Tag Archives: Chris Stack

Vo-96 Acoustic Synth Improvisation, By ExperimentalSynth’s Chris Stack

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Here’s another sneak preview of the Vo-96 Acoustic Synthesizer – a new prototype synth, designed by Moog Guitar creator Paul Vo.

While a traditional synth lets you work with sound by generating and shaping electrical or digital representations of sound waves, Vo’s new design lets you control and shape the vibrations of physical objects. Vo’s initial prototypes attach to an acoustic guitar.

This Vo-96 Improvisation comes via Chris Stack. Stack is the synth guru behind ExperimentalSynth.com.

Stack explains:

I was trying to explore the territory just outside the standard guitar space. I kept the harmonic content and motion fairly close to the standard guitar tone and went for an open, legato feel. I think I am a frustrated cellist at heart and the ability to play those longer notes really appeals to me.

I asked Stack for his first impressions of the Vo-96 Acoustic Synthesizer.  Continue reading →

Ambient Improvisation For Piano & iPad

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Sunday Synth Jam; This Improvisation for ‘Piano’ and iPad, via Experimental Synth guru Chris Stack, seems a perfect match for watching the wind blow the fall leaves, remembering the warm days of summer and thinking about the winter to come.

Technical details below:

Continue reading →

Koushion Step Sequencer Meets Moog, Ableton, And More

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This official Koushion video, via kudzucreative, explores using the iPad step sequencer with a variety of Moog analog synths, the Moog Guitar’s filter and soft synths in Ableton Live.

Koushion connects to your existing MIDI hardware via the iRig MIDI from IK Multimedia or a USB-to-MIDI cable and the Apple iPad Camera Connection Kit. It also connects wirelessly to your DAW via a CoreMIDI (for OS X) or rtpMIDI (for Windows).

Features

  • 16 steps per scene (up to 128 steps in chain mode)
  • 8 scenes with independent midi channel per scene
  • 4 playback modes: single, simultaneous, chain, rebound
  • Key switching between any major, minor, or pentatonic scale
  • Adjustable quantization (1, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/16 and 1/32)
  • Quantized scene switching
  • MIDI clock send/receive
  • Tap to set tempo (great for syncing with a live band)
  • Velocity control
  • Monophonic drawing mode (only allows one note per step; great for programming leads)
  • Wireless connectivity via CoreMIDI Network Sessions or rtpMIDI
  • Automatic integration with other apps via CoreMIDI virtual ports. Open up a synth in the background and Koushion will trigger the notes!

Koushion is available in the App Store for $9.99.

Moog Lap Steel + Modular Synthesis

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Reader and Experimental Synth guru Chris Stack sent word of this unique synth jam, which combines modular synthesis & Moog Lap Steel Guitar:

Moog Lap Steel pioneer Billy Cardine carves out a unique sonic landscape with the Lap Steel, analog and digital effects (Moogerfoogers, Eventide reverb) and cutting-edge modular synthesis gear (the MakeNoise René cartesian sequencer). A top player meets powerful, expressive technology and this video just shows the tip of the iceberg…

You can find more examples of Stack’s creative synth work on his YouTube channel.