Figured out how to make a Sample Length for the Micro-Looper

Tips & Tricks
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OK! So, I posted a video of a Max/MSP standalone app called “Ultomaton”, and I took a video of a particular piece of it called a Micro-Looper:

So, got really close to it using the Phrases section to gather random sample start times. Here’s a pic (pretty small text):

Random%20Sample%20Start

Then, I crafted a random stutter device, here:

Native MicroLooper.xrdp (6.2 KB)

Now, the only thing I’m missing is an automatable volume envelope. Here’s the envelope I’ve got:

Sample%20Volume%20Envelope

As you can see, it’s nice and tight, about 20ms. What I’d like to know how to do is this - make that envelope expand and contract via a random LFO.

OR

Find a way to implement something like that in some part of the track via some command in the pattern device somewhere. Ideally, it would be able to be done with an LFO.

Is there any way to have the volume envelope look like something in the initial video - you can see the sample selection being adjusted at random - some are small, some are large - watch for the shifting green portion on the Micro-Looper section in the video.

This would be just spectacular if there is some way to achieve this!

Thank you!

3 Likes
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Would anybody have any tips for such a thing as an automatable envelope for sample length / volume length?

3

maybe you could use a custom LFO envelope to either gainer or pre mixer volume and adjust LFO frequency by random LFO

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Thank you! I’ll try them. any other ideas, I’m open to 'em!

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Alright, came up with a much closer example. I used a Doofer to gather all the pieces together. First, I created two devices for the actual loop chopping/size. I started with the deprecated “Stutter” device for the effect of sample start times / sample length.

I then added the “Repeater” for a bit of choppy/buzzy stuff. It’s really subtle, and more for a bit more random-ness/flavor.

In the picture below, the other closed up modules are just LFOs connected to both the Stutter and Repeater’s “Enable/Bypass” switches, and the other LFO’s are controlling ratios.

01%20PM

Here’s the latest Native Micro-Looper:
Native Micro-Looper.xrdp (10.7 KB)

Now, this device is really for just a bit of random glitching underneath a track. It also only really works well when one uses the random start times of the Phrase section. Otherwise it just sounds kinda ordinary. The randomness of the phrasing comes from the “Yx” section (whether or not that sample start time is chosen) and the actual sample positions, via “0Sxx” (see below):

56%20PM

The phrase only gets one (1) line. That’s it. you determine how many sample zones it picks from. For even more variation, I suppose you could add another line, but one is sufficient. Just keep adding sample zones, and MaYbe options to your liking, and it’ll just bounce all over the sample.

Listen to it here: https://instaud.io/3OUX

Hopefully you can hear it, just random bits of sample head movement and very small amounts of stuttering. Adjust the Doofer to your taste.

So, what you get is this:

  • Sample head movement via Phrases using MaYbe and 0Sxx
  • Sample Size variance and on/off via Stutter
  • Sample Repeating and on/off via Repeater

Pretty nice for a random playback looper - can get glitchy and buzzy if you want it to, or can be subtle and textural. Good luck!

2 Likes
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This is so MegaCOOL! And you dont even getting propz for your Work? Dank :sunglasses:

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@LofiMat Glad you dig it! This is a very specific, non-traditional sound device, so most people don’t want or need it. The only thing that this cannot do is run a loop independently from the clock, it is as close as I could get - basically run the looping and stuttering freely. Have fun with it, if it works for 'ya!

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All this being said, it’s STILL not the same. Pretty close, but not the same, really.

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Did you try out the “chaos”-settings in the modulation section of the sampler?

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“chaos” settings

what is this?

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@LofiMat, I didn’t find any reference to the word “chaos” for the sampler, but if I understand correctly, would that be the random setting of the LFO in the sampler’s modulation section? If so, I have used that extensively for many of my patches. I do have an issue with using that to get the same sort of sound, though. I tried that first, as a matter of fact :smiley:

I wanted to see if there was a way to get that type of effect to happen before I built it in a Doofer. It did not seem to work as well, but if you dissect the Doofer and find a way to make what the Doofer does also work only in the Sampler, I’d be happy to try it out!

1 Like
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Nope I ment something other:
Sampler > Modulation <> Presets “init” to “XFX-Chaos”
The presets in the top right area.

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OH! No, hadn’t looked there yet - I may have deleted all of that. I’ll double check. Thank you!

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OK, just tried it - it’s nice for making wiggly synth bits, and I’m sure other stuff if I were to run it through there. I’m just being single-minded here, and looking to make an exact copy of something that I don’t want to learn how to program in Pure Data or Max/MSP :slight_smile: Just being stubborn!