1 channel !!! (1_channel_moog.it)

Overall Impression (10/10)

This is probably one of the strangest reviews I am going to write, because I will be reviewing a tune which is 1 minute long and uses only one channel. But I maintain that this is one of the most important tracking tunes ever released and deserves a proper review.

An important part of the tracking scene culture is one that is related to the demoscene mindset: a quest to be inhumanely clever, while creating mesmerizing works of art. Over half of the enjoyment is knowing how a particular piece was made, what were the limitations and what is going on in the module.

1 Channel Moog is a composition demonstrating 12/10 skill. Boasting only 5.6 kb in filesize, 4 samples and 1 channel, it's a polyphonic composition that would otherwise arouse no suspicions. Without looking at the source, I would say this is a nice 4 channel mod. The fact that it's all done with 1 channel is at first completely astounding.

Let's break it down.

Technique, Arrangement, Composition (10/10)

1. 1 channel polyphony.

The polyphony is achieved through NNA (New Note Action) which was introduced in Impulse Tracker and allowed a composer to specify what happens when a note is interrupted by another note. There are several options: Note Cut, Continue, Note Off and Note Fade. Manwe uses the Continue option to play several notes in one channel.

For instance, first 4 rows initiate 4 notes of the pad which then play as a chord.

2. Lead melody

Probably one of the most stunning tricks, the lead melody is constructed via the pitch envelope, so that one plays a note and the whole melody comes out. The versatility of this approach is such that you can change the key of the melody as easily, by simply playing another note.

3. Sync

It seems obvious from listening to the tune that several instruments start playing at the same time. In reality, this is a clever illusion. Manwe manipulates the amount of ticks per row and instrument envelopes in such a way so as to make the audio sound at exactly the right moment, although formally notes have been initiated sequentially.

This is not easy to follow, even if you lower the tempo. Manwe sets 12 ticks per every row on the onset with the A0C command. Whenever you see him go below this value is an indication that he is inserting additional events. Typically, you see A03 and A09 together: together they comprise A0C.

One of the more obvious examples is at line 19, which initiates the melody. Notice that it switches the amount of ticks from 9 to 3 and then to 12. The pitch envelope of the lead is shifted by 3 ticks: 2 silent ones and 1 fade in. This way you can initiate the melody in between the bass notes and still be in perfect sync with the rhythm. Same trick is used in pattern 2 for the percussion instrument 4: it's volume envelope is offset by 2 ticks and allows to percussion to play simultaneously with the bass note.

Notice that the lead melody has a delay added! Line 23 introduces a duplicate note played at a lower volume. This makes the melody sound more epic and levitate over the bassline. The fact that Manwe decided to add a delay is a demonstration of both skill and disturbing audacity!

4. Pattern jumps

While a relatively standard command, in this tune Manwe frequently loops small portions of the pattern: with all the ticks per row changes the pattern is no longer even and cannot be used in a straightforward manner anyway. It also allowed to limit the initial version of the tune to 1 pattern. The current, advanced version, contains 2 patterns, with the second pattern introducing a percussion element.

A simple chunk to follow is again in the beginning of pattern one, lines 4-14. There is an additional A06 command which allows to play a 16th note. It was the only way to do this in a compact manner. You can see this A06 note throughout the composition, because the bassline stays the same.

5. Bassline

The bassline is constructed out of a single note and a volume envelope which emulates a dual echo line. The panning envelope expands delayed notes outwards. The bass instrument also uses keyboard mapping and maps to 3 separate samples, which make the resulting bassline interesting and constantly moving. A filter envelope is applied to the bassline as well.

Development (9/10)

The tune is reminiscent of the 70s and 80s approach to ambient, with a moving bassline, a pad and a singing synth lead.

The only complaint is the slight distortion prevalent throughout the mix. This stems from the filter spiking on a high resonance setting. It is not trivial to fix this, and is basically a creative decision. Changing it to a non-offending value results in a duller sound for the bassline, for example. A multiband compressor or EQ would have helped here, but none are available in trackers of the IT era. So, a bit of distortion seems to be a fine compromise.

Creativity (10/10)

Manwe uses the time honored technique of changing keys, which works perfectly for this type of composition: a bassline, a chord and a solo are established, and the only way to move this forward, especially when you have a single channel to play with, is to change the key. An addition of a percussion in the second pattern is a wonderful way to make it sound even more interesting.

Enjoyment (10/10)

The incredible part about it, is that at the end of the day this is a good tune. If you wouldn't know how it was made, perhaps you would consider it music written for a purpose, part of a game soundtrack, for instance. Otherwise, you might want additional instruments to kick in. But apart from that, it's a cool piece of electronic music, serene and inspired.