Composing Without Keys: The LFO as a composition tool

Fortune, David

Abstract

Since the advent of contemporary music sequencers, two methods have been dominant for the purpose of generating and inputting musical motifs; the discrete step sequencer, and the MIDI keyboard. Early versions of the step sequencer, such as those found on the Moog Modular Synthesizer 1p (released in 1969), allowed the user to choose multiple CV (control voltage)-generated pitches manipulated by potentiometers; while later permutations, including those favoured by Roland and Sequential Circuits on several of their widely used 80s synthesizers, used similar CV technology, but controlled by a conventional chromatic keyboard. More recent, software-based sequencers and DAWs favour the use of a digital MIDI keyboard which is typically used to record MIDI note data in real time. While these methods are commonplace and highly effective in most instances, many contemporary composers and producers seek to employ methodologies that eschew these familiar musical interfaces in favour of alternatives that may engender less predictable results.

This paper explores the creative potential of one of the most primitive and commonplace synthesizer components, the LFO (low frequency oscillator), for generating melodic content. The LFO’s conventional use is as a modulation source, one that can create cyclical variations in characteristics such as volume, timbre or pitch. It is typically employed to add vibrato or other subtle embellishments to synthesizer patches, or in some cases to generate more drastic effects characterised by aggressive rhythmic pulses. Its use as a melodic tool has been explored to some extent within the domain of modular synthesis, however modular synthesis’s inherent limitations make it less than ideal for this purpose where convenient parameter recall, duplication, precise synchronisation and multitimbrality are characteristics which are both preferable and sometimes difficult to achieve in the modular domain, particular for users with access to limited resources. This paper, therefore, focusses on research of the LFO’s capabilities within the digital domain, specifically within the Max/Max for Live environment. This not only allows for favourable performance with regard to the aforementioned characteristics, but also has the potential to be accessible to a wide range of practitioners within the field of DAW-based composition. The research herein seeks to benefit the wider community of practitioners who wish to augment the existing conventional and generative methodologies available to them for musical creation.


LFO
Electronic music
Composition
Production
DAW
Sequencer
Generative

• Presentation Conference Type: Conference Paper (unpublished)
• Conference Name: Innovation in Music 2022
• Start Date: Jun 16, 2022
• End Date: Jun 19, 2022
• Deposit Date: Jul 10, 2025
• Peer Reviewed: Not Peer Reviewed
• Keywords: LFO, Electronic music, Composition, Production, DAW, Sequencer, Generative,