Join the big dad A

As one of my upgrades for the planned live shows, I got this for the improvised sounds. I was working with the small version of this but a friend made me a good price so... why not? Studio upgrade :)

NEW BOY IN THE STUDIO

KAOSSILATOR PRO: a supercharged version of the palm-sized KAOSSILATOR, reborn as a powerful track-making tool and loaded with live performance power. As a trailblazer among the instrumental gadgets that allowed anyone to easily create melodies and phrases, the KAOSSILATOR gained a strong and dedicated user base, even among those without any performing experience. Today, the KAOSSILATOR continues to be enormously popular. Retaining these revolutionary features while adding a wide variety of new ones as well is the KAOSSILATOR PRO.

With 200 sound programs, a new Electribe-inspired gate arpeggiator, and four loop recording banks that can even record external audio sources, the KAOSSILATOR PRO is packed with features that make it ideal for both live performance and premium productions. In addition, USB connectivity with your computer and SD card memory storage allow the KAOSSILATOR PRO to be used not just for improvised performances, but also as a superbly intuitive, track-making music production tool.

• Record and save up to 200 songs in WAV format
• New synth programs, drum samples/patterns, and vocoder presets
• Play in any key using 31 scales; stay sync''d with the tweakable gate arpeggiator.
• Loop Recorder: Audio inputs allow recording from any external audio source.
• 4 Loop Recording Banks are available at once - each with infinite loop stacking.
• Mute and un-mute Loop Recording Banks in real time for dynamic performances.
• General: USB MIDI connections for tempo sync and data transfer.
• SD slot for safely storing samples & settings.
• The editor/Librarian program saves phrases as audio files.
• 200 Programs (including 15 effect programs)
• X-Y touchpad, 4 Loop Record buttons Gate Arpeggiator slider, Tap Tempo button
• Loop data, user settings and Program Memories can be stored on SD card

Read more info a' Juno Store
http://www.juno.co.uk/products/korg-kaossilator-pro-dynamic-phrase-synthesizer-loop-recorder/380714-01/

Live Demonstration - Video

Here is how all works...
WAVDJ vm108 + Kaossilator.

This is not a proper life, I did this live with one hand only and wish not help at all.
(The other hand was filming the thing)

In this video, I didn't include the Korg melody, the sound bend from the wheel and I didn't have much flexibility to work as I do with the kaossilator PLUS, this is a very short demonstration. Usually, this track takes 10 to 15 minutes from start to finish and is a progressive thing.
In this case, is a very quick demonstration only, but it works !!

So... off we go then :



Questions ??
Please... do it!

Project Zoom in

 Zoom into the Track Project

I gonna give a close look of what I do to construct a track.
(NOTE, This may change until I have the first track ready to show) but anyways, this is the main buttons I use to construct a track.
Composition:
1 Drum loop
3 backgrounds
3 different sound patterns on kaossilator

Drums

The first 2 line of 6 buttons are the styles. The 3 rd line of buttons is the drums of each style. If I click the first button in the first line , I will have 6 different drum loops in the 3rd line of buttons. This happen with all the style buttons.

So, I have now 6 drum loops set in the 3rd line. I click the first button of the 3rd  line and the drum loop start.

Background

Once I have the drum loop playing, I need a background. I click the first button in the first line of buttons in the wavdj FX board, were I have upload the background sounds I want. This is not synchronized. I have to click the button at the same time of the crash  in the drum loop for they play like if they are synchronized. (precession.)
The first 3 buttons are 3 different backgrounds, set to play with the first drum loop button. Now I have the drums and the first background playing at the same time (tempo - bpm).

Kaossilator

I have choose 6 or 7 sounds that go well with the drum and background. Is funny how the sounds of the kaossilator really transform all the felling of the track once I start to apply sound FX. Sure I can put more drums with the kaossilator if I want.

Mixer

The mixer is where everything come together. Its all connected on wavdj channels, I can drop the sound of any one of this loops in and out without need to turn off the sound himself. If  I stop 1 of the loops playing, he will desynchronize from the others but with the mixer, I can switch on and off the loops without need to turn off the loop totally, he will be synchronized again when I drop him in.)



After play around for some time , I change to the next background.
In this case, I stop totally the first background loop and leave the drums and the kaossilator working.together.

Now, I start the second background. Some times I need to start the background sound and stop a few times because is not always that I can get the sound to start exactly at the same tempo of the drums but usually, I get it right after 2 or 3 attempts and this makes a nice intro to the sound too.

Next, I hope I can post a track :)
I am delay this because is many things that can be explore and used in wavdj that I want to try everything before give the final result.

Will be here at some point !

Chapter 16 - Track Structure (part 1)

Track Structure Experiments

Finally I catch up with my self :)

This is where I am writing as I am doing the things !
I am at the moment in the music structure, I have recorded the sounds and I have listen, I took some decisions and I will need to change:
1* Start of the track
2* Use more bass
3* Make more unrecorded sound movements with the Kaossilator

4* End of the Track

The reasons are:

1* Star of the tracks are always the same way.
This is because I am working with no synchronizer.
First I play the Improvised sound made in the kaossilator, next
The Drums , next
The background, next
more sounds.
This is ok and probably will be the total structure of the track but listen 10 tracks starting the same way and finish the same way can be a bit too much !?  I think !


2* I listen the tracks and they need bass... again, my girlfriend , say no !
I will try to use some more bass in the tracks and listen how it sounds.

3* Make more unrecorded sound movements with the Kaossilator.
Some low parts in the track need to use more (spare) sound FX, this helps to create movement in the track.


4* The end of the track, like the start, its always the same way.


 End of the track is the same, always !
Always start with the drums and finish with the drums.
At the end I have to switch off
The background, next,
The FX and at the end ,
The drums.

I can find some different ways to finish the track, the structure will have to be always like this but I can use other effects to cover the basic structure at the end.

* Track Structure
I start with a Kaossilator sound and next,,come in the drums. The sound looping with the drums will sound desynchronized for a start but after some time looping together, they start to transform into a synchronized rhythm.
Next come the background sound, that works exactly at the same tempo of the drum loop.
Here, the melody is created already from nothing and I am just follow the vibe by now:)

This makes all the difference because all the music produced , is produced and recorded just one time and is never the same again, totally unpredictable, can be the same sounds but the melody and effects are always played in a different way and this create a ambient vibe very nice and mental to hear.
Yes, very nice  :)

BUT
Start the track with the drums, its too violent !
For this reason, I start the track with the FX sound of the Kaossilator.
This despy the fact, that the drums will come next and not synchronized with the sound played, but the drum loops + the FX, soon start to make sense in your head :) :) and at this moment, it is just a melody created with the FX and the drums.
After this first 2 sounds are playing together, I come in with the background sound and after the background sounds , then I apply more sounds , change the rhythm, etc...

Very fun :)

Chapter 15 - Add Instruments

New Instruments Experiments.

I ad a friend visited me during a weekend, he is a shy musician but have a lot of instruments including lots of drums (as it is a drummer:)

My friend bring me a Micro Korg

The Micro Korg
Its very good but too limited to work.
Its nice to take some sounds but just that !
Its a vocoder too and that is good for voices as some sounds. Can make a very original effect in the music.
Its a very good equipment for live performances but not in the style of the music I try to make here.
I will say, its more a (techno minded) music machine



a Mixer

The Mixer
Here we connected everything.


and a Kaoss Pad

The Kaoss pad
It can be very useful to make some final effects in the total music or can make small variations in the final sound played. He can make some extra sounds on top and other special effects.
With Kaoss pad, I think is good just to make some very small changes in the total sound but is the only one I can see included as a 1 more instrument.

For now, my friend leave me the Kaoss Pad for me to have a try but he will take it back in some months time.
I end up do not use this much.

Chapter 14 - Loops VS Kaossilator

Him and Her !!

Kaossilator and WAVDJ .
Now I have the background sounds in the buttons (by now I have 18 backgrounds)
and I have 6 different drum loops in the 6 drum buttons this make:
18 background sounds
6 drum loops
= 3 background sounds for each drum loop, like that I can change the background sound 3 times in 1 track.
They are all at the same 110BPM.

Putting all together and start to play....

After I have both playing at the same time, I start the kaossilator at the same BPM and I make some sound effects; by now, the drums and the background are looping at the same time and the kaossilator sounds are giving a color to the music as I ad many other effects.

As I go along with the sounds and loops , I can play with the mixer of the machine (wavdj) and have the drum loop ,on and off or the background sound or the kaossilator on and off  too.
This is a good help to dont have the same sounds looping for to long.

The kaossilator is a very nice complement for the wavdj.
I have been construct this track with a vision of a Industrial Ambient, so I haver been looking for Industrial sound loops for background and I make the Drum Loops to sound Industrial too but the sounds of the kaossilator make the track much more soft and Ambient.

I recognized that my Drum loops are a bit too (breaks) even be at 110BPM.
(Later I will writ about the Track structure)

This explanation of the track construction, is just the result of my first experience, I probably will be changing things and the structure of the tracks , tempo or other.

Chapter 12 - Kaossilator

Kaossilator - The other off

After all the explanations about WAVDJ, I like to go now into this little korg.
Kaossilator is a Dynamic Phaser Synthesizer.

Specifications

• Programs: 100 sounds
  
• Program Categories: “NOTE” Sound = LEAD: 20, ACOUSTIC: 10, BASS: 20, CHORD: 10
  “SE” Sound = SE: 20
  “DRUM” Sound = DRUM: 10, DRUM PATTERN: 10
  
  
• Musical Scale Patterns: 31
• Key Range: ±12
• Types of Gate Arpeggiator: 50
• Connectors: LINE OUT jacks (RCA phono jacks), PHONES jack (Stereo mini phone jacks)
• Sampling Frequency: 48kHz
• DA Conversion: 24-bit Linear
• Power Supply: four alkaline AA (LR6) batteries (6 V) / AC Adaptor?Sold Separately?
• Battery Life: approximately five hours (with alkaline batteries)
• Included Items: Owner`s Manual, parameter sheet, four AA “test” batteries
• Dimensions: 106 mm (W) x 129 mm (D) x 29 mm (H) / 4.17" (W) x 5.08" (D) x 1.14" (H)
• Weight: 154 g / 5.43 oz. (without batteries)
  

Options

AC adapter ( DC4.5V )

I have a look in youtube and I choose this video just to show,how the kaossilator work.



Thanks to Bratenstein
http://loops.bratenstein.de


Later I will try to make a video of  the all happening and post on youtube.
For now, my mission is to get background sounds to add to the wavdj and make drum loops.

Kaossilator have drum loops already but I am making the drum loops direct in the wavdj software, this way I am able to drop the drums and the background sounds in and out any time I want and they dont need to be repeating all the time

The background sounds, I get from websites with free loops and samples and I am making a choice of the more similar sounds I need to make this music project.
This Background sounds (loops) I am doing with the help of ableton software before I add them to the machine.
Like that, I can make the loops long as I like and I can add different patterns and other sounds.

Back to Kaossilator
A part of all the technical explanations above, I have to specify something for people who dont know about this techy stuff:

The kaossilator have 
7 sound category's
1- Leads
2- Acoustic
3- Bass
4- Chords
5- Se (FX)
6- Drum (single beats)
7- Drum (Patterns)
This is the basic 100 sounds

Scales (key)
Kaossilator have 31 different keys, like C / C#/ D / E #/ E# / G/ G# etc...
Some examples are:
Chromatic
Ionian
Dorian
Majore Blues
Major Pentatonic
Gypsy scale
Arabian scale
spanish scale
Egyptian Scale
Octave interval
And go on, and on, and on..........

Gate Arpeggio Patterns
This is effects that can be ad to the sounds a part from the normal effects wish cut the sound into short beats
The kaossilator have 49 different arpeggio patters

Mush more can be say about the kaossilator but for now, I think I did explained the best of my knowledge.


More about this in the next chapter ;)

Chapter 11 - The software

The Software

This is Horrendous...
This is where the beauty turns into a monster !!

The software is separated into 4 parts
1- Edit Window.
This come as default with 16 channel Instruments. I never used this but here is where all the music can be composed.
Its here where I can create the blocks and create the tracks... iffff (urggg)
* I do not use this

2- Mixer window.
Here is the mixer display, any time I move a button from the machine will show in the screen.
This have a cd room control and I can record outcome sounds into the (Edit Window) plus the machine just work, when I have this mixer window on, If I switch off the software windows, the sound in the machine stop!
* This is the only window open wile I play. (Machine do not work without the software).

3- Style Window.
Here is the Drums and the Korg settings. I can choose the instrument sounds for each button in the korg and I can set up the drum loops as long as I want or change the loop patterns, include more sounds in the drums etc...
* I use this one to make the drum patterns that I will use in the machine and setting up the sounds for the korg.

4- Sound Effect window.
900 sounds can be replaced in this board :) unless !
* This is where all the background sounds are uploaded.

And here is the machine connected...

As you can see, the display and the program are not helpful !

Anyway, if this was a very professional sound Equipment, I probably was not making this blog and I was not much interested to make something different with this machine.

This is the only thing I touch wile I play. I do not need the software after everything is set up in place.

Cool, for less than 20 pounds I get an original toy and I can mess about !!

Chapter 10 - Connections

WAVDJ Connections

Here is where the problems start in the first place .
The wavdj work with a very old software program and the connections are design to work with old PCs.
So, here the first problematic connection I talk about...

This one, connect the WAVDJ to the mouse connection in the PC, some of the new PCs dont have this connection anymore.
I buy a adapter for this but was there where the problem start, the machine didn't work properly !
If you read this blog from beginning, you know , I have to change the wavdj from my music PC  to my older home PC for this to work.

Here more connections...

This is where the wavdj connect for sound on the back. All this have to be connected with the PC or the machine and the sound will not come out as it should be.

All this are the normal PC connections and they have to be all connected with the PC sound card or will not work properly.

And on the side...

The user connections are:

1- line in (here is where I connect the Kaossilator)
2- Audio output (where is where I connect the output cable to my Amplifier)
3- Mic input (I don't use for now but can be useful later to connect something else)
4- Audio output (I try to connect the headphones on this one but the sound volume is cut by off !)
5- Mic input (The mixer have space to just 1 mic , I dont know why I have 2 mic input... )

As I say before, now its all connected and working fine ;) uffff....

Chapter 9 - Drums pad

Drums Pad

A Part from the drum loops in wavdj, the drum pads are other of the cool features of the machine.

They are 6 (pad) buttons
1- Tom 1
2- Tom 2
3- Crash
4- Hi Hats
5- Snare
6- Bass Drum

Very nice and can be useful if the buttons are working fine... but not !
When press, the pads give the sound late (as happen with the korg too)
I click the button and 1 second later, the sound is listen.
No way to make something with this...

If this was working as it should be, it would be great fun.
Again, after I know the machine very well, it is possible to play around with this faulty buttons too, is just a matter of time ;)

I can understand why this WAVDJ was discontinued !

Chapter 8 - Sound FX

Sound FX

The sound FX part of the WAVDJ is what excite me to make something with this.
Here I can have 900 sounds in wav and I can upload samples and loops into the machine.
This can be a FX wav file or a melody or a all track...  I will use this part of the machine to upload the (background) sounds for the tracks I will be constructing.
(More about this later, for now I am just showing the parts of the machine)

The display show 30 FX buttons, each one of this buttons can have 30 sounds, wish makes the 900 sounds all together.
As default from the software, this effects are simple sounds like, BIRDS,  this have 30 different bird sounds and etc...
Again, basic sounds but the good news is, this can be changed with any .wav sound file I want.

If I press BIRDS button for 5 seconds, The 30 buttons turn into 30 bird sounds , If I press SPACE, the 30 buttons will turn into 30 different space sounds ,etc...

Its a total of 900 different .wav music files that can be changed one by one.

Chapter 5 - Keyboard instruments

Keyboard Instruments

The keyboard instruments have 18 buttons, each one represents a channel on the keyboard.

This is the midi part of the software program wish work in conjunction with the korg!
In the software I have 16 channels, each one represents a sound in the channels buttons of the keyboard.
For example, I can choose 1 instrument for the first channel but I am able to choose from 127 different instruments for each channel.

Means , I can have the sound I want in the keyboard if I put the instrument in the channel button.
Again, this 127 instruments are fix sounds but this time, because is to be played with the keyboard, I can change the octaves of the keyboard and get different sounds.

They are 18 buttons and 16 channels for instruments, the 2 extra buttons are:
(see image 1)
1 - enter silence (wish stops the Fx sound from the WAV Effects panel) and the
2- is the FX button, this one trigger the sound of the WAV effect playing and pass it to the keyboard,wish alou me to play the FX sounds in the korg.
3- Channel 10 is always Drums. I can trigger the drums in the keyboard too but in this case the octaves do not change the drum sounds.

This is not my favorite part of the machine.

1-I am not brilliant with keyboards.

2 -the keyboard have a off tempo. He just do the sound after I have pressed the keyboard tab.

This part is the FX channels and the wheel  to make pitch bend and scratch

 

I do not plane to make much with the wheel scratch of the machine , unless I need to add some extra sounds wile I am changing the background sound or other.

So, on this part of the machine, (korg and wheel scratch I do not plane to use much. Unless for now)

Chapter 2

THE OTHER OFF...

1 month later, I visit some friends and one of my friends show me this little korg (kaossilator) .
I never hear about this new toy ! When my friend connect the kaos in to the Amplifier and start to make sounds and loops, I connect 2 x 2= 4.
Better than 1 loop machine is 2 loop machines working together :) and kaossilator make everything that WAVDJ dont do... better, the WAVDJ have things that the kaossilator dont have.
I trough ... they are the perfect partner !

Sure I start to look in the web for this new gadget (kaossilator) people say its good fun and the price is not that high, so I wait for my birthday to get it (Girlfriend did:)

Chapter 1

THE MEETING WITH THE BEAST !

I was looking around in a shop in town when I see this box with a software program and a console to make music. The look of the box was old and I believe they have this for long time in the shop shelfs.
Looking at the box images, I see this is a program to connect to the PC and you can make music with wav files.
Very plastic looking.
The price was fine (15 pounds)

I have many music systems at home + amplifiers, mix cd decks , monitors, sound cads etc...
As I am a DJ/ Music producer, I like everything related with music and I have a temptation for experimentalism and bizarre objects.
I found this a strange music object so I ask about and  they told me, this was a discontinued product.

I get back home and I did some search in the web but I didn't found nothing about this, a part from some people in forums looking for the original software program.
Without the software the (machine) don't work !!

So, next day I get back to the shop and pick one of this machines to see whats happen.
I get a box ,come home, and start to instal the machine in my *music computer.

The program software and machine are from 2001 and no more updates have been made.
The guy from the shop told me, inside of the box was an  XP driver for the program.
I open the box and there was the original program software PLUS a recorded cd with the XP driver.
This software uses a old ActiveX driver and this driver is not available in the web anymore.

I set up everything but first, I did have to pass some challenges:
The cable of the WAVDJ connecting the machine to the PC, is a old mousse socket together with a 6 pin socket for image, my PC is not that old and just have a usb mouse connection, so I have to go out and get an adapter.

After that, was all the sound connections and get the software install.
Work fine at first but have many problems.
The sound some times was coming grumbling, some times didn't get any sound and later didn't want to start the software, coming up with some stupid errors.
Between all this happenings, I did have about 1 week to play around and see what kind of stuff I can do with  this toy.

The Software program aloud me to change all the FX sound files as they are all in wav.
The drums have 72 different loop patterns and they can be all changed and reconstructed beat by beat.
The software aloud me to construct tracks or change the sounds and rhythms independently on each button.
He have connections in and out + mic.
The keyboard instruments can be all changed and is tooo many to count.
Have a scale with 8 octaves in the keyboard
Interesting things for a toy !!

After the problems start, I decide to put the machine back in a box and get the box on the side...
leave it !

Intro

 WAVDJ (The Machine)

Hello .
I start this blog to register a experience I am doing with WAVDJ -VM-108.
This machine (as I like to call it) is discontinued from the market and no much information is found in the web.

This wavdj is a (Oregon Scientific) product and was released in 2001 as a console to make music with WAV files + .sty and .osm files.


It is a really limited machine to work with but on other hand, can be very fun to change things around, alterating sounds and create something different.
You can read more about WAVDJ  here:
Jornal Article

http://amplifiers.annonz.co.uk/amplifiers/wav-dj--74896

 http://www.trademe.co.nz/nz/auction-177550236.htm

http://www.positive1.com/reviews/toys/osci/dj/index.html

If you like to download the manuals , you can make here:
http://safemanuals.com/user-guide-instructions-owner-manual/OREGON%20SCIENTIFIC/WAV%20DJ



Now... Why to get a thing like this to make music ?
I have 2 PCs at home and 1 is just to make music as I work with Ableton music software and I have been around other music programs too !
The problem I found (if is a problem) in this software music programs, is the many options they give, can be good but can be damaging too.
Some times, I get no felling to make a musical track and I start to work automatic, as I get no vibe making music just by putting all the sounds together and click a button to synchronize beats or spend hours searching for a sound or making a sound.
Its good, its professional but some times really take my vibe away !!
Its ok to do music with software, is like playing a game where you have to put the images in the right places but I much like to fell the music and play with the sounds :)
Yes, I can make the same in Ableton but again, all is synchronized.

I am doing this project for fun and I am not looking to make a professional life of this, so I am free to play around as I want and experiment without the conscience of be attach to some music style ...
we all have a shelf , is it ??
DADA DO ;)

Soo,,, here and there, some of  the reasons I set up this machine and why....

1- I can set up specific sounds and know where they are when I press a button,
2- Is lots of  fun = work,
3- I can make something really different,
4- I will not need to click a mousse,
5- I can have just the sounds I made or need in each of the buttons of the machine,
6- I don't need to look at 1000 of  sounds to find a sound to make a track,
7- I can improvise with all the sounds,
8- Any track is a new creation and never the same,
9- Its all in real time ... live,
10- No synchronizers, just my fingers,
11- All the sounds are made individual and put together,
12- I can fade sounds in and out as the machine have a mixer with 6 channels,
13- I can improvise sounds or melody's with the keyboard instruments wile I can make some fx with the FX wheel doing scratch and pitch bend,
14- I can regulate the BPMs in real time,
15- I can jam in a 6 pad drums,
16- PLUS.... I can add 992 sounds to the wav effect buttons panel, that Im using to store samples and sounds. on this wav effects part of the machine, I can have more than 1 hour of a sound or a sample in each button and will keep playing.

This will take me long time to set up but will be a 1 time job.
Main problem (for now) is that , I can not change the drum sounds... I can change the drum loops... but not the sounds of  the drums; to make this ,I will need .sty files or .osm files (still around with this ones... grrrr) If you know something about them, just let me know.

But what I really want to do ?
I want to make a Psychedelic ambient experimental music project with this machine, plus I want to use a Kaossilator to spice the music.
This machine and kaossilator are loop machines, this can create a hypnotic ambient music capable to go into the mind and really give you a psychedelic experience as I have been notice.
For that same reason ,I start this blog.

Am a bit late on this intro and chapters as I start some weeks ago working on this machine but I will update regularly and hope by the end, I can leave you some tracks for your experience.)

02/12/2009