Questions for Ian Boddy on 'Tone Science' (Patreon)

Salutations good people of Patreon, how are we diddling? Next week me, Matthew and Greg will have Ian Boddy on a Modular Podcast interview show to talk about his release 'Tone Science' on his own DiN label. 

I thought it would be nice to offer you guys the chance to have a listen before hand (we're recording the show Tuesday, it'll be online later in the week) and leave some questions in the comments here for me to ask him during the interview. So have a listen and check out the info below and fire away! Cheers. 

http://www.din.org.uk/din/node/503

PATCH NOTES FROM IAN

This piece uses a 16 note sequence in E minor (no  A notes) programmed into both the Serge TKB & Make Noise René. The  master clock is being provided by the Make Noise Wogglebug > Rotating  Clock Divider with the /4 out going to a Doepfer A149-1. The RCD rotate is being modulated by a slow running triangle out  from a Vulcan Modulator. The A149-2 then extracts random clock outs  from this master clock to clock various other parts of the patch. One of  these goes straight to the TKB master clock which is set up to play it’s 16 note sequence randomly. Four other outs  go as 2 pairs to a Doepfer A-166 Logic module. The first pair provide 2  clocks from the OR & XOR outs whereas the second pair just provide a  clock from it’s OR out (which drives the René sequencer tuned to the same 16 note sequence as the TKB). The purpose of  all this set up with the clocks is to provide a series of triggers with  randomness inherent in their timing but referenced to a master clock. 

 The Serge system provides the 2 high pitched  oscillators via a NTO & PCO both using triangle waves. Each of these  is passed through it’s own channel on the Dual Phaser which is being  modulated by the 2 outputs of a slow running Quadrature Oscillator. Both VCO’s also send a sine wave out to 2 separate Wave  Multipliers utilising the bottom section which is being modulated by 2  slow running sections of a Dual Universal Slope Generator (attenuated  via a CV Matrix Mixer) to provide some harmonic variations. The NTO has some portamento applied whereas the PCO has  vibrato courtesy of a second PCO running in LFO mode. The NTO is being  sequenced from the TKB whereas the PCO is being controlled from the  René. They also have a sine wave from each running through the Ring Modulator with the AM / Ring amount being modulated via  the bipolar out from one half of the DUSG. The output of the RM >  Variable Bandwidth VCF (the cutoff of which is being modulated by the  bipolar out of one half of the DUSG) with the outs from the Variable Width & Hi bands being mixed with the other 2  oscillator sources. Thus 2 x 3/1 audio mixers have a combination of each  VCO going through the phaser, Wave Multiplier & Ring Mod. The outs  of these then go through the top section of the 2 Wave Multipliers set in VCA mode > 2 x Variable  Q VCF > left &  right outs of the Dual Channel Stereo Mixer (via 2 more 3/1 mixers). The  Wave Multipliers VCA are being modulated by 2 x ADSR in the Extended  ADSR module which are in turn triggered by the outs of each half of a DTG which in turn is triggered by the 2 separate AND outs from  the Logic module. The Rise & Fall times of the DTG have been set to  quite long settings so they effectively beat divide down the rate of  triggering. The 2 outs from the DTG also modulate the cutoff of the Variable Q VCF’s. But DTG out A triggers voice 1 VCA  & voice 2 VCF & vice versa. 

 All the above provides the basic dry Serge stereo  2 voice output. However the outs from the 2 x 3/1 mixers are also  multied out & mixed in a X-fader and then sent to the In 1 of a  Wilson Analog Delay. The delay time is set to 3 o’clock which is quite long for this device & gives a grainy quality to it’s output.  The delay time is slightly modulated by the PCO acting as an LFO &  the filter is modulated by the biploar out of one half of the DUSG. This  provides the grungy, vibrato like voice that fades in periodically and this is mixed in with the 2 dry voices in  2 further 3/1 mixers before going to the main outs of the DCSM. 

 The bass sound is provided by the Roland System  100-M with 2 VCO’s tuned to E & B & using sawtooth waves. These  each go through a separate Phaser module each being modulated by 2 x  independent LFO’s. The outs then go to 2 x VCF in low pass mode > 2 x VCA’s. The VCF’s are set to a very low cutoff &  both these & the VCA’s are modulated by 2 envelopes. To trigger  these the random gate from the XOR out of the Logic module is sent to  the master clock in of an Analogue Solutions MC-01. Two separate clocks from the 1:1 outs then drive 2 x GT8 8 step gate sequencers. The  first of these has steps 1, 7 & 8 active & the other has 3, 4  & 5 active. These then trigger each of the envelopes in the 100-M to  provide the main articulation of the 2 bass notes. Further subtle variation of the 2 VCF’s are provided by the 2 channels of a 182  sequencer being clocked from the MC01. The dry bass stereo voice is  recorded onto it’s own 2 tracks. 

 And finally onto the analogue effects. A submix  of the overall Serge voices is sent to a Eurorack system feeding into a  Cwejman SPH-2 Spatial Phaser. The right audio out feeds an Analogue  Systems RS390 which provides the main stereo delay effect. It’s delay time being very subtly modulated by a sine wave out  from the Vulcan Modulator. The mix out of the SPH-2 > Doepfer A-131  VCA which is here being used as a simple 2/1 mixer. The other input is  from the bass from the 100-M but not before this has passed through a Moog MF-104M which adds extra, soft analogue echo  to it’s sound. A combination of the 2 sounds are then sent to a Doefper  A199 spring reverb but using the larger Accutronics spring tank. A  combination of the Reverb (in mono) & RS390 echo (in stereo) are mixed via 3 channels of a Cwejamn MX-4S stereo mixer. 

 Thus 3 stereo channels (6 channels in total) were recorded directly into Logic.  

The main stereo outs from the Serge.

The dry bass stereo out form the 100-M.

The stereo wet FX outs from the Eurorack.