Ambient Noodlings

Happy Sunday afternoon! It’s a milestone day with episode #200 of these weekly (mostly) posts. This has been an incredible challenge for me to carve out the time to create and post something each Sunday. The idea to do this weekly in the beginning was to force myself to spend the time to learn something new, with some artificial pressure to motivate me to do the “work.” I hope you enjoy today’s recording, all done on my Digitakt 2.

Having reached this nice big round number, I’ve decided to take a break from these weekly posts. I have no intention of walking away from my musical excursions. With a change in role at work a while back, the past few months have been difficult to commit to producing something weekly. I never wanted this to feel like another job and lately I’ve felt some pressure to get something recorded and posted for my self-imposed deadline.

At least for a while, I’ll be noodling away in my free moments with no pressure to compose and record something. I want to get back to more mindful sessions that have no goal of an outcome to be shared online - less composing, more discovering. I want to…I need to spend what little free time I have getting lost in musical meandering with no destination required.

I’m not sure if I’ll return to Substack for sharing music or not. It has worked out pretty well, although I’m not sure if it’s the best platform fit for something like this. I’ve got a lot of past recordings that I’d like to share on my YouTube channel with some sort of visualization. I’ve done a few postings out there, but I haven’t figured out exactly what I want to do for visuals long term. While I have used AI generated images in my posts here, I don’t want to contribute “AI slop” to a video platform. It’s something I need to ponder on.

A big thank you to those who have supported this project with encouragement and kind words. I’ll be back sharing musical creations again soon, whether here or elsewhere on the ‘net.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michaelconnell.substack.com

Happy Sunday evening! I’m posting a bit late this time because I’ve been in bed most of the day. I think the high pollen count here got to me. When I’m not having sneezing attacks and runny nose, I feel groggy and just want to sleep. Finally felt like getting up and tinkering on the Digitakt some this evening. Spring time in these parts can be brutal! Anyway, I put together something that I found relaxing to listen to and hope you enjoy as well.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michaelconnell.substack.com

Happy Sunday evening! I found a few minutes to noodle on the Digitakt in the midst of another busy weekend. I just played with some patterns and textures that I ran through an Eric Synths Echolator and Eventide Space. I enjoyed playing the recording in the background while I got some work done. Have a good week ahead everyone!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michaelconnell.substack.com

A good Sunday evening to everyone! I’m doing a late-ish post that I’ll blame on adjusting to the time change. I had trouble getting to sleep last night and then lost an hour on top of it. Really wish we’d stop that nonsense! Anyway, back to today’s jam. It’s a bit on the dark side. I think I’m reading and watching the news too much and there isn’t a lot of good news out there these days. I’m glad I still find time to get lost in a synth once in a while. This is Digitakt plus Minifreak doing some…ambient gloom?

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michaelconnell.substack.com

Happy Sunday evening! Hope y’alls weekend has been relaxing. Lots of crazy stuff going on in the world. Mass shooting in my city, more war overseas. I had to try and avoid the news today. Sometimes it is overwhelming. I’m thankful I’ve got my synth and ambient musings as a brief respite.

Sounds by Minifreak, sequenced by Digitakt 2, along with a bit of added background texture. Grab some headphones.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michaelconnell.substack.com

Happy Sunday evening! Today I have a laid back noodling with a pad on the Minifreak. I used the Digitakt for sequencing and some background sounds, including some vinyl-like noise. Grab some headphones and chill out for a few minutes. It beats doom scrolling. Enjoy!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michaelconnell.substack.com

Happy Sunday evening! I was tinkering around with a pedal I’m auditioning and time got away from me. While I had some fun, I didn’t really put together anything recording worthy. Running out of free time for the weekend, I ended up just noodling around with a pad sound that I like in the Minifreak, running through the Space reverb. Hope you enjoy the chill, meandering sounds.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michaelconnell.substack.com

Happy Sunday! Apparently there is some big sports ball game going on today that has everyone all excited. I’m content to spend some quiet time with the synths after a hectic work week. Today’s track is a kind of meandering noodle with a pad on the Minifreak, along with some background texture by a Soma Cosmos pedal I’m trying out. Neat how a handful of notes can become so expansive.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michaelconnell.substack.com

Happy Sunday! I’ve got a darkish jam for today. I was playing around with the Minifreak, getting to know it. This track is based on a slow arpeggio with lots of manual tinkering with envelopes and filter, plus a bit of percussive sounds from Digitakt. Eventide Space and Zoom MS-70CDR+ pedals were used for layers of modulated reverb. Grab some headphones!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michaelconnell.substack.com

Happy Sunday! It’s a cold day in many of the states after a surge of Arctic air descended all the way down through southern states. We were spared the predicted ice storm last night and got away with some light to moderate sleet coverage. It’s enough that I didn’t venture out of the house today, knowing that the streets will be a thin sheet of ice under the sleet.

Today’s jam is something different. Not really ambient, not really techno, not electronic dance…I’m not sure what to call it. I started messing around with some percussion samples and Euclidean rhythms on my Digitakt, then played over them with the MiniFreak, which ran through a Zoom MS-70CDR+ with Particle Reverb, then the Eventide Space. This one needs some good headphones as it’s a bit bassy.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michaelconnell.substack.com