#op-z

[mattgrayyes]

I’m being good and have listed some stuff I no longer use on eBay, including several ADHD impulse purchases from years gone by.

Their prices aren't set in stone, there's a make offer button too.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/mattgrayyes

[soundrooms]

Soundrs: souLyft

My name is souLyft and I am an electronic musician from Portland, Oregon. Since June 2019 I have released beats as well as more ambient and generative music and I still feel like I am trying to figure out exactly where my music “fits”.

You can find most of my work at ➜ http://www.soulyftaudio.com My most recent release is “Living Beats”, a collection of ten infinite patterns. Each song is just a look into an endless and evolving piece that was composed on the Teenage Engineering OP-Z. My Instagram is ➜ https://www.instagram.com/soulyftmusic/

Why do you make music?

I make music to inspire others to create. My interest in music started early on when I noticed the effect music had on peoples mood and behaviour and now I want to use the power of music as a positive force.

What are your inspiration sources?

My surroundings and gear/sound are generally what I draw inspiration from. I’ll usually start with something simple from a sound source that I enjoy and that and my environment dictate the direction a track goes.

Tell us something about your workflow.

Over the past year I have been creating almost solely with the Teenage Engineering OP-Z. It’s a portably yet powerful sequencer that I am continually learning from and about. A lot of my workflow is based around that device and it has definitely shaped my music making process.

How would creative rituals benefit your workflow?

Taking a walk or doing some sort of physical activity (especially outdoors) is a good way to reset and recharge. Even though it seems like it takes time away from actually being creative I think it improves the quality of my work and definitely has long term benefits.

How do you get in the zone?

The biggest hurdle for me to get “in the zone” is just getting started. Once I start working on a project I actually find it hard to get “out of the zone”.

How do you start a track?

Usually with improvising or searching for sounds that inspire me. It usually ends up being a lead or pad type of sound or drums/groove. I’ve been actually trying to think of ways to shake up how I start because my production style usually “follows” the sound or song anyways. It would be interesting to see where I would end up if I started in a completely different way.

Do you have a special template?

Not really… I do have some project files on the OP-Z that I like to use the sounds on but creating new sounds and grooves is where I draw a lot of inspiration from so I find templates counterproductive sometimes.

What do you put on the master channel?

I post a lot of my music to Instagram and it’s recorded from my OP-Z directly to my phone. So my trick is to crank the drive channel on the master track and make sure the output is hitting the limiter and it usually works out. My goto for a “quick” master is Ozone Elements.

How do you arrange and finish a track?

A lot of time, before the OP-Z, I would build up a loop until it felt “finished” and then figure out how to arrange the track in a linear fashion building up to that “finished” point. I’ll still do that sometimes, but now, a lot of my OP-Z work is more generative and “finished” tracks are really just live recordings of an evolving composition.

How do you deal with unfinished projects?

If I make something and it doesn’t get posted or released anywhere it usually just lives in a folder on my hard drive. Sometimes I will listen back through these projects to see if I missed anything cool but otherwise if they aren’t good I don’t try to finish them.

How do you store and organize your projects?

My OP-Z projects are backed up by date or “album/project” and I can easily import old projects and revisit them. DAW projects usually have some sort of name that has to do with the purpose of the project, the name of the song, or the feel/bpm/key of the idea.

How do you take care of studio ergonomics?

Mostly my “studio” is portable so I don’t really take this into account too much right now.

Tell us something about your daily routine, how is your day structured, how do you make room for creativity?

I mentioned it earlier but I definitely make sure to get in a walk or other physical activity daily. It really helps me stay consistent creatively and I often come up with new ideas or listen to some great ideas from podcasts while on a walk.

Share a quick producing tip.

Never stop learning.

Share a link to an interesting website (doesn’t have to be music related).

➜ http://www.opzpacks.com

List ten sounds you are hearing right this moment : )

Pellet stove fan, my typing, my wife’s typing, the TV, my dog asking to go outside, the fridge humming, the chair creaking, my breath, a car door closing, and the pellet’s hitting the hopper.

Thank you Corey! Stay positive y’all.

[dmoefunk]

Skynet

Skynet, an album by Dmoefunk on Spotify

Spotify Apple Music Bandcamp Soundcloud Amazon Music YouTube

[jeffwiggins]

Teenage Engineering, “Rooster” / FREKVENS Hacks / 2020

[moogieinstructor]

Roland system 500

[radiumsoftware]

Added macOS binaries to the VideolabTest pre-built package. Now it runs on the macOS version of the OP-Z app. https://github.com/keijiro/VideolabTest

[511am]

[mattgrayyes]

Buy my stuff so I can sell more of my stuff.

You’d think my profile page would show all the things I’m selling but for some reason it doesn’t.

Security measure | eBay

I’ve got some Teenage Engineering synths and some guitars and some other bits to list.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/317653626571

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/317653664621

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/317653705577

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/317654487025

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/317654500890