All these latest compositions were created with some combination of
FretPet X, GarageBand,
and Absynth.
Among the several waveform synthesizers available for Mac OS X, Absynth is
my personal favorite. Like many other synthesizers it is available from
within GarageBand. Check the Download
page for a list of other synthesizers you can use with FretPet X.
If you listen carefully you'll notice that the measures end a little bit
ahead of the beat. That's because this piece juxtaposes a 4/4 drum track
with a 15-beat FretPet sequence. If you bend your ear a little harder
you'll notice that there are tones that fall on every fifth beat and
tones that fall on every third beat.
This was played with FretPet into GarageBand using the Free Edit mode,
so the arrangement developed as it was being played. There are one or
two interesting diversions, but for the most part this one goes straight
ahead.
This slow-paced composition has a pleasant melancholy
feel. The electric piano sound in this piece comes from Absynth. I like
this so much that I intend to use this as the basis for a more complete
song - maybe even with lyrics.
I really like this one, as incomplete as it is. It uses
an ethereal Absynth sound to create a fluttery tense texture and then
mixes in a dance beat to add energy. Just a few more tracks and this
might become a masterpiece of modern electronica.
That funky sound is one of GarageBand's
"Clav" instruments. The drum track is one of GarageBand's
stock beats, but it suits the funkiness perfectly.
Classic FretPet Sequences
These sequences were created in FretPet 2.14. If they don't sound as
good as the MP3s linked above, that's because you're hearing them play
through the built-in Quicktime Synthesizer. Try to imagine how they
might sound through a higher-quality synth or download and try them in
GarageBand yourself.
This song was originally composed on a real wooden
guitar and then entered into FretPet. A cello part and subtle blip sound
were then added to make it more interesting.
This piece begs to be rearranged, but has some
interesting moments. It also shows off some of QuickTime's drum sounds -
with heavy syncopation no less.
Set an instrument's sustain to a tiny value, ramp up the
tempo, and suddenly you're in the land of techno. Toss in some strings
for atmosphere and you've got something you can really trance-out
to.
I have no idea what this is, but it reminds me of the
RumbleFish soundtrack so I named it after the soundtrack artists, Stan
Ridgeway and Stewart Copeland.
