Most modular sequencers have a finite number of steps. While this can seem limiting and sometimes frustrating, it can force you to be more creative. One method of getting more dynamic rhythms from a sequencer is to restrict the step length of a sequence and play it against another that is longer. Numbers that divide easily into each other do not work as well for this as prime numbers. For instance a 4 step sequence playing over an 8 step sequence is the same thing. The 4 steps will repeat twice during the 8 steps yielding a repetition with in the single eight steps. However, an 11 step sequence over a 16 step sequence will not repeat for 11 cycles, yielding a far longer pattern before repetition.
The challenge is to experiment with sequences and clock divisions that are prime numbers to see how much variance you can get from a relatively static rhythmic structure. This does not have to be percussive, it can be melodic, noise, percussion or anything kind of sounds you like. Also, not all rhythms must include primes. Experiment with even and odd number and mix them with primes.
HOW TO PLAY
THIS PATCHABLE RUNS FROM FEB 2ND – FEB 15TH
- Create an original piece of music. It does not have to be a complete track. Ideas are welcome.
- Include the suffix PATCHABLE-0011 in the track title. A completed track title would look like this: Spiral Vortex PATCHABLE-0011
- Upload your track to soundcloud by end of day, Saturday February 15th.
- Include a link to your track and patch notes in the comments below.
Hey All! Excited to join the fray. Fairly new to recording things, and not just noodling about.
https://soundcloud.com/thornymusic/there-is-someone-outside-my-window-patchable-0011
Patch notes:
Sequences of 7 and 11 steps from the division 6 Dual Mini Sequencer, Cv routed through Bubble sound and GMSN! vco’s. Aux and gate outs piped to the !!! inputs of the Make Noise Q-PAS. Harrington 1200 provides 5 steps of 3 note Chords that also trigger the L and R inputs of QPas. This track was edited and layered a bit.
sounds cool man!
Thanks!!!
https://soundcloud.com/user-731767312/prime-numbers-nyms-patchable0011
In this patch, there is a 7 step Rubicon sequence with the sigmoid and square wave outputs mixed and sent through a low pass filter and some ping pong delay from the milky way. There is an envelope on the filter cutoff and the envelope amount is being modulated by a slow LFO coming from PNW. A second LFO from Pam’s is modulating the decay time on the envelope. There is also a 5 step BIA sequence going through the optomix with some audio rate modulation on the strike input. The percussion is from the TR8 with some 11 step tom and hi hat patterns.
My entry for this Patchable:
https://soundcloud.com/w-y-543363470/w-y-no-questions-asked-patchable-0011
Patch notes:
Varigate4+ is providing master clock
I had the X channel of Rene2 sequencing a Pittsburgh SV1 (through its normalized connections) in a simple repeating 5 step pattern. Filter is being adjusted by hand. This is going through a Make Noise Mimeophon with tempo coming from the master clock
The Varigate4+ is providing note CV to a Antumbra Atom (Mutable Elements clone.) The note sequence has been clock divided to its only advancing one step for every 3 steps of the normal clock. Also the gate sequencer (not clock divided) is in a 3 step pattern with repeat probability on the 2nd step at about 50%
Dread Antiphon is being played with Make Noise Pressure Points (going through a bit a slew between the PP and Antiphon)
The kick drum is the only thing in “Common Time” Rene’s Y channel is receiving /2 clock from a clock divider and is providing gate to a Pittsburgh LPG in filter mode with the resonance cranked. The LPG is then being run through a Pittsburgh Binary filter to roll off some of the higher end frequencies.
The other percussion type thing is white noise from the SV1 sample and hold mixed with a triangle wave from the SV1’s second oscillator and the noise output from a Make Noise Telharmonic. Those mixed sounds are run through a Make Noise LxD (LPG.) Strike on the LxD is coming from x3 of the master clock with CV coming from an attenuated sample and hold from the SV1. Sample and hold time on the SV1 is coming from /5 of the master clock.
I’m an infant in the realm of modular so apologies if this is a bit scrappy. Here are my patch notes:
Using the eloquencer to sequence with some random probabilities controlling CV, Gate and Ratchet.
Percussion: 2hp Kick, 2hp Hat and 2hp Play snare sample. 12, 3 and 4 step sequences.
Voices: Erica Fusion VCO2, Erica Black Wavetable VCO, STO. 10, 12 and 7 step sequences. Fusion pitch is being hand controlled. Wavetable wave CV controlled by a randomized sequence of CV.
EG: Xaoc Zadar
Aux: Strymon Magneto.
https://soundcloud.com/kerblamski/recovery-patchable-0011
https://soundcloud.com/dysonant/patchable-0011-primes
https://youtu.be/Tf8EsONgfAs
The main melody that this starts with is 11 steps with a clock division of 3. The secondary harmony is 7 steps with a clock division of 5. The bass is 11 steps with a clock division of 11. For the kick and snare I am sending a clock division of 5 to the Zorlon Cannon and using two out from that that have prime bits selected. The rest of the ZC is modulating various parameters on the Tyme Sefari & A Sound of Thunder. This is being used to effect the main melody. The olny non prime number used was unsynced modulation and manual manipulation.
https://soundcloud.com/crewcalledself/nyms-patchable-0011-prime-numbers
Patch Notes
NerdSeq master clock sending to Deeper A16-2 clock divider Prime Numbers
Klee Sequencer receiving clock from NerdSeq but set to retrigger every 7 or 5 steps alternately from the divider
Klee Trigger bus 1 to Bass drum and Arpitecht step increase
Klee Trigger bus 2 to Snare drum
Turing machine noise providing randomness to Klee
DFAM triggered by step 3 from Clock Divider
DFAM into Pura Ruina which is getting gates from Klee
Klee CV is modulating the Arpitecht rhythm
Erica Sequential switch is getting a step increase by 11 from the prime divider
Erica Sequential switch expanders are modulating the Arpitect transpose
Arpitecht CV is modulating the 1v/oct of Dixie and DFAM
Dixie is getting delayed by Pico DSP
https://soundcloud.com/unsaidleek/funky-7-13-squawker-patchable-0011
Some good tracks this week. A number of them have more layers and complexity and more percussive elements. I tried to keep it very simple with two melodies played on the Buchla Skylab, one at 7 and the other at 13 beats. Very little automated modulation much of it is done or triggered from the Kinesthetic Input Port. Would like to have had more time to develop it but that wasn’t possible this week.
Patch notes:
Voice 1
* Twisted Waveform Generator
* Out to 267e Filter B
* Freq from Seq Vol Source
* Filter modulated by
* BW by Input Port R
* Freq by Input Port R
* Modulation Index by function generator
* Mod in from Twisted Mod Out
* Output to Dynamics Manager
* Function Generator gated by Seq Voltage Source shapes LPG
Voice 2
* Complex Waveform Generator
* Mod Osc Freq & Wavform shaped by Input Port S
* Symmetry shaped by IP
* High Order shaped by IP
* Mod Amount shaped by Func Gen
* Mod sine out to FM in of Twisted
* Out to Dynamics Manager
* LPG shaped by Funct Gen gated by SVS
Quad Sequential Voltage Source
* generates both sequences
* Started and stopped by IP
Both voices out to Strymon BigSky for some Verb
https://soundcloud.com/nancy-not-her-real-name/200215-prime-number-jam-excerpts-nyms-patchable-0011
Woo-hoo, my first Patchable! Patch notes: A steady kick (Pico Drums) and 16-step bass sequence (2 Mother 32s) in the middle, to create a foundation. Pamela plucking the SMR with two different Euclidean patterns (5/12 steps, and 7/12 steps) on the left (odds) and right (evens) channels, for some acoustic bass sounding plucks throughout. Pamela playing a Euclidean pattern at 3X to trigger Plonk into Clouds. Tete/Tetrapad playing a 37-step (?!) sequence of chords on the E370 run through Natural Gate, two voices to L, 2 to R, then stereo into Mimeophon. An 8-step Varigate4+ pattern is quantized by Scales, with OutA going to Plaits (left channel) and shifted OutB going to uBraids (right channel), which then both go through Optomix and then into 4ms DLD; Steppy is sending two prime number trigger patterns (7 steps and 11 steps) striking the two Optomix channels, and the two DLD channels are set to Time 3 and 5. On top, I doodle some lines, including a repeated 7-note pattern, on Minibrute mixed with Just Friends in Sound mode, through QPAS, and again into DLD.
https://soundcloud.com/brain-basement/fatigue-patchable-0020-0011
This piece is called Fatigue, because my one year old has decided sleep is over for everyone around him, and this is what the inside of my head sounds like.
Patch notes:
Stream 1:
Basimilus Iteritas Alter receiving an 11 note gate. Harm, Spread, Morph, Fold, S/L/M, and B/A/T are all receiving gates from end of rise or end of fall out of an Intellijel Quadrax. Channel 1 of the Quadrax is receiving a trigger from a Stillson Hammer, and Channels 2-4 are set to various shapes and speeds of LFOs. Output of drum module to Erbeverb. Depth is controlled by an end of cycle signal from Maths.
Stream 2:
Instruo CS-L with oscillators 1 and 2 out to Befaco A*B+C for AM. Oscillator 1 is receiving a 13 note sequence clocked at 3:1, and Oscillator 2 is receiving an 11 note sequence. Audio to Make Noise QPAS filter using Low Pass output. Frequency of the filter is sequenced using a 15 note random sequence from the Stillson Hammer. Audio to X-Pan, with panning controlled from Quadrax and attenuated by Tangle Quartet.
Stream 3:
Random Source Serge NTO to Serge Variable Q VCF. Audio to Echophon with pitch and feedback randomized by Frap Tools Sapèl. Audio to Erbeverb.
https://soundcloud.com/forestine1/progress-patchable-0011
I still feel like such a sequencer noob, so I learned a lot doing this patchable!