Ambient Noodlings

Happy Sunday! Wow, tomorrow is Halloween. That sure came up fast! I’d thought a while back about coming up with something spooky sounding, but I’ve been too busy at work and not getting as much noodling time on the synths as I’d like. Anyway, here’s a little jam between the Grandmother, Mother 32, and DFAM. The Subharmonicon gets the day off. Hmm…I could use some days off myself. Holidays are appr...

Today’s jam takes a bit of inspiration from Vangelis’ Blade Runner soundtrack. It’s always been a favorite of mine and I’ve been listening to it during my commute lately. At times, with the help of some heavy reverb, I pull sounds out my my Moogs that are reminiscent of some of what I recall from that great soundtrack. The Mother 32 drifts in and out on this track with a saxaphone-like timbre, rem...

Happy Sunday, ambient music lovers. Today we have a jam I recorded a couple weeks ago and I came back to it this morning while drinking my coffee. I found it even more relaxing than when I first recorded it. Often times I record things late in the day after work as a way to unwind. Sometimes I come back later and might not like a piece as well as I did initially. Other times I like it even more, a...

Happy Sunday everyone! Here’s a jam using all the voices at my disposal, synced together through a clock divider that gives each instrument a different division of a common clock. This gives a kind of generative feel that meanders around. There is a mixture of smooth and coarse sounds that I find to be complementary. Instrumentation and Recording Tools * Moog Grandmother * Moog Subharmonicon * Moo...

The Moog Mother 32 has a dense patch panel that offers a plethora of options for sculpting sounds and sequences. I decided to dive deep into patching on this jam and ended up with a semi-generative patch where the Mother 32 kind of drives its own sequence. Lots of interplay between the Grandmother, Mother 32, and Subharmonicon. Let the machines sing. Headphones on and enjoy! Instrumentation and Re...

Today’s track is a fairly simple jam that I put together quickly during a busy workweek. I picked up a used Mother 32 on the cheap recently and haven’t really figured it out just yet. It’s not something I felt that I particularly needed since I have the Grandmother. The patch panel offers a lot of interesting options though and the price was right. This is my last recording with the Strymon Nights...

20 Wow. 20 weeks of posting my little ambient jams. It’s been quite a journey so far. I’m learning a lot and finding a new voice for the things I otherwise wouldn't know how to express. Thanks to those who have encouraged me to continue! Today’s jam is something I recorded a couple weeks back. My work has been crazy busy lately and my mind has been racing from all the stress and anxiety. Music pro...

I stayed up late recording a bunch of ideas a while back. Today’s jam is kind of a variant of a patch I did back on #17. It’s got that same water drop vibe going on throughout over a slow arpeggiated sequence. I find it relaxing and hope you do as well. Bonus Track If you like the featured track, enjoy another take with varied tweaking. Instrumentation and Recording Tools * Moog Grandmother * Moog...

I added a new-to-me effect pedal to my synth arsenal - a Strymon Nightsky. Strymon is a well-known brand of higher end effects. Being the newbie to synths that I am, I normally wouldn’t be inclined to purchase something so specialized and pricey. However, I noticed a used Nightsky at a local Guitar Center for a great price. While I wasn’t very familiar with this particular Strymon model, the exten...

I must have rain on my brain due to the thunder showers we’ve had lately - a much needed bit of relief from a very hot and dry summer. Today’s jam features my Moog DFAM with a sound that makes me think of water droplets hitting a pool of water in a cavernous space. Maybe that’s just me. I found it rather soothing and hope you do as well. Enjoy. Instrumentation and Recording Tools * Moog Grandmothe...

Today’s jam is rather mellow and kind of meanders along a gentle deep bass line. It’s a good tune to help drift off to sleep I think. Put some headphones or earbuds on, then enjoy a calming trip. Instrumentation and Recording Tools * Moog Grandmother * Moog Subharmonicon * Moog DFAM * Zoom MS-70CDR (reverb) * Mackie Mix8 mixer * Zoom HS6 recorder Patch Notes GM KB OUT -> GM MOD RATE IN GM MOD WAVE...

I’m having a blast exploring interconnections between my Moog synths. This was a fun bit that came about through some experimentation. I’m learning more about patching things and there is a good bit of patching across the modules here. It’s so easy to get lost for a few hours. I need that right now. Headphones on. Enjoy! Instrumentation and Recording Tools * Moog Grandmother * Moog Subharmonicon *...

The jam today is more rhythmic fun with the Moog Subharmonicon and DFAM. I’ve been enjoying working with these two instruments. There is a lot of complexity to the Subharmonicon in particular and composing with it requires lots of patience. It’s a way for me to get lost in something for a while and maybe come away with something that I can continue to enjoy. You kind of guide the Subharmonicon mor...

We’ve got a groovy jam going for this Sunday morning. The weather is hot and dry, there’s lots of stress at work, and the pandemic continues to bring sickness and loss in my friendship circles. This little jam that I came up with really helped to lift my spirits and I’m thankful that I’ve got some neat tools to get lost in for a little while. Hope you enjoy! Instrumentation and Recording Tools * M...

New sounds and gear in today’s jam! Between a recent sale at Guitar Center and a lucky used gear find, I’ve jumped in deep with Moog. I’ll talk about this more in a blog post soon. I’m still taking it all it and spending many hours learning the ins and outs of my new semi-modular setup. I guess the new gear has me feeling like playing something upbeat. After a lot of experimentation with patching...

Today’s jam is a fairly simple collaboration between a Moog Grandmother and a Volca FM. These are very different devices and it was interesting to combine their voices. Each synth is playing its own sequence - actually it’s the arpeggiator on the Grandmother. The Grandmother is clocking the Volca. Instrumentation and Recording Tools * Moog Grandmother * Korg Volca Fm * Zoom MS-70CDR - hall reverb...

I’m trying out some different things today. Since I started dabbling in synths, I’ve had the opportunity to audition a number of devices. Some things have worked quite well for me, others not so much. The Korg Volca FM seems to have found a long term place in my tool set and it is featured again in today’s track. I enjoyed creating this blend of randomness over a repeating foundation. There’s a mu...

Today have a jam that I put together with my 2 Volca FM synths, Circuit Tracks, and Keystep Pro. The Keystep Pro is handling the sequencing duties. The Circuit Tracks is playing the strings for a foundation while the Volcas move about over the top. There is a bit of reverb from a Zoom MS-70CDR and a tiny dash of chorus from a EHX Mod 11. I’m enjoying the Keystep Pro, which I just picked up on sale...

The jam today is a simple set of sequences across my Korg Monologue and Volcas. My Circuit Tracks drove the Monologue drone sequence and the Volcas ran off their internal sequencers. The Zoom MS-70CDR provided reverb and delay to the Volcas. A newly acquired EHX Oceans 11 was used for reverb on the Monologue. This was one of those sessions where I spent more time tweaking sounds and effects than I...

Today’s jam almost didn’t happen. I came down with COVID last week and I’ve been feeling bad the past 5 days. Fortunately I just had a booster vaccine last month. I’m sure I could have felt much worse without the booster. My head was hurting so bad for days that I couldn’t do much of anything - not even a relaxing ambient jam. After an afternoon nap today, I finally felt well enough to sit down an...

Today’s jam has some percussive tones over a mellow drone and a slow melodic sequence. My Circuit Tracks is running the drone on an internal synth and the percussive delay sounds that originate in my Korg Monologue. A Volca FM is running the melodic sequence, with clock coming from the Circuit Tracks. Particle reverb is from a Zoom MS-70CDR and some modulation is from an Electro-Harmonix Mod 11. T...

The jam today is a further exploration of my two Volca FM synths sequenced independently by my Circuit Tracks. I wasn’t sure getting the second FM was the best idea at the time. It was an impulse buy when one turned up used in a local store for a good price. Combining them with different voices across multiple sequence tracks has led to some engaging sessions. Effects are a combinations of the Tra...

Today’s jam is some further experimentation with simulated generative sequences by using differing pattern lengths, randomness, and probability. The instrumentation consists of my Novation Circuit Tracks (one synth voice) and a pair of Korg Volca FM synths (same voice with different pitches and patterns.) I acquired a couple of used guitar pedals recently and integrated them into this session. An...

This jam is an experiment with my Novation Circuit tracks and a pair of Korg Volca FM synths. The idea was to have an organic, generative kind of soundscape. Four sequencer tracks with differing lengths were overlaid and a bit of randomness and probability was thrown in to mix things up. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episo...

Today’s jam uses the Novation Circuit Tracks, Korg Minilogue XD, and Korg Volca FM. The Circuit Tracks provides a drone and handles the sequencing of the other synths. The FM is doing the bell-like sounds while the XD is doing the LFO modulated sounds. My idea was to have a pleasing drone with some movement over the top. Enjoy! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other...