unreliable boat ancor
By wangus on April 5, 2026 11:47 pm
all m8 synthesis, no sampling.
it started with 24edo noodling on my hexboard controller (janko layout). (24 steps per octave, like an extra note between each normal semitone). a melody that suggests an interesting scale. i didn't actually think about specific scales, just chose steps that sounded good, and "fit" against some constant bass note. so that's where the bass """tonic""" comes from. not the most obvious """tonic""" given the melody so it adds to the interesting tonality.
i was vaguely thinking about PEdestrian Tactics vibe. didn't really get there, but it drove how i was thinking about sound design.
i spent a ton of time crafting wonky lead synths. the last one i settled on is an A>B+C+D FM patch that by default only sounds the A>B part, but TICFF table action "flicks" left/right with the C/D operators for some stereo weirdness. the other doubling lead, i forget exactly, just some general glitchyness.
the bass came together a bit faster. an FM patch with big ol overtones. but it didn't impact enough for a groove. so every bar hits with a wavsynth bass patch. it's a fairly low SIZE, and WARP modulation with a touch of MUL, that makes a scratchy snarl. then loads of phrase commands for variations everywhere.
the chords were similarly noodled on the hexboard. again, fairly impromptu, just seeing what sounded interesting. 24EDO is weird. the only real intent behind it was the Eb shared tone through most of the chords, and some parallel/contrary motion in some voices. it doesn't scream 24EDO which is nice (even though it is). unfortunately it doesn't fit the bass """tonic""" so the transitions are iffy lol.
then the drums. quite happy with them. i forget anything about how i approached the snare. the kick, i started with 2 operators that aren't nice ratios, with the modulator level controlled with an envelope. dialing this in just right makes a "whump" kind of hit. then the other two operators involve a noise "waveform" to get a more acoustic sound.
the "hats" had the interesting property of transforming sound when I pushed transpose too far, and the synth engine wraps/aliases frequency. some free variety in percussion.
Audio works licensed by author under:
CC Attribution Noncommercial No Derivative Works (BY-NC-ND)
this was grimy, nasty, heavy, and FAT - wild this was made entirely on M8, nice work!