PQRS high-BPM "fractal" kick/bass logic muxer

This forum is for sharing patches created with the updated Combinator, as well as backdrops and any backdrop assets.
Forum rules
This forum is for sharing patches created with the updated Combinator, as well as backdrops and any backdrop assets. If you would like to share a patch here as an attachment, you must zip it first. Otherwise you can host your patches elsewhere and share the links here.
Post Reply
User avatar
syzygianrrf9999
Posts: 36
Joined: 14 Aug 2018
Contact:

11 Jan 2022

pqrs-inputs.JPG
pqrs-inputs.JPG (229.58 KiB) Viewed 2556 times
logos-mux.JPG
logos-mux.JPG (227.64 KiB) Viewed 2556 times
Here are two Combi patches I made which use boolean functions and propositional calculus to output rhythmically "harmonic" kick and bass.

TL;DR - skip to the bottom for the download links - but have fun figuring out how to use these without explanation - a lot of the info in the included text file and google sheet weren't made for this post, they've been living documents for me to keep this bird's nest straight in my own head.

If you liked my prior contribution: Euclid patches for binary prime numbers up to 65521 - then I think you'll REALLY like this one. THAT BEING SAID...

As a forewarning - I fully realize the highly niche nature of these patches and want to take a moment to elaborate how they were made and what their intended function is - but of course, feel free to use them in literally any way you please (or maybe these are so niche that literally the only person that can get any use out of them is me... only one way to find out though). I use them with simple on/off CV gates, but they probably could do all manner of crazy things with LFOs.

Required REs:
Firstly, two inspirations for these patches:
  1. Fractality: One can consider the kick and bass patterns these are intended to create as "fractal" not in a necessarily empirical mathematic sense (I'm not really qualified to know for sure if what I've done here applies), but in the sense that, much like zooming in on the Mandelbrot set, starting at a low BPM using these patterns will give the impression of a somewhat spastic kick pattern being occasionally accentuated by another far more sparse one; but then, as you increase the BPM or "zoom in" the sparser pattern replaces the busier one, which itself in turn has its pulses squeezed by the increasing BPM to the point of becoming more akin to hertz - cycles per second, than BPM - beats per minute. It is fractally inpired, so-to-speak, if not empirically fractal.
  2. A concept/phenomonenon that I suppose can be understood in many ways, and there's probably a more "proper" music theory/sound design understanding of it, but it essentially is inspired by a genre of music known as "Extratone" - this is a style of electronic music that grew out of Speedcore (really fast hardcore techno, 200BPM and higher) - Extratone can be thought of as the experimental offshoot going beyond Speedcore and composing tracks hundreds or even thousands of BPM higher, to the point where individual beats are no longer individually discernible and a rhythm becomes tonal. There are other offshoots of this, such as Flashcore, etc., where these tonal blastbeats are broken up via an overarching slower (but still fast) meter to arrange them in a way that is rhythmically more familiar.
Given those inspirations/statements of purpose, do not expect these Combis to necessarily perform as I'm about to describe unless your track is at least 175-200BPM minimum. For reference; I typically compose between 250 and 450 and use note divisions of 1/4 or 1/8 where more conventional tempos would use 1/16, and I use a sample rate of 88200 (when you start getting into multi-100-BPMs 44100 and 48000 result in artifacts.)***

PQRS-INPUTS.cmb - The input patterns (Euclids). There are 4 for the "kick" and 4 for the "bass", a 32/16 pattern routed to a Now counting gate to manage pattern resets, and a mux/selector pattern that accepts an external clock to trigger density percentage alternations on two of the bass patterns (you can split the kick CV output of this entire system prior to actually connecting it to the kick and route it back here to have the kick "toggle" the bass patterns!). The kick patterns favor 1/4 or 1/8 to give the impression of a slower BPM than is actually being used, while the bass is best kept at 1/128 (although its adjustible to 1/16-1/64) to take advantage of the different frequency intervals you can hear between beats.

LOGOS-MUX.cmb - The logic functions. The patterns are modulated by numerous logic gates, including what are essentially implication, non-implication, converse implication, and converse-non-implication (not usually seen/used in digital signal processing AFAIK), 2-to-1 and 4-to-1 multiplexers, and last but not least, actual proofs for the 3 dilemmas in logical rules of inference: constructive, bidirectional, and destructive.

Both patches are set up according to the idea that the bass is always playing the same pattern as the kick, just way too fast for you to hear the beats, so you get a nice growls, groans, buzzes, and minigun-esque droning. I highly recommend using the same sound for the the bass as the kick - i.e. the bass will be simply an extremely fast blizzard of kick drums. IMO, you'll limit the potential sonic "palette" by using a traditional bass instrument with the bass pattern. - Ultimately though, how you select the sounds is your business - I personally use Rob Papen's Punch BD generator, and manipulate the curve and filter/attack functions on the copy the bass uses for the desired effect. These patches also assume that there is a sidechain for the kick to gate/duck the bass.

No matter how complex or chaotic the resulting patterns sound, there's a mathematical connection between them that is fun to explore due to the common source material of the 4 original patterns, and varying stages of the different gate CVs can be routed all over your track.

***The reasons for this escape me, despite my research. The highest BPMs I've ever produced with have been in the 450-475 range, and probably due to my construction and use of patches like these Combis, going above this tempo results in noticeable CPU strain. But, even at 500 BPM @ 4/4, a sustained 1/128th pulse should only equate to about ~267Hz. Hardly something I'd imagine 44.1 kHz would fail to recreate accurately - the only thing I can think of is that the sheer number of discrete events combined with CV delay/delay compensation isn't lining up well with the samplings themselves. At 88200 it lines up noticeably (that is, audibly) better though. If anyone can explain what I'm missing here that'd be awesome.

Okay, so that's the informal rundown.
Here is a link to a zip file, which contains:
  1. PQRS-INPUTS.cmb
  2. LOGOS-MUX.cmb
  3. Two JPG files that depict the CV connections from #1 to #2 (one for the kick in/out and one for the bass in/out)
  4. A readme/manual .txt file going into more technical detail on how each patch works and what the various settings mean, FAR too long to include here, but I still strongly encourage everyone to give an honest read.
If any of what I've said so far is still confusing or you're having trouble using these patches, here's a link to...
A spreadsheet functioning as a visual representation of the different operations LOGOS-MUX can carry out (save a copy and use the instructions at the top)
A screen recording demo of me using Rob Papen's Punch BD as kick and bass with CV patterns coming from these two Combis, and playing with most of the settings on both patches, as well as a 1-450BPM sweep to illustrate that fractal/extratonal phenomenon.

Other possibly useful but mostly just interesting links:
article covering extratone, flashcore, speedcore, etc.
binary logical operators' truth tables
implication
converse implication
abjunction
converse abjunction
rules of inference
constructive dilemma
bi-directional dilemma and other argument forms
destructive dilemma

Any feedback/suggestions/comments/questions, hit me.
industrial/psycore/breakcore/electronic modular metal: https://soundcloud.com/rose-red-flechette

User avatar
syzygianrrf9999
Posts: 36
Joined: 14 Aug 2018
Contact:

18 Jan 2022

I was dumb and forgot screencaps, fixed.
industrial/psycore/breakcore/electronic modular metal: https://soundcloud.com/rose-red-flechette

User avatar
Re8et
Competition Winner
Posts: 1511
Joined: 14 Nov 2016

20 Jun 2022

The video it's mute.
I have some troubles understand where are the gates and cv out...
perhaps you could upload a simple song file with stock devices connected or include them into a new combinator as well?
It's pretty hard to decipher what's going on there...

User avatar
syzygianrrf9999
Posts: 36
Joined: 14 Aug 2018
Contact:

20 Jun 2022

Re8et wrote:
20 Jun 2022
The video it's mute.
I have some troubles understand where are the gates and cv out...
perhaps you could upload a simple song file with stock devices connected or include them into a new combinator as well?
It's pretty hard to decipher what's going on there...
Hey thanks for the feedback. I'm sorry about the video.

the PQRS-INPUTS combi provides the actual gates. You output those gates to the LOGOS-MUX which performs all the splitting/logic operations, and the output from that goes to your drums/bass/synth etc.

Due to the apparent lack of interest I haven't looked at this in some time, if you give me a few days I'll try and post a more detailed response. I tried to be as thorough explaining things in the original post as possible...
industrial/psycore/breakcore/electronic modular metal: https://soundcloud.com/rose-red-flechette

User avatar
Re8et
Competition Winner
Posts: 1511
Joined: 14 Nov 2016

20 Jun 2022

syzygianrrf9999 wrote:
20 Jun 2022
Re8et wrote:
20 Jun 2022
The video it's mute.
I have some troubles understand where are the gates and cv out...
perhaps you could upload a simple song file with stock devices connected or include them into a new combinator as well?
It's pretty hard to decipher what's going on there...
Hey thanks for the feedback. I'm sorry about the video.

the PQRS-INPUTS combi provides the actual gates. You output those gates to the LOGOS-MUX which performs all the splitting/logic operations, and the output from that goes to your drums/bass/synth etc.

Due to the apparent lack of interest I haven't looked at this in some time, if you give me a few days I'll try and post a more detailed response. I tried to be as thorough explaining things in the original post as possible...

yep, I managed to ling the two folowing the instructions, but then I was completely lost where to get the out from the mux, and... how to start the thing... :thumbup:

User avatar
syzygianrrf9999
Posts: 36
Joined: 14 Aug 2018
Contact:

25 Jun 2022

Re8et wrote:
20 Jun 2022
syzygianrrf9999 wrote:
20 Jun 2022


Hey thanks for the feedback. I'm sorry about the video.

the PQRS-INPUTS combi provides the actual gates. You output those gates to the LOGOS-MUX which performs all the splitting/logic operations, and the output from that goes to your drums/bass/synth etc.

Due to the apparent lack of interest I haven't looked at this in some time, if you give me a few days I'll try and post a more detailed response. I tried to be as thorough explaining things in the original post as possible...

yep, I managed to ling the two folowing the instructions, but then I was completely lost where to get the out from the mux, and... how to start the thing... :thumbup:
So, in the PQRS-INPUTS combi there are 3 Blamsoft Polymodular Splitters:

PQRS ROUTER 1:

xxxx / xxxx / P kick / Q kick
xxxx / xxxx / R kick / S kick

PQRS ROUTER 2:

NOT P kick / NOT Q kick / NOT R kick / NOT S kick
P bass / Q bass / R bass / S bass

PQRS ROUTER 3:

NOT P bass / NOT Q bass / NOT R bass / NOT S bass

In LOGOS-MUX, you want to connect an output from each of the above to the following Spider CVs' split inputs, which are located directly below the Robotic Bean Selects:

PQ KICK INPUT / RS KICK INPUT
NOT PQ KICK INPUT / NOT RS KICK INPUT

PQ BASS INPUT / RS BASS INPUT
NOT PQ BASS INPUT / NOT RS BASS INPUT

For any splitter dealing with input/output P, Q, R, or S, they'll always be ordered in that same way, from left to right.

So for example, the first 2 splits on the top row of the PQRS ROUTER 2, you want to connect those to the 2 splits on PQ KICK INPUT. For NOT PQ KICK, it'll be the same, but from PQRS ROUTER 3.

As far as getting out from the LOGOS-MUX, that's actually the easiest part: The output is simply the top Robotic Bean Select for each section: They're labelled "KICK SELECT" and "BASS SELECT". They're the only two Selects that aren't outputting anywhere.

I've rebuilt these since this posting on a more powerful PC, so I may do an update, but it'd be in a separate post.
industrial/psycore/breakcore/electronic modular metal: https://soundcloud.com/rose-red-flechette

User avatar
syzygianrrf9999
Posts: 36
Joined: 14 Aug 2018
Contact:

25 Jun 2022

Here is a link to a new demo video.

When I watch it on VLC there's sound. I also made a few mistakes/hiccups in the demo - I left those in just to demonstrate what controls do what.
industrial/psycore/breakcore/electronic modular metal: https://soundcloud.com/rose-red-flechette

User avatar
challism
Moderator
Posts: 4642
Joined: 17 Jan 2015
Location: Fanboy Shill, Boomertown

25 Jun 2022

You got my attention with the mention of the Mandelbrot Set and Fractals. I'm rally curious to try this out, but I don't have the Chronologists REs. I'm curious if they could be substituted with other REs that I do have. What exactly are those two REs doing in these Combis?
Players are to MIDI what synthesizers are to waveforms.

ReasonTalk Rules and Guidelines

User avatar
syzygianrrf9999
Posts: 36
Joined: 14 Aug 2018
Contact:

27 Jun 2022

challism wrote:
25 Jun 2022
You got my attention with the mention of the Mandelbrot Set and Fractals. I'm rally curious to try this out, but I don't have the Chronologists REs. I'm curious if they could be substituted with other REs that I do have. What exactly are those two REs doing in these Combis?
My advice is to just buy those REs, and I'll explain why.

First and foremost, they're basically irreplaceable in these patches. I could, given enough time, replace things like... splitters and such, in here (I could use the Reason default Spider for everything, but it'd be a latency nightmare and messy AF), but the Chronologist devices - Truth in particular is basically the entire brain of LOGOS-MUX - not so much.

Chronologist REs are extremely unique, but also extremely cheap (the ones used here IIRC are like $10). I do wish, desperately, that more RE developers played around with logic gates - they have such phenomenal functionality when it comes to rhythmic sequencing in the rack with CV. But for now the Chronologists' are the only options - but they aren't bad ones at all, they're extremely robust, handy CV devices and they've been in the RE shop for ages.

Truth performs all of the logic functions. All of the logic gates described in the post, as well as the longer logical arguments/proofs - all are handled by a series of Truth REs.

The only other RE I can think of that does logic gates is Robotic Bean's Elementary, which is not only bigger and more expensive, but also less flexible IMO, as it constitutes an entire circuit or series of logic gates rather than just several discreet ones, and is also kinda obtuse in that the later outputs in the circuit are ultimately just XORing a third input. Its basically a lot of "extra" that isn't needed with these Combis.

The other Chronologist RE that is used is Now, which is also rather unique in its functionality (it counts CV gate signals until a number N is reached - all signals prior to that count are sent to a "reject" out and the Nth signal goes to the "accept" out) - if you REALLY wanted to, you could do without this one, as it only performs a global reset on the patterns that isn't technically necessary. Its such a useful device though, I can't see why anyone wouldn't want it.

Again, my recommendation is to just buy them. 1. They're cheap, 2. they're small, 3. nothing else really does what they do, and 4. what they do is incredibly creatively useful.

EDIT: Mathematically speaking, anywhere there is an AND gate, this can be replaced by an RE that will perform a MIN(minimum) function on CV signals, and OR by a MAX(maximum) function, and there are a handful of other CV devices that do this. To replace each Truth in these patches with such devices with be literal HOURS of work though, and you'd have to be pretty well versed in logic gates in general to ensure the results aren't screwed up somehow.
Last edited by syzygianrrf9999 on 27 Jun 2022, edited 3 times in total.
industrial/psycore/breakcore/electronic modular metal: https://soundcloud.com/rose-red-flechette

User avatar
syzygianrrf9999
Posts: 36
Joined: 14 Aug 2018
Contact:

27 Jun 2022

Just double checked (had to log out to see the price on purchased devices lol), both are $9:
https://www.reasonstudios.com/shop/rack ... ion/truth/
https://www.reasonstudios.com/shop/rack-extension/now/
industrial/psycore/breakcore/electronic modular metal: https://soundcloud.com/rose-red-flechette

Post Reply
  • Information
  • Who is online

    Users browsing this forum: Trendiction [Bot] and 2 guests