Viktor's Modular Synth Diary

Live set prep with the travel rack.

Two excerpts from a practice session. 0-Ctrl sequencing XPO into Multigrain. Untitled 51, 2:00–4:00. Untitled 51, 7:00–end.

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Patch Notes

0-Ctrl ─▶ XPO ─▶ Multigrain ─▶ [out]

0-Ctrl driving XPO — pitch and pressure from the 0-Ctrl sequencing the oscillator. XPO output into Multigrain for granular processing.

Three takes from a practice session. Maths in bouncing ball mode driving XPO, filtered through QPAS, recorded live into Morphagene, Erbe-Verb for reverb. Ultra-Kick as kick. Untitled 44, 0:00–3:10. Untitled 43, 0:00–2:40. Untitled 45, 0:00–3:30.

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Patch Notes

Maths (bounce) ─▶ XPO MODULATE-L
               └─▶ XPO MODULATE-R

XPO (var sine) ─▶ QPAS RADIATE-L
               └─▶ QPAS RADIATE-R

XPO (saw) ─▶ QPAS IN ─▶ Morphagene (live rec) ─▶ Erbe-Verb ─▶ [out]

Maths Ch1 (unity out) ─▶ XPO FM
Maths Ch1 (unity out) ─▶ QPAS FREQ CV

Ultra-Kick ─▶ [kick drum]

Maths running in bouncing ball mode — driving XPO’s modulate inputs. XPO’s variable sine then feeds the QPAS radiate inputs, modulating the filter’s spatial spread. The saw wave is the main audio signal going into QPAS. Maths Ch1 unity out modulates both XPO FM and QPAS filter frequency. Out of QPAS into Morphagene for live recording, then Erbe-Verb for a touch of reverb. Ultra-Kick underneath as kick drum.

Two excerpts exploring DPO sine wave crossfading through ModDemix into QPAS and Mimeophon. Untitled 40, 0:00–1:05. Untitled 39, 1:40–2:40.

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Patch Notes

DPO VCO A (Sine) ─┐
                   ├─▶ ModDemix ─▶ QPAS ─▶ Mimeophon
DPO VCO B (Sine) ─┘

Both oscillators running sine waves from the DPO — VCO A and VCO B fed into ModDemix, which blends and combines them before the signal moves on. Out of ModDemix into QPAS for filtering, then into Mimeophon for space and texture.

V/oct on the DPO is driven by Bard Quartet Arps, giving the pitch sequence its melodic character.

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Patch Notes

Modules: Multimod, Polimaths, Tiny Rise and Fall, DPO, QPAS, QXG, XPO, Spectraphon, Morphagene, Bruxa, Ableton Live + Meld

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Clock & Modulation

Multimod runs as master clock in Red shape mode. It triggers Polimaths in Yellow (activate) mode. Tiny Rise and Fall handles envelope shaping with no rate and no oscillator engaged — acting as a pure slew/transient shaper on the modulation signals coming out of Polimaths.

Polimaths Routing (8 outputs)

Output	Destination
1	DPO — Fold input
2	QPAS — Volume + Freq 1
3–6	QXG — inputs
7–8	XPO — Left & Right Modulate

Audio Signal Flow

• DPO Square wave → QPAS (audio input)
• Spectraphon (all 4 outputs) → QXG (all 4 inputs)
• XPO Variable output → DXG (mix)
• QPAS Low Pass output → DXG
• QXG output → DXG

Drone Layer

The drone comes from Morphagene, loaded with a chord recorded in Ableton Live using Meld — voicing G2 / D3 / F3 with minimal LFO modulation applied before recording. From Morphagene the signal goes into Bruxa, with Multimod modulating Bruxa’s filter for subtle movement.

Listen before acting

In modular synthesis, it’s easy to develop the habit of constantly turning knobs.

A sound appears.

Adjust something.

Another modulation.

Another voice.

Another effect.

But after a while the patch never has a chance to become what it wants to become.

Onkyō musicians often do the opposite. They make an almost imperceptible change, then wait. Sometimes for thirty seconds. Sometimes for minutes.

The performance isn’t built from dramatic gestures. It’s built from listening.

Contact improvisation

In contact improvisation, beginners often think they need to keep creating movement.

I certainly did.

But many of the most useful things I’ve learned have been about doing less:

• Stay with the point of contact.
• Follow momentum instead of creating it.
• Don’t rush to the next idea.
• Trust your partner.
• Let the dance unfold before trying to steer it.

The dance already contains information.

If I’m constantly initiating, I’m no longer listening.

Don’t interrupt the system

The phrase that keeps coming back to me is:

Don’t interrupt the system.

A modular patch is already evolving.

Two bodies in contact are already evolving.

The room is already evolving.

The interesting question isn’t, “What should I do next?”

It’s:

“What is already happening?”

Instead of generating material, the job becomes noticing where the energy already wants to go.

Small gestures matter

A one-millimeter movement on an FM index can slowly transform the entire texture over the next minute.

A slight shift of weight in contact improvisation can redirect two people’s movement without either person consciously deciding to “lead.”

The action is small.

The consequence is large.

Space is part of the performance

One of the hardest things to trust is silence.

Or stillness.

In music, there’s a temptation to fill every moment with sound.

In dance, there’s a temptation to fill every pause with movement.

But those empty spaces aren’t empty.

They’re where attention grows.

They’re where the audience leans in.

They’re where your partner has room to respond.

Patch Notes

• Multimod provides the clock for Polimaths.

Untitled 28

Matthew’s feedback: play with panning, and think about how to transition it into the Bouncing Ball theme.

Transitioning

• Micro-improv (Japanese)
• Onkyō

Untitled 24

• Manual vs. sequenced trigger
• Right feel for the sample

Patch Notes

• We sequenced XPO via Rene 2

Patch Notes

• Bouncing ball patch on Maths
• Goes into Ultrakick
• Its duck goes into Bruxa to filter the audio of DPO
• Ultrakick also goes into Multimod

Analysis

• This reads as a layered percussion experiment rather than a single drum voice.
• Ultra-Kick suggests a dedicated kick path with envelope, pitch, and decay shaping.
• Ultra-Perc suggests a second percussion voice for accents, toms, or metallic/transient percussion.
• Pachinko likely adds probabilistic or generative triggering/modulation, which fits the overall rhythmic feel.
• The setup looks like it is trying to balance a stable kick backbone with a more variable percussive texture.