MAKEN0ISE Resynthesizer: Smoke, Memory and Modular Crossfire

The video opens with a Make Noise team member reflecting on their long tenure at the company, recalling the days spent testing and calibrating modules destined for systems like the Resynthesizer and the earlier Shared System. The process involved not just rigorous functional checks, but also the development of personal routines for ensuring every jack and knob behaved as expected. Over time, these routines evolved into patching strategies that blurred the line between quality control and creative exploration.

In those early days, the DSP modules—then the Phonogene and Echophon—were often left for last, becoming the site of experimental cross-patching. By feeding and clocking each other, these modules generated unpredictable, evolving textures. The approach was systematic enough for efficient testing, yet open-ended enough to avoid repetition fatigue, ensuring that no two patches sounded quite the same. This blend of method and improvisation set the stage for the patch showcased in the video.

The demonstration delves into modulation techniques that bring the patch to life. Triggered Maths channels are used to modulate parameters like slide and partials on the Spectraphon, as well as to open channels on the DXG. These modulations are chosen for their ability to create indistinct pitch content, focusing the listener’s attention on rhythm and texture rather than melody.

Random modulation is applied to the Mimeophone’s color parameter, while the Morphagene is set up to record only when prompted, ensuring that captured material is always fresh. The patch also routes outputs through QPAS for additional filtering, and employs Rene to clock further modulation sources. The result is a mesh of interlocking rhythms and atmospheric echoes, with performance gestures—such as shifting Tempi channels—capable of shaking up the entire structure on the fly.

The emotional core of the patch is rooted in the environmental conditions of late 2016, when wildfires cast a smoky haze over the Make Noise headquarters. This atmospheric backdrop inspired a series of melancholic patches, each crafted during short afternoon breaks at the demo system near the front entrance. The hazy look and intense smell of the season seeped into the sound design, lending the patches a reflective, almost wistful quality.

For several weeks, the creator challenged themselves to build a new version of the patch daily, recording the most evocative results. This routine not only provided a creative outlet during a difficult time, but also demonstrated how external circumstances can shape the mood and direction of modular experimentation. The nostalgia for that period is palpable in the video, adding a layer of meaning to the technical demonstration.