Welcome to ExperimentalSynth. In this website I curate the videos from my YouTube channel, and mix in a bit more from my other creative outlets. Although some of them are instructional, I don’t consider the videos to be tutorials but rather “inspirationals”.
There are many YouTube channels out there whose videos will teach you synthesizer basics or show you exactly how to get a certain sound or effect. I’ve found my niche in exploring more advanced or esoteric patching, programming and performance techniques. I would encourage you not to try to do things exactly like I do here, but rather use these videos as a jumping off point for exploring further down the road.
– Chris Stack
GeoSynths Talk Show
Over the last year or so I had the pleasure of appearing as a guest on the GeoSynths talk show out of the UK. Check it out for some in-depth discussions of synthesizers and music production.
Mr. Wiggly
I also had the great honor of appearing on Dom Hawken’s [R.I.P.] Mr. Wiggly Show. Word’s fail when describing what a wonderful person he was. He is sadly missed. His videos can’t be embedded on other sites but you can see my appearance here.
Ambient After Midnight :: Facebook Live Streams
Since the current COVID situation started I’ve been exploring Facebook live-streaming as a new medium. I’ve been having a lot of fun and hopefully the listeners have been enjoying my music. Have a listen and see what you think.
Recent Music
“From far from eve and morning, and yon’ twelve-winded sky…”
-A.E. Housman
I had a magical experience working with Kendra Warren and Zack Coker on the soundtrack for the short film, “The Yurt’. We created much more music than the film actually needed and the extra was just languishing on the cutting room floor as they say. I happened on it again digging through a hard drive, and got the idea to aggregate it here.
This expanded version does not necessarily follow the film timeline and will take you on its own journey. It contains the songs, “Usual Oracles” and “An Alternate October” from my album, “Disambiguation.”
The modoru EP is a short return visit to a few of the musical ideas first explored on my “Xenography” and Disambiguation albums. It felt like there was more to say. Enjoy – Chris
RECENT VIDEO
Exploring some of the possibilities on the Sequential Pro 3
FEATURED VIDEOS
Many more videos are available on the ExperimentalSynth YouTube Channel.
Take a look. Now over 4,500 subscribers and over 1,450,000 total views [go there]
INDUSTRY PROFILES
The Krell Suite on Synth Expert
My album The Krell Suite was inspired by one of Make Noise’s Patch of the Week videos, a demo of their 0-Coast version of that abstract electronic music staple, The Krell Patch.
Based on Louis and Bebe Barron’s ground-breaking soundtrack for the movie Forbidden Planet, a krell patch (usually) uses a modular analog synthesizer to create a self generating soundscape. I used only this patch and Eventide Anthology plug-ins to create the album.
[more on SynthExpert]
IN THE PRESS
Art + Music + Technology Podcast
I was recently interviewed for Darwin Grosse’s podcast series. He has some great interviews in his collection. I’m very proud to be in such good company. [listen here]
Synthtopia
Experimental Synth’s littleBits + Koushion + Ableton Demo – [article here]
The Alesis Andromeda A6 Synthesizer – [article here]
More articles on Synthtopia – [here]
Create Digital Music
Pushing the Guitar, Sound Further, with Moog Minifooger, Eventide H9 Stompboxes – [article here]
Watch iConnectAUDIO4+ Connect Absolutely Everything – [article here]
More articles on CDM – [here]
MatrixSynth
Koushion MIDI Step Sequencer New Features – [article here]
Introducing Jambé Drum Controller & Synthesis – [article here]
More articles on MatrixSynth – [here]
SYNTH AND SOFTWARE
I’ve recently begun creating videos for the new online magazine Synth And Software.
My first video for them explores CV applications on the Korg Minilogue XD. The second shows tips and applications for processing external audio with synthesizers.
Check out the videos and the new magazine. Both will make you smarter.
One From The Vault
Bob was gracious enough to let me record the presentation on my then new Video 8 camera. The tape was lost for decades, but recently found and digitized. Unfortunately the audio and video quality is not great, but I feel this is very interesting from a historical perspective, and I offer it as such.
A big synthesizer deserves a big video…
“This music crept by me upon the waters,
Allaying both their fury and my passion
With its sweet air. Thence I have followed it,
Or it hath drawn me rather. But ’tis gone.
No, it begins again.”
Shakespeare – The Tempest
We represent small sounds as great and deep; likewise great sounds extenuate and sharp; we make divers tremblings and warblings of sounds, which in their original are entire. We represent and imitate all articulate sounds and letters, and the voices and notes of beasts and birds. We have certain helps which set to the ear do further the hearing greatly.
“We have also divers strange and artificial echoes, reflecting the voice many times, and as it were tossing it: and some that give back the voice louder than it came, some shriller, and some deeper; yea, some rendering the voice differing in the letters or articulate sound from that they receive. We have also means to convey sounds in trunks and pipes, in strange lines and distances.”
– Francis Bacon. (1561–1626). The New Atlantis.