Chaos
A pseudo random sequencer with up to 128 steps, great for exploring and discovering patterns in the noise.
Overview
Chaos creates pseudorandom musical sequences, using a random seed which essentially chooses the structure of the generated sequence. Other settings such as Complexity and Density decide when and where notes are placed. For a given configuration of settings, changing Seed should create reasonably similar patterns.
Chaos is compatible with both tonal and sample based source modules. For tonal instruments a range of 8 octaves is available and for sample triggered instruments, such as drum machines, each voice is triggerable. The 8 octave range is visible in the sequence visualizer, where each bold horizontal line indicates the root note at increasingly higher octaves in the current scale.
One thing to keep in mind is that the Chaos sequencer currently does not support polyphony. Two notes cannot be triggered at the same time or have their sustains overlap. For tonal instruments, this constrains the sequences to monophonic output only and for instruments like drum machines, it leads to what is known as Linear Drumming, where only a single drum voice is triggered at one time.
Repeatable Variation
Chaos generates a pattern from a seed rather than choosing a completely unrelated result on every pass. Returning to the same seed with the same generation settings gives you the same pattern. Pressing the Randomize button completely randomizes the settings, generating an entirely new configuration.
Complexity and Density have different roles. Complexity changes how many step positions are available to the generator. Density determines how often those eligible positions contain a note. Increasing Density cannot fill positions excluded by the current Complexity. Their combination is what shapes the spacing of the rhythm. Lower Complexity settings will restrict notes to whole and half notes and higher settings will make quarter and sixteenth notes eligible.
Sequence Length & Offset
The Length control in the lower left of the UI controls the length of the sequence in 16th notes. It’s common to find a nice sequence but want it to start at a specific step. This can be achieved by clicking within the sequence visualizer. Doing so will move the yellow playhead inside the visualizer, indicating the start offset.
Moving the Note Range
Midpoint places the center of the note range, and Range determines how widely notes can spread around it. A narrow range keeps a phrase in a small register. A wider one allows larger changes in pitch.
Sweep moves that range over time. Span sets the extent of the movement, Every sets how often it advances, Leap sets the size of each move, and the direction buttons choose Up, Down, or Up and Down. This lets a repeating pattern travel through registers while retaining a recognizable rhythmic structure.
Properties
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Requires connected source | Yes |
| Tonal source awareness | Yes |
| Velocity output | Yes, when the connected source supports velocity |
| Local key and scale | Yes |
| Trigger behavior | Step triggered note events with sustain |
Controls
| Control | Description | Default | Minimum | Maximum | Units | Options |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length | Sets the sequence length. | 16 | 4 | 128 | steps | |
| Local Key and Scale | Uses the module key and scale instead of the project key and scale. | false | true, false | |||
| Key | Sets the local key when local key and scale are enabled. | C | ||||
| Scale | Sets the local scale when local key and scale are enabled. | major | ||||
| Seed | Chooses the repeatable random pattern. | 512 | 0 | 8192 | seed | |
| Complexity | Increases how many step positions can be used by the generator. | 0 | 0 | 100 | % | |
| Density | Sets how often eligible steps receive notes. | 75 | 0 | 100 | % | |
| Sustain | Lengthens generated notes when the connected source supports sustain. | 0 | 0 | 100 | amount | |
| Velocity | Adds random velocity variation when the connected source supports velocity. | 0 | 0 | 100 | amount | |
| Midpoint | Chooses the center of the note range used for generation. | 50 | 0 | 100 | % | |
| Range | Chooses how wide the generated note range is around the midpoint. | 50 | 0 | 100 | % | |
| Span | Sets the pitch range sweep amount. | 0 | 0 | 100 | % | |
| Every | Sets how often the pitch range sweep advances. | 0 | 0 | 128 | steps | |
| Leap | Sets how far the pitch range sweep moves each time it advances. | 1 | 1 | 4 | steps | |
| Start Offset | Offsets playback within the generated sequence. | 0 | 0 | 128 | steps | |
| Sweep Pattern | Chooses the pitch range sweep direction. | Up | Up, Up and Down, Down | |||
| Randomize | Creates new complexity, density, sustain, range, seed and velocity settings. | button |