FINE TUNING - Part 2: Tonality In Sound Design & ‘Whole Cow’ Approach with Gauspal

FINE TUNING

Part 2: Tonality In Sound Design & ‘Whole Cow’ Approach

with Gauspal

In this Lux Cache tutorial series, we delve deep into the intricacies of experimental music theory, aiming to push the boundaries of what is possible in electronic music production. Going beyond mere virtuosity and novelty, this series is designed to challenge your creative process and inspire innovation. In this chapter, Brandon Saunders (aka Gauspal) focuses on techniques such as microtonality, modulators, and unconventional sampling methods to create a unique sonic palette with Logic Pro X. From the 'Full Cow' philosophy to the art of controlled chaos, we guide you through a transformative journey that will redefine how you approach sound design.

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CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION
2. CHAPTER 1: Sound Design Philosophy
3. CHAPTER 2: Microtonality
4. CHAPTER 3: MIDI Effects and Modulators
5. CHAPTER 4: Modulated FX
6. CHAPTER 5: Using Modulator and Arpeggiator MIDI Effects to Create a Microtonal Melody Generator
7. CHAPTER 6: Let’s Get Crazy
8. CHAPTER 7: Sampling All This Chaos
9. CONCLUSION

INTRODUCTION

In music production, many factors help individual stems stand out in your track, such as timbre, rhythm, and mixing/mastering. One opportunity that microtonality offers is the ability to break free from a DAW's 12-tone equal temperament limitations, thereby enhancing existing harmonic content. Consider this: when you incorporate audio of people talking, sound foley (like wood, rocks, water, etc.), or miscellaneous sounds of a non-musical nature, these elements naturally distinguish themselves from all the harmonic content in the mix—anything that uses 12-tone temperament, for example. In this tutorial, I'll demonstrate sound design techniques that focus on microtonality for a unique effect. Although I emphasize microtonality, these techniques can also be applied without it.

CHAPTER 1: Sound Design Philosophy

In this tutorial, you may notice that I make some unconventional choices regarding the software and synths I focus on. This is because I subscribe to the "Whole Cow" philosophy of sound design. To be honest, as producers, we've all experimented with various soft synths and have favorites we stick to, as well as some we may never use again. We also have preferred synths with presets or features that don't necessarily align with our current sonic styles. The "Whole Cow" approach means that I spend some of my production time exploring VST or DAW features that I haven't found a use for—until I do, often in an unconventional manner. I believe many producers already adopt this mindset in their unique ways. My specific approach leans heavily into more abstract territory, involving a lot of audio stem bouncing to be later chopped up and reassembled. For this reason, I highly recommend a piece of software like "Serato Sampler." While it's not essential for this tutorial, it's incredibly effective for sifting through the numerous audio streams we'll be creating and layering.

Additionally, I want to give a special mention to the ADSR sampler. It's available for free (though there's also a paid version), and it's effective because it supports a wide range of audio file formats. For instance, I have free sample packs in ".wav" format, but I also have Arturia libraries full of ".ogg" files that are now easily accessible. Most importantly, it allows you to access all your samples in one place, including those you're not sure how to use yet—which is part of the fun. We'll explore this plugin in more detail later on.

Lastly, the reason I employ this philosophy is simple: I'm budget-conscious, and VSTs aren't cheap. So, I aim to get the most value out of my investments.

CHAPTER 2: Microtonality

To keep this section concise, I'll primarily be using "Entonal Studios" for its MIDI effect that allows virtually any instrument to become microtonal. For a more comprehensive exploration of different microtonality methods, you may refer to my previous paper. However, it's not a prerequisite for following this tutorial.

In FINE TUNING Part 1,  I delved into the vast world of microtonality, exploring its applications in various musical traditions like Maqam, Carnatic, and Hindustani music. While I've only scratched the surface, I've found that microtonality offers a rich tapestry of sonic possibilities that can enhance your music production. I've also discussed techniques for incorporating cultural and abstract uses of microtonal music into your work. One of the key takeaways from that paper was the concept of "Saving and Stringing Ajna," a technique for seamlessly incorporating Maqams into your music. This method allows you to create a library of Ajna that you can easily access and layer in your compositions, offering a nuanced approach to what is often oversimplified as "exotic" scales in many tutorials

CHAPTER 3: MIDI Effects and Modulators

Within Logic Pro X, you'll find a feature called "MIDI FX." If you haven't yet explored this, I highly recommend doing so, or looking into your DAW's equivalent feature. In this chapter, I'll primarily focus on the "Modulator" effect, which is arguably one of the most versatile secret weapons in sound design.

When you open the Modulator plugin, you'll notice it defaults to a basic wave that is set to CC 'modulation' and is synced to tempo. While this is a useful tool, we'll be using it for different purposes.

• Step 1: Set the wave to 'Sample and Hold,' then adjust the smoothing to a level you find appealing. You'll now have a wave that essentially moves at random. Pay special attention to the smoothing, as it can significantly alter the results of what we're aiming to achieve.
• Step 2: Experiment with the rate, and consider turning off the sync rate (I usually do, but it's optional).

• Step 3: Open the synth you'd like to use, click on the "- Learn Plug-in Parameter -" in the dropdown menu, and then select your preferred parameter on the synth (such as a cutoff knob, detune knob, frequency knob, or attack knob, for example)

• Step 4: Repeat these steps with several other Modulators, adjusting different parameters on the synth for each instance. (Important Note: Keep in mind that Logic seems to have a limit of 8 MIDI FX, so choose your parameters wisely—opt for those that most interestingly alter the sound.)

• Step 5: Add an instance of Entonal Studio and set it to an intriguing microtonal mapping (this is also optional). I recommend placing it either at the very top or very bottom of the MIDI chain, depending on what sounds best to you. If you're not hearing any sound, try playing around with the 'Retuner' dropdown menu

• Step 6: Set the output to a bus (for this example, I chose "Bus 5").
• Step 7: Create an audio layer and set its input to the bus you've just configured (again, "Bus 5" in this example).

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• Step 8: Hit record and either start playing keys randomly or lay down some MIDI before recording. While recording, switch through different presets on the synth and between temperaments on Entonal.
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• Step 9: If executed correctly, you should end up with a dynamically modulated synth (preferably microtonal) that records your MIDI inputs as real-time audio stems, offering a variety of sounds.

🔊 Audio Example Dry.wav

🔊 Audio Example With FX.wav

The technique above is an intro to the power of modulation and encourages recording audio out in real time. The results should preferably be recorded in real time because the modulation MIDI effect doesn't actually record MIDI data. Plus, it's faster this way. Trust me, just record the audio; it's easier to save.

We're essentially creating audio generators that should give us a lot of transforming sounds to then resample and make music from. While I say microtonality is optional, I personally find it adds another dimension to the sounds we're creating. In this case, microtonality takes the sounds you're making out of a clear 12-tone temperament and into something more atonal or ambiguous in temperament. The result is samples that focus on texture, atmosphere, and other aspects that can inspire you in ways you might not expect.

CHAPTER 4: Modulated FX

The last chapter introduced us to using the modulator MIDI effect to randomly automate synth parameters. Extending this idea, you can also modulate parameters on your favorite audio effects like Reverb, Distortion, or Granulator, and record the audio as previously described. However, keep in mind that this can only be done on instrument layers, not audio layers. Since the modulator is a "MIDI" effect, it only works on instrument layers. While you can only automate effects on audio layers manually, I have some great methods that make this limitation less of an issue.

The most effective way to apply "Random Modulation" on audio is by using "ADSR Sample Manager" or a similar sampler like "Serato Sampler" on an instrument layer. For this next demonstration, I'll be using ADSR Sample Manager, as I find it particularly intriguing for this purpose.

I briefly touched on "ADSR Sample Manager" in the "Sound Design Philosophy" chapter and recommended getting familiar with it. Load up some samples, especially those from seldom-used sample packs, and ensure the plugin integrates smoothly with your DAW. In the case of Logic X Pro, "ADSR Sample Manager" loads up as an instrument layer:

• Step 1: Set the wave to 'Sample and Hold,' then adjust the smoothing to your liking. You'll now have a wave that moves essentially at random. This setup is quite similar to the modulator configurations in Steps 1 and 2 of the last chapter.
• Step 2: Add some audio effects and carefully choose the parameters you'd like to modulate randomly. In my case, I'm using "Crystallizer," "Delay Brigade," and "Delay Eternity." If you're aiming for a more atonal sound, consider adding a pitch shifter and setting the cents to 50.

• Step 3: Repeat this process with multiple Modulators, adjusting each instance to modulate a different parameter. Important note: Logic appears to have a limit of 8 MIDI FX, so keep that in mind and select your parameters wisely—choose those that most interestingly alter the sound.

• Step 4: Set the output to a bus (for this example, I've chosen "Bus 5").
• Step 5: Create an audio layer and set its input to the bus you've just configured (in this example, "Bus 5").
• Step 6: Hit record and intermittently press the random sample button on the ADSR Plugin. While recording, feel free to experiment with the effects, such as cycling through presets for greater variation.

If executed correctly, you should end up with a sound stream featuring various samples, all affected by modulated audio effects:

🔊 ADSR-Audio-Modulation-Sound-Stream-1.wav

Although it may seem straightforward, using modulated audio effects while cycling through various samples in ADSR can yield an inspiring audio stream. Modulating your audio effects in real-time as you record can create an organic movement that might be hard to achieve manually. This approach also lets you discover samples you might not have considered using, transforming them into something useful. It aligns with my philosophy of using the "full cow." Unused samples and VSTs take up space on your computer, essentially acting like malware if not utilized. This method aims to inspire you by randomly selecting samples and transforming them into something you can resample.

Up to now, we've primarily used modulators to make parameters fluctuate randomly. But there's another transformative way to use modulators. Consider, for example, the "Delay Designer" audio effect plugin. While I love this effect, I prefer to set the wet value at 100% and the dry value at 0% when I'm exploring its presets. Generally, I like keeping the wetness at 100% for most effects plugins, as it produces better audio streams to sample from. If I ever want the original sound to come through, I can always record a dry signal and mix it in later.

By using modulators, I can tailor these settings to my liking. I set up one modulator with a 100% output and link it to the wet signal. This plugin also has a "dryness" parameter, so I use a second modulator set to 0% output and connect it to that. With this configuration, I can explore the various exciting presets of this delay effect, knowing that the Dry and Wet parameters are precisely where I want them.

CHAPTER 5: Using Modulator and Arpeggiator MIDI Effects to Create a Microtonal Melody Generator

While there are many excellent applications for generative MIDI playing, this method offers a simple yet versatile solution. Plus, because we're building this in Logic on an instrument layer, it's easy to save and use as a template later.

Upon opening the Arpeggiator MIDI effect, you'll find a range of useful controls. Given the limited number of MIDI effects we can apply to an instrument layer, here's how I strategically place them:

• Step 1: Navigate to the 'Pattern menu'. Link a modulator to the Arpeggiator's 'rate' and 'variation'. You can adjust the modulator's offset and output to prevent extreme speeds, but that's up to you. Then, click the random button to randomize the note order.

• Step 2: Move to the 'Options' menu. Link a modulator to the Note Length, Swing, and Cycles Length. Set the Note Length Random to 75 and the Velocity Random to 50. Again, these settings are based on personal preference.

• Step 3: Add an instance of Entonal Studio at the bottom of the chain. If the chosen temperaments make the pitch too high or low, simply add a transposer at the very end and adjust as needed.

• Step 4: To trigger the sequence, I typically create a block of MIDI notes across two octaves, incrementing by semitones (1, 2, 3, etc.). The aim is to generate an interesting and unpredictable melody.

By this point, you're likely familiar with recording audio output from your instrument racks using buses. However, you may occasionally encounter a system overload. If this happens, simply resume recording where it stopped and later stitch the audio together to create a single sample.

🔊 Audio Example (with 'CZ').wav:

CHAPTER 6: Let's Get Crazy

In this chapter, we're going to synthesize everything we've learned to produce an incredible mega audio output. In the following chapter, I'll guide you through effectively sampling this output.

To make this work, I'll be using a VST called "Morph." While designed to blend sounds together, I'm using it solely for its sidechain feature. If you have a similar VST, feel free to use that. I'm going to show you how to route a sound source through multiple effects simultaneously, all while benefiting from modulators.

• Step 1: First, we need an audio source. Sticking to my "Full Cow" philosophy, I'll reuse the arpeggiator setup from Chapter 5 and add the 'Sylenth1' VST to the instrument rack, as it's a synth I seldom use these days. (Maximize that investment!)
• Step 2: On a separate instrument layer, create some intriguing audio effects by linking modulators to their parameters. You can make as many of these layers as you'd like; for this example, I'll create three layers with different modulated effects.

• Step 3: As you can see in the screenshots, I've set the instrument for all the effects to "EFM1." This is because you only need a synth that minimizes CPU usage. Any low-demand stock synth will do, and it won't impact the final result.
• Step 4: Set the output of the instrument to be affected (in this case, 'Sylenth1') to a bus. I'm using "Bus 5" for this example.
• Step 5: Add an instance of "Morph" to the first layer of each effect. Open it, press 'SOLO B,' and set the Sidechain to 'Bus 5,' which is the output bus of our target instrument.

• Step 6: Assign each of your modulated effects to a different bus. In this example, I'm using 'Bus 15,' 'Bus 16,' and 'Bus 17.'
• Step 7: Create four audio tracks and set their inputs to the buses we've established. We're also connecting an audio track to Bus 5 to capture our dry signal.
• Step 8: For the final touches, lower the volume on all your effects to avoid clipping. Given the sonic intensity of this setup, ensure the audio is at an appropriate level. Familiarize yourself with the parameters you plan to manipulate. Once you're ready, hit the record buttons on the audio tracks and let loose.

After completing these steps, you should have four distinct audio streams, each offering a unique sonic experience.

🔊 Streams-all-together.wav

The audio may sound chaotic, but remember, these are four separate layers in unison.

CHAPTER 7: Sampling All This Chaos

If you've followed the previous chapter and now have one or more audio streams, this is where "Serato Sampler" becomes particularly useful. While you can use any sampler for this step, I'll show you an unconventional approach to sampling to keep things brief.

• Step 1: Open 3 or 4 instrument layers and load them with "Serato Sampler" or your sampler of choice.

• Step 2: Import a different audio stream into each instance of "Serato Sampler," and set it to find samples.

• Step 3: Next, create a bus that includes all these instances. With this setup, you can play all the samples simultaneously, creating intriguing layered effects. While you can add additional effects, a touch of echo or reverb usually suffices—anything more can be overkill.

Here's an audio stream created with "Sylenth1" and a few effects streams. This is just a rough cut to demonstrate this layered approach.

🔊 Audio-Stream-Slice-Up.wav

CONCLUSION

In the preceding chapters, we've journeyed through a labyrinth of techniques, tools, and philosophies aimed at unlocking new dimensions in music production. From the nuanced use of microtonality to the transformative power of modulators, we've explored how to break free from conventional methods and embrace a more experimental approach.

We've also delved into the "Full Cow" philosophy, urging producers to maximise the utility of every tool and sample at their disposal. This not only makes for a more efficient workflow but also fosters a creative environment where even the most mundane sounds can be turned into something extraordinary.

The use of various plugins like "Morph" and "Serato Sampler" demonstrated that even within the confines of a digital audio workstation, the possibilities are virtually endless. By layering, modulating, and morphing sounds, we can create complex audio landscapes that are both unique and emotionally resonant.

But perhaps the most important takeaway is the idea that in music production, as in art, limitations can often be self-imposed. By daring to step outside the familiar, by questioning the 'rules' and by continually pushing the boundaries, we open up a world of creative potential that is as exciting as it is unpredictable.

So as you go forth, armed with new knowledge and perspectives, remember that the true power of music production lies in your ability to adapt, innovate, and, above all, create.

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Gauspel, also known as Brandon Saunders, is a Jamaican-born producer and multidisciplinary artist based in the UK.

You can listen to Gauspel’s new music on Spotify.

You can follow them on Instagram @officialgauspel

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