Song Level Automation?

With the Pattern Matrix you can build up a song with only 1 or 2 patterns by switching on and off parts. As in, on the 2nd chorus, add a shaker; on the third chorus add an arpeggiating synth, etc.

But what about changes like increasing a track volume or opening a resonant filter a bit? Obviously you can do this WITHIN a pattern, but how can you do it while recycling the pattern?

Example: on chorus 2 increase snare volume from 50 to 70 (using the same pattern).

Don’t recycle the entire pattern.

Recycle blocks (track-patterns within a sequence pattern) using aliasing.

Use send tracks (or master, but that can get messy) to control things that vary throughout the song.

I wish someone would post a video on the workflow for the matrix editor on how to get the best of it

Thanks, Neurogami. I can see how the sends can control volume and downstream processing. But what about turning a filter knob on a soft synth for example? Or increasing the velocity of notes? Meaning:

Pattern 1 and 2 both have aliases of block M. M has velocities of 30 to 5F. In pattern 2, want to scale these up to 40 to 6F. Any way?

I hate to say that something can’t be done, but my understanding is that the whole point of aliasing blocks, and repeating a pattern sequence, is that you are working with literally identical items.

I often find aliasing useful when I want to tweak percussion elements across several blocks/sequences. Changes I make in any of the aliases (or the original) are replicated to all of them. When I am happy with the results I remove the aliasing; each block is now an interdependent unit. I then add assorted flavoring (sporadic delays, gain automation, “humanizing”, and so on).

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I hate to say that something can’t be done, but my understanding is that the whole point of aliasing blocks, and repeating a pattern sequence, is that you are working with literally identical items.

I often find aliasing useful when I want to tweak percussion elements across several blocks/sequences. Changes I make in any of the aliases (or the original) are replicated to all of them. When I am happy with the results I remove the aliasing; each block is now an interdependent unit. I then add assorted flavoring (sporadic delays, gain automation, “humanizing”, and so on).

Thanks, I was afraid of that. That’s how I work with MilkyTracker - duplicate patterns to sketch in the song, then clone them to add parts to later versions of the same pattern. The problem is, once you’ve cloned and modified it’s harder to make changes to the underlying song.

I guess I could put most things into phrases. Then the patterns mostly contain variation info, like volume changes.

Or with MIDI, maybe put a bunch of MIDI control instruments on one track - that track doesn’t get aliased, but controls all the MIDI channels. Or MIDI codes directly in the tracker. (Or I could accept that most useful development of a song is muting/unmuting parts, not turning knobs).