This is my last Polyend Tracker jam for a little bit. As much as I love this thing, I need to switch over to some of my other boxes as the month goes on.
For this last video, I decided to experiment with a sample playback feature that I dread: granular. I don’t know what it is about granular stuff, but I never get the results out of it that I want. This isn’t just with the Tracker. Whether software or hardware, it always sounds buzzy or choppy, and not in a cool way.
I tapped out a drum loop in Reason Drum Kits and then recorded it into the Tracker. I then set up a slice that was around an 8th note long. After that I filled in hits on track 1 and randomized the sample position so that the grain moves all over the drum loop. The results are what opens the track. It was too messy to stand on its own, so I added the original drum loop over the top.
For the bass part, I recorded a loop in Arturia Pigments (through Reason) and used Beat Slice mode in the Tracker. Normally when I do slicing, I spend a lot of time adjusting the slices start exactly on each hit. This time, I only adjusted for zero crossings (please add this as an automatic feature Polyend!!). I then put each slice on an 8th note and a few effects at the end of the loop.
Finally, I added my favorite sample from my Microfreak’s modal engine. I need to stop using it so much (like my 8-string samples).
In the end, this came out only ok. Definitely more of an exercise in using some different techniques than an almost-song.
Song Imagery from Miss Bossy Cheeks
Feet running, wheels spinning, hearts thudding. There is a warehouse where papers are being shuffled, ballots are being counted as they whirl through the machine, and the people working inside are buzzing from station to station. Outside the warehouse, people who are milling around, waiting to see who will win. There is noticeable tension and fear in the air. A man pulls out his violin and begins to play. The camera zooms out and we see this is happening in every state–one brightly lit center where each vote is being counted.
