Patch Notes: Introduction
A new space for experiments in sound, design, technology, and thought.
Hello and welcome! My name is Joseph Branciforte. I am a musician, composer, designer, recording engineer, and the founder of the record label Greyfade.
Between 2016 and 2018, I maintained what I called a Sound Journal. It was a way to regularly document my ongoing musical and technological experiments and share something publicly each week. At the time, these were mostly explorations with Fender Rhodes and electronics. Alongside the sounds, I published my patch notes—detailed mappings of the signal flow between instruments, devices, processes, and code.
The term patch notes originates from the world of early synthesis, when musicians relied on hand-drawn diagrams to preserve complex, ephemeral sound configurations in the absence of digital recall. Over time, I expanded this concept to document the less technical, more subjective aspects of my work—intention, iteration, and reflection. What was I going for here? Did it turn out as I expected? Is there a promising seed I’d like to investigate further next week?
This practice of regularly sharing my progress, with real-time documentation and reflection, proved to be an invaluable tool for creative growth. It gave me a point of reference to revisit and expand upon techniques that worked, but also encouraged me to spend time with ideas that didn’t—or at least, didn’t seem to at the time. More than presenting finished work, it became an open-ended conversation, tracing the often-circuitous path of creation.
This Substack will continue in that spirit. I’ll be sharing recent sounds, technical notes, and reflections on process, form, and aesthetics. Much of my recent work explores the intersection of structured systems and ephemeral phenomena, often using custom-built technology to mediate between the two. I’ll dive into software and system design in Max/MSP and Pure Data, and my ongoing efforts to apply them to both improvisation and composition. From time to time, I’ll also chat with musicians and composers whose work inspires or intrigues me.
Since 2019, my interest in graphic design has also deepened, forming a parallel practice and counterpoint to my music. There will likely be posts on procedural design techniques in environments like Cavalry and Processing, as well as experiments in typography, grid systems, and package design.
I’ve come to believe that spaces for long-form creative conversation and community are more important than ever—both in physical media (see Greyfade’s FOLIO series) and online. My intention with Patch Notes is to create a regular sanctuary of experimentation and reflection for myself—away from character limits, advertising, and the increasingly manic nature of social media—and to bring those interested along for the ride.
Joseph Branciforte, February 2025
Subscriptions
Patch Notes will always be free to read. If you’d like to support my work and access additional materials—including downloads of my full album catalog and patches featured in posts—there are a few ways to subscribe below.
FREE
Access to regular posts covering sound, design, technology, and process.
PAID ($5/month or $50/year)
Bandcamp download codes for my complete digital album catalog (past and future releases).
Downloadable Max/MSP and Pure Data patches featured in posts.
Access to subscriber-only posts, including interviews with artists, musicians, and composers.
Early access to pre-order Greyfade physical releases before they go on sale to the general public.
FOUNDING ($150/year or more)
Everything in the Paid Subscription tier.
A Bandcamp download code for each new Greyfade release (3-4 per year), with proceeds going to the artists.
Download of my custom Max/MSP utilities library—jb.utilities—along with help files. I’ve coded and updated these over the last 20 years and use extensively across all my Max/MSP work.
Directly supporting and sustaining the creation of new music, custom technology, and experimental design at the heart of my work.