step saturn – electronic music blog

Crowdfunding: Tuesday Microgrooves: Bigger Than Us (feat. Step Saturn)

step saturn — Fri, 01 Feb 2019 21:29:22 +0000

I’ve been working with the band “Tuesday Microgrooves” for almost ten years. All of those guys are really stunning musicians and working with them has broadened my musical horizon.

They’re running a Crowdfunding for their next album “bigger Than Us” right now. Step Saturn is going to be prominently featured on this album.
Part of the album is going to be released in 3D. Better check it out:
Bigger Than Us Crowdfunding

32nd step – “22h Hour Open Air House Party”

step saturn — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 19:47:35 +0000

I attended a really awesome open air gay house party during my trip to Berlin in August.
Met very nice people, danced a lot and stayed very long
This track is inspired by the music that was played at that party, the way I felt during those 22h and the people I was there with.
I produced this in Berlin, on holiday so I had to stick to my computer. Therefore this track is purely digital. PlugIns only. Took a lot of time to produce.
Thanks to Danny, Kathi, Larissa, Philip, Richard and Stefan for the great time we had together
Berlin rules!

Gear

Camel Audio Alchemy
FabFilter Twin 2
Ohm Force Minimonsta
Ohm Force Symptohm
U-He ACE
Sonic Charge Synplant
Apple Ultrabeat
Apple ES1

Tons of PlugIns by many manufacturers: Delays, modulation effects, distortion, filters, reverb, etc. Too much to list here:-)

This track was produced using Apple Logic Pro

License

31st step – “Gitolle”

step saturn — Tue, 04 Aug 2015 08:52:21 +0000

A little Electro-track this time. Based on some sounds and acoustic guitar samples I made with Nanoloop for iOS while lying on the lawn in my parents garden on a warm but cloudy, “white-sky” day.

Gear

Nanoloop for iOS

Studio Electronics Omega 8

Some filter, dynamics, delay and reverb effect plugins

This track was produced using Apple Logic Pro

License

30th step – “Segments” (feat. Juan Pablo Trad & Yulan Yu)

step saturn — Tue, 28 Jul 2015 11:10:53 +0000

Did a Live-Jam-Session with Juan Pablo Trad and Yulan Yu on July 22nd.
I arranged some of my favourite parts.

Thanks to Yulan and Juan Pablo for this intense Jam!
Thanks to Less for lending me his Microkorg!
Thanks to Dominik A. for leaving his nice custom handmade electric guitar to me. It is a beautiful instrument!

Cover Art by Dora Bach

Cast

Pablo Juan Trad: Electric Guitar
Yulan Yu: Keyboards
Step Saturn: Electronics

Gear

Custom hand-made electric guitar

Korg Microkorg

Electron Octatrack

This track was recorded and arranged using Apple Logic Pro

License

29th step – “surreal crickets at sunrise and various other sounds, synths and voices”

step saturn — Tue, 21 Jul 2015 16:36:45 +0000

Using some more of the sounds I recorded in italy.
Processed them using some digital effects and added some analog synths back at the studio.

Gear

Zoom H2 field recorder

Studio Electronics Omega 8

FabFilter Twin 2

D16 Antresol
Rob Papen RP-Delay
Michael Norris Spectral Blurring

Some filter, dynamics and reverb effects

This track was produced using Apple Logic Pro

License

28th step – “Tuscany Impressions”

step saturn — Tue, 14 Jul 2015 15:30:44 +0000

Musical impressions gathered during a week in italy. A collection of field recordings.
Featuring a number of musicians as well as mother nature.

Main protagonists:
– the streams of bagno vignioni
– the crickets by the terrace
– the winds in the field
– the players at the concert
– the singer from the far lands
– the step on saturn

Gear

Zoom H2 field recorder

Arranged and mixed in Apple Logic Pro

License

27th step – “Peaceful” (feat. Nayona)

step saturn — Tue, 07 Jul 2015 15:02:38 +0000

Recorded at “Casa Lemmi” in San Quirico D’Orcia, Tuscany.
It’s a live jam, featuring the lovely voice of korean singer Nayona. The track is an improvisation, using two mono inputs of the laptop for recording vocals and keyboards in one single take. Just added some delay effects, reverb and did very few corrections to the arrangement.

Cast

Nayona: Vocals
Step Saturn: Keyboards

Gear

Korg Microkorg

Cheap microphone, cheap mixer, laptop onboard soundcard.

PlugIns:
Apple Tape Delay

Recorded and mastered in Apple Logic Pro

License

26th step – “Hasty”

step saturn — Wed, 01 Jul 2015 21:11:56 +0000

First drum’n’bass track in the 52 steps. Mostly based on sampled drums and some e-piano.
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Gear

Moog Minimoog Voyager

Apple EXS24
Apple EVP88

…and many distortion, dynamics and filter PlugIns made by Sonalksis, Apple and D16.

This track was produced in Apple Logic Pro 9.

[/accordion_group]

License

This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License

25th step – “Straveyard”

step saturn — Tue, 23 Jun 2015 23:39:28 +0000

Heavy stuff happening in Graz last saturday. Feeling sorry for everyone involved. Somewhat glad none of the people dear to me were harmed. I love the candles at Herrengasse, showing that people care. They are really beautiful.
The whole situation in the city definitely had an influence on this track.

Thanks to dsp for playing the guitar so nicely. I’m glad we made this track together

dsp made a different track from the same recordings we made together (guitar, Nanoloop, his DIY-minisynth): It’s very nice, please check it out:
dsp-Loch-NE555

Cast

dsp – guitar, first selfmade analog synth
step saturn – electronics, arrangement, production

Gear

Nanoloop for iOS
Acoustic guitar

D16 – Decimort
D16 – Toraverb
Michael Norris – Spectral Freezing
Rob Papen – RP-Delay

…and some dynamics PlugIns made by Sonalksis and Apple.

This track was produced in Apple Logic Pro 9.

License

This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License

24th step – “Mood”

step saturn — Tue, 16 Jun 2015 21:41:45 +0000

I had been in the mood to play some electric piano for weeks. Here we go.
Basically played live in one go. Another live round with the Wavedrum, some looping of the percussions, adding some reverse delay on the wurlitzer. That’s it.

Gear

Apple EVP88
Korg Wavedrum

Rob Papen RP-Delay

License

This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License

23rd step – “Plitsch Platsch”

step saturn — Tue, 16 Jun 2015 21:37:26 +0000

I have been in and around the water a lot over the past week. Summer can be nice. Decided to take all those splashing noises inside and make a track from them

Gear

A big bowl of water
A microphone

OhmForce Mobilohm
D16 Toraverb
The Sound Guy SFX Machine
DFX Buffer Override

This track was produced in Apple Logic Pro 9.

License

This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License

22nd step – “Cellphone”

step saturn — Tue, 02 Jun 2015 15:57:09 +0000

Gear

Nanoloop for iOS

Moog Minimoog Voyager
Studio Electronics Omega 8
Control Synthesis Deep Bass Nine

Various modulation-, filter and dynamics-plugins

This track was produced in Apple Logic Pro 9.

License

21st step – “Sparkling Brain”

step saturn — Wed, 27 May 2015 19:37:18 +0000

After a whole night of dancing to some deep and hard techno music, I was ready to produce some myself
Lot’s of analog sounds here.

Thanks to Ariane for inspiration.

Gear

Studio Electronics Omega 8
Control Synthesis Deep Bass Nine

Native Instruments Massive

Apple EXS24

Camel Audio CamelPhat
Camel Audio CamelSpace

Sonalksis Dynamics
Apple EQs

This track was produced in Apple Logic Pro 9.

License

20th step – “Die Seele (by Phorsicht!) Remix”

step saturn — Wed, 20 May 2015 11:34:39 +0000

This one is a tribute to my friend Phorsicht!
I made a remix of his track “Die Seele“.

Gear

Samples from “Die Seele” by Phorsicht!

Moog Minimoog Voyager
Studio Electronics Omega 8

FabFilter Twin 2
D16 Phoscyon
Native Instruments Massive
Native Instruments Absynth 5
G-Force Minimonsta

Ohm Force Ohmicide
Ohm Force OhMyGod
U-He Uhbik-F
U-He Uhbik-P
Apple AVerb
Camel Audio CamelSpace
Sonalksis Creative Filter
Nomad Factory BT Valve Driver

Various reverb, delay, modulation, filter, shaping and dynamics effects

This track was produced in Apple Logic Pro 9.

License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

19th step – “Nacht Im Augarten Mit Hoot-Man Und Den Coolen Socken”

step saturn — Tue, 12 May 2015 22:10:25 +0000

Processing sounds and feelings from a night outside in the park with friends.

Thanks for this wonderful night to Romanov, DSP, Ellekas, Ms Pflaume and the bats!

.
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Musical influences for this track:
– Wunderbar
– The Queen of All Everything
– Aunt Emma
– The epic pure-horn
– Voyager Romanov
– A standard issue police car
– The bats of Augarten

Gear

Apple EVP88
Moog Minimoog Voyager

Apple Tape Delay

Various reverb, delay, modulation, shaping effects

Samples:
– some nature recordings
– Drum/Bass loop: Wunderbar by Romanov

License

18th step – Octatrace

step saturn — Tue, 05 May 2015 00:10:31 +0000

Alright… this is a completely new approach for me. I’m not talking about musical style rather that production technique.
This was actually played live. No cuts. No processing besides some EQ and dynamics for mastering. Completely produced and played with Elektron’s “Octatrack”. What an amazing device… I will not even get started about how great this toy is…:-)
Anyway… this is gonna be a part of my live set that I will play next saturday. If you are from Graz, you might want to come to Griesplatz at 19:00 to experience Step Saturn live.

Gear

Elektron Octatrack

Waldorf microQ

License

This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License

17th step – “Nanolawn”

step saturn — Wed, 29 Apr 2015 22:12:02 +0000

A track that is neither ambient nor has a straight 4-on-the-floor beat – I realised that it’s only the second broken beat in the 52 steps so far (next to the 9th step.. should do more of those, I like them a lot
I started this one on saturday afternoon in Mischa’s garden after a very nice brunch, playing with Nanoloop again (I really love this app) – sampling birds and stuff
I then recorded and arranged with Logic, added a few (not so relevant) samples and played around with PlugIns. This track has been produced in the digital domain. Going without analog gear can still be fat

Gear

Nanoloop for iOS

Apple Tremolo
Camel Audio Camel Phat
Apple AutoFilter
D16 Decimort
DestroyFX Buffer Override

Various modulation, reverb, delay, dynamics and filter/EQ plugins.

Produced in Apple Logic Pro 9

License

16th step – “Out of space”

step saturn — Mon, 20 Apr 2015 22:55:33 +0000

Very ambient pads, first of the 52 step that goes completely without any time signature.

Gear

Apple Sculpture
U-He ACE
Sonic Charge Synplant
Apple EVP88

OhmForce OhmBoyz

Produced in Apple Logic Pro 9

License

15th step – “Mischa’s Groove”

step saturn — Wed, 15 Apr 2015 18:02:13 +0000

Based on a sunday-session with Romanov, him hitting the drum machine, me messing around with some hardware and software synths, I worked out an arrangement from the pool of sounds and loops.

Gear

Studio Electronics Omega 8
Moog Minimoog Voyager
DSI Tempest

Apple Ultrabeat
Apple ES-1
Apple EVP-88
Apple Sculpture
GForce Minimonsta
GForce M-Tron Pro
Native Instruments Massive
FabFilter Twin 2
Sonic Charge Synplant

Various modulation, reverb, delay, dynamics and filter plugins.

Produced in Apple Logic Pro 9

License

Anniversary: Featured on Phorsicht’s “Weltverbesserer”

step saturn — Wed, 08 Apr 2015 21:04:11 +0000

It’s been a year since the first artistic collaboration with Phorsicht.
Remember “Weltverbesserer 2014” No.10?

.

(Fanart by Kero22)

14th Step – “Pillar”

step saturn — Wed, 08 Apr 2015 18:52:53 +0000

I spent the easter holidays with my family at my parents place. There are two high steel pillars in the living room. They make a very nice sound when knocking on them which I wanted to use in a track for quite some time. Since I didn’t have access to my equipment, I used my phone to sample the pillars’ vibrations.
Another track mostly made with Nanoloop for iOS.

Gear

Nanoloop for iOS

MAM VF11 Vocoder/Filterbank

PlugIns:
Applied Acoustics Systems VA-1
Camel Audio CamelSpace
D16 Decimort
Apple PlatinumVerb
D16 Toraverb

Several Modulation- and Delay PlugIns.

Produced in Apple Logic Pro 9

License

13th step – “Nightshift”

step saturn — Tue, 31 Mar 2015 01:08:54 +0000

Just playing with some FX:-)

Gear

PlugIns (instruments):
Apple EVP88
Camel Audio Alchemy
FabFilter Twin
U-He ACE

PlugIns (processors):
Apple Space Designer
Camel Audio CamelSpace
D16 Toraverb
Melda Productions Multiband Harmonizer
Nomad Factory Echoes
Nomad Factory BT Analog Chorus
OhmForce OhmBoyz
OhmForce Hematohm
OhmForce Frohmage
OhmForce Ohmicide
OhmForce Mobilohm
Rob Papen RP-Delay
U-He Uhbik-F

Produced in Apple Logic Pro 9

License

This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License

Cover Image by Dora Bach.

12th step – “Mello-Drama”

step saturn — Tue, 24 Mar 2015 22:04:15 +0000

Well, this is somewhere between the 70s and modern progressive psy-trance.. I guess
I started with some vintage sounds (samples from the Mellotron, Minimoog Bassline) and built up from there. And yes, I know it’s somewhat cheesy. I like it in this case. I think it’s somehow “consistent” in style
I thought of the old captain future soundtrack when I tried to put tone his into a category.

I got the M-Tron Pro by GForce Software in a sale last summer and haven’t gotten around to really using it. Until now

Gear

Moog Minimoog Voyager
DSI Tempest
Studio Electronics Omega 8

PlugIns:
GForce Software M-Tron Pro (8 times)
Camel Audio Alchemy
U-He ACE
Sonic Charge SynPlant
Apple EXS24

Camel Audio Camel Space
D16 Toraverb

Various FX PlugIns

Produced in Apple Logic Pro 9

License

Cover Image: Mirror Ball Amsterdam (CC BY) by Ewan Topping. Found on Flickr.

11th step – “Leaping”

step saturn — Tue, 17 Mar 2015 12:55:01 +0000

Analog Synth and drum stuff in a house-like style. I was a bit ill last week and was short on time. Didn’t get this as far as I would have liked to, arrangement and overall sound are somewhat unfinished. Hope you enjoy it anyway.

Gear

Moog Minimoog Voyager
DSI Tempest
Studio Electronics Omega 8

PlugIns:
Apple EVP88
Various FX PlugIns

Produced in Apple Logic Pro 9

License

10th step – “Glitzerstrahl im Park”

step saturn — Tue, 10 Mar 2015 11:23:59 +0000

Sitting in the park, the sun shining through the trees, playing with Nanoloop for iOS.

Gear

Nanoloop for iOS

Arranged and produced in Apple Logic Pro 9

License

This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License

9th step – “Shining Stone”

step saturn — Tue, 03 Mar 2015 14:20:25 +0000

This would have been a very typical track for me back in the days when I my artist name was “surphaze”.
Still like doing stuff like this, had a lot of fun while making it.

Thanks to Nine Volt Audio for their nice loops which gave me some basic inspiration for this track and provided a good part of the beats and percussions.

Gear

Studio Electronics Omega 8
Moog Minimoog Voyager
DSI Tempest

PlugIns:
Apple Sculpture
FabFilter Twin 2
Apple Evoc 20 Tracking Oscillator
Apple Delay Designer
Camel Audio CamelSpace
Ohm Force Frohmage
..and many others

Samples:
Some loops by Nine Volt Audio (R.I.P.)

Produced in Apple Logic Pro 9

License

8th step – “Sleepy”

step saturn — Mon, 23 Feb 2015 21:54:56 +0000

I played with some sounds I made in Nanoloop for iOS – amazing little app that evolved from an old music program for the Nintendo Gameboy.
I’ve been tired very often lately, because I’ve been physically exhausted from exercising a lot. Maybe that’s why this track seems to have a somewhat sleepy atmosphere..

Gear

Nanoloop for iOS (by Oliver Wittchow)

Simple modulation FX and reverb in Logic Pro.

License

This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License

7th step – “Song for a girl I do not know”

step saturn — Tue, 17 Feb 2015 15:09:04 +0000

This is a piano solo track. Last week there was a lot of fuzz about Valentine’s day. So I guess I caught some of the spirit and wrote a piano pop piece
Usually I take weeks to write a piano piece. This one was done in less than a week. So it’s a bit raw.
I haven’t practiced the piano for quite some time.. and I didn’t have time to practice this piece. Plus, I was very tired when I recorded it.. I’m not very satisfied with how I played this. Also my piano needs to be tuned and fixed so I used a sampled piano by Native Instruments.

Gear

Native Instruments Berlin Grand

License

6th step – “Jam 2015-02-04” (with Styronauten)

step saturn — Mon, 09 Feb 2015 22:49:21 +0000

Had a very nice jam session with the band “Styronauten” on wednesday. I cut the last set we played down to 8 minutes. This was recorded with a field recorder in the middle of the rehearsal room so please don’t expect too much in terms of sound quality.

Thanks to Styronauten for the awesome jam. Looking forward to future collaborations.

LineUp

Werner Schmierdorfer: Guitar
Roland Renner: Whamola
Heinz Hoppaus: Keys
Step Saturn: Drum Computer

Gear

Guitar & FX
Whamola & FX
Clavia Nord Stage and other Keys
DSI Tempest

License

5th step – “Trauer und Verwirrung”

step saturn — Tue, 03 Feb 2015 02:06:32 +0000

Since last step was very joyful and rhythmic, I wanted to do something quite different this week. I had some emotions to cope with and made this track the day after.

Thanks to Ms. Pflaume for taking care of me when I was down.

Gear

Studio Electronics Omega 8
Moog Minimoog Voyager
Ohm Force OhmBoyz

This track was recorded and arranged in Apple Logic Pro 9.

License

4th step – “Joyful”

step saturn — Tue, 27 Jan 2015 02:44:43 +0000

Alright.. this was a lot of work.. I guess it was worth it.. at least I had a lot of fun making this.. It’s kinda groovy and a little bit funky:-)
Phorsicht wished for a “joyful” track.. so here you are… enjoy

Gear

DSI Tempest
Moog Minimoog Voyager
EVP88 (Logic Pro PlugIn)

This track was arranged with Apple Logic Pro 9.

License

3rd step – “Tempest”

step saturn — Tue, 20 Jan 2015 04:39:23 +0000

I wanted to do something more straight and rhythmic this week.
Many thanks to Anna for lending me a “Tempest” Drum Machine by Dave Smith Instruments. I’m really impressed by what this beautiful little machine can do

Gear

DSI Tempest

This track was played live, the stereo sum was recorded and cut with Apple Logic Pro.

License

This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

2nd step – feat. Yulan Yu

step saturn — Tue, 13 Jan 2015 00:11:49 +0000

This is the result of a jam session with composer Yulan Yu on the 11th of january, 2015. We played several sets, this is a cut of my favourite parts of the last set.
There’s quite some noise, especially in the softer parts – the dynamic range is rather high.
Thanks to Andrea for helping me with the arrangement.
Thanks to Yulan for a nice musical evening and for being the first featured artist on “52 steps”

Cast

step saturn: percussions, sounds, delay lines
Yulan Yu: detuned piano

Gear

Piano (Fiedler, out of tune)
ADS Digital Delay 1000
Lexicon MX400
Korg Wavedrum
Korg Volca Beats
This track was played live, stereo sum was recorded and cut with Apple Logic Pro.

License

This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

1st step – “launch”

step saturn — Mon, 05 Jan 2015 16:03:07 +0000

This is the first release for my project “52 steps”.
I spent the previous days preparing my studio and setting up cable connections. Huge special thanks go to my friend and artist colleague “LESS” here. Wouldn’t have gotten this far without you
MIDI-connections are not done yet so this first track goes basically without sync. I wanted to do something ambient and thought I could go without MIDI/sync… turned out more rhythmic than expected after all.

LineUp

step saturn: electronics

Gear

This track was played using only analog hardware gear, stereo sum was recorded and cut with Apple Logic Pro.

ADS Digital Delay 1000
Anyware Instruments SEMtex
Anyware Instruments Tinysizer
Ensoniq SQ80
Korg Volca Beats
Korg Volca Keys
MAM VSR-3 (modded by LESS)

License

This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.