Live improvisation in Usine?

[Daney7g]

Could anyone give me a rough outline as to what tool's in hollyhock i could use now for live improvisation and also what i tools/instruments could i potentially make using the available modules. Please bare in mind im not a c++ coder.

Ty,

Dane.

[oli_lab]

I use Usine for free improvisation. in solo, collective and interactive
I use samplers a lot that record live input then transform what is recorded with grain sampler, slicer, manglers, very long delays.
usually my workflow goes from an idea to a patch, rarely the opposite. I read a lot about synthesys techniques and try to implement in HH. sometimes I play with someone else patch and rework it so it can fit my artistic dogma (no sync, no defined notes...).

also the analisys tools are pretty fun if you play an instrument and want Usine to respond to it

[Daney7g]

Thanks Oli being able to capture arrange/sequence and manipulate audio/midi on the fly is definitely essential. I'd need to be able to quantize also. It's still early day's in my exploration of this software but it seems to hold a ton promise as far as i can tell.

[drakh]

Hello, for me Usine/Hollyhock is the tooll which moved me from linear studio work in standard DAWs to "live mode".

Lullabies which i released ( http://exitab.exitmusic.org/album/lulla ... la-extb067 ) are live recorded. Firstly i prepared workspace for each track, then i exported racks and organized them in one big workspace - using grid to activate/deactivate racks for each track. basicaly. Lot of things are based on euclidean sequencer, and some simple principles of detuned oscilators, noise generators. "live" in this case for me means that i am controlling live parameters of these modules, and controlling the sound design of each track by volume faders, frequencies etc. If you want to look at that i have all workspaces online on github https://github.com/drakh/lullabies

Recently i prepared one workspace for live techno performance where i use lots of circleseq euclidean sequencer for drums and for basslines. basslines and harmonies are as well controlled by "harmony improvisator VST" all needed GUI elements are organised in this monstruous workspace in interface builder

and i need to map midi controlers to it.
and here is some test recirding from it https://soundcloud.com/ark-hd/techno-homework by controlling the whole thing by just mouse.

another live improvisation was a collaboration with Slavo Krekovic (he was using Max MSP) it was reinterpretation of Ladislav Kupkovic's composition Pismena (letters) ( https://www.mixcloud.com/festivalzvukov ... ts-z-dz-s/ ) my part was based on some oscillators running thru formant filters, some granulators (native Hollyhocks modules as well external VSTs) and some speech synthesis VSTs controlled from Hollyhock.

So shortly.
Basically i am using Hollyhock as my customised sequencer -- using different sequencers i made for it (CircleSeq, Neuron, ARGrid, FugueMachine) for feeding VSTis and sometimes using some simple principles for making the drones controlling it by lots of midi controllers.

[parityflux]

OK drakh, that is insane. Very very cool.

I dwell in a much more simplistic realm right now and love doing live improv with Usine.

So, Daney7g, to give you another perspective: I basically set up VSTi's and VST in racks and use an external control surface to control Usine (levels, reverb sends, VST looper and CC's for changing a select set of synth parameters. I use a few other modules here and there as well. I haven't done any recording/resampling with the Usine modules yet. I use EchoLoop VST for an audio looper. I play using a Korg M3 keyboard controller and also use the audio from it in one rack. This is a very linear, not terribly complicated, approach. Some of the wiring took some time.

I would not using anything but Usine for live work using a computer. It completely rocks. I did a solo show doing pure improv and no samples except for some pre-recorded nature sounds sprinkled in and my VSTi's. The recording is here: https://parityflux.bandcamp.com/album/outward-elements I recorded it live right in Usine as well, and then mastered it later.

There is bottomless depth to this thing and I've only gotten a finger wet. The environments you create become your palette to paint with live and the freedom is exhilarating.