Cyber Vibrations ME

Cyber Vibrations ME is an original experimental electronic ambient music work that has been inspired by the Cyberman 1960s Doctor Who sound effects in the popular science fiction television series. Frequency-shifted phasing effects as well as "Crystal Palace"-style tone sequences played a major part in shaping the overall development of the composition. The composition has been structured in distinct parts - an introduction, the first structure, the main ambient submix, a conclusion (including a surreal vibrationary tone). Each of these structures provided a sub-mix for the final mix of the composition. Each of the structures consisted of a combination of sounds created by a mixture of Eurorack modular synthesis and signal generation (usually flanged or modulated sinewaves). The various cyber-vibrations used either a Doepfer A-110-4 Quadrature VCO or a Blue Lantern Mini Shimmery module as the main sound generation tool. The Quadrature VCO can be FMed by another VCO or LFO. The cyber vibrations are similar in sound to the sounds produced by Brian Hodgson at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop in the late 1960s for Doctor Who. Different combinations of oscillators and generators can be processed by phasers and waveshapers to impart the modulation required. Other forms included one Pittsburgh oscillator feeding a square wave into a Doepfer A-115 Audio Divider at varying frequencies. Sometimes, entering into the audio region. The audio divider was tuned at different frequency intervals, and the output fed the 1 volt per octave input of a second Pittsburgh oscillator - sometimes using a triangle wave output, sometimes a square. This output went into a Doepfer A-125 phaser module (for a mild phasing effect) and this output was processed by the MakeNoise Echophon to impart delays to increase the "shimmer" of the sounds. Four tracks made up each stereo mix. For one kind of sound, stereo white noise was ring-modulated by a higher-frequency sinewave then flanged, slowed, delay imparted, then using noise reduction in a creative way, removed some of the mid-range activity. The piece was then processed by a heavy reverb. The result is a pressure-pulsing shimmer, almost semi-oriental. Several kinds of signal generation was used to create background textures, and a strange kind of shimmer ambience. Ring-modulated sinewaves and chords were used, high-frequency combinations, and other chord combinations that were flanged. It is the combination of the sub-mix structures and the signal-generated chordal tones that creates the final composite. The sub-mix structures are really an exercise in cross-faded segments. The final work is an exercise in cross-faded structures with added tones for atmospherics. The visuals were created by pure video synthesis methods, inspired by the logic textures that could be created by the EMS Spectron video synthesizer. Various electronic texture weaves were blended together with oscilloscopic graphic elements superimposed by non-additive mixing. We see modulated circles, spiney oscillations and noise-modulated circles. The result is a composite of surreal sonic phase-combinations and logically-created texture visuals and oscilloscopic formations. The surreal nature of the work creates an atmosphere that transcends the everyday, and into the cyber-realms of the imagination.