Analogue-sequencer

....was on the box last night, south bank show.
I didn't record it, but I will if it's repeated.

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. 
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?

d.

> 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.

Best regards,
Colin Fraser
Sequentix Music Systems Ltd
http://www.sequentix.com

>  
> > 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

    this message brought to you by 'e-mail' -- safe, clean, Modern!

At 05:24 PM 12/11/2006, jneilyahoo@jneil.com wrote:
><snip>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.<snmip>


Back in the 70s I had two Revox 1/2 track R2R with variable speed 
setup through an EMS Synthi style pin matrix feeding inputs to 
outputs and adding in synths.  Tape loops strung for yards between mic stands.

This was great for both long Frippertronics-style ambience and 
Reichean woodblock polyrhythms.

These days, I am using the Looperlative LP-1 to do both.  The 
designer recently added the ability to independently speed up or slow 
down any of the 8 stereo loops by very small amounts.  This, combined 
with the ability to keep the original loop intact and bouncing copies 
for edits, lends itself to polyrhythms nicely.  The speed increment 
is small enough that the pitch change on a percussive sound is 
generally unnoticeable even to the performer.

Anyway a great instrument and for me indispensable in using my P3.