who explores the possibilities of connecting the AE Modular system to various other experimental hardware and software platforms.
Before listing some of his very informative and interesting posts we would like to ask him a few questions.
How do you use or plan to use your AE Modular system in your musical workflow?
Music for me a is a hobby, so it’s all about enjoyment...
I backed AE Modular on kickstarter, as a way to experience a physical modular, to see how it differed from the virtual modulars I was already playing with. From there, well, I'm still experimenting to see where it will take me...
Probably the thing that interests me most, is the idea of AE Modular as a hybrid system, where analogue meets digital, hardware meets software - how can I get the most from each of these?
You experiment a lot with DIY kits, Axoloti, OMsynth and recently the Bela Mini. Where does your fascination with DIY come from and where do you want to take it?
As a software developer, I love the flexibility and opportunities computers and software gives us, so when I got back into music, I thought, I wanted to use software but I wanted a physical interface - then I came across the Eigenharp, this futuristic device which aimed to be an expressive interface into a virtual sound world.
However, my Eigenharp, and latter the Soundplane, were controllers, which were tied to the computer, not really a problem but I missed the immediacy of a complete instrument that produced sound on it own - so I started to wonder, could I build 'a thing' that would make them a complete instrument - this led me to Axoloti, and then later Bela.
Whilst playing with Axoloti, I realised I needed to learn a bit more about the hardware side, and OMSynth, I thought was a fun way to explore this, as its kind of a 'test bed' kit for electronics, and help me re - familiarise myself with some basic electronics I’d learnt at school (ICs etc)
You are playing the Eigenharp quite well in some of your videos. Have you thought about playing the AE Modular synth with this?
Sure, AE modular and the BelaMini module are really part of this thing I'm trying to create. I found that AE modular was a great way to add a more physical side to sound creation, so I want it to be part of it.
So, there are two projects I’ve been working on for quite a while, that are currently run on Raspberry Pi, Organelle and Bela including Bela Mini.
The first, MEC, is focused on connectivity. It enables me to connect the Eigenharp, Soundplane and Push 2, and to talk OSC and MIDI including MPE.
The second, Orac, focuses on producing sound. Orac is a virtual modular with modules written in Pure Data.
The first is self explanatory, but the second is an interesting area in the context of AE modular.
Eigenharps are polyphonic expressive, But generally polyphony and modular don't sit well together, as it requires so many physical modules. But polyphony is not a problem for software.
So for Orac and AE Modular, I'm creating a hybrid modular, combining physical modular with its CV and audio, with virtual modular - trying to get the physicality of a real modular with but with the polyphony and flexibility of a virtual modular.
I'm hoping this will work, as I have the tactile Eigenharp and Soundplane as a playing surface, the wires and pots of AE Modular being used to send CV to modulate Orac, and using the Push 2 to give a physical interface to the virtual world.
You can see an example of my experiments here:
and here:
Its almost there, Orac and MEC are running nicely on the Bela, and the BelaMini module on AE Modular is there, so a few things to resolve but its tantalisingly close.
As an experienced DIYer, are there certain challenges you encounter regularly across projects, or are most projects completely different from each other?
Honestly I'm really just a hack on the hardware side... so I’ve chosen platforms which make it as easy as possible for me.
I think the challenge that keeps hitting me, is actually the physical side, getting things to physically fit into an enclosure or a module. I’ve tended to focus so much on how the electronics work, that I forget to think about how I'm going to mount or enclose the final thing. I suspect partly this is because I use protoboards, so things get a bit bulky, perhaps once I'm more confident on the hardware side, I could get PCBs made up, so I can reduce the size.
I’d love to hear more from the community on this, I've still a lot to learn.
Have you noticed any trends in the DIY scene over the past years, both regarding manufacturers and the community?
The main thing is an increase in choice, and of course things getting smaller and faster.
I think for these platforms building a community is perhaps the most difficult thing, as lots of DIY'ers are spread out over many platforms.
This is why I like Axoloti and Bela a lot, as they both foster a community to help users realise their projects. On the Raspberry PI side, I think Blokas (PiSound) are doing something similar for the PI with a musical bias.
Software seems to play a big role in DIY projects nowadays. There are a lot of options between coding in a text editor and working with visual environments and virtual "modules". Do you have any tips how beginners could start in the DIY music software domain?
Coding/Patching for these type of projects is a cross-discipline of software, hardware and DSP, this makes it fun, but there’s a lot to learn. So look for a platform with a good community, this is a fantastic resource when you have inevitably have questions, and makes it a lot more fun.
Then start with small/modest projects, something you can get working quickly then build up slowly from there.
It’s easy to get over ambitious - I know I have, and this just leads to frustration, and often ultimately the project never getting completed. on the flip side, I’ve built simple things, that don't do anything revolutionary, but I still enjoyed them, just because I built them, and I learnt a lot, and so from there can extend them, or do something a bit more ambitious.
Do you prefer Visual or Text coding?
Visual is easier initially, and some patching environments take modular as a frame of reference (e.g. Axoloti) , so that gives you a head start. But like any programming it takes a while to get used to it, so start simple, you'll get better with practice.
Text, there are some interesting musical languages around, things like SuperCollider, they are initially more complex than visual programming but I think ultimately they are a bit more flexible, and tend to scale better for larger projects - I find huge visual patches become unwieldy.
So I'd start with visual patchers like Pure Data/Axoloti, you'll learn quite a few things about DSP, and general programming, which means if you decide to switch to something else, it'll will lessen the learning curve.
Below is a selection of links to Mark’s posts on this forum and Youtube. Given Mark’s enthusiasm, we’re sure there will be more to come!
Mark has created these two videos on Youtube about his DIY experiments with the AE Modular which were even featured on Synthtopia! These also feature the OMSynth and Axoloti boards which Mark is writing about with great enthusiasm and explores with boundless creativity.
AE Modular #1:
AE Modular #2:
In this post Mark talks about his experiences with connecting the AE Modular with the Bastle Kastle and Folktek Mescaline:
forum.aemodular.com/thread/10/using-folktek-mescaline-bastle-kastle
He has recently managed to build a Bela Mini (bela.io/) into an AE Module and discusses some of the design process here:
forum.aemodular.com/thread/20/belamini-module
Mark is also an avid supporter of the Axoloti system (www.axoloti.com/) and he is describing his quest for integrating this with AE Modular in this post:
forum.aemodular.com/thread/32/axoloti-connectivity
And very similar to the Axoloti the OMSynth board invites for countless hours of experimentation which Mark is writing about in this post:
forum.aemodular.com/thread/29/bastl-omsynth
In this video Mark demonstrates how he integrates the AE Modular with his Eurorack system:
forum.aemodular.com/thread/24/exploration-new
You can find many more informative videos on his Youtube channel:
www.youtube.com/cortijogazquez
If you are interested in the things that Mark writes about and would like to know more or have your own creations to show off - please post a reply below!