a Serge patch: "Rainstick"
2004-09-10 by johnrichoux
9/10/04 SERGE PATCH: Rainstick
This is a patch I've been working on for the last few months. I call it a rainstick, but it is
capable of much more than that. I love the sound of rattles, shakes, scrapes, chimes
along with others difficult to describe. I'm a sucker for ambient noise.
Credit Where Credit Is Due Department: I got the inspiration for it from "North Twin" by
Adham Shaikh & Tim Floyd. (on "Ambient Boxed" on Instinct Records) There are spots
where the noise moves from running water to what sounds like a bag of rice being
scattered on a hardwood floor to the sound of campfire to what sounds like boots walking
through muddy slush. I assumed that it was all based on sampled sounds (and it could
be; but who's going to spill rice on a hardwood floor?) Anyway, using this basic idea I
have come very close to mimicking many of the ambient sounds on the track.
The idea is a double band-passed, ring-modulated random pulse.
Modules used:
1) random pulse generator with VC rate (RS or RVG)
2) slope generator to vary the pulse edge (DSG, DTG with inputs
3) resonant filter with bandpass output (VCFQ)
4) filter with bandpass output (I use a VCFS here)
5) sine oscillator (PCO or NTO)
6) ring modulator
1) Random Pulse --> Slope Gen Audio Input / Slope Gen Audio Out --> Filt1 Audio Input
/ Filt1 Bandpass --> Ring Mod Signal In
2) Osc Sin Wave --> Ring Mod Carrier In
3) Ring Mod Out --> Filt2 / Filt2 Bandpass --> Output
The fun and the music results from changing:
1) the rate of the random pulse along with the rise and fall of the slope generator
2) the Q and cutoff of filter1
3) the pitch of the sine wave oscillator
4) the amount of ring modulation
Various modulation schemes I have used:
1) TKB or any SEQ with ABCD outs
2) QUO or any envelope (with a little curve to it) shaping the random rate and slope
3) Send the random pulse to a pulse divider (PDIV) , send the divisions to various places
4) Same as (3), but mix (ACPR) the random pulse with a steady pulse (from a DTG). The
steady clock can produce great rhythms, while a touch of the random adds spice.
I hope someone finds this useful. It has been a lot of fun for me.
This is a patch I've been working on for the last few months. I call it a rainstick, but it is
capable of much more than that. I love the sound of rattles, shakes, scrapes, chimes
along with others difficult to describe. I'm a sucker for ambient noise.
Credit Where Credit Is Due Department: I got the inspiration for it from "North Twin" by
Adham Shaikh & Tim Floyd. (on "Ambient Boxed" on Instinct Records) There are spots
where the noise moves from running water to what sounds like a bag of rice being
scattered on a hardwood floor to the sound of campfire to what sounds like boots walking
through muddy slush. I assumed that it was all based on sampled sounds (and it could
be; but who's going to spill rice on a hardwood floor?) Anyway, using this basic idea I
have come very close to mimicking many of the ambient sounds on the track.
The idea is a double band-passed, ring-modulated random pulse.
Modules used:
1) random pulse generator with VC rate (RS or RVG)
2) slope generator to vary the pulse edge (DSG, DTG with inputs
3) resonant filter with bandpass output (VCFQ)
4) filter with bandpass output (I use a VCFS here)
5) sine oscillator (PCO or NTO)
6) ring modulator
1) Random Pulse --> Slope Gen Audio Input / Slope Gen Audio Out --> Filt1 Audio Input
/ Filt1 Bandpass --> Ring Mod Signal In
2) Osc Sin Wave --> Ring Mod Carrier In
3) Ring Mod Out --> Filt2 / Filt2 Bandpass --> Output
The fun and the music results from changing:
1) the rate of the random pulse along with the rise and fall of the slope generator
2) the Q and cutoff of filter1
3) the pitch of the sine wave oscillator
4) the amount of ring modulation
Various modulation schemes I have used:
1) TKB or any SEQ with ABCD outs
2) QUO or any envelope (with a little curve to it) shaping the random rate and slope
3) Send the random pulse to a pulse divider (PDIV) , send the divisions to various places
4) Same as (3), but mix (ACPR) the random pulse with a steady pulse (from a DTG). The
steady clock can produce great rhythms, while a touch of the random adds spice.
I hope someone finds this useful. It has been a lot of fun for me.