He’s also generously giving away 40 premium recordings made with the No-Input Mixer technique, for free! Here’s Stuart Keenan with more on all this:
The No-Input Mixer technique turns any regular mixer into an instrument which generates sound by connecting the output of a mixer into one of its inputs, resulting in a feedback loop which can be played and controlled using the mixer’s knobs, faders and routing options.
Most-famously used by pioneering Japanese noise musician Toshimaru Nakamura and aptly described by Canadian musician Christian Carrière as ‘the sound of the circuits inside the mixer singing’, the No-Input Mixer has a wealth of both beautiful and anarchic audio waiting to be uncovered and is a useful, versatile instrument to add to the sound designer’s arsenal of sound generating techniques.
By introducing the instrument to the creative process, the sound designer is opened up to a multitude of unique audio possibilities. Unsettling soundscapes suited to science fiction, dystopian and horror projects, impacts, interference, broken transmissions, drones, malfunctioning machinery, future technology sounds and glitch elements are just a few of the fruits of the No-Input Mixer.
A plethora of twisted tones await anyone willing to unearth the sonic treasures of the signal gone ‘wrong’
While a single output into an input brings instant results, it’s when multiple outputs and inputs are connected that the fun really begins. When coupled with guitar effects units or anything else which will affect the signal, a plethora of twisted tones await anyone willing to unearth the sonic treasures of the signal gone ‘wrong’.
An example of sounds created with the no-input mixer technique
Please note that caution should be applied when creating feedback loops as there is some potential to damage equipment. We are, after all, connecting things ‘incorrectly’. Also, things can get loud, very loud. Having said that, I haven’t managed to break anything just yet and have recorded numerous sessions using a No-input Mixer. It’s best to get used to using your master volume as a panic control if things get a little out of hand.
1: When starting out with the No-Input Mixer, it is perhaps best to not use headphones in case of any unpleasant surprises. With speakers, start off at a low volume until you are comfortable with how it all works. However, a limiter can always be used to reduce the risk of any unwanted audio nightmarescapes!
2: Keep things simple to begin with. A single channel feedback loop with no effects can produce plenty of great source material to work with and is the simplest way to get acquainted with the mixer being used as an instrument.
3: Use very short movements when tweaking your mixer controls, the smallest increment may produce a fantastic sound which could be missed if you are a little too quick on the knob or fader.
4: It is a good idea to have an EQ in the signal path as your mixer’s EQ controls will no longer be operating in their usual way due to the feedback loop. Tweaking the EQ as you go can help you sculpt a huge range of sounds from a raw feedback loop.
5: If you come across a sustaining sound that you like, let it run for a while without changing any of the mixer controls. The feedback will sometimes just stop by itself, but can often evolve into some really nice (or nasty) variations of the initial sound.
6: For a variety of drones, consider using an octaver, or simply pitch down an octave or two with software afterwards. Adding distortion will create harsher drones, which can easily be toned down and shaped with some filtering and EQ.
7: Science Fiction effects and atmospheres come easy with the No-Input Mixer, particularly, when delay units are included in the signal path. Try using a high feedback setting on the delay and experiment with the device’s settings, manually tweaking the delay time often brings a decent array of sounds, too. It’s also worth noting that when using a stereo delay, a feedback loop within a feedback loop can be created by connecting one of the delay’s outputs to its input.
8: When using battery powered guitar effects pedals, don’t worry if batteries are running low as this adds sonic artefacts which won’t be there when the power is at full, which is a nice little bonus!
9: Record everything! Many tones can be missed if record is not enabled while experimenting, so it’s best to get in the practise of capturing everything the instrument outputs from the very beginning, as it can be difficult to reproduce a sound exactly.
10: Finally, have fun, experiment, improvise and look at the No-Input Mixer as a unique sound generating tool you can delve into whenever you want a break from the more traditional sound design techniques. Also, playing with feedback and noise is just incredibly satisfying!
Stuart Keenan has compiled a special selection of 40 sound effects (548 MB total!) from his ‘Feedback Loop FX & Atmospheres’ and ‘Signal Interference’ SFX libraries – and he’s giving those away for free, as a taste of what’s in the full libraries.
Just enter your name and email address below to get the download link + the much-loved A Sound Effect newsletter:
NB: If you don’t receive the email with the download link, please check your spam folder. Oh, and existing newsletter subscribers can of course get the sounds too.
Cable FX 09.wav
Cable FX 15.wav
Drone 03.wav
Drone 04.wav
Feedback FX 02.wav
Feedback FX 15.wav
Feedback FX 17.wav
Feedback FX 22.wav
Feedback FX 29.wav
Feedback FX 33.wav
Feedback FX 34.wav
Feedback FX 36.wav
Feedback FX 50.wav
Harsh Noisescape 06.wav
Harsh Noisescape 09.wav
High Frequency Feedback 05.wav
High Frequency Feedback 10.wav
Hum 04.wav
Interference 04.wav
Interference 05.wav
Interference 14.wav
Interference 18.wav
Interference 19.wav
Low Frequency Noise Atmosphere 02.wav
Machine Gone Wild 02.wav
Machine Gone Wild 10.wav
Machine Gone Wild 14.wav
Machine Gone Wild 18.wav
Signal Interference 08.wav
Signal Interference 09.wav
Signal Interference 11.wav
Signal Interference 13.wav
Signal Interference 17.wav
Signal Interference 29.wav
Signal Interference 30.wav
Signal Interference 34.wav
Signal Interference 38.wav
Signal Interference 40.wav
Wobble Drone 06.wav
[tweet_box]Learn about the No-Mixer Input Sound Design method – and get 40 SFX for free! – here:[/tweet_box]
Two SFX libraries created with the no-input mixer technique:
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I’ve Decided to Make This Small Instrument Free—Enjoy!
Enjoy :)Snow Foley Instrument, a collection of pristine snow footsteps samples recorded with the legendary Sony PCM-D100 in the remote mountains of southern France. To enhance your sound design workflow, the samples are accompanied by user-friendly Kontakt and DSsampler instruments.
Whether you’re crafting linear sound designs, immersive interactive experiences, or dynamic game environments, this versatile library has you covered.Â
Key Features:Â
- 8 Different Walking types
- More than 200 unique samples
- Recorded in real snow, in different depths
- Stereo 96Khz 24bit
- Kontakt & DSsampler
- Midi Controlled Knobs
*Runs in Kontakt or Free Kontakt Player version 7.7.3 or higher, and in DecentSampler 1.9.13 or higher.
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Bicycle Sound Effects City Bicycles – Complete Bundle Play Track 633 sounds included, 330 mins total $120The complete package bundles all available City Bicycles-packages and is fully UCS compliant. The ‘Various Passbys + Bicycle Handling’ package is added as a free bonus!
This is a unique bicycle library that captures four characteristic bikes in clean, quiet, nicely performed true exterior rides. Including multiple perspectives, speeds and actions. From fast passbys on asphalt to slow onboard recordings, smooth or skidding stops. This package contains everything you need to create convincing sound design for a City Bicycle.
Contents:
Four bikes with distinct characteristics:
1. Good bike: a smooth sounding retro bike that doesn’t rattle or squeak, really nice tire noise.
2. Bad bike: an old worn bike with severe rattles and cranking, tends to let the chain fly off.
3. Ugly bike: this bike gets you from A to B… but it won’t win awards for it’s looks.
4. Racer bike: a vintage racer that’s pre-owned but still super slick.
Five perspectives:
1. Onboard Front: captures the whirring tire and surface sound.
2. Onboard Pedal: nice overall combination of pedaling, crank creaks, chain rattle, tire and surface sounds.
3. Onboard Rear: close up sound of the rear axle, with chain, sprocket and switching of gear.
4. Tracking shot: mono recording of the passby, keeping the bike in focus while passing by.
5. Static XY shot: stereo recording of the passby that emphasizes speed.
Five perspectives:
Overview of perspectives and mic placement*Onboard recordings are 2-3 minutes long depending on speed. Higher speeds > shorter duration. All 3 onboard mics are edited in sync with one another to make layering easy. All Passbys, Arrivals and Departures move from Left to Right.
Speeds and actions:
Three speeds for every bike and every surface (see below). Departures from slow, medium to fast getaways. Arrivals from slow stops with gently squeaking handbrakes to heavy stuttering skids.City Bicycles – Perspectives Demo
Five surfaces:
We’ve recorded all Bikes on asphalt from all perspectives (onboard and roadside). Additionally, our most quiet bicycle (the Good Bike) was used to record 4 other surfaces from onboard perspectives.
Five Surfaces:
1. Asphalt: nice and clean, with smooth singing sound.**
2. Large Bricks: nicely textured surface that makes the tires purr like a cat.**
3. Gravel: a fresh crackling surface sound that you might find in a city park.
4. Grit: classic bicycle path surface sounds that layers perfectly with the other surfaces.**
5. Icy road: frozen asphalt with sparkling textures of ice crystals snapping under the wheels.
**these surfaces are also recorded from Roadside Perspectives (passby: static and tracking)
City Bicycles – Extra Surfaces Preview
BONUS files:
There are some sweeteners and extras to give your bike that extra layer of grit:
1. Exterior recordings of various actions in multiple takes from rattles, bounces, shakes to roll-bys. Enough to make your bike sound just a little different.
2. We also recorded 21 additional single passbys of various bicycles, from severely rattling to smooth riding bikes on small brick streets and alleys. Enough to expand your options to create a distinguished sound design.Metadata & Markers:
Because we know how important metadata is for your sound libraries we have created a consistent and intuitive description method that adheres to the Universal Category System. This allows you to find the sound you need easily, whether you work in a database like Soundminer/Basehead/PT Workspace work, or a Exporer/Finder window. We made a video that helps you navigate the library ans find your best bicycle sounds faster and easier.
CategoryFull
A quick way to filter out sounds you don’t need: like handling sounds or vice versa bicycle onboards.
UserCategory
Fastest way to find the type of action you need for all bicycles. Passby needed, just click and voila.
OpenTier
Once you’ve selected the bike you can open up OpenTier and audition and select the perspective you want to use.
Scene &Â Performer
This field contains the type of bicycle to quickly navgiate to the bike you like.
iXMLTrackLayout
This is a neat little identifier you will find in the Waveform displays and you can see in a glance what Listening position you are.
MicPerspective
We have another way to find perspectives but it is more limited to distance to the recorded subject.
So passbys are MED – EXT and handling are CU – EXT. Exterior? Of course: we recorded everything outside!
UserComments
We used this field to create the UserData and give you the minimal set of information about the recording in the filename.Additionally, we added Markers making specific sonic events are easy to spot in Soundminer and other apps.
If you have any questions about this, please contact us info@frickandtraa.com!
Single Bicycle packages:
We also sell single packages for all the bicycles in this library.
Here’s a handy comparison table:
Reviews:
344 AUDIO: ‘City Bicycles has a plethora of content, for a great price. The perfect balance between a great concept, great presentation and outstanding execution, lands them an almost perfect score of 4.9.‘The Audio Spotlight: City Bicycles is worth getting if you are in need of great sounding and well edited bicycle sounds.
Watch a video created by Zdravko Djordjevic.
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