Like most of what I’ve been working on lately, this piece is essentially me guiding and nudging the machines as they work - shaping and mixing sounds in real time in response to “generated” sequences and evolving loops.

There are a few critical component parts to note:

1. The Octatrack is the foundation of this piece. It houses (3) looping textures which are modified by internal LFOs and effects; it re-samples and re-pitches those loops; and it generates a MIDI sequence that triggers VST instruments in Ableton Live.

2. The iPad is an additional effects processor for the Octatrack and a sampler/looper for both the Octatrack and Laptop audio.

3. The Laptop running Ableton Live is the DAW recording and mixing all sound.

4. As usual, the iConnectivity Audio4c interface integrates these 3 elements over USB audio + MIDI, DIN MIDI, and balanced audio connections.

   ---

Octatrack + iPad

These two make more sense to talk through and demonstrate…otherwise I’d be struggling to type it out clearly.

Laptop

The MIDI notes from Octatrack are sent to an instance of Audiomodern Chordjam in Ableton Live. These chords trigger 3 separate instruments:

1. Slate & Ash Landforms: a two-part pad featuring a cello pitched 1 octave down and a low woodwind section; LFO-modulated “Perspective” and “Expression” parameters add some movement and volume/filter changes. The output is processed by Wavefactory Cassette for saturation and noise.

It sounds like this:

2. Native Instruments Noire: a soft felted piano with the “Particles” mode engaged for distant upper-octave embellishments. The piano is sent through Cassette, filter/EQ, Ableton “Redux” bitrate reduction, Nudist Audio Fermenter distortion, and FabFilter Timeless3 delay for spatial effects.

It sounds like this:

3. Slate & Ash Primaries - Woodwinds: this is a new addition for me, and I’ve really been enjoying it as a complement to Landforms. I used a 2-part pad built from clarinet and bassoon, with fairly aggressive filtering applied for some breakup and distortion.

It sounds like this:

Here is the combined output of these 3 layers.

I grouped them and applied FabFilter Pro-C2 compression and Pro-Q4 EQ for balancing, plus Wavefactory TrackSpacer 2.5 with side chain input from the Octatrack and iPad to help clear some space in the midrange and help it sit better in the mix. For the video, I used CC messages sent from the Octatrack to control their volume and fade them in - the top 3 knobs on MIDI track 2 control volume of these tracks in Live. Another benefit of the OT is tactile MIDI control of other surfaces and software like this.

Audio Availability - Bandcamp Subscription

As a reminder, I do maintain a Bandcamp subscription service where I regularly share recordings from these sessions for download. This weekend, I took the time to upload another subscriber-only collection of my recent experiments since April - including this one. Consider it a tip jar with the benefit of some exclusive music.

Thank you, as always, for listening!

According to Discogs records and my own hazy memory, this marks something close to 50 albums/EPs/collaborations released across 5 or 6 monikers/projects over the last 20 years - which means more than half my lifetime has been spent releasing music, backed by at least another 10 years of silent, non-published practice when I was learning to make music at all. Back in 2006, my then-high school classmates and I burned 50 copies of a demo CD for our jam band called “The Company” and shared it around the hallways of Dulaney High School to anyone willing to listen. In those days we actually still hung up posters to advertise shows, and sold physical, paper tickets to performances at places like the Recher Theatre, 8x10 Club, Fletcher’s Bar & Grill, etc…all since shut down or reconverted. Perhaps even more astonishing, this actually worked, and we could actually convince/count on people to come to said shows.

Those were simpler, phone-free times. But the lessons and experiences really stuck with me: the importance of practice, working hard, studying, rewinding the CD to try to copy that riff again, figuring out where to place a mic over the drum kit in the basement, honing a craft, making mistakes in front of other people, and taking chances on the way to discovering what you truly care about. All very cliche and obvious, sure, and I hate to sound like an old man yelling at the clouds, but I really do think this is the most beautiful and rewarding aspect of creative practice - the continual, accretive, experiential process of learning to say something to your own satisfaction. There’s no other way around it: learnings and experience accrue slowly, project by project, mistake by mistake, and every creative act ends up advancing all the ones that came before it. This is what art and life are all about.

Twenty years of that accumulation went into this album. It’s almost shocking to me that anyone would want to take a technological shortcut past all of this. The long process of learning is the richest and most rewarding part of making anything.

It’s remarkable to look back on how different those times were, and in a lot of ways, I’m pretty bummed about where we are now. Throwing a digital album into the ether can feel a bit meaningless in the scheme of things. Slop, shortcuts, and shallow, monetized “wellness listening” vibes abound. I’ll admit that I’m not immune to feelings of nihilism about releasing music nowadays and I have to fight a lot of cynicism and ick around self-promotion. I’m sharing but one drop of creativity into an ocean of content that very few people have the time, attention, or money to invest in.

But in a moment of serendipity this morning, just as I was thinking about what to even say about sharing another album, I read a fantastic piece from Jun Chou for The Creative Independent on the value of action, choice, and intention:

If no one owes anyone anything, how wonderful when we choose to do good anyway? And if I accept nothing matters in the long term, my focus shifts to this moment. There is a freedom to this insignificance. A beauty to the dark sky’s indifference. In spite of entropy, artists toil over temporary beauties. Lovers embrace in crumbling buildings, under napalm-soaked skies. We speak. We write. We do language.

…and we make noise. So, here it is. “Object Language.” Nine tracks that, in my head at least, are the product of twenty years of learning. The next one will be even richer with even more time and experience behind it.

You can read about the finer details and motivations in this prior post:

Sound Methods

Object Language

Since roughly September of last year, I’ve been working on new music that is oh-so-close to crossing the finish line. It’s an album I’ve decided to call “Object Language.” There’s no release date, no label, no plans yet…but I quite like where it’s headed, and felt like sharing about it…

Read more

6 months ago · 20 likes · 2 comments · Andrew Tasselmyer

Thanks, as always, for listening!

This one is a healthy dose of granulated pianos, cassette tape texture, and various other sonic treatments…you may recognize these elements from past studio diary entries, as well. Happy to have it in the world.

The full album release is July 3.

Thanks to Brady & team for publishing and releasing this; thanks to Taylor Deupree for mastering it; and thanks to the incredible artists and engineers who make the music-making tools that brought it to life (especially Marcos - Samplr, Aqeel - Outgrowth, and Ian - Celestine)!

Anyway, here are a few more variations on a theme: an OT-led workflow built around layering multiple instances of sampled sound from Ableton Live. Both of these experiments came out of a session on June 9.

Sample 1:

Sample 2:

Thought (Process)

I’ve been trying to make the OT an easily accessible and tactile companion to my laptop and iPad. I think the number one question I’m asked about this device is some variation of, “is it easy to learn?” I think the answer is generally “yes,” but only once you get out of your own way. You have to resist the urge to think about everything it CAN do that it’s NOT doing in that moment - just focus on what you WANT it to do and take what it gives you.

For me, what I usually want it to do is grab short snippets of selected sound for me to explore with fairly extreme filtering and bit-rate reduction for digital-sounding textures and glitches. There’s nothing groundbreaking in this approach, but even still, there’s something really satisfying about it.

I think this device excels at this kind of highly specific sample manipulation, and it rewards close listening and gentle touches - zoning in on one tiny point of a sample until it opens up. Which is funny to say, because it’s billed as a live “performance sampler” …but I don’t think that’s actually its strong suit. It’s so deep and finicky that setting up something stage-ready takes borderline too much planning, and feels dangerous to me. A stage is the last place I’d want to troubleshoot it (and unfortunately I’ve had to do this before!).

To me it’s more of a studio companion, best viewed as something you can take your time with in a safe space while wandering into the deepest edges of a sound. It’s more fun when you don’t have any fear of mucking up a setting buried somewhere in its labyrinthine software.

Rather than write a thousand words about it, I figured a picture could do it. Maybe I will find time to elaborate on this someday soon, but for now, hope you enjoy and thanks for listening/reading.

Landscape for the desktop readers:

Or, vertically for the phone-scrollers:

Last week I was aggressively targeted by Reverb ads in my Gmail inbox, one of which led me to an amazing deal on an anniversary edition Octatrack - the kind of deal where it’s so good, you buy it without thinking and sort of expect that the Reverb fraud detector will bail you out with a refund. Well, nothing to worry about this time - the thing actually showed up, it works great, and I’m thrilled to have it in place of my prior one.

It’s a little dusty and worn, but isn’t it beautiful?

Long-time readers know this strange little box is one of my all-time favorite music-making devices. In addition to reading many posts here that feature it, you can listen to me wax poetic about it on an episode of the Object Worship podcast a few years back if you’re interested.

Unfortunately I’ve simply not had much time to focus on it recently, and it’s taken a back seat to my laptop and iPad. But in the spirit of shaking things up a bit, I sat down on June 5 with my morning coffee and the intention of creating an OT-driven piece to get my brain back in the Elektron workflow.

The setup

This piece is essentially 3 things:

1. 4 loops on the Octatrack, recorded to Ableton Live on a single stereo track

2. A sequenced piano from Native Instruments Noire, driven by one of Octatrack’s MIDI tracks triggering random chords in Audiomodern Chordjam

3. A sequenced violin and low brass pad from Slate + Ash Landforms, driven by one of Octatrack’s MIDI tracks triggering random chords in Audiomodern Chordjam

The Loops on Octatrack

Tracks 1-4 on the Octatrack are “Flex” machines that play back sampled piano from Ableton Live that I recorded just prior to shooting the video session. I manually played a few piano chords in the key of B flat and recorded short, random snippets of playing.

Here’s what they sound like in isolation:

TRACK 1 - Flex Recording 1

A part of a piano chord, and a full chord captured here in this sample. For the piece, I selected a very narrow section to work with, pitched it up an octave, and jacked up the midrange a bit. One of the LFOs modifies the volume, fading it in and out very slowly. It’s sent through a delay with fairly high feedback for extra space.

The processed sound is here (normalized - so you can hear the noise floor more prominently - it was not mixed that high in the session):

TRACK 2 - Flex Recording 2

This was a recording of the prior sample captured directly on Octatrack. I wanted to layer this with more distortion and low fidelity. I recorded the internal output of Track 1 and added a very aggressive high-pass filter and lo-fi effect in Octatrack. LFOs modulate volume, panning, and lo-fi bitrate reduction.

TRACK 3 - Flex Recording 3

This is a very random portion of a single chord. I like the resonance and wanted to work with this. I again applied a very aggressive high-pass filter and some lo-fi rate reduction with LFOs modulating panning and volume.

Effected sound is here:

TRACK 4 - Flex Recording 4

A roughly 20-second series of chords here, which I chopped into 16 slices and assigned randomly to the downbeat of each bar. The slices are pitched up an octave, reversed, and run through high-pass with extremely aggressive resonance and sample rate reduction. Re-triggering is added for stuttering/glitch effects, while LFOs modulate volume, re-trig count, and lo-fi distortion amount (you can hear it pop/fizzle out every now and then).

Effected sound is here:

All 4 loops together

The majority of the piece is simply me manually mixing these parts together. Here’s an isolated 5-minute view of the stereo output from Octatrack with these 4 loops interacting together:

The sequenced piano

For piano, what else could it be but Native Instruments Noire. Here I went for a dark, classy-sounding “Pure” model. I wanted the tone to feel dark and lush underneath the digital/bitcrushed sounds of the Octatrack loops.

The piano is being played by Audiomodern Chordjam, which receives occasional MIDI input (single notes) from a MIDI track on Octatrack over DIN MIDI connection. When a note is received, it plays a random chord in the key of B Flat.

Nothing much going on here from an effect standpoint, other than a basic Ableton EQ8 scoop in the low end to clear out some mud. I think the piano sounds spectacular as-is and doesn’t need much.

The sequenced violin/pad

The final element is a subtle amount of Slate + Ash Landorms, namely a two-part pad made from the “artefact collage” violin sound layered on top of a low brass sound. There are LFOs modulating the “Perspective” parameter of each instrument so it comes and goes over time, sounding near and distant at random intervals. I used the "Colour” Effect for low-pass filtering and “Amp” effect for distortion. Again, EQ8 carves out some low-end mud.

My objective with this sound was to add some amount of organic, acoustic texture with rougher edges, without overwhelming the bit crushed Octatrack sounds. Weathered and beat-up but not entirely subject to harsh/digital degradation.

Other notes

The master bus in Ableton Live has Fabfilter Pro-C2 compression and Pro-Q4 EQ with some spectral reduction of harsh frequencies in the 1khz-4khz range.

One additional note: you’ll see that I make use of the Octatrack’s crossfader toward the end of the piece; when I move it to the right (Scene B), it applies extreme low- and mid-cut on the master track’s EQ to act as a sort of extreme high-pass filter and accentuate the digital destruction happening in the high end.

Thanks as always for listening, watching, and reading.

-Andrew

Here is the title track on YouTube and Spotify, but you can search for it wherever you do your streaming.

Regular readers might remember this track from a previous post I shared. It started life as a demo called “Jan 17;” for anyone curious, you can read about its origins and techniques in a prior studio diary posting:

Sound Methods

Studio Diary: January 17, 2026

One of the few benefits of being temporarily bedridden is that I have a little more free time. Over the last several days, I’ve been putting that time to use by 1) listening to music I’ve missed over the last few months, and 2) revisiting some software/plug-ins I’ve not touched in a while. Some early fruits are starting to show up as new inspiration for…

Read more

6 months ago · 20 likes · 4 comments · Andrew Tasselmyer

This idea grew to become “Jan 17 - v6” on my hard drive, and ultimately became the title track for the album. I’ve done some additional mixing and shaping of sounds to arrive at this final version, but overall, it has stayed remarkably consistent since its inception…something of a rarity for me.

Looking forward to sharing the rest of the album with you.

-Andrew

Nudist Audio Fermenter - a “wild tone shifter”

Fermenter has really blown me away. If it has to be filed into a category of effect type, I guess you could say that it’s a formant shaper/shifter, but that sort of undersells it a bit. It does something different.

The folks at Nudist Audio have this to say:

Fermenter's algorithm works differently from formant shifters and other timbral shapers: it deconstructs incoming audio into thousands of tiny pieces, and then reconstructs them in a slightly different way. It can be very subtle, adding just a bit of extra sweetness to the input. But it can also be used to form completely new sounds out of the old, seemingly pulling strange harmonics out of nowhere. Fermenter has zero latency, so you can play it live.

I find all of what they say to be true. The range it covers is incredible, from “barely there” overdrive to total chaos. The controls feel intuitive and playful in a way I associate with everything Nudist Audio puts out (I mean, come on - having dedicated “Weirdo Knobs” is objectively awesome). If you’ve spent time with their other plugin Nudistort, you will see the family resemblance immediately. All you have to do is touch it for thirty seconds and you’re already finding sounds you didn’t know you wanted.

The iPad/Laptop sequencing engine

As is usual in my workflow, so much of the composing and decision-making happens before I even press play. By the time the session is running, many key decisions about instrumentation, tonality, key, etc. have already been made, and I’m left in a position to focus on mixing, processing, and shaping textures - the things that I find most enjoyable about this music. Once the machine is going, I can simply listen and sculpt a result in real time as it goes by.

The brain — Patterning 3

Patterning 3 from Olympia Noise Co is doing all the heavy lifting on the iPad side. It’s the thing most people know as a beautiful circular drum machine, but truthfully I find it just as compelling (perhaps even more compelling?) when used as a MIDI sequencer and note generator. It’s very “Elektron” in nature, in that you can choose per-step parameter shifts to probability, note length, velocity, etc. and modulate almost all of it. The fact that you can draw all this out with your finger makes it a much more hands-on and experimental tool than something like Fugue Machine, for instance, which is much more grid-driven and menu-based (not that there’s anything wrong with that - it’s one of my all time favorite apps - it’s just a different experience).

In this session, I have eight independent probabilistic sequences running around the circle, each one centered on its own note in the scale and distributed across three separate MIDI channels to trigger chords in Chordjam over on the laptop.

The bridge: Audio 4c

The iConnectivity Audio 4c is, as always, the true enabler of the rig. It carries Audio + MIDI from the iPad to the laptop, and then selected audio back the other way for sampling in Samplr on iPad. This is the core of my studio and compositional process, and I basically don’t think about configuring this exchange anymore.

The harmonizer: Chordjam ×3

Three instances of Audiomodern’s Chordjam live in Ableton, one for each MIDI channel coming out of Patterning on iPad. Each instance is set to play chords on a different octave range (low, middle, high), so every note Patterning fires becomes a voiced chord in its assigned register. What we end up with is three octaves of harmony for the pianos, stacked in parallel without ever stepping on each other.

The pianos: Noire and Echo Boy

Three instances of Native Instruments Noire (on a felted piano setting) all route into a single instance of Soundtoys Echo Boy on the grouped piano bus. Echo Boy is set to a Deluxe Memory Man emulation with a long delay time, high saturation, and high feedback, so it sounds extremely grungey and lo-fi on the repeats.

Quick aside on Echo Boy: what a tool! Truly inspiring. This plugin came out in 2006 - now, 20 years on from that, and Soundtoys still sells it as a flagship product, which is totally justified in my opinion. It still has a characteristic warmth and graininess (especially in the analog delay models) that I find hard to replicate as easily in other plug ins. Plenty of newer delays have sleeker interfaces, but none of them (in my opinion) sound better for what I’m doing here, which is letting chord voicings smear across two or three bars and feed back on themselves until the texture turns into a continuous wash. After all this time, Echo Boy (and perhaps its cousin, Primal Tap) is probably the first delay I reach for whenever I want trails to feel like they’re forming a pad-like wall of sound.

The strings: Landforms

Two instances of Slate + Ash Landforms receive the same MIDI as the pianos. Slow attack, long decay; pad-like and filtered through some of Slate + Ash’s built-in effects for color and tone. The two layers cross-fade into each other courtesy of long/slow tremolos from Soundtoys Tremolator.

The “live” layer: Fermenter ×2

Each bus, Pianos and Strings, gets its own instance of Fermenter. This is where most of the actual performing happens; I’m just playing with parameters by hand to coax out interesting distortion and texture.

The return path to iPad: Samplr

The last piece is the loop back to the iPad. Selected audio routes back over the same Audio 4c into Samplr, via a separate send/return channel in Ableton that pushes out audio over outputs 3/4 (received on iPad as inputs 7/8). I can grab a few seconds of whatever’s happening at any moment, chop or granulate it, and feed it back into the piece later as new material. The piece opens with me slowly fading in a previously captured snippet of audio from the pianos, to serve as a pad-like loop with occasional blips of piano hits. The output there is run through a small bit of Unfiltered Audio LO-FI-AF for bit crushing and distortion.

Thanks for listening and reading, as always!

— Andrew

For anyone unfamiliar, The Gatherings is a long-running concert series dedicated to electronic and experimental “space music,” held at St. Mary’s Hamilton Village in University City. It’s been a fixture of the Philadelphia music community since 1992 (full history here), and its continued existence is largely thanks to Chuck van Zyl, who has been curating these shows and hosting Star’s End on WXPN for longer than most music series survive. What Chuck does (and the handful of dedicated people around him who keep The Gatherings running) is genuinely rare. Maintaining a space for this kind of music over that many years requires sustained commitment and passion, and the fact that the series is still going today and still drawing people out on a Saturday night says a lot about the community he’s built around it.

I’ve been playing at The Gatherings since 2016 with Hotel Neon, and every time I walk into that room it feels special. It’s definitely the right place for this music. The sound is fantastic and larger-than-life, the audience is attentive and generous, and there’s something about the setting that invites everyone to slow down for a bit and actually be present. I’ve come to value this experience more as time goes on.

The Concept: Acting as a Conductor

If you’ve followed my work for a while, you’ve probably noticed a thread running through a lot of the workflows I write about. The common thread is that I’m not too interested in the playing and generating of individual notes and sounds. Instead, I’m trying to start something, get it moving, and then guide it — acting more as a conductor or a “shepherd” of the sound than a traditional “player of instruments.” I typically do this through generative MIDI sequencing and with sampling tools like Samplr and Octatrack: there’s something set in motion, and from there, I can sort of step back and just enjoy the act of listening to what unfolds and responding in the moment with curatorial choices to shape it and guide it along.

This set was built around the same principle, just applied differently. Rather than trying to produce material live with precision, and playing it according to the recorded tracks, I prepared a set of pre-recorded samples drawn from a combination of 1) actual recorded stems of the songs, as well as 2) custom patches and loops that I pre-recorded. This mix of 12 different samples was split into three “layers” per track (a low, middle, and upper octave part) that I could bring in independently, filter, and manipulate on the fly…almost like a DJ with an array of options to mix, but also having VST and Kontakt instruments available to layer on top spontaneously.

The effect was basically an expanded version of what happens with the sequencing workflows I use. All I’m trying to do is get the thing rolling, establish some momentum, and then step into the role of guiding it. Fade this layer up, filter that one down, introduce a new texture on top, react to what Mike is playing…so on and so forth. Roughly half of the sound was pre-made, but the performance was entirely about shaping it and deciding what to reveal and process.

The idea was to give the audience something recognizable from our catalog while making it feel new and alive, and to give myself enough headroom to perform additional sounds live over that foundation. Once the set was in motion and sounds were in flight, my job was really enjoyable. All I was doing was listening and responding in a fluid way, nudging the music along rather than trying to drive it from the front.

This is also the philosophy that Mike and I share with Gray Acres more broadly. We had a text thread going before the show where we both agreed that we “don’t really care how we make the sound, as long as it sounds good.” That attitude is the whole point of this project: avoid over-engineering and play what you want to play.

The Rig: iPad + Laptop Integration

The technical backbone of my setup was the Loopy Pro and Ableton Live integration workflow I’ve discussed ad nauseum here, tied together with an iConnectivity Audio 4c interface handling both audio and USB MIDI between the iPad and laptop.

The iPad was the nerve center. It handled several things at once:

• Sample mixing and filtering. The three pre-recorded layers per track lived here, where I could fade them in as needed and shape them with the built-in high- and low-pass filters, which are represented by the color-coded blue and yellow fader bars visible in the screenshots. I also had Imaginando K7D running as a tape delay effect on Send B for additional texture as needed - I love sending sounds through this for oscillating feedback and beds of sound. Its feedback and mix controls are controlled by dedicated faders for easy access rather than having to open the plugin window each time.

  
  In this video, I run through each one quickly so you can hear the simple gist of how they sound together. They are built to mimic the recorded tracks and replicate some of those tones/textures from the recordings.

• Sample and field recording playback via Samplr, for more gestural, hands-on manipulation of source material. These are specialized tracks, taken from stems and source material in the recorded tracks to pull from as needed.
  
  Here, a sample (pun intended) of the sounds available:

• Remote control of Ableton Live effects — specifically the mix and feedback parameters for a Primal Tap instance running on Send A in my Ableton session.
  
  Primal Tap is one of my go-to tools for building clouds of ambient sound in the background using long feedback and delay times. It’s another “start it and guide it” tool — set a long delay with high feedback and it generates its own evolving texture that you can ride and shape. Here’s a clip from the end of the set, when I let it fade away over many minutes.
  

• Bass parts played on Loopy Pro’s on-screen keyboard, sending MIDI on Channel 2 to Omnisphere in Ableton.

Meanwhile, Ableton Live on the laptop hosted the instruments I was playing into and mixing throughout the set:

• Tracks 1–3: Slate + Ash Landforms for low strings, high strings, and woodwinds, respectively. The mod wheel opens up a low pass filter on all of them for varied tonality.
  

• Track 4: A Noire piano patch, used sparingly for the sustained, continuous piano sounds that feature more prominently in tracks like Spectral and A Beauty Not Theirs.
  

• Tracks 5–6: Omnisphere for synthesized pads and a deep, growly, Moog-like bass.
  

• Track 8: iPad audio returned to the laptop through the Audio 4c.

• Track 9: Mike’s guitar.

• Send A hosts some long hall reverb from Valhalla Vintage Verb as well as Primal Tap.

For physical control, I mixed the session with an Akai MIDI Mix and played everything except the bass on a Korg NanoKey Studio on MIDI Channel 1.

One technique that was central to keeping the set cohesive was using latched sustain modes across the instruments. I prefer having the option to hold sounds indefinitely, and then mixing them in and out as the set moves forward. This is where the “conductor” role becomes most literal: deciding which sounds are present in the room at any given moment, shaping the arc of the piece by controlling what the audience hears and when.

Backup Plans (Mostly Unused)

I also had a few tools loaded and ready to go that I didn’t end up using in the set. Outgrowth by Aqeel Aadam Sound — a sampling app I’ve featured in past Sound Methods posts — was standing by, as were basic Fugue Machine sequences for each song in case I wanted to lean more heavily into iPad-based sample manipulation and let generative sequencing carry the melodic weight. That would have been a more familiar version of the same guiding approach, letting Fugue Machine generate the notes, then shaping the output myself…but as it turns out, the 12-sample mixing method ended up giving me more than enough to work with already. I also had loopers ready to capture Mike’s guitar and resample it, but in the moment of performance I was simply too busy managing everything else and I never got to that.

Having tools available, even ones you don’t use, is part of the preparation process for me. I like knowing that there’s something to fall back on if the set needs it.

Mike’s Setup

Mike’s rig is deliberately minimal: guitar processed through Ableton Live on his laptop, leaning heavily on Valhalla Delay and Reverb for the spacious, saturated tone that defines his side of the Gray Acres sound. His setup lets him play freely and without overthinking, which again, is exactly the point. Gray Acres works because we try to create conditions where the music can develop and we keep things as simple as possible.

Reflections

Looking back on this set, what I’m most pleased with is that the guiding approach actually delivered what I was hoping for. Having a foundation of material in place freed me up to focus on the part of live performance that matters most, which is being responsive to the room and listening closely to what’s unfolding. Listening to Mike, to the room, to the way sounds are interacting with each other. When you’re not trying to generate everything from scratch, you can pay more attention to things like flow, arrangement, and the general mood and environment of the performance space.

That’s been the throughline across a lot of the workflows I’ve explored on Sound Methods…finding ways to set sound in motion and then be present enough to shape it thoughtfully. This set felt like one of the clearest expressions of that idea so far.

I’m grateful to Chuck and everyone involved with The Gatherings for having us. These shows mean a lot to me: the room, the people, the intent behind the whole series; it’s all one-of-a-kind. If you’re in the Philadelphia area and you haven’t been to one, I’d encourage you to check the schedule and come out. It’s one of the best things happening in this city for music like ours.

Gray Acres is Andrew Tasselmyer and Mike Tasselmyer. More at Bandcamp.

A short one today, with two updates before tonight:

Gray Acres is performing at The Gatherings Concert Series tonight, March 28th, at 8PM.

The show is at St. Mary’s Hamilton Village (3916 Locust Walk, West Philadelphia), and admission is free. If you can’t be there in person, the whole thing streams live on YouTube. We’re sharing the bill with electronic musician Jeff Cain, and there will be live video projections by Neil Cippon and Samara Talkin.

This is arguably my favorite venue and series to perform at, with many great memories made here. I’m so looking forward to another opportunity to play tonight.

Full details and registration are available at thegatherings.org.

I’m planning to follow this up with a studio diary post breaking down the setup I’m using tonight. The rig is built around an iPad running Loopy Pro as the central hub, integrated with Ableton Live on the desktop side.

Masters for Object Language are in, mastered by Taylor Deupree.

I wrote about this album back in January if you want the full story (read it here). Getting these masters back this week was a nice moment. Taylor pulled a depth and dimension out of these mixes that I couldn’t get to on my own. Things feel more expansive now, with all the harshest edges under control…much more in line with what I was going for. The album is on track for a mid-year release. More details soon.

Looking forward to this evening, and hope you can listen in or attend!

Live Stream // YouTube

In-Person Registration // Humanitix

Mike and I are in the midst of fine-tuning some ideas for the set. We tend to approach all of our shows with a good bit of improv, but there are a few guardrails and signposts we give ourselves to keep things focused. If you want to learn more about how we perform as Gray Acres, I’d recommend checking the archives for this explainer of a radio set from 2024:

Sound Methods

Studio Diary: August 25, 2024

Today’s studio diary is a look at how my brother Mike and I performed a set as Gray Acres on the Star’s End radio program for WXPN in Philadelphia, which took place from 2-3 AM on August 25. We recorded the performance and made it available for free/name your price on Bandcamp…

Listen now

2 years ago · 21 likes · 3 comments · Andrew Tasselmyer

We have a few concrete ideas for this set now, and I’m spending most of my available studio sessions designing sounds and patches to use. This post documents one of those sessions: a condensed run-through of a hybrid iPad/desktop setup built around Loopy Pro controlling Ableton Live over USB MIDI.

The video compresses what would normally unfold across two or three songs in a 40-minute set into a shorter window, but the core idea is the same - layering and revealing tonal possibilities slowly, over time.

Bear with me a bit while I explain what’s going on. I have a video at the end to demonstrate all of this more clearly with a screen capture, but it’ll make more sense after this quick detour through the component parts.

The Philosophy: Slow Reveal

The premise of building a rig like this is about having a deep enough palette that you can spend real time with each decision, fading one element in over the course of many minutes and letting a given sound bloom and decay fully before introducing the next texture. In a live context, this means a single harmonic idea from Fugue Machine can sustain an entire extended passage while the sonic landscape shifts underneath and around it. I am, in effect, “conducting” a self-running system and selectively choosing/placing where I’d like elements to appear, and it’s much more fun for me to work this way. I can feel the piece more deeply and respond to Mike’s playing more readily.

What I demonstrated in the video is a highly compressed version of that process. In an actual set, these transitions would happen much more slowly and deliberately. And this isn’t even the full rig - I haven’t brought in Samplr or some of the other iPad apps that are part of my normal setup. There are a lot of possibilities still unexplored, which is exactly the point of these sessions: teasing out sounds, patches, and ideas early enough that they have time to develop before the performance.

The MIDI Signal Chain

The engine of this setup is Fugue Machine Rubato on the iPad, which sends a MIDI pattern into Ableton Live. That pattern feeds two separate instances of Audiomodern Chordjam, a generative chord engine that takes monophonic MIDI input and transforms it into harmonized, rhythmically varied output. Those two Chordjam instances, in turn, drive five separate instrument layers:

• Slate + Ash Landforms: there are two instances of this instrument, both playing strings patches, each designed to sound like washy pads but one playing high harmonics and the other playing more traditional legato drones.

• Native Instruments Noire: a soft, slightly dark piano heard throughout the piece.

• Spectrasonics Omnisphere: a deep sub bass using a Moog sample

• Felt Instruments Blisko: cello, intentionally breathier/raspier than the Landforms strings.

Again, the goal is to give myself enough sounds and options to reveal slowly over the course of the set, during which individual voices only occasionally surface and become identifiable.

Loopy Pro as a Control Surface and Performance Tool

Loopy Pro is doing double duty in this rig. On one hand, it’s functioning as a MIDI control surface - I’ve set up several MIDI widget faders that send CC messages to Ableton over USB, giving me real-time control over parameters that would otherwise require mouse clicks (which I still do on occasion) or a hardware controller. On the other hand, it’s also capturing and looping audio coming back from Live.

Here’s the layout, which you can’t really see on the video:

The faders let me do a few specific things - here they are, listed as they appear from left to right:

Bass fade-in — the first fader “Bass Filter” controls the high-pass filter cutoff on the Omnisphere bass patch. Instead of bringing the bass in with volume, I lower the filter frequency gradually, letting it slowly fill in the mix rather than arriving “full on” from the jump.

Landforms A/B expression mixing — Each Landforms instance has two parts (A and B), each with their own expression curves that affect both volume and low-pass filtering within the Landforms UI. Mapping the Loopy Pro faders to these expression slopes lets me crossfade between the two textural layers in a way that feels organic — one swells as the other recedes. The higher up my finger goes on the fader, the more the filter opens up and more gain is applied.

Harmonic blending — Another pair of faders - “Landforms High” and “Blisko” - controls the volume of 1) a violin harmonic in the second Landforms layer and 2) a cello harmonic in Blisko using Col Legno and Sul Tasto sustains. These are the kinds of high, glassy tones that can cut through a dense pad texture and add a sense of space or tension when introduced carefully.

Reverb and delay — A fader adjusts the amount of Valhalla reverb and delay applied to the Blisko cello, specifically, letting me push it deeper into the ambient wash or pull it forward into something more defined. I maxed out the mix at 50% and 75%, respectively, so that the whole range of the fader is a little more useable without turning to total mush. I love what this ended up sounding like; it felt like an ambient guitar in some spots and I’m thinking this will be a great pairing with Mike’s guitar in our set.

Looping and Time Manipulation

The audio looping side of Loopy Pro is where things get interesting from a performance standpoint. I’m selectively capturing sections of the audio output from Ableton (and looping them back at reverse half-speed and double-speed. This creates a kind of “shadow” of whatever the generative MIDI system is producing: harmonically related, but somewhat displaced, out of sync, and texturally transformed.

On top of that, I’m running Imaginando K7D tape delay on the iPad, using it to create oscillating runaway feedback from the looped material. I’ve spoken about this before, but this is one of my favorite techniques - I’m always riding the feedback knob to create walls of sound with repeats. If you watch the video, I’m applying this only to the Yellow looping group to build saturated pads that sit underneath everything else.

The Result - Video Demonstration

Here is a screen capture in which I am using the Loopy Pro surface to demonstrate each of the separate parts and put it all together. Hopefully you can follow what’s happening more clearly now.

Gray Acres plays The Gatherings Concert Series in Philadelphia on March 28. Tickets and info here.

This is one of those things I think is worth reminding myself over and over: it’s OK to abandon work that isn’t serving the music. It doesn’t matter how much time you put into something. A few hours programming drums really isn’t a big loss in the scheme of things, and in fact, I’m glad I spent that time exploring those tools more completely. I’ve already learned this lesson many times, and I’ll probably learn it many more.

Anyway. Here’s the result:

The flow

This is about as quintessentially “me” as it gets in terms of workflow.

Fugue Machine Rubato on the iPad is handling all the MIDI sequencing. It’s sending notes to Ableton Live on the laptop, where two Kontakt instruments are doing the heavy lifting: Native Instruments Noire for the piano and Slate + Ash Landforms for the strings. I’ve talked about both of these instruments many times before — ad nauseam, really. Noire is, in my opinion, the undisputed king of soft, felted piano sounds, and Landforms is endlessly rewarding for atmospheric string textures.

From there, I’m routing selected audio back from Ableton Live to the iPad (outputs 3/4 of the laptop go to inputs 7/8 of the iPad through the iConnectivity Audio4c interface) to sample some of those sounds live in Samplr. This is where the tactile, hands-on element comes in: scrubbing through those piano and string textures with my fingers, finding interesting fragments to loop and layer. The “bow” tool in Samplr (I still don’t know the actual name of this playback mode) is arguably my favorite of the bunch, especially with samples that have some moments of attack and definition (like a piano) vs. a static drone - I love the incidental clicks, glitches, and accidental “blips” of sound that come out when the loop window is closed to very narrow cycles. The Samplr output runs through Audiothing Lines and Audio Damage Replicant 3 for some distortion and grit, adding a rougher and down-sampled edge underneath the cleaner sounds coming from the laptop. Everything is then recorded in Ableton Live.

The iConnectivity Audio 4c is making all of this possible with seamless, bidirectional USB audio and MIDI between the two devices. It’s the backbone of this whole approach, and I don’t think about it anymore. It just works.

The bigger picture

If this kind of dual-device workflow interests you, or if you’ve been curious about integrating an iPad into your own setup, I wrote an extensive guide covering exactly how all of this works: the routing, the apps, the interface configuration, alternative approaches, and more. I hope you find it a genuinely useful resource whether you’re just starting to explore iPad integration or looking to refine what you already have.

You can read it here:

Sound Methods

Integrating iOS and laptop workflows for music production

Current Version: 1.1 (Feb 10, 2026…

Read more

6 months ago · 18 likes · 2 comments · Andrew Tasselmyer

Thanks for listening and reading.

-Andrew

• Subscribe on YouTube

• Make a one-time donation via PayPal if you feel like tipping

• Book a 1:1 session through Calendly if you want hands-on help

• Check out my Bandcamp, where I publish my music

Current Version: 1.1 (Feb 10, 2026)

Updates: added notes in Section 13.1 “Wireless Integration Methods - Ableton Link” on potential use of Ableton Link Audio, just announced for Live 12.4.

The iPad is an amazing tool for so many things: touch-based control, sampling, looping, effects processing, MIDI sequencing, and more. It’s no exaggeration to say that it fundamentally changed the way I make music. Even still, for most of us, the laptop isn’t going anywhere. Desktop/laptop DAWs, our plugin libraries, and our sample instruments are still where the heavy lifting happens in the recording, mixing, and arranging processes.

I’ve spent years trying to merge these environments in the most seamless, hassle-free, fun way. I’ve tried different interfaces, different software configurations, different compromises, and think I’ve landed in a good place.

I am certainly not the only person doing this, or even the most inventive - there are plenty of brilliant people producing music with these same tools. Even still, I think it’s worth sharing what I know for anyone interested. I know how helpful it can be to learn from others’ experience. Here’s what I know, documented in a consolidated guidebook linked below.

What’s inside:

1. Part One covers the iOS music ecosystem: philosophy, essential apps, extended recommendations.

2. Part Two is my preferred workflow, using the iConnectivity Audio 4c for full bidirectional audio and MIDI between iPad and laptop. Detailed routing, Ableton Live templates, AUM configuration, troubleshooting.

3. Part Three covers alternative methods. Other dual-host interfaces (Arturia MiniFuse 2 OTG, Lewitt Connect 6, Antelope Zen Quadro), single-host setups with direct connections (IDAM), dual-interface configurations, wireless methods..along with honest thoughts on the trade-offs with each.

4. Part Four explores how to scale up or down depending on context, with example setups I’ve used.

Whether you’re just starting to explore iPad integration or looking to refine an existing setup, I hope there’s something here for you. I’m hoping to keep this page (and the document) updated over time as things change. It’s 30ish easy-reading pages with large text, screenshots, and signal flow references.

Download the guide here (PDF)

A note on support:

This guide is free. I’m not interested in gatekeeping information. If it helps you make music, that’s great…and that’s really the whole point.

With that said, guides like this take significant time to write, test, and refine. If you find it valuable and want to support the work, here are a few ways to do that:

• Subscribe to this Substack (free or paid; paid subscribers help sustain everything I do here)

• Subscribe on YouTube

• Make a one-time donation via PayPal if you feel like tipping

• Book a 1:1 session through Calendly if you want hands-on help implementing any of this, or just talking shop

• Check out my Bandcamp, where I publish my music

• Share the guide with someone who might find it useful

  Sound Methods

  Notes on electronic, ambient, and experimental sounds and methods.

  By Andrew Tasselmyer

If the guide saves you time or opens up new creative possibilities, I’d genuinely appreciate your support.

Thanks for reading.

—Andrew

Integrating iOS Devices into Your Music Production Workflow

A comprehensive guide to connecting iPad and iPhone with laptop-based DAWs

Version 1.0 - February 7, 2026

Table of Contents

Part One: The iOS Music Ecosystem

1. Introduction & Philosophy

2. Software & App Ecosystem

Part Two: My Preferred Workflow — The iConnectivity Audio 4c

3. Hardware Overview

4. Audio 4c Deep Dive

5. iPad as Companion to Ableton Live

6. Signal Flow Reference

7. Troubleshooting & Tips

Part Three: Alternative Integration Methods

8. Understanding USB Connectivity Standards

9. Alternative Dual-Host Interfaces

10. Software Integration Methods

11. Single-Host Interfaces with IDAM

12. Using Two Separate Audio Interfaces

13. Wireless Integration Methods

14. Choosing the Right Approach

Part Four: Scaling Up

15. Possible Setups & Configurations

PART ONE

The iOS Music Ecosystem

1. Introduction & Philosophy

The iPad has quietly become one of the most capable music-making devices available today - a bold statement, yes, but I really do believe this! Its combination of processing power, touch interface, and vibrant, affordable app ecosystem makes it an exceptional tool for sampling, synthesis, effects processing, looping, and MIDI control. Yet for many producers and performers, the laptop remains the center of gravity, running Ableton Live, Logic Pro, or another DAW alongside extensive plugin libraries and sample instruments.

This guide is about bridging those two worlds. It is not about choosing iPad over laptop or vice versa. It is about integration: using each device for what it does best and creating a workflow that is more flexible, more portable, and more fun than either device alone.

The Core Idea

The iPad is not a replacement for the laptop. It is a companion - a touch-friendly, portable powerhouse that slots seamlessly into a DAW-based session. Think of it as extending your creative surface without adding complexity. The iPad handles the things that benefit from touch and gesture: resampling, looping, live effects parameter manipulation, MIDI control, and MIDI sequencing. The laptop handles the heavy lifting: hosting large sample libraries, multitrack recording, mixing, and arranging.

Core Principles

1. Laptop leads, iPad supplements. Your DAW holds the main instruments and performs recording, mixing, and arranging. The iPad handles the “other” stuff: resampling, looping, effects, sequencing, and MIDI control.

2. Bidirectional audio is the goal. The most powerful workflows send audio from laptop to iPad (for processing) and back again (for recording). One-way integration is useful, but two-way integration unlocks the real creative potential.

3. Portability matters. Fewer cables, fewer devices, fewer points of failure to troubleshoot.

4. Playability over precision. Touch and gestural control on iPad makes effects feel alive. This is a performance-oriented workflow, not just a production one.

What This Guide Covers

Part One introduces the iOS music ecosystem and essential apps that I recommend to make this workflow exciting. Part Two presents my preferred approach: using the iConnectivity Audio 4c audio interface to connect iPad and laptop with full bidirectional audio and MIDI routing capability. Part Three covers alternative methods for users with different budgets, existing gear, or specific needs. Part Four explores how to scale the setup up or down depending on context.

Whether you choose my preferred hardware or adapt the concepts to your existing setup, the goal is the same: to make the iPad a natural, integrated part of your music-making process.

2. Software & App Ecosystem

The iPad’s strength lies in its apps. The iOS music ecosystem has matured dramatically in the last few years, offering professional-grade instruments and effects at a fraction of desktop prices. Here are the apps that form the backbone of my workflow.

2.1 Essential Apps — The Hall of Fame

If you are just getting started, these are where to begin.

1. AUM: No-nonsense performance mixer and plugin host. The go-to app for live sets, quick sketches, and when ease of use/immediacy matters most.

2. Loopy Pro: Looper, DAW, fully customizable MIDI control surface. Limitless possibilities for sound design, live performance, and DAW/hardware control.

3. Samplr: The most intuitive sampling platform on iPad. Record, chop, and manipulate audio with touch.

4. FabFilter Suite: World-class effects. Pro-C 2, Pro-L 2, Pro-Q 3, Timeless, Volcano, Saturn, etc…as good as desktop counterparts at a fraction of the price.

5. Eventide Suite: Still the gold standard for lush, high-quality effects like Blackhole reverb, MangledVerb, and Crystals pitch-shifting.

6. Borderlands Granular: Landmark granular synthesis app. Touch interface makes it feel like painting with sound.

7. Moog Apps: Model D, Model 15, Animoog. Faithful recreations of iconic synthesizers.

8. Fugue Machine: A highly creative, playable MIDI sequencer based on 4 configurable playheads that overlap and create evolving sequences. There is a deeper, more complex, and more expensive version called Fugue Machine Rubato - either one is a great choice for exciting possibilities.

2.2 Extended Recommendations

These apps complement the core set and see regular use in my sessions:

• ChowDSP Chow Tape — realistic tape saturation and warmth

• ApeSoft Electric — great-sounding electric piano with extra FX

• Olympia Noise Co. Patterning 3 – deeply customizable drum and sample sequencing

• Imaginando K7D and FRMS — tape delay and granular synthesis

• Audio Damage Replica, Quanta, Other Desert Cities — glitch, granular, delay

• Decent Sampler — Kontakt-like sample library playback (pianobook.co.uk)

• Koala Sampler — quick and dirty sampling

• Audiomodern Chordjam and Playbeat 4 — generative chord and drum sequencers

• Modartt Pianoteq — synthesis-based piano (very CPU-efficient)

• FabFilter Twin 3 — versatile synthesizer

• Toneboosters suite — lightweight FabFilter alternative

• Kymatica Dub & Space — iPhone-friendly delay and reverb

• Unfiltered Audio suite — diverse creative effects

• Bram Bos Gauss — live looper with reel-to-reel tape characteristics

PART TWO

My Preferred Workflow

Laptop, iPad, and the iConnectivity Audio 4c

3. Hardware Overview

After years of experimentation with various approaches to iPad-laptop integration, I have settled on the iConnectivity Audio 4c as the centerpiece of my workflow. This is not the only way to do it, but it is - in my opinion - one of the smoothest and most effective. This section explains why, and what hardware you need to replicate it.

3.1 The Core Rig

The minimum hardware list is deliberately short. Everything else is optional.

• Laptop: Any modern Mac or PC running your DAW of choice

• iPad: Any iPad from the last 5 years running current iPadOS - I recommend any model with an M-series chipset for best longevity.

• iConnectivity Audio 4c: Dual-host audio interface (~$399 USD new; $200-250 used). The centerpiece of this workflow.

• USB-C cables (×2): One for laptop → USB1, one for iPad → USB2

• Balanced TRS cables (×2)Audio 4c outputs to PA or studio monitors

3.2 Hardware Recommendations

iPad

I recommend models with an M-series chip because of their exceptional performance, but honestly, any iPad from roughly the last five years will work perfectly fine. Apps and plugins on iPadOS are highly optimized. The primary decision is screen size—larger screens give you more real estate for mixing and effects control. I use an 11” M1 iPad Pro (2021).

Laptop

Apple’s M-series MacBooks are exceptionally capable for audio work—even baseline specs handle large sessions with ease. If you use Windows, any modern CPU will serve you well. The key requirement is that your machine runs your DAW comfortably with your chosen plugins and sample libraries.

4. Audio 4c Deep Dive

The iConnectivity Audio 4c is the single most important piece of hardware in this workflow. It is a dual-host audio interface, meaning two computers, phones, or tablets can connect simultaneously and share audio and MIDI through it. This is an extremely rare feature in the audio interface market, and it is what makes the seamless iPad integration possible.

4.1 Why Dual-Host Matters

Most audio interfaces connect to one computer at a time. If you want to use both iPad and laptop, you need workarounds: software routing (IDAM on Mac, Loopback, etc.), multiple interfaces, or giving up on bidirectional audio entirely. The Audio 4c eliminates these compromises. Both devices connect via USB, and the interface handles all routing internally. Audio and MIDI flow freely in both directions with no additional software configuration required.

4.2 Build & Form Factor

The Audio 4c is built from sturdy aluminum, completely flat on all sides except for a single low-profile button on the front. It slides easily into a bag or protective case. The flat top surface means you can rest an iPad, phone, or pedal on top of it during a performance. It includes power adapters for various global standards and a mic-stand mount on the bottom.

4.3 Audio Quality

Audio quality is solid for the price point. It is not in the same league as premium interfaces like RME or MOTU on paper, but in practical terms the difference is negligible for live performance and most production scenarios. If ultra-fine signal performance is your priority, you are likely not shopping in the sub-$400 range to begin with.

4.4 Latency

At 48kHz / 256 sample buffer size, round-trip latency measures (for me, in unscientific testing) approximately 16.9ms in Ableton Live. This is workable for most ambient and electronic music contexts. You can halve it by reducing the buffer size, but this adds CPU load. For tight percussion that needs to land exactly on the beat, you may occasionally need to nudge clips forward in the arrangement view after recording from the iPad.

4.5 Software: Auracle vs. reConfig

The factory software, Auracle, limits you to four preset routing configurations. For most users this is fine. If you want full access to the internal routing matrix and MIDI mapping, download the community-maintained app called reConfig4Audio from the Mac App Store. It is open-source, actively maintained, and unlocks the full potential of the interface.

Tip: The Audio 4c saves routing configurations to internal memory. Once you dial in your preferred setup in reConfig, you can store it and recall it instantly—no software needed on subsequent sessions.

4.6 Key Features Summary

• Dual USB-C ports: Connect laptop (USB1) and iPad (USB2) simultaneously.

• 4×4 analog I/O: Four combo mic/line inputs with phantom power, four balanced TRS outputs.

• USB Hub: Connect and power multiple MIDI controllers that are automatically shared between both hosts - with ability to reserve and set preset slots for each.

• MIDI DIN: Traditional 5-pin MIDI in/out for hardware synthesizers and drum machines.

• USB2 charges iPad: The iPad charges while connected, eliminating battery concerns during long sessions. This is a small thing, but incredibly convenient.

4.7 A Note on Discontinuation

At about the same time as this writing, iConnectivity has discontinued the Audio 4c. It will no longer be in production after last deliveries to retailers are made, though units will remain available through closeout sales and the used market. Some readers may wonder whether it makes sense to invest in discontinued gear.

My view on this: don’t worry. The Audio 4c is no different from any other piece of discontinued equipment that musicians continue to use and value for specific purposes: Tascam Portastudio tape decks, vintage rackmount effects, classic pedals, reel-to-reel machines. Gear does not stop working when production ends. The Audio 4c is a mature, stable product with years of useful life ahead. It requires no cloud services, no subscription, and no manufacturer support to function. It is a USB audio interface with robust build quality that will continue doing exactly what it does today for as long as your computers recognize USB audio devices.

The availability of reConfig4Audio (an open-source, community-maintained control application) provides additional reassurance. Even if iConnectivity’s Auracle software becomes incompatible with future operating systems, reConfig offers an alternative that unlocks the full routing capabilities of the interface. Open-source software tends to outlive proprietary alternatives precisely because it does not depend on a single company’s continued interest.

If you find an Audio 4c at a good price, whether new-old-stock or used, it remains an excellent choice for this workflow. In fact, I have its predecessor as a backup device here in my studio - a previously discontinued model called the iConnectivity Audio 4+ - which still works fine!

With that said, I know some users will prefer supported, in-production devices. The alternatives discussed in Part Three exist for those who prefer newer hardware, but discontinuation alone is not a reason to avoid the Audio 4c.

5. iPad as Companion to Ableton Live

This is my primary studio workflow. The laptop runs Ableton Live as the main host; the iPad serves as an external MIDI sequencer, sampler, looper, and effects processor for audio sent from the laptop - basically a “do-it-all” sidecar device to extend the laptop workflow.

5.1 The Concept

VST synths and Kontakt instruments sit in Ableton Live on the laptop. The iPad connects via USB2 on the Audio 4c and handles three jobs simultaneously:

1. It sends MIDI data back to Live to trigger and sequence instruments.

2. It receives selected audio from Live to resample and process.

3. It sends processed audio back to Live for playback through the main outputs.

5.2 Auracle Configuration

Set Auracle to the “Play USB1” configuration. This makes the laptop (USB1) the primary output device, while the iPad (USB2) audio is received on the laptop through input channels 5/6.

Remember: Regardless of which configuration (Play USB 1 or Play USB 2) you choose, the main output 1/2 from one device will always appear on inputs 5/6 of the other device. Analog inputs 1-4 will always appear on both devices as inputs 1-4.

5.3 Ableton Live Template & Routing

I use a default session template that includes these dedicated tracks - you do not have to do exactly this to get results, but it works well for me:

iPad Receive Track: An audio track with input set to channels 5/6. This is where all audio coming back from the iPad enters Live.

Send C (dedicated send to iPad): A send bus routed to outputs 3/4 on the Audio 4c. This is important, because I can select exactly which audio I want to send to iPad for processing and sampling, rather than being limited to working with the entire mix from the laptop. I simply raise the Send C fader on any channel in Live to send that channel’s audio to the iPad - where it arrives on iPad input channels 7/8.

MIDI Input Configuration: In Live’s preferences, enable Track and Remote control for DIN, USB, and USB Host MIDI inputs. This lets the iPad send MIDI directly into Live.

5.4 iPad Configuration (AUM)

On the iPad, open AUM and configure your channels:

Output routing: iPad outputs 1/2 travel back to the laptop via USB and enter on Live’s channels 5/6.

Input routing for sampling: Inputs 5/6 receive the laptop’s main output 1/2. Inputs 7/8 receive the laptop’s output 3/4 (use Send C in Ableton Live to isolate specific audio).

MIDI output: In the MIDI router within AUM, point MIDI-generating apps like Fugue Machine toward the laptop over USB audio.

5.5 Using Loopy Pro as a Custom Control Surface

Loopy Pro can be configured as a fully custom MIDI control surface for Ableton Live. Build widget-by-widget layouts—faders, knobs, buttons—and assign each to a CC message. This is especially useful for turning the iPhone or iPad into a portable MIDI controller, for instance. You can color-code your iPad layout to match any macro controls in your Live effect racks.

The possibilities are endless.

Here’s an example of a custom-mapped Loopy Pro page that controls the Ableton Live session shown below.

6. Signal Flow Reference

The diagram below shows how audio routes through the Audio 4c between your devices, assuming you have a laptop on USB1 and iPad on USB2.

The Key Takeaway: The Audio 4c automatically routes each device’s outputs to the other device’s inputs. This is the foundation of bidirectional integration.

If you ever want to understand routing on the Audio4c in the most simple way, here it is: the front jacks are always available on each device as ins 1-4; Output 1/2 on one device always goes to the other device’s input 5/6; and Output 3/4 always goes to the other device’s input 7/8.

7. Troubleshooting & Tips

Audio from iPad is not arriving in Ableton Live

Confirm Auracle is set to “Play USB1.” Check that the iPad Receive Track in Live has its input set to channels 5/6. Verify USB2 output is muted on the 4c’s main analog outputs.

No audio is reaching the iPad for sampling

Make sure Send C is active in Live and that at least one channel has its Send C fader raised. On the iPad side, confirm the input source is set to channels 7+8 (or 5+6 if you want to sample the entire main output mix).

MIDI from iPad is not controlling Live

Go to Live → Preferences → MIDI and ensure Track and Remote are enabled for USB and USB Host inputs. In reConfig or Auracle’s MIDI matrix, confirm MIDI output is routed to the laptop.

Percussion sounds slightly late when recorded from iPad

This is a known latency characteristic. For tight percussion, nudge the recorded clip forward in Live’s arrangement view, or reduce buffer size to 128 or lower (higher CPU load).

Auracle freezes up

This occasionally happens but does not affect audio playback, only the control software. Simply close and reopen Auracle, or switch to reConfig4Audio for more reliable control.

iPad battery draining during a show

Check your USB cable and connection - USB2 port is designed to provide 15w charging power.

PART THREE

Alternative Integration Methods

The iConnectivity Audio 4c is my preferred solution, but it is certainly not the only path to integrating an iOS device into your workflow. This section covers viable alternatives, each with genuine strengths and honest trade-offs. Your choice depends on your budget, existing gear, and how central bidirectional audio routing is to your workflow.

8. Understanding USB Connectivity Standards

Before diving into specific hardware, it helps to understand the terminology manufacturers use - and what it actually means for your workflow.

8.1 USB Class Compliance

A “class-compliant” audio interface works with iOS and iPadOS without custom drivers. Most modern interfaces with USB-C are class-compliant. This means you can connect them directly to an iPad. However, class compliance alone only means the interface works with one device at a time. It says nothing about connecting multiple hosts simultaneously.

8.2 USB OTG (On-The-Go)

USB OTG is a specification that allows a device to act as either a USB host or a peripheral. In the original USB design, computers were hosts and devices like audio interfaces were peripherals. OTG lets mobile devices act as hosts when needed.

When manufacturers label a port as “OTG,” they typically mean it is designed for direct connection to smartphones and tablets without requiring a computer. However, PLEASE NOTE: an OTG port does not automatically indicate dual-host capability. Some interfaces may have an OTG port available for mobile devices OR a standard USB port for computers, but not both simultaneously.

The bottom line: always be sure to read the product manual or contact the manufacturer for full detail if it isn’t clear or overtly specified.

8.3 True Dual-Host vs. Single-Host

The Audio 4c’s defining feature is true dual-host connectivity: two independent USB ports that can each connect to a separate device, with customizable audio and MIDI routing to each.

It can be hard to decipher marketing copy at times, but here is a basic outline of how you can think about feature sets when evaluating audio interfaces that offer 2 USB ports:

Once again: always be sure to read the product manual or contact the manufacturer for full detail if bidirectional audio capabilities aren’t made clear.

9. Alternative Dual-Host Interfaces

These interfaces offer true dual-host connectivity: the ability to connect two devices simultaneously and route audio between them. None of them are as customizable and flexible as the Audio 4c in terms of the number of channels you can route between the 2 devices, but they can work well if your needs are simpler and do not depend on complex routing workflows or if you need fewer channels in general.

NOTE: this is not intended to be a complete list of all options on the market. It reflects devices I am personally aware of and have had some experience with. Prices shown are subject to change.

9.1 Arturia MiniFuse 2 OTG (~$219 USD)

Despite the “OTG” in the name, this is a true dual-host interface with two USB-C ports that can connect two devices simultaneously. It represents the most direct competition to the Audio 4c at a significantly lower price.

Strengths: Dual USB-C ports for laptop and mobile device simultaneously. Route audio between hosts. Excellent preamp quality (110dB dynamic range). Very compact and portable. Virtual loopback for streaming. USB-A hub port for MIDI controllers (250mA). Solid software bundle. Nearly half the price of the Audio 4c if purchasing new.

Limitations: Only 2 inputs and 2 outputs (versus 4×4 on Audio 4c). No MIDI DIN ports. Audio routing between hosts is less flexible - stereo stream only; no dedicated send bus like outputs 3/4 on the Audio 4c so you can only sample the full PC mix. USB hub limited to 250mA. Does not charge the OTG device, so you need to use a dongle if power is needed.

For this workflow: The MiniFuse 2 OTG can replicate the core iPad-laptop workflow. You can send audio from Ableton to iPad apps and return processed audio. However, you have fewer routing options and must rely on the stereo I/O more creatively. You also need to be cognizant of your iPad battery charge as it does not provide power to the OTG device. Overall, it’s an excellent budget option if you do not need MIDI DIN or extensive routing of custom mixes sent to each device.

9.2 Lewitt Connect 6 (~$299 USD)

Primarily marketed toward streamers and content creators, the Connect 6 supports dual-host connectivity with built-in loopback functionality.

Strengths: Excellent preamp quality. Built-in DSP effects on inputs (compression, EQ, de-esser). Modern software mixer. Loopback channels.

Limitations: No MIDI DIN ports. No USB hub. Only 2×2 analog I/O. Asymmetrical form factor is awkward to pack. Cross-device routing less documented than iConnectivity.

For this workflow: Works for basic iPad integration, but the lack of MIDI ports and limited routing make it less ideal for music production. Its strengths shine more in podcasting and streaming, when you need to send a polished mix to be broadcasted from the mobile device.

9.3 Antelope Audio Zen Quadro (~$729 USD)

The Zen Quadro is a premium interface with exceptional conversion quality and dual USB-C ports.

Strengths: Outstanding audio quality; Antelope’s converters are among the best available. Extensive DSP with vintage hardware emulations that can be applied to inputs in real-time. Professional-grade build quality. Dual USB-C ports for connecting two hosts.

Limitations: Significantly more expensive than the Audio 4c ($729 vs $399). The dual-host functionality is less flexible than iConnectivity’s implementation - can only send a stereo stream to the 2nd device. No MIDI DIN ports. No USB hub for sharing controllers. No on/off power button. The premium conversion quality, while excellent, is arguably overkill for workflows where audio is being processed through iPad apps anyway.

For this workflow: Best suited for users who need premium preamps and conversion for recording acoustic sources (vocals, instruments) AND want iPad integration without anything more than a stereo signal sent to either device. If your workflow involves high-quality tracking alongside iPad processing, the Zen Quadro makes sense. If iPad integration is your primary goal, the Audio 4c offers more relevant features at half the price.

9.4 Other iConnectivity Options

iConnectAUDIO2+ and 4+ (approximately $150-200 used): Older models with fewer I/O but same dual-host functionality. Good budget entry if you find one.

PlayAUDIO12 (~$599) and PlayAUDIO1U (~$1,200): Designed for live performance with failover capability. No analog inputs/preamps. Worth considering for touring professionals in demanding environments that rely strictly on digital signals and USB connections.

10. Software Integration Methods

Before investing in new hardware, it’s worth exploring software-based solutions that can bridge your iPad and laptop. These approaches use your existing equipment and network connections to achieve integration, though each comes with its own trade-offs.

10.1 NovoNotes SideRack (~$98 USD)

SideRack is a Mac-only plugin that lets you use iOS AUv3 plugins directly within your DAW as if they were native plugins. It consists of two components: a plugin that runs in your DAW (AU or VST3) and a companion app called NovoNotes Duo that runs on your iPad or iPhone. Audio and MIDI travel between the two over a standard USB cable.

How it works: You insert SideRack as a plugin on a track in your DAW. On the iOS side, you load whatever AUv3 instruments or effects you want into a “rack” within the NovoNotes Duo app. Audio and MIDI flow between the DAW and iOS device with automatic latency compensation, so tracks stay in sync. Plugin states are saved with your DAW project file, meaning you can close and reopen a session and pick up exactly where you left off.

Strengths: True plugin-style integration: your iOS apps appear as instruments and effects within your DAW workflow. Automatic latency compensation keeps everything sample-accurate. You can run multiple instances (multiple racks) limited only by your hardware’s processing power. Supports parameter automation from your DAW to iOS plugin parameters. Touch interface and Apple Pencil support for MIDI input and piano roll editing. A free trial mode lets you test indefinitely with 10-minute sessions (just reload the plugin to continue).

Limitations: Mac only (no Windows support). Requires a USB connection (not wireless). The $98 price point is reasonable but not trivial. You need to own the iOS apps you want to use. Does not provide the same bidirectional audio routing flexibility as a dual-host interface; it’s specifically designed for using iOS apps as plugins rather than general audio exchange between devices.

For this workflow: SideRack is ideal if your primary goal is accessing the iOS plugin ecosystem from within your DAW. It’s particularly compelling for touch-based instruments, piano roll input with Apple Pencil, and iOS-exclusive effects. If you already own iOS apps you love and want them to feel like native DAW plugins, SideRack delivers that experience cleanly. However, if you need more flexible audio routing (sending arbitrary DAW audio to iPad for live resampling, for instance), a hardware solution like the Audio 4c remains more versatile.

10.2 SonoBus (Free, Open-Source)

SonoBus is a free, open-source application designed for streaming high-quality audio over a network. While it was originally built for remote collaboration (sending audio between musicians in different locations), it also works beautifully for local use: streaming audio between devices on the same WiFi network or even over a wired connection.

How it works: SonoBus runs as either a standalone app or a plugin (AU, VST, AAX on desktop; AUv3 on iOS). You create or join a “group” with a unique name, and all connected devices can send and receive audio to each other. On a local network, latency can be surprisingly low. Audio quality is adjustable from compressed (Opus codec, 16-256 kbps) to completely uncompressed PCM.

Strengths: Completely free and open-source. Cross-platform: Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android. Works as both standalone app and plugin. Supports multiple simultaneous connections. Built-in input effects (compression, noise gate, EQ) and master reverb. Can record all incoming audio. Quality and latency are user-adjustable. No account or login required.

Limitations: Network-dependent: works best on wired ethernet, though WiFi is usable with increased jitter buffer (and thus latency). No encryption (audio is sent unencrypted, though interception is unlikely on a local network). Requires some network configuration knowledge for optimal results. Not designed specifically for iPad-laptop integration, so setup is less streamlined than purpose-built solutions.

For this workflow: SonoBus is a clever option for wireless audio streaming between iPad and laptop when you don’t want cables. Load SonoBus as an AUv3 plugin inside AUM on iPad, and as a plugin in Ableton Live on your laptop. Join the same group, and you have bidirectional audio over your local network. Latency will be higher than USB-based solutions (expect 20-50ms depending on your network and buffer settings), so it’s better suited for ambient textures, pads, and non-rhythmically-critical material than tight percussion. But for the price (free), it’s a remarkably capable tool that’s worth experimenting with.

10.3 Comparison: Software vs. Hardware Integration

10.4 When Software Solutions Make Sense

Choose SideRack if: You want iOS apps to behave like native plugins in your DAW, you value touch/Apple Pencil input, and you’re on a Mac. This is the most “integrated” feeling option for plugin-style use.

Choose SonoBus if: You want wireless connectivity, you’re on a budget, you’re comfortable with some network configuration, or you also need remote collaboration features. It’s also useful as a backup or secondary connection method alongside hardware.

Choose hardware (Audio 4c, etc.) if: You need the lowest possible latency, you want MIDI DIN connectivity, you need to share USB MIDI controllers between devices, or you require flexible multi-channel routing.

In my opinion, hardware like the Audio4c still remains a more robust and versatile option for serious integration compared to software.

11. Single-Host Interfaces with IDAM

If you already own a quality audio interface, use a Mac, and don’t have plans to send live audio back to the iPad for real-time processing, you may not need to buy new hardware at all. Apple’s built-in IDAM (Inter-Device Audio and MIDI) protocol lets you receive iPad audio and MIDI directly on your Mac over a standard USB cable. Combined with an aggregate audio device, this provides a simple - if one-directional - integration path.

11.1 What IDAM Does (and Does Not Do)

IDAM is Apple’s built-in protocol for receiving audio and MIDI from an iPad (or iPhone) on a Mac over USB. When you connect your iPad and enable it in Audio MIDI Setup, the iPad appears as an audio input device. Its stereo output shows up as an available input source in your DAW. MIDI from iPad apps is also transmitted over the same connection.

11.2 The Key Limitation: One-Way Audio

The IDAM protocol is designed to send audio 1 way: from iPad or iPhone to Mac over USB. This may be limiting for users who are hoping to send audio to iPad live for processing and sampling on the fly.

That said: One-way integration still covers a lot of ground and is still a valid way to unlock the capabilities of the iOS music ecosystem. If you use the iPad primarily as a sound source—running synthesizers, samplers, loopers, or generative sequencers—and want that audio to arrive in your DAW for recording and mixing, IDAM handles this beautifully with zero additional cost.

Strengths: Zero cost (built into macOS). Simple setup. Low latency. Works alongside any audio interface. Carries both audio and MIDI over a single USB cable.

Limitations: One-way audio only (iPad → Mac). No return path for sending DAW audio to iPad. Mac only—not available on Windows.

11.3 Setup: Enabling IDAM

Connect your iPad to your Mac via USB. Open Audio MIDI Setup (found in Applications → Utilities). Your iPad should appear in the left sidebar. Click on it and click “Enable.” The iPad now appears as an audio input device on your Mac. It will also appear in your DAW as an input source.

11.4 Creating an Aggregate Device

By default, your DAW can only use one audio device at a time. If your audio interface is selected as the output device, you cannot simultaneously select the iPad as an input device. The solution is to create an aggregate audio device in macOS that combines your interface and the iPad into a single virtual device.

In Audio MIDI Setup, click the “+” button in the bottom-left corner and select “Create Aggregate Device.” Check the boxes for both your audio interface and the iPad. Set your audio interface as the clock source - this ensures stable timing, as the interface has a more reliable clock than the iPad’s USB audio stream. Name the aggregate device something descriptive (e.g., “Interface + iPad”).

In your DAW, select the aggregate device as your audio device. You now have access to all inputs and outputs from both your interface and the iPad in a single session. Your interface’s outputs handle monitoring and playback as usual. The iPad’s audio inputs appear as additional input channels. Create an audio track, set its input to the iPad channels, and you can record iPad audio alongside everything else.

11.5 A Note on Clock Sync

Aggregate devices combine two independent audio clocks, which can occasionally cause subtle artifacts like clicks, pops, or drift. In practice, this is rarely an issue for typical sessions. Setting your audio interface as the clock source (rather than the iPad) minimizes the risk.

11.6 Recommended Single-Host Interfaces

• Focusrite Scarlett Series (4th Gen): Proven reliability, excellent value, huge user community. USB-C, class-compliant.

• MOTU M-Series: Outstanding converters, beautiful LCD metering, built-in loopback.

• Universal Audio Volt Series: Built-in vintage preamp emulation, excellent software bundle.

Tip: If you own a Mac and a quality interface, try IDAM with an aggregate device before buying new hardware. For workflows where the iPad is primarily a sound source, it may be all you need.

12. Using Two Separate Audio Interfaces

Before dual-host interfaces existed, the standard approach was to use two separate interfaces - one for each device - and connect them via analog cables. This method still works and may be the right choice for many people.

12.1 How It Works

Each device gets its own interface. The laptop runs Interface A; the iPad runs Interface B. Audio is exchanged by physically connecting the outputs of one interface to the inputs of the other using analog cables (typically balanced TRS).

MIDI can be exchanged via traditional DIN cables between the interfaces (if both have MIDI ports), via USB MIDI through a separate MIDI interface, or wirelessly via Bluetooth or network MIDI.

Keep in mind that, if using this method, an additional output pair from either audio interface would need to be available to send to the PA or studio monitors.

12.2 When This Makes Sense

You already own two quality interfaces. If you have a desktop interface and a portable one collecting dust, this costs nothing extra.

You need more analog I/O. Two 4-channel interfaces give you 8 channels of analog I/O, more than any affordable dual-host interface offers.

You want complete independence. Each device has its own dedicated interface with no shared resources or potential conflicts.

Redundancy matters. If one interface fails, the other device keeps working. Useful for mission-critical live performance.

12.3 Limitations

Double the gear, double the cables. You need two power supplies (or one bus-powered and one powered), four or more analog cables for audio exchange, and potentially MIDI cables as well. Setup time increases significantly.

More points of failure. Every cable is a potential problem. Troubleshooting signal flow across two interfaces is more complex.

No unified control. You cannot see or control all routing from a single piece of software. Each interface has its own mixer/control app.

Clock sync issues. Without word clock connection, the two interfaces run on independent clocks. For short sessions this is rarely audible, but long sessions may accumulate subtle drift. Professional interfaces with word clock I/O can be synced, but budget interfaces typically cannot.

Analog conversion twice. Audio going from laptop to iPad passes through D/A conversion on Interface A, then A/D conversion on Interface B. The reverse happens on the return trip. Four conversion stages total (versus two with a dual-host interface) means more opportunities for quality loss, though modern converters make this largely theoretical.

12.4 Practical Setup Example

Laptop running Ableton Live with a Focusrite Scarlett 4i4. iPad running AUM with a small portable interface like the Audient EVO 4.

• Scarlett 4i4 outputs 3/4 → EVO 4 inputs 1/2 (laptop sends to iPad)

• EVO 4 outputs 1/2 → Scarlett 4i4 inputs 3/4 (iPad returns to laptop)

• Scarlett 4i4 outputs 1/2 → monitors (main output)

• Both interfaces connected to respective devices via USB

In Ableton Live, set up a send routed to outputs 3/4 for sending to iPad, and an audio track receiving on inputs 3/4 for the iPad return. On iPad, set AUM to receive on inputs 1/2 and output on 1/2.

12.5 Verdict

• The two-interface approach works but is cumbersome from a physical standpoint - more cables, more power required, more points of failure.

• For most users, a dual-host interface like the Audio 4c or MiniFuse 2 OTG provides a cleaner, more portable, and easier-to-troubleshoot solution.

• However, the two-interface approach is still perfectly acceptable for situations where you genuinely need the extra I/O or already own the gear and don’t want to spend extra.

13. Wireless Integration Methods

Wireless connectivity trades reliability for freedom of movement. These methods work best as supplements rather than replacements for wired connections.

13.1 Ableton Link

Link is Ableton’s protocol for syncing tempo and transport across devices on the same network. It is built into Live and hundreds of iOS apps.

What it syncs: Tempo (BPM) and transport position. All Link-enabled apps lock to the same tempo automatically.

What it does NOT sync: MIDI notes. Parameter changes. Audio.

UPDATE Feb 10: Ableton has announced an “Audio Link” feature in Live 12.4, which allows wireless audio streaming over WiFi. This guide will be updated accordingly when available to test. More info here through Ableton.

Best for: Keeping iPad loopers and sequencers in time with Ableton Live. Use alongside a wired audio connection for best results.

13.2 Bluetooth MIDI

iOS supports Bluetooth MIDI natively for wireless MIDI control.

Strengths: Wireless. Native OS support. No cables required.

Limitations: Latency is noticeable (20–50ms). Connections can drop. No audio.

Best for: Using iPad as a wireless control surface for mixing or clip launching—not for playing instruments.

13.3 Network MIDI (rtpMIDI)

Sends MIDI over your local network. macOS supports it natively; Windows needs third-party software.

Strengths: Lower latency than Bluetooth (5–15ms). More reliable. Works over longer distances.

Limitations: More technical setup. Network dependent. MIDI only.

14. Choosing the Right Approach

No single method discussed is universally “best.” The Audio 4c offers the most complete experience for bidirectional work, but the MiniFuse 2 OTG comes remarkably close at nearly half the price. Mac users with existing interfaces should try IDAM before buying new hardware. The dual-interface approach works but adds complexity.

The key is understanding what you actually need. If you primarily use the iPad to generate sounds that feed into your DAW, IDAM may be sufficient. If you want to send DAW audio to the iPad for resampling/effects, then return it, bidirectional flow is where dual-host interfaces shine.

14.1 Quick Reference

14.2 Interface Comparison

*MiniFuse 2 OTG USB hub limited to 250mA

PART FOUR

Scaling Up

15. Possible Setups & Configurations

The iPad-centered approach is modular by design. As your needs evolve, you can add or swap components. Once you understand the possibilities of a dual-device workflow, it becomes even more exciting to introduce new pieces to the system.

Here are configurations I have used in practice, to give you some ideas:

In every configuration, the iPad remains at the center. It is the common thread tying everything together with its touch interface, its app ecosystem, and its role as the creative heart of the rig.

I’m in that stage of the creative cycle where I’m cross-checking mixes on various sound systems: cars, AirPods, phone speakers, studio monitors, etc. All these songs are still titled with a “[date]_[version]_[process change]” formula, and I’m desperately trying to convince myself that it’s actually an OK body of work while making meaningless mixing tweaks that nobody will appreciate. I’m almost there.

In spite of the psychological hurdles involved with it, I can honestly say that this is a particularly fun stage of music-making for me. I can start to see latent themes and ideas that have sat with me throughout the songwriting phase begin to surface and coalesce into something tangible. In a way, I’m learning a little more about myself by listening back to these pieces. I think other musicians will understand what I mean by this.

Here are some takeaways that I wanted to put down in writing. For those who have taken out a paid subscription, I have some excerpts of this work posted at the bottom of the article.

I’ve always approached my music in a fairly quiet, inward way. Most of my work to date has been diaristic and impressionistic, and I tend to be cautious about making any grand artistic statements through this kind of (fluid? formless? free-flowing?) music. I’m usually more interested in letting a process unfold and seeing what reveals itself than in deciding ahead of time what a piece is supposed to say.

With that said, Object Language came together during a period when it felt increasingly difficult not to respond to the world outside the studio.

Lately, the social and political atmosphere has felt unsettled in a way that’s difficult to ignore. It isn’t just that disagreement feels more visible or more intense, but that the sense of a shared reality itself seems increasingly fragile. People can encounter the same event and arrive at entirely different conclusions about what happened, why it matters, and even what can be considered true. Communication is constant and effortless, yet clarity and consensus feel harder to hold onto than ever.

The killings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis this year brought this sense of fractured reality into stark relief for me. In both cases, federal officials offered immediate, highly charged characterizations of the incidents, even before any transparent investigative process had taken place. That alone was remarkable, but what was more striking was how quickly conflicting narratives then formed around the same footage, pushing people into very different interpretations of what was happening and why. Even with clear, high-resolution video circulating widely, there was little consensus about what could be taken at face value. In that way, the episode felt emblematic of a broader condition, where shared reference points seem to erode and everyone ends up working from entirely different frameworks for understanding what they are seeing.

This feeling of disorientation isn’t limited to Minneapolis. Since 2016 we’ve seen the “muzzle velocity” strategy of politics wielded with astonishing effectiveness to chip away at shared norms and stabilizing systems. Events unfold faster than we can process them and meanings are continually reframed. Institutional trust has eroded, misinformation flows instantly around the world, and even seemingly direct evidence and expertise can be subject to endless reinterpretation, questioning, and debate. It can be emotionally and mentally exhausting to live in such a nebulous, low-trust environment, and I’ve found some of that fatigue seeping into how I work.

Transforming and reshaping sound in the studio sometimes feels like a way to assert some measure of control in a context where so much else feels uncertain and unresolved.

I’ve always worked with samples and effects processing, and substantial audio transformation has been a big part of my practice for a long time. Even so, while working on Object Language, I noticed a stronger resistance than usual to leaving sounds untouched. It felt uncomfortable to let anything remain neutral or unaltered…I was simply not content to let any sound I made exist in its original form. Initially, I didn’t fully understand where that impulse came from, but in hindsight, I think it was actually tied to a broader sense of instability outside the music.

For this album, every sound began as something else: a field recording, a fragment, a loop that had been abandoned. None of these sounds were inherently purposeful to begin with, and so I felt a certain kind of freedom to play with them and completely destroy them. Nothing was left as-is. Sounds were re-sampled, re-pitched, filtered, recorded to tape and other lo-fi media, and processed repeatedly…many, many times…until their original identities were significantly less clear. Tape saturation, digital artifacts, and sample rate reduction became part of the structure of the music itself.

The album takes its title from ideas in semantics and logic. An “object language” is the language we use to describe the world, and it depends on shared assumptions about meaning, reference, and truth. Lately, those assumptions feel fragile. Context shifts quickly, interpretation varies wildly, and agreement on what is “true” often feels out of reach. I don’t think the album attempts to explain any of this or offer paths forward, but I do think it reflects how it feels to move through that uncertainty.

Rather than making music about these ideas in a literal way, I wanted the work to embody them. The sounds here are intentionally distant and worn, like signals that have passed through too many hands and too many systems to be well understood. They sit somewhere between what was intended and what is actually heard, and they never fully resolve.

I understand why some people are wary of “political music,” and I share some of that hesitation. At the same time, it feels harder than ever to pretend that music exists outside the conditions under which it’s made. I’m letting the music-making process absorb some of the immense pressure of the moment.

These songs are a kind of residue. They are traces of original ideas that have been bent, filtered, and partially erased. Object Language is a slow and patient album that leaves space for ambiguity, and for the discomfort of not fully knowing what something means (or generally, where we are heading). In that way, it feels like an honest reflection of the world I’m trying to describe, even if that description never quite settles.

Maybe you will hear some of the unease and distorted elements in these songs. I haven’t entered into my “harsh noise” era or anything, but I have certainly been embracing more abrasion and degradation than normal. “Clean and pure” ambient just doesn’t feel like the right thing to be doing in this moment. I think there’s a little cynicism and edge in this one.

I’m looking forward to sharing this when the time is right, and hope you appreciate some of the unfinished, work-in-progress samples below.

Read more

Setup

Pianos, Strings, and Pads

The core sound in this piece is - unsurprisingly - a soft piano from the Noire Kontakt instrument. I re-used the 3 loops from my prior Studio Diary session (check that out here) in Samplr, but honed in on different sections of each and adjusted the pitches for a droning pad made from the sustaining tails. This is a low-level base I used to begin the piece, and it remains throughout. It fades in and out of earshot thanks to a slow ramping tremolo from Audiomodern Gatelab. It’s being sent through Oxide for wow/flutter effect, then out to a severely degraded instance of Valhalla Delay in tape mode on Send A.

I had 2 duplicate tracks loaded in Ableton Live with the same Noire piano for separate processing:

• A “clean” version of the piano designed to be sent to sends B and C that are running 2 different instances of the Celestine granular texture generator. The sends are pre-fader, meaning I can ramp up the send knobs to hear purely wet signal independent of the dry piano sound. I am using “Stars” and “Bloom” modes in Celestine which, to me, sound the most atmospheric and ambient of all the options here. I have an LFO modifying the playhead position and I’m adjusting grain size, density, pitch, and other options manually throughout the piece.

Here is what it sounds like when the sends are ramped up, so you can hear what Celestine is doing to the piano sound. I like how washy and smeary it can get while still sounding crystalline; almost like a more interesting harmonizer. The way it captures the felt and mechanical sounds of the piano and creates a sort of glitchy, rolling “brush” sound with the white noise is fantastic texture.

• Then, there’s a second version of the piano sent directly into Prismatic with no throughput audio; I used this channel to capture loops and route them through the pitch-shifting effects of the Prismatic looper. This device is almost like a digital version of a Chase Bliss Mood or Blooper pedal; you feed it a snip of audio and it can collide with 4 sequential pitch shifting loopers with user-selected probability. Very cool stuff possible here…the filter is a godsend, and I love the ability to smooth out jumps between sections of the looper. I barely scratched the surface of this one, and would like to explore it more.

  Here, I’m just using it for very low-level pads and thickening ambience, made more “lo fi” with Ableton’s Saturator and ijo audio’s Oxide tape sim (with an LFO modulating its “Glitch” parameter).

• Finally: there are some additional pad sounds coming from an instance of Landorms in Ableton Live that are also sent through Celestine for some celestial orchestral magic. I am using a “low brass” sound combined with a cello to make a thick drone. I think this sounds utterly glorious, and it’s giving me all kinds of ideas for future concepts.

Other Stuff

In the video, I have my iPad connected to the laptop via USB and am sending audio and MIDI information to Ableton Live via the IDAM protocol on MacOS - just click “enable” on your iPad within the Audio MIDI Setup application and you’re good to go; you’ll see your device as an input option in Live or any other DAW. This is the simplest way to communicate with an iPad if all you’re doing is sending audio FROM the tablet TO the computer.

Fugue Machine Rubato is running on iPad and sequencing the Kontakt instruments in Live. I have it set to a very slow-moving, single playhead sequence that triggers one of 3 possible notes. This triggers random chords in the key of D from Audiomodern Chordjam in Ableton Live, and plays the 2 pianos. I wanted to focus on manipulating effects parameters, not playing piano here. Tempo and start/stop action is kept in sync with Ableton Link.

On the master, as usual, are a few tools to tidy up: FabFilter Pro-C2 compressor, Pro-Q4 EQ, and iZotope Ozone for leveling. Audio is synced with my camera in post with iMovie.

Thanks again for listening and reading.

-Andrew

—

Today, an improvisation in the key of D centered primarily on 3 piano samples manipulated by a powerful software pairing: the mighty Samplr (whose developer I interviewed nearly 2 years ago now, and is my all-time favorite app already) and a relative newcomer from Aqeel Aadam and BlankFor.ms called “Outgrowth” that I’m now happy to recommend after having some hands-on experience.

The Setup:

Samples

As mentioned, I started this piece with 3 simple samples of Noire piano by Native Instruments. Just a smooth, simple felted piano in the “half closed lid” character mode. I reduced the “color” parameter for extra darkness.

Samplr

All 3 of these are then loaded in Samplr; selective focus on looping the sustaining tails of the chords is what creates the pad sound that opens the jam. Later in the piece, I also used it to sample the sequenced pianos in Ableton Live that I’ll touch on below.

The Samplr output is sent through an effects chain that creates chops, glitches, stutters, and lo-fi noises: Audio Damage Replicant (glitching), Audiomodern GateLab (gating/stutter), ChowDSP Tape (warble), Fabfilter Pro-Q3 (low end reduction) and Audiothing Lines (distortion and hiss). These are sent over to Ableton Live via USB through the iConnectivity Audio 4c audio interface.

Outgrowth

In addition to the pad from Samplr, I have 2 instances of Outgrowth running, each with a different piano sample from above.

The Outgrowth instrument is a wonderfully intuitive app. It’s a collaboration between Aqeel Aadam Sound (who you may know from other apps like Weeping Wall) and BlankFor.ms (AKA Tyler Gilmore; tape-looping and modular-synthing wizard). I’ve known Tyler for some time and even had a chance to tour with him back in 2022 along with Puremagnetik’s Micah Frank and 12k’s Taylor Deupree - truly an awesome time! - and so, I like to think I know his style well. This software definitely has his fingerprints all over it, in the best way possible. There are a couple of really nice features for ambient/droney samplers like myself:

• Subvert: a tool to “inverse” the audio of a sample, making quiet parts loud and loud parts quiet - which is fantastic for drawing out interesting quirks, hiss, noise, etc. in a pre-recorded loop like the ones I used.

• Submerge: a “spectral rebalancer” function that seems to make formants and resonant notches smoother. In practice, I found that this really helps make extreme pitch shifting (around, say, +/- 2 octaves or so) feel much more natural and less harsh with digital overtones.

• Ripple: glorious, thick, slightly wild wow-and-flutter effect to batter the sound.

• Smear: pre-ADSR reverb that smoothes, elongates, and mellows even percussive sources like a piano for dreamy pads.

There are many more functions than this, but I found that these 4 knobs in particular were essential to achieving the warm, warbly pads I was creating from roughly the 2:25 mark of the video. There’s modulation galore and 5 different playback engines to choose from - I highly recommend exploring it for yourself to understand the full capability. Hats off to Aqeel and Tyler for what they’ve managed to create here!

Anyway…I am playing these 2 samples in Outgrowth with the built-in AUM keyboard, set to infinite sustain for droning pads. They’re sent through GateLab for slow, 8-bar tremolo and gentle motion, then combined on a mix bus that has EQ, stutter, and reverb. In isolation, it sounds roughly like this:

Fugue Machine & ChordJam (MIDI Sequencing) plus additional session notes

Lastly, I have a simple 2-note sequence in Fugue Machine sending Midi notes on channels 1, 2, and 3 to Ableton Live over USB; all 3 playheads are playing at different divisions of the master clock (synced with Ableton Link) and at different pitches.

These playheads trigger 3 different instances of Audiomodern ChordJam in Ableton Live - each then playing one of 3 Noire pianos in the background. These 3 pianos are cleaner and less affected than what’s happening in the samplers on iPad, so it brings some balance, bass, and body to the piece.

The 3 playheads on Fugue Machine are also triggering a bass (from Slate + Ash Landforms) and cellos (from Felt Instruments Blisko) for underlying raspy, bowed textures.

You can see the MIDI assignments here in my Live session…it sounds more complicated than it actually is. I’m just mixing these sounds manually with my mouse as the sequencer plays and random chords are generated in the key of D. Balancing them and mixing is the challenging part, for which I rely on FabFilter Pro-Q4 and iZotope Ozone to keep things clean.

Send A is Valhalla VintageVerb, Send B is Valhalla Delay (Tape mode), and Send C directs audio of my choosing to my iPad so I can sample it live in Samplr.

Compression, EQ, and saturation sit on the master bus to tie it all together. I recorded the session live in 1 take in my studio, syncing the Ableton Live audio to my camera feed after the fact in iMovie.

Thanks again for watching and reading. Stay warm and be well.

There are two pieces of the puzzle here:

A piano sample from 2024…origin unknown, uncovered on my dropbox from a discarded remix project. If I had to hazard a guess, it’s Felt Instruments Lekko piano processed through PitchLoop 89 with reverse delay - but I can’t be sure of it, honestly.

A string sample, also from 2024…origin unknown! Most likely Slate + Ash Landforms with some kind of reedy woodwind sound layered in.

There are two instances of each sample; one at normal pitch and one pitched down. In Samplr, I used the “bow and arrow” dragging tool to comb the piano samples for interesting fragments…a more playable alternative to some of the other software glitching effects I like to use, with more direct hands-on control. Moving vertically on the screen affects volume of playback; moving horizontally chooses where the playback loop begins - you can adjust the size of this loop on the upper controls section.

There isn’t a whole lot else to say about this one. You can see what’s happening here. It’s one of those sessions where the nature of the original samples made it easy to find interesting bits to zero in on. I also quite enjoy the fact that because the samples are on the longer side, there are some interesting digital artifacts going on in Samplr as it tries to keep up with all the pitch shifting and formant shaping…you can hear some harsh, edgy, bit-crushed sounds on the periphery happening here as I scan through the piano samples in particular. I did nothing additional to coax those out.

The end result of the jam was recorded straight to iPad in AUM, which was running FabFilter EQ and compression to smooth things out a bit. I then synced the audio to video in iMovie and uploaded here.

Thanks for listening, and to those in the path of this winter storm, stay warm and safe.

-Andrew

Here’s a demo from this morning in bed, made entirely on the laptop in Ableton Live and featuring Slate + Ash Landforms & Spectres, Spectrasonics Omnisphere 3, and Felt Instruments Lekko.

Background

A great deal of this piece is driven by stringed instruments and orchestral sounds, processed and warped to sound more dense and “droned out.” That’s a result of where my head is at right now, because while digging into the monsoon of music I wasn’t able to sit down with in 2025, a particular few associated with Richard Skelton have stood out - both his own solo output as well as the “Imperial Valley” project on his imprint, Folded Time. Richard has been among my very favorite artists for years now. I find his use of resonance, feedback, and acoustic amplification utterly mesmerizing and thrilling to listen to. It’s a true standout sound in the world of drone; it sounds “wild” and untamed to me, and has influenced the way I like to treat my own use of stringed instruments and orchestral tones.

Both of these releases from 2025 are highly recommended, if you haven’t grabbed them already…

“American Memory” by Imperial Valley

It’s 2025. A fledgling dictator is seated in the Oval Office. There is talk of trade wars, of mass deportations, of reduced reproductive rights for women. In southern California a lone field recordist roams the Mexican border, cataloging the sounds of the desert. Glamis, Acolita Sand Hills, ghosts of Obregon.

Outside Yuma the power lines hum a lonesome ditch-bank blues. On the dustroads off the I-8 the car’s radio skips between stations. Amid the music and the static there are voices from a different century, but the fears they speak of are timeless. Isolation, deprivation, powerlessness...

“The Second Chamber” by Richard Skelton

2025 marks the 20th anniversary of Sustain-Release, the private press label through which Richard Skelton published a string of hermetic, landscape-oriented albums under a series of pseudonyms. Rather than release a retrospective, a collection of remixes, or a cache of unreleased material, Skelton has made a new album that honours the spirit of his earlier work. Recorded between 2021 and 2025, these new compositions feature his original ‘broken consort’ of small, handmade or modified stringed instruments, augmented by cello, viola and piano. Over the past decade, Skelton has subjected this acoustic palette of sounds to increasingly destructive processes, but on ‘The Second Chamber’ he allows each instrument to simply ring out in reverberant space. The result is an album that looks to the horizon whilst remaining anchored in the soil, an album that treats as revelation the chance resonances of even the simplest of musical gestures, an album that celebrates the life-affirming qualities of music itself.

As a fun aside, I’ll take the opportunity here to mention that my admiration for Richard’s work is exactly why it was such an honor to correspond with him a while back for a compilation project I worked on from 2018-2019 called “Place Language” in partnership with author Robert MacFarlane, which is based on his book “Landmarks.” Here you can read an interview with Robert by the wonderful Emergence Magazine, in which he discusses the book and album while playing 3 of its tracks. Richard was one of 28 artists from around the world that I asked to contribute pieces of music based on a word from MacFarlane’s “word hoard” of descriptive landscape terms, collected through his travels and interviews and documented in the book. His piece under the moniker “The Inward Circles” was one of my favorites from the compilation (all proceeds donated to the non-profit group War Child UK). The fabulous art by Gregory Euclide, handmade package by Fluid Audio, and album release show at Cafe OTO in London in September 2019 made it one of my all-time favorite musical projects to work on.

Anyway, back to the piece here…

Core Components

There are 4 main tracks here, all driven by Audiomodern Chordjam generating chords in the key of D minor any time I press my MacBook keyboard. I didn’t automate or do anything to adjust levels in post, I just played all this on the MacBook keyboard live and used the Ableton mixer to adjust levels as I played. These are excerpts of each isolated track, normalized in volume.

1. Omnisphere 3: this is an extremely simple patch, just 2 parts using the “Ice Land” synth engine which is a quite glassy, hollow-sounding tone. I pitched it down an octave to serve as a low-level undertone to everything else, just filling in some bass here and there to make it more full-bodied. In the effect chain, I sent it through an instance of SoundToys tremolator at 50% depth over a 16-bar envelope to help it fade in and out subtly, then through a clean tape sim (Aberrant DSP Sketch Cassette) for some extra grit and hiss, then ProQ4 for eq/tone shaping in the low mids.

2. Slate + Ash Spectres drones: this was a bit of a chance discovery. I’ve owned Spectres since it was initially released, having been blown away by the amazing demos and launch material they released…only to be quickly disappointed that I wasn’t able to find any viable use for it in my own work! I have struggled with this instrument for a long time, finding it a little too esoteric for me. But while listening to Richard’s latest album, I became quite attached to the feedback and resonance he captured on the recording and thought I’d try to recreate some kind of similar sonic signature using Spectres - I remember feeling that most of the included sounds were a bit on the wilder side and might work here. I stumbled upon the library of “Vibe Bow Sustain” patches in the Percussion library and instantly fell in love when layering that with some violin harmonics. I ran it through an amp sim in the Spectres UI for more harshness and overdriven resonance. The patch is routed through Tremolator and EQ for swelling and tonal shaping, respectively.

3. Slate + Ash Landforms strings: to absolutely nobody’s surprise, this appears again. I just love the instrument…I’m sorry. Here it takes a bit of backseat to Spectres and sits low in the mix with cello and violin. I roughed it up a little with some Drive effect in the FX engine, then sent it through Tremolator and EQ to carve out some midrange. I added some random modulation on Octave and Panning here so that it “pokes out” every now and then on the upper range of the keyboard.

4. Felt Instruments Lekko piano: in keeping with the spirit of exploration and trying new things recently, I dug into one my lesser-used playback modes on this track and used the “tremolo” preset. This is the twinkling staccato sound that opens the track. After going through the built-in delay and reverb, it’s sent through EQ and Tremolator. The most noticeable processing on this sound comes courtesy of Ableton’s PitchLoop 89 granular engine and Audio Damage Replicant 3. As the track goes on, I manually dial up the wet mix of both to add glitching and spatial effects, and ride the feedback knob on PitchLoop 89 close to 100% at points in order to cause some of the self-oscillation you hear throughout. The whole track is sent through a reverb bus that has Valhalla Vintage on the receiving end for extra depth and dimension - it’s a Concert Hall reverb type with Modern character for clean and subtle tonality.

Gluing it together

I grouped Omnisphere and Slate + Ash instruments into their own subgroup for mixing purposes, and put a multiband compressor on it to limit the low-midrange from interfering with Lekko’s deeper/darker tones. On the master bus, I use ProQ4 to carve out excess resonance and then applied C2 compressor to give it that final squeeze. I exported the recording at normalized volume here.

I’m liking where this is going and will probably keep shaping it up over the coming weeks into something more definitive as I gather new material and see where it fits.

Thanks again for listening and reading!

AT

This diary entry features my first demo of the year. Rather than breaking down every step, I wanted to let this one exist as a snapshot of where my ears are right now. A small, patient piece to ease into the year. I’m recovering from an operation earlier this week so wasn’t able to film this one or go too deep.

Anyway, the sounds themselves are fairly simple, but they’re shaped with enough processing and modulation to give them a sense of movement and quiet energy. The piece came together using an iPad and laptop, then arranged in Ableton Live. It sounds like this:

Core sound sources

On the iPad, Samplr is doing most of the heavy lifting with a piano sample I recorded back in October using Native Instruments Noire. The sound combines one of the continuous piano modes layered with a felted piano, plus a bit of built-in tape hiss. Here’s the original source for reference:

I duplicated this sample across four neighboring tracks in Samplr, each serving a different role:

• One version pitched down an octave and reversed, looping a very small section to act as a drone

• Another pitched down two octaves and reversed, also looping tightly as a lower drone layer

• A third left at the original pitch, automatically triggering random 1/16-sized slices

• A fourth pitched up a fifth, focused on shifting sections with recorded gestures for accents

Constant mixing, nudging, and automation inside Samplr is the main way these static samples become something more alive. To push things further, all four outputs are routed through a shared effects chain in AUM:

• FabFilter MB and Pro-Q 3 for control and shaping

• Audiomodern GateLab at a very low mix for subtle choppiness and movement—almost like worn tape

• Unfiltered Audio Lo-Fi AF for grain, noise, and occasional glitchy clicks (mixed under 20%)

• Unfiltered Audio Tails for reverb and depth

• A small gain boost at the end

All together, that chain sounds like this:

Additional layers and sequencing

Also on the iPad, Fugue Machine Rubato sends a simple three-note sequence (with slight timing and repeat variations) to Ableton Live across two MIDI channels. One channel controls Slate + Ash Landforms, the other controls Slate + Ash Spectres.

Landforms provides a two-part atmospheric drone built from bass and violin (the Eighth Breath voice), with Loss, Drive, and Space effects from the internal FX engine adding a bit of grit and depth.

Spectres is a modified version of the Clarity preset, centered on sustained bowed textures. I focused on smaller loop regions and increased the sense of space with additional reverb.

Here’s how that sequence plays out:

Motion and interaction

Once the sound sources are in place, most of my time goes into finding ways for them to interact and evolve together. I rely on a few familiar tools when I want extra motion and interest.

Soundtoys Tremolator appears on every track in this piece. I vary depth and tempo per track, letting movement fade in and out slowly. In Ableton Live, LFOs gently nudge these parameters, though some automation is drawn by hand when I want more control.

Soundtoys PanMan is another staple. Its ability to introduce random panning only above certain volume thresholds helps keep the effect noticeable without being constant - most apparent on stronger piano hits. Audio Damage Replicator shows up more sparingly, but it adds just enough spatial unpredictability to keep things from settling too much.

Thanks for listening.

-AT

This was a challenging year in many ways, especially from a professional standpoint. The nature of my day job requires me to respond to (and manage the fallout from) a daily torrent of chaos emanating from the White House. I knew this would be a hard year going in, but it proved even more taxing than I anticipated. The good news is that 2028 is inching closer - what I hope will mark the beginning of a slow return to decency and normalcy in our political environment, even if recovery happens on a generational timescale. For now, I’ve resigned myself to the fact that the next few years of work will remain complex, maddening, and demanding, and I’m doing my best to brace for that reality. And finally, yes…everything is expensive! SO expensive! The “cost of living” conversation is not abstract; it’s very real for me, and I know many of you are feeling it too.

All of that negativity said, and setting aside the political and economic backdrop, many things were genuinely good and wonderful this year - there was far more good than bad, really. It’s just easier to talk about the bad.

I leaned hard into noticing and appreciating small, daily joys. My twin girls turned two and are now confident little toddlers. My dog greets me each day as if I’ve been gone for a year. My wife supports me in more ways than I can fully articulate. They are truly the great joys of my life. I drank a lot of excellent coffee, read many great books, and listened to countless thoughtful, enriching conversations. I can say, without hesitation, that I feel smarter than I did a year ago.

Musically, it was also a meaningful, if slightly slow and tedious, year. I did not finish everything I started, and most days I felt a little frustrated with how little time I have available to work on my craft…but I really enjoyed the stuff I did find time for.

In case you missed them, I released two full‑length albums that I’m deeply proud of:

Signal ()

Soft Erasure (Fluid Audio)

I also released a commissioned piece and published my back catalog of previously subscriber‑only releases on my personal Bandcamp page.

Going forward, I’ve made all of the albums I directly control free or pay‑what‑you‑want for the indefinite future. There are a few releases tied to label pages that I can’t adjust, but everything I can make accessible, I have.

Additionally, I shared two longer tracks rescued from a previously completed album that I ultimately had to shelve for personal and complicated reasons. I still love that record, even if it wasn’t meant to exist in its original form. These two pieces felt worth saving, so I revisited them lightly and gave them a second lease on life. Maybe one day I’ll figure out how to share the rest of that story.

Lost tapes (self-released)

Thank you to everyone who has offered support, conversation, encouragement, friendship, and care this year. I’m grateful for each of you.

Looking ahead these next few weeks, I’m hoping to slow things down a bit: spend more time making music, and share more of both the work and the writing process here on Sound Methods in the coming year. Thanks for being here, and for continuing along this path with me.

All the best,

Andrew

This album’s story is a bit unconventional. Over the past two years, I’ve been navigating periods of burnout and creative struggle, which significantly delayed the album’s development. Back in September 2023, Alex invited me to contribute a release for Quiet Details, but it wasn’t until May 2025 that the pieces finally began to fall into place.

I wrote about what this was like in a post back then:

“These days, I’m finding joy in simple rituals and in small moments I might have missed before. Things like making coffee in the morning, picking up my kids from daycare and seeing their faces light up, and riding the train to/from work are some of the most meaningful parts of my day now, and I think this newfound appreciation for the small and the subtle is actually having a tangible effect on the nature of my music, too. I tend to work on music in abbreviated ways now – taking advantage of quick passing moments to have fun. These are moments in which I find deep satisfaction, even if it’s as simple as recording a single loop or sample.”

Sound Methods

Studio Diary: May 28, 2025

It’s been a long time since I’ve shared anything new, and I’ve been carrying a quiet weight about that. Life has been exceedingly full these days. Full in beautiful ways, and full in deeply exhausting ways. The endless time and energy I once poured freely into music have been harder to come by. I’ve felt guilt about the lack of activity here, especially…

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a year ago · 27 likes · 8 comments · Andrew Tasselmyer

Signal took shape over two to three months, almost entirely during my train rides to work. I found myself recording, layering sounds, and observing the world as it slipped by outside the windows. I was gathering meaningful fragments whenever inspiration struck. Rather than actively composing something from scratch or trying to force the issue, I was more focused on shaping whatever material I most enjoyed from what I had passively collected.

I was, in a sense, searching for resonant signals amidst the noise of everyday life.

Everything was recorded with whatever equipment I had on hand. In every case, this was either my laptop, iPad, or iPhone. Nearly all of the album, apart from the final mixes, came together outside my studio, in motion, fully integrated with the rhythms of daily life.

The result is four expansive tracks, each longer than usual, molded by the environments and observations of my daily routine. Each piece landed somewhere dense, full, layered, yet fluid – much like a SEPTA train itself! The music combines synthetic tones, sampled fragments, and found sounds, all woven into rich sonic environments. On the surface, these tracks may seem simple, but beneath lies a tapestry of subtle details and minute shifts. While I doubt anyone will catch every nuance, I find comfort in knowing that so much of my personal experience and character is embedded in music that otherwise feels ethereal and atmospheric. In fact, I think this has become a hallmark of my compositional style: even when I strive for an “ambient” surface, I need something familiar or recognizable within it to anchor me.

As proud as I am of this album, creating outside the comfort of my studio has naturally brought on moments of doubt and second-guessing. I catch myself wondering: Is this music too boring? Should I have orchestrated these pieces more deliberately? Are they truly finished? Despite these uncertainties, I’m committed to moving past self-doubt and leaning into the process of expression, experimentation, and experience. Making music for its own sake.

Thank you for your support, and I hope Signal resonates with you as much as the process of creating it has with me. And a special thank you to Alex for putting this work in the world and partnering with me - very glad to be part of the Quiet Details library!

-Andrew

P.S. in case you missed it, I also released an album last week with my brother for our Gray Acres project - you can check this out here:

Sound Methods

New Release: "Soft Erasure"

On Tuesday, my brother Mike and I released a new album called “Soft Erasure.” This is our 4th full-length studio album as Gray Acres, a collaborative project we started back in 2018. You can download the album below or stream it wherever you please…

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9 months ago · 13 likes · 5 comments · Andrew Tasselmyer