Generative Music Template
This week I will discuss a useful template that can be used for creating deceptively deep generative music. I have a template that I use on my Squarp Pyramid, that can be either directly downloaded here for use, or can be applied more generally in other sequencers and DAWs for generative music composition.
The main ‘special sauce’ of the template is the use of different midi effects in the Pyramid’s tracks to create choices in music. The tracks that have pitched instruments, in this case the Arturia MiniBrute, Korg WaveState and Korg Minilogue, all have Random and Chance effects:
Random Pitch - up to 25% +/-
Random Velocity up to 30% +/-
Scale
Chance - up to 85%
The idea is that the master scale effect I have in the template can keep all the generative pitch in a scale of my choice. The use of 25% and 30% of the pitch and velocity are strong enough for change, without anything being too jumpy. You can see the order of the effects above - which is important to the effect chain in the Pyramid. The ‘humanizer’ quantiser is left on but in bypass by default, as I might want to turn that on separately for each instrument/track. The Chance effect is powerful to determine if a note will hit or not.
I have a simple velocity change of up to 5% +/- on all the drum tracks in my Arturia DrumBrute. This is what I would change in retrospect, to more if you want things to feel, really generative. You might want to add a Chance effect on the drum patterns, this is usually the first place I go, if I want to up the feeling of weirdness in a track.
All of these effects have a 90% chance of hitting on each step it is triggered. This could be lowered for a much less generative or chance driven experience.
I hope you enjoy the patch and the use of it. It is a great baseline for creation and development. a good ‘jumping off point’ so to speak, to make generative music.
I have used this in a few recordings recently, but below is my current Live Takes that uses it.
Live Takes: Sonic Experiment #341
A generative synth-noise experience. Now with candles. The witchcraft calls.
