Zero Input Mixer workshop and orchestra at EM 2014

Acoustic Interloper

Calendar Event: September 5, 2014 - September 7, 2014

On the electro-music 2014 festival schedule there appears a two-hour Zero Input Mixer Workshop on Saturday led by Bill Manganaro (a.k.a. State Machine) with assistance by yours truly, Dale Parson (a.k.a. Acoustic Interloper). One outcome of the workshop will be the ZIM Orchestra performance on Sunday morning. I will compose a four-movement piece for the orchestra and conduct, and Bill will serve as first violin/soloist, leading us out of and into each of the movements via brief solo performances. The piece is a framework for group improvisation.

The workshop and performance follow two years of successful ZIM collaborations at electro-music. There has been enough interest in ZIM that we felt that a workshop might be popular. This thread is for planning the workshop and performance. This post is to inform potential participants of what you need to bring. I will write about the orchestral piece in a separate post in this thread.

WHAT TO BRING TO THE WORKSHOP

1. A portable mixer.
2. Headphones. This will be a lab-based workshop. There is no limit on number of participants. There will be a lot of uncorrelated sounds during experimental stages. You will want to hear what you are doing. Also, we'll need to control the chaos Smile

3. A way to limit / compress your signal so you do not get runaway feedback that damages your hearing or, later, the sound system in the room. ZIM works by feeding at least one mono or stereo channel from mixer output(s) to mixer input(s). Some mixers include per-channel limiters or compressors. Those that don't often go immediately from zero signal to maximum, saturated signal, with no fine control. I just got a new, very portable mixer that is exactly like that, so I have to put signal limiting in the feedback path itself. Also, if you are new to this, start off by putting your headphones on the table rather than on your head, and then bringing up the main mixer volume. Make sure that it is not going to blow out your eardrums before you put on the headphones. If you are using speakers, keep the volume very low until you test out the feedback control.
4. FX to put into the feedback path. Some mixers have built-in effects. The mixer's EQ provides the basic control for feedback pitch. Electric guitar stomp boxes, DIY circuits, delays and sustains, basically any kind of effect can go into the feedback path. My old mixer had good built-in FX, but I dropped a table on it, so this year I am putting laptop software-based FX in the feedback path. One of my two 15-minute contributions to the workshop will be on using software FX in the feedback path. A single performer can have all hardware, all software, or a combination of both types of FX.
5. One or two 1/4 inch cables so you can plug into the sound system when we begin working as an ensemble. If we have a lot of participants, we may have to go to a single mono feed from each performer on Sunday.

Before starting ZIM work for the first time, please read Muied Lumens' excellent article on 'Feedback (No-input Mixing)' in the EM Wiki, along with this thread from the Forum.

The format of the workshop will be instruction by Bill interwoven with lab work by all, some individual via headphones, and some collaborative via the PA system in the seminar room. During the last half hour I will go over using laptop software in the feedback path for 15 minutes, and then will go over the composition and plan for Sunday morning's orchestra.

There is no limit on number of participants. As with any large group improvisation, listening is essential. More on the composition below.

I wrote this from memory and may have missed things. Bill, feel free to amend and add. Anyone attending electro-music 2014 can sign up for the workshop and orchestra via this thread. Past, experienced ZIM performers can skip the basic workshop, but should plan to attend the last 30 minutes in order to get the plan on Sunday's performance.

Questions are welcome, of course.

Dale

EDIT: Please use this thread to sign up for the workshop and the performance.

shivasongster · Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2014 9:54 am Post subject: Count me in

Hi Bill and folks, count me in!

modulator_esp · Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2014 6:21 pm Post subject:

I'm interested Smile

Just depends on what i can get out of the very limited equipment I will be able to bring

Acoustic Interloper · Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2014 8:31 am Post subject:

Acoustic Interloper · Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2014 9:25 am Post subject: Subject description: the score

The outline for The SCORE is here at the illustration labeled

modulator_esp · Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2014 5:20 pm Post subject:

State Machine · Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2014 5:24 pm Post subject:

Thank you Dale for putting this wonderful program together. All these movements are exciting, should contrast each other well, and are most appropriate for this mode of live - improvisational - electronic music performance . I shall do my best in the role of lead/soloist and thank you very much for this opportunity.

While using feedback techniques to generate sound compositions has its level of uncertainty and unpredictability, it can be a quite achievable goal to extract out some predictive sound structure and harmonic qualities with a bit of practice. The key is to use the, and I hate to use the word, "correct" processing element in the feedback loop. Thus, to avoid pigeon holing anyone, the general theme of using any technique shall then be "what ever works use it" from here on. Thus, the more proper thing to say is that the techniques that I use are what works in my compositions and can be used globally as guidelines. Saturday mornings workshop shall focus on ZIM techniques (and pitfalls) in a general format, then focus in on more specific ones that would work the best for each of the four movements in this years ZIM Orchestra collaboration.

As for effects in the feedback loop, here is one of my personal favorite hardware units :

http://www.korg.com/us/products/dj/kaoss_pad_quad/

Kaoss Pad QUAD will give you an abundant amount of control all with selection of different effects in the chain and the movements of your fingers across the X-Y pad to change the FX parameters.

Other units that work well for feedback are the Korg Kaoss pad series of touch control effects units from KP1 to KP3. While I am at it, the Kaosscilator is a fantastic piece of gear as well.

Dale will cover some of the uses of computer/software based techniques as the sources of feedback.

In my next post, I shall present the outline of the ZIM workshop. For now, the format will a bit of theory/lecture, then lots of setup and hands during the first 1.5 hours, afterall, it is a workshop and not a college lecture. Most important of all: we should have lots of fun Very Happy

I do believe we are all on the edge of a new popular movement in electronic music composition and Dale and I are happy to share the ride with all you fine and talented people !!!

Bill

modulator_esp · Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2014 5:51 pm Post subject:

I have a Kaoss Pad Quad, not sure if I'll be able to bring it, but it is cool Cool

State Machine · Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2014 6:34 pm Post subject:

State Machine · Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2014 7:11 pm Post subject:

Here is a nearly half hour example of what I been getting out of my rig of which I shall write about in later postings. The opening passage is mostly rhythmic. I used mainly a Klee sequencer to modulate the feedback audio output then mix it back in. A Klee GATE output drives a Doepfer Linear VCA. The VCA IN is the feedback audio from the mixer, the VCA OUT is the modulated feedback routed back into the mixer. The Klee sequencer clock source is a Doepfer envelope generator operating as an LFO.

After all the feedback processing, I added a pitch shifter to the MAIN MIX and then route this through a Behringer Delay processor.

A diagram would suite this best but have none at this time.

Bill

zim_with_klee_trigriot.mp3

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zim_with_klee_trigriot.mp3

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shivasongster

Here's a little experiment from today...

Zero Input Mixer Rehearsal ZIM070814A - SoundCloud
https://soundcloud.com/shivasongster/zero-input-mixer-rehearsal-zim070814a

modulator_esp · Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2014 3:59 pm Post subject:

Finally managed to have a play with my M-10MX, mini kp & pandora mini, got some good sounds just using mixer to generate feedback and running that through the fx, next need to try with them in the feedback loop

Acoustic Interloper · Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2014 6:22 pm Post subject:

Kantoendrato · Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2014 8:34 am Post subject:

I'm really interested in the workshop and just have a few questions:

For limiting, will an outboard stompbox of the compressor/sustainer variety work, or does it need to be something more specific?

In terms of effects, I'd like to use a Nord Micro Modular and a few outboards, but I'm curious if there are things that are kosher/unkosher in ZIM work.

Does a ring modulator sully the zero-input philosophy by introducing an oscillator, even if it's not directly heard?

If you're catching loops of the feedback signal and then pitching them up or down to feed back into the mixer, is that within the concept as well?

State Machine · Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2014 6:01 am Post subject:

State Machine · Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2014 6:05 am Post subject:

Acoustic Interloper

Attached is an updated copy of Bill's PDF of the score with a few text tweaks and, primarily, an embellished copy of the illustration from here. I think the illustration on the second page of this doc will be useful during the performance, will bring copies.

FPCC_ZIM_2014.pdf

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Fixed Periodic Chaotic Complex (FPCC ZIM 2014, score for Sunday)

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State Machine · Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2014 1:21 pm Post subject:

Looks great ! Thanks Dale. Printed mine. Cool

State Machine · Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2014 12:47 pm Post subject:

I think you guys will enjoy this NO INPUT BEATS demo on Youtube !!
Awesome !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxM98JI44OQ

Bill

Acoustic Interloper · Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2014 3:29 pm Post subject:

Bill Manganaro (State Machine) won't be coming to electro-music 2014, so I will lead Saturday's ZIM workshop as well as Sunday's ZIM Orchestra performance.

A couple of people have signed up. We will need more for an orchestra! If you have a portable mixer, you have what it takes. If you have FX that you can put into the feedback paths, you really have what it takes. You need to be able to limit / compress the signal coming out of your mixer. Having a limiter / mixer per signal path is a good idea, but not essential.

Please read the first post at the top of this thread, also my most recent post in this thread regarding the Sunday composition, and see my attached outline of Saturday's workshop.

On the down side, this is short notice, so I will wing it.

On the up side, I teach college, am used to improvising in class, and seem to like working on the edge of chaos.

Bring a cable or two, the usual 1/4" connector, so we can mix us all during our practice. Bringing headphones is a good idea, too, so you can woodshed your sounds. I never put my ZIM headphones on until I am sure the levels are safe.

Please post here if you plan to participate. Please participate!

Dale

NOTES for the tutorial (also attached):

1. Putting a compressor or limiter before your ears and the PA.

2. Try to put a compressor or limiter in each feedback path.

3. DEMO two isolated channels, using EQs / filters to tune the feedback paths.

4. Bleed the two channel drones slightly until you can get a beat signal.

5. Long terms beats -> LFO without adding a LFO.

6. Clean oscillation, saturation, regenerative & degenerative feedback.

7. Compressors add non-linearity. Find non-linear control regions on pots.

8. The minimalist mystique of being a purist. Pure analog filtered Xstr noise.

9. The pragmatic approach of using whatever works in the feedback paths (me).
9a. I am absolutely not averse to digital FX, software, whatever, but …
9b. I usually save anything with additional oscillator(s) or non-mixer
feedback path(s) until later in the piece.
9c. The conceptual point is regenerative and degenerative feedback
processing of quantum tunneling. OK, but . . .
9d. The composition & performance are the thing.

ADDITIONAL TOPICS:

Delays in feedback paths.

Chorus, flanger, phaser, grain FX, ring modulators, all the usual culprits.

Mixing them up as modular building blocks.

How does all this relate to Sunday's ZIM Orchestra performance?

ZIMtut2014.txt

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Outline of Saturday's ZIM Workshop

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ZIMtut2014.txt

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Winstontaneous · Joined: Oct 31, 2008 Posts: 43 Location: Berkeley, CA

Thanks for the thread, this is a great idea! Have fun at the electro-music fest next week.

Acoustic Interloper · Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2014 8:22 pm Post subject:

Here is the recording of the electro-music Zero Input Mixer Orchestra from Sunday, September 7, 2014, at 11 AM EDT. We had a workshop the previous day for 2 hours, with all ensemble members and some additional festival goers attending. The score appears above in this thread.

The festival was not streaming at the time we played this, so it is making its premiere on the net right here!

THE ENSEMBLE
Jez Creek
Jeremy DePrisco
Bill Fox
Adam Holquist
Joe Wall
Dale Parson (organizing, composing, conducting and performing)

VISUALS by Steve Mokris of Project Ruori

SOUND ENGINEERING and PHOTOS (to be linked below) by Howard Mangrum

RECORDING and PORTER by Robert Dorschel

Thanks to everyone who participated and attended. It was a blast Exclamation

EM2014ZIM.mp3

Description:

ZIM Orchestra Performance at Electro-Music 2014

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EM2014ZIM.mp3

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Acoustic Interloper · Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2014 8:40 pm Post subject: Subject description: photos

Photos of the ensemble are here.

Blue Hell · Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2014 6:27 am Post subject:

Acoustic Interloper · Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2014 11:47 am Post subject: