The workshop begins at 3:00pm Eastern time Saturday, February 12, 2022 on our YouTube channel. Please join us for the Premiere at that time if you can make it, or watch later whenever you do have time!

This month we are continuing our exploration of Micro-sound! Michael Brooker hosts an in-depth interview with thispatcher (Michael Palumbo) discussing his use of Micro-sound in modular synths, MAX, and PureData (pd). Of course we always have time for your home studio performances! Instructions for uploading follow. We are all looking forward to seeing you play!

Upload instructions:

We want to hear from you no matter your level of experience. It might seem like it takes a lot of courage to record and submit a performance but trust us, once you do it, you will want to do it again! Remember, if you need some help with recording please reach out for help in our FaceBook group or on our Discord server. There are no silly questions – we want to get you recording and participating! If you are shy or nervous about showing your face in the video, don’t! Simply do the classic video of hands playing 🙂

Make your recording

• Mobile phone video is great, mobile phone audio is not. 
• Record in your DAW at the same time as you record your video. If you are in a place where you have to use headphones, try taking the Tape Out from your mixer as line input to your camera.
• Make any EQ or compression tweaks to the audio in your DAW and then export it. Don’t chop the audio up otherwise the next part may not work so well.
• Open a video editor – most of them should let you do the next steps.
• Import the video from your phone or whatever camera you used
• Import the audio that you exported from your DAW
• Most video editors should let you use the embedded audio in the video from your phone to line up the audio you exported from your DAW. If you can’t do this simply line up the audio manually – nobody will mind if it is a little off – most of the time we won’t be able to tell anyway!
• Disable the audio track that was embedded in the video.  (sometimes this is done for you)
• Export the videoWhen you are ready to submit:Name the file: PerformanceName_Firstname_Lastname_FF_February_2022.mp4

IMPORTANT NOTE – performances submitted without the verifiable real name of the performer will not be included in the workshop video

Also important – by uploading a video to the location below, you are agreeing that Frequency Freaks can publish your video on our YouTube channel either as part of a workshop, as a stand alone video, or both.

.mp4 and .mov are preferred before midnight February 9th.

Include links to your bandcamp page / youtube channel / soundcloud / web page in a separate text file that has the same name but ends with .txt and we will include those links in the video description.

Please join us in our Facebook group (linked above) or on our Discord server to get the link to upload. To get access to our Discord server please send a note via the Contact Us page.

We hope you are keeping well as these strange times continue.  One thing that really makes our workshops is performances by members of our little community.  We want to hear from you no matter your level of experience.  It can take a lot of pluck and courage to record one of these but trust us, once you do it, you will want to do it again!  Remember, if you need some help with recording please reach out for help in our FaceBook group or on our Discord server.  There are no silly questions – we want to get you recording and participating!

Make your recording

• Mobile phone video is great, mobile phone audio is not. 
• Record in your DAW at the same time as you record your video.
• Make any EQ or compression tweaks to the audio and then export it.
  • Don’t chop the audio up otherwise the next part may not work so well
• Open a video editor – most of them should let you do the next steps.
• Import the video from your phone or gopro or whatever camera you used
• Import the audio that you exported from your DAW
• Most video editors should let you use the embedded audio in the video from your phone to line up the audio you exported from your DAW.
  • If you can’t do this simply line up the audio manually – nobody will mind if it is a little off – most of the time we won’t be able to tell anyway!
• Disable the audio track that was embedded in the video.  (sometimes this is done for you)
• Export the video

When you are ready to submit:

• Name the file:
  • PerformanceName_Firstname_Lastname_FF_March_2021.mp4
  • IMPORTANT NOTE – performances submitted without the verifiable real name of the performer will not be included in the workshop video
  • .mp4 and .mov are preferred
• Contact us to get the link to upload. Deadline for uploads is noon (Toronto time) on April 6th.
• Include links to your bandcamp page / youtube channel / soundcloud / web page in a separate text file that has the same name but ends with .txt

5 years of Frequency Freaks?  Wow!  That went fast!  Happy Birthday to our Frequency Freaks community!!!  That’s 5 years of workshops, 5 years of fun synth discussions in our Facebook Group, 5 years of performances, discussions and tutorials about the instruments we love!

It is also 5 years of effort from all of you into building a friendly, caring, and helpful community.  We hope you can join us on our YouTube channel for the celebration!

The next workshop will be special!  Not only is it our birthday, it’s all about random!  The theme for this months workshop is Games and Chance.  The panel discussion will centre on this topic but you know we always find interesting tangents too!  Following that Michael Brooker will be joined by James Cigler, the inventor of PATCH: The Card Game and one of the original synth YouTubers, for a one on one interview.

Have you noticed that we have been uploading the individual segments from our last workshop to make it easier for you to find just the one you want to see?  If you didn’t maybe you’re not subscribed to our channel?  We have been uploading one segment roughly every other day and will continue to do that until 2 days before the next workshop!

Of course, we always have room for performances!  The more the merrier so crank up your inspiration mojo and start recording!  Whether it’s your first time or your 50th, we want to hear from you!

Make your recording

• Mobile phone video is great, mobile phone audio is not. 
• Record in your DAW at the same time as you record your video.
• Open a video editor – most of them should let you do the next steps.
• Use the embedded audio in the video from your phone to line up the audio you exported from your DAW.
• Disable the audio track that was embedded in the video.  (sometimes this is done for you)
• Export the video

When you are ready to submit:

• Name the file:
  • PerformanceName_Firstname_Lastname_FF_March_2021.mp4
  • IMPORTANT NOTE – performances submitted without the verifiable real name of the performer will not be included in the workshop video
  • .mp4 and .mov are preferred
• Use the contact form on the web site to reach out and we will provide a link for your upload

Happy New Year!  Frequency Freaks is always free, no registration required, no experience or gear necessary. Come hang out, learn, share, listen.

For our first workshop of the decade we will have a gear swap and sale along with performances if anyone wants to play. Bring the gear that needs a new home and bring some gear to perform with, show off, or just have questions about!

Load in for people with gear at 2 pm. People without gear 2:30 pm.

Thanks, see you there!

So much to tell you about this month!  Keep reading below for FF discounts on DIY, and a cool festival.

This month Yoni Newman from Rabid Elephant will be doing a talk about the Rabid Elephant modules, their development process, and any other cool stuff he can come up with!.  As usual, we also have time for performances.  Please bring some stuff to play, show us what you’re working on, or do your first live performance!  Please reply to this e-mail to let us know if you plan to play something.

Yoni Newman is a musician, artist, sound designer,  and member of Rabid Elephant Artists Collective. We make electronic music instruments, records, custom rigs and various other creative outputs, all of which seek to express an ever evolving philosophy rooted in rigour, honesty and lightness. Working under these principles seems to lead to things of value, and certainly makes for a fascinating journey. 

His current projects include Rabid Elephant’s latest modular designs, the upcoming releases of affiliate music project  “Karla”, as well as collaborations with musician Claire Yunjin Lee.

Build Your Own Psychogeographic Noise Synth at InterAccess

Our own Gabe de Oliveira will be hosting a very cool DIY workshop at Interaccess on July 27!  Please note that this is a new date.

In this hands on workshop, you will learn how to build your own experimental noise synthesizer – the Fort Processor! 

The Fort Processor is an experimental noise synthesizer and audio effect circuit designed by harsh fun noise duo ISN’TSES for Fort Process Sound Art Festival in 2018. The synth is controlled by light, touch pads, 3 knobs, and a trimmer. Audio is created and manipulated by four sections which have been combined using a circuit-bent approach. All the necessary components in kit format will be provided during the workshop, as well as guidance to build your device from scratch.

NEW DATE! Saturday, July 27
1-4PM

Exclusive Members discount (through Frequency Freaks): $45 + $70 materials fee = $115.00
Please choose the Workshop Pass Discount when registering.

Vector Festival

Our friends over at InterAccess have asked us to let you know about Vector Festival.  It looks pretty cool!

July 11-14, 2019

Locations: InterAccess, MOCA, the Ontario Science Centre, Trinity Square Video, Artscape Youngplace, Mississauga Celebration Square, Ryerson University, Electric Perfume, and Small World Music Centre

+ Invitation to VIP Reception, July 11, 6-7PM at InterAccess (950 Dupont St., Unit 1)
+ Admission to Vector Festival performance, July 12, 8-10PM at Small World Music Centre (180 Shaw St.)
+ Admission to Vector Festival screening, July 13, 8-10PM at Ryerson University School of Image Arts, Room 307 (122 Bond St.)
+ Admission to the Ontario Science Centre between July 11-14, 2019
+ Member pricing on workshop Intro to 3D Modeling: Digital Sculpting with Rhino

More information at: Vector Festival

The next workshop is from 2:30 pm to 6:00 pm on May 11!  Please join us at the Array Music Studio, 155 Walnut Ave!

This month its time for spring performances!  Bring your gear, show us what you’ve been working on, play a little something to celebrate the coming of warmer weather!  There are no talks planned for this one so bring your stuff out to play.  Every synth deserves to get out of the studio once in a while!  Don’t be shy, first time performers hold a special place in our hearts!  You are guaranteed encouragement, positive feedback and constructive comments! For those who are bringing gear, load-in / setup is at 2 pm. Even if you don’t plan to play, bring your stuff!  If you have questions it is good to have your synth there in person! Looking forward to seeing you there!

Hey everybody, really excited to announce that our fantastic relationship with Arraymusic is continuing for another year!

The dates for the rest of 2019 and into 2020 are:

June 29, 2019
July 20, 2019
September 21, 2019
October 19, 2019
December 14, 2019
January 11, 2020
February 8, 2020
March 14, 2020
April 11, 2020
May 16, 2020

Workshop #1 2pm – 6pm

Update 20160312

Matt has provided this little teaser for his talk next Saturday.  “In this track I have not used any filters .. Just the NW1 and a step sequencer multi tracked, with some delays and verbs from the sputnik 4 tap, and intelijel springray.” 

We are really excited about our new home at the Arraymusic Studio at 155 Walnut Ave in Toronto!

Moog Audio is presenting a talk by Matt Thibideau and we still have slots open for performance or other talks.  The current plan is for Matt to speak about the new Waldorf nw1 – the original ppg wave bank, making user wave tables, etc.

Please reach out to us if you would like to bring your modular synth and/or perform so we can make sure there is enough space and time.