Autechre use many sound-mangling techniques. How do they do it? They make rythmic grooves out of weird noises that defy description. Anyone know how to do this and have examples?
Cheers
The Autechre Sound
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ElectronicaDub
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One explanation might be that they use Kyma:'
Autechre has released an EP from the John Peel sessions that includes extensive use of Kyma (including the infamous sample of Kurt "I am the cephlaphage" Hebel's voice). Recorded on Warp Records http://www.warprecords.com (Warp/Nothing, PO Box 474, Sheffield SI3BW). John Peel is a radio DJ for UK Radio One, known for his impromptu recording sessions.
You can read more about kyma here:
http://www.symbolicsound.com/brochure/index.html
But I'm sure that this is not the whole story.
Thomas
Autechre has released an EP from the John Peel sessions that includes extensive use of Kyma (including the infamous sample of Kurt "I am the cephlaphage" Hebel's voice). Recorded on Warp Records http://www.warprecords.com (Warp/Nothing, PO Box 474, Sheffield SI3BW). John Peel is a radio DJ for UK Radio One, known for his impromptu recording sessions.
You can read more about kyma here:
http://www.symbolicsound.com/brochure/index.html
But I'm sure that this is not the whole story.
Thomas
some quotes from an article in german Keys mag about the how to:
...we haven't bought much in the last years. Most of our equipment is about 15 years old, like a humble homestudio from the 80s, but we know exactly how to tweak that stuff.
... many old delays, spring reverb, 19" outboard equipment, some old FM synths...
... started 1986 with Roland synths (nice tweaking) and had those Casio SK1 and SK5 samplers driven by a Roland TR606. Later this was completed by a MC202, Juno60 and Ensoniq EPS and ASR samplers.
one of our oldest tricks was a modded SK1 with a Boss delay, which could morph the 1.4 second 8 bit 9 khz samples by modifying the samplerate of the chips, which yiels chorus, flanger, delay and timestretching.
Kind of DSP tool in the most simple form (laughing)
...Macs with Logic, Cubase, Digital Performer and a few others... Max/MSP is used for certain rythmic patterns which now represent our sound aestethics.
Max is also a main component live on our Powerbooks completed by a Nord Lead and Modular and some fader boxes for physical access.
We don't have any special technique, it's peobably our way of working that makes the sound. Finally it's the physical interconnection of the gear that drives it beyond it's original scope.
... Max is like a data-waterfall. You throw something into it and it gets split and whirls in cascades through the processor.
We like to channelize those numerous streams in a way we like, but which tool applies doesn't matter.
...Simple synths and drumboxes are more open (than plugins), a DX7 has character by itself - while in Max you first have to program some character...
I hope my translation hits the point - the interview was (of course) printed in german
cheers, Tom
...we haven't bought much in the last years. Most of our equipment is about 15 years old, like a humble homestudio from the 80s, but we know exactly how to tweak that stuff.
... many old delays, spring reverb, 19" outboard equipment, some old FM synths...
... started 1986 with Roland synths (nice tweaking) and had those Casio SK1 and SK5 samplers driven by a Roland TR606. Later this was completed by a MC202, Juno60 and Ensoniq EPS and ASR samplers.
one of our oldest tricks was a modded SK1 with a Boss delay, which could morph the 1.4 second 8 bit 9 khz samples by modifying the samplerate of the chips, which yiels chorus, flanger, delay and timestretching.
Kind of DSP tool in the most simple form (laughing)
...Macs with Logic, Cubase, Digital Performer and a few others... Max/MSP is used for certain rythmic patterns which now represent our sound aestethics.
Max is also a main component live on our Powerbooks completed by a Nord Lead and Modular and some fader boxes for physical access.
We don't have any special technique, it's peobably our way of working that makes the sound. Finally it's the physical interconnection of the gear that drives it beyond it's original scope.
... Max is like a data-waterfall. You throw something into it and it gets split and whirls in cascades through the processor.
We like to channelize those numerous streams in a way we like, but which tool applies doesn't matter.
...Simple synths and drumboxes are more open (than plugins), a DX7 has character by itself - while in Max you first have to program some character...
I hope my translation hits the point - the interview was (of course) printed in german
cheers, Tom
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ElectronicaDub
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Thanks for that. I knew they used Ensoniq samplers and used transwaves. Transwaves are a bit like the wavetables in a Modular Waldorf osc, but with a transwave any sample can be modulated or 'scrolled' through. The EPS and ASR samplers do not have resonant filters(well, only as an effect)
Go to http://www.soundengine.com/html/samp/asr10.html
and listen to the demos of what transwaves can sound like.
A lot of Autechre's music still baffles me as to how it is produced.
Go to http://www.soundengine.com/html/samp/asr10.html
and listen to the demos of what transwaves can sound like.
A lot of Autechre's music still baffles me as to how it is produced.
well, the Transwaves feature of the Ensoniq samplers wasn't mentioned a single time in this (3 pages) interview 
Anyway, imho Vectron does exactly the same soundwise.
Your 'wavetable' would be restricted to 4 entries, but each entry could be arbitrarily complex.
Vectron is capable of such complex modulations that you could (almost) make a new bank from each single preset
Don't get fooled by the fx blurred Player...
cheers, Tom
Anyway, imho Vectron does exactly the same soundwise.
Your 'wavetable' would be restricted to 4 entries, but each entry could be arbitrarily complex.
Vectron is capable of such complex modulations that you could (almost) make a new bank from each single preset
Don't get fooled by the fx blurred Player...
cheers, Tom
On 2003-12-06 19:45, astroman wrote:
Vectron does exactly the same soundwise.
Your 'wavetable' would be restricted to 4 entries, but each entry could be arbitrarily complex.
Vectron is capable of such complex modulations that you could (almost) make a new bank from each single preset
Don't get fooled by the fx blurred Player...
cheers, Tom
I think the the patches used in the CW Vectron sound examples sound a little "new age" to me so it kind of turned me off. Any chance you could post some sound examples of your own Astroman? I've always had curiosity of the Vectron.
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: scary808 on 2003-12-10 18:28 ]</font>
I liked the concept of the Vectron and was indeed surprised how different the CW presets sound when stripped of the 'usual suspicious' fx and instead spiced with a good dose of modulation assignments.
That's what you don't see in the Player.
My original intention was to sample some of my lofi stuff like the small Casios and my favourite K4 sounds - but never got there
If you have the player, then tell me your favourite 10 sounds and what controllers you want assigned in case you have a faderbox.
Otherwise I'd just use aftertouch and velocity applied on multiple elements, like below:
You probably know the little dot moving over the Vectron XY pad.
Velocity could push him a little upper left while aftertouch drags him bottom right, so the original movement gets modified by a kind of tumbling according to your play.
Both controllers can be applied to several other items like filter and panorama as well (simultaneously of course).
I'll save the presets with controller assignment - hopefully it doesn't forget them
and you'll have an almost complete Vectron. At least the idea of...
open to suggestions, Tom
That's what you don't see in the Player.
My original intention was to sample some of my lofi stuff like the small Casios and my favourite K4 sounds - but never got there
If you have the player, then tell me your favourite 10 sounds and what controllers you want assigned in case you have a faderbox.
Otherwise I'd just use aftertouch and velocity applied on multiple elements, like below:
You probably know the little dot moving over the Vectron XY pad.
Velocity could push him a little upper left while aftertouch drags him bottom right, so the original movement gets modified by a kind of tumbling according to your play.
Both controllers can be applied to several other items like filter and panorama as well (simultaneously of course).
I'll save the presets with controller assignment - hopefully it doesn't forget them
and you'll have an almost complete Vectron. At least the idea of...open to suggestions, Tom
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ElectronicaDub
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On 2004-01-24 17:05, ElectronicaDub wrote:
I suppose what I was getting at was the working method they emply, rather than kit. With their early works, it is easy to see how they got the sounds; with the later stuff, its a bit harder. S'all.
Those Ae boys are clever little monkeys! I'm sure only they know their methods(for the most part). Just fool around with your toys. That's the way they figured it out. Who knows, maybe one day somebody will try to figure out your methods. Peace!