Sound Byte Labs
@mskiles.com
370 followers 140 following 590 posts
Engineer. Artist. Dog dad. I love all things music and circuits! I keep it positive.
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mskiles.com
Popular opinion but Valhalla DSP plugins really are just solid af. I haven't found a go-to reverb plugin I like more than VintageVerb. It's just really good 🤷‍♂️
mskiles.com
tell you it's not finished. Practice every day and record prolifically. Listen to lots of different music and consume art across different media. Trust yourself and remember that you contain multitudes. Eventually you'll find yourself with the tools you need to say what you want. Trust the process!
mskiles.com
tendencies is taking too long developing and idea. You really have to trust your ear and believe in your own good taste and instincts. If it doesn't sound right it ain't right! Conversely, if it sounds good to you, don't let anyone convince you it's bad! 💪 Be humble and listen when people you trust
mskiles.com
not let that be true! Ambient music can still have narrative and structure, intentionality and the capacity to surprise. It helps me to always have a theme or concept in mind of the energy that I am trying to summon. I also have to cut material and redo takes relentlessly because one of my common
mskiles.com
And in the same spirit, I think working on ambient music requires a really careful and deliberate approach to favoring self-confidence over self-indulgence! Personally I find it easy to be deflated by the thought that I'm just making random noises and not music, but I have to be fearless enough to
mskiles.com
Lately I've embraced and tried to lean into certain aspects of my thought process. Sometimes that means working in the ambient space and giving in to a more primal flow! It requires a lot of set up work to give yourself the tools to make interesting music this way, I've found 🔨🗜️🧰
mskiles.com
I bought this mini 4ms case to house and isolate my in-development modules but it quickly filled up as a controller! Now my keyboard is collecting dust in the corner while I salivate over a 0-ctrl on Reverb 😅 #modular #synthsky
A 32HP Eurorack case with Mutable Instruments Ears, Make Noise Pressure Points, Doepfer dual sample & hold, and ALM Pip Slope. The case acts as a synthesizer control surface
mskiles.com
My music started sounding a lot less muddy when I started using high pass filters more often! #synthsky
mskiles.com
I asked my wife if it's too early too call this a classic and she said none of my internet friends can stop me. It's a classic! #youredead #flyinglotus
Album cover of You're Dead by Flying Lotus
mskiles.com
I avoid politics-posting here but I will say: if you are upset about something, try writing a letter to your elected reps instead of shouting into the wind on social media!

It shapes the conversation and they do pay attention when people make extra effort to reach them, especially many people.
A letter addressed to the Illinois attorney general
mskiles.com
... More pressure increases Rings Damping (sustains longer mostly) while harder strikes on the contact mic cause the envelope follower to lower the filter cutoff, which really brings out the growl!

Maths lets you make these modulations really sensitive and musical 🎵

#synthsky #modular
mskiles.com
Ears is a really fun module!

*Ears*
contact mic -> Rings audio in
gate -> Rings strum
envelope follower-> Maths slew -> LPF cutoff (-)

*Rings*
Odd harmonics -> LPF

*Pressure Points*
Pressure -> Maths glide/slew -> Rings damping (+)
Pitch (3) -> Rings V/oct

Results in percussive sub bass growl!
Picture of a modular synthesizer with the patch as described
mskiles.com
Happy birthday! That bit of sadness is a sign of your humanity and your nana's love that she left with you.
mskiles.com
O Morphagene, you are a whole ass instrument 😍 #modular #synthsky #makenoise
mskiles.com
It still boggles my mind what Émilie from Mutable Instruments made freely available! There is lots of secret sauce in that repo
mskiles.com
My end goal is to release an open source firmware library for building embedded audio applications and then use it to build my own Eurorack and synthesizer firmware. I have lots of reasons why, but one of them is wanting to continue the cycle of reciprocal support in the modular synth space!
mskiles.com
ALSO, this is all going to be released under a permissive open source license when it is not changing so much from an API perspective! So I don't mind sharing a lot of details.
mskiles.com
I've since refined the architecture a bit more to make 'board' definitions mandatory for SBL applications. That lets us completely eliminate template instantiation magic (the convenience API layer). Previously the library targeted ARM Cortex-M micros, but didn't enforce a board selection/definition
mskiles.com
I did appreciate the level of detail my hyper focused past self left in the project documentation though!

#adhd #boxeswitharrows
Sound byte libs typical application architecture diagram
mskiles.com
... to be able to take a step back and remember what's most important! Family will always be that thing for me ❤️
mskiles.com
Diving back into a partially built firmware library after your honeymoon is not that easy especially when you have ADHD.

I'm trying to ease back in while maintaining momentum, because I was focusing on the library project to the detriment of my other obligations!

Feel blessed to have the time off
mskiles.com
Can't tell if I'm a late bloomer in the springtime of my life or just having a manic episode
mskiles.com
I hate when you background an app playing video and it just puts the video in a mini player

This is why we can't have nice things
mskiles.com
My work friend live texted me his response to my music and tbh it's my favorite reaction I've gotten 😍

#synthsky #modular
Screenshot of a text message reading:

I just listened, sounds relaxing 

Oh, nevermind, it got all exotic
mskiles.com
Just got my copy from the mail! Looking forward to a nice Chicago fall afternoon 🤓
A freshly opened copy of Hello Sunshine by Keezy Young