MAKEN0ISE and the Art of Sonic Taxonomy: Organizing Sounds with Morphagene

The video opens with a nod to the Morphagene, Make Noise’s flagship sample-manipulation module, as a contemporary tool for organizing and categorizing sounds in electronic music production. The Morphagene’s design clearly draws on the legacy of tape music, but with the added flexibility of digital file management and voltage control. Unlike the laborious process of sorting through physical tape reels, the Morphagene allows users to jump between sounds instantly, making the act of sound organization both more immediate and more experimental.

This approach is rooted in the idea that a well-organized sound library is not just a convenience, but a creative asset. By treating the Morphagene as a sort of digital tape archive, users can curate collections of samples that are ready to be manipulated, layered, and transformed at will. The video frames this as a foundational practice for anyone looking to push the boundaries of modular sampling, setting the stage for a deeper exploration of how to categorize and deploy sonic material.

The heart of the video lies in its breakdown of Dwyer’s four primary sound classifications: short sounds, long sounds, fading sounds, and tremolos. Short sounds are described as fleeting events—think hammer taps or drum hits—while long sounds sustain for at least half a second, encompassing sources like violin notes or flowing water. Fading sounds begin with a sharp attack and decay smoothly, as with a piano or cymbal, and tremolos are rapidly reiterated textures, such as a drum roll or rattling matches.

These categories aren’t just academic; they serve practical purposes in patching and composition. The video notes that many sounds can be transformed from one group to another through repetition or processing, and that tremolos, in particular, often yield more interesting results than static long tones. For Morphagene users, understanding these distinctions can inform how samples are sliced, looped, and sequenced, opening up new creative avenues in modular sound design.

True to Make Noise’s collaborative spirit, the video extends an invitation to the community: submit your own sounds, complete with descriptions of their imagined musical uses. This participatory approach echoes the communal ethos of early tape music studios, where sharing and cataloguing sounds was part of the creative process. The video showcases a variety of user-submitted samples, each accompanied by notes on their potential roles within a patch or composition.

Practical instructions are provided for contributors, including guidelines on file format, naming conventions, and how to document your work in a shared spreadsheet. The emphasis is on variety and experimentation, with no penalty for duplicating sound types—only encouragement to explore the full spectrum of sonic possibilities. It’s an open invitation to join a living, evolving sound library, shaped by the collective imagination of the modular community.

The video closes by reflecting on the artistic individuality of each sound and its capacity for transformation within a modular context. Drawing again from Dwyer, it’s suggested that the true value of a sound lies in its effectiveness and uniqueness, rather than its adherence to conventional musical norms. The Morphagene’s ability to morph, stretch, and reorganize audio highlights this principle, enabling even the simplest sample to become something entirely new.

Ultimately, the process of organizing and categorizing sounds is framed not as a restrictive exercise, but as a springboard for creativity. By embracing the quirks and idiosyncrasies of each sample, patchers are encouraged to discover unexpected musical outcomes. In the world of Make Noise, individuality isn’t just tolerated—it’s celebrated as the very essence of electronic music-making.