July Book Update + Exclusive "Play like Jordan Rudess Machine" download

Hi!

I'll start this month's update with a rant I just added to the book: jargon may be a necessary evil of any domain of expertise, and sound design has its fair share of those, but the use of Sample and Hold  probably irks me the most. This, for three reasons: first, while its name is technically true, its actual uses have nothing to do with what most people regard as sampling; second, because “Sample and Hold” is most often used to describe a “random value LFO”, which is not what that component does; and third, due to the pervasive use S&H to describe a random LFO, Sample and Hold has been somewhat pigeon-holed and people may miss out on its potential as a fundamental synthesis and rhythmic tool.

Sorry, I had to get that out of the way, but to prove my point I felt like I had to come up with a cool and different way to use it...

So, the first thing that's new to this month's book is a new Sample and Hold tips and tricks chapter. What inspired this is the next generative video I'm working on, which will focus on MIDI effects chains (coming out hopefully out mid to late August). While it will be mostly MIDI, I won't neglect modular, and as part of the preparation for the video I set a goal to create a patch that would give me Jordan Rudess - like playing skills, which I clearly do not have - meaning, that I will fumble mostly aimlessly on a keyboard, and despite that somehow a machine will play the right notes exceptionally fast and in time, but using my "directional intent". 

Aside from that, the purpose of the patch was to show that Sample and Hold can be used for things other than just a random LFO...

This patch is in VCV Rack (0.6 I'm ashamed to say, upgrading soon!) with free modules only - so you should be able to run it. It's explained in the book (See pages 66-68), and I'll show and explain it in the video as well later next month. 

Aside from that, there's a lot more in this month's update.

• Added a new Filter Tricks chapter, consolidating filter tips from other places in the book and adding several new ones inspired by Matriarch (see pages 55-57)
• Added a “Three Paraphonic Tricks Poly Synths Can’t” section, again inspired by Matriarch but also applicable to others (page 73) 
• Added two new feedback tricks (VCF Audio Out to VCF CV in, and Creating Minor Subharmonics using Hard Sync and Linear FM (pages 59 and 60) 
• Added a bunch of other tips throughout the book: Use a Power Brick - added to ways to eliminate ground noise (page 34), two new general tips: Modulate a Tempo Sync’ed Delay’s Time and A Bi-Polar CV Controlled Attenuverter gives you Ring Mod (page 52); Using an LFO as Arpeggiator - Pro Tip” (page 63); Use CV to Push a Parameter beyond Its “Knob" - take it to 11 (page 80); New performance tip - Apply quick tempo multiplications/ subdivisions (page 107)
• Finally, a few chapters have been moved around for a more consistent flow of the book.

Many of these are inspired by my reviews of Crave, the Minilogue XD and Matriarch this month, but some didn't make it in to the videos, so even if you've watched them all hopefully there are a few goodies in there for you...

So - that's what's new for now!

Oh, and did I mention that it's your support that keeps me focused on trying to give you and viewers as much as value as possible?

Feel free to reach out personally with specific questions or requests for things you'd like me to explore or cover.

Thanks for being a part of this!

All my best,

Ziv (soon to be flailing around a keyboard expecting to sound prog rock on YouTube as "Loopop")