Chord progressions over euclidean track

Pyramid
#1

Hi! I know it’s currently not possible to record notes over a euclidean track.
I’m been sending a feature request to https://squarp.net/contact but in the meantime does someone know of a workaround to do this?
I’d like to be able to start from some euclidean rhythm, and have a chord progression over several bars. I can only do that live (changing the notes played at each event of the euclidean track) but not record.

For now the only way I can think of is copy-paste the euclidean pattern several time (like on 4 bars) on a separate regular track, on which I then have to edit the steps manually to replace them by chords, which is not as convenient as just hitting a pad in chord live mode to change the chord that plays from that point. Plus once I’ve done that I no longer can quickly change the pattern to some other. Maybe I can get some mileage out of the master transpose track, but that would only transpose all the notes equally (I couldn’t play some maj, min and sus chords for instance in the same progression).

Being able to separate the rhythm from the notes is insanely convenient when playing chord progressions live, but it would be so great if I could use that as a composition tool too :slight_smile:

EDIT: I can think of another way to do it, but it would require some flexibility on the synth side (so you couldn’t do it with just any synth). My idea would be two have two tracks: one euclidean track that outputs to some midi channel (say channel 1) and one regular track that outputs to another channel (say channel 2). Then, on the synth, only the gate of channel 1 would be used to control an ADSR (so the note of the euclidean pattern would just be ignored) and channel 2 would control only the osc frequency (with several voices). And the ADSR would be applied to that osc.
I would then be able to record any chords I want on the regular track and apply to them any rhythm I want on the euclidean track. On my Axoloti core so I can hack around that quite easily, but on the software synths I have that’s not that easy, as most cannot decorelate the osc from the envelope. That would require to implement some intermediate plugin that “mixes” the two channels before the final notes reach the synth.

Another possibility would be to have the euclidean track send CC events that open the gate (I don’t know if there’s a dedicated CC message for that that synths understand), and I’d be able to do this with just one MIDI channel. Is it possible to have an euclidean track send CC messages instead of notes? (Else I’ll use the note-to-CC pyramid MIDI FX)

#2

yeah, this is something I do quite a bit on modular, and is very easy to do … since gate and pitch are separate (so I use one track for gates, and another for pitch.

unfortunately, midi intrinsically links gate and pitch (since note_on is both a gate and pitch).
you could actually use a midi processor to change this… like the modular use one midi channel for pitch information, and then the other for gate (aka rhythm) - then the midi processor tracks the pitch, but only outputs when it receives note on the gate channel (where it ignores the pitch)
(you could do this with your axoloti, as it can send and receive midi)

the Euclidean FX is a bit limited on the Pyramid, I guess it was largely designed for percussive elements - where note simply selects the ‘sound’.
as you say, you could do something with master transpose, and/or with modulating the scale fx (for transpose), and/or modulating harmonizer fx. (for chord type changes)
for sure, neither is particularly straightforward, and might get a bit complicated - but should work.

1 Like
#3

Hello, got my Pyramid now a week and am very enthousiastic, realy like this great piece.
What i do for manipulating the eclidean rythm is put an arpeggiator in front of the input of the Pyramid. An retrokit 002 cable with arpeggiator software running inside, and then match the tempo and then every say 16 step the arpeggiator gives a new note to process to the euclidean track. And when i lengthen the gate time of the argeggiated notes, then the Oyramid sees 2 notes so then the euclidean ryrhm will have 2 notes and is changing constantely.
Works great, Dian

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#4

you could do something similar using the pyramid itself with a ‘loopback cable’ (1).
basically you have one track holding the note sequence/arp, which is used as input to another track running in Euclid mode.
(you’ll most likely want to use OMNI = multitrack bank X mode, so you can route by midi channel)

(1) loopback cable
at its simplest this is just a midi din cable going from one din output back into din input.
however, you if you have an din midi input device, the you’ll likely need a midi merge box to merge the two inputs.
you can of course, something similar over USB (as its bi-directional) if you have a router that allows you to specify routing.

I’d love to see this ‘internal midi loopback’ become a pyramid feature, so we could say a track output goes to another tracks input - but in fairness, it can get quite complex - so I can see reasons why Squarp would be reluctant to do this.

I’d also love (and I think I sent an FR a long time back on this) to see the Hermod’s Euclid FX on the Pyramid, its a very different implementation - its a bit ‘quirky’ in some regardless, but its also more flexble than the Pyramid. Ideally Id like both, as they are both useful, the current Euclid mode which is really quick n’ simple to use, and then the Hermod Euclid has the added flexibility.
again, I can imagine the Euclid FX of the Hermod may not be that easy to ‘port’ across, but we can dream :slight_smile:

1 Like
#5

Thanks, looks interesting.
Just trying this loopback thing, midi out to midi-in with a keyboard merged.
Set ot to omni multi. And echo on, else i did not get midi back. Anyway seem only to get a midi loop.
Ofcource midi in has midi notes that are going out as well. And so further on.
How do i have to handle this. For my firts attempt i just sent in and looked at the out. Now i will use an arpeggiator on the on port.
Dian from the Netherlands

#6

I tryed it now with an arp on track 1 in on ch1
And an euclidean on track 2 ch2.
Worked well. No midi feedback loops.
Control the arp from ch1 and the euclidean thing with ch2.
Now i send tr1 out to midiA ch1
And tr2 to midiB ch1.
So tomorow i will setup this.
Tr1 out to midiA ch2. put synth on ch2 to listen to the arpeggio And thru to midi input for this synth and feed it back into the Pyramid midi in port. So i will get changing arp notes here
Tr2 out to midiB ch1. listen to the euclid steps on other synth. If all works euclid steps will change, following the arp notes