vcvetudes

semi-ambient pieces done with VCV Rack

vcv-1 (mp3 format; 21:00 -- 30.2 Mbytes)
vcv-2 (mp3 format; 21:00 -- 30.2 Mbytes)
vcv-3 (mp3 format; 21:00 -- 30.2 Mbytes)
vcv-4 (mp3 format; 21:00 -- 30.2 Mbytes)

This past semester was pretty intense. I set up my Sound: Advanced Topics I seminar to cover an insane amount of material. I had been away on sabbatical the year before this, and there was a lot to do in the class! Jill was back out on Whidbey Island, so I spent a large amount of time researching and coding, alone, in our NY apartment.

I poked now and then at some music, but didn't really do much. Towards the end of the term this started to bug me (when I haven't made any music for awhile, I start feeling it...). With my new-found interest in Things Modular (see modudrones, summer-modular2023, summer-seq-modular2023), I figured it would be fun to continue. The problem was that all my modular hardware was back on Whidbey Island.

The solution: when I first started getting modular equipment, I thought it might be a good idea to build a software modular synthesizer, maybe ease up a little on the $$$ buying new modules. The result was an RTcmix-based app I called Brad's Virtual Modular Synth. I had fun doing it, and figured I would take over zee music-synthesis vorld with this snazzy software.

My students quickly pointed to the VCV Rack project, already several years old with lots of development. I downloaded it and tried a few things, but then got distracted by my Actual Hardware and put it aside.

I got out my downloaded VCV Rack, dusted it off and started making sound with it. I had also been listening to a lot of ambient music lately, so I decided to do somewhat 'longer form', slowly-moving pieces. Each one is exactly 21 minutes long for a total of 84 minutes of music. I also chose to adopt the ethos of the "modular synth"; the pieces are performed and recorded in real-time. I added a bit of reverb to one or two of them after-the-fact. but they are pretty much intact performances.

Happy holidays! Hope you enjoy these pieces! If anything, they might help you get to sleep. :-)

Brad Garton
December, 2023