5 techniques for generative & ambient music

Notes on a video by Andrew Huang.

Note probability

• Erica synths black sequencer
• Minor scale
• Different octaves
• Random from note-to-note
• Each step/note has a probability. Most likely notes in the middle range, less likely for bass and high notes

Expressivity

• longer more minimal pieces need more nuance to keep them feeling interesting
• subtle changes
• pulse width osc
• make noise dynamix controlling brightness and volume of the sound “pluck” envelope.
• adjust peak of the plucks
• LFO on the dynamix VCA to let some sound through even when not plucked

Floaty arp

• Modulate MI Braids synth algorithm
• Befaco burst to create arpeggio - trigger turned into lots of triggers
• Intellijel scales chooses a different note for each trigger (high to low)
• Lots of space in the voice. Lots of time between “bursts”.
• Triggers not sync’d to anything else in the track

Granular & Micro-looping

• Two previous voices going through granular processing
• Empress euroburo randomly triggered to record or playback what it has recorded
• A few seconds, played back in a loop
• Pitched up an octave
• Into MI Beads (half-wet) for some granulation
• Adds texture to the piece
• QuBit synapse slowly cross fading input into this voice

Super slow modulation

• Used to create a patch without gradual changes, got stale
• Changes happen at a large scale
• “Go on a journey”
• Slow fades between voices being granular process (1-2 mins)
• Sometimes notes being played are turned off for a period of time

My reflections

• Might be interesting to try these techniques with SuperCollider