A study in patches suitable for live performance, using the CGS Super Psycho LFO, Fritz Teezer VCO, Synthesis Technology Morphing Terrarium VCO, two CGS Serge VCS, two Flight of Harmony Plague Bearers, two Mattson VCAs and two Mattson Envelope Generators.

It is based on a use of through-zero linear FM at near zero starting frequency.  Pitch is controlled by the FM source, here the Psycho LFO, used as as a complex VCO, patched to the Teezer Linear FM input.  The Teezer sine and triangle outputs each pass through a Plague Bearer and then a VCA.  The Morphing Terrarium XY out goes to one VCA Mod in, the Z out to the other VCA Mod in, making use of the ring modulation feature of the Mattson VCA.  The two VCS are used as LFOs with a falling ramp wave, each to modulate the High CV of a Plague Bearer.

The principle of performance is a kind of aleatory:  I manually trigger the envelope generators at will, letting the sound die away gradually to nothing.  Then I change something, such as the Psycho LFO settings, or the MT frequency.  I don’t preview it, I just trigger the envelopes again.  So I don’t know exactly what will come next.  The piece is structured to start and end with almost no FM input, which is quiet, the meat of the piece being a series of sounds, each varying slightly in clangor.

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