#28

Curious about this lil machine

Foto 2020-03-08 14 36 14
Foto 2020-03-08 14 36 141058×932 135 KB

https://araya.se/

6 Likes
#29

FYI I did programming and live sound engineering for Alvin for a while some years ago, and at that time (of course, decades after some of his classic, now canonical, works), he was opposed to the employment of a limiter within live feedback loops. This demanded mores significant involvement on my part, i.e., “playing” the feedback loops in real-time to keep everything under some control.

#30

check out Julia Eckhardt’s book on Radigue, Intermediary Spaces. Its mostly one long interview with Radigue and some other additional writing, and she goes into a bit more detail about working with larsen/feedback and tape loops than other talks/interviews I’ve seen. Not in an overly technical “here is how you do this” way but if you just want more info on her processes and development/personal history you can’t do better than that book

7 Likes
#31

Has anyone ever used guitar EQ pedals in feedback loops?

I was thinking about something like a FXDf (if only I could find one!), or an EMW Fixed Filter Bank or Bastl Propust, when it occurred to me maybe a pedal would do the job. I’ve been using software EQs, but I can see benefits in having analog EQ for feedback loops and/or overdriving…

#32

EQ is one of the things that can affect a feedback loop the absolute most. I do have a graphic EQ pedal but I have to admit I rarely use it compared to the EQ on my mixer. I can try to make a demo of it though.

I think the ideal, which is what I’m looking for right now, would be a rackmount graphic EQ as they can go for very cheap used. It depends on if you have the space for one though.

1 Like
#33

I could squeeze a 1U EQ into my rack box, but it’s a risk – the audio interface I have in there tends to run on the warm side and it kinda needs ventilation space.

I’m thinking about the Caline CP-24, which has 10 bands… I could patch it through the matrix mixer in my modular pretty conveniently. Of course the difference from some modular filterbanks/EQs is no individual outputs per band, which could get into some interesting territory.

#34

I do feedback loops using pedals/norns/fx through a mackie mixer and the channel strip EQ’s can really transform the sound (feedback can amplify even subtle EQ stages into a much more drastic effect). Some loops would be unusably bass heavy otherwise and boosting while sweeping through the mid frequencies can find resonant saturated tones that are quite beautiful and sound not unlike guitar feedback.

2 Likes
#35

I use an old electrix filter queen in my feedback loops, a low pass with an lfo creates wonderful oscillating textures. I don’t know of any pedals that offer the same feature set but there are a few pedals that do other interesting things, like the Klein Bottle.

As for EQ, I find parametric much more useful in a feedback context: I’m planning on grabbing an empress paraeq which seems perfect for it.

1 Like
#36

I picked up a FXDf for this exact purpose. I’ve been using it with a crossfader - fading between different bands - along with switches, mixers etc. I find that certain bands in the 12db slope can cause feedback get out of control, which is why the crossfader comes in handy; fading into another band will dampen the feedback oscillation.

2 Likes
#37

I use the MXR ‘six band eq’ pedal for feedback loops with my matrix mixer, and a MixPre as the limiter for ear protection.

1 Like
#38

I went ahead and ordered the EMW Fixed Filter Bank. Seems like a good combination of features and a relatively reasonable price.

1 Like
#39

Another feedback instrument:

8 Likes
#40

Looks like a fun, easy diy project.

2 Likes
#41

Bumping an oldish thread to share my latest eurorack experiment, sequenced feedback. I used one channel of the matrix mixer to create a feedback loop via a handful of distortion/fuzz/waveshapers, then a VCA, back into the matrix. Promising stuff, tho like a lot of feedback-centric setups it’s wildly variable depending on different settings at every stage of the chain, and easily drops off into silence or clicks if you are not careful with what knobs you twiddle

2 Likes
#42

I have one and love trying to figure out what to set it on. It has a tiny bit of learning curve in terms of keeping the squeal-y feedback under control and how to touch it to guide the vibrations along, but it’s intuitive enough, I think. I sort of wish I had bought two of them so they could play off of each other, but maybe at some point…

1 Like
#43

I don’t think the Lyra 8 FX will ever leave my rack now that I know it’s a feedback machine.

The following is a four-section subset of sounds from a 40-minuteish recording. There’s no input signal at all, it all starts with the Lyra 8 in full feedback which is then sent to a Twinpeak and then a Mimeophon, which is also feeding back at times. Modulation from a Benjolin and Sloths:

4 Likes
#44

How are you liking it? I’ve been wanting an FFB for ages, but have choice paralysis (and budget concerns when I look at something like a Fumana).

#45

I didn’t really get along with the EMW FFB at all, I’m afraid, and it didn’t take me long to sell it. I liked Make Noise FXDf better, but then I went for a Mutable Shelves instead.

I find Shelves more flexible, but I think I might just be too spoiled by software EQs. Since getting Blades recently, I have an abundance of filters (I have VCFQ and Angle Grinder too), so I might not keep Shades in the long run. I’m going to wait a few months to let things settle before changing anything else at all in my modular, though.

2 Likes
#46

I suppose I should investigate my software EQ more — I always think of it as a static set and forget type of thing. I can easily automate it and use it like an FFB, hadn’t really even considered that. I have thought a lot about the MN FXDf, but it appears to be sold out completely. I wish they’d offer up a DIY version.

1 Like
#47

Maybe take a look at Bastl Propust for a compact (and diy) ffb. It’s more basic than the make noise but might get you places (not sure how they implement the different slopes on the inputs of the fxdf). You could experiment with different cap values too if you’re wanna get your hands dirty.

There are some old moog schematics around of low and high pass ffbs (passive, so non-resonant) and they are surprisingly simple.

I just started exploring this with my serge reseq but it’s fun to set the upper and lower settings (which are different bands) and treat them like left/right outs for various feedback stuff (or mid/side wackiness though this is still a bit of a black box to me in practice). I imagine it might be fun to make two side by side passive ffbs with slightly different component values for a somewhat similar effect (though the resonance in the reseq seems to do a lot of the heavy lifting regarding that feedback magic)

Also if you’re handy with a soldering iron consider L-1’s quad resonant EQ. It’s not a cheap build (but MUCH cheaper to diy than buy the “factory” version) but also a pretty easy one (most components are presoldered if I remember). It’s also an hp hog- I kinda wish it was only dual.

Also wanna give a shout of to the humble music thing simple eq. I was having some fun the other night putting the tilt half in a runway feedback patch and using that to tame it, let it run wild, tame it again, and so on… :sweat_smile:

2 Likes