The idea for the echoed cello arpeggiation for Retrofy came to me early one morning. The tune uses the same cello sample as that used for A Father’s Lament on Reinvention but applies a stereo delay synced to the tempo. The cello part was recorded on track 1. All tracks were recorded on the Korg M3 (version 1.2). No Karma software was used, the arpeggiation was played by hand and saved as patterns. The tune is recorded at 105BPM and the duration is 2:51.
The effects chain consists of Stereo Parametric EQ->Sequence BPM Delay->Reverb->Stereo Chorus
The drums were recorded on track 2 using Pgm I-A068 Tricky Kit and using chopped portions of Tricky Kit patterns P425 through P435. The rhythmic complexity comes from the fact that the measures for these patterns are normally 4/4 but since the song is recorded in 3/4 time the last beat of each measure is truncated. The signal sent to the reverb stage.
Tracks 3 and 4 use the Filstrng program ported from the Prophet VS to the Korg M3. Oscillators AC are panned to the left on track 3 and sent to the Sequence BPM Delay stage. Oscillators BD are panned to the right on track 4 and sent to the reverb stage. This was done to broaden the stereo field.
Track 7 uses Pgm I-A109 Raunchy Bass to record the baseline. The signal is sent to the stereo chorus.
The In-Track Sampling function of the M3 was used to combine the tracks into a single stereo wav file.
Either path is Forward was composed in the evening on 2/15/2012. It was the result of troubleshooting I was doing using the Karma software in the Korg M3 (version 1.2). I was trying to figure out how to use one of the four Karma engines to effect two different sounds. The tune is 85 measures long in 4/4 time. The tempo is 115BPM and the duration is 2:57.
Track 1 uses IB004 Jazz/Brush kit. The drum pattern is pretty basic and was created by hand. No internal preset patterns were used.
Track 2 IB111 Calm Bell Synth is paired with Track 3 IA076 Paddylicious on MIDI channel 2. Karma engine A is used to effect these two tracks with Arp Model 13 Down. Both the sustained notes as played on the keyboard as well as the arpeggiated notes from the Karma engine can be heard.
Track 4 ID039 VPM Syn Bass provides the baseline and counter-melody.
Track 5 IA013 Huggy Lead provides the monophonic lead.
The M3’s internal sampler was used to create a stereo wave file. The wave file was loaded into Audacity and fade-in and fade-out envelopes were applied to the beginning and end of the tune.
The title was inspired by Matthew 7:13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”
The idea for Planetfall in November 2012 came from an article at karma-lab.com on Node Clusters which describes arpeggios consisting of chords instead of single notes. Most of the tracks were performed on the Korg M3 (version 1.2) with the exception of the guitar solo which was recorded on the Fostex MR8MKII multitrack recorder. The MR8MKII varies the tempo throughout the song. The tempo starts off at 123BPM for the introductory keyboard solo measures 1 through 16, then slows to 115BPM starting in measure 17. The duration of the song is 3:04.
Track 1 uses a modified version of I-E101 VeloFilter Stabs SW1+Rib with different Karma settings and the XY function set to vary the cutoff and resonance. The introductory solo is played from measures 1 through 16 with the Karma function turned off. After recording the introduction I then went back and overdubbed random changes in resonance and cutoff using XY Mode. Starting at measure 19 Karma is turn on to create the note cluster arpeggios. From here it is a repeating 8 bar pattern with four bars of and G minor chord followed by four bars of F minor chord. The 8 bar pattern repeats itself until the bridge starting at measure 67. The bridge uses slightly different karma settings to change up the rhythm and consists of Em-Dm-Cm-Cm-Ebm-Dbm-Abm-Abm. After the bridge the song resumes with the initial Karma settings and 8 bar Gm/Fm pattern until measure 89. The occasional swells throughout track 1 were created by accident when I discovered the sustain pedal holds all the note from the karma pattern. The final measure 90 consists of an abrupt set of stabs that ends the song in four beats. This same pattern is used on the other tracks.
Track 2 contains the piano solo from measures 26 through 51 and uses U-E000 Warm Electric Grand. This Yamaha CP-70 simulation was not stock in the M3 and I ported it from the Korg TR series (B-065 Warm Electric Grand).
Track 4 contains the synthesize solo from measures 75 through the end of the song and uses I-C125 Lead with a Vengence. The solo is heavily influenced by Tom Coster’s Ivory Expeditions album (think modified Moog Liberation run through massive amounts of overdrive, chorus and reverb).
The guitar solo was recorded on MR8MKII tracks 3&4 from measures 51 through 75 and uses a modified version of Digitech RP350 program 69 Smooth where the reverb program was changed to Lexicon Hall, Predelay=5, Decay=41, Liveness=40 and Level=63.
As a training tool for the guitar solo I created track 6 on the M3 using a simulated guitar. By the time I had learned the solo (as well as I could anyhow) I decided to keep the track but changing the program to a I-B110 Pro Synth Lead which simulates and Sequential Circuits Pro One Synthesizer. Also, I eliminated the first half of the training solo and then in the 2nd half, I altered some of the notes to form a harmony to the guitar.
Track 10 contains the drum part using I-A068 Tricki Kit which along with Preset Pattern 426 Breakbeat 5 was grouped with the VeloFilter program from track 1. The drums pick up in measure 17 and continue through the end of the song. Pattern 426 is used throughout the majority of the song but each time it is is slightly modified on the fills. Pattern 431 Breakbeat 10 is used from measure 43 through 50. Pattern 427 Deep Chill is used from measure 67 through 70. Pattern 430 Breakbeat 9 is used from measure 71 through 74. Not a lot of thought went into the selection of patterns used, I just tried to mix it up to keep it unpredictable.
The NASA audio was taken from excerpts of ground communications during the Gemini VIII mission.
The In-Track Sampling function of the M3 was used to combine the tracks into a single stereo wav file. WAVMGR was then used to extract the guitar solo from the MR8MKII tracks 3&4. These two tracks were combined with the M3 wave file and the NASA audio inside Audacity.
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jacobvanloon
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