Synth Composition: Africa

Introduction

Here’s the first piece of synth-based music I’ve recorded in a long time. It’s just over ten minutes long. Audio begins at around 6 seconds in. Hope you enjoy.

Choose a version that works best with your system:

Highest quality with smallest file size (around 5MB), encoded in M4A format:

Africa

Slightly lower quality with larger file size (around 12MB), encoded in MP3 format:

Notes

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I used my Novation KS4 synth to live record two tracks into Garageband. No further editing was performed except minor volume adjustments.

Initial sounds used were the “Africa” performance and the Sync Leader program.

The “blip” at 3:20 was from some interesting over-effects I put on at that moment. I thought about editing it out, but it was (a) too complicated to find a decent filter, (b) I wanted to keep things as they were played, and (c) it’s actually growing on me in some strange way.

There’s a slight crackle at around 6:50, possibly from a patch glitch, or just noise on the cables.

The track is definitely raw, and as it was recorded in audio “as is” the scope for editing was limited. However, that’s how I wanted it.

So, don’t look for a polished performance. This is me reattaching myself to using the Novation KS4 as a proper synth for the first time in quite a while. These compositions are mainly about experimenting with sound and capabilities (both mine and the synth’s).

Any questions or comments, feel free to leave them below.