The control/ sequencing modules that will be required to reproduce each patch are listed to the left. Assume that you will additionally need at least an oscillator, and either a filter or vca to complete the audio portion of the patch.
Patch
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Details
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Random Sequence Generator
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Additional modules: Clock source such as an LFO.
Settings: Length (Any) ReSeed (On) Cycle Mode (Any) Quant (Any)
Give the Cycle input a clock source (pretty much any LFO wave will do). Click the ReSeed button so that the Brain Seed is getting new data (the cycle led will blink red upon receiving clock). When nothing is plugged into the seed in, the Brain Seed defaults to providing random values. Plug the output of the Brain Seed into the volt per octave input of an Oscillator. Now you have yummy random sequences!
Experiment: The generated values are being captured into the buffer in the background. Find creative ways to use the ReSeed gate jack to sample and replay bits of your random sequence over time.
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Sample and Hold
| Additional modules: Clock source, CV source to sample Settings: Length (Any) ReSeed (On) Cycle Mode (Any) Quant (Off)
Just like random sequence generator, but we add a CV source. Sample and Hold is a classic module, and every synth needs one! S&H takes a snapshot of the level of your input and holds it until a new trigger is received. Plug a CV source into the Seed In. Plug a clock source into the Cycle input. Click the Reseed button so that the Brain Seed is getting new data (the cycle led will blink red). Now the Brain Seed will output a stepped version of the input signal. This could be considered quantizing time, as opposed to pitch.
Experiment: Play with adding signals to the ReSeed input to capture more that one step of data at a time. Try gating the Freeze input to produce extra hold states.
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Simple Quantizer
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Additional modules: Clock source, CV source to quantize
Settings: Length (Any) ReSeed (On) Cycle Mode (Any but CV) Quant (Any on) Follow the directions for the Sample and Hold patch, and then click the Quant button to select the desired type of quantization. Of course, you can quantize the output of any patch like this. |
Stepped CV/Note Recorder/Sequencer
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Additional modules: Any CV source, any clock source
Settings: Length (Any) ReSeed (Both) Cycle Mode (Any) Quant (Any) Input a CV source (LFO, joystick, DC offset, etc...) into the Seed In jack. Set the Length to the desired number of steps, input a trigger source into the Cycle input, and press ReSeed to record data for each step that is triggered. Press the ReSeed button again to stop recording and playback your recorded data. Use the Brain Seed to record CV or note data, such as a DC offset from a controller or other module (some modules that can produce DC offsets from knobs are the Circuit Abbey Invy, the Malekko 8NU8R, the Make Noise Maths, several Doepfer mixers, CV controllers, etc..). Play back your recorded data with triggers or by utilizing the various cycle modes. Turn on quantization to get semitone CV. Use an external slew/lag generator to “smooth” out your stepped data and create slides between steps. |
Funky Rhythm Generation
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Additional modules: Any sloped CV source (LFOs/Envelopes/Random with slew, etc...)
Settings: Length (Any) ReSeed (Any) Cycle Mode (CV) Quant (Any) See that Trig output sitting there? Well. it spits out a trigger every time the Brain Seed progresses to a new step. In CV Cycle mode, this can be a really fun way to create trigger sequences or bursts. Press the Mode switch to set the Cycle mode to CV (Red) and feed CV sources of various types (LFOs, envelopes, etc...) to the Cycle input jack. Use the Trig output jack to to trigger events, such as envelopes. Higher Length settings will produce more dense streams of triggers. For even more rhythmicallity, experiment with different sources controlling the Freeze input to stop the triggers being output from the Brain Seed at different intervals. When the Cycle input goes out of the -5v to +5v range, it clips. The Trig output will produce no new triggers when this occurs. Since the jacks in the Brain Seed are safe to use over an entire -12v to +12v range, you can use hot CV Cycle signals to generate creative pauses in your rhythms. |
Keyboard Input Sequencer
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Additional modules: midi keyboard, midi interface, envelope
Settings: Length (Any) ReSeed (Both) Cycle Mode (Any but CV) Quant (Any) Follow the directions for the CV/Note Sequencer, using your keyboard (or midi to CV interface) gate output to control Cycle (in trigger mode) and its CV for Seed In. This will record one step for each key pressed on your keyboard. Alternatively, clock the Brain Seed with another source (such as an LFO), plug your keyboard’s gate into ReSeed, and the keyboard CV into Seed In. Now try playing notes in legato fashion (do not release a key until another one has been pressed). This will keep ReSeed on as you play notes, telling the Brain Seed to record new data. When you release all of the keys, the Brain Seed will continue playing your sequence in time with the clock source. Doing this in variable length mode allows you additionally to set the length of the sequence by how many clock cycles were received as you held down the keys. |
Mono Arpeggiator
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Additional modules: midi keyboard, midi interface, envelope
Settings: Length (Any) ReSeed (Off) Cycle Mode (Any) Quant (Any) Since there is not a way for the Brain Seed to receive multiple input values, this patch is for a mono-input arpeggiator. Still, it is an arpeggiator that you can program (up to 1000 steps) and play with in some fun ways! The basic patch is simple - create a short sequence to start with, and use your keyboard’s CV as the shift source to transpose the sequence. To take the patch a little closer to being a familiar arpeggiator, add a momentary CV switch (such as a the Malekko Switch or Doepfer A150) or a VCA gated by the keyboard gate signal to switch the cycle input on and off with key presses. If you have reset enabled, you can also reset your arpeggio with each key press using your keyboard’s gate signal. |
Keyboard Strummer
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Additional modules: midi keyboard, midi interface, 2 envelopes
Settings: Length (Any) ReSeed (Off) Cycle Mode (CV) Quant (Any) First, record a short sequence in the Brain Seed so that you have some “strings” to strum. Connect your keyboard’s CV out into the Shift input. Trigger an envelope with the gate out of your keyboard. Use this envelope as the CV Cycle source. Use the Trig out to trigger a second short decay envelope that is opening your filter or vca. Now playing the keyboard shifts the Brain Seed’s output, and envelope #1 should “strum” through the notes that you recorded. Try attenuating the Cycle input and varying the speed of envelope #1 to get variations in strum speed. Experiment: Try CV-ing the decay rate of the first envelope with your modwheel or other continuous controller to dynamically choose different strumming speeds. |
Motion Detector + Quantizer
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Additional modules: Joystick or other continuous CV controller, mixer, envelope
Settings: Length (Any fixed) ReSeed (On) Cycle Mode (CV) Quant (Any on) This is a fun patch to get a new use from your joystick (or other continuous CV controller). It will produce a new note with a trigger every time your control source moves. Combine the X and Y outputs of the joystick with a mixer. Mult the output of the mixer and connect one output to the Cycle input, the other to the Seed input. You will want to use the Trig out to trigger a quick envelope that is opening a filter, vca, or low pass gate at the end of your patch. Try attenuating the Cycle input and changing the Length settings to play with different levels of trigger sensitivity. |
Randomized inputs
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Additional modules: Various
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