ISOWD | Generative Ambient Patch in VCV Rack 2

For this patch, it started out with drums, experimenting with a bass, snare, and more. However, as I began layering in chords and melodies, it became clear that I still need to refine my approach to integrating drums into patches. Eventually, the drums got removed one by one. Now let's dive into what is present in this patch! *Chord Progression* The patch is build up around a chord progression in A minor that is stored in the Phrase-Seq-32 module. The root notes are transposed down a couple of octaves via an Oct module to drive the bass voices. Meanwhile, a Lazy Susan quantizer is coupled with Phrase-Seq-32 output and can be used by some of the voices to align their notes with the current chord being played. *Bass Voice* The bass is a blend of several modules: There's a Macro Oscillator in the Two Operator FM model, an Instruo Saïch routed into an I-o47 filter and Chorus and a Bogaudio VCO from which the square wave is sent through a VCF and a Distortion module. These voices are modulated over time, creating a dynamic bass that transitions between crunchy and smooth textures. *Ambient Pad Voices* Several pad voices provide an atmospheric foundation: A Macro Oscillator and a Cloud Generator and Discrete OTA VCF combination both play fast notes of the current chord into their own wet-only reverbs. An Instruo Cruïnn on the other hand plays the root notes through a Freak filter and a Chorus. Each pad voice is independently controlled in the mixer, allowing for individual fading. *Clouds Melody* Melodic lines are layered on top of the pads. The first voice uses a ProbKey module, generating two melody lines triggered by dual clock inputs. A Cloud Generator plays these melodies through a Discrete OTA VCF into a Chronoblob delay in ping-pong mode. *Double Delay Melody* A second voice also plays two melodies. One of these is generated by adding random small values to an LFO output, while the other is modulated similarly, but based on a Caudal output. Both melodies are quantized to a pentatonic scale and played by a Dark Energy module, filtered by a Freak module with changing cutoff over time. The result is fed into a SurgeXT Delay, with different left and right delay times (similar to the technique in used in the https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBzcqU4hlQk tutorial). *Turing Machine Melody* For the third melodic voice, randomness is introduced using a Turing Machine module from Music Thing Modular, balanced by an LFO for predictability. This melody is played by an Atelier Palette module, filtered by an I-o47, and sent into a Tap Dancer delay. *Longer Fade Voice* The final melodic voice selects a random note from the pentatonic scale and uses a Macro Oscillator to play it through a Waveshaper into another Tap Dancer delay. This voice is also a variation on one of the voices from the same https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBzcqU4hlQk tutorial. *Overall Movement Modulation* Movement across the patch is achieved using outputs from a Vult Caudal module. This modulates the volume balance of the various voices, allowing them to fade in and out dynamically in the overall mix. _*__Support__*_ Want to support me? Perhaps buy me a coffee? Find me on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/not_things Or check out my music on Bandcamp: https://not-things.bandcamp.com/ _*__Setup__*_ - VCV Rack 2.5.2 Pro on Windows - All audio generated internally within VCV Rack (no external connections) - Video is captured by OBS - RAW FLAC Audio output from VCV Rack - Audio recording synced to OBS, and fade added at the end with Reaper - OBS video and Reaper audio are merged and cut to length using Shutter Encoder. _*__Copyright__*_ Copyright © by not-things, all rights reserved. Streamers and content creators are granted permission to use this music as background music for live streams and recorded videos for free. Crediting is not required but is much appreciated. This permission does not extend to use in commercial products (e.g., games, movies, or ads). For more details, visit https://not-things.com/streamer-licensing.html