# Wave Your Nerd Flag...

- Site: Analog Industries
- Author: Chris Randall
- Date: 2009-05-23
- URL: https://analogindustries.com/2009/05/wave-your-nerd-flag/

[![RT60\_5-23-09\_1](https://analogindustries.com/images/ext/farm4.static.flickr.com/3362/3557850658_12a0b9fc94.jpg)](http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisrandall/3557850658/sizes/l/in/photostream/)

Had a brief RT60 session this morning, but I don't have anything new to show you this time, as we only did some overdubs on an existing song using gear I already took pictures of. We did track some drums for a new song using a Pd patch I made. The sounds themselves are recordings of my The Source, as all sounds in RT60 songs are generated either with electromechanical means or via analog synthesis. (I know it's kind of a stupid limitation, but it makes things interesting.)

Anyhow, work proceeds apace, albeit somewhat slowly, as is appropriate for music that never exceeds 80bpm. If that. Song Two just needs one vocal overdub, then it can be mixed.

## Comments (10)

**noisegeek** (2009-05-23):

The thing that intrigues me about all this is the fact that if has vocals. "Ambient with beats" i can imagine. "Ambient with beats and vox", not so much.

**Chris Randall** (2009-05-23):

How about "really slow music, made primarily with synths, mostly in minor keys, and with an occasional vocal passage?"

-CR

**bassling** (2009-05-23):

Don't you like the current use of the term ambient?

**inteliko** (2009-05-24):

Pardon my ignorance but what is Pd?

**vespers** (2009-05-24):

Can't imagine ambient with beats and vocals? Some newer Ulver, or Lycia for example?

Anyhow, Chris's description sounds like something I would like.

**Chris Randall** (2009-05-24):

Puredata. Essentially, very long story somewhat shorter, Miller Puckett, the guy that came up with Max/MSP originally, decided that the world needed a free version, so he made Puredata, which users generally refer to as Pd.

It is, more or less, an open-source version of Max/MSP, albeit a fairly ugly version compared to the slick commercial product that is Max. It can even load Max patches, to a certain extent. It also has graphic elements, about 10% of the feature set of Jitter.

You can get your copy and read more here: http://puredata.info/

I recommend downloading Pd-Extended, as it has all the extras and (especially if you're on a Mac) it's really a pain to add them later. The documentation is a joke, so it helps to know your way around boxes-and-wires stuff in general and Max in particular to begin with.

Obviously, I worked for C'74 and have a Max license, but I won't install PACE on any of my computers. Pd is a perfectly viable alternative.

-CR

**inteliko** (2009-05-24):

I dabbled with Bidule b4 Live had MIDI. And I have a love / hate relationship with Reaktor(love to use it, hate learning how to hack existing shit/ make my own reaktor instruments), and I have no desire to learn Max, was gonna possibly do an Arduinome but fuck that.

Pulse Modulator is getting used on a Pr0n soundtrack today.

**krell** (2009-05-24):

@inteliko:

Love/hate is spot on; Potential is enormous but never realized because of irritating UI/interface/menu complications...

Why can't someone make a truly user friendly modular VSTi/Au? Something like BigSeq2... Something you don't need a PHD in weird shit to use...

**paul** (2009-05-25):

As CR says the standard PD docs do leave a lot to be desired...If anyone does want to give it a go I'd recommend you d/l the FLOSS manual, which should help you get to grips with the thing:

http://en.flossmanuals.net/puredata

paul

**paul** (2009-05-25):

@ krell

tried AudioMulch? New version is mac compat if thats yr OS

paul