BaGate (M4L) - Volume Shaping (Finally) Made Simple !
If you're like me, and have experienced volumes shapers, you have probably noticed how cumbersome that is to draw your envelope shapes manually, and especially using Live's envelope drawing tool (clicks, alt-clicks, shift clicks, etc), and how much time it takes to create a groove on your volume or filter cutoff etc for your tracks ?
Hence I decided to create a dedicated device meant to expedite that specific workflow. I have taken the gate sequencer that you can find in the venerable Massive, reproduced its workflow and further improved it greatly, so here we go about the "massive" list of features, from the left to the right !
The pattern editor
- Number of steps, from 2 to 128
- Vertical quantization of the steps (off or any number of values), non destructive (changing the value doesn't move the points, only quntizing the display and of course the output modulation)
- Vertical mirror of the sequence (ramp up becoming a rampdown with the same level for example)
- Horizontal mirror (TBD)
- x2 : duplicate current sequence (example: a 8 steps becomes a 16 steps)
- /2 : decimate second half of current sequence (example: a 32 steps becomes a 16 steps)
- A shift right / shift left toggle to move the whole sequence in any direction
- A random generator which can be configured to replace shapes, levels or both, and which can be set to use only currently selected shape (see below), and which only randomizes non locked steps (see floating windows)
- A visual indicator showing which shape is currently selected.
- The sequence itself on which you can brush draw currently selected shape and level on any step provided they are not locked.
- Speaking about shapes, I wanted to provide a versatile yet easy way of selecting which shapes to use, so I ended up hacking the <SHIFT> key, so pressing shift anywhere will bring the shape and lock selector over the device (and samely in the floating window shown below): so here you go with a quite versatile amount of shape that you cna use and draw straight at any of the steps, from basic shapes to dual/triple/quad shapes, plus quarter/half pulses, ...
- finally, you can tweak the drawn line width in case it doens't fit well with your screen or Live settings
The envelope settings
This part is a little bit more simple, as itr controls the overall speed of the evelope, its starting phase, and an added smooth parameter both for upward and downward movements, this way you can have hard attacks, and smoother releases on the steps, for something much more natural than hard settings yet not sounding too wobbly
The volume shaper setting
This part controls how much of the output volume will be shaped by the sequencer, and in which frequency range it will work, keeping non processed frequencies pass through.
The mod shaper settings
As having a volume shaper is a must but sometimes you will want to control other settings like a cutoff, a distortion dry/wet/drive or a delay feedback/send with the steps sequencer you'll be able to map the output to any parameter within your Live project. If from there you want to control more thabn one parameter simply map this to something like the multimap free device and you can demultiply your targets as seen fit
The display
This part will show the outgoing envelope after all setttings have been applied to it (smooth, phase, etc...), and optinally show input/output audio, and even the sidechain if you use that feature (see below)
Follower settings
You might have asked why there was a "loop" option on the envelope settings, after all the principle of the sequence is that it loops, huh ? Here is the reason for that one, as it allows the sequence to be triggered by audio, whether on the local signal, or on a sidechain (another track sound). Here you can configure the settings for the follower: average time, threshold, attack and release, and seletc the siedchain source.
Pattern manager
From here you can load/save a given pattern, select a folder containing existing patterns to browse through using the "+" and "-", given that the device comes with a selection of ready made patterns.
Sooooo... That was the device in a nutshell, now let's focus a little bit on the floating window that you can open clciking right above the step sequence display. And here you go with a configurbale resizeable window to swiftly edit your sequence with a few additional features on top of the device's one:
- Shape selection by pressing shift (same pop up but this one follow the mouse for even more convenient use)
- Per step freeze: click on the little snowflake above any step to freeze it. This way, anything you do at a global level and even brush draw won't affect that step (apart from shift-left/shift-right).
- Global steps freeze/unfreeze: these two buttons allow you to freeze or unfreeze the whole sequence at once
- Range freeze/unfreeze: this ons is the trickier one. Hover a given step's snowflake, THEN press alt and move your mouse to hover some other snowflakes, all of them will be turn on or off (depending on the status of the first one). As an example, if all your sequence is unlocked, alt-hovering the first step and moving to next ones will freeze steps 1-2-3-... as you got on top of them. It's a bit cumbersome to use, maybe I will figure out a simpler way (like simply click dragging if I manage to make this work)
- You can as well select live display of envelope, audio input, output (split or on top of each other), sidechain, live cursor showing where sequencer is, and change all colors and visilibity of every element of the editor)
I can't got any further so for a better understanding of how strong this device is the best is to head up for the tutorial here !