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Many beginners post their racks and wonder if they are suitable for ambient generative patches. Most of the time the answer is NO with patient explanations from guys like Lugia, GarfieldModular and JimHowell.
I think it would be very valuable if you and others designed proposals for generative racks as simple and basic as possible. Hopefully no bigger than 3x104 HP.
OK...3 x 104? Done!
Hooo boy...have I lost my mind here? Might look like it...but...
TOP: This is all voicing. And I sort of violated the "all in 3 x 104" rule here, in that I put an external signal input (with envelope follower) in here. The idea there is to add some odd, quasi-random signal into the fray; I prefer a shortwave receiver for that...probably due to too much exposure to Stockhausen rays. Anyway, that's got a little compressor just after it to level the signal out, and then we're into the synth voices.
Each voice consists of a Doepfer A-111-4, a Codex Modulex Veils clone, an Alyseum QMix, and a stereo VCF. Each VCO has its own VCA, then that VCA feeds a QMix channel where it gets manually panned and summed to stereo. The first four feed a Rossum Linneaus, and the second goes into a Make Noise QPAS. These two stereo filters are quite different in character; one is more like a subtractive VCF but with some VERY odd modulation capabilities, and the other is a multimode with all filter outs live. Accordingly, the first block is "lead" and the second is "wash". We'll get back to how that works out in a bit...
MIDDLE: Generative requires some level of "structured" noise signals, and there's little else that's better than the ol' reliable Source of Uncertainty. This gives you various random and psuedorandom signals to route around the build. Then a Ladik Min/Max stores highest and lowest CV values across four CV inputs. So, since that's there, I put in a Joranalogue dual window comparator. That one module can provide SIX gate outputs, all dependent on the CV levels present at each comparator's input. Then a Ladik Derivator follows, firing gates when its inputted CV goes up, down, stays steady, or moves in either direction. That's a lot of gates, you say? Maybe...but then, you can use 'em to turn things on and off in either the modulation or audio paths, so feeding a couple of modulation signals up to those gives you a lot of switching potential. And then, a Tenderfoot Quad Quantizer.
But wait! Doesn't the Pam's in the next row do quantizing? Well, it can...but it's more busy as a clock source here. Instead, the Quad Quantizer is for taking modulation signals and "melodicizing" them. Four LFOs...plus all those gates...gives you four different moving lines, and the Quantizers constrain each to whatever "scale" you prefer for each one.
Then that hugeass Erogenous Tones VC8 is actually your level control for the filter outs above. The Linneaus and some of the various QPAS outputs get routed through this (left is 1-4, right is 5-8) and summed separately by channel. By doing this, one VCA can be lowering a level on one channel while raising the level on the opposite channel, generating some stereo platform motion. After the VC8 is a buffered mult for splitting the L and R outs, and these go to the Dual Delay and Aurora, with a third stereo feed for direct mixer input. The Dual Delay and Aurora have stereo (Veils topology) VCAs which can go either before or after the FX devices, depending on how you want to deal with the effect tails.
BOTTOM: Starts off with the aforementioned Pam's. Then the LFO mayhem starts with a Doepfer A-143-9 for quadrature LFO curves...loads of abuse potential there...then there's a Doepfer A-145-4 Quad LFO for four "free-run" LFO outs. And a...ring modulator? Yep...you can ring modulate low frequency stuff and get weird results, somewhat unpredictable as the slow LFO curves crossmod each other. And as if that wasn't enough LFOs, the 4ms QPLFO gives four more "pingable" LFOs that can range out to as long as 71 MINUTES...which you need to create events that occur VERY slowly across time and which also preferably are nonrepeating due to the timescale involved.
Then we get conventional for a minute with Maths, MISO, and a 3xVCA, which all has the ability to make even more ridiculously-complex modulation curves. Hence that Quad Quantizer...this isn't JUST for controlling envelopes and basic modulation, but it ALSO functions as a stochastic line generator by feeding some of what's coming off of this part of the build and turning that into discrete steps according to whatever "clock" each quantizer is receiving. And lastly, there's a Quadrax/Qx combo for envelopes...or...? Remember, this ALSO outputs pulses on EOR and EOF, which can be routed most anywhere for firing other events.
And finally, the output mixer. This time, I opted to put in a Toppobrillo MiniMix, which is based on a Buchla 200 design but with a few twists...such as two stereo input channels and two channels with autopanners. And the cherry on the cake is right next to it...a Bubblesound Reducer, which is a quartet of synth to line level converters. The idea with those is...well, surprise again, this is intended for a QUAD installation! In the space this fills, you have two stereo outs, with the stereo field crisscrossed via the Reducer. One pair of signals should be "normal", and the other will be "phase inverted"...in a space about 25' square, so that walking through the space causes all sorts of strange cancellations and reinforcements. No one person will experience this in the same way, thanks to that final trick.
As for this being a "performable" synth...it can be, actually. You'd just patch it more conventionally. But in the sort of signal flow I describe above, with the various control signals rolling off of the lower rows, it's intended to really shine in unattended operation. Note also that not everything is automated; some of these modules are intended as "set 'n' forget", like the QMix pannings in the top row, which puts some control back into the user's hands. So, this build, four portable powered speakers on tripods, and two phase-inverting boxes in the signal line to two of them, and you can be good to go in LITERALLY a matter of minutes!
So...what's missing? Well, I would've liked to have put four channels of hall reverb after the MiniMix and before the quad level shift, but it would be just as easy to snag a couple of cheap FX units (like some tc M350s) and put them in the signal paths coming off of the level shifters. But aside of that...nah. Big sequencer, maybe? Nope...this thing "sequences" by itself with a very low probability of repetition. And aside of that...hey, it's got it all sewn up!
EDIT: Also...note the seemingly-ridiculous amount of VCAs here. You might be led to think that that many of them is overkill, but remember: those VCAs are a big part of what makes this "play", since the normal operation for this build is 100% hands off while running. Skimp on VCAs, and you'll have issues getting that to happen!
