Hardware and Software Synthesis: Shaping Sound for Total Beginners

Instructor: Dan Derks & Helen Spencer-Wallace

Wednesday Mar 29, 2023, 10:00am -- 1:00pm .

Description: Learn the fundamentals of making and shaping sound through modular software and hardware synthesis, presented in collaboration with Synth Library Portland. Starting with hands-on experience using touchable, earthy hardware synths, we then orient to digital versions that allow virtually endless flexibility. We will use VCV Rack, a free and accessible software modular synthesizer playground, alongside often inaccessible hardware Eurorack synthesizers. Perfect for those curious about modular synthesis, digital music making, and sound design – this is designed for those with no experience in music or synths. We’ll cover the basics of these interfaces, dig into signal flow, and leave you with ideas of how to continue learning.

Required Materials: A laptop with the free version of VCV Rack 2 installed: vcvrack.com + headphones (we have a few you can borrow).

Prerequisites:

Bio: Dan Derks is part of the day-to-day operations at monome, assembling both instruments and documentation for ways to engage with them. Through their background in education and theater, Dan iterates code through improvisation and collaborative learning, with the goal of building playful and exploratory performance gestures. https://dndrks.com

Helen Spencer-Wallace is an artist, creative coder and educator, vocalist, and somatic teacher based in Portland, Oregon. She passionately supports total beginners and experienced musicians in cultivating an embodied and intellectual approach to synthesis. In her work Helen enjoys mixing digital with traditional, messing with inconsistent and multiple selves, explicit deception, and being a scary/beautiful digital choir. https://www.helenspencer-wallace.com/

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