The lies ahead | Moog Minimoog, Spectralis 2, Prophet 12, Prophet 10, Nord Drum 2 electronic

video upload by MIDERA

"I spent a part of the day rearranging my room... as I often do when I have the time. And when I was rearranging I realized just how little sense anything would make. I finally just set it up to explore 'How does the Spectralis fare compared to the Cirklon with sequencing.' And - well, I still think I prefer the Spectralis. I just write stuff faster. That doesn't mean this track sounds better than my last one (Crashing down) [posted here], but it was just a little more organic for me to write and quicker. It's hard to explain, although I suppose it's easy to explain when I think about the 14 years I've spent with the Spectralis. Of course, it's not perfect, it doesn't easily assign MSB/LSB for program changes (you can use cc's but it's a little awkward) and it can't do polyphonic step sequencing (which is actually awkward to do on the Cirklon).

Anyway - here it is. And listening a day after writing it, it’s too repetitive. I don’t like it. But I’ll share it anyway.

Spectralis 2: Sequencing and piano
Minimoog: Bass
Sequential Prophet 10: lead
DSI Prophet 12: Bells
Clavia Nord Drum 2: Drums
Native Instruments Raum: reverb"

Roland Aira P6

video upload by Jörg Schaaf

"A little dirty demo of a great little tool!"

Jörg Schaaf is the man behind Radikal Technologies and previously, Quasimidi.

The living moment | MIDERA

video upload by MIDERA

"It's my birthday. I guess it is a happy day, as I'm here now. I kept my youngest from daycare so we could spend the day together, the whole family. Funny how when I was a kid, I'd get sick to my stomach I was so excited to open presents. Now I get sick to my stomach if I have to talk in front of groups of people. I guess that was a fun transition of excitement.

But here I am, getting to be with my family. Although it's hard not to recognize that the one that brought me here is no longer able to celebrate it with me. My mom didn't get to be with me during my last birthday either. I remember I had planned to visit her last year, but obviously everything happened and she ended up not making it to that point. So odd to think that she would give birth to me and 39.9 years later it would be over.

Well - I am still here - and I am with my kids hoping to give them what my parents gave me - a good upbringing. I suppose it's the only way to truly honor them. Yesterday, I took my kids sledding and we had a great time, until I fell and hurt my wrist. Can't wait for that to come back to haunt me, since everything hurts now.

This is probably also the first video to showcase my bald head. Another gift of aging. I think I have a few videos from 10+ years ago where I look younger and had hair. But again, aging means I'm still here and living in whatever moment is here. To be honest, shaving my head has been pretty liberating. I like not having to think about hair, worrying about whether I'm losing it, dealing with hat hair, all that crap.

Anyway, I'm hoping for a better year traveling around the sun. I hope you all experience the same.

Radikal Technologies Spectralis 2 - Drums, piano, strings, sequencing #spectralis
Access Virus TI - pads, drum FX #accessvirus
Eventide Blackhole VST #eventide"

Caverns of snow | MIDERA

video upload by MIDERA

"Yesterday we had a winter storm. The snow was really pretty to see. Last year I don't think it snowed much at all, which wasn't normal for Minnesota. What is normal anymore? Well, I was going to pick up my daughter from school and bring her home in the sled, but I wasn't sure she'd get out in her snow pants, so I didn't do that. But then I took her (in the sled) to pick up her little sister. It wasn't still snowing, but they loved the sled ride. When we were home, we played out in the backyard with all the snow. It was peaceful. My youngest just waltzed around saying what a big helper she was. My oldest was just doing her own thing. I built them a big fort using a 55 gallon rubbermaid bin (filled it with snow, packed it, slipped it upside down, and pulled it up).

It's funny how I don't always want to be doing these things. I'm tired or hungry, or in a bad mood from work, but those kids were giggling so much, especially when we had a snowball fight (I would take the shovel and throw snow in the air as my attack). I'd say it was worth it. A good day is always the days I think I did something my girls might remember some day.

As for this song: This was the second track I played at a show two weeks ago. I think it's really fitting with the snow day I had with my kids - when I wrote it, I felt like it was a good fit for a winter-landscape.

I don't know if I'll get much done musically between my birthday and the holidays - but if I don't post anything else. Have a good holiday season.

Radikal Technologies Spectralis 2: Drums, bass, piano, sequencing. #spectralis
Access Virus TI: Pads, drum processing #accessvirus
Eventide Blackhole VST for reverb #eventide"

wellenvorm - IN concert - Völkerschlachtdenkmal zu Leipzig

video upload by wellenvorm

"wellenvorm im Völkerschlachtdenkmal zu Leipzig
www.wellenvorm.de"

Radikal Technologies Accelerator soundscape III - The electric clouds

video upload by MIDERA

"This is my last pre-recorded soundscape... I hope you enjoy it. Hopefully I can make some more of these over time."

Radical Frequencies Introduces Diode Dream VCF

video upload by Radical Frequencies Modular

"Audio path : Dpvco into mixer and then into Diode Dream Vcf .
The oscillator wave at first it’s saw and later in video becomes square. The sequence is in 303 acid style using a lot of RF modules like VCAs - mixers and vc envelopes for making the 303 accent function. A modified RD6 is used as drum machine."

"5 Pole diode ladder filter with multistage variable out of low pass and band pass

Diode Dream VCF is a 5 Pole diode ladder filter but instead of diodes, the circuit in the filter core section, uses transistors in diode configuration.

The filter has a switch selecting between 5 or 4 STAGES of filtering.

You can access the low pass output via the LP out jack.

There is also a VARIABLE out with a dedicated knob. That knob is a mixer of the different pole outputs that are opposite in phase and in the middle, it gives a band pass [BP] out. When in BP the gain is lower in volume which is completely normal.

VARIABLE mixing knob can be altered from less poles to more poles, more specific, VARIABLE out sends 1 or 2 stages at left side and 4 or 5 stages in the right side. That depends from the position switch of STAGES, so if the switch is in 4 position the VARIABLE out sends 1 (full CCW) and 4 (full CW) stages. If the switch is in 5 position, the VARIABLE out sends 2 (full CCW) and 5 (full CW) stages.

This arrangement also affects the Band Pass slope.

The CV-FM input has a dedicated pot for cv amount that is normaled to the audio input of the filter.

This allows for instant fm tones as the audio input becomes a modulator for the filter frequency.

If there is a jack inserted this connection is broken and you can use this knob as cv amount of an envelope or lfo.

There is one audio INPUT with amount pot and a 2nd CV input jack [CV2].

This CV input can be used as volt per octave input control. When the filter is in full resonance the module can be used as sine wave oscillator with good tuning of 2 octaves.

There is a resonance BOOST switch in order to achieve self oscillation. If the RES knob is fully closed and the BOOST is on, then the filter has still some feedback that would be very useful to emphasise the highs and lessen the low frequencies. When BOOST is off and the RES knob is fully closed and the INPUT level fully open the sound will be a bit oversaturated, so you can try turning down the INPUT level knob at 2-3 o’clock .

The filter has discrete through hole components with low noise transistors that are hand selected one by one with very high hfe values and are also matched in pairs for the buffer differential amplifiers and the input output stages of the ladder. An IC opamp is used for resonance gain compensation.

In the original design when the resonance is turned up the gain of the filter decreases drastically. The filter now has resonance gain compensation and while it still loses some gain when in resonance, the gain difference, is now is acceptable and the sound of the filter is pure and warm without losing the character. The resonance compensation is achieved by increasing the input gain while the resonance opens, so this gives a special character.

Because of the filter design the input signal does not clip instantly but instead it saturates the sound musically and the more you push it the richer the output in harmonics and natural and musical compression.

When the resonance is in self oscillation and the audio input is pushed, the sound gets glassy and squelchy. This filter gets acidic but it maintains the clarity of the high end, yet sounds warm and very rubbery. Detailed bass, creamy mids and crispy smooth highs.

Many different tones are waiting to be discovered by the user dealing in different combinations of the input gain, the resonance, the frequency FREQ knob and the VARIABLE shape of the filter."

Those left behind | Spectralis 2 and Sequential Prophet 10

video upload by MIDERA

"I received the email - I got to the top of the queue for the Cirklon. Why did I even sign up for it? I spent 3 years not preparing for it, just assuming some day I would have to make a decision, and now I'm here. What would it do for me I can't already do? My Spectralis does all I need, albeit, in maybe not the best way possible - but is there a best way? Sure, I can see the Cirklon does more, better, faster, but also maybe does things I don't care about.

I actually hate having a lot of gear hooked up. Slows me down. 3-4 pieces is good enough for me. If you can't make a song with only a few instruments, then I question whether you can make music at all (Ok, that's just me talking to myself about my own capacities - huge orchestras are built off of tons of instruments, I get it). What I make is simple, sad, and that's it. My music only speaks to me saying: some day - you will not be among the living and this music is being made to haunt those left behind.

I know the Cirklon is the 'best sequencer' out there... so maybe I just need to buy it and see for myself. I do know the Spectralis does stuff I really enjoy, like sequencing itself and other gear, using it as an FX processor to manipulate all sorts of things to the beat. Just a unique piece... I also know it so well.

Radikal Technologies Spectralis 2: Sequencing, Drums, Strings, Piano
Sequential Prophet 10: First sound you hear.
Eventide Blackhole VST: Reverb"

Capasitive MIDI controller w. Delta CEP A2

video upload by Love Hultén

"88-note capasitive touch MIDI controller combined with a vertically mounted paraphonic Delta CEP A2

Custommade for ‪@VirginMiri‬"

Little Saturday Evening Improvisation w/ Jörg Schaaf of Radikal Technologies

video upload by Jörg Schaaf

"Loaded a couple of samples into the VPME quad drum module and had some fun with Delta CEP A 2, EFFEXX, Solina and Kobol clone, beatstep pro and keystep."

Radikal Technologies Accelerator soundscape II - Mists of yesterday

video upload by MIDERA

"Wow - I didn't realize how hot the Accelerator can run, and I ended up clipping the sound a few times. This is what happens when I use the string filter (karplus-strong synthesis). You can get really plucky sounds, but it can also do pretty good strings. Was fun to make - just wish I hadn't clipped the track so bad.

I had turned on the accelerometer - and found it to add some random interesting changes (in case you're wondering why I hit the side of it a few times).

No external FX used."

Radikal Technologies Accelerator soundscape - In time the webs entangle us

video upload by MIDERA

"I was hoping to showcase how similar the Accelerator can sound to the Deckard's Dream - but I didn't get anywhere near that and just went off doing something else. I guess I should have set it up better. There's something very 'hi fi' about how both of them sound, but I admit the PWM on the DDRM sounds a little 'better' (because they're really just different). I haven't used the Accelerator in a while either, I think I just need to reacquaint myself with it. That's probably what I need to do.

No external FX used."

Dung beetles ambient

video upload by Jörg Schaaf

Jörg Schaaf is the man behind Radikal Technologies and previously Quasimidi.

"'Elegant new experiments show that on clear nights and in the absence of other celestial cues, dung beetles can orient their routes to the band of stars known as the Milky Way.'
James L. Gould"

https://joergschaaf.bandcamp.com

Step Sequencer Meditation

video upload by Jörg Schaaf

"What I really love about #Eurorack is the fact, that you can quite easy built your own desired feature into a little module and use it for your #music. Here I used the 960 sequencer in combination with the #deltacepa 2 and built a little module to create #cv controllable #gates for the clock #oscillator output of the #stepsequencer. It seems like, I should design my own step sequencer. If you listen focussed you will notice, that two #sequences are running simultaneously. They are running at different speeds. So the sequences will drift out of sync a couple of times and running together again. This gives a nice atmospheric shift. stock footage from #pexels .com"

Tomorrow comes too soon | IDM music

video upload by MIDERA

"I've been really pining after my old Nord Drum 2. I can't believe how much the prices have gone up over the last few years. I bought mine for $650 and it had all this extra stuff. Sold it for the same in 2019... now, they go for over $1000. I really just want to get it back, sigh. I don't know whether I will or not because that's just a lot of money. Been trying to see if my Tempest or Machinedrum can pull off the same sounds, but there was something weirdly organic in that Nord Drum 2 that I can't quite seem to get out of these. The Monomachine was actually much closer, but it can't exactly pull off that sound either.

I dunno. I know I don't need this stuff, and my studio already feels overwhelmed with gear. Well... who knows. It's a simple problem, which I'm glad of, after everything last year. I'll take it as a good problem to have and be thankful about it.

Gear used:
Radikal Technologies Spectralis 2
Sequential Prophet 10
Dave Smith Instruments Tempest
Eventide Blackhole VST for reverb"

Pulse | MIDERA - Downtempo IDM with Spectralis 2 and Sequential Prophet 10

video upload by MIDERA

"Just another track - used the Spectralis 2 and Sequential Prophet 10.

Tonight I can feel the development of a cold, a gift from my daughter who has been sick since the day before Easter.

I'm so tired... but I wanted to get this out there, just to be done with it.

Radikal Technologies Spectralis 2
Sequential Prophet 10
Eventide Blackhole VST for reverb"

Spectralis 2 Tutorial: Sending drums to analog filters tips and tricks

video upload by MIDERA

"I've been spending a lot of time with the Ensoniq Mirage and sampling drums (which come out sounding so good) and wondered whether I could beef up the drums within the spectralis itself. I realized that I could send the drums to the analog filters and then do all sorts of things with it.

Note that this doesn't have any melodic stuff in it and it's using a simple drum beat, but I figure that will help you understand what it is that's happening with the sounds. Hope it's of use to any Spectralis user or potential Spectralis users.

This WILL work for both Spectralis 1 and 2 units equally. There will be no difference in sound (unless you haven't yet performed the filter fix on your Spectralis 2, then it will sounds much darker on your unit).

LFMX: 24db LP Filter exponential FM
LFML: 24db LP Filter linear FM
MMFM: 12db MM Filter Exponential FM

0:00 Introduction
1:00 Stock drum sound
3:42 Drums through the 24db filter
4:38 Digital to Analog feed (Drums)
5:58 DRUMS
7:29 Drums through 12db then 24db filter
10:25 Left and Right panning of filters
12:29 MM to LP to Fixed Filterbank
14:10 Sequencing the filterbank
16:15 Adding delay FX
18:37 Using oscillators to FM the drums
22:30 Sequencing oscillators to add melodic FM
27:00 Sending hybrid monosynth (L) AND drums (R) thru different filters
31:29 Concluding remarks"

cars on planet earth

video upload by Jörg Schaaf

"Befaco Rampage & EFFEXX & Valhalla Vintage Reverb at post processing. I recorded 10 minutes of noise and took snippets out of it to arrange them in a kind of collage in Logic. Some of these sounds received a special sonic character by adding some Valhalla reverb effects."

https://joergschaaf.bandcamp.com

Jörg Schaaf is the man behind Radikal Technologies, and previously Quasimidi.

Gone | MIDERA - Downtempo IDM

video upload by MIDERA

"I have been debating selling my Roland JX-3P (well, trading it for my old Virus kB, because I just love that keybed, even though I've got the TI). So of course I brought my JX-3P out and tested it out. Then I tested it against my System 8. Doing that made me just appreciate the JX more. Sigh. I don’t know why it is so difficult to part with this stuff. But when I played this sound (that you hear at the beginning), it just sang to me. I loved the noise that seems to become additive with more notes. It somehow helps create the tone I’m going for, especially when sent through the Strymon Volante pedal. It’s not that the System 8 doesn’t sound similar (in fact, I think I created this sound on the S8 first and then ported it over to the JX), it does, but it doesn’t impart any noise, or what I would call “character”. It just sounds lifeless in comparison. And so I’m left with what I’m always left with. More gear, because I find all my stuff useful and fun.

Well, I’m sure I could just do the trade. I bet any number of synths I have could make this sound. It didn’t even use ‘that famous Roland Chorus’. I probably spend more time trying to tell myself I can sell my gear, and then don’t, than I do playing the gear for music.

But I guess this time I used it to my advantage. I made a song of it.

Gear:
Radikal Technologies Spectralis II (Drums, sequencing)
Virus TI (Pad parts and keys)
Roland JX-3P (intro part and similar sounds throughout)
Sequential Prophet 10 (synth part)
Strymon Volante (delay for JX-3P)
Eventide Blackhole VST (reverb)"

Slowfall | Spectralis 2, Prophet 10, Virus TI downtempo IDM

video upload by MIDERA

"I feel like I haven't written any real music in months. I try and then I give up. I wrote something recently and hated it. Then I wrote this piece. And also hated it. But I felt like if I didn't just finish it, record it, and post it, I'd keep this cycle up and make nothing new.

I'll keep trying. That's about all I can do.

Eventide Blackhole VST for reverb"