Analogue-sequencer

>  
> > it made me think, though, about how one might achieve reich's
> > "phasing" effect using a step sequencer. by "phasing", he usually
> > means two similar patterns (rhythms, tonal phrases, whatever) starting
> > off in sync & gradually drifting out, with one or the other pulling
> > ahead by fractions of a beat until they eventually land in sync again,
> > but out-of-step with each other. 
> 
> Isn't that the trick Orbital used for those ultra-annoying spoken word loops
> on their early albums ?
> Easily done with a sample copied then slightly truncated.
> 
> > now, I reckon you could do something like this with a p3 by slowly
> > modulating the note-on delay of a copy of a track, which is also
> > playing undelayed. has anyone tried this? is the resolution
> > fine enough?

> I think what you really need is a way for a pattern to occasionally skip
> or repeat an individual clock tick on a track that is free-running against
> another. That would allow one pattern to be very slightly shorter than
> another (191 ticks instead of 192) so it would go one step out of phase
> against another 16 step pattern every 12 bars. So 192 bars before it got
> back in sync...
> Might be interesting to experiment with an aux event that allowed that.



When I've tried this in the past I was never quite happy with the
results.  Part of what makes the Reich pieces work is the inexorable
morphing you get from the analog recorders drifting out of sync.  With
digital stuff -- especially with MIDI -- you tend to get slightly choppier 
results even if you can completely freewheel the 2 sources (ie have 2 
different clocks).  And the little bits of timing inconsistency in MIDI 
itself tend to work against you, too.

Not that you can't use the ideas to create something interesting, just
don't expect to get the same liquidy evololving sound right off the bat.

----------------------- Tear Along Dotted Line -----------------------
John Neilson                                           jneil@jneil.com

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