Lyrcoriscoris - Shizumu > The randomized arp at the beginning

The Lounge General Discussion
#1

Hi all,

Wondering if anyone has a good idea on how to make randomized patterns like the droplet-esque arp at the beginning. It is so natural feeling.

#2

What tools do you have available to use?

#3

First of all I wouldnā€™t say that this nice droplets are completely random. The pitches are definitely quantized to a scale. A basic note/rhythm pattern is also there, with some notes playing like grace-notes, which also seem to appear with some randomness.

There are a couple of options to generate something like this. Here comes a rough suggestion:

  • I would use a sequencer with the option to have a probability of notes beeing played and a probability that the pitch can be changed.
  • I would put down a simple melodic/rhythmic pattern with high probability that notes are played and some notes with a moderate probability to change pitch
  • I would add some notes with low probabiltity to be played inbetween and also with some probability to change pitch
  • this stream I would send to a pitch-quantizer, which would be set to pitches of a particular chord, like c-min, c-min7 etc.

Ableton Live and/or Max4Live provide some plug-ins, which can do this.

In hardware world, or better Eurorack cosmos, we have a couple of options as well.

  • We can use Turing-Machine like modules to generate random-patterns of gates and CV, which can be repeated and slowly change themselves over time.
  • There are function generators like the XAOC Devices Zadar, which can generate complex ever evolving CV curves.
  • Sending the CV through a quantizer and then to a sound source can generate such ā€œrandom arpsā€, if we additionally trigger the gate of a volume-envelope at a rhythm we like.

Ask, if you need more info ā€¦ :wink:

#4

Ableton, A Digitakt and Synths!

  • If thereā€™s a VST able to help Iā€™m happy to consider.
#5

thanks for the reply; yeah they feel random within a scale, it comes across very natural feeling. Thereā€™s not a note thats ā€˜offā€™ so to speak.

Any recommended VST?

#6

For the sound you could use the Operator. FM is well suited for plucked and bellish sounds. Add some delay/reverb and you are there.

For some more movement I would also recommend to use a ā€œtape-reverbā€ plug-in, which is synced to the tempo.

  • As for the quantizer and randomness, check out the Ableton manual for various options, itā€™s in section 10.4.
  • For defining particular notes of a scale, check out <MIDI Effects/Scale>
  • check out <Max4Life/Max MIDI Effect> as well

Have fun :smiley:

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