Music For Synthesizers + MIDI-Controlled Music Box


Synthesist and instrument designer Christophe Duquesne shared this video, capturing a composition for synthesizers & electronic music box.

The arrangement features:

  • The Muro Box-N40 Standard, a MIDI-controllable music box;
  • The Continuum synthesizer and Eagan Matrix module from Haken Audio; and
  • An Expressive E Osmose synthesizer.

Duquesne is part of the team behind the development of the Haken Continuum and Eagan Matrix synth engine; the developer of several software synthesizers and effects; and the founder of La Voix du Luthier, a company that makes resonators for electronic music, in the tradition of the diffuseurs of French instrument designer Maurice Martenot. He also contributed to the unique sound of the Hans Zimmer soundtrack for Dune: Part II.

What Duquesne shared about the technical details of this piece:

“The Muro Box-N40 s controlled via MIDI by a Korg SV1. The N40 is an enhanced version of the N20, the main additional feature being a chromatic scale and internal piezo microphone, both being huge improvements!

The voice is built from and analysis of the voice of Khatija Rahman and resynthesised by the Continuum. The pitch and shimmer effect on the Murobox are done by an Eagan Matrix Module. Both are done thanks to the new 10.40 features of the Eagan Matrix.

The murobox is recorded with 3 internal piezo and an IQ7 microphone. The piezo are connected to a small preamp (TubeMP from ART, but multiple others will work).

The output of the preamp goes to a Eurorack (in an Eagan Matrix Module). I then a processing chain with a notch filter cuting a frequency band aroud 280/300 Hz, and a noisegate in order to lower the motor noise. The Eagan Matrix module then adds shimmers and pitch effects.”

Expressive E Osmose 2.0 Update Now Available


Today, Expressive E shared this overview of Osmose 2.0, the first major firmware update for the unique expressive synthesizer.


Osmose 2.0 is a free update that introduces 7 new features:

  1. Save your favorite presets
  2. Make playlists for your projects
  3. Switch presets & playlists easily w/ program changes
  4. Discover the new preset browser
  5. Use press glide in external midi mode
  6. Use the mpe arpeggiator in external midi mode
  7. Save custom midi config presets

Topics covered:

0:00 intro

0:36 add presets to favorites

1:03 create preset playlists

1:48 switch presets via midi program changes

2:31 discover the new preset browser

3:20 use press glide in ext. midi mode

4:48 use the mpe arpeggiator in ext. midi mode

6:18 save custom midi config presets

7:10 how to update

7:36 what’s next for osmose?

Osmose 2.0 is available now as a free update.

 

Dune 2 Sound Design Secrets Revealed

ContinuuCon 2024, held April 26–28 in the Pittsburgh suburb of Carnegie, Pennsylvania, synthesists Christophe Duquesne and Ed Eagan discussed their work with composer Hans Zimmer on the soundtrack of Dune 2.

They’re joined by music journalist Geary Yealton, who helps lead the discussion.

Zimmer hired ContinuuCon organizers and EaganMatrix developers Edmund Eagan and Christophe Duquesne to design and perform sounds for the soundtrack, along with Expressive E’s Guillaume Bonneau.

In the video, Eagan & Duquesne discuss their process of working with Zimmer, discuss the unique collection of gear that they brought to the project and demonstrate some of their work on the soundtrack.