[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":639},["ShallowReactive",2],{"page:\u002Flearn\u002Fsampling":3},{"id":4,"title":5,"article":6,"body":7,"description":631,"extension":632,"meta":633,"navigation":6,"path":634,"seo":635,"seoTitle":636,"stem":637,"__hash__":638},"pages\u002Flearn\u002Fsampling.md","Sampling & live sound",true,{"type":8,"value":9,"toc":619},"minimark",[10,14,23,28,49,85,145,149,155,276,280,287,311,317,329,333,344,376,439,443,451,490,494,514,521,525,544,567,571],[11,12,5],"h1",{"id":13},"sampling-live-sound",[15,16,17,18,22],"p",{},"Every sound in the guides so far was built from scratch out of waves. But a modular doesn't have to start from an oscillator. It can start from a ",[19,20,21],"strong",{},"recording",": a drum loop, a voice, a chord, the sound of your own room. Once a recording is inside the patch, it's just another signal, and everything you've learned applies to it.",[24,25,27],"h2",{"id":26},"the-sampler-a-recording-you-can-play","The sampler: a recording you can play",[15,29,30,31,36,37,40,41,44,45,48],{},"A ",[32,33,35],"a",{"href":34},"\u002Fmodules\u002Fsampler","Sampler"," plays back a recording when its ",[19,38,39],{},"GATE"," goes high, so a keyboard or sequencer can trigger it just like an envelope. Its ",[19,42,43],{},"V\u002FOCT"," input retunes it, and here's the catch: it does that the old-fashioned way, by playing the recording ",[19,46,47],{},"faster or slower",", like speeding up a tape. Higher notes are shorter and brighter; lower notes are longer and darker. That \"chipmunk\" effect is part of the charm.",[50,51,52,62,73,79],"ul",{},[53,54,55,58,59,61],"li",{},[19,56,57],{},"ONE-SHOT"," plays to the end even after you let go; ",[19,60,39],{}," stops when you release.",[53,63,64,65,68,69,72],{},"Drag on the waveform to set ",[19,66,67],{},"Start"," and ",[19,70,71],{},"End",".",[53,74,75,78],{},[19,76,77],{},"REV"," plays it backwards.",[53,80,81,82,72],{},"Drop your own audio file on it, or record your microphone with ",[19,83,84],{},"REC",[86,87,90,97,142],"try-it",{"lesson":88,"title":89},"20-sampler-play-a-sound","Play a recording",[15,91,92,93,96],{},"Play ",[19,94,95],{},"A–K",": a chord stab, at any pitch.",[50,98,99,107,113,124],{},[53,100,101,102],{},"Pick another built-in sound on the Sampler: Gong, Vox Aah. ",[103,104],"turn",{"module":105,"param":106},"sampler","sample",[53,108,109,110],{},"Drag on the waveform to play only part of it. ",[103,111],{"module":105,"param":112},"start|end",[53,114,115,116,118,119],{},"Turn on ",[19,117,77],{}," and play a key: the sound swells in backwards instead of fading away. ",[120,121],"knob",{"module":105,"param":122,"is":123},"reverse","on",[53,125,126,127,129,130,133,134,138,139],{},"Switch the Sampler to ",[19,128,39],{},", turn on ",[19,131,132],{},"LOOP"," and hold a key: the part between Start and End repeats for as long as you hold it. ",[120,135],{"module":105,"param":136,"is":137},"mode","gate"," ",[120,140],{"module":105,"param":141,"is":123},"loop",[15,143,144],{},"You can also drop one of your own audio files on the module.",[24,146,148],{"id":147},"chopping-a-break","Chopping a break",[15,150,151,152,154],{},"Because ",[19,153,67],{}," is a knob, it can be modulated, and that opens up a classic producer trick. Take a drum loop (a \"break\"), trigger it on every eighth note, and let a random voltage choose where each hit starts. Every hit plays a different slice of the loop, so the drums get rearranged on the fly but stay in time.",[86,156,160,163,235,238],{"lesson":157,"title":158,":unpatched":159},"32-sampler-chop-a-break","Rearrange a drum loop","true",[15,161,162],{},"A Sampler loaded with a drum break, a Clock, a Sample & Hold and a Scale \u002F Offset, with no cables:",[164,165,166,182,196,208],"ol",{},[53,167,168,169,172,173,176,177],{},"Patch the Sampler's ",[19,170,171],{},"OUT"," into the Output's ",[19,174,175],{},"MONO",". ",[178,179],"wire",{"from":180,"to":181},"sampler.out","out.in",[53,183,184,185,188,189,191,192],{},"Patch the Clock's ",[19,186,187],{},"1\u002F8"," into the Sampler's ",[19,190,39],{},". The break now restarts from the top on every eighth note: a stutter. ",[178,193],{"from":194,"to":195},"clock.s8","sampler.gate",[53,197,184,198,200,201,204,205],{},[19,199,187],{}," into the Sample & Hold's ",[19,202,203],{},"TRIG"," too, so it picks a new random number on every hit. ",[178,206],{"from":194,"to":207},"sh.trig",[53,209,210,211,213,214,217,218,188,220,223,224,226,227,138,231],{},"Patch the Sample & Hold's ",[19,212,171],{}," into the Scale \u002F Offset's ",[19,215,216],{},"IN",", and its ",[19,219,171],{},[19,221,222],{},"START",". The Scale \u002F Offset fits the random number into range, and every hit now plays a different slice of the loop. Watch the ring on its ",[19,225,67],{}," jump with each hit. ",[178,228],{"from":229,"to":230},"sh.out","attn.in",[178,232],{"from":233,"to":234},"attn.out","sampler.start",[15,236,237],{},"Then play with it:",[50,239,240,249,265],{},[53,241,242,243,245,246],{},"Unpatch the ",[19,244,222],{}," cable: now every hit plays from the top again. ",[247,248],"unplug",{"from":233,"to":234},[53,250,251,252,254,255,257,258,261,262],{},"Move the cable on the Sampler's ",[19,253,39],{}," from the Clock's ",[19,256,187],{}," to its ",[19,259,260],{},"1\u002F16",": twice as many, shorter slices, a stuttering drum roll. ",[178,263],{"from":264,"to":195},"clock.s16",[53,266,267,268,271,272],{},"Turn the Sampler's ",[19,269,270],{},"Tune"," down to −12: the break plays an octave lower and half as fast, heavy and dark. ",[120,273],{"module":105,"param":274,"below":275},"tune","-11",[24,277,279],{"id":278},"the-looper-record-yourself","The looper: record yourself",[15,281,30,282,286],{},[32,283,285],{"href":284},"\u002Fmodules\u002Flooper","Looper"," records whatever goes into it and plays it back round and round, so you can layer parts on top of each other: the way solo performers build a whole song live.",[164,288,289,299,305],{},[53,290,291,292,294,295,298],{},"Press ",[19,293,84],{},", play a phrase, press ",[19,296,297],{},"STOP",": it loops.",[53,300,291,301,304],{},[19,302,303],{},"DUB"," and play over it: the layers stack up.",[53,306,307,310],{},[19,308,309],{},"CLEAR"," starts again.",[15,312,313,316],{},[19,314,315],{},"Keep"," below 100% makes old layers slowly fade away, so the loop keeps evolving instead of filling up.",[86,318,321],{"lesson":319,"title":320},"34-looper","Build a loop",[15,322,323,324,328],{},"Play a phrase on the keyboard, loop it, then dub a second part over the top. The looper sits ",[325,326,327],"em",{},"before"," the delay, so the loop and your live playing share the same echoes.",[24,330,332],{"id":331},"granular-sound-as-dust","Granular: sound as dust",[15,334,335,339,340,343],{},[32,336,338],{"href":337},"\u002Fmodules\u002Fgranular","Granular synthesis"," cuts a recording into tiny slices called ",[19,341,342],{},"grains",", from a few milliseconds to a second long, and sprays them back out, overlapping, by the dozen or the hundred. Because the grains don't have to come from where the recording is playing, granular can do things that are impossible otherwise: freeze a single moment so it hangs in the air, stretch a word to a minute long, or smear a voice into a shimmering cloud.",[50,345,346,352,358,364,370],{},[53,347,348,351],{},[19,349,350],{},"Position",": where in the recording the grains come from.",[53,353,354,357],{},[19,355,356],{},"Size",": tiny grains sound buzzy and rough; long ones sound smooth.",[53,359,360,363],{},[19,361,362],{},"Density",": how many grains per second.",[53,365,366,369],{},[19,367,368],{},"Spray",": scatters the grains around the position.",[53,371,372,375],{},[19,373,374],{},"Pitch ±",": detunes each grain randomly. A little sounds like a choir; a lot scatters the pitch everywhere.",[86,377,380,386],{"lesson":378,"title":379},"35-granular-clouds","Freeze a voice",[15,381,382,383,385],{},"A slow LFO scans the ",[19,384,350],{}," through a recorded voice. The white dots on the waveform are the grains.",[50,387,388,400,410,417,430],{},[53,389,390,391,394,395],{},"Turn the LFO's ",[19,392,393],{},"Rate"," up to about 0.3 Hz. Watch the white dots sweep back and forth along the waveform, and hear the voice slide through its syllables as they go. ",[120,396],{"module":397,"param":398,"above":399},"lfo","rate","0.2",[53,401,402,403,405,406],{},"Unpatch the LFO and park ",[19,404,350],{},": the sound freezes in place. ",[247,407],{"from":408,"to":409},"lfo.out","granular.pos",[53,411,412,413],{},"Now move it by hand: drag along the Granular's waveform and the line follows you. Scrub slowly through the word, like dragging a tape across a playhead. ",[103,414],{"module":415,"param":416},"granular","position",[53,418,419,420,422,423,138,427],{},"Nudge ",[19,421,374],{}," up just a little, to about 0.3 (hold Shift for fine control). Each grain is now slightly out of tune with the others, so the voice thickens into a shimmering choir. ",[120,424],{"module":415,"param":425,"above":426},"spread","0.15",[120,428],{"module":415,"param":425,"below":429},"0.6",[53,431,432,433,435,436],{},"Now push ",[19,434,374],{}," past 12 for the opposite: every grain lands on a random pitch, a swarm of robots. ",[120,437],{"module":415,"param":425,"above":438},"12",[24,440,442],{"id":441},"pitch-shifting-without-the-chipmunk","Pitch shifting without the chipmunk",[15,444,445,446,450],{},"The sampler changes pitch by changing speed. A ",[32,447,449],{"href":448},"\u002Fmodules\u002Fpshift","Pitch Shifter"," changes pitch while keeping the timing the same, so a voice shifted up still sings at the same pace. Blend the shifted copy with the original and one voice becomes two, in harmony.",[86,452,455,462],{"lesson":453,"title":454},"36-pitch-shifter-instant-harmony","Instant harmony",[15,456,457,458,461],{},"The Sampler sings while you hold a key; the Pitch Shifter adds a copy a fifth higher (",[19,459,460],{},"Shift"," +7).",[50,463,464,482],{},[53,465,466,468,469,472,473,138,478],{},[19,467,460],{}," −12, ",[19,470,471],{},"Mix"," 100%: a demon. ",[120,474],{"module":475,"param":476,"below":477},"pshift","shift","-11.5",[120,479],{"module":475,"param":480,"above":481},"mix","0.98",[53,483,484,486,487],{},[19,485,460],{}," +12: a chipmunk, without the speed-up. ",[120,488],{"module":475,"param":476,"above":489},"11.5",[24,491,493],{"id":492},"live-sound-as-a-control-signal","Live sound as a control signal",[15,495,496,497,500,501,505,506,510,511,513],{},"You don't have to ",[325,498,499],{},"listen"," to a sound for it to be useful. An ",[32,502,504],{"href":503},"\u002Fmodules\u002Fenvf","Env Follower"," measures how loud a sound is and turns that into a control signal. Talk into a ",[32,507,509],{"href":508},"\u002Fmodules\u002Fmic","microphone"," and the filter opens; clap and its ",[19,512,39],{}," fires a drum. It's how producers make one sound react to another.",[86,515,518],{"lesson":516,"title":517},"42-mic-and-envelope-follower","Clap to play",[15,519,520],{},"Your browser will ask for the microphone. The mic isn't sent to the speakers in this patch, so it won't howl. Talk, and the filter opens with your voice; clap, and the snare plays.",[24,522,524],{"id":523},"the-vocoder-a-synth-that-talks","The vocoder: a synth that talks",[15,526,30,527,531,532,535,536,539,540,543],{},[32,528,530],{"href":529},"\u002Fmodules\u002Fvocoder","Vocoder"," combines two sounds. It measures the ",[325,533,534],{},"shape"," of one, your voice into ",[19,537,538],{},"MOD",", across 16 frequency bands, and stamps that shape onto the other, a synth chord into ",[19,541,542],{},"CARRIER",". The chord gives the notes; your voice gives the words. The result is the classic robot voice.",[86,545,548,554],{"lesson":546,"title":547},"43-vocoder","Make the robot speak",[15,549,550,553],{},[19,551,552],{},"Wear headphones",": your voice comes out of the speakers here, and the mic would hear it and howl. Allow the microphone, then talk; the keys choose the chord. No mic? The lesson's notes show how to use a looping Vox Aah sample instead.",[50,555,556],{},[53,557,558,559,562,563],{},"Turn the Vocoder's ",[19,560,561],{},"Sharp"," up for more robotic, down for more natural. ",[103,564],{"module":565,"param":566},"vocoder","q",[24,568,570],{"id":569},"what-to-remember","What to remember",[50,572,573,582,588,597,603,609],{},[53,574,30,575,577,578,581],{},[19,576,105],{}," plays a recording; its pitch changes by changing ",[19,579,580],{},"speed",", like a tape.",[53,583,584,585,587],{},"Modulating ",[19,586,67],{}," with random voltages chops a loop into new patterns.",[53,589,30,590,593,594,596],{},[19,591,592],{},"looper"," records and repeats; ",[19,595,315],{}," below 100% lets layers fade.",[53,598,599,602],{},[19,600,601],{},"Granular"," sprays tiny grains: freeze, stretch and smear sounds.",[53,604,30,605,608],{},[19,606,607],{},"pitch shifter"," changes pitch without changing speed.",[53,610,611,612,615,616,618],{},"An ",[19,613,614],{},"envelope follower"," turns loudness into a control signal; a ",[19,617,565],{}," puts your voice's shape onto a synth.",{"title":620,"searchDepth":621,"depth":621,"links":622},"",2,[623,624,625,626,627,628,629,630],{"id":26,"depth":621,"text":27},{"id":147,"depth":621,"text":148},{"id":278,"depth":621,"text":279},{"id":331,"depth":621,"text":332},{"id":441,"depth":621,"text":442},{"id":492,"depth":621,"text":493},{"id":523,"depth":621,"text":524},{"id":569,"depth":621,"text":570},"How to bring recorded and live sound into a modular synth. Playing samples at any pitch, chopping drum breaks, looping, granular clouds, pitch shifting, envelope followers and the vocoder.","md",{},"\u002Flearn\u002Fsampling",{"title":5,"description":631},"Sampling on a modular synth — samplers, loopers, granular synthesis and vocoders explained","learn\u002Fsampling","QEXWF8JB0VyI0cldUg0XOVZdUaQPKG5h7wQXyHkBvwU",1792599837969]