Classical Synthesis

[Crowyote]

I'm a trained classical/flamenco guitarist, but in recent years I have been exploring guitar beyond the realm of nylon strings. Most recently I've become intrigued by Acoustic Synthesis as developed by Paul Vo, the inventor of the Moog Guitar.

http://voinventions.com/

Presently, I am developing a classical program using the technology. The ability to use infinite sustain is particularly interesting (and challenging) for playing polyphonic works, especially those written for non-harmonic instruments like the cello and violin The ability to use different grouping of harmonics and overtones is also interesting for chords and arpeggiated works like Brouwer's mysterious masterpieces and Milan's rich modal essays.

Here's a few of my beginning experiments down this path.









More to come.

[AlVal]

thank you for the post and the innovations/products your are exploring
should be of interest for many
beyond the classical pieces how does it translate with some of your flamenco training? or percussive techniques? jazz etc..
techniques such as golpe, rasqueo and picado [apoyando]?
is the very forward position of your right hand a hinderence or tonal variation for is the technology doing that work for you?
is the exclusive use of free stroke in your videos to adapt to the product or more that its not needed for the steel string?
and finally
does it work on a nylon string or 7 string guitar?
sorry about the million and one questions...just these things came to mind while viewing
again thank you for the uploads
great stuff

[Crowyote]

Originally Posted by AlVal

thank you for the post and the innovations/products your are exploring
should be of interest for many
beyond the classical pieces how does it translate with some of your flamenco training? or percussive techniques? jazz etc..
techniques such as golpe, rasqueo and picado [apoyando]?
is the very forward position of your right hand a hinderence or tonal variation for is the technology doing that work for you?
is the exclusive use of free stroke in your videos to adapt to the product or more that its not needed for the steel string?
and finally
does it work on a nylon string or 7 string guitar?
sorry about the million and one questions...just these things came to mind while viewing
again thank you for the uploads
great stuff

Thanks for the questions . . . The technology works beautifully with rasgueado on certain settings. Golpe I wouldn't attempt as it might loosen the interface over time, and I don't care much for it anyway except in certain cases. Jazz sounds beautiful as the guitar can mimic harmonizer and organ type sounds with modulation and sequencing, in addition to an broad array of muted tones. As for Apoyando, I was trained . . . or rather re-trained myself in the Carlevaro technique . . . somewhat anyway.

I've taken from him what works for me. I don't use rest-stroke, rather I use the "singing stroke," and this works well with the technology. The less time spent in contact with the string the better, in general. The magnets need to be able to grab onto the string and sometimes extremes of attack-release defeat the purpose of the technology. Free stroke really seems to be a useless technique for the steel-string anyway, especially if you use long nails as I do. That's my opinion anyway, and it's subject to change over time as I grow, adapt, and as the technology evolves.

It will only work with steel strings in the treble, and a special alloy for the bass wound strings. I'm in the process of experimenting. My nails tend to catch on a wound g string a great deal, so I'm gonna try some different strings in the process.

[AlVal]

Again appreciate all the info
Will investigate further

[AlVal]

Carlovaro

.
Not sure of that didactic work
I thought it may have been Abel Carlevaro ..?
Those arpeggio based material using a diminished chord with different groups of arpeggios with the bass offset rhythmically as the studies progress
Spent some time with those but my teacher at the time was pretty strict with the thumb and a as apoyando
Then again he used to hold a drawing pin slightly above my right hand so it wouldn't bounce to much .. Ouch .. Not sure teachers can get away with that now

That's great info on the technology and it's potential
Good to hear your embracing it
Keep us posted on the progress

Best
Al

[Crowyote]

Thanks,

yes, I'm a student of Abel Carlevaro's "School of Guitar."

Admittedly, I must do much more work with the thumb techniques. It is much more difficult to bring out the bass on a steel string acoustic than a classical guitar.

[AlVal]

Yes .. A big change for sure
Can the product help that in anyway?
noticed the Adam Rafferty example in the first video seems to have the right kind of attack the bass register..
could be him or the use of a thumb pick...
seems some of the attack and a squashing of dynamics can get a bit lost generally with the uploaded and site examples but the harmonic wash seems prominent..
which is where the challenge would be for a classical repertoire
still
would love to hear the ist movement of Barrios la cathedral played using the device
figure there might be a way to go in the development of the product but cool that it isnt a plug in unit but utilises the harmonic resonance of the guitar..
the fretless guitar example also seems to stand out

this video gives a good overview of the sounds etc...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpKOWh3lbjw#t=138

[Crowyote]

Originally Posted by AlVal

Yes .. A big change for sure
Can the product help that in anyway?
noticed the Adam Rafferty example in the first video seems to have the right kind of attack the bass register..
could be him or the use of a thumb pick...
seems some of the attack and a squashing of dynamics can get a bit lost generally with the uploaded and site examples but the harmonic wash seems prominent..
which is where the challenge would be for a classical repertoire
still
would love to hear the ist movement of Barrios la cathedral played using the device
figure there might be a way to go in the development of the product but cool that it isnt a plug in unit but utilizes the harmonic resonance of the guitar..
the fretless guitar example also seems to stand out

this video gives a good overview of the sounds etc...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpKOWh3lbjw#t=138

Yep, he's using a thumb pick and a much better mic etc

My girlfriend is my videographer on her tablet until I figure out how to shoot a decent video, so I will not have much bass in these preliminary videos.

The harmonic wash thing can easily be controlled by resting/muting the inappropriate strings . .. a thing I'm always trying to work on and improve in my technique. It's one of the reasons I play so much Milan.

There are also settings that emphasize the lower overtones, and they can be mixed to a certain extent with other settings emphasizing the higher overtones. I'm still exploring that.

That particular piece is one I plan on working up soon. I've played the entire suite in the past, but I'm not sure how fast the allegro solemne can be played and capture the full quality of the effects. I'll find out.

That is a helpful video for sure, but there is much to explore that he doesn't scratch the surface of in that short demo.

[Crowyote]

Here's an interpretation of Bach's Prelude in D minor BWV 999 on the Vo-96.



I have a couple more takes with different settings that I might upload . . .

For now compare it to my vid of the Baden before I had the Vo-96 installed:

[Crowyote]

It seems that C# standard and much heavier strings unlocks the most potential from the Vo-96. This also allows the bass note to resonate more.

[Crowyote]

The synthesizer seems to sound best in C# standard w/ very heavy strings.

[Crowyote]

This is just my first take. I relearned it last week after 5 or more years of not playing it. Hopefully a vid of movt. 2 is upcoming as I just relearned it too and it sounds spectacular.

[Crowyote]

Here are the last two movements. Enjoy!

[Crowyote]

At my gig last Saturday, I performed many works . .. but in particular I performed La Catedral and one of my students just came up to and started a conversation. I managed to interact (kind of) while playing Allegro Solemne at one of the fastest tempos I've ever managed. It's not a perfect performance . . . but I made it through and I'm pretty happy with the performance:



Also a few other classical favorites for you guys to enjoy from that night:

Villa-Lobos Etude No.2 (I like how it can sound so much like a key synth in some passages)



Leyenda-Asturias (my second performance of this was much better as I had only begun to warm up during this one-but it didn't get taped)



and Romanza de Amor (with a heavy stereo delay/flanger/reverb treatment via pedals):



There's more but dont wanna bombard you guys.

[Crowyote]

Here's an exploration of Bach's BWV 999 . . .



A lot more in the works . . .