Bionic Cheesecake
Here is the result of a new multi-layered performance piano setup I tried out. The piano is not only filled out with long, sweeping synth pads but also accompanied by a pulsating arpeggiator creating a steady bass line. All following a dark, heavy drum loop that sounds like a mechanical heartbeat.
Bwolaloolaloo
Here’s an uptempo track featuring a solid, pumpin’ drum loop by Looperman contributor “axeleon”, later perked up with some effected hi-hats courtesy of Looperman contributor “Krolbeats”. All wrapped in a percolating arp punctuated by a long-tail reverb’d pop sound.
Pulsatronic Maize
A steady-thumpin’, popcorn-popppin’ piece featuring a delightful free VST virtual analog synth called SuperTron (from Solcitomusica), framed by a cool breakbeat from Looperman.com user “2nick8”.
Caught in the Filter
In a continuation of getting to know the MuLab software better, I decided to try some track automation for frequency filters. A few arps and a PortaTone dance rhythm later, and we have this upbeat tune!
Hypercycle Sunday Drive
This song grew out of some experimentation with a delightful little VST called Hypercyclic, available free for Windows, Mac and Linux from Plugin Boutique. It’s not a regular arpeggiator, no! One of its stated features is “for mangling…MIDI”, and eventually I ended up with a pulsating little white noice rhythm which blossomed into this piece.
Cracking the Code
lovely old Korg DP-80 digital piano from 1986 sandwiched into a trap rhythm and a custom arp built from its short, blippy FM sound “Pop 1”. Rhythm by prodbyDELTA (looperman.com) SFX by CMUSoundDesign (freesound.org) Watch these tunes being created live every Saturday between 5pm-7pm EST.
Duophonic Membrane
In this up-tempo ditty, I managed to sandwich in several sounds from an old Yamaha PortaSound PSS-130 keyboard. This compact little music maker has a unique sound, all generated by a square wave generator. Don’t forget, you can download all of these songs for free at TransistorSandwich.com.
The Streets of Belle Rose
A wide, sweeping pulse pumper of arps, bells and ambient drones. No drums, just a few choice percussion hits to catch you up to the arpeggiated bass.
Ghost in the Underwater Piano
Another tune inspired by the BlueARP VST plugin, inserted before the MuLab built-in synth preset “Anticipation”. The melody is a blend of glockenspiel-style bells and an ambient piano that sounds like its drowning in the deep end.
Return of the Arp
This song grew out of a couple of loops from Looperman.com after a search for “beatbox” loops. The actual beatbox ended up in the background, but an arpeggiator of bells came up in that search too, and it made the song.