Learning about the Quattro sequencer from TheXOR’s excellent plugin.

The patch is simple. The sequencer creates four patterns that are sent to attenuverters and quantizers then onwards to four instances of the Basal oscillator. The outputs from the oscillators are routed to VCA/EG modules and on to the mixer expander. Along with level and pan controls, the mixer system provides send/return channels for global reverb and chorus effects.

The BPM LFOs are strictly dedicated to controlling the Basal Mod1 and Mod2 parameters. I must add that I’m very fond of Basal, its sound quality is superb, and I find that it is especially responsive to modulation. Indeed, the sounds heard in this patch hint at the possibilities of transcribing Quattro passages to a woodwind quartet.

The Hand Of Chance is a randomization control that can be programmed to limit its effect. In this patch I’ve set it to randomize the pitch, mode, direction, and ABCD settings. The Hand is connected to a clock dividerand is set to fire after four measures in 4/4.

That’s pretty much all that’s happening here. The clock and clock dividers are deployed as usual, and thanks to the Hand Of Chance there’s no need for any fancy dancing with uMap modules. The single instance of uMap is used in its usual role of connecting the Tact-1 controller to the mixer master level knob.

The patch will be available at patchstorage. It’s fun to play, users are encouraged to improve upon it at will.

Recorded with ecasound and edited with mhwaveedit. Studio D is a Linux shop running an antique Fedora 23 with rt kernel from the Planet CCRMA packages.

The modules summary:

Impromptu Modular – Clocked, Tact-1
SynthKit – Clock Divider
RJModules – Button
TheXOR – Quattro
wiqid anomalies – dual attenuverter
JW-Modules – Quantizer
Frozen Wasteland – BPM LFO
Autodafe – 1×8 Multi
VCV 8vert, VCA-1, Audio-8
Vult – Basal
Bogaudio – DGate, ADSR
Squinky Labs – Form, ExFor
NYSTHI – Mverb
SV Modular – Chorus
stoermelder – uMap

Thanks to the developers of these and all other Rack plugins. Blessings upon the lot of ’em.