Xavier Bonfill - travel light - patch and notes

Xavier Bonfill

Travel Light (5 sketches) Notes and patch

Travel Light (5 sketches) For one performer on hardware electronic music instruments.

This document has a black background since it’s meant to be read from a screen in low light condition.

DO NOT PRINT THIS DOCUMENT. This is not a score, but some explanations and patch notes about the piece. The piece doesn’t have a score as such.

Travel Light was composed, produced and recorded while travelling around the south-east of China and Hong Kong during March-April 2018 using only a Teenage Engineering OP-1 (a portable, battery-powered synthesizer / sampler / 4 track recorder). Immediate expression, improvisation, and limitations determined by the device on which I was composing/performing/recording were a big part of the inspiration for this piece, such as, of course, all the sounds surrounding me that I captured and manipulated from both the device’s internal microphone and its built FM-radio receiver.

These 5 “sketches” are supposed to be spontaneous, pencil or watercolor postcards of that trip.

Back home in Copenhagen I edited the piece a bit further and mixed the stems in 3rd order Ambisonics. The piece was presented as an electroacoustic surround piece in May 2018, as well as released as a EP (a stereo reduction of the same mix) on digital stores and streaming services.

From January 2019 I started working on a live-rendition of the piece, which was first presented at PULSAR Festival 2019. After trying some different approaches I got to the following conclusions: - The way to perform this material live would be to use my modular system in combination with the Op-1. What in the studio version were “overdubs” here it would be different instruments playing together, an orchestration or re-instrumentation of sorts.

- After transcribing the first couple of movements (or sketches) in a rather detailed way, I realised that it really didn’t make sense for this music to be transcribed and re-learned as a completely defined score. I like to think about these kind of pieces as landscapes or people that exist in my memory and that reserve the right to change (or be seen in different eyes) over time. In this case, having a studio recording as a point of departure helps in the way that it can always be a reference “score” of some kind, while having the freedom, while performing, to stay a bit longer somewhere when it feels good, or take a little detour when feeling adventorous; in other words, to try to include my own mood and include the audience and the situation as well in the story that the music tells, and hopefully creating a bonding experience in the concert situation. This is not though, or not exactly, an “improvisation”. There’s a great amount of musical material that I always play (almost) exactly the same way. It is more like storytelling, where one knows a story in all details, but chooses different words everytime he or she explains it to someone.

- While this could be something that could be represented into some kind of open-score, with indiations like “play variations of this motive for the next n bars or n seconds”; “transition gradually from this section to this new material” etc. I haven’t found myself needing this to happen for me in order to remember all that I need to remember when I perform it (to this date at least).

- What I did write (and is presented on the next pages of this document) is the patch for the piece. This is very relevant information for me in order to put the piece together for each concert. In can (and probably will) change over time since my setup changes quite often and I find new and better ways to obtain similar and better results. But it is very relevant info nonetheless in order for me to remember what I did and why. The patch is written in text form and in a graphical representation of all the patch cables used. The text version includes comments and also some notes regarding the changes to be made in the patch in between movements during the performance. For the transcription of the patch I used a python program named “Patchbook” which is developed by the audio software company Spektroaudio, and which they’ve been kind enough to release free and open source.

- Regarding the choice of spatialisation in live-performances: for other pieces, I had performed live controlling different surround formats as well (combining modular system and computer). During the summer of 2018 I decided to completely ditch the computer from this kind of performances; for artistic reasons (the dogma being: no apple products / no devices that could be used for logging on to FaceBook should be on stage). While I had plans to aim for a quadraphonic setup that would rely only on “hardware” for quite some months, this turned out to be quite unpractical. On top of all that, one module that had a crucial role for my spatialisation plans stopped working 10 days before the first performance of “travel light”; which led me to rearrange the performance for standard stereo setup. This turned out to be a happy (?) accident, or a sign (?!?) to simplify my setup for good, with the advantages being: more chances to get this music performed out in the “real world” and more focus for myself as a performer in all the other aspects of the sound that is generated live.

Xavier Bonfill. March 2019, Copenhagen.

// // // //

Patch Name: Travel Light Live 2019 Date of transcription: 20190307 Description: Still work in progress. Unpatching because of one for two concert.

General Remarks: A lot of the things change / move throughout the piece.

// // // // // // // // // // // // // // //

#1: Spring Brick Rings A Clouds -24 Radios 1000 (although not used until 2) Hermod make sure Seq 1 track 1 on 3 mute (for #2) Hexmix 1, 2, 5, 6, on. 3, 4 mute. 1&2 (opnelle to all sends).

LP1 hold (play) OP1 Tempo 49 OP1 loop bars 2&3 OP1 instrument synth6 organelle: check nori sampler works (or record new sample). organelle: check volumes for Op1 & Organelle (mute Nori input) organelle: chain 1 midi in 1 out 0 QuNeo: patch 1

// #2: // // // // // //

ATT A&B mute top (both muted) HEXMIX: (1, 2, 3, 4) mute 5, 6. On 3, 4.

LP1 : make loop!

Maths: Turn ON CYCLE OP1: Drum 1 OP1: Delay off

// Radio 1 remember offset! (back and forth) // ATT C remember on/off during loud part // Remember Distortion off ASAP // // // //

#3: HEXMIX: only 1&2 OP1: find place in tape and mark PUNCH IN Speed back to 100%

// // // // // // // // //

#4: SPRING back to SPRING Rings Drop C Clouds 0 Atts A&B I (bottom) ON HEXMIX (5, 6) HEXMIX 5 and 6 send to everything, play with it.

ORGANELLE: Chain 1 midi ch in&out 11 (remember Mute on Hexmix). Chain 2 12 12.

QUNEO PATCH 2

// // // // // // // // // //

#5: Atts A&B MUTE bottom (both mute) HEXMIX (1, 2) Op1: Synth 5 Op1: Tempo 76 Op1: Go to beginning of mov. Set Loop to 1 bar loop.

Op1: Delay on Op1: Pan 1&4 L and R Op1: Mute 1&4 Op1: Mic on

// Patch Name: Travel Light Live 2019 // Date of transcription: 20190307 // Description: Still work in progress. Unpatching because of one for two concert. // General Remarks: A lot of the things change / move throughout the piece. // #1: // Spring Brick // Rings A // Clouds -24 // Radios 1000 (although not used until 2) // Hermod make sure Seq 1 track 1 on 3 mute (for #2) // Hexmix 1, 2, 5, 6, on. 3, 4 mute. 1&2 (opnelle to all sends). // LP1 hold (play) // OP1 Tempo 49 // OP1 loop bars 2&3 // OP1 instrument synth6 // organelle: check nori sampler works (or record new sample). // organelle: check volumes for Op1 & Organelle (mute Nori input) // organelle: chain 1 midi in 1 out 0 // QuNeo: patch 1 // #2: // ATT A&B mute top (both muted) // HEXMIX: (1, 2, 3, 4) mute 5, 6. On 3, 4. // LP1 : make loop! // Maths: Turn ON CYCLE // OP1: Drum 1 // OP1: Delay off // Radio 1 remember offset! (back and forth) // ATT C remember on/off during loud part // Remember Distortion off ASAP // #3: // HEXMIX: only 1&2 // OP1: find place in tape and mark PUNCH IN // Speed back to 100% // #4: // SPRING back to SPRING // Rings Drop C // Clouds 0 // Atts A&B I (bottom) ON // HEXMIX (5, 6) // HEXMIX 5 and 6 send to everything, play with it. // ORGANELLE: Chain 1 midi ch in&out 11 (remember Mute on Hexmix). Chain 2 12 12. // QUNEO PATCH 2 // #5: // Atts A&B MUTE bottom (both mute) // HEXMIX (1, 2) // Op1: Synth 5 // Op1: Tempo 76 // Op1: Go to beginning of mov. Set Loop to 1 bar loop. // Op1: Delay on // Op1: Pan 1&4 L and R // Op1: Mute 1&4 // Op1: Mic on

* | | | | | |

SPRING: Spring/Brick = ad lib Dry/Wet = na Feedback = ad lib Feedback type = on Tilt = ad lib CV = na

- SPRING (WET) -> HEXMIX (IN 6) * | | | | | | | | | | | |

RINGS: Poly = 1 Mode = 2 Frequency = low A Structure = 90% Brightness = 53% Damping = 49% Position = 48% BrightnessCV = -50%t FrequencyCV = na DampingCV = +50%t StructureCV = na PositionCV = +10%t

- RINGS (ODD) -> HEXMIX (IN 5) // settings are for sketch#1. Sketch#4 drops to lower C. Same mode, more playful on the knobs. * CLOUDS: | Quality = 44.1 mono | Blendknob = reverb | Freeze = ad lib | Position = ad lib | Size = ad lib |Pitch= ad lib | In Gain = ad lib | Density = ad lib | Texture = ad lib -

CLOUDS CLOUDS CLOUDS CLOUDS

(OUT (OUT (OUT (OUT

L) L) R) R)

-> -> -> ->

ZLOB ATT A (II IN) TWOHP VCA (A IN) ZLOB ATT B (II IN) TWOHP VCA (B IN)

// used in different ways for now. The atts A&B work as switch selectors II (top) normal use. I (bottom) through ADSR and VCA (#4). * | | | |

RADIO MUSIC A: Settings = no loop no transp Bank = 1&2 Station = na Start = 0%

- RADIO MUSIC A (OUT) -> MIX04 (IN 1) // For Sketch#2, remember that the knob position is taken as an offset. If manipulated (intro sketch2) it needs to be put back so Hermod can send the right CC -> CV * | | | |

RADIO MUSIC B: Settings = no loop no transp Bank = 1&2 Station = na Start = 0%

- RADIO MUSIC B (OUT) -> MIX04 (IN 2) * | | | |

RADIO MUSIC C: Settings = no loop no transp Bank = 1&2 Station = na Start = 0%

- RADIO MUSIC C (OUT) -> MIX04 (IN 3)

* | | | |

RADIO MUSIC D: Settings = no loop no transp Bank = 1&2 Station = na Start = 0%

- RADIO MUSIC D (OUT) -> MIX04 (IN 4) - RADIO MUSIC D (OUT) -> EARS (IN) // This one gets sent to ears for the distortion in sketch2. * PICO INPUT: | GainL = 73% | GainR = 73% - PICO INPUT (OUT L) -> HEXMIX (IN 1) - PICO INPUT (OUT R) -> HEXMIX (IN 2) * HERMOD: | Project = Travel_Light -

HERMOD HERMOD HERMOD HERMOD HERMOD HERMOD HERMOD HERMOD HERMOD HERMOD HERMOD HERMOD HERMOD HERMOD

(1 CV) p> CLOUDS (V OCT) (1 GATE) g> PEAKS (TRIG 1) (3 CV) >> RINGS (V OCT) (4 CV) >> RINGS (DAMPING) (5 CV) >> RADIO MUSIC A (STATION) (5 GATE) g> RADIO MUSIC A (RESET) (6 CV) >> RADIO MUSIC B (STATION) (6 GATE) g> RADIO MUSIC B (RESET) (7 CV) >> RADIO MUSIC C (STATION) (7 GATE) g> RADIO MUSIC C (RESET) (8 CV) >> RADIO MUSIC D (STATION) (8 GATE) g> RADIO MUSIC D (RESET) (USB HOST) >> OP1 (USB MIDI) (USB DEVICE) >> ORGANELLE (USB MIDI)

// Actually I'm not using the damping from rings from the midi velocity, but let's leave it there just in case. * DYNAMO: | Threshold = ad lib - DYNAMO (COMPARATOR OUT) g> MATHS (CH1 TRIG) // A bit experimental and not 100% confirmed, but it recieves the audio from the Hexmix master (modular level) in order to trigger actions (start of maths function) after certain transients in the master level. //MIX04: -

MIX04 MIX04 MIX04 MIX04

(OUT (OUT (OUT (OUT

A) B) C) D)

-> -> -> ->

ABC ABC ABC ABC

A A A A

(A) (D) (B) (E)

// Processing panning and level for the Radio Music. Two stereo outputs: one after LP1 (manual panning) and one after Maths / 0Coast (automatic panning). To be mixed /summed on Bastl ABC. * | | | |

ZLOB ATT A: II gain = 100% I gain = 100% II switch = ON/OFF I switch = ON/OFF

- ZLOB ATT A (SUM) -> HEXMIX (R3L) // Clouds left channel. II normal. I after VCA (#4) * | | | |

ZLOB ATT B: II gain = 100% I gain = 100% II switch = ON/OFF I switch = ON/OFF

- ZLOB ATT B (SUM) -> HEXMIX (R3R) // Clouds left channel. II normal. I after VCA (#4)

* EARS: | Gain = 100 - EARS (OUT) -> ZLOB ATT C (I IN) // Used as extra distortion layer for Radio Music (D). It makes a lot of noise, so it will only be turned on momentarily for the loud part of sketch2. It is sent twice to ABC becuase I didn't put the CF jumper on that one. * | | | | -

LP1 LIGHTPLANE: Mode = play X = play Y = play Z = play

LP1 LP1 LP1 LP1 LP1 LP1 LP1 LP1 LP1 LP1

LIGHTPLANE LIGHTPLANE LIGHTPLANE LIGHTPLANE LIGHTPLANE LIGHTPLANE LIGHTPLANE LIGHTPLANE LIGHTPLANE LIGHTPLANE

(Z) (Y) (Y) (Y) (Y) (Y) (X) (X) (X) (X)

>> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >>

CLOUDS (DENS) KINKS (A IN) MIX04 (B3) MIX04 (A4) CLOUDS (SIZE) RINGS (POSITION) MATHS (CH2 IN) MIX04 (B1) MIX04 (A2) CLOUDS (POS)

// used for panning (x and y, mirrored later with Maths and 0Coast), as well as controlling clouds, as well as other parameters from Rings. //HEXMIX: -

HEXMIX HEXMIX HEXMIX HEXMIX

(AUX 1 POST) (AUX 2 POST) (AUX 3 POST) (MAIN OUT L)

-> -> -> ->

SPRING (IN) RINGS (IN) CLOUDS (IN L) DYNAMO (IN)

// ch1&2 (op1&organelle) // ch3&4 Radio Music (x4) // ch5 Rings // ch6 Spring // sends: Spring, Rings, Clouds // returns: empty, empty, Clouds (with att) // I'm not writing the settings now because they are either self-explanatory or they change for each sketch.

Think about which sends are needed when. And how many things can be solved by muting. * | | | | | | | | | | | | -

MATHS: Ch1 Cycle = ad lib Ch1 Rise = ad lib Ch1 Fall = ad lib Ch1 log/exp = ad lib Ch1 attenuv = 0% Ch2 attenuv = -50% Ch3 attenuv = +50% Ch4 attenuv = 0% Ch4 Cycle = ad lib Ch4 Rise = ad lib Ch4 Fall = ad lib Ch4 log/exp = ad lib

MATHS MATHS MATHS MATHS MATHS MATHS MATHS MATHS MATHS

(CH1 EOR) >> MATHS (CH4 TRIG) (CH1 OUT) >> HERMOD (IN A) (CH1 OUT) >> MIX04 (C1) (CH1 OUT) >> MIX04 (C4) (CH4 OUT) >> HERMOD (IN B) (CH4 OUT) >> MIX04 (D1) (CH4 OUT) >> MIX04 (D4) (SUM) >> MIX04 (A1) (SUM) >> MIX04 (B2)

// Ch1 and 4 are sent to Hermod to control chance on sketch2. They also control the extra panning for Radio Music (outputs C & D from Mix 04). The trigger is received from dynamo and it goes to ch4 from ch1 and then to 0coast (slope and contour). mixer makes mirror voltage of LP1 x // KINKS: - KINKS (A -) >> OCOAST (MIXER IN 1) // reverses LP1 y to be mirrored on 0coast.

* | | | | | |

ABC A: A: 100% B: 70% C: 50% D: 100% E: 70% F: 50%

- ABC A (ABC OUT) -> HEXMIX (IN 3) - ABC A (DEF OUT) -> HEXMIX (IN 4) // Mixes 3 stereo downmixes of Radio Music: LP1 pan, modulation pan, distortion * ZLOB ATT C: | I gain = 100% - ZLOB ATT C (I) -> ABC A (C) - ZLOB ATT C (I) -> ABC A (E) // Switch for distortion on #2 (bottom) * | | | | | |

PEAKS: Mode = ENV Split = OFF A1 = 100% A2 = 53% A3 = 60% A4 = 100%

- PEAKS (OUT 1) >> TWOHP VCA (A CV) - PEAKS (OUT 1) >> TWOHP VCA (B CV) // ADSR for clouds on #4. * TWOHP VCA: | A att = 100% | B att = 100% - TWOHPVCA (A OUT) -> ZLOB ATT A (I IN) - TWOHPVCA (B OUT) -> ZLOB ATT B (I IN) // VCA'd version of clouds for #4. Activated via the bottom switch on Att A and B. * OCOAST: | Mixer Attenuv: +50% -

OCOAST OCOAST OCOAST OCOAST OCOAST OCOAST OCOAST

(MIXER OUT B) >> MIX04 (A3) (MIXER OUT B) >> MIX04 (B4) (SLOPE EOC) g> OCOAST (COUNTOUR GATE) (SLOPE) >> MIX04 (C2) (SLOPE) >> MIX04 (C3) (CONTOUR) >> MIX04 (D2) (CONTOUR) >> MIX04 (D3)

// used to mirror Y voltage from Lp1 and for generating 2 modulation sources for the xtra panning. // OP1: - OP1 (STEREO OUT) -> ORGANELLE (STEREO IN) - OP1 (USB MIDI) >> HERMOD (USB HOST) * ORGANELLE: | Patch = Orac Sketch1 -

ORGANELLE ORGANELLE ORGANELLE ORGANELLE

(OUT (OUT (USB (USB

L) -> R) -> MIDI) MIDI)

PICO INPUT (L/STEREO) PICO INPUT (L/STEREO) >> HERMOD (MIDI DEVICE) >> QUNEO (MIDI DEVICE)

// 2 chains so organelle sound and op1 sound can be mixed. Everything is midi mapped on QuNeo. I will need to change the midi preferences script so that 2 devices (QuNeo and Hermod) can be used. * QUNEO: | Preset = 1 on #1, 2 on #4.

- QUNEO (USB MIDI) >> ORGANELLE (USB MIDI)

A IN

KINKS A -

A1 A2 OUT A

A3 A4 B1 B2 B3

OUT B

B4 CONTOUR

COUNTOUR GATE OCOAST MIXER IN 1

MATHS LP1 LIGHTPLANE X Mode = play Y X = play Y = play Z Z = play

MIXER OUT B

C2

SLOPE

C3

SLOPE EOC

CH1 EOR

Ch1 Attenuv = 0% Ch1 Cycle = ad lib Ch1 Fall = ad lib Ch1 Log/Exp = ad lib CH1 OUT Ch1 Rise = ad lib CH2 IN Ch2 Attenuv = -50% Ch3 Attenuv = +50% CH4 OUT Ch4 Attenuv = 0% Ch4 Cycle = ad lib Ch4 Fall = ad lib CH4 TRIG SUM Ch4 Log/Exp = ad lib Ch4 Rise = ad lib CH1 TRIG

C1 MIX04

C4 OUT C

D1 D2 D3 D4 IN 1

OUT D

IN 2 RINGS DAMPING

IN 3

RINGS

IN 4

DAMPING Brightness = 53% Brightness = 53% Brightnesscv = -50%t Brightnesscv = -50%t Damping = 49% Damping = 49% IN IN Dampingcv = +50%t Dampingcv = +50%t Frequency = low A Frequency = low A ODD = na ODD Frequencycv = na Frequencycv Mode = 2 Mode = 2 POSITION POSITION Poly = 1 Poly = 1 Position = 48% Position = 48% Positioncv = +10%t Positioncv = +10%t V OCT V OCT Structure = 90% Structure = 90% Structurecv = na Structurecv = na

RESET

RADIO MUSIC A

Bank = 1&2 Settings = no loop no transp OUT Start = 0% STATION Station = na 1 CV 1 GATE

IN A

3 CV HERMOD

4 CV 5 CV

IN B

RESET

Bank = 1&2 Settings = no loop no transp OUT Start = 0% STATION Station = na

5 GATE 6 CV 6 GATE 7 CV

MIDI DEVICE

RADIO MUSIC B

RESET

RADIO MUSIC C

Bank = 1&2 Settings = no loop no transp OUT Start = 0% STATION Station = na

7 GATE Project = Travel_Light

8 CV 8 GATE

USB HOST A

C D

USB HOST

ABC OUT

B

USB DEVICE

RESET

RADIO MUSIC D

Bank = 1&2 Settings = no loop no transp OUT Start = 0% STATION Station = na

ABC A USB MIDI OP1

DEF OUT

STEREO OUT USB MIDI

E STEREO IN

ORGANELLE

OUT L OUT R

USB MIDI

Patch = Orac Sketch1 USB MIDI

PICO INPUT OUT L L/STEREO Gainl = 73% Gainr = 73% OUT R

PEAKS

SPRING

IN 1 IN 2 IN 3 IN 4 IN 5 IN 6 R3L R3R

IN

AUX 1 POST

AUX 2 POST

Cv = na Dry/Wet = na Feedback = ad lib WET Feedback Type = on Spring/Brick = ad lib Tilt = ad lib

HEXMIX AUX 3 POST

MAIN OUT L

IN

DYNAMO Threshold = ad lib

COMPARATOR OUT

A1 = 100% A2 = 53% TRIG 1 OUT 1 A3 = 60% A4 = 100% Mode = ENV Split = OFF

DENS

MIDI DEVICE

IN

EARS Gain = 100

QUNEO Preset = 1 on #1, 2 on #4.

OUT

CLOUDS

Blendknob = reverb OUT L Density = ad lib IN L Freeze = ad lib In Gain = ad lib POS Pitch = ad lib Position = ad lib SIZE Quality = 44.1 mono OUT R Size = ad lib V OCT Texture = ad lib

TWOHPVCA

A OUT B OUT

I IN

I IN

ZLOB ATT C I Gain = 100%

I

ZLOB ATT A

I Gain = 100% I Switch = ON/OFF SUM Ii Gain = 100% II IN Ii Switch = ON/OFF

I IN

ZLOB ATT B

I Gain = 100% I Switch = ON/OFF SUM Ii Gain = 100% II IN Ii Switch = ON/OFF