VenomTakeFive Challenge (May 2024)

This is rather ingenious. Interesting routings!

You must have been inspired by @dreamer 's the post on ctrl+alt+shift+F2 :smiley:.

1 Like

I’m starting work toward a submission for this challenge. I have a question for @DaveVenom. I’m really interested in your Linear Beats module. I’m reading its documentation, and I think I’m starting to understand what it does.

But I’m having a hard time understanding why it does these things. I’m still at an early stage in my development as a musician, so it would be educational to know what your underlying motivation was when you created Linear Beats. It would also be helpful to see videos/patches that use it.

I have a feeling this module will be fun, because I like the idea of making fun rhythms. I’m looking forward to understanding Linear Beats better.

Well I am not a trained musician, let alone a drummer. I don’t know the theory behind why linear drumming might be used, but I do know it sounds cool.

I can guess that it is easier to create complex patterns that aren’t muddy - especially if playing with polymeters, where the strike pattern has one meter, but the accents are different. For example, maybe alternate between kick, snare, and hi-hat in triplets, but accent every fourth beat. The accents will fall on different drums.

1 Like

Hah, actually I read that post or at least the first few comments and was like – I don’t get it, I’ll invest my time otherwise.

Something about how modules populate on the web vs internal-vcv picker?

Honestly, it’s all sub-optimal from my experience, and I just muddle through. I would simply be happy if the “last used” view within vcv were accurate.

Anway. Fun challenge and I hope to craft something more gentle/listenable before the month is over!

1 Like

Doesn’t Linear Beats just impost a rule: Dont hit more than one drum at the same time.

AKA in this array of triggers, don’t pass more than one at one time (with priority top to bottom in the inteface)?

Agree entirely, and I think we are not the only ones who see room for improvements: Somebody should design a new module browser?

I had assumed it was in tribute to the drumming style many drummers had learned to make very clear syncopated material. If you listen to some of Steve Gadds playing especially, he would play beats like this to create very clear controlled stuff like 50 ways to leave your lover. I remember I think a David Garibaldi instruction series on the subject many years ago, but I could be mistaken. Drummers def talk about the technique for clarity.

Thank you so much! I think this is the nugget I was looking for. This phrase taught me something new about how to approach percussion in a track.

I have always loved the percussion in that track (and everything else about it too). Now I’m starting to see a possible connection. Thank you! More educational moments for me.

1 Like

Yeah, this is the thing. I did understand that from reading the manual. But I’m such a novice at creating music that I didn’t know why that mattered. Reading @DaveVenom’s idea of complex but not muddy percussion distilled something I experienced trying to create rhythms in my own patches, but didn’t know how to articulate. It felt like there was always a point where I went from boring to muddy, but funky or interesting have been elusive for me. You have to understand, even the notion of muddy is a new concept for me!

It is a very muddy concept indeed! :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

1 Like

** VenomTakeFive May 2024**

`Hi all, here is my submission…I have tried to generate an ambient blues chord progression. It is in A-minor, and I am using my own Saw and Triangle VCO’s to put them to a proper test :-). I tried to use the NORSIQ to generate a pentatonic melody, but not sure how succesful I was at it…still figuring out how this beast really works…I like the Rhythm Explorer…gives you enough randomness to keep it interesting without going into real sequencing yourself…Of course, lots of LFO’s, Reverb and Delay to get some motion…You can download the patch here: https://mlaban.home.xs4all.nl/music/VCV/VenomTakeFive%20May%202024%20-%20Ambient%20Blues%20by%20Marinko%20Laban.vcv

Ambient Blues

7 Likes

Thank for this great patch! I like it, it’s rhythmic yet meditative. Clear structure. Haven’t used your Saw VCO before - it sounds very nice.

Okidoki. It took a long time to create this patch. Venom plugins are also a bit crazy. Nevertheless I managed to get at least 10 modules running. I also tried some of Dave’s patches and tried to understand them. Many thanks Dave for your guides. I had a great time again and learnt something new.

I have underlaid this Clip with an old Clip of mine which I posted on YT in 2014. For me… everything fits.

12 Likes

Really nice patch Luca, highly musically enjoyable!

2 Likes

Many thanks, Lars, for the positive support!

Beautiful patch with wonderful sound design!

I really like how you took the time to explore some of the more esoteric Venom module capabilities and work them into a conscious design, rather than simply patch random connections and see what sticks.

A few points in particular:

  • I know the Benjolin is a good source of chaotic CV, but in my own explorations I have concentrated on using it as an audio source (maybe with a second Benjolin Oscillator for added CV options). Nice to see someone use it in part just for CV.
  • Rhythm Explorer - good to see creative use as both a clock divider as well as more complicated pattern generator
  • Reformation - Nice way to pick out one voice from a multi voice chord and transform the audio into a new voice (basically a type of wave folder to bring in some higher harmonics)
  • Recurse - That is certainly an interesting (and obtuse) way of splitting out one channel from a polyphonic input (with some additional amplification and offset). Not how I would patch that up, but if given a limited fixed rack with Recurse, then that would be a creative way to use the module if it is not needed for more “traditional” usage (actually there is nothing traditional about that module, I know!)
  • NORSIQ + NORSIQ chord to scale - That is a surprising application of my quantizer! (no V/Oct input but rather changing the root to alter the chord as well as individual note selection). I haven’t figured out if it is actually providing a unique functionality in your use case, or if there are other modules out there that could get the same result more simply.
1 Like

Hi Dave…Many thanks for the flowers.

I didn’t really understand the “NORSIQ + NORSIQ chord2scale” and what I did there is purely coincidental. I find the trigger input strange. I would have thought that you can trigger the octave fold. It doesn’t actually do that. That’s why I didn’t use the trigger input.

What does “traditional” use of modules mean? A good friend of mine, who soldered his huge modular from scratch, is always wondering how I use and wire modules. Finally I get a result that I like. In any case, it was interesting to get to know your modules better.

In the documentation I struggled with terminology because I couldn’t find simple existing terms for some of the concepts. But the whole point of NORSIQ is to allow definition of scales that fold at some interval other than an octave. Of course nothing stops you from defining scales that fold at the octave. The sum of the N intervals defines the fold point. The scale you have defined folds at two octaves. I was surprised you did not provide input to the IN port - the V/Oct signal that is to be quantized. I think the documentation for the TRIG input is pretty clear - it functions as a sample and hold, determining when to quantize the IN signal. If not patched then the IN signal is continuously quantized.

My use of quoted “traditional” was tongue in cheek. There is nothing traditional about the Recurse module given that it is reliant on polyphonic modules, which are definitely not traditional to Eurorack. Again the documentation describes the typical intent of the module. It allows you to recursively process an input signal by a polyphonic module via Send and Return. Each recursive iteration uses one polyphonic channel.

Wonderful vibe to this patch.

In order to have a pentatonic scale, the scale length must be fixed at 5. Given the percussive nature of that voice, I’m not sure the scale matters so much.

If you are curious how to setup the NORSIQ for a pentatonic scale - there are presets available for both major and minor pentatonic scales under the “Octave Repeating 12ET Examples” sub-menu. Playing around with the presets and observing the results can be a good way to gain an understanding of how the module works.