Stretta

DRT YRT – First Morning

Video from the making of the DRT YRT album, Sounds From Unknown Animals.

This is a monome 64 running Stretta’s Polygome App. Polygome is triggering a recording of Elliott’s vocal which was “sliced to MIDI” in Ableton Live 8.

This is a take that did not make the album.

You can download the album free here.

Image: stretta

Matthew Davidson has shared a droolworthy set of photos from AHNE 2009.

Matthew Davidson (Stretta) is a blogger and electronic musician that is very active in music new media, posting frequent blog articles and software and gear videos online. He’s also shared a great collection of electronic and ambient music albums at his site.

Trash_Audio has published an interesting interview with Davidson that looks at his studio, his work and his thoughts on the future of synthesis:

There are few reasons for hardware outside of controllers anymore. All new advances in synthesis and sound processing will occur in software.

That said, I haven’t found anything in software that can replicate the experience of working with a hardware modular. I enjoy working with my hands and I find using a modular is, well… fun. The modular keeps me honest; software instruments are outstanding, but it gets to a point where I feel like the result is more of a showcase of a talented sound designer than a unique musical statement that I created.

Software instruments, in an effort to out-sell the competition, are becoming very rich and layered, providing instant music at the touch of a single key. I feel complex sounds such as this, ‘crowd out’ personal musical expression. A simpler sound, powered by human performance and expression will stand the test of time.

I like software and I see useful and innovative ideas from all corners of the industry. I don’t hold a religious attachment to my chosen platform because if you look past the latest wizz-bang-feature-leap-frog game, you’ll understand that, at its core, every offering is an extraordinarily powerful tool. It wasn’t that long ago I was delighted with a cassette four-track. What we have access to today is staggering.

It’s interesting stuff; check out the full interview here.

Davidson’s got a sweet collection of gear. Can anyone pick out the main synths from the photo?

This is a demo, via Stretta, of Volta – a virtual instrument that turns your audio interface into a control voltage interface.

This video, Where Are You?, captures Stretta (Matthew Davidson) playing a French Connection controller against a looping phrase. If you listen carefully to the phrase, the pulses change slightly throughout the composition. 

The French Connection is controlling a small collection of modules including a Cwejman VCO-RM2, MMF1, Plan B model 11 and Doepfer VCA. The left hand joystick is controlling various parameters including the frequency of the slave osc of the VCO which is also frequency modulating one of the filters.

Besides being a lovely piece, this is the most musical use I’ve seen of the very cool French Connection, which offers the discrete phrasing of a keyboard, along with the more vocal phrasing of a continuously pitched controller.