Idea: Rhythm Tool

Renoise Tools
1

Two approaches come to mind when creating rhythms or events in the Pattern Editor at its current 2.7 state.

One is to create structure first then to fill that structure up with intervals of sound. This is probably the most common method of generating rhythms or events.

Two is to create intervals of sound, not minding the structure. If it ends up a 4/4 or a 7/4 bar loop, then so be it.

To summarize the above, if I chose approach One, I’m limiting the expression of intervals by boxing myself in. Its the difference between first building a swimming pool to swim in vs swimming at the beach. Not necessarily a bad thing, just an approach I’ve grown tired of.

The tool I’m suggesting is similar to the native step length edit, except…

instead of the current behavior:
Keyboard Input gets placed -> Step Length jump, Center Bar is now located at new location according to the Step Length amount,

it would behave like this:
Keyboard Input gets placed at Step Length jump location while the Center Bar remains at the original location not overwriting anything at the original location.

I normally count starting at 01, this might be confusing to explain, so I shifted the values on the next one for easy viewing. Step Length values at the very right (16LPB).

01_64 -- 01_32 -- 01_16 -- 01_08 -- 01_04 [00]  
.._64 -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... [01]  
03_64 -- .._32 -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... [02]  
.._64 -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... [03]  
05_64 -- 03_32 -- .._16 -- ..... -- ..... [04]  
.._64 -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... [05]  
07_64 -- .._32 -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... [06]  
.._64 -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... [07]  
09_64 -- 05_32 -- 03_16 -- .._08 -- ..... [08]  
.._64 -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... [09]  
11_64 -- .._32 -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... [10]  
.._64 -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... [11]  
13_64 -- 07_32 -- .._16 -- ..... -- ..... [12]  
.._64 -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... [13]  
15_64 -- .._32 -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... [14]  
.._64 -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... [15]  
17_64 -- 09_32 -- 05_16 -- 03_08 -- .._04 [16]  
.._64 -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... [17]  
19_64 -- .._32 -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... [18]  
.._64 -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... [19]  
21_64 -- 11_32 -- .._16 -- ..... -- ..... [20]  
.._64 -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... [21]  
23_64 -- .._32 -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... [22]  
.._64 -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... [23]  
25_64 -- 13_32 -- 07_16 -- .._08 -- ..... [24]  
.._64 -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... [25]  
27_64 -- .._32 -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... [26]  
.._64 -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... [27]  
29_64 -- 15_32 -- .._16 -- ..... -- ..... [28]  
.._64 -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... [29]  
31_64 -- .._32 -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... [30]  
.._64 -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... [31]

I’ve shifted the numbers for easy viewing, all the odd numbered intervals has its own unique edit step length value. Step Length values at the very right (16LPB).

The Tool would basically audition the next interval of sound, for example, an interval of 07_16th (Step Length 28).

.._64 -- .._32 -- .._16 -- .._08 -- .._04 [00]  
01_64 -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... [01]  
.._64 -- 01_32 -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... [02]  
03_64 -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... [03]  
.._64 -- .._32 -- 01_16 -- ..... -- ..... [04]  
05_64 -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... [05]  
.._64 -- 03_32 -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... [06]  
07_64 -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... [07]  
.._64 -- .._32 -- .._16 -- 01_08 -- ..... [08]  
09_64 -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... [09]  
.._64 -- 05_32 -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... [10]  
11_64 -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... [11]  
.._64 -- .._32 -- 03_16 -- ..... -- ..... [12]  
13_64 -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... [13]  
.._64 -- 07_32 -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... [14]  
15_64 -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... [15]  
.._64 -- .._32 -- .._16 -- .._08 -- 01_04 [16]  
17_64 -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... [17]  
.._64 -- 09_32 -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... [18]  
19_64 -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... [19]  
.._64 -- .._32 -- 05_16 -- ..... -- ..... [20]  
21_64 -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... [21]  
.._64 -- 11_32 -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... [22]  
23_64 -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... [23]  
.._64 -- .._32 -- .._16 -- 03_08 -- ..... [24]  
25_64 -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... [25]  
.._64 -- 13_32 -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... [26]  
27_64 -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... [27]  
.._64 -- .._32 -- 07_16 -- ..... -- ..... [28]  
29_64 -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... [29]  
.._64 -- 15_32 -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... [30]  
31_64 -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... -- ..... [31]
2

I’ve read your post twice and am still not 100% sure what you mean with all this :)

3

I guess this type of tool would fall under the generative type like dblues’s Fractional Notes or It-Alien’s Sample Slicer. It may provide an alternative to clips, but that’s another subject.

Scales and chords for example, each set will have its own particular sound. A big part of why they sound that way is because of the intervals, the spaces in between each note. A Major chord with the intervals of 0 4 3 (base note, 4 notes up, then 3 notes up = C E G), a minor chord’s intervals are flipped 0 3 4 (C D# G). A simple change culminating to what many folks describe as the happy chord and the sad chord, hence the names Major and Minor. Of course it can become subjective once a musician starts manipulating the way its composed rhythmically or some other way.

So, like scales and chords, there are particular rhythms, the time in between each strike, pluck, hammer, or press. Notable examples are jazz and its use of heavy syncopation and the opposite, 4 to the floor 4 music with its heavy use of steady beats.

I find that counting rhythmic intervals in odd numbers works best to organize them into scale rhythms so to speak. The suggested tool would generate one note in odd rhythmic intervals such as 1/16ths, 3/16ths, 5/16ths, 7/16ths.

Here is a similar way of how the tool would work.

4

I more often see that phrased as 0,4,7. IE always taking distance from basenote. Is the way you’ve put it also common terminology? Do sometimes wish my music theory was better!

5

Well, to be honest, I’m speaking from a self-taught background, so it may differ a bit here and there from formally trained students, or certain parts of the world.

Here’s how I do inversions, same as before

C E G
0 4 3

E G C
0 3 5

G C E
0 5 4

Inversion’s as you may have seen

C E G
0 4 7

E G C
0 3 8

G C E
0 5 9

6

Sound like you want to try Notes On Wheels, the hybrid step-sequencer/phrase arpeggiator? It’s capable of creating complex patterns quite easily, and doesn’t care if you are locking yourself into 64 lines or not, you can produce continuous output of almost any length (given the combination of steps and line spacing).

7

@00.1 - I think I get what you mean by now. I though you were looking for a way to sequence notes, but it’s more of an enhancement of the pattern editor input method where the step size is determined by pre-existing notes?

Technically this is tricky to realize ATM, since we can’t capture keystrokes in the pattern editor - you’d have to bring focus to a custom dialog which receive the keystrokes.

When I misunderstood, it’s probably because the sequencer I mentioned is working with the same fundamental principles, but as a self-contained tool with it’s own GUI.

8

An enhancement of the pattern editor input method method, yes, not necessarily determined by pre-existing notes,
although that does sound interesting…

I checked out Notes On Wheels this morning, very similar principles indeed. I tried to make it behave as intended in this thread,
but I need more time with it.

The following is another example of the relation between note scales and the suggested rhythm scales.

Here we have an octave of the A note, in Renoise and in rhythmic terms, this could translate to LPB or resolution.

However, the “resolution” for most keyboard notes are “fixed”. Tweaking it would be diving in the realm of microtonic scales,
and in a way, is like pattern zooming in Renoise.

A a B C c D d E F f G g A  
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C

Here we have the Arabic Scale, this would be like writing rhythms from the above mentioned “resolution”.

Each genre for example gravitates to a particular set of scales as well as rhythms.

A a - - c D - E F - - g A  
0 1 - - 4 5 - 7 8 - - B C Counting in hex  
0 1 - - 3 1 - 2 1 - - 3 1 Counting from note to note

Here we have step values for 16 LPB, a “resolution” I like to work with. As you can see a 1/4th rhythmic note equals to 16 LPB.

I haven’t had the chance to see if higher values are useful, most likely useful for poly stuff or drones.

== ==64 ==32 ==16 ===8 ===4  
01 --01 --02 --04 --08 --16 LPB  
03 --03 --06 --12 --24 --48  
05 --05 --10 --20 --40 --80  
07 --07 --14 --28 --56 -112  
09 --09 --18 --36 --72 -144  
11 --11 --22 --44 --88 -176  
13 --13 --26 --52 -104 -208  
15 --15 --30 --60 -120 -240  
17 --17 --34 --68 -136 -272  
19 --19 --38 --76 -152 -304  
21 --21 --42 --84 -168 -336  
23 --23 --46 --92 -184 -368  
25 --25 --50 -100 -200 -400  
27 --27 --54 -108 -216 -432  
29 --29 --58 -116 -232 -464  
31 --31 --62 -124 -248 -496  
33 --33 --66 -132 -264 -528

Here’s a non sequenced example of a rhythmic scale. A simple pair of 32nd notes, 1/32nd and 3/32nd.

== ==64 ==32 ==16 ===8 ===4   
01 ---- --02 ---- ---- ----   
03 ---- --06 ---- ---- ----