49 - Trentabyte

Hello music people 👋

Today in the spotlight, Trentabyte

Coming from the United States, while he grew up not evolved in music he did not that stop him to go after a life immersed in it.

An in-depth view on Trentabyte's analytical way of thinking about music 🎶

Read Time: 12 minutes 📰

Studio

Gear List

• My rig

• Syntablism skiff w/ Reloop Turntable

• 1989 Circuit Bent Yamaha RX-8

• My Phone!

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Interview

Who are you and what is your relationship with music?

Hello, my name is Trenton Carlton and Ι currently reside in Fort Collins Colorado.

My musical journey started quite late in my life. I grew up being very artsy but I never once learned anything about music until i was 22 years old. That was when Ι decided to go to my home town's community college for audio engineering. I knew how to naturally dance/keep a rhythm as a child and I was always interested in drums/percussion, but I never once pursued it until after my first job out of state during the year of 2011.

As Ι was living in Beaver Creek Colorado, working as a lift operator, Ι realized Ι wanted to go back to school and learn as much as Ι could about music. I wanted to express myself through another form of art, "Bass Music"! Little did Ι know, Ι was going to end up being in the modular world a decade later and never looking back!

I have been making my living as a "wet glazier" for the past 10 years and although it is manual labor, it is quite satisfying to measure and install a beautiful steam shower in a customer's master bathroom. Even though Ι enjoy my job, I have always been on the road to transition my career into music, one way or another.

I am currently working on my first debut album that's been in progress for a long time now. I am at the point in my music career where Ι trust my ears, production, sound design, mixing, and even mastering in Αbleton. I hope to have it released by the beginning of February, as well as more modular presets in my rig for future live modular performances!

I just recently played my first show at the Black Box in Denver for the Patched Out Series in The Lounge that Alex from WMD puts on every third Friday of the month for live modular performances. The mix is up on my Σoundcloud for now! It consists of 4 fully loaded presets with 16 patterns plus on each preset, as well as some live syntablism and modular mangling within the mix! All Original!

Which piece of equipment in your studio is essential to your production process?

My live modular rig/set up!

That includes my three 84hp rows of modules for my main mix, one 84hp row of modules for my syntablism skiff, Reloop turntable (phase controller/vinyl combo), and my 1989 Yamaha circuit bent RX-8 drum machine!

What is the most budget-friendly piece of studio gear that gave you the most results?

Μy phone!

Βelieve it or not, it gave me the ability to research everything Ι know today about modular and what it is to me. Αs well as recording samples from YouTube through my phone to my interface, or even recording nature samples or memos to myself of ideas of melodies and what not.

Walk us through your process for creating and producing music.

I get a lot of inspiration from the musical artists that Ι love to listen too, but Ι also get a lot of inspiration from movies/TV shows. I like to sample voices or specific sounds from movies and that is where Ι usually start a track. Such as, "Keep your change, ya filthy animal!" from the movie, "home alone". I'll record it into Ableton, edit to taste and tempo, and save into a file for exporting into the Rossum Electro Assimil8or in my rig!

I will also do sound design at this point as well because Ι have to edit all my samples and hi-pass them all around 120hz to clean the mix up before they end up in my rig for creating the track. This process can get very deep, but all in all, I have 2 mono tracks and 3 stereo tracks in Asisimil8or that Ι use for my main samples in my rig for each of my tracks. I also have an a/b option with a CV slider for swapping samples on the fly through the mix for verses and drops within the track. I usually have percussion, plucks, rises, pads, vocals, and lots of basses dedicated to the Assimil8or, because my kick, sub, snare, hat, and white noise riser are all separate modules within the rig. They are all being controlled by the master clock with my main brain of a sequencer, The Westlicht Per|former! From there, the sky is the limit.

I designed my rig on modulargrid.net before Ι even bought "The Black Widow" that houses all my modules. I had the idea that Ι wanted a "permanent patch" to be able to perform a live bass show, fully on the rig, but also have the ability to play through my presets/tracks at the same speed as a DJ today! Not just sit in a loop, so to speak.

I believe that the DJ world has become heavily saturated with a lot of producers making very similar tracks/sets, and personally, Ι just don't get it. Why make the same stuff as everyone else? Why not push music as we know it, as humans, and let's further our reach in our ability to create and perform incredible waves that we can all enjoy together, in the moment!

I believe that being in the moment and making mistakes all in real-time, is way more impressive and entertaining, than someone who has pressed play on a CDJ and moves track to track on a pre-organized set list. No offense to any DJ and their art, but it's just so monotonous in this day and age.

What is a production technique that you always come back to?

I am very proud of my hands on syntablism skiff that is also tied to other modules within my rig.

My most favorite action is to touch an FSR pad (Korb Pusher Module) that is controlling the speed of an LFO module (Divkid/Instruo OCHD) that has 6 hand tuned LFOs splitting and spreading all over my rig. Talk about organic modulation that can be manipulated live through my entire rig! It's as if Ι am speeding up or slowing down a heart beat in any one person's human body! Ι always feel soo connected to the energy and electricity of my rig every time i touch that pad!

How would you explain your style?

I've always thought about what my style is or will be.

Although, Ι feel that Ι AM in certain genres, Ι try not to confine myself to any one style anymore, besides a lot of bass. I enjoy making dance tunes and do lean more to the broken beat style of rhythm. I also enjoy sampling and using any sound that Ι can hear, create, or capture. I love synthesis as well as acoustic instruments but Ι am all about the journey of finding new sounds. I am unbiased to all audio waves and believe they should all be treated as such. Waves.

To confine myself to any certain genre would be a mistake, and Ι would be limiting myself to my own ability to express what Ι need for everyone else to feel. I like to keep as open of a mind as Ι can throughout my entire life, no matter what Ι am doing.

What’s your biggest struggle?

Promotion and time management.

Working a full time job takes a lot of time and energy out of you. It makes making music more bitter sweet but the goal is to do what I love and to stay driven. Hope is what keeps me going!

Has building a hardware setup changed your perspective on music or life in general?

Yes and Yes.

It has given me the ability to build what I have only dreamt of, as well as mold my way of thinking about everything in life.

I now try to go to the most modular core of what ever it is I am trying to learn. I am more analytical about everything, as well as more aware of life itself every single day.

One tip on how to spark creativity?

Don't try to be someone you're not.

Only be who you truly are at your core and music will live through you! Just let the flow take over and hold on for the ride.

A book, movie, article, or album that has inspired you?

The Spirit of Music by Victor Wooten

Atomic Habits by James Clear

The Creative Act: A Way Of Being by Rick Rubin

Do you have a question in mind I should have asked?

"Where do I see myself in 10 years?"

On stage, performing live with my rig. Teaching everyone my knowledge about modular and performance as well as music as a whole. Making YouTube videos. Starting a Patreon. Creating sample packs for purchase as well as merch! Spreading the love and knowledge through music!

Where can people find more of your music and connect with you online?

@Trentabyte

on all platforms

In Case You Missed It

48 - Alyag

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