Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Recently on our Learning Sound & Synthesis coaching call we had a super inspiring conversation about developing compositional ideas and embracing "unsafe" (ie. unknown) patching/play as a way of pushing past our comfort zones and into new creative territory.
Do you always start from the same place / with the same module, sound, tool, gesture? Do you always come in and out of silence in the same way?
There's nothing wrong with your answer being "yes," if that's truly where your music wants to go...but yesterday's conversation reminded me of just how valuable it can be to intentionally flip these patterns & habits on their head, and to explore different directions even if (especially if?) you don't know what the outcome will be.
If you always find yourself building tension by adding layers, why not play with the opposite? How much tension can you create with just a single sound?
If you always find yourself reaching for the same module, jack, knob, etc. to start off a patch... why not challenge yourself to start somewhere entirely new and see where it leads you?
Another question I was reminded of from my dear friend @synthtodd -- have you tried *every* possible patch combination / connection? Which one(s) have you missed?
I'm spending my morning completely rearranging the modules in my case -- this has always been one of my favorite ways of shaking up workflows and habits...like visually scrambling my instrument to open up a whole new world of interactions and possibilities.
#modularsynth #synth #synthesizer #experimentalmusic #electronicmusic #buchla #eurorack #sounddesign
Recently on our Learning Sound & Synthesis coaching call we had a super inspiring conversation about developing compositional ideas and embracing "unsafe" (ie. unknown) patching/play as a way of pushing past our comfort zones and into new creative territory.
Do you always start from the same place / with the same module, sound, tool, gesture? Do you always come in and out of silence in the same way?
There's nothing wrong with your answer being "yes," if that's truly where your music wants to go...but yesterday's conversation reminded me of just how valuable it can be to intentionally flip these patterns & habits on their head, and to explore different directions even if (especially if?) you don't know what the outcome will be.
If you always find yourself building tension by adding layers, why not play with the opposite? How much tension can you create with just a single sound?
If you always find yourself reaching for the same module, jack, knob, etc. to start off a patch... why not challenge yourself to start somewhere entirely new and see where it leads you?
Another question I was reminded of from my dear friend @synthtodd -- have you tried *every* possible patch combination / connection? Which one(s) have you missed?
I'm spending my morning completely rearranging the modules in my case -- this has always been one of my favorite ways of shaking up workflows and habits...like visually scrambling my instrument to open up a whole new world of interactions and possibilities.
#modularsynth #synth #synthesizer #experimentalmusic #electronicmusic #buchla #eurorack #sounddesign
