2022-01-30

#jamuary jam number 18. Another jam using server-side sequencing. The SynthDef I used looks like

(
SynthDef(\boop, {|
	out=0,
	freq=440,
	atk=0.01,
	rel=1,
	rate=0.2,
	amp = 0.25,
	pos = 0|

	var env = EnvGen.kr(Env.perc(atk, rel), gate: Impulse.kr(rate));
	var snd = Mix.new([
		SinOscFB.ar(freq, LFNoise0.kr(0.5, mul: 0.2, add: 0.2)),
		PinkNoise.ar(0.1),
	]);
	var trem = FSinOsc.kr(0.05, mul: 0.2, add: 0.5);
	snd = snd * env * amp * trem;
	Out.ar(out, Pan2.ar(snd, pos));
}).add();
)

I decided to use a sine-wave oscillator with controllable self-modulation feedback, SinOscFB. It can sweep between sine and saw shapes which creates some nice variations.

The chord bed has three notes (a C in two differnt octaves and an E)

(
Synth(\boop, [\freq, 48.midicps, \atk, 5, \rel, 5, \rate, 1/8, \pos, -0.3]);
Synth(\boop, [\freq, 60.midicps, \atk, 2, \rel, 5, \rate, 1/4, \pos, 0.3]);
Synth(\boop, [\freq, 60.midicps, \atk, 2, \rel, 5, \rate, 1/4, \pos, -0.3]);
Synth(\boop, [\freq, 64.midicps, \atk, 3, \rel, 4, \rate, 1/6, \pos, 0.5]);
)

with a two-note (A and D) melody that gradually phases apart in time over the duration

(
Synth(\boop, [\freq, 74.midicps, \atk, 0.1, \rel, 2, \rate, 1/6, \pos, 0, \out, 2]);
Synth(\boop, [\freq, 69.midicps, \atk, 0.1, \rel, 2, \rate, 2/11, \pos, 0, \out, 2]);
)

I got some great feedback on an earlier jam on discord and based on that I incorporated a little looped fragment of pitched down field recordings I made last Autumn on Hampstead Heath to give a bit of rhythmic repetition. I need to experiment more with this because it really helps to emphasise the phasing effects in the sequenced parts.

The melody was sent through a lo-fi Valhalla delay and everything was given some ValhallaVintageVerb (“small ambience” preset).