Nick Blanc

Another run with the new mic, I'm still really happy with the results. We try some Dutch lyrics from time to time. This translate to "touch me". Obviously the vocals where recorded seperate. So as long as I was editing, I made a bit (mis)use of the situation to duplicate a part of the Malevolent. Ssst 🤫 Overall the jam has a more mellow vibe. Inge really delivered in catching that vibe.

I was never a 'mic guy'. I thought the immortal Shure SM58 would be just fine. But with more and more recordings with Inge, I decided to invest a little more in a large diaphragm mics. Lewitt seemed a good option, so I opted for the Ray. Man what a difference. No hate for the SM58, but it feels like we recorded everything with a blanket over it. The Lewitt is so clear and Inge's voice shines through. Another lesson learned.

Lots of stacked synths and a pretty decent hard kick. That's a win in my book. Very much enjoyed the process and outcome.

This one came together after a long weekend with lots of festivals and bands. Perhaps a bit 'music' tired, but there's nothing like my little studio to get me in the mood. Nice beats, nice synths, overall nothing that stands out, except maybe the Malevolent, but still overall a fun one.

I really messed up the cameras this time. I accidentally permanently deleted this footage from my phone and I set one of the Lumix cameras way too dark. Beyond my colour grading skills. The jam itself went ok, lost count somewhere but overall not bad. I like the rolling / thundering sound of the kick. And luckily there was Inge who had some time the next day to lay down some vocals and save this one.

I was experimenting with a new arp plugin, it did...ok. Maybe I picked the wrong sound. Something pluckier would have been better. Anyway, very happy with the kick and overall kinda industrial vibe overlayed with lots of synths. Oh and I somehow forgot to play the Sub 37 after those first couple of notes 😶. So the later parts are MIDI (played in to keep the feel, but recorded afterwards).

Not entirely different, but a clear cut melody line (or hook) is not something I do a lot. It came out really nice if I may say so myself. Layering the synths gives this huge sound that I like. Cool one.

One of our best ones yet. The track kicks, sounds and melody are pretty on point and Inge is on fire! Had fun creating this one and recording Inge afterwards. Yeah I know, not entirely live but hey there's always next time.

On 5/4/2025 at 11:54 PM, MichaelJohn said:

I like this one a lot.  All analog gets my attention!  That little bit of live playing you add is just the right touch to add that little bit of extra interest at the right spot, to keep it progressing.    Is that 8 channel mixer your max channels for live output?  I see you mute, unmute, and move volume sliders on it.  

This could definitely be played at events.   But again, you can't haul a bunch of those synths and drum machines etc to events.  You would have to pre-record each part to a DAW to use to playback the music at an event.   Only need a laptop  with a mixer.   Not near as fun as live but you could still punch tracks in/out on the fly from DAW playback.   It would be very similar in sound, but not in fun!

Adjusting live devices playing back is not what DJ's do.   But what I like is seeing the actual synths, drum machines, etc that are making the music in real time!    On a DJ playback, what heck synth made the sound?  Have no idea.   This is almost like live musicians that you are 'conducting'.   Instead of recording of them!   

What would be cool if when a track part comes in, drum or synth, have the camera show it becoming active.  

Thanks for the extensive comment. The mixer is a midi mixer which basically can do unlimited channels. It has a forward button so I could 'scroll' through all the channels. But it has no feedback on which channel it is, so when you do that, you quickly lose track of what channel is on what fader. So I tend to just use the 8 channels. And if I want to control other devices, I use the volume or filter knob on those devices. 

As for live, as you said, I'm not hauling this equipment around. You could do a setup with just the Pulsar 23 and a synth or 2 and a laptop with pre recorded stuff, but I'm not interested in that. 

For the camera thing, yeah that would be cool. It could be done. Right now I'm filming in 1080p. If I switch to 4K I could zoom in without losing quality. I might experiment with that. Cool idea.

I'm playing some more with the Pulsar 23 and it's feedback capabilities. I'm still struggling with the looper but the fun never stops. The main kick is from the Edge.

On 5/1/2025 at 11:39 PM, MichaelJohn said:

Great stuff!  Nice collection of keys and gear.   Enjoy the aspect that this is live playing of instruments that you have pre-sequenced.  Then you mix a live track as they play.   You're ready for Tomorrow Land!   However, this is not what DJ's do at those music festivals.  And you couldn't take all these keys to play at a festival.   The dj's are playing back DAW recordings.   What you do is real playback and some live performing as well.  Those high notes on the synth sound great.   

 

Thanks! It's always a balance between 'what do/can I do live' and 'what is better left sequenced'. For excample, yesterday I was recording and I was so focused on the sequencing of the track I forgot to play one the synths I had picked out for live playing. 

Ands I have been asked to do some live stuff (not Tomorowland haha), but I'm not that interested. It's a hassle. But perhaps in the future with a small setup. 

I decided to leave an unquantized loop in the Pulsar-23 as it was for some weird texture. Not sure about the outcome, but hey, here it is!

I don't know, it sounds a bit lighter and more mellow. So I'm calling it spring vibes. Really no special idea behind that, it's just how it came out.

It could have been heavier if I had added the MS-20 as a third melodic layer, but it was on bass duty. The melody can be a bit hard to follow. I was playing both synths with the Push 2, just noodling away without a metronome or counting and suddenly this melody popped out. So I recorded it and there it was.

Well, all the sources are analog. Of course there's fx and mixing/mastering. It came out fine. Not the greatest, but still fun to do and play.

On 4/4/2025 at 6:17 PM, Mr No Name said:

Nice track, enjoyed, Inge is a great singer.

Thanks, she is indeed. I'm lucky to have someone like that in my friends circle.

"Vrij" means Free. We thought it would be cool to record something in Dutch, so we did. And honestly I think it's one of our best ones. Enjoy!

Suddenly I'm getting all kinds of errors in the plugins. Missing content, etc. Relaunching the plugin a couple of times is the trick. Great design.

I'm continuing on the more clear cut melody path. This time a bit more call & response. A couple of riffs and melodies and a beautiful Prophet 6 with what I can only describe as a sea of pads. But, but most fun thing are the drum and chant samples. I recorded it on my phone a couple of week ago during an evening of heavy drinking with some friends. Got a text this week: "hey you promised to put the recording in your jams, where is it?" I completely forgot 😅. Well, here it is!

So, here's what Chat GPT came up with:

🎶 **Live Music Performance | Industrial Melodic Techno in a Home Studio** 🎹🔊 Welcome to an immersive journey into the world of **Industrial Melodic Techno**, straight from the heart of my home studio! Watch as I craft a unique live performance with a blend of analog synths, cutting-edge hardware, and deep, driving rhythms. From gritty basslines to atmospheric pads, every element is carefully shaped to create a truly electrifying experience. 🚀 🔥 **Gear in Action**: - Analog synths - Drum machines - Custom sound design - Full hardware setup If you're into intense, atmospheric techno with a raw, industrial edge, this one’s for you!

💥 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more live performances and studio sessions. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below! 🔔 **Subscribe for more sonic adventures!**

Yes, we are back! I wish I could say it was great recording, but we had to record 3 times due to technical issues (and a dumb mistake by me selecting the wrong channel to record). But we got it done. The process was as fun as ever.

Very cool song! Takes me back.

Exploring the rougher side of the SOMA Pulsar 23, but with the melodic touches you're used to from me. I was a little frustrated because Ableton decided to crash, the recovery didn't work and I forgot to save. So I lost a couple of hours and had to start all over again.

It's not entirely different form my usual jams, but it certainly has another energy. Much more percussion and drums, so more like the tribal techno from the beginning of the '00s. But with a dark twist from the moody en growling Sub37. Man that thing bites. SOMA is also represented with the Pulsar 23 and that 'sheeny' drone from the Lyra-8. Great stuff.

Again, no such luck combining our schedules, but Inge could make it in afterwards to record something. I'm not a recording engineer, we are not professionals and this was out attempt at creating doubles. Which is pretty hard to do if you improvised. So, with a little bit of software magic and an, in my opinion, cool studio jam with lots of distorted drums, we have a very cool track!