I have been making a lot of generative sounds over the past few months and I feel I have got pretty good at knowing how to keep a sound endlessly interesting and immersive. I started using VCV rack to create intricate generative patches, as well as my Behringer Deep Mind 6 synth.
VCV PATCHES
The main ingredient to keep these expansive, ambient patches infinitely interesting is LFO’s reacting to each other. So for the first one for example, there is one LFO randomly controlling the note sequencer which generates random notes in the same key, and then two more LFO modules controlling various things about the first LFO, such as its rate, waveform and mix. These interactions keep the sound moving randomly whilst retaining the general atmosphere or mood.
DEEPMIND 6 PATCH
The patch I made on my synth took a lot of time to construct and there are quite a few complexities without it being overly complicated. I wanted to make something that reflected the darker attitude that I present through my sound practice, as well as having an evolving shine that comes and goes. My thought process was that, seeing as I am creating a piece in the space that focuses on art’s infinite nature, I would make a sound that integrates both haunting texture and bright shimmers to capture the essence of exisiting in a world where the line is blurred between dark and light. The sound needs to be a reflection of the world around it, which I believe will hopefully make it feel more organic when it is existing in the gallery space. If mobile visitors can relate in some way to the feeling of the sound or get lost in the experience, then I would say I’ve done a good job.
Using the two LFO’s to control each others rates as well as the envelope rates, the saw and sine waves began to take shape and evolve into a morphing wave of sound. I then used these random LFO sequences to control the distortion, which is at the end of the FX chain meaning it is affecting all of the effects before it, such as the reverb and delay. Another random LFO controlling the VCF resonance meant that the sound became more detailed on certain occasions. Overall I am very happy with how it sounds, and obviously the audio clip above is only a 3-minute excerpt of what is ultimately an endless sound.
I think I will use the Deepmind 6 sound over the VCV patches because it has a more raw feeling to it and sounds a lot warmer and more natural. I feel like the VCV patches sound nice but my intention is for the sound to be as organic as possible.
Next it is time to start fusing the sound and visuals to start forming a singular experience.