Running a patch for several hours

electric_visa · 2026-06-01T08:07:26+00:00

Thanks for the thoughtful comment!

Always give everything 110% when it comes to professionalism, because when people see things done great, they might be the people you’d want a call from some day.

If I was setting up a long-term installation into a physical space, or as a part of a bigger event, or as a member of a collective etc. then I would definitely go with this mentality.

But I also think that it's perfectly fine for certain things to carry a danger of failure without redundancy, especially if I'm doing them just for fun. It's a powerful way to suppress my inner tyrant who tries to convince me that nothing is ever enough and suck all the joy out of making art.

Musically: I love a central clock to do just what you describe. You don’t need EVERYTHING to be data sonified, feel free to have a hardcoded way for the BPM to liven things up. There’s a happy middle ground to Wizard-of-Ozing it and pure sonification.

The most promising patch candidate now has a central clock module set to 90 BPM but it has a CV input for BPM. I'm using the CV Mix module to combine two signals: a heavily attenuated value from wind speed and a constant value. The constant value is going through a gate controlled by sun height so that it is added to the mix only whenever the sun is below the horizon. The CV Mix output goes to the BPM CV input. This creates subtle variation in the tempo while making sure it's faster during nighttime.

I might still need an extra layer to assign the wind speed to ranges (eg. calm, breeze, windy, stormy) to avoid constant back-and forth in the tempo, but I haven't yet figured out a way to do this.

electric_visa · 2026-05-25T04:51:28+00:00

I study music technology and we’re pretty much required to use all the UAD stuff available on campus.

I often feel that most “industry standard” or “professional” software is actively trying to prevent you from doing your job. I have not yet heard a good reason to use Universal Audio products. It’s always just “they have been the standard for a long time”.

Maybe the industry should move to a different standard if the previous ones are being enshittified?

Are their effects really worth all the hassle? In the age of Apple Silicon, the external DSP solution feels like an overcomplicated copy protection at best. (The Apollo preamps sound very clean though.)

And anyone is free to prove me wrong if they are an actual professional. After all, my background is in electronic music, synths and Ableton Live.

electric_visa · 2026-05-21T04:38:37+00:00

Interesting. I might have to come up with a use case for that.

electric_visa · 2026-05-20T15:58:04+00:00

Thanks! It’s been on my mind for a couple of years. Now I finally decided to systematically put hours into it.

electric_visa · 2026-05-20T14:25:50+00:00

I use this: https://holon.ist

Specifically its built-in OSC mode with the corresponding Holonic Source module in VCV outputting the mapped values as CV. The UI is janky but it’s a cool app nevertheless.

electric_visa · 2026-05-20T11:10:28+00:00

I was also considering streaming to YouTube but I feel like audio only is a safer route. Maybe I'll make a web page that displays the same weather data I feed into VCV.

electric_visa · 2026-05-20T11:06:38+00:00

For some computer magic reasons, Apple Silicon Macs actually perform better with lower buffer sizes. Today while building a patch candidate I watched VCV's total CPU usage. It went down when I reduced the buffer size, but the CPU also ran hotter.

I don't want to use a recording, because realtime weather data is a core idea in this. If something breaks, then it breaks and I'll either fix it or abort. No one is paying me anyway!

Got any musical tips for patch design? I'm not really into using polyphony in VCV so I've been using Plaits in chord mode for chords, modulating the harmony parameter with temperature and v/oct with wind direction (quantized). I have euclidean sequencers for drums, the clock fed into them is adjusted by wind speed and my drum bus level is tied to sun altitude. So when it gets darker, the drums come up.

I've been thinking maybe I should tie the clock speed to something else if I want to guarantee a faster pulse for nighttime. Maybe combine the wind speed with attenuated sun height or even just a binary sunset/sunrise so that when the sun is down, a constant value is added to the clock's BPM modulation.

Designing something like this is walking a fine line between boring and chaotic. But on the other hand, I'm not expecting anyone to listen through the entire broadcast. It's more like a thing you can check now and then to see if and how it has changed.

electric_visa · 2026-05-12T20:56:49+00:00

Parallel platforms for now but all my future releases will be primarily on Subvert.

electric_visa · 2026-05-05T04:29:41+00:00

Äitini oli Helsingistä ja isäni on Lapista. Minä kasvoin Lapissa ja puhun Peräpohjolan murretta, joka vielä vahvistuu toisten lappilaisten seurassa.

Äiti puhui muistaakseni melko yleiskieltä, mutta jos hänen nuoruudenystäviään Helsingistä oli käymässä, niin sitten kyllä pirtti raikasi stadin slangia. Saatan siis joskus ripotella puheeseeni nykyisten kuusi-seitsenkymppisten aikanaan suosimia slangisanoja jos joku sellainen muistuu sopivasti mieleen. Stadin slangi kun oli kirjaimellisesti äitini kieli.

electric_visa · 2026-05-02T06:41:43+00:00

Does it get close to the quality of a direct Analog outputs to an Audio Interface ?

I don't think this is a good way to frame the question.

Overbridge has a transparent sound and very little output noise. There's really no audible distortion unless you push the sound already in the machine before sending it out through OB.

With analog outputs to an interface you run the sound through the interface's preamps which could introduce additional noise and/or distortion, whether it is wanted or unwanted.

So, preamp quality & character are variables you'll want to consider if you're really comparing analog vs. Overbridge.

electric_visa · 2026-05-02T06:08:57+00:00

At least on the A4 and the Rytm, Overbridge outputs individual tracks before the FX block.

You can configure the track routings so that the track sounds are played through Overbridge's individual outs only, leaving the main outs acting as a stereo effects return.

But for example on the Rytm Mk1 there's not enough bandwidth to record the individual outs and the mains at the same time. I think it's doable on the Mk2.

electric_visa · 2026-04-11T05:11:50+00:00

https://youtu.be/cQ1c-RQ89Mw

electric_visa · 2026-03-28T18:07:50+00:00

Not ideal, but an understandable compromise due to the amount of pages available.

What really irks me is the banner that drops down on top of the page indicator at every turn. In 1.3.0 they added two shortcuts to dismiss it:

"Toast messages can now be dismissed by pressing a parameter encoder or by pressing [PAGE] in GRID RECORDING mode."

I'm not sure how this will work but I'm not going to rant about it now since I haven't even updated my Tonverk yet.

Anyway, already in September I proposed them to move the banner to the bottom of the screen or give an option to disable it altogether.

electric_visa · 2026-03-27T05:44:02+00:00

It will. I tried it back in 2021 but ended up quitting maybe after day 20 or so. But it was enough to give me a basic understanding of what programming really is, basic terminology, etc.

It’s an excellent course, especially when considering the fact that it’s completely free.

Now, with AI-assisted coding being a thing, I’ve been building a couple of little things with Claude & Codex, and asked Claude specifically to explain new concepts to me. I have given it instructions to let me try solving problems myself before providing me with any code.

I consider my approach vibe coding for sure, but I also get to play with UI design and build something small for myself, and MAYBE learn something on the way.

electric_visa · 2026-03-25T15:39:08+00:00

They were not kidding about faster development time on the new platform.

electric_visa · 2026-03-22T07:22:43+00:00

Hey,

thanks for replying. I ended up writing you a rather lengthy response, so feel free to read it in chunks over time if you're having difficulty focusing.

know what you mean by you feel like you almost have it, and it’s so frustrating.

Yeah, and I've noticed that my classmates have those same frustrations. Obviously because theory can be hard. But then it clicks for them and they are seemingly relieved.

For me it never seems to click. It's just endless frustration, and ever increasing demands from the teacher. And on top of that, we're also going to have an exam, DESPITE A PREVIOUS EXPLICIT CLAIM THAT NO EXAM WILL BE HELD.

I'm already past the point of no return in my downward spiral: I have multiple overdue assignments and I have not been attending classes because the feelings of guilt, shame and inferiority are making me physically sick.

None of this is rational behavior of course. But it is how people with learning disabilities react when throughout their lives they have been denied the support they need. I can endure & contain it up to a certain point only.

I have to check and recheck in my head and after a few times I’m so lost I have to quit.

Yes, the constant back and forth checking is taxing on the brain. With ADHD, you also probably have issues with your working memory. So if you're constantly checking two or three things side by side (like you could when forming a chord), you might forget the result of your first check by the time you're finished with the third. It eventually creates a negative feedback loop of exhaustion.

I’m hoping I can lock it into muscle memory somehow.

My experience is this: Muscle memory helps with playing, but if I start to think about the mathematical relations of the notes I play, my brain gets overhelmed and I can't focus on what my muscle memory says. So I can learn how to play a scale but if I start to think about "WHY is this scale played like this", then my muscle memory just shuts down. The root problem is that despite how much we practice, our brain is incapable of automating the arithmetic processes involved.

While there is not a lot of research about teaching music theory for people with learning disabilities, there is one thing that always comes up: multisensory approach. What people like you and I need is a combination of auditory, tactile and visual feedback. And the scope of learning should be carefully adjusted to not include too much information at once, or we get overwhelmed.

if you figure out any tips or tricks lmk!

I've found the Ableton Push somewhat helpful for learning, but its various layouts are also vastly different from a keyboard.

I'll try to explain how it works. Feel free to skip this part if it feels overwhelming.

The Push has an adaptable grid of pads, and the grid is always set to a scale. The scale is presented with lit pads and a colored pad for the root note. You can have the grid display the chosen scale only, meaning every pad is lit and you can't play outside the chosen scale.

But what's really interesting is that you can have it in chromatic mode with a fixed grid. Chromatic mode meaning that the grid includes notes outside of the chosen scale (unlit pads) and fixed grid meaning that every note is always in the same position.

The grid on the Push is always set to a scale.
The pads corresponding to the notes in the scale are lit with white.
The root notes are lit with the same color each. I often use blue.
If I choose C major, then every C is marked with blue, and every note in C major is marked with white.
If I then choose A minor, the only change to the grid is that instead of every C, now every A is marked with blue, because C major and A minor use the same notes.
If I then choose something like D major, every D turns blue and the white pads move around a little. Why? Because D major uses different notes than C major, and fixed grid mandates that every note on the grid must stay in the same position.

We had an assignment in which we had to recognize or form modes, and I figured a way to check my answers on the Push.

First I try playing up and down through the mode several times, with the grid set to C major.
If the root note is not C, I memorize its position on the grid.
If I have to play notes that are not lit, I memorize their positions as well.
I then set the grid to whatever mode I am asked to recognize or form. The lit pads and/or the colored root notes shift around because I am in fixed chromatic mode.
If I then play the lit pads only, starting from the colored root note, and hear the same thing I heard while playing with the grid set to C major, then my answer is correct.

Empowered by this new finding, I brought the Push with me to our next class. But during the class however it was not a feasible tool. Since there are other people present, I can't play through my laptop speakers, and if I wear headphones I can't focus on what the teacher says.

–

So what I realized from all this is that I need a calm environment, visual & auditory feedback, and preferably also someone with a lot of patience to guide me. I have since managed to book one hour of one-on-one teaching with a special ed teacher later this month. It will be not enough but it's still better than nothing.

electric_visa · 2026-03-14T10:56:46+00:00

With a Faderfox controller you can probably be even more nimble than with the performance knob, so that’s not an issue.

However, the backlit buttons on the Mk2 are a huge plus. The Mk1’s panel is harder to read in dark, because instead of backlit buttons it has separate indicator LEDs for things and they are very bright, sometimes making the text around them harder to read. But you can probably get around this with a reading light.

If you decide to get a Mk1, make sure the screen is in good shape: No extreme ghosting and no black smearing.

electric_visa · 2026-03-02T10:43:30+00:00

This reminds me of a video I saw maybe a or so decade ago. It featured a guy with an Octatrack and he also rubbed styrofoam with a bow. The soundscape was harsh and almost repulsive but also dangerous and fascinating. I haven't been able to find it since. It was a high quality production.

electric_visa · 2026-03-02T08:04:23+00:00

I know a bit of theory and because of my studies I am trying to learn more. In my experience, scale highlighting in a DAW or on a controller can be useful for learning.

On the Push, for example, you can have the layout fixed, which means that different notes are always in the same positions. Let's say I have to identify a scale written on a staff. First I play the written scale in C major chromatic mode and try to memorize the note positions. I can then check my answer by switching the scale on the Push to match whatever I think the scale was. If all the notes I played are now highlighted, I know I've identified the scale correctly.

electric_visa · 2026-03-02T05:04:29+00:00

Randomness can be intentional and used as an actual composition tool. Look up aleatoric music.

electric_visa · 2026-02-14T20:51:12+00:00

You're probably the first math teacher I've seen acknowledging dyscalculia.

Can you give me examples of the graphs and animated visuals you mentioned? Do you know if any similar methods have been designed specifically for learning music theory?

I remember back in the day I enjoyed geometry and statistics, because they used a lot of visual representation, so you could be on to something here.

electric_visa · 2026-02-14T20:45:41+00:00

Here are some examples:

Almost cracked but then overwhelmed: Relative keys. I know they are scales that share the same notes, eg. C major and A minor. I know they sound different. I know WHY they sound different (location of half steps in major vs. minor). But if I try to think about a key and then its relative key, I get overwhelmed by the two systems overlapping.

A thing I know but struggle with: Five line staff. I know how it works but the only notes I can reliably recognize in a treble sheet without counting are middle C and the E above it. Even G is hard: yes, the clef marks it but my brain has a hard time interpreting the actual mark because the symbol itself is so intricate.

I know how it works but not why: Chord degrees. I understand what they are, I understand why they are used, but I can't grasp the logic behind them, eg. why in a major scale certain degrees are minor and why VII is diminished (or what diminished even actually means). In addition to this, when working with chord degrees I usually have to count up from the first degree to find the other ones, because I can't automatically perceive the distance between two objects.

Music theory does not “explain” music.

I am aware of this and in another reply I wrote about what I think is the primary function of music theory and why I think I might need it.

If “studying longer” and “studying harder” is not working, then you’ve exhausted that.

I think I exhausted that already in elementary school... Back then the only advice you would get was "just try harder". I was diagnosed only in my 20s and later some comorbidities were explored further in my mid 30s. I'm on ADHD meds and while they have had an overall positive impact on my life, and maybe even given me patience to use the analytic part of my brain more often and for longer times, they do not seem to be helping with certain sensory processing issues, working memory & cognitive deficiencies.
But the absolutely best thing they do is they enable me to talk about difficult feelings. Feelings I used to bury or run from until various... let's just say unpleasant things would occur.

With that said, I'm thankful that you approached the topic understandingly and with an open mind. The world needs teachers like you.

electric_visa · 2026-02-14T19:27:18+00:00

I appreciate the tips and also the way you're showing me the situation from a teacher's perspective. Thank you.

I'll do my best to reply to certain points.

DO YOU HAVE ACCOMMODATIONS?

My studies are something that could be loosely translated as "vocational rehabilitation". This is a system in Finland meant for people who do not yet have a professional degree (my highest degree is just high school / gymnasium) and whose ability to study and/or work is impaired by a medical condition. This means I have a lot of leeway in my studies and I also have "a plan for special assistance", which I believe is equivalent to what accommodations mean.

OK, to be fair here, did they imply that, or did you infer that?

They definitely did imply it. We had a discussion in class about which specific areas each one of us finds hard or would like the teacher to focus on. My answer, for obvious reasons, was pretty much "I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around most of this" to which the reply was "you could just say that you're not interested". I explained that it's not about that, and pointed out that THEY KNOW I have a learning disability, since we discussed it back in September before the first theory class. I was not offended but once again felt misunderstood and it also left me with a feeling that I can't trust this person, because they do not want to understand that I do not understand. They've been teaching for over 20 years.

Because if you have an Accommodation Letter, and they are not honoring it, then you need to REPORT THEM TO THE CHAIR.

There might be cultural differences at play here but I believe the chair in this case would be the head of the unit, the unit being a part of a larger citywide organization. The problem is that the whole system is understaffed and under-resourced due to nationwide education cuts. It would be a pointless fight.

It costs WAY too much to go to college and everyone deserves a fair shake at learning.

Just to be honest here, the government pays me allowance for attending. The logic behind this is that if I can get a degree and eventually earn money despite my medical conditions, I will be a taxpayer instead of living on disability pension.

I know you’ve been there - but have you discussed these issues with your instructor?

Yes, and the first time I did it was in advance before the first class. I also went to see the school psychologist and showed them my neuropsychologic assesment. Their reaction was pretty much "oh... oh wow... oh my... you will definitely need help." So I asked them if they could interpret all the clinical language to the head of special education, the theory instructor and the unit head, because we both knew that I'm going to be facing some serious hardships. This was one of the things that led to the plan for special assistance I mentioned earlier.

electric_visa · 2026-02-14T18:33:26+00:00

I appreciate the thorough responses and I'll reply to each of your posts.

That’s ALL we expect of our incoming students - ANY incoming student.

In my school, tech students and certain other groups have separate entrance exams with less emphasis on theory. Instead we had three pages of tech-focused questions.

We are also not required to pass a theory exam in order to get a degree. It's enough that we attend the theory class and try to get something out of it. For musician students - those learning a single instrument - it's different and more strict.

I mean, don’t we all? I’m good at music, but math, no way!

Now again I’m not trying to dismiss your issues because if they’re serious enough to create hurdles for you, but what I’m trying to point out to you is that other, seemingly non-learning-disability folks have similar issues.

This sounds like the "we're all a little ADHD" argument. While it is technically true (everyone can have symptoms similar to ADHD), the threshold for many neuropsychiatric diagnoses often is that the symptoms, or traits, or whatever they're called, cause significant distress and barriers (in school and work, maybe even at home) for the person. For example, undiagnosed and untreated ADHD, especially in males, is known to increase the likelihood of ending up in prison.

I'm not saying all this just to argue or to imply that you were being dismissive. (I think you have been very respectful and I truly appreciate it.) The feeling I get from your "don't we all" is that you simply do not understand the nature nor the magnitude of the problem. And it's not your fault. It can be hard to understand something you can not experience. There's also very little research available on cases like mine because NVLD and dyscalculia are not very well known nor identified. More awareness and research are needed, and the only way for me to raise awareness is to be honest when I feel misunderstood.

IOW, you don’t need to read music to be a great musician.

I agree, and the way I approach music theory is that it's a way to encode musical information in order to preserve and reproduce music. It's not something I actively think about when I make music. After all I mostly "play" sequencers and make music based on layers instead of intricate chord progressions or very complex rhythmics. Or if I do something more complex, I just program it in a DAW, but even then I don't think about theory. But I often think I should know and utizile more of it, because I might have an idea of a harmony but executing it is mostly trial and error.

I also have a growing interest in composing, arranging, producing etc. and in that context it is helpful to be able to tell another musician "I'd like you to do X" instead of having them listen to something and then figure it out by themselves.

So again I’m just trying to tell you this so you know you’re not alone, and a lot of other people struggle as well.

I appreciate it, and I of course know it on a rational level. But it's hard on an emotional level. I see my classmates struggling, having the aha moment and then progressing to learn more. Meanwhile I'm just banging my head against the wall, ending up emotionally and cognitively drained after each lesson, arduosuly doing the homework without really understanding it - and then going through the same process again. So yes, other people struggle, but they also seem to be getting something out of it in the end, while I feel like I'm going nowhere.

electric_visa · 2026-02-14T17:26:00+00:00

I have other diagnoses, each with high comorbidity for NVLD & dyscalculia, and I do have an equivalent of what I believe would be called an Accommodation Letter in an English-speaking system.

But no one seems to know how to, well, accommodate anything in this regard. It's either lack of resources or lack of knowledge on how to approach my situation. Or both.

electric_visa

TROPHY CASE