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Motion Clusters

A special MIDI generator

 (38 Votes)
1.2 (Updated 6 years ago)
2.6MB
May 31, 2016
Reaktor 5 or lower
Experimental Sequenced

DESCRIPTION

Update 1.3:

-Added more scales, taken from Gaugear ensemble
-Sequenced scales mode, alternating between 2 different ones
-New clocking system for pitch sequencer
-Pitch quantization
-Random reset on waveform cycle restart or on new note
-Comb transformation for waves and pitch mapping
-Note duration randomization
-Master ensemble with bunch of presets, recalling Motion Clusters and SteamPipe
-Tweaked Steampipe , adding vibrato and stereo voice locator for wider spatialization.

Not a big update, but many interesting little things!


Update 1.2:

-Bugfix: noteOff messages were not properly sent, causing CPU skypes and voice stealing

-New feature: Number of voices definable from panel. Although it is not saving any CPU power because real voices are defined by the instrument properties.

-MIDI velocities are now displayed on the trigger display

-Added a Velocity offset knob

-Added random waveform on the AM panel

Enjoy!

Santi Vilanova
www.playmodes.com
----------------------


Update 1.1:

-Added a reset for the random parameter. When activated,a new set of random values is generated for every new wave cycle.

-Added a gate button, which uses incoming MIDI gates to mute/unmute the whole midi output

-Added a velocity randomizer in the Notes section. Whenever a new note is created, its velocity value is randomized by the amount defined by this knob

-New simple pitch sequencer. You must hit play to see this one running, but basically it sequences pitch values according to the 8 steps defined by knobs

Next steps:
-A specialized knob for adjusting number of virtual voices. Although Reaktor doesn't allow to access the voice number of the instrument, it should be possible to switch off some of the active ones (although would still use CPU power)
-A more sophisticated MIDI velocity mapper, extending the now brief "vel random" knob.
-Correction of wrong behaviors in the manual pitch mapping

Enjoy!

Santi Vilanova
www.playmodes.com
------------------------------

Motion Clusters is a MIDI note generator with 2 different play modes:

-Motion: Use LFOs to generate MIDI gates; think of it as some kind of weird arpeggiator for sequence exploration. The number of LFOs is defined by the voices of the instrument.

-Clusters: Use your keyboard to generate as many gates as voices you set up on the instrument properties

Once this gate data is generated, you can map this gates to a specific note mapping. You can quantize to predefined scales, harmonic series or your own custom mapping. Many tools allow the control the interval between notes, randomization, symmetry and so on...

As usual, i added Steampipe for you to test the Motion Clusters functionality, but you can change this instrument or use it with any other external MIDI device.

Enjoy!

Santi Vilanova
www.playmodes.com

COMMENTS  (51)

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Kim Ake
3 years ago
Oh wow, this is incredibly inspirational!
Catman Dude
4 years ago
Really really nice work! So well thought out, so user-friendly. This will be a great teaching tool for anyone who looks under the hood. My hat is off to you, sir!
Marco Scherer
5 years ago
Awesome tool! Takes a while to get into it, but its flexiblity and range of sounds is crazy. Love it!
Martin Schwutke
6 years ago
Fantastic instrument, musically inspiring. Great work with musical taste. Thank you so much! -martin
David Coffin
6 years ago
…and all my 9 banks of previous snaps work, too:)
David Coffin
6 years ago
Incidentally, for anyone who's also exploring ios devices, since MC first came out, I've discovered a quite similar ios device called Different Drummer, which also uses LFOs to generate MIDI notes; equally fascinating and surprising.
David Coffin
6 years ago
Ah, Xmas in July:) Thanks so much; many new delights, AND it seems to all be working, both internally and when sending MIDI out via IAC, with my earlier challenges gone. Very exciting, so much to explore, thanks again! I DID have to go into the properties and fiddle with the MIDI IN settings to get it going with my keyboard, so try that if anyone else is initially stuck, SO worth it!
JE D.
6 years ago
Hi again, I tried again this morning the pitch sequencer you have to turn off and on again to see the note moving up and down I didn't saw it yesterday. :)
JE D.
6 years ago
Muchas gracias señor Santiago :) , you just made one of the best sequencer ever made!!! I didn't stoped to play around with the first version then I tried the last update you've made and its just incredible fantastic awesome ... ! I was wondering in the last update how the pitch sequencer work and how do I link with the sequence? Also do you consider another notes section panel to control pitch individually and a block version to send gate and pitch to some blocks? Thank you so much again! Keep it real! All the best, J.
David Coffin
6 years ago
And yet another, even more detailed from NI: http://tinyurl.com/zjfw7sc
David Coffin
6 years ago
Tutorial: Routing Reaktor MIDI in Ableton Live with a dummy track, here: http://reaktortips.com/2010/12/routing-reaktor-midi-in-ableton-live.html
David Coffin
6 years ago
Thanks again; I've been thinking about adding recordable faders to some of these, and even some more step sequences as modulators, which I'll no doubt get to, but frankly, it's so wonderful just making small onscreen knob tweaks as the patterns flow by live, I've not yet found the motivation; your screen shot may have tipped the scales though:)
Fedor Mihailovich
6 years ago
My "IC Randomizer" is simply a crude construction set of basic random modules, which I rearranged, if I am not mistaken, from some of rachmiel's macros, so, I think, you could make something like this (or better) without big problems yourself :) I just picked up a bunch of most smooth (=not so radical) knobs inside MC and by trial and error decided to moderately randomize (discretely) only them - Pow, NoteDuration, Comb, some secondary AM controls, Note Step, Symmetry, Shift etc. (Length, sure, is also very promising :)
David Coffin
6 years ago
Very interesting, many thanks, Fedor! Fascinating, and rare, to see other people's takes on this screen landscape I spent so much time in…I love Air Piano, too. IC Randomizer seems a great idea; is that in the UL? I didn't find it, but lots of other great stuff using that search term…
Fedor Mihailovich
6 years ago
Frankly speaking, David, I just made (3rd time already :)) a quick motley rearranging/replacing of knobs, faders and so on, nothing special to be proud of...Also I added boscomac's AirPiano as a 3rd instrument (together with Lamellae & Snowflake) - IMHO this trio sounds rather good :) Just for fun - see my raw screenshot: https://snag.gy/j3GQU2.jpg (easy and useful for quick testing)
David Coffin
6 years ago
A good plan, Fedor, will try; I've been putting Boscomac FX (usually Delight Delay and Tremodraw) after almost everything I do in Reaktor, until MClusters came along and abolished, for the moment, any sense of needing added motion. But I'd say it's high time you showed us what exactly it is you do to reconfigure the MC panel! Got a screenshot? I'd love to see…
Fedor Mihailovich
6 years ago
Well, what can I say else...Last update is simply great (TBH, noteOff problem was in fact rather annoying) and #'s of Voices option (especially) + Velo offset are excellent additions indeed. "As usual", I made 3rd visual remodeling (uff, Santiago, please, don't make updates so often :))) and finally I also found very nice internal Reaktor combination, which I could recommend to try for all others: connect MC with excellent two Boscomac instruments - Lamellae & Snowflake (+ I also added MemDrum with my samples set for additional variety). Instant satisfaction guaranteed :)
David Coffin
6 years ago
Geez, thanks; that's all pretty obvious now that I've let go of the idea I somehow got from your initial description that there was more than one step involved! Helps that the thing isn't blowing up any more every time I select that mode:P
santiago vilanova
6 years ago
cluster mode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoA7vgEgxHg
santiago vilanova
6 years ago
Regarding the cluster mode, there is not many mysteries behind it... just use it to make big clusters of notes; that is, generate a bunch of simultaneous midi notes when pressing just one note of your keyboard. The pitches will be mapped depending on your "notes" section configuration... It is intended to be both a terrorist tool for clustering notes, or when notes section tweaked properly, a kind of "one-key-chord" system...
David Coffin
6 years ago
One more thing: Santi, would you consider some day posting some further details about how exactly to use the Cluster Mode? Even though it's no longer going nuts on me, I still can't make heads or tails of it; thank you! Or anybody else; please tell how if you're using this!
David Coffin
6 years ago
I seem also to have just fixed my timing and CPU weirdnesses, unfortunately by simply turning MC's External MIDI send to None in Properties. But at least it seems to working as expected with Reaktor synths—yay!
David Coffin
6 years ago
I just shut off the first MIDI track in Live (the IAC one) and set both the Tension track's MIDI From dropdowns to the initial Reaktor track; also working fine.
David Coffin
6 years ago
Martin: I just set up MC as a plug-in in Live to output MIDI to a separate MIDI track. I set both the two MIDI From drop-downs to the Reaktor track. I then opened a new MIDI track with Tension on it and set its MIDI in to the MIDI out track; works fine:) I also sent the Capturing track's MIDI out to IAC on a Mac (MIDI Yoke I guess the same sort of thing is called on the PC, or something like that) so I could send it to Logic, too. I'm getting a transposition issue when capturing the IAC out as MIDI in Logic, but it's fixable, sort of, with the Transpose MIDI FX in Logic set to -24.
Dieter Zobel
6 years ago
great! much thanks
Martin Géč
6 years ago
How can I use this with an external instrument in Ableton Live? Maybe you could include some version with only MIDI out. Thanks.
David Coffin
6 years ago
Who knows what other weirdnesses my set up is causing with other ensembles! If that's what it is…
David Coffin
6 years ago
I should try to run Reaktor with NOTHING else running I guess, maybe log in as a different User
David Coffin
6 years ago
I'm on a Mac, too…??
santiago vilanova
6 years ago
weird! saw your video, but don't understand what's happening. I just tried the ensemble using reaktor 6, and it also behaves properly in my machine. I'm running on a mac... are you on windows?
David Coffin
6 years ago
If it's any help at all, I made a screen video and uploaded it here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/nqs7n2e5j3nuf7c/MC%203%20weirdness720.mov?dl=0
David Coffin
6 years ago
Hi Santi, thanks for your extra work! Sorry to say MY problem's not fixed (anybody else seeing this?). But at least I've taken a closer look and can report that it's quite consistent and "works" differently on different snaps, and on some not at all. On your snap 1, it seems never to happen, or to be very subtle if it does. On Snap 5 rhytmic1, it happens immediately, lasts about 3 seconds then repeats regularly after about 12 seconds of no problem. CPU only goes up by a factor of around 3. On Snap 10 intertia, it happens regularly at about 4 second intervals and spikes into Overs. But no problems at all when run inside Logic, happy to say:) So I am having a chance to explore your other very welcome and interesting changes, thank you!
santiago vilanova
6 years ago
Sorry for those of you forking from this ensemble... a new update is available with some critical corrections and add-ons, being the most important the ability to select number of voices from the panel. David, check out if this version is making your CPU suffers less, i think i found the bug that was making your CPU spikes...
David Coffin
6 years ago
Ah cool! …but I guess nobody else is having my weird problems with this version, where it every few minutes goes suddenly nuts, with CPU going through the roof, often into Over, and sounds like it's running at about 600bpm, eh? It eventually calms down, in another few seconds, 10 to 30, or if I switch snaps or tap a few MIDI keys. (I'm on a Mac, running latest version 6 (same in 5), El Cap, all up to date, etc.) I now recognize that the other version did this, too, but only in Cluster mode, which is the main reason I never explored that. This one doesn't do it more on Cluster snaps than otherwise; now ANY snap can trigger it:( Probably be OK in a DAW; I'll have to check…
Fedor Mihailovich
6 years ago
Finally I made my remodeling ;), and after just half an hour of new testing I am very impressed by your "under the hood" adjustments: now it sounds much smoother and "musical" than before + saving snapshots is working very nice. BTW, velocity randomizer (with 64 as a normal level) is great for good velocity sensitive instruments (e.g. I am testing it now with Pianoteq and it sounds very nice). Also I use my special IC-Randomizer with a bunch of discrete random buttons connected to some "critical" knobs in MC and it's helluva lot of fun :) Great work, Santiago!
Fedor Mihailovich
6 years ago
Nice update, Saniago, I immediately appreciated at least 3 additions (gate button, velorandomizer &, sure, pitch seq :))! The only small drawback for me now is recurring visual remodeling (I already spent some time for your 1st version and was rather satisfied with my "remix")...
David Coffin
6 years ago
Excellent news, santiago! Except for the voice number…but that's quite easy to adjust even when it's playing from the properties, I find. Can't wait to see what you're up to:) Adding Monoliner has been fun, love the randomization, as well as the knob control, compared to a DAW piano roll, which I'm less fluent with.
santiago vilanova
6 years ago
Unfortunately, controlling the number of voices is not possible from the panel. That is a known limitation of Reaktor, which let's pray is solved in Reaktor 7. By the moment, to limit the number of virtual voices you can use the AM module, using a square wave and adjusting PWM and phase. And yes, MIDI input is fundamental on this ensemble! everything is going to be transposed depending on the note you play. Regarding the sequencer add-on, i'm working on it, ina ddition to some other new features. But at the end, the result is the same if you just write notes in the piano roll of your DAW....
David Coffin
6 years ago
Also play around with different numbers of voices!
David Coffin
6 years ago
It's taken me a long time to realize that MIDI pitch input can have a big impact on this thing, and it doesn't seem to have anything to do with whether the Gate switch is on or not. I've found it very interesting to add a simple sequencer to the ensemble, such as Monoliner when in Stand-Alone mode. Even more interesting to run it as a plug-in (I've only tried Logic so far), with a MIDI file playing/looping. Changes LOTS of things about how this sounds and works.
neil rosson
6 years ago
Very ordinary looking ensemble i might of missed it but wow very cool, lost many hours already a reaktor classic for sure. I hope maybe there could be some tooltips as i'm fumbling around a bit & if anyone can advise how to control by midi in live would be appreciated.
David Coffin
6 years ago
I can't resist coming back to say once again how amazing this device is, santiago. I've been working with it continuously since I first discovered it and it really does simply get more and more amazing esp. as I get a few more lids pried open and the control I can achieve a little more fine grained. Despite how deep this is already, I deeply wish that you continue to develop this! It's also completely reoriented my own goals with Reaktor, so I can hope myself to maybe usefully tinker with what you've started—thanks again SO much!
santiago vilanova
6 years ago
Wow!!! thank you guys for your kind comments, it make me blush... It's worth the effort to learn a programming language like Reaktor to make musical ideas come true, otherwise you always find yourself constrained to what vst plugins can offer you, which is a lot, but not always what you have in your mind. And it's a nice fact that almost every single instrument in the User Library, including of course Motion Clusters, is impossible without all the previous contributions... when you build an instrument you always use snippets from other ensembles, knowledge from the forums, comments from the users, etc. So many many thanks to all the Reaktor community to keep this alive!
Fedor Mihailovich
6 years ago
Absolutely agree with you, David :) In fact, I tested & used quite a huge number of various VST-synths, DAWs, sequencers etc. (for last several years at least), but, strangely enough, almost every single day I am using Reaktor as a main and most versatile tool for audio inspiration. And my favorite internet page for a long time (especially since Reaktor 6 was presented) is User Library :)) So many fresh and handy tools, blocks, instruments etc. and all are free to combine...But, back to main topic: Santiago really made something absolutely unique and I only started to taste this marvelous gift. Last but not least, big thanks to your mod of it and some nice basic snaps, David!
David Coffin
6 years ago
Ditto, Fedor…it just gets better the more you look, but already the best I've ever found. Once more, Reaktor and its brilliant, generous users blast out way beyond all the rest; incomparable.
Fedor Mihailovich
6 years ago
After additional day of tweaking, visual remodding and audio testing of this monster I have to reiterate once more - it's simply outstanding work, may be even the best algorythmic/math-controlled MIDI Sequencer nowadays. Period. I would happily give it 100 stars if I could :)
David Coffin
6 years ago
Baffled by it…but loving it anyway; thanks!!
Michael Bourne
6 years ago
Great fun!
Paule
6 years ago
merci beaucoup - ¡muchas gracias
Ramon Macia
6 years ago
oh! això s'ha de provar!
Fedor Mihailovich
6 years ago
Tengo que decir, es absolutamente brillante! + el interruptor oculto "Pow" es especialmente útil :) Me quito el sombrero, señor Vilanova.
now