Ions Elements Arrays
Channel: Dave Phillips
Date: 2019-10-31

The machine improvises with a groove on a patch for VCV Rack. 

The Ions sequencer drives the Elements modal synthesizer and the Braids macro oscillator. The Braids kick drum sound is heard unprocessed in a single mixer channel while two other channels receive the sound processed by the Annuli resonator. Annuli is running with its quantized sympathetic strings resonator, creating chords along with the processed percussion sounds. 

The PdArray modules run off their own dedicated BPM LFO. One array is read only forwards (i.e. indexed by the ramp waveform) while the other is read forwards then backwards (indexed by the triangle wave). The arrays route their stepped output to the sequencer and send their smoothed output to the geometry and position parameters of the Elements synthesizer. A random gates module and the Caudal modulation source also control aspects of the sequencer while two BPM LFOs further modulate the synthesizer, Caudal, and Braids. Those LFOs are assisted by the 1x8 multis and the 8vert attenuverters. 

The upper control of the single Flow module toggles the FM input of the Elements synth, the lower control toggles the synth's external input status. The Flow module's on/off status is controlled by the sequencer (upper switch status) and by the random gates module (lower switch status).

A CV-to-trigger module converts voltages from the sequencer to gates for Elements and triggers for Braids. The sequencer thus creates all the pitch and rhythmic material of the patch. 

The dual-channel Tact module controls the volume levels for mixer channels 1/2 and 4/5. The mixer's master level is set by a Tact-1 fader. Another Tact-1 module controls the Elements gated signal strength.

The stoermelder uMap module has been used sparingly here. One is attached to the Tact-1 master mix level fader, the remaining two map Caudal's output to the sequencer. One of the latter also modulates the brightness control of the synthesizer.

The modules list:

Impromptu Modular - Clocked, Tact-1, Tact
SynthKit - Clock Divider
RJModules - Button
HetrickCV - Random Gates
Geodesics - Ions
ML_Modules - Sequential Switch 8x1
AS - CV2T, Flow
JW-Modules - Quantizer
Audible Instruments - Modal Synthesizer aka Elements, Macro Oscillator aka Braids
Frozen Wasteland - BPM LFO
Autodafe - 1x8 Multi
VCV - 8vert, Audio-8
Southpole - Annuli aka Rings
PdArray - Array
stoermelder - uMap
Vult - Caudal
Squinky Labs - Form, ExFor
NYSTHI - Mverb

Respect and gratitude to them all for these fantastic tools. All blessings upon them and upon all developers and users of VCV Rack and its plugins. Namaste.