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Modular Synthesis for Studio and Stage | SOS Podcast

James Richmond discusses his approach By Julian Rodgers
Published April 2026
James Richmond

James Richmond and Julian Rodgers dive into the world of modular synthesis, explaining what it is and how it fits into both studio production and live performance. They explore the process of creating unique sounds from scratch, the challenges of patch recall and share practical advice for anyone looking to get started with modular gear.

Show Notes

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction
00:52 - Modular Synth Definition
01:50 - Semi-Modular
02:59 - James' Modular Synthesis Work
04:05 - Reaktor And Max
07:32 - The Appeal Of Modular
09:54 - Generating Your Own Sounds
11:24 - Creating A System
13:11 - Software vs Hardware Systems
14:02 - Creating Brand New Sounds
16:16 - Stochastic Modulation
21:31 - Handling Recall
22:57 - Gigging With Modular
26:42 - Preparing For Performance
28:12 - East Coast Vs West Coast
29:44 - Practical Performance Challenges
31:34 - Careful Onstage Monitoring
33:08 - Starting Out In Modular
37:08 - Affordable Synthesis

#NIreaktor #cycling74max #makenoisemaths #mutableinstrumentsrings #mutableinstrumentsclouds #doepfer #verbos

James Richmond - Biog

James Richmond is a British-Australian composer, producer and audio engineer working across electronic and guitar-based music. He is the guitarist and producer for Liam Vincent & The Odd Foxes, has released experimental electronic work under the name Euclidean Circuits and has a solo project called The Deathbird. He also develops bespoke audio tools through EventFieldAudio and writes about music production, studio systems and monitoring from his hybrid modular and analogue studio.

www.jamesrichmond.com

www.facebook.com/jamesrichmondaudio

https://x.com/octatonic

www.instagram.com/jamesrichmondaudio

Interviewer: Julian Rodgers - Biog

Julian Rodgers BiogJulian Rodgers is a freelance writer and audio engineer with a background in live sound. After many years working in education introducing new users to Pro Tools, he now lives by the sea in West Cornwall, where he plays keyboards in a couple of bands. He also plays bass and guitar equally badly, and remains an enthusiastic collector of microphones and opinions about all things audio.

www.linkedin.com/in/julian-rodgers-04621926

 

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