5    Varying Patterns

Once your Pattern is recorded and edited, you'll want to take advantage of M's particular power to add automatic variation.  In this chapter, we'll describe how to manipulate notes, how to introduce variations in the MIDI signals sent to your synthesizer, and how to introduce cyclic variation in durations, legato-staccato articulation and accents.

As you try out the procedures described below, experiment!  Remember, M is designed to make experimentation easy.


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Choosing Groups of Control Settings for Variables

Notice again the themes of four and six associated with the variables in the Note Manipulation, MIDI Variables, and Cyclic Editor windows.  The groups of four rows and grids in the windows refer to the four Patterns: the top row or grid varies Pattern 1, the next to the top varies Pattern 2, and so on.

The rows of six boxes next to or below the arrows represent stored settings of controls that can be instantly recalled during performance.  The box that is highlighted represents the group of current controls.  If you click on an unhighlighted box, you can set or recall the group of controls associated with that new box.

To select a group of control settings, click on a box in a row of six.  If you click in the third box next to the arrow for the Note Order variable (NM1), for example, the Note Order controls shown on the screen will be those associated with that box.  Try this out.  Click on a box, change the controls, then click on another box, then change those controls, then go back to where you were.  You'll see how easy it is to move between different control settings.

To swap positions between the boxes in a row, do the following.  With the left mouse button, select the box of one of the groups you want to exchange, then drag its box to the other box and release the mouse button.  Notice that the source and destination control settings have traded places.  This technique is useful for arranging the boxes in a sequential order for conducting.

To copy control settings from one box to another, do the following.  With the left mouse button, select the box you want to copy.  Then, while holding down the Atari keyboard's Alternate key, drag the box to the destination box and release the mouse button.

Note: To exchange or copy control settings, the window in which they appear must be active.  Click anywhere within the window with the left mouse button to activate it.


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Manipulating Notes

You can manipulate note events using the controls in the Note Manipulation window.


Changing the Note Order of a Pattern

To change the note order of a Pattern, drag the boxes, which are sliders, in the Note Order bars (NM1).  The top bar will affect the notes of Pattern 1, the second from the top Pattern 2, and so on.  By dragging the boxes, you're changing the probability with which one of three types of note ordering will affect the notes you've recorded.

The left box represents the order in which you originally recorded the material.  If it reads 100, there is a 100% chance that the notes that are played back will be in the order in which they were originally recorded.  To change the probability with which your notes will be played back in the order in which they were originally recorded, drag the left slider towards the left or, if it's at the left, towards the right.  Of course you can't drag it further to the left than zero or further to the right than 100.  The number in the box will always change, showing you the exact probability.

The middle slider represents a scrambled note order.  The new note order is remembered, however, so that it will repeat.  To change the probability with which your notes will be played back in scrambled order, drag the middle slider towards the left or towards the right.  If you it to be in 100% scrambled order, drag the left slider all the way to the left and the middle slider all the way to the right.

There is a special feature associated with the scrambled note order: it can be rescrambled.  To rescramble a scrambled Pattern, select that Pattern's icon (P5), then select Rescramble Pattern(s) in the Pattern menu.  You can rescramble any number of times.

The right box represents a random, non-repetitive note order.  It cannot be moved, but its number will change in response to the positions and numbers of the other two.  To change the probability with which your notes will be played back in random order, drag either the middle or the left slider, or both, towards the left or towards the right.  Note that as you drag the left slider, for example, the numbers in the other boxes will increase accordingly, so that the total of the three boxes is always 100.  (Sometimes the total will in fact be 99, but that's just a question of the program's "rounding off" of fractions.)  If you want a completely random Pattern, move the left and middle sliders all the way to the left, so that their numbers are zero.

Note:  The Note Order variable does not affect Real-Time Record Patterns or MIDI Files.



Transposing Patterns

The Transp variables (NM2) allow you to transpose Patterns relative to the key in which you recorded.  The four bars, one above the other, represent the four Patterns.  The letters on the left side of a bar represent pitches, the numbers on the right side of a bar represent octaves.

To transpose in half-steps, change the letter numerical on the left side of a bar.

To transpose by an octave, change the number numerical on the right side of a bar.

C3 represents the key in which you originally recorded.  Changing it upwards to C#3, for example, will transpose the music up a half-step. 


Varying Note Direction

To change the probability of the notes of a Pattern playing back in the direction in which they were recorded, change the Direct numerical (NM3).  At a setting of 100, for example, the Pattern's notes will play back in their original direction 100% of the time.  At  0, the Pattern's notes will reverse their order.  At any other setting, the Pattern's direction is randomly chosen for each note.  At 75, for example, the Pattern will choose from the forward ordering 75% of the time, and from the reverse ordering 25% of the time.  Direction variation is most obvious when a Pattern is not randomized.

Note:  The Direct numerical does not affect Real-Time Record Patterns or MIDI Files.


Varying Note Density

To change the note density of your Pattern, change the Note % numerical (NM4).  This control lets you determine the probability that a note will actually be played.  What happens is this:  every time a note is about to be played, M asks itself "do I really want to play this note?"  When the Note % control is set to 100, M answers "yes" 100% of the time.  When the Note % control is set to 50, M answers "yes" 50% of the time and "no" 50% of the time.  When M answers "no", it does not play the note.


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Changing MIDI Signals

You can vary loudness (MIDI velocity signals), send program changes, and direct a Pattern's output to any of three MIDI channels by using the controls in the MIDI Variables window.


Varying MIDI Velocity

To set a specific MIDI velocity signal level for a Pattern, click anywhere in the range bar associated with that Pattern.  The top range bar alters the velocities of notes in Pattern 1, the second-to-top range bar affects Pattern 2, and so on.  See Chapter 2 for a full description of using range bars and numericals.

To set a range of variation for MIDI velocity signals, do either of the following.  Drag the desired range within the Velocity range bars (MV1).  Or change the numericals at either end of the range bars to set the high and low limits of a range.

Note: If your synth responds by changing its volume, this can be used as a mix control for Patterns.  It can also be used to achieve what might be called "warmth," in that it simulates a human variation in performance.

Note:  This control is connected to the Accent variable in the Cyclic Editor window.


Sending your Patterns to MIDI channels

To direct your Pattern's output to any three MIDI channels, change any of the three numericals in the appropriate Orchest variable bar (MV3).

To not direct a Pattern's output to a MIDI channel, change the appropriate Orchest numerical to the zero position, which is represented as a dash.

Note:  You can direct a Pattern's output to the same MIDI channel with all three numericals, but how your synthesizer will react will be determined by how your synthesizer allocates voices.


Changing Sounds

To send a program (or patch) change to your synthesizers, change the Sounds numerical (MV2) which matches position with the Orchest variable.  For example, the leftmost top row Sounds variable will send a program change number on the MIDI channel indicated by the leftmost top row Orchest numerical.  The graphic layout of the Sounds variable bar (MV2) is thus associated with the graphic layout of the Orchest variable bar (MV3). 


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Specifying Cyclic Variation

The Cyclic Editor window contains controls for defining cyclic variations in rhythm, legato/staccato articulation, and accents.  The grids, top to bottom, represent the Patterns 1-4.  

To determine which variable the grids will control, select the appropriate icon at the bottom of the Cyclic Editor window.  If you select the Accents icon (CE2), for example, the grids will represent accent cycles.  If you select the Articulate icon (CE3), the grids will represent legato-staccato articulations.

To define the number of steps in a cycle, click in a column in the appropriate grid using the left mouse button.  From left to right, each grid represents the number of steps in a cycle, with a maximum of sixteen.  Clicking on the tenth column from the left, for example, will set up a cyclic pattern of 10 steps.  Note that it's often a good idea to click on the Sync button (GC10) after setting a cycle length.  This will ensure that the beginning of the Pattern coincides with the beginning of a cycle.

To set a value for a step, click in a box for that step at the desired level using the right mouse button.  In general, the higher boxes represent higher values for whatever variable you're working with, but the values associated with the boxes can be changed as described below.

To choose a range of values within a step, drag the mouse between the desired levels within a column in a grid while holding the right mouse button down.

To have continual, non-cyclic change, make a cycle one step long and drag the right mouse button between several levels.


Creating Accent Cycles

To create an accent cycle, select the Accent button (CE2), specify a cycle length in steps and a value or range of values for each step.

The levels in a grid for the Accents variable have fixed assignments.  The five levels of the Accent variable, from bottom to top, are divisions of the range set in the Velocity range bar.  When you change the velocity range bars in the Velocity variable (MV1), you are changing the variation range of the Accent control in the Cyclic Editor.  The lowest level in a column in a grid, when it is selected alone, will be equivalent to zero velocity and will not play.  When selected as part of a range, however, the lowest level corresponds to the bottom fifth of the Velocity range bar.




Creating Articulation Cycles

To create an articulation cycle, select the Articulation button (CE3), specify a cycle length in steps and a value for each step.

To assign legato-staccato articulation values for the different levels in a grid, do the following.  Select Set Cyc Levels in the Options menu.  A dialog box will appear.  Change the numerical(s) in the right column in the dialog box which correspond to the level you want to change.  These numericals correspond to the legato-staccato quality of a note.  A value of 3.000, for example, means that a note will be three times its normal duration and will probably overlap with other notes, producing a legato effect.  On the other hand, a value of less than 1 means that a note will be shorter than its normal duration, giving a staccato effect.  When you've specified values for the levels, click OK. 

Bear in mind that the effect of this control is dependent upon the sustain level of your sound.

Note: The Articulation control cannot be applied to a Real-Time Record Pattern.


Creating Duration Cycles

To create a duration cycle, select the Durations icon (CE4), specify a cycle length in steps and a value for each step.

To assign duration values for the different levels in a grid, do the following.  Select Set Cyc Levels in the Options menu.  A dialog box will appear.  Change the numerical(s) in the right column in the dialog box which correspond to the level you want to change.  These numericals represent the relative durations of time between notes being turned on.  A value of 3.00, for example, means that a note will be three times longer than a note with a value of 1.  Plus-signs following a numerical mean that the duration of the note is half again that of the next lower value.  A value of .25+, for example, is equivalent to .25 plus half again.  These settings are useful for dotted rhythms and triplets.  When you've specified values for the levels, click OK. 

Note: The Duration control cannot be applied to a Real-Time Record Pattern.

