Memory Backwards is an 8 layer fragment looper – it takes incoming audio and writes it across 16 mini loops of varying length. With advanced controls over the read and write patterns for each layer, the imperfect and unpredictable nature of Memory Backwards is almost always still tameable and produces interesting, sometimes beautiful results. For best results, treat it as an instrument and process in and of itself.

## Concept
Each layer, or memory, has 16 mini-buffers of varying (and user defineable) lengths. These buffers are referred to as cells. A control signal scans through switches which simultaneously (or independently) turn the input and outputs of these cells on and off. The combination of the scan patterns and alternating rhythms from the cell loops creates ever-shifting, surprising, and yet familiar renditions of your original signal.

## Target
Controls which layer and input controls for your layers, referred to here as memories. Turn ARM on to record into the memory cells. AMP controls input volume. CONTROLS – Dry volume passes the input on to the output. Turn down to only hear the playback in memory. Smooth controls the decay at which a cell stops recording after it’s gate closes. The highlighted memory is the one receiving signal when ARM is turned on.

## Controls

### Read
This layer contains the global read scan signal. You’ll see a Read Pattern, LFO, and Scale module. Read pattern is the base control signal – with a ramp shape, it turns the read gate on for each of the 16 cells consecutively at the set rate. Add variation to this with LFO by increasing the amoun. SCALE allows you to control the which cells are read. At 100%, 1-16 are read by a full ramp wave. At 0, only 1 cell is read (and remains on). Offset controls where in 1-16 is treated as the starting position. The middle zero point has cell 1 as it’s beginning. For the global Read and all individual read and write layers, you will find a collapsible VIS to see the exact pattern across the 16 cells.

### individual read (r ind)
These are optional read controls for each memory. They function the same as the global layer, except there is a switch to turn the individual pattern on (SOURCE). However, in this case the LFO modules the output of source – so you can apply an independent LFO to the global read signal on Memory 1, for instance.

### Write
Same general idea here, except there is only one global Write control, as only one Memory can be written to at once. By default, each Memory’s write pattern is the exact same as it’s Read setting – it retains the Global/Ind source when set to sync. However, there are interesting effects to be had by writing in a different pattern than the memories are read from.

### Write Volume (w vol)
Write volume sets the input volume for each individual cell. This is a global control.

### Length
This sets the length of the delay modules which are used to create each cell, or buffer, of the memories. Use the sliders to set length, then hit the SET button to commit.changing delay times while sound is in the buffer will result in artifacts. Delay timeranges from around 60ms-2secs. Feedback is always set to 100% except when using the trim/grow section.

### Trim
These buttons temporarily turn feedback down or up from 100 percent, which allows you to erase, reduce, or increase the volume of the signal in the memories. There are buttons for each memory, as well as a global button that effects all 8 memories. This can be used to clear out an individual memory, simply reduce the volume, as well as amplify and distort. The negative Trim side of the knob runs from -100 (erase) to 0 trim. To avoid potentially dangerous volume changes, the positive Grow side has a significantly smaller range. Trimming a signal to almost nothing then growing it back results in notable loss of quality over the already somewhat lo-fidelity sound of the infinite delay.

### Decay
These knobs control the decay of the gate signal that turns Read on for each cell. All the way to the left, cells turn off rather abruptly. Turned right, they will ring out for some time.

## Output
Memory Backwards has several outputs – a Sum output which contains each Memory and the Dry input source, as well as an A, B, C, and Dry output. All 4 outputs are flat, single voices. By default, Sum will autoconnect to proceeding modules.

### Volume and mutes (vol)
Use the knobs to set the output volume of each Memory. The mute buttons will mute memories. Mute is overridden by Solo buttons.

### Solo
Use the buttons to solo memories. This will take the output volume and override any mutes.

### A/Send
This splits each memory between routing to output A and outputs B/C

### B/C
The amount of signal routed to Send from the previous section is then routed between outputs B and C.

## Resets and Freezes

### Resets
Buttons 1-4 reset all Graphic Modulators (Read and Write patterns) to positions 0, 1/4, 1/2, and 3/4 of the way through the pattern. Next Bar will trigger a reset to position 0 if the Gate in the sequencer plays while the button is pressed down. These can be used as fun performance effects, as well as the realign patterns that have fallen out of sync without stopping and starting the Drambo transport.

### Freezes
These buttons add some additional modulation available for any proceeding control, as well as function to freeze each Read pattern at its current position. When Freeze is not on, pressing a button simply acts as an on and modulation source. When Freeze is turned on, the modulation is still active, but it will also freeze the Individual Read pattern, before the individual LFO is added to the signal. This was intended to allow you to freeze a single memory in place, while simultaneously adding some motion from its individual LFO.

## XY Global Freeze
The XY pad can be used to scan through the global read pattern. Optionally, the Y value can be used as modulation, ideally in the global LFO speed and amount. Currently, this does not override selection of individual read patterns – these memories will still continue reading.