The improvised techno thread

The Lounge General Discussion
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I’m still really into this improvisation idea and I’ve become obsessed with Surgeon and the knob twiddlers hangout live jams. I’m always inspired by how much they can get out of the small setups they use. Whenever I try to minimize my gear I just can’t help but keep adding just one more synth… and of course the setup then becomes bloated and unmanageable. It’s definitely a lack of confidence on my part.

So, I’m gonna ask a question - if you had to play a live and improvised set with just 1 drum machine and 1 synth, what would you choose? Let us also know what genre you would be playing. At the minute I’m playing techno with an AR and a Digitone but I’m finding the Digitone has too many menus to be effective for me. I might swap it for something like my DB-01 and use a looper pedal.

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You could sample what you need from Digitone and then double down on just using your AR. Eight voices sounds just about right for techno, especially with 12 sequencer tracks (plus the FX one), the DVCO machine and plenty of performance controls. If I was to attempt a live set, I’d want to be as minimal as possible, so I’d go with AR and Analog Heat for finishing touches and filter sweeps.

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Some good points here. My only issue here is that I struggle to make lead lines using synth one shot samples. My lack of ability no doubt…

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From what I’ve got right now, Nord Drum 2 and Micromonsta 2 in split mode, both sequenced by the T-1, going into the Bluebox. If I could chat and add one more thing, it’d be the Blackbox, mostly just for a little variety, and then maybe the Mini Kaos Pad 2s for some cheesy one-shot effects. Entirely capable and almost pocket-sized.

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Now that’s a kick.

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If you mean completely improvised from scratch, rytm and evolver. My digitone chops still need work so I’d need to have something prepared to play a set with it right now, that might change. Before I had the rytm the drum machine for that type of 100% improvised approach was always the korg er1 because it’s so fast to get something awesome out of it.
As for genre; when going full improv, who knows? Most likely mean, dirty, super funky, techno and I’d probably get in my own way with really complicated syncopation because, well, I tend to.

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M:S and Pro 2

M:S is so immediate and knobby, plus a great sequencer, control all, fills, quick probability programming.

Pro 2 also very immediate but can get very deep as well. Great filters, huge sweet spot, but still lots of depth with its multiple waveform types.
And programming it’s sequencer to sound interesting with recorded modulation is real quick.

Send em both to a mixer, mixer out into an Alesis Microlimiter, that out to Analog Heat. :rocket:

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What about transitions? Looper?

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Analog Kitchen does some good topics like this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJnWuqAMgNA

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To avoid the menu diving I would advise restricting your usage of the Digitone, limiting your options by imposing some rules.
For example, taking a cue from your DB-01 idea, you might use a track only as a simple monophonic “analog” voice and allow yourself to only change a select few parameters like filter cutoff, envelope, resonance and decay. Now Track 1 is your bass synth voice and it will stay like that so that you know its sound, its options and what moves you can make with it.

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Re: transitions. I ‘d take two synths with integral sequencer: AR + M:C. That makes transitions more fluid because one can keep going while i ‘m starting the transition on the other. And it allows for improvisation by combining patterns from both freely. That s not possible with just one seq.

I could see myself really doing sets with those 2, but MC could also be substituted for MD. (My actual live set is those 3 with sometimes Circuit Mono Station too).

I’d bring at least these fx too though: AH and H9 (or Space). And Xone:96 mixer.

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Right now, if I had to pick two bits of gear for improvised techno I’d probably go with my DFAM and my Lyra 8, because, well, how else could you perform with them two other than to improvise?

I think the best way though is to use as much or as little gear as you’re comfortable with. Yep, Surgeon can do amazing things with a pulsar and a monosynth and it’s definitely an approach that works for me too. But then you look at an act like Karenn and they’ve got gear all over the place.

Try starting with just your AR, or even just your DN and see how much you can wring out of it. If there’s something missing, you’ll have a better idea of what that is and what you’ll need to add to your setup to address it. Keep adding until you feel both comfortable and sonically well catered for.

I do think there’s a lot of time and energy wasted worrying about transitions and, although they’re an important part of a performance, if you’re comfortable and in your zone, solutions will present themselves.

I’ve got myself down to four bits of kit for doing techno (Quad Swarm, DFAM, Erica Fusion System and OT) QS and DFAM are providing the main Rhythm and lead with the FS dealing with the low end and transitions and the OT doing the mixing, FX and a few samples for extra drums and background. Once I know what I’m doing with the OT, I’ll probably make better use of flex tracks to help with transitions but we’ll see, don’t want to overcomplicate things.

I think the thing that has made me improve the fasted is using gear that doesn’t have presets or pattern saving. I’ve got a few hihat patterns saved on the OT, but everything else is created completely in the moment. It’s hard and I’m still quite shit, but I’m getting better every day and with a chunk more practice I’ll be happy with the sounds I’m making and comfortable with the idea of inflicting them on members of the public.

Sorry, bit long, but I’m bored…

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I’d take just my Blackbox as it’s full of carefully crafted stems.

If stems not allowed, TR-8S + Model:Cycles as a synth.

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Option 1 . TR8-S and Monotribe.

Option 2. TR8-S and Lyra.

Option 3. TR8-S and DFAM.

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As long as your one drum machine and one synth both have their own sequencers, you don’t “need” a looper for transitions. One sequencer can always be running/heard.
How you choose to transition your tracks is just another opportunity for improvisation.

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Very interesting, would love to try that. No idea how to approach it, though. I’m used to starting from scratch for every track, everthing feels very specific and individually tailored…

How do you approach that?

Do you think im terms of different elements - kick, hats, percs, bassline etc. and build patterns or do you think in terms of frequency content - lows, mids, highs or?

Great thread btw!

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I’ve found 1 synth, 1 fx, 1 drum machine/sampler, and a small mixer is more or less the sweet spot for me for making all my live style tracks. fx most for transitions and ambient moments. To me doing dub delay type mixing is much better for transitions than a looper.

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OT and MC is the magic two devices for me right now.
OT is used for Kicks, Bass, Drums, fx Sounds, some 1 / 2 bar loops recorded from MC, a thru track for MC mostly with EQ/ Comp, ALWAYS a flex machine on T7 - resampling Master Track T8, used for creative remixing and for transitions.

MC is being used for more percussion and a Lead, i only use one pattern and change the sound by tweaking and changing the sequence.

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I try to prepare as much as possible in one pattern and then play with macros, scenes, midi controller and xone 96.

Jam Snippet:

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What a great thread. I’ve read all the posts. I will listen to all the jams too. It’s always great to read the words and then hear the examples.

Be been obsessed with getting a modular system for this exact reason - improvised techno. I too share a massive love for Blawan & Surgeon. Nothing else really cuts the mustard. Suggestions please.

Although I have wanted to jump into modular, I have some excellent hardware and I am curious if I can make that do what I want it to do. So I’m trying and here is what I’ve found out so far.

The RYTM for drums paired with the OT. It has to be this way for me. It really works because of the LFO’s. I am now more than satisfied with a minimum of 4 per RYTM track. I also found myself wanting to create textures that I know only the OT can produce and wallop out by the boat load. The OT gets fed into the RYTM input.
My OB6 provides that synth sound. Mangled or musical, I need it.

Drums
RYTM + OT supply the drums and animate them enough for me to smile from ear to ear.
The only thing that isn’t cool - the effects.
Yes, I have the OT but the effects just don’t cut it for me.

Synth
I am very lucky to have an OB6. I am also very lucky to have the TimeLine & Big Sky to run it through. I am still yet to know the synth by heart but I feel I am getting there. I am happy with its X-Mod and although it only has 1 LFO … the OT comes in yet again to save the day to make 4 total (if only 1 midi track is used).

Bass Line
RYTM’s duo VCO’s :tongue:

Other Voices
I will not be using all the voices on the RYTM at once but for the voices it does have I am experimenting to see what I can coax out of them. The CB has a good bell like quality and obviously the duo VCO voice can create quite a lot of sounds too.

Effects
Due to the lack of effects per channel (not a moan) on the RYTM and my feelings for the OT’s effects I got the 3 BOSS 500’s out MD/DD/RV of their boxes and ran them as parallel mono effects. Although it’s starting to get more complicated than I’d like it to, I am currently learning their capabilities.

Mixer
I have been using my tape deck - Marantz PMD740 and although I still am, I am currently experimenting with the MX-1 again. I know what it does and how to work it but it’s another bit of gear. I do like the rhythmic textures it can give to signals that already have delay and reverb on them. It’s light but my idea for live techno improv is to play out somewhere. Take this show on the road. I hope that will happen and if it does then I need to carry this stuff around.
The mixer is going through the AH. Another piece of gear to lug around.

Might just go straight through the OT

Going Forward
There’s a bunch of things I need to try out.

I don’t utilize the OT as a looper or to playback stems. I want to experiment more with this buuuuuuut I have a very strong and somewhat stubborn rule that all sounds must be live instruments (OT is an exception) that I can change and switch up. It may work flawlessly and I may grow to love it. That’s why I have to experiment further.

I also need to experiment with the RYTM’s voicing more and more to see what textures I can get out of them. I don’t think any synth voice will be able to push the OB6 from that position but I’ll give it a damn good go. I don’t really want to be taking an OB6 out and about. I know I could sample it but I want a synth voice to be live.

Sorry to have waffled and entered somewhat of a blog/diary entry to the thread. These are my thoughts and where I’m at.

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