Synthesist and producer Klayton (Celldweller) shared this live modular performance, Orbital Drift, under his FreqGen project.
“I haven’t done this in a while,” notes Klayton. “No softsynths. No presets. Just raw voltage, evolving sequences, and semi-controlled chaos, captured in real time.”
He also shared detailed modular patch notes for the performance:
“I’ve had Intellijel’s Metropolis for a long time and have used it on many songs. A family member bought me Metropolix as a gift and it was time for me to wrap my head around all the upgrades and new features, so that was the impetus for this track and the foundation it was built on.
Intellijel Metropolix to Livewire AFG. Modulating pulse width and harmonic animation with Ornament & Crime. That’s run through one of my fav filters of all time, the Cwejman MMF-2 modulated by the Tip Top Z4000 EG for a bit of snap but mostly as seen in the vid, manual modulation of the cutoff. Hands are handy.
Drums are sequenced by the Erica Synths Drum Sequencer with kick, hats and percussion all in random mode. The Drum Sequencer is controlling the VPME QD & QEX which I loaded up with my own selection of drum samples.
I used Make Noise Pressure Points/Brains for the main played lead, controlling pitch of the XAOC Devices Odessa. Gates fired from PP/Brains trigger another Z4000 EG which mults through a Synthrotek mult to a Pittsburgh Modular VCA and the Roland 521 VCF (The thing I keep looking up at, hoping it would wave or say hi. It never did, but it did an amazing job at filtering the Odessa.)
The little arp I added at the last minute. It lives on another rack which contains all my 5U stuff. Sadly it’s not in the video bc I didn’t know I was going to utilize it when I set up the cameras. Next time. The arp uses all Synthesizers.Com modules, sequenced by the Q119 and filtered by the Q150 Transistor Ladder filter.
Delays and reverbs from multiple Tip Top Z-DSPs. Some EQ & compression and maybe a delay in Cubase which mainly acted as my tape machine to record the performance. As I normally do when I patch, it’s all synced to Cubase clock using Expert Sleepers modules & Silent Way software.”
Orbital Drift is available as a single via the FreqGen Bandcamp page.
How does one remember which module to use when you have this many to choose from?
Good sounding performance.
I think he has heard Nine Inch Nails.
He has his own label and publishes music under several band names (e.g., Celldweller, Circle of Dust, Scandroid, and more). His artist name is Klayton, and he’s been publishing music since the early 90s. I’m sure he’s heard NIN 🙂
This is epic.
Yeah – you could do all of this in software, but the idea of completing complete tracks in real time with hardware, and all that hands-on control, looks awesome, and is something I’ve been impressed by since seeing Youtube videos of Vangelis working back in the day.
With all these modules I was expecting way more music and sounds … Except drums (average beat) and bass line, there is not much happening .. 🙁
Not a good advertisement for Metropolis too. Modular looks cool BUT one need to know what to do with it…and knowing a bit of music / how to play, helps a lot.
More is less?
too much compression, but nice filter sweeps (don’t know which is)
No doubt about the talent, but when talent hides behind a haircut, I do wonder….
If I had realized how fast it would disappear, I would have done a lot more fun stuff with my hair when younger. Don’t hate.
Indeed!
I bet you’re fun at parties
The problem with these set up is that at the end is it always repeating the same set of pitches , you end up in an auto hypnosis which put you in a nutshell where you can’t escape , and the only thing you end up doing is variate the timbre of the sounds on the same rhythm and pitches . Fifty years ago people like Klaus Schulze or band like Tangerine dream had no choices because the sequencers back then had only 3 rows of 8 steps and with these limitations they did a damn good job . But today ? It is like an elephant who give birth to a little mouse . I think you can do better with an Akai MPC it is less impressive but much more effective . Patrick Mimran
Totally agree and what if you change the patch cables to different locations for your new track…? How do you recall the previous settings and wiring if you want playback older tracks. Do you take photos or draw diagrams and go through hours of re-patching all over again… LoL
What a waste of creative time…