Netz

Experimenting with Tonnetz Sequent for creating slowly evolving chord progressions in a generative ambient patch. By using a few tricks, I managed to get several seemingly independent parts out of the 3 pitch outputs of TS. Core patch: TS root, 3rd and 5th to AFG, Rubicon and Dixie II. Saw and pulse outputs from those VCOs go via crossfader into matrix mixer, plus Saw +1 from Rubicon, to create evolving timbres. Mix out goes via Doepfer A108 12dB/o to create swelling pads, with filter modulated both by an envelope triggered at every chord change and by a Triple Sloth output. Filter out via Verbos Multi Delay for wobbly echoes. TS chord changes are triggered by regular but out-of-sync gates into L and R, creating subtle variation in alternations between Leading and Relative transforms. A MI Branches allows random gates to very rarely rigger a Parallel transform, since that allow greater variation but can be jarring if used too much. Bassline: AFG Saw suboctave into Sea Devils filter, modulated by both a variable LFO and inverted envelope follower from Verbos MD. This partially sidechains the bass against the pad, so the bass can swell in to fill the gaps when the pad is quiet. Slow, irregular arpeggios: All 3 VCO triangle outputs via Doepfer A151 through uFold II into Optomix, with Optomix opened by a Maths envelope. A151 and Maths envelope triggered by Klasmata, with the Fill of the Euclidean rhythm modulated by slow LFO. Fold amount and rise time modulated by LFOs and chaotic sources, resulted in variations from plucks to woodwind sounds. High, wavery echoes: Two VCO outputs from matrix mixer through Pittsburgh Filter bandpass into VCA into Wow & Flutter with high feedback. The filtering, plus noise and saturation from W&F, makes this sound quite distinct from the main pads. Also, the W&F warp produces a drop of about 2 semitones, altering the harmony. Occasional bell sounds: Sine outputs from two of the VCOs via ring mod, into VCA with long decay envelope. The resulting sidebands will always be related to the chord tones, so don't usually sound discordant, but different enough to add variety and gently clangorous bell timbres. Extra effects: The bells and arpeggios go via Erbe Verb, which is modulated to go in and out of shimmer mode, with varying mod speed. This creates an additional, varying pad-like atmosphere, and most of the other parts get a long reversed delay from an external Vox Delay Lab. A NLC Triple Sloth goes into Worng Vector Space to give all sorts of slow modulations used throughout the patch, as well as multiple LFOs.