> Step by step
I Feel Love Sequence
1
Can we recreate the seminal bass sequence from I Feel Love in a mere six steps? Let’s find out! We’ll fire up Cherry Audio’s Voltage Modular Nucleus and click New in the upper-left to clear the rack. We’ll go to the Library and get two Oscillators and a Filter module. We’ll add two Envelope Generators, and an Amplifier, as well.
2
Let’s get our basic patch started by routing each Oscillator’s Ramp Outputs (second from left) to the Filter’s Audio In. Set one of the Oscillator’s Range to 32’. Detune one Oscillator’s Freq to about -0.04, and the other to 0.04. Route the Filter’s Low Pass (bottom-left) to the Amplifier’s Input. Patch the Amplifier’s ‘+’ Output to the Main Out’s 1L(M) jack.
3
Next, patch the rightmost Envelope Generator’s Positive Output (bottomright) to the Amplifier’s CV Amount jack. Patch the rightmost Envelope’s Positive Output to the Filter’s Freq Mod 1 jack. Go to the Library and get an Eight-Step Sequencer module. Set its Rate to 125bpm. Use its Step On/Off buttons to deactivate steps 2, 4, 6, and 8.
4
Move the slider for step 5 to ‘F2’ and the slider for step 7 to ‘G2’. These aren’t the exact notes, but they are close enough, and avoid copyright entanglements. Patch the Sequencer’s CV Output to both Oscs’ Pitch CV jacks. Patch its Gate Out to both Envelopes’ Gate In. Press Start on the sequencer. Yuck. Set both Envs’ Sustain sliders to nil.
5
Set the right Envelope’s Decay and Release to around 260ms. Set the Filter’s Cutoff to 600Hz or so, and its Resonance to about 33. Set its Freq Mod 1 knob to 65%. Now set the right Envelope’s Decay to around 192ms, and the Release to over 260ms. Bring in a Mini LFO and crank its top Rate fully down.
6
Patch the LFO’s top Triangle Out to the FIlter’s Freq Mod 2 jack. Nudge its knob slightly right. Bring in a Delay and set its Time to 120ms and Mix fully Wet. Patch the Amplifier’s ‘+’ Output to the Delay’s Input, and the Delay’s ‘+’ Output to the Main Outs 1R. Patch the CV Source’s Pitch to the Oscs’ Pitch CV to transpose.