Category Archives: Good Music

ValhallaRoom Updated to 1.0.8. Resizable GUI, new reverb modes

We’ve been working hard here at Valhalla DSP towers [i.e. I've been working hard typing in code on my laptop while sitting at the dining room table]. One of the fruits of this labor:

ValhallaRoom has been updated to version 1.0.8. The newest features:

  • Resizable GUI. When ValhallaRoom was first released, I received several complaints that the GUI was too big. Version 1.0.8 has been updated. Now the GUI can get much, much bigger. It can also get smaller, if that is your thing.
  • Two new reverb modes, Nostromo and Narcissus. The new reverb modes both have a sparser initial echo density than most of the ValhallaRoom modes, and take longer to build in echo density. This, combined with the high frequency attenuation, random modulation, and deliberately noisy delay interpolation, can be used to create grainy emulations of vintage reverbs, as well as denser decays that have a wide spatial image.
    • Nostromo is the biggest sounding reverb in ValhallaRoom, with audible echos at the largest size settings that slowly evolve into a rich decay.
    • Narcissus is Nostromo’s little sibling, with an initial denser decay. Narcissus is also the “lightest” reverb mode in ValhallaRoom, with a very low CPU hit.

Simon Stockhausen has some beautiful demos using the new ValhallaRoom reverb modes on his Soundcloud page. The first example uses Stockhausen’s amazing soprano sax playing, processed by Nostromo:

The next example uses Symplant through Narcissus:

The final example utilizes a ring modulated sound from Alchemy, and runs it through Narcissus:

Update links have been sent out to all VRoom customers, and demos of the GUI resizing and new modes can be found on the webpage.

ValhallaRoom: Dark Chamber / Dark Space Sound examples

A couple of great sounding examples of the new reverb modes in ValhallaRoom, Dark Chamber and Dark Space, have been posted on SoundCloud. The first is from Elan Hickler, and goes from a distorted explosion noise storm to beautiful cinematic ambient, all processed with the new Dark Space mode in ValhallaRoom:

Next up, Simon Stockhausen has posted an example of his beautiful soprano sax playing (from one of his Kontakt sample libraries) through the Dark Space mode:

Finally, Simon Stockhausen processes an electronic drum beat (twisted by Turnado) through the Dark Chamber mode:

Note that Stockhausen is automating the reverb DECAY control, which creates a cool sounding “fade-in” of reverb energy when it goes from long decays to short ones.

Simon and Elan, thanks for the great examples!

Death Cab for Cutie on VH1 tomorrow night. Special Appearance by ValhallaRoom.

Don Gunn just sent me a link to one of his latest projects – mixing a live performance by Death Cab for Cutie that will be shown on VH1′s Storytellers this Friday at 9pm. A few links (which I can’t embed here for some reason, so just click ‘em):

Storytellers Sneak Peak: Death Cab for Cutie

“Title and Registration”

Three instances of ValhallaRoom were used for mixing the live musical performances – two vocal reverbs (one long, one short) and a drum room reverb. Don was kind enough to share the .vpreset settings that he used:

<ValhallaRoom pluginVersion="1.0.4" presetName="DCfC-short vocal" mix="1" predelay="0.190799996" decay="0.00650650635" HighCut="0.368456364" earlyLateMix="0.483999997" lateSize="0.109999999" lateCross="0.289999992" lateModRate="0.0545454547" lateModDepth="0.200000003" RTBassMultiply="0.333333343" RTXover="0.0909090936" RTHighMultiply="0.444444478" RTHighXover="0.530201316" earlySize="0.0238238238" earlyCross="0.699999988" earlyModRate="0.0383838378" earlyModDepth="0.0599999987" earlySend="0.109999999" diffusion="0.75999999" type="0.25"/>
<ValhallaRoom pluginVersion="1.0.4" presetName="DCfC-long vocal" mix="0.976999998" predelay="0.0494000018" decay="0.0200200193" HighCut="0.382550329" earlyLateMix="0.893000007" lateSize="0.899999976" lateCross="0.360000014" lateModRate="0.12525253" lateModDepth="0.300000012" RTBassMultiply="0.333333343" RTXover="0.062626265" RTHighMultiply="0" RTHighXover="0.597315431" earlySize="0.0222222228" earlyCross="0" earlyModRate="0.169696972" earlyModDepth="0" earlySend="1" diffusion="1" type="0.333333343"/>
<ValhallaRoom pluginVersion="1.0.4" presetName="DCfC-drum room" mix="1" predelay="0.0199999996" decay="0.0145145142" HighCut="0.442281872" earlyLateMix="0.653999984" lateSize="0.839999974" lateCross="1" lateModRate="0.0343434326" lateModDepth="0.439999998" RTBassMultiply="0.333333343" RTXover="0.0909090936" RTHighMultiply="0.444444478" RTHighXover="0.530201316" earlySize="0.192192197" earlyCross="0.100000001" earlyModRate="0.0909090936" earlyModDepth="0.0500000007" earlySend="0" diffusion="1" type="0.25"/>

It is nice to hear ValhallaRoom used in a live sound context, processing “real” instruments. Thanks, Don!

ValhallaShimmer used in cool PSA

Brian Trifon, one of the users of ValhallaShimmer, sent me a link to a PSA that uses Shimmer as part of the soundtrack:

The PSA is for the Mauli Ola Foundation, which exists to introduce surfing as a natural treatment to people with genetics disorders. The soundtrack was composed by Brian for Everstudio. Brian has his own blog that features electronic music production tips, so go check it out!

Minimalist Friday

I’m in hardcore coding and GUI mode right now, working on finishing up my next plugin. So I haven’t had time to write my usual riveting blog posts about how the Central Limit Theorem relates to backward reverbs and the like. Dry your tears, my disappointed readers.

In lieu of any DSP science, here’s a few minimalist music videos. The first is “Clapping Music” by Steve Reich, generated entirely from footage of Angie Dickinson slapping the hell out of Lee Marvin (thanks to Todd Elliott for the tip):

Next up is the German band Trio, who were famous for “Da Da Da,” and, uh, that’s about it. From the looks of this video, they were obviously thinking really hard about how to be as dumb as possible. Which is truly one of my favorite things that any artist can do (see: Iggy Pop/Stooges, Ramones).

Not nearly as minimal, but still awesome, is the Jesus Lizard covering Trio’s “Sunday You Need Love”:

David Yow kinda mangles the lyrics to the song, but at least he finishes it without passing out. When I saw The Jesus Lizard perform the song around the same timeframe, Yow was so drunk that about halfway through the song he just dropped the mike to his side and stared off into space. Brilliant.

 

Devo on Fridays

When I was a kid, there was an ABC show called “Fridays.” It was like Saturday Night Live, except not very funny.

Anyway, apparently they had some pretty amazing musical performances on the show. At least by Devo.

Check out the satin jacket of the host. Who is this guy? Was he a cast member, guest host, ?

Here’s another performance. Different day, same satin jacket on the host. Even with the powerdome, he looks about as cool in this ensemble as, well, I would.

All Hail Harmonia!!!

I’m deep inside the plugin mines right now, working on the next Valhalla DSP release. So here’s a quick tribute to one of the bands that got me interested in this whole electronic music thing in the first place: Harmonia.

Harmonia was a “supergroup” of sorts, consisting of Michael Rother (1/2 of NEU!), and Hans-Joachim Rödelius and Dieter Moebius (2/2 of Cluster). In 1973, Rother, Roedelius and Moebius moved to the rural village of Forst, West Germany, where they built the coolest studio I have ever seen in some ancient farmhouse or barn or something. Seriously, every picture I have ever seen of this place makes me want to move out to the country and buy up some old test equipment:

Here’s another shot of Micheal Rother’s setup:

Harmonia’s first album, titled Musik von Harmonia, was released in 1974, and is simply essential. The tracks consisted of the same tentative, snaky interlocking parts that characterized Cluster’s music of the time, with Rother contributing beautiful sustained fuzz tones:

In 1975, Harmonia released Deluxe. This album drew more heavily upon the “motorik”* beat that characterized NEU!, and the melodies were a bit more “soaring.” This album gets heavy rotation while I am coding new algorithms:

Harmonia went on hiatus after Deluxe, but had a brief reunion in Forst in September 1976, where they were joined by Brian Eno. The resulting tracks were released in 1997, on Tracks and Traces. Again, the photos from the studio are incredible:

The music is very close to the first collaboration between Cluster and Eno. Good stuff:

Anyway, go get these recordings. There is a live album from 2007 that is pretty great as well, but the first two studio recordings are essential.

* The rock critic term for the highly repetitive “buh-buh-BUH-buh-buh-buh-BUH-buh” beat that was used by NEU! in their faster songs, as well as by Kraftwerk and other Krautrock-influenced bands. Personally, I think it should be called a “Moe Tucker” beat, as she made heavy use of it during her tenure in the Velvet Underground.

Ambient reverb, no electronics required: The Dan Harpole Cistern at Fort Worden

During the past few decades, a number of musicians have taken advantage of the unusual acoustics to be found at a WWII-era water cistern at Fort Worden State Park in Pt. Townsend, Washington. This cistern, now dubbed the Dan Harpole Cistern, once held 2 million gallons of water, but is now empty, and is distinguished by a 45 second reverberation decay.

Artists such as Stuart Dempster and Pauline Oliveros have recorded within the space, creating music that sounds like electronic ambient music, but is entirely generated from acoustic instruments such as trombones, accordions, and conch shell trumpets. The two artists have collaborated in the Deep Listening Band, which specializes in music performed in naturally reverberant spaces.

A few videos of music performed within the space:

The distorted sound quality of these videos doesn’t do justice to the sonics heard on the recordings of Stuart Dempster and the Deep Listening Band, so I highly recommend seeking those out.

Performing music in such a space requires the performer to tailor their music to the unique reverberant qualities. Fast notes turn into a blur, while held notes will sustain seemingly forever – not long enough to really be forever, but long enough to suggest eternity while allowing the music to transform over time.

Eno/Lanois Shimmer effect: Early examples

The collaboration of U2 with Brian Eno and David Lanois was the first introduction to a wide listening audience of the reverb with swelling octave overtones that has come to be referred to as “shimmer.” However, the effect was in use by Eno and Lanois for some time before it was featured on the 1984 album, “The Unforgettable Fire.”

My favorite example of the sound comes from the 1983 album, “Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks” by Brian Eno, his brother Roger, and Daniel Lanois. It makes up the huge background pad in the song “Deep Blue Day:”

Similar octave-shifted reverb sounds can be heard all over the album. Not all of the songs use the feedback configuration of the reverb feeding into a pitch shifter and back into the reverb. In “An Ending (Ascent),” the main melody instrument has a delayed pitch shifted signal an octave above and below, but no feedback:

A more “shimmery” sound (i.e. more feedback) can be heard in the “Prophecy Theme” from the Dune soundtrack:

In the next post, we will examine the signal chain used to get these sounds.