What is a modular synthesizer?

James Richmond and Julian Rodgers dive into the world of modular synthesis, explaining what it is and how it fits into both studio production and live performance. They explore the process of creating unique sounds from scratch, the challenges of patch recall and share practical advice for anyone looking to get started with modular gear.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction

00:52 - Modular Synth Definition

01:50 - Semi-Modular

02:59 - James' Modular Synthesis Work

04:05 - Reaktor And Max

07:32 - The Appeal Of Modular

09:54 - Generating Your Own Sounds

11:24 - Creating A System

13:11 - Software Vs Hardware Systems

14:02 - Creating Brand New Sounds

16:16 - Stochastic Modulation

21:31 - Handling Recall

22:57 - Gigging With Modular

26:42 - Preparing For Performance

28:12 - East Coast Vs West Coast

29:44 - Practical Performance Challenges

31:34 - Careful Onstage Monitoring

33:08 - Starting Out In Modular

37:08 - Affordable Synthesis

#NIreaktor #cycling74max #makenoisemaths #mutableinstrumentsrings #mutableinstrumentsclouds #doepfer #verbos

James Richmond Biog
James Richmond is a composer, producer and audio engineer working across electronic and guitar-based music. He is the guitarist and producer for Liam Vincent & The Odd Foxes, has released experimental electronic work under the name Euclidean Circuits and has a solo project called The Deathbird. He also develops bespoke audio tools through EventFieldAudio and writes about music production, studio systems and monitoring from his hybrid modular and analogue studio.
https://www.jamesrichmond.com/
https://www.facebook.com/jamesrichmondaudio/
https://twitter.com/octatonic
https://www.instagram.com/jamesrichmondaudio

Julian Rodgers Biog
Julian Rodgers is a freelance writer and audio engineer with a background in live sound. After many years working in education introducing new users to Pro Tools, he now lives by the sea in West Cornwall, where he plays keyboards in a couple of bands. He also plays bass and guitar equally badly, and remains an enthusiastic collector of microphones and opinions about all things audio.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/julian-rodgers-04621926

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