So far, I’ve been trying to make patches available wherever possible, because I also think that analyzing patches is a excellent way to learn and to develop your own process. For more complex patches or patches with commercial plugins though, this unfortunately is not always useful or even possible.
I can’t claim to know JJ all too well, but with over 5 million followers on YT, she must be doing something right. Nevertheless, it did not take long until the question came to mind: “Who is Jonna Jinton really?” The rest is fiction .
Starting a new series today, with the goal of creating compact and relatively lightweight 4-voice generative or aleatoric patches in VCV Rack.
This first attempt consists of chords, bass, lead and arp as voices. All notes are generated from a Circle of Fifth module (Fifths & Fourths by Amalgamated Harmonics).
For chord assembly, notes are fed into Shift Register (ML). The chord is then sent to Arp (Hampton Harmonics), and for the lead also into a second Shift Register (ML), which is sequenced backwards and played using irregular gates from uGraph (Valley).
Together, the 4 voices form a drifting, continuously changing soundscape that is slow yet migrant in rhythm and tone. Modulation of timbre and panning adds to the wandering. Scale is C phrygian.
Softly rhythmic Generative Ambient track created as a 4-Voice Excercise (pad, bass, lead, perc).
Exploring a polyphonic supersaw in VCO Unit (Venom). The bass (Nodi, Sanguine Mutants) sounds much fuller when adding on an octave and a fifth using polyphony. Two delays and a reverb as send effects. Lead ‘melody’ using Evolution (ML Modules). Basic pitches come from AbcdSeq (JW-Modules), in part converted to chords in Harmony (Squinktronix).
Press any of the Random buttons on AbcdSeq to alter the sequence. Four percussion instruments are assembled via Vector Mixer (NYSTHI).
Scale is F minor. Maximus-VST (Image Line) in Host-FX (VCV) was used as compressor for loudness during recording, but removed from the patch thereafter.
Deliberately mellow generative ambient track as a 4-Voice Exercise (pad1, pad2, noise, strings/bells).
Root notes generated in NoteSeq16 (JW-Modules). Chords for two polyphonic lush pads created with Harmony (Squinktronix) and played using random gate selections. Strings and bells draw from the root note and may remind of a music box. dadras (wiqid) as chaotic LFO. Scale is D# Major.
Maximus-VST (Image Line) in Host-FX (VCV) was used as compressor for loudness during recording, but removed from the patch thereafter.
Conceived as a 4-voice exercise. Maximus-VST (Image Line) in Host-FX (VCV) was used as compressor for loudness during recording, but removed from the patch thereafter.
Enchanted by Nimue, Lady of the Lake (4VE05) — Ambient
Generative ambient, tranquil atmo, stirred up slightly by percussive elements (snare, clap, hihat). The hihat pattern was created with three serially connected re-burst modules (repelzen).
Random melody with Melodygen (SS-Modules). Chords compiled from melody using Shift Register (ML Modules).
4-voice exercise: Drums, bass, pad, lead. Scale is C Aeolian.
Maximus-VST (Image Line) in Host-FX (VCV) was used as compressor for loudness during recording, but removed from the patch thereafter.
In Arthurian legend, Nimue/Nynyve/Viviane/Niniane is a water fairy queen and enchantress, who also is the keeper of the sword Excalibur.
At its center, constantly changing noises created with Nucleus (Sapphire) are fed into a rig of Memory (Stochastic Telegraph) utilizing a feedback loop. Pads, bass, a sparse lead and a drone sound added fill empty space.
Compressor (VCV) is a paid module (VCV Rack 2 Pro). It can be replaced easily by another compressor module or left out entirely.
Ambient soundscape with focus on a chord progression that has deterministic and random elements.
The chord progression is based on root notes taken from the circle of fifths, chosen randomly to move forward (66%) or backward (33%) along the circle using Oraculus (Sanguine Monsters) as a sequencer.
Chord notes are created with Harmony II (Squinktronix) across three octaves, and the pad is made from a polyphonic saw fed through a VCA + envelope + filter, controlled by weighted random gates.
Melodies from Melodygen (SS Modules), quantized either to scale or the currently played chord.
Bass made with Prodigal Son (FLAG).
A Memory rig (Stochastic Telegraph) was used for percussive effects. Additional percussive noise was created with a VCA controlled by a square LFO of varying speed.
Scale is F minor.
Video of the patch was recorded while performing, i.e. switching channels on and off for variation. Video processing with OpenShot.
Generative ambient soundscape inspired by early works of Pink Floyd, including the 1971 album ‘Meddle’.
The patch is controlled using MIDI-CC messages and was performed live using a small MIDI controller (AKAI MPKmini).
Level inputs of MixMaster Jr (MindMeld) are linked to respective hardware knobs via the MIDI CC-to-CV module (VCV). To play, assign knobs of the first 8 outputs to a suitable MIDI controller accordingly.
I’m very grateful to Squinky Labs for their Organ Three.
Maximus-VST (Image Line) in Host-FX (VCV) was used as compressor for loudness during recording, but removed from the patch thereafter.
Generative ambient soundscape with pad, lead, bass and 2 percussive tracks. An additional noise track processes the percussion sounds in Nucleus (Sapphire). For the video, the patch was performed using the mouse.
Gates and note sequence of the pad are randomly generated. Chords form guided by volume ADSR envelopes that always complete the cycle before becoming sensitive to the next gate, with the intent to yield smooth transitions. To avoid jumps in pitches, chord changes only happen when all envelope signals are low.
Note sequence in the lead voice was created by arpeggiation from chords (Harmony II by Squinktronix) formed on random notes (Melodygen by SS-Modules). The dreamlike synth was made using Addiator (Bogaudio).
Scale is C minor, with occasional digressions into other scales.
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