Tips/Ideas for generative modular patches? (VCV)

The Lounge General Discussion
#1

I was playing around with VCV rack again the other day and it’s good fun, but I always end up making the same sort of patch–a (quantized, key-specific) sequence with some nice FX. How do you guys go about making generative/ambient patches that are always evolving?

Or even just in general, what sort of ideas do you play with in modular that take you to new places and get you new sounds? I would also like to play with some drum synthesis/sequencing that ends up being weird and off the wall instead of the same ol drums I usually make on a step sequencer.

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#2

You may have seen, but posting these great Mylar Melodies vids on generative modular systems & patching:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=jt8ODLYN7XE

https://youtube.com/watch?v=NvrxQbh6vAg

One thing I like doing is modulating LFOs with other LFOs so that the modulation is less repetitive and less predictable. Slow random/s&h LFO on speed of another slow LFO is nice. Especially with some slew involved. Also often by applying negative CV (eg with an offset module or attenuverter with nothing plugged in) to an LFO’s rate you can get the rate much lower than normal so you get modulation cycle times in terms of minutes rather than seconds.

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#3

Two words: Marbles (Audible “random sampler”) modulated.

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#4

Thanks for this. I was able to make a decent patch thanks to his ideas and instructions

https://youtu.be/chjF-Nx7_dI

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#5

really my go to in mirack. The ultimate generative module

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#6

I have a preset of 3(!) Marbles ready to go, 1 to my modular and 2 to my AR, all patched up on the Survey module which acts like a macro control. It’s so easy, it’s cheating and I don’t apologize.

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#7

Took some time to wrap my head around Marbles but it’s tons of fun. Next step for me is to try combining it with an external pitch quantizer, because it only comes with so many scale options.

#8

Yeah it’s too bad about that. The hardware allows you to enter in your own scales. The VCV afaik doesn’t unfortunately.