Aleq Project

  After a series of videos (and also taking advantage of the traditional end/beginning of the year review...), it is now time to take a step back and submit to some small reflections. Regarding creation, the use of modular synths is not free of traps. But let's say it right away, the modular is not alone in the face of these traps: let's transpose without waiting the reflections that will follow to all the audio production equipment... Among these traps, I will distinguish here 3, illustrated by the latest videos posted. Let's first clarify the context: Aleq is a project that aims to make music (sic).... and as much as possible, personal music. This seems silly to note, but the choice, then the use of a tool (whatever it is) will differ depending on the objective. (Conscious objective or not, by the way...) For example, if it is a question of setting up a sound design company, or music for films, it will be necessary to meet the very varied expectations of customers, and t...

Until now, I was using the QU-Bit Data Bender to add a bit of variations, randomly. But my previous test of "Clic & cut" sounds remind me that the Data Bender is done for that ! And it can be controlled preciselly by CV. CV from a sequencer to create more or less predictable result. Note: I'm also using a "Stutter" module. A home-made module using the same sub-module as the Data Bender: The Daisy Seed. See here: Release - DAISY SEED. R.PANIS - TEKHNE (rpanis-tekhne.fr)

  Recently, I bought a little impulsively the new Xaoc oscillator Sofia.I do not regret it because it sounds perfectly good. And it has a large number of inputs and outputs which makes it effectively integrable with the rest of a modular system. In particular, it has 2 "Impulse" outputs which are actually comparable to the envelope of "grains". (See the Sofia doc. for a better explanation ... Because it's not exactly that, but in my case here, I use it as a "grain" envelope !) Anyway, What can we do with these outputs ? Why not using one as an envelope in a classical way ? (means, control a VCA).Here, I'm using a Rossum Trident as sound source. And with some CV to change parameters (Pitch...), I already have of small sound particles. It reminds me the "Clic and Cut" aesthetic (that was done digitally). So after that, It was time to complexify the sound by adding modules... until this messy result ! (Some pitch shift, Beads, or Data Bender...

  This is the very first public performance under the name of "ALEQ". Posted here to document it, even if the video and sound quality is not good enought (especially the sound coming from the camera). This performance is a part of a concert in tribute to Iannis Xenakis. Wednesday September 21, Annecy, France. https://www.terresdempreintes.com/festival-aes-2022 The goal was not to create something similar (aesthetically or technically) to the Xenakis music. So no algorithmic calculations or stochastic synthesis here. It begins with a noisy sound, to gradually move on to percussive elements, which themselves bring out an evolving sequence of sounds at a recognizable pitch. Finally, the piece ends with a continuous harmonic sound. Technically,  the main instrument is a modular synthesizer, made up of modules from Erica Synth (a complete set of early DIY modules with 4 VCO and 2 Dtech VCF), a DE-3 Bristol Bloodhound VCO, a Doepfer synth voice A-111-6, a Turing Machine used as a d...

 Very first performance for the Aleq Project: Festival L'Automne des Empreintes Sonore Wednesday, September 21. Annecy (France). Improvisation with some modular synths, in tribut to Yannis Xenakis.

 Test of 2 newly acquired modules. The Sonocurrent MD2T distortion and the Rossum Linnaeus filter. SONOCURRENT MD2T: It is sometimes (often? all the time??) useful to color the signal a little. Or to enrich it with more high harmonics, or even to degrade it. For this there is the whole family of wave shapers, and distortions. The MD2T is part of the family of distortions. It is interesting in more ways than one. In the first place it is double, which is missing from my panel of possibilities, and has quite complete settings such as a tilt filter, the not so common bias setting (there is one on my BigMuff Germanium!) and feedback. In addition to the choice of plate voltage (even less common, useful to degrade the signal even more! ... also on my BigMuff Germanium). Above all, it uses a miniature triode tubes "KORG NUTUBE 6P1 DUAL TRIODE". The sound is very good (no: excellent), and the module allows soft settings for a slight overdrive, such as harder and greasy sounds by push...

Aleq project should be dedicated to the use of modular synthesizers. So, no keyboards, no desktop ? Noway, "if it's sound good, it's good." (Duke Ellington) So in this particular project, why not accepting some "all in one" synth (Even with a keyboard ?!).  I have several synth that are not eurorack modules. Not really interesting to speak about, there are a lot of good video on the web. But 2 machines can be more interesting, maybe. And both are "modular" (in fact, semi-modular...) : A RSF KOBOL, Expander I and II, with a small add: a joystick. I never see any info about this stuff on the web. I was buying the two expander, and this joystick was included, so... But it uses two 9V batteries, with no ON/Off switch, and you have to disassemble it to change the batteries: not effective ! In addition, it seems broken: needs some investigation. Or just leave it like that. Because there is another interesting machine, with 2 joysticks: An old and dirty E...