Today I took the Korg Minilogue XD out of cold storage and found a way to make instant “music for airports” style ambient music with a tortured twist.

It was really easy to do and fun once its established

I forgot that the arpeggiator on the XD has a randomize feature. If you SEQUENCE the arpeggiated notes that are randomized (randomized within the chord you play) it makes nice random changes. Basically, each of the 16 sequence blocks holds 6 notes (two 3 fingered chords). Every time the sequence moves to the next block it plays those notes in that 6 fingered chord randomly.

So the little sequencer light is like: CA-CHUNK, play 6 random notes in the chord, CA CHUNK play 6 random notes in the next chord…. over and over down all 16 CA CUNKS of sequencer blocks. This creates a long random sequence of chord structures.

Once the sequence is set, then you can just diddle the hell out of the knobs while the sequencer loops with random chord structures that you predesignated. It’s really fun to mess with.

There are THREE oscillators (sound makers): Osc1, Osc2 and the Multi/User Osc.

I started with just the first oscillator. It was set as a triangle wave which makes it mellow. Then I slowly mix in osc2 which is a sawtooth which is a brighter sound. Then I slowly mixed in the multi/user oscillator using the “FAT 2” user oscillator setting to add growl.

The first minute is just the mellow osc 1, then there’s a pause. Then it comes back while slowly mixing in each of the other 2 oscillators adding some body and crunch to the sequence. I mess with various reverbs and low frequency oscillation throughout the piece to keep it freaky.

There is a ping pong reverb and chorus in there so it kills in head phones.

It’s like electronic wind chimes for the talentless (pretty much music for airports).

Still messing with the Arturia Keystep 37 and learning new stuff. I find it amazing how the on-board arpeggiator and sequencer can work independently of Ableton, so you can pre-plan, audition, and rehearse stuff before you trigger and record it into Ableton as MIDI files. It is SUPER nifty. The delicious ingredients list follows:

• Arturia Keystep 37
• A bunch of stock Ableton 9 gadgets and samples
• Addictive Keys plugin (for dinkly piano)
• Lounge Lizard plugin (for the Rhodes Electric Piano bit)
• Yamaha Reface CS (for the screechy mono synth bit)
• Novation Launchpad Pro (for various drum patterns and cymbal fills)
• Audacity software (to record Bird noises found on YouTube)

This project started last weekend when my friend Keith was here. I was demonstrating the crazy stuff the Keystep does and just started laying out tracks. I finished the rest of it today.

As always none of this is perfect or etched in stone, but I had fun doing it and I like to listen to it. As always USE HEADPHONES!!!

(*As a special afterthought note: I just renewed my CtrlZStudio account. I noticed it started in May of 2010 (for those of you scoring at home)).

Got some fancy new colored buttons for the Korg Minilogue XD (in the back there with the colored buttons). The original buttons were black with black lines so you couldn’t tell where anything was set. It sucked. Most owners of the Korg Minilogue XD replace their buttons with brightly colored buttons with clearly visible lines, so you can see where stuff is actually set.

Well since I replaced the buttons, I had to test it. So I set about playing some “latched arpeggios” washed in too many effects. I recorded that. Then, because I don’t know when to quit (because I am not a real “artist”), I went back into the recording with the Yamaha Reface CS (in white in the foreground) and did a layer of noodling on top. This is how it sounds.

It’s not too long and is kind of a mess, but this means EVERYTHING WORKS! HOORAY FOR ME !