MetaSynth Music

These are pieces and/or sketches made from U&I Software's "MetaSynth"

Across The Sandbox

This tune was made entirely in MetaSynth and all rendered in the image synth. It gives a very different approach (and result) to working in MetaSynth. After you give it a listen, you might think that these are from another application, but it isn't. That is the point of what I'm trying learn. In the end, though, there's something "MetaSynthy" about them... and much of the result just couldn't be realized like this in another app.

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Freaky Lounge

This is 100% MetaSynth4 . It actually needs a melody, but I guess that will have to come later...

ijustloveyou.mp3

This is an ambient piece based on a recorded spoken phrase. It's filtered and run through the grain effect with preview to disk. I tweaked the siders on the effect for about 2 mins and picked out the sections I liked and edited them further in the XEditor. This uses a custom scale.

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equinox.mp3

This is another ambient piece made for the passing of the spring equinox 2005. It is a work in progress, but is complete enough. The piano melody was recorded by whistling the melody and then rendering it as a piano. This piece also uses custom instruments made from various synthesizers.

ETech.mp3

Techno-ish texture. All sound sources were created and rendered in MetaSynth. MSMidipix was used for a quick input of MIDI chords, bass lines, arp textures and Piano performances. Basic Dumbek and drum patterns were first created in MSBeatBox, saved as a picture, and then imported into MetaSynth. On matching instrument multi-samplers in MS, MS can tweak, twist and turn an image into something entirely different, creating something interesting from just one source. A Sax sample was also imported and analyzed in the spectrum synth. The Sax was also used as the source of rhythmic texture in the middle.

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Swing.mp3

All drums and percussion sound effects were made in the image synth from different micro tunings using the same original drum multi-sampler instrument. I wanted the feel to "swing" so I created a rhythm template to use as a filter and further tweaked from there.

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Tethered.mp3

This is 100% MetaSynth4 except for some cymbal/splash crashes brought in as .aiff into the Montage Room. This uses another original drum instrument (a bit more aggressive one, too!) as the source of percussion and drums. All were drawn and rendered in the image synth using various tunings. I really wanted to get as much out of one instrument as I could. MetaSynth excels in that! I spent a lot of time making little changes to the images and saving them as different presets to not get so "loopy". Lots of Spectrum Synth in this one too! Also, the stutters were made from chopping up the audio/presets in the Montage Room.

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JungleJuice.mp3

Here's a little drum/percussion piece made with only MetaSynth using the extra kits and patterns in MSBeatBox. Once the footwork of making patterns was done, assembling it in MS4 went really fast. I was able to take the few patterns I had, experiment with changing the kits, and tweak out variations in the image synth for transitions, etc. Most of the edits used the "twice faster" (*) on certain parts of the pattern. Also, since I copied the patterns from BeatBox and pasted them into the same image in the image synth, all of the loops were at the same tempo...cool... it was a snap!

I used the shuffle effect in the effects room for one sound, and added reverb to another. Otherwise this is just straight "unprocessed" multi-samplers.

Another technique I "discovered" was when the piece was completed and I mixed it to disk, I brought the whole mix back into MetaSynth. I made a very large picture in the image synth, set the tuning to Micro12, fit the picture to the sample and pressed "n". This analyzed the spectrum of the piece. I then rendered this and brought the resulting sample back into the montage on it's own track. I shifted this sample to the right by an 8th note and set the volume. This gave it the nice echo/slapback you'll hear..it was an experiment that seemed to work out nicely. I'll have to do this again.

Another DAW was used to make the fade out at the end.