this is so good!
This patch is a certified banger
Anyone have a name suggestion for my last piece? I think it deserves a good one.
I updated the KNOB 5 and PUSH 5 modules to support polyphony. Each control has an option to clone the output into multiple polyphonic channels.
New binaries available below:
Here are some more examples using the NORSIQ Chord To Scale. Nothing as beautiful as last time, but they better show off the dynamic nature of the quantizer.
All three are derived from the previous patch. For each I change to a new random chord/scale at a regular interval.
Slow ambient piece using random extended chords.
No surprise that the random choice of notes for the “chord” leads to lots of discord in the scale. But much of the discord is hidden by playing at a very slow tempo, with massive Planetarium reverb from Valhalla Supermassive.
Slow Stacked Random Chords.vcv (8.6 KB)
Stacked random extended chords
I build random extended chords by stacking two randomly chosen 4 note chords that are rooted a perfect fourth apart. The resultant extended chord becomes the non-octave-repeating scale. There is lots of discordant tension in this one.
Stacked Random Extended Chords.vcv (9.5 KB)
Stacked random triads
For this one the scales are based on randomly chosen triads. More concordance with lots of tension that periodically resolves nicely
Stacked Random Triads.vcv (9.5 KB)
The last patch feels “musical” enough to do the video game ost feel. Pseudo western classical influence.
I believe I have made the last major changes for this next release - I added a new Poly Sample & Hold Analog Shift Register.
This module is heavily inspired by the VCV S&H ASR, with the following enhancements:
- 10 rows of S&H instead of 8
- All inputs and outputs are fully polyphonic
- All rows with patched TRIG input have the DATA input normaled to the random number generator. The VCV module only normaled the first row to the random source.
- Oversampling is available to control aliasing when triggering the module at audio rates
- The saving of held values with the patch may be disabled in the context menu
The new beta binaries are here
I am not very happy with the CPU usage of this module, especially with oversampling enabled. I think my code suffers by writing universal code that generically handles all feature permutations instead of optimizing various permutations individually. I also need to test whether the simd operations are helping or hurting in some of the code. I may do more optimization before release, or I may save that for a subsequent release.
I will let people test the new module for a few weeks, and then I hope to push to the library.
Oversampled asr is a huge deal. Thanks for this.
Away from computer, curious if there is normaled noise as in bogaudio sample and hold. i abuse this feature in that and would absolutely vote for it in your sample and hold if its not there.
if its not too much to ask, an oversampled simple (single, dual, or quad) sample and hold (not asr) would be useful to me, and possibly others. (bonus points for normalled gate as well (similar to that bog sample and hold)
Hope that request doesn’t seem irreverent of the amount of dev work you are doing.
Yes - it is all described in the documentation that I linked: normalled noise (random number generator), normalled gates, shift register(s) or independent sample & holds, depending on how it is patched, etc.
The latest beta binaries are here, with a few bug fixes dealing mostly with Poly S&H ASR polyphony.
Here is a patch demonstrating the Poly S&H ASR. It only uses the sample and hold capability, as well as the oversampling option to mitigate aliasing from clocking at audio rates.
Venom S&H Stepped Sine.vcv (6.9 KB)
There are 4 voices generated by the Slips module, each of which is duplicated 4 times with detuning by the Venom Poly Unison and played as sine waves by the polyphonic VCV VCO. A Venom Harmonic Quantizer plays a 2nd oscillator at integral multiples of the base frequency, which in turn trigger the sample and hold to sample the sine waves, generating a stepped voltage sine wave. A second row of the S&H generates random CV to control the integral value (number of steps per cycle).
There is no VCA or envelope generator. The ringing tone is created by syncing the polyphonic oscillators with each note change, which momentarily allows all detuned voices to constructively interfere. As the detuned channels drift apart, the volume reduces, resulting in bell like tones. As the detuned waveforms continue to drift out of phase, different harmonics are accentuated through constructive/destructive interference, yielding a shifting, shimmering tone.
Another wicked patch. Im gonna have to download and mess with that.
Perhaps my last demo before I release to the library - a long form experimental sound scape featuring the Benjolin Oscillator, paired with the Questionable Modules Slurp. There is lots of cross modulation. The first half tests out various filter cutoff points, but is otherwise static. The second half I freely modulate various parameters.
The top row pairs one Benjolin Oscillator with a Vult Unstabile filter to create a full Benjolin patch emulating the features of the After Later Audio Benjolin version 2. The bottom half adds the Slurp, a 2nd Benjolin Oscillator, and effects.
The audio output is a mix of the top row Benjolin PWM output mixed with one channel of the Slurp output, sent to the filter. The low pass output goes left, and the band pass goes right. Both are processed by the Plateau and Valhalla Super Massive in parallel, and then mixed for the final output.
The Host-FX is running the Valhalla Super Massive reverb/delay, using the SFX->Nebulae->Planetarium preset.
Slurping Venom Benjolins.vcv (7.0 KB)
Sounds like it’s moving and changing all the time. Looking forward to the Benjolin Oscillator.
This is brilliant!
I lied - here is another demo using a pair of Benjolin Oscillators. The 45 minute Benjolin Safari video is fully autogenerative - nothing was tweaked during the full duration of the video (except for final mix level for start fade in and end fade out).
The original patch uses VCV Host-FX running Valhalla SuperMassive plugin with the SFX->Nebulae->Horsehead preset. The Valhalla SuperMassive plugin is free, but the VCV Host is a premium plugin - it is well worth the small investment.
1.5 Venom Benjolins.vcv (7.4 KB)
For those that do not have the premium Host plugin, I made a version that substitutes AirWindows running the Galactic preset. It has a similar quality, but I prefer the SuperMassive version.
1.5 Venom Benjolins Air Windows.vcv (6.8 KB)
I updated my Blippoo Box emulator to use the Venom Poly Sample & Hold Analog Shift Register with oversampling. With that and the oversampled Venom WinComp comparator, all components of the emulator now have effective anti-aliasing. The one S&H ASR module is used for both the A and B Runglers, as well as the sample & hold output.
I was planning on creating a demo that shows the positive effect of the oversampled S&H ASR, but I stumbled on this cool evolving drone patch and couldn’t pull myself away.
Blippoo Box Sweet Spot.vcv (10.9 KB)
Excellent! Some call the Blippoo Box a “patch in a box”, so all you need now is a box well done Dave!
I have been planning to record a demo version with my version -which does not differ much from yours now, especially since we are using the same modules. I always get drawn into just playing it and get distracted lol so the videos get too long. I gave up recording a demo and just play it nowadays.
Thanks for the updated ASR / S&H!
Keeping the Krells happy Dave Fun and interesting patch…
For this demo I use both sample & hold and shift register functionality of the Poly S&H ASR. This video also demonstrates the profound difference the oversampling can make when triggering the S&H at audio rates. This video also demonstrates a cool technique where detuned polyphonic unison voices generate bell or plucked string like tones each time the detuned voices are synced.
New Module: Widget Menu Extender
This module allows you to rename any foreign parameter control or port, as well as set a custom default for any foreign parameter. Nearly all Venom modules have these capabilities built in. This module brings that functionality to foreign modules. It works by extending the context menus of the foreign parameters and ports - there is no need to interact with the Widget Menu Extender itself, it just needs to be in the patch.
Stable binaries available here
I am excited about this module - I think it can be of great use to any VCV Rack user, regardless what type of patching they do.
It can be a great help when working with a large patch, helping you keep track of the patch specific purpose of controls and ports. It is also a simple way to document a patch that is shared with others.
Or for performance, you can set a custom default for an important control, tweak the value to add variation, but then instantly and reliably get back to your custom default at will.
I would like to add the parameter lock feature, but there are technical issues that prevent that feature from working properly on foreign parameters configured as switches.
I hope some people try this module out and report back if there are any issues. But it is working really well for me so far. I have even tested VCV Pro with multiple VCV plugins running within a DAW.
Barring any reports of critical bugs, I plan on submitting Venom v2.6 to the library by the end of the week.
This module has been a dream of mine for a long time. I could not have created this module without the information shared in the following thread: