June 4th – June 30th 2025
All levels: beginner, intermediate through advanced
Max participants: 15
Once you start patching…
Who can stop you now?
This course teaches you the main industry specializations in one intensive education:
Compose your own MODULAR SYNTHESIZER for your LIVE SET-UP or for SOUND DESIGN getting to know a wide range of approaches and aesthetics:
- How to fill a modular case?
- Get the Sound Synthesis Basics and learn different patching approaches
- Understand the professional workflow and building your own setup
- What is the difference between analog and digital modules?
- Dive into composing and improvising with modular synthesizers
- Start your own journey between Experimental, Ambient, and Club Music
- Integrate sound recordings or external instruments with your modular Synth-Setup
- Learn stage considerations for live performances and develop your own musical language
- Enjoy our Masterclasses with our invited professionals of the music industry
- Build a DIY-Module with the founder of KOMA Elektronik
- At the end you may present your work at the legendary Acud Macht Neu Club!
- Be part of a community of music enthusiasts!
All of our teachers are foremost practicing international professionals based in Berlin and abroad with years of experience in their particular field and with their own various approaches to modular synthesis. They are waiting to give you a deep insight into their craft, technique and artistic visions.
Once you start patching…
Who can stop you now?
In this hands-on course the participants learn fundamental theory and approaches to modular synthesis from a wide range of artists and musicians, diving into various worlds of different approaches to Improvisation, Composition and Live Performance with a Modular Synthesizer as well as with an extended Modular-Setup.
Our Regular Lecturers come from different backgrounds, ranging from Sound Art, Club Music to more Experimental Music making. The program is rounded up by a wide variety of Masterclasses with our selected guests, who will dive with you deep into their sonic worlds and assist you to develop your live performances and prepare you for stage situations. With us you get the basics to perfect your own performance or sound design setup focusing on modular synthesizers. We are here so you don’t get lost and find a faster way to design a case best suited for you – while we don’t forget, the modular journey is a long flight into outer space and sonic worlds!
This year we invite a diverse group of international and acclaimed musicians ranging from Sonic Listening approaches of the Sound Art field, composition of atmospheric ambiences to percussive Club Music, you will have a broader overview with our instructors with a wide range of inspirations to help you develop your own musical language.
In the final event explored approaches to composition, improvisation and performance with modular synthesis will culminate in an evening of public live presentations or performances at the Acud Club Room.
4. June 2025 – 30.June 2025, 18:00
1150€ Registration Fee (whole seminar)
980€ Early bird registration (closed)
120€ KOMA Workshop
ACUD CLUB RAUM
Veteranenstrasse 21
10119 Berlin
Did you ever wonder how to start your sonic journey with Modulars? If you are already building your own setup, what is your next step? If you cant invest in a full modular set-up, what are the alternatives?
Understanding about the possibilities and approaches to modular audio is a definitive part of developing an authentic vision with a personal approach to composing with modular synthesizers or performing live on stage!
Project presentations in the Acud Club: June 29th – 30th
All courses take place Tuesdays and Wednesdays
Morning classes 10am – 1 pm
Afternoon classes 2-5pm
Additionally, individual extracurricular booking of an individual mentoring session is possible upon request and dependent on availability before the final performance – with an extra fee of 100€ per session.
Classes and Workshop Schedule still subject to change.
Programme:
Block: Introduction to Modular Synthesis
Instructor: Stephane Lefrancois
Stephane Lefrancois
S L F (a.k.a Stephane Lefrancois) started his music career in the early 90’s, playing drums for various ensembles in Paris, France, where he was born. After moving to Canada, he spent some time perfecting his recording engineering skills, and is now producing in London, UK, with songs featured on labels such as Compost, !K7, BBE, Tuskegee, KMS and R2 Records, and DJ gigs at Lightbox and Ministry Of Sound. Stephane’s love for everything percussive is apparent when listening to his music. So is his fascination with dense, complex, evolving synth textures, and… effect units!
As a fervent supporter of the “wall of sound” concept, his creations lend themselves well to repeated listening, as new details and ear candy creep out, dreamy and tortured textures weaving with layered percussion. S L F’s DJ sets are built from his extensive library of unreleased material, mixed with groovy, soulful and melodic techno. Expect a driving, uplifiting and original blend that focuses on getting the crowd dancing. As a performer, SLF has built a hardware – only live set, featuring deep house and techno grooves, latin percussion, infectious vocals and melody lines.
Selected discography: S L F – Tunnel Vision EP – R2 Records S L F & Ibellini – Friendship EP – Tuskegee S L F & Merkin – Moodymann DJ Kicks – !K7 S L F & JAG – No Regrets Feat. Lexi Panterra – Secret Music Infinity Ink – How Do I Love You (Luca C and S L F Remix) – Different Recordings.
www.stephanelefrancois.com
insta: @halosaurmusic
Class 1 – June 4th – Basics of modular synthesis and sound characteristics, simple patching examples
What is modular synthesis?
Introduction to VCV Rack and Modulargrid.
Synthesis types, essential patching examples:
- How to build your own synthesizer
- East and West coast synthesis
- Modular Synthesis basics: sound waves, modulation forms, sequencers
- Introduction to basic modules (VCO, VCF, VCA), function modules
- Setting up a simple patch
Class 2 – 5th June
- Continue with simple and complexer patching
- Sound theory in signal flow
- frequency modulation (FM)
- ring modulation
- wavetable oscillator__shapeshifter__modulate wave position and wave table with LFO, envelope, sequence
- granular, karplus strong
- Setting up a simple patch
- Students create a basic patch at home using the concepts covered.
Class 3 – 18th June – Sequencing and drum designing
Instructor: Stephane Lefrancois
Sequencing. Clock management, multipliers, dividers.
Basics of rhythm theory.
Drum designing with traditional modules.
Kick, snare, hi hats, toms, wood and glass percussion.
- Sequencing. Clock management, multipliers, dividers.
- Basics of rhythm theory.
- Drum designing with traditional modules.
- Kick, snare, hi hats, toms, wood and glass percussion.
- Percussive sounds and rhythms, drum machines
Class 4 – 19th June – Live performance sound design and fine tuning on your system for the final performances
Instructor: Stephane Lefrancois
Deepen your own setup and performance practice:
- Performing with a system.
- Diverse sound design considerations when planning a live performance setup.
- Tuning.
- Combining software with modular synthesis for performance.
- Open questions and prepare for your live performance.
- Talk about final individual or group performances and setups, explore the possibilities how to enhance your performances.
- Class Jam with all the systems or individual sound checks.
Block2: Sound and Art, Generative Approaches, Spatial Sound
Instructor: Katharina Bévand
Katharina Bévand
Katharina Bévand is a sound artist based in Berlin. She creates site-specific sound installations, sound sculptures, and performs on modular synthesizers. In 2017 she was honored by “bonn hoeren – sonotopia” of the Beethoven Foundation for Arts and Culture Bonn. In 2021 she was part of Goldrausch Project for women artists. She received various grants and exhibited internationally in Germany, Spain, Finland, Egypt, Taiwan, the Autonomous Region of Kurdistan in northern Iraq, among others. Her collaborations oscillate between the fine arts scene and the experimental and electronic music field. Since 2022 she teaches sound art and modular synthesis at Berlin School of Sound and currently is a resident at BS Projects in Braunschweig.
www.katharinabevand.com
Instagram: @katharina_bevand
Class June12th – Artistic approaches to live performances with extended modular setups integrating external instruments
Instructor: Katharina Bévand
How to prepare a live performance based on improvisation, integrating external sound devices such as acoustic instruments, microphones, contact mics, sensors, etc into your setup to generate organic sounds, textures and noises.
Composing sound and graphic notation: notating Electronic Music to perform with others. Transcription of the modular patch.
Readings: Ultrablack reading – the ultrablack of music.
Female pioneers in electronic music listening session I:
Pauline Oliveros (sonic meditations) and others.
Class June 19th – Hearing space and psychoacoustics
Instructor: Katharina Bévand
Acoustic Effects in Music and Sound Production.
Short introduction to spatial sound for the SML visit on 25th June.
Auditory illusions in music with listening examples.
Quadraphonics and panning as aesthetic tools.
Time questions and perception of time in composing Silence and Noise.
The concept of noise in music and auditive architecture.
Introduction to generative arts and the question of authorship.
Generative techniques with synthesizers.
Present your final project ideas and discuss them in class, make working groups to prepare the final event.
Class June 25th – Space and generative techniques.
Instructor: Katharina Bévand
Short introduction to spatial sound for the SML visit on 25th June.
Introduction to generative arts and the question of authorship.
Generative techniques with synthesizers.
Write a concept together for the final presentation.
Readings: Sonic Warfare.
Female pioneers in electronic music listening session II:
Maryanne Amacher (otoacoustics and imprinted places)
Suzanne Ciani (Quadraphonics with Buchla Systems)
Guest – Masterclasses with Kabuki – granular synthesis and polyphony – June 11th & 12th @ACUD CLUB
Instructor: Kabuki
Jan Ove Hennig aka Kabuki, born in 1973, is a sound ar2st, music producer and pioneer of the Jungle scene from Frankfurt, Germany-Formal musical educa2on at the Dr. Hoch’s Conservatory in Frankfurt (classical guitar department) and the American Ins2tute of Music in Vienna (with a focus on jazz)-Completed courses for Sound Synthesis using Reaktor (California Ins2tute of Arts) and Structuring Interac2ve Soqware of Digital Arts (Stanford University)-Released over 200 single tracks and 10 LPs and produced remixes for ar2sts as diverse as Ennis Morricone, Tinashe and the Hot 8 Brass Band-Performing on the Modular Synthesizer, both at concerts and club events-Highly curious for emerging technologies, resul2ng in jobs as freelance consultant for WACOM, senior localiza2on producer with a focus on soqware and audio at Nintendo, and product specialist for Na2ve Instruments’ ar2st team.-Lecturer at the Abbey Road Ins2tute in Frankfurt for Max/MSP and Sound Synthesis-Developed video content for Soqube (Modular Sound Explora2ons) and Korg (Sequencing Strategies) among others- Published ar2cles in magazines and books, such as „Patch & Tweak with Korg“ for Bjooks-Ar2st in residence at the Dresden Audio Visual Experience Festival in 2020-Exhibi2ng large-format audio installa2ons at na2onal German museums-Currently managing the operation of „Apollo Kithara“ by Jeff Koons, a Max/MSP-based animatronic exhibit at the Liebieghaus sculpture museum.
Granular Synthesis
In this workshop, the history and basic principles of granular sound synthesis will be explained and practically demonstrated using the Morphagene module from Make Noise.The artist will take you on a journey through his own approach to patching with this sampler module to showcase how to create very personal sounds.
Polyphony
Modular synthesizers are generally used to create monophonic sounds. The reason for this is that in the real world, a polyphonic patch with dedicated filter and envelope per voice is unwieldy and excessively expensive. However, there are ways to extrapolate monophonic voices from a chordal structure that are more native to the modular synth paradigm. Together we will look at different polyphonic concepts.
DIY Solder Workshop with KOMA Elektronik 18th June 5-9 pm (3-4h) in Wedding @KOMA workshop
Instructor: Christian Zollner
Christian Zollner
Christian Zollner – Founder, CEO and lead developer of KOMA Elektronik, Christian has 15 years of expe rience in working with music electronics. He comes from a background of hosting wor kshops and creating DIY kits that were fed by his fascination of electronic circuits and the endless possibilities they can bring. Today, his daily work involves developing, producing and maintaining commercial pro ducts for his company KOMA Elektronik. Christian oversees the whole process from idea to finished instrument, from breadboard to ready-to-sell product sitting in the shelves. He has a clear idea about the ins and outs of producing music gear and fun DIY projects that will last and stand the test of time. Christian also is the founder of Common Ground, hackspace and DIY culture venue in Berlin, hosting workshops, talks, musician and composer meetups and concerts. For four years Common Ground was a place for people to get together and learn new skills in a low-key and chill atmosphere before a forced hiatus due to the corona pandemic. In his role of managing Common Ground, he has hosted workshops himself as well as organized them together with external workshop hosts. Christian is an avid learner and always seeks new challenges. He believes that learning should be fun and everyone should get the possibility to get their hands on a great DIY kit for learning new skills and broaden their horizon.
insta: @koma_elektronik
Workshop Overview
This class will span a minimum of 3 hours, providing ample time for in-depth exploration and hands-on learning for students of all levels. It will be divided into a practical soldering class and an experimental production technique demonstration. The main focus of this class will be the practical soldering class, providing students with a working 1U module to bring home. To enhance the educational experience, we propose having 2 teachers, ensuring enough guidance for every participant during the practical side and specialization between the soldering and the demonstration.
DIY Soldering class
Students will engage in building their own special CV/Gate device: The KMNDR , a new 1U module making use of an infrared light beam to control a synthesizer. Students take their finished KMNDR home with them afterwards. Teachers will explain all tools and techniques necessary for building DIY Kits. No previous building knowledge is necessary. Students will learn about all tools, different electronic components, how they make up a circuitry, reading schematics, how to solder and assemble a Eurorack 1U module.
This hands-on activity teaches practical DIY skills, showing not only the music production side of modular world, but the DIY culture and community behind it, made of people from all parts of the spectrum between music producers and technological afficionados. Experimental production techniques demonstration. After the workshop a live demonstration featuring the KOMA Elektronik gear will take place. Participants will have the opportunity to witness the practical application of the instruments they are soldering, with an experimental modular set-up, using sensor sand seeing the physical world interacting with a modular system to craft unique sounds.
Visit to Spatial Media Lab and workshop on Spatial Sound – June 25th in Weissensee at SML
Instructors: Andrew Rahman & Katharina Bévand
Visit to the Spatial Media Lab https://spatialmedialab.org/
About the session Spatialization of Sound :
This session explores 3D / 4D Sound environments as artistic tool. Introducing the concept of the spatialization of audio for installations and live performances together with SML founder Andrew Rahman, we will have a special focus on modular synthesizers using multichannel audio systems. Katharina Bévand will demonstrate a live setup for the SML loudspeaker array.
VJ Workshop with Sanja Star – June 26th
Instructor: Sanja Star
Sanja Star is an experimental media artist based in Berlin since 2015, working at the intersection of time-based media, digital art, design, performance and improvisation. She has a background in fine arts and graphic design and through her practice offers reflections on the perception of reality – particularly in relation to the boundaries between physical and esoteric, human and alien, self and otherness and notions of time. Her work is a contemporary and playful mix of media art and 3D animation. Through limited but vibrant color palettes and mesmerizing abstract shapes, she explores and harnesses our perception of depth and movement.
Workshop VJ for live performances
An introduction to audiovisual performance strategies and techniques, including the concepts behind the audiovisual experience, immersion, and the methods for achieving them. The course also explores audiovisual improvisation through both theoretical and hands-on practice.
The session includes:
Theory/Listening (1 hrs): An exploration of the evolution of audiovisual experimentation in performance and exhibition, the basics of audiovisual improvisation, and the connection of these ideas with practical examples. Practice (2,5 hrs): Collaborative audiovisual improvisation in a performative context, hands-on experience with software for generative visuals and audio input, concluding with a reflection session on the collaborative experience. This session offers a valuable opportunity to deepen your understanding of audiovisual performance, expand your collaborative improvisation skills, and enhance your creative expression in a supportive and experimental environment.
Troubleshooting session – June 26th
Instructors: Stephane Lefrancois & Katharina Bévand
Troubleshooting and sound checks for your final live performances for the public event at ACUD CLUB!
Final Public Presentation @ACUD CLUB with the participants Saturday June 29th
_________________
There is not one way to patch, or one direction to use your modulars to perform!
By learning with us about the different ways to make your modules talk to each other, with perspectives from various experienced aartists from multiple fields, you can find the tools and processes that fit best to developing your own artistic vision and live performance setup as well as musical language!
Come with us on this exciting journey!
Bookings
What else is going on What else is going on What else is going on
- Course
- Workshop