Let’s start patching some processors!

With drum beats and sounds premade we’ll get them into the modular ready for processing

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First thing we’ll need to process external sounds is a preamp/input module. We’ll use the simple and readily available Doepfer A-119. It takes in external sounds and offers enough gain to bring that up to modular levels which are typically 10x louder than line level.

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With your sounds at the right level let’s start with filters. Take the envelope follower out of the A-119 and apply that to the CV input of your filter. Try inverting the modulation and playing with cutoff for rhythmic filtering that follows your beats.

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Sticking with filters we can create a whole range of vocal and formant-like tones by applying audio rate modulation to cut off controls. Use a bass drum sound and patch an oscillator to modulate the filter. Play with oscillator tuning and fine-tune to taste.

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AM synthesis is a massively underexplored method to create sounds so let’s explore. Patch your sound into a VCA and use an oscillator to control the amplitude at audio rates. The overtones are dependent on the oscillator’s pitch and will cut into and mangle the drum sounds.

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We shouldn’t let distortion just be a playground for guitar players, as distortion is great for beats too. Send your audio to the input of a distortion module and using a sequencer clocked in time with the beats, modulate the distortion level for rhythmic saturation.

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We love a rhythmic delay pattern as much as anyone but sticking with audio rate modulation and imparting harmonics, plug your audio into a delay module that can go up to very fast audio rates. Tune the delay to add a pitched, string-like overtone.