When a HPF Causes Clipping (Filtering, Phase, & Constructive Interference)

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How can a low-pass filter increase amplitude even though filters remove frequencies?

In this video, I explain how *phase shifts* introduced by your filters can cause constructive interference, increasing amplitude and even leading to clipping. We’ll explore:
-Why filtering can boost amplitude
-How phase changes affect waveform shape
-Strategies for filtering in synthesis and mixing

Understanding this concept can up the game of sound designers, mixing engineers, and anyone working with EQ or synthesis.

More synthesis and MIDI fundamentals here:

Feedback Loops & Acid House (“Hum” live set)

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“Hum”: Acid house meets analog chaos, live feedback loops performance

This is my live performance set “Hum”, blending digitally controlled analog synthesizers, surrealist acid house grooves, and feedback textures. Recorded in my home studio, this video revisits the set I played live at Synth-tember / Mini-Blorp at New Alliance Gallery in Somerville, MA.

Featuring chaotic 303 basslines (from Herbs & Stones Liquid Foam), evolving feedback loops (from the Random*Source Serge Resonant EQ), and hybrid digital/analog sound design, this should satisfy fans of modular synth performance, experimental electronic music, and custom audio setups.

🎧 If you enjoy this, check out my previous live set from Bleep/Blorp 2024 on Bandcamp:

Sequencing an Alesis D4 Drum Module with Arturia DrumBrute Impact

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Sequencing a vintage Alesis D4 drum module with an Arturia DrumBrute Impact for classic 90s electronic percussion sounds.

Today, I’m connecting my Arturia DrumBrute Impact to a classic (?) Alesis D4 drum module through a MioXL interface. I explain the very straighforward setup, then check out the retro drum sounds of the D4 while sequencing from the contemporary DrumBrute Impact.

Why is this cool? These two pieces of hardware made decades apart still communicate perfectly thanks to the enduing MIDI standard. It’s a reminder of the expressive possibilities of “obsolete” technology and how vintage gear can still inspire new creative workflows.

Gear Used:

Alesis D4 Drum Module
Arturia DrumBrute Impact
iConnectivity MioXL MIDI Interface

Pd Envelope Follower Patch from Scratch

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In this no-talking, step-by-step video, I build an envelope follower patch from scratch using Pure Data Vanilla.

I route the amplitude of an incoming drum beat to control various parameters of a sawtooth oscillator ([phasor~]) in real time:

🔹 First, the amplitude of the sawtooth wave follows the drum signal.

🔹 Next, the oscillator frequency responds dynamically to the drum’s envelope.

🔹 Next, I patch the drum’s amplitude to modulate the cutoff frequency of a filter.

🔹 Finally, I make an old-school envelope filter by applying the envelope-following filter to its own input.

This is a hands-on demo for anyone interested in interactive audio, modulation techniques, or learning how to build dynamic control structures in Pd. All done in Pure Data Vanilla, from scratch, with no external libraries. Perfect for beginners exploring envelope followers or anyone wanting to see modular ideas implemented visually.

More Pd no-talking tutorials here:

Embrace the Random (Algorithmic Synthesis Nuances)

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Composing small elements of randomness into your synths to add nuance, movement and human feel.

In this video, I “embrace the random” and show some ideas for adding dimension to your synths by passing off some parameters to randomness, exploring how introducing small elements of randomness to a synth in Native Instruments Reaktor. These kinds of details help synths feel less rigid and more expressive, especially when looping or playing repetitive patterns.

  • 0:00 Introduction
  • 1:25 Simple Sawtooth Synth
  • 2:36 Random Filter Cutoff
  • 8:31 Random Panning
  • 13:06 So What?
  • 13:40 Arpeggios in Logic Pro X
  • 15:23 Closing Thoughts, Next Steps

More Reaktor tutorials available here:

Voltage Starving in Eurorack

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Voltage starving op-amps with Blood Cells Audio‘s “Mangle” module.

Following up on my voltage starving conversation with Spectral Evolver a few weeks back, today I’m exploring Blood Cells Audio’s “Mangle“, a Eurorack module that’s basically a voltage-starving VCA, where you can send CV to the op-amps (or insufficient CV to the op-amps to voltage starve them). Here, I try a few different program materials, and show some interesting results of modulating voltage starving over time.

You can check out Spectral Evolver’s voltage-starving Moog gear here:

Karplus-Strong Synthesis in Reaktor Primary

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Patching up a Karplus-Strong synth from scratch in Reatkor 6 Primary.


Karplus-Strong synthesis is a digital synthesis technique that simulates the sound of plucked strings by using a feedback loop to model the behavior of a vibrating string. Developed by Kevin Karplus and Alex Strong, this method generates resonant waveforms by feeding back a short noise signal through a filtered delay line with feedback.

In this video we build a simple K-S synth from scratch in Native Instruments Reaktor 6, exploring what happens based on the design decisions that we make. By the end of this video, you should understand both the theoretical concepts and practical implementation in Reaktor, giving you a unique tool for your music production arsenal.

Check out more intermediate Reaktor Tutorials here:

Karplus-Strong Synthesis in Pure Data Vanilla

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Patching up a Karplus-Strong synth from scratch in Pure Data Vanilla from scratch.

Karplus-Strong synthesis is a digital synthesis technique that simulates the sound of plucked strings by using a feedback loop to model the behavior of a vibrating string. Developed by Kevin Karplus and Alex Strong, this method generates resonant waveforms by feeding back a short noise signal through a filtered delay line with feedback. In this video, we build a simple K-S synth from scratch in Pd, exploring what happens when we mess with the various parameters.

  • 0:00 Defining Karplus-Strong synthesis
  • 1:25 Noise “burst” to excite the string
  • 3:23 Adding the delay
  • 4:57 Setting up the feedback
  • 7:13 Controlling the rate of the delay
  • 10:21 Understanding the range of pitches
  • 12:06 Adding the low-pass filter
  • 13:21 Talking through the patch
  • 14:05 Adjusting the envelope of the noise (bowed sounds?)
  • 16:02 Closing / Next steps / Randomization

More Pd Tutorials here:

Colors of Noise (White, Pink, Red, Brown, Blue, Purple, Green Noise Explained)

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I love noise. Here, I explain the different “colors” of noise (and why they have those chromatic names).

From our dear friends white noise and pink noise, to less familiar characters such as brown noise, and green noise, each type has a particular frequency spectrum and therefore different uses in synthesis and sound design.

  • 0:00 Introduction
  • 0:16 White Noise and Spectra
  • 1:03 Pink Noise
  • 1:45 Logarithmic Perception and Pitch
  • 2:53 Red/Brown Noise
  • 3:58 Blue/Azure Noise
  • 4:13 Violet/Purple Noise
  • 4:29 Grey Noise
  • 4:53 Green Noise
  • 5:20 Velvet Noise
  • 5:35 Hot Pink Noise in Kyma
  • 5:48 Black Noise

More fundamentals of synthesis and MIDI here: