have writers block,needs some ambient tips to get me out

im currently in a writers/patchers block,i could use some tips to help get me out.

this is my case

i do Ambient stuff

could you guys help me out with some Ambient patching ideas that could get me out of that block.

outputs to inputs - use reverb and delay - modulate them - slow clock - buy a new module - eat the hottest curry you can find - or the absolute blandest thing - do different or just more drugs (legal and/or illegal as you see fit or as imposed by your slave masters) - go and do something else for a while: go for a walk, read a book, watch a movie, listen to some music you wouldn't normally listen to - maybe the 2021 best of modular grid album on bandcamp

have you come across Brian Eno's Oblique Strategies? a really useful tool for getting past blocks in any field - originally a set of cards, but also available freely online

have you downloaded the 'maths illustrated supplment'? - work your way through that or just randomly pick a patch to start you off...

maybe you'd get better help if you explained the rut that you've got yourslef in more...

have you come across Brian Eno's Oblique Strategies? a really useful tool for getting past blocks in any field - originally a set of cards, but also available freely online

-- JimHowell1970

+1 on the Strategies. Eno and Schmidt really came up with a classic "mind-jogger" for musical purposes with that, and it doesn't surprise me that we now have Internet versions: https://obliquestrategies.app/020003/ I use a local version of them to keep from pulling up something huge like Firefox when I'm already running Ableton. You can find them on the Apple Store and on Google Play as well.

One other mindjogger that comes to mind is the score for Stockhausen's "Aus den Sieben Tagen". All of this consists of texts which contain instructions to the performer(s), and the concepts that Cholly plays with here are very similar in character AND result to the Strategies. In a sense, they're a sort of instructions for koans specifically for musicians. If you're into envelope-pushing, this is like using a NOS-powered bulldozer to do some REAL sound-shoving!

+2 on Oblique Strategies. Good enough for Eno, Bowie, and Talking Heads to create career defining albums? Good enough for me. :)

Thanks gonna check Them out.

If anyone have some interesting patching tips for my ambient system dont hold back🙂

I remember a few years back some one came up with a python program to "randomly" generate patches for their synth - maybe you could try something similar - iirc the source code is (was) online

I wouldn't recommend python for this though - unless they've changed a few things - relating to allowing removal of used items from lists

basically it's just a way of (pseudo-)randomly picking items from lists - a piece of paper and a dice, a spreadsheet or a simple program or pulling bits of paper out of a hat - all will do the same things

voice 1: [pick sound source] will be modulated by [pick modulation source] (and by [pick modulation source] etc) will be processed by [pick sound modifier] (and [pick unused sound modifier] etc)
voice 2: [pick unused sound source] will be modulated by [pick modulation source] (and by [pick modulation source] etc) will be processed by [pick unused sound modifier] (and [pick unused sound modifier] etc)
...
voice n: [pick unused sound source] will be modulated by [pick modulation source] (and by [pick modulation source] etc) will be processed by [pick unused sound modifier] (and [pick unused sound modifier] etc)

you can obviously take it further, by going down to inputs and outputs and specifying what utilities etc you use...

after you've finished patching - try blindfolding yourself and then wiggling - or in the dark

you could also try patching with the synth turned off... or the sound turned down...

EDITED Feb 11th 2022, 13:02