Using the Mono Delay on the MatrixBrute.
Polyphonic music is a recent invention, we only have it since about 600 years. Indian classical music, some Arabic music and traditional Japanese are still strictly monophonic. What all these cultures have in common is that their melodic lines are far more sophisticated than in Western music. Elaborate pitch bends, microtonal effects,..you have to sacrifice them in polyphonic music. In that sense, monophonic synths offer an opportunity to rediscover melody lines. Especially when you have a 64 step sequencer with different control out options like the MatrixBrute.
In western music there was a short period, roughly in the 14th to16th century, in which delayed melodies became very popular. The second voice would start several seconds later then the first voice and create an harmony with it. (canon)
It introduced people to harmony. Our ears are trained in harmony and most of us can improvise/compose a harmony to any melodic line. That's an acquired skill that people in the middle ages did not have, they learned polyphony by singing delayed monophonic lines.
The mono delay on the MatrixBrute can be used to create a pseudo polyphonic effect. It will only work when you play the sequencer at relatively high speeds. The maximum delay time of the delay is about 0.7 seconds, that time halves if you switch to the stereo delay setting. But 0.7 seconds mono delay is long enough to create two voice harmonies. Just make certain that each step of the melodic line that you create in the sequencers harmonies with the step the comes before it and the step that comes after it. If you are very skilled and know what interval to select, you can detune OSC 1 and OSC2, delay them and have 4 voice harmony.
Anyhow, this what happens when you delay a skilfully crafted melody line with the matrix brute mono delay line.
https://soundcloud.com/khidr/delay-exampleThis particular melody was created by Michael Preatorius in arond 1610.
Another technique is to use you Daw (Ableton), to delay a melody line several times. You play the matrixbrute live into the first track or create a sequence in the first track, direct it’s output the the second track, in which you loaded a delay. The second track sends it’s delayed output to the third, which also contain a delay etc.
This is what happens when you delay that same melody using this multi delay technique.
https://soundcloud.com/khidr/extended-delay-exampleCanons can become very complex, Bach being the undisputed master see:
http://strangepaths.com/canon-1-a-2/2009/01/18/en/There's a lot of fun to be had with them and it's a very interesting way to generate polyphony using just one voice and delay.
