Klee Sequencer

[huggermugger]

I wish someone would build a Klee sequencer for VM. Maybe port this one for VCV from docB...

Screen Shot 2023-07-28 at 10.45.41 AM.png (246.53 KiB) Viewed 23963 times

Or this very nice hardware version from Scott Stites...

klee.jpg (226.95 KiB) Viewed 23963 times

[Steve W]

From what I remember Scott Stites has tons of documentation on Klee Sequencers. I've heard recordings of live performances that used Klees and based on what I remember, they would add something new, unique, and useful to the varied assortment of VM sequencers available.

Dan Nigrin did a software version a few years ago. I have a demo version from 2009 (windows executable). Maybe contact him to see if he is interested in doing a VM version? https://defectiverecords.com/portfolio/klee/

If not, maybe you'd like to use it in VM's Plug-in Host Module. Not sure how much he is selling it for.

• VST, VST3 and AU plugin instrument hosting (AU is Mac only)
• Entirely a 64-bit application

NOTE:

$40 USD PayPal only, no returns — please try the demo first to see if you like it.

The last time I tried the demo, I barely had enough time to set something up before it timed out and I lost everything and had no more patience to start from scratch. I asked if he would consider extending the time, but so far as I know he didn't want to do that. So, if you get the demo, be prepared for it to time out.

PS: The Klee Demo I have has 2 pdfs: (1) "Klee Documentation" (for Dan's software) and (2) "know_the_klee_draft4_198" (from Scott Stites).* So if you can download Dan's demo and it has updated pdfs, those might be useful.

*https://electro-music.com/forum/phpbb-f ... t4_198.pdf

[Steve W]

https://www.birthofasynth.com/Scott_Sti ... Birth.html
I've always heard Klee pronounced as "Klay," but I am not an expert. If so, I suppose "A Klee for Thee" would be pronounced as "A Klay for They." Dunno.

Anyhow there seems to a new sort of version for Voltage Modular: Playertron's Augmented Klee Combination Sequencer https://store.cherryaudio.com/modules/a ... equencer-1.

[SA2K]

https://www.birthofasynth.com/Scott_Sti ... Birth.html
I've always heard Klee pronounced as "Klay," but I am not an expert. If so, I suppose "A Klee for Thee" would be pronounced as "A Klay for They." Dunno.

Anyhow there seems to a new sort of version for Voltage Modular: Playertron's Augmented Klee Combination Sequencer https://store.cherryaudio.com/modules/a ... equencer-1.

Maybe someone could give a decent bit of tips on the new Augmented Klee Combination Sequencer on this thread. Or I'll ask later or ask later in a different thread. I bought it and looked it over thoroughly to get ready to use it and noticed it has top features that are unique in a klee sequencer. Klee's are great!

[SA2K]

I wish someone would build a Klee sequencer for VM. Maybe port this one for VCV from docB...

Screen Shot 2023-07-28 at 10.45.41 AM.png

Or this very nice hardware version from Scott Stites...

klee.jpg

Between the VCV Klee and the new Playertron one those are the only two best software based ones in the world to my knowledge. I am waiting for my PC upgrade to arrive to try them.

[Steve W]

Between the VCV Klee and the new Playertron one those are the only two best software based ones in the world to my knowledge. I am waiting for my PC upgrade to arrive to try them.

Other than hearing hardware versions in use (and watching videos), the only software version I ever tried was Dan Nigrin's version. I am not sure I have a use for it, but the development of the design has fascinated me for a while.

If anyone gets Playertron's Klee, I'd be interested in seeing/hearing it in action. Maybe someone will post test videos on the Voltage Modular Discord.

[SA2K]

Between the VCV Klee and the new Playertron one those are the only two best software based ones in the world to my knowledge. I am waiting for my PC upgrade to arrive to try them.

Other than hearing hardware versions in use (and watching videos), the only software version I ever tried was Dan Nigrin's version. I am not sure I have a use for it, but the development of the design has fascinated me for a while.

If anyone gets Playertron's Klee, I'd be interested in seeing/hearing it in action. Maybe someone will post test videos on the Voltage Modular Discord.

Maybe someone could make some A grade sound streams for Cherry for a change. Most of the sound demo's on the module pages on Cherry's homepage are C grade through F grade to me. After amassing a hoard of Cherry modules/bundles at least some of the bundle presets are A grade. I don't think I'm going to submit Klee stuff but let's hear some Klee Berlin School music or some sort or Klee Krills or generative for a change someone. Just make something!

[SpaceDog]

Between the VCV Klee and the new Playertron one those are the only two best software based ones in the world to my knowledge. I am waiting for my PC upgrade to arrive to try them.

Other than hearing hardware versions in use (and watching videos), the only software version I ever tried was Dan Nigrin's version. I am not sure I have a use for it, but the development of the design has fascinated me for a while.

If anyone gets Playertron's Klee, I'd be interested in seeing/hearing it in action. Maybe someone will post test videos on the Voltage Modular Discord.

Maybe someone could make some A grade sound streams for Cherry for a change. Most of the sound demo's on the module pages on Cherry's homepage are C grade through F grade to me. After amassing a hoard of Cherry modules/bundles at least some of the bundle presets are A grade. I don't think I'm going to submit Klee stuff but let's hear some Klee Berlin School music or some sort or Klee Krills or generative for a change someone. Just make something!

I've used Voltage Modular (and other CA synths) for all of my Berlin School releases for the last few years now. I did buy the Klee and I tried it out for some Berlin School sequencing. Whilst it's got some amazing generative power, I must admit that simple 960's with judicious use of the skip function is still the best way to do what needs to be done.

I got some interesting results with the Klee, but my main complaint (as it is with quite a few modules) is that I want to be able to control the sequencing to the point where I feel that it's me making the decisions, or pushing the direction, rather than the modules leading me by the nose. A big problem is the usual lack of good documentation with many modules, where I feel the developer just wants us to press things at random and be pleased with what pops out. Yes, I like an element of randomness, but ultimately it's me that should be dictating the outcome.

I got good results with the DMT Strict Machine (i.e. Turing Machine) once I found the sweet spot for letting a hint of randomness in, but under my control. I got an 18-minute track out of that experiment on my cunningly named release, "Relinquishing Control".

My point...? I don't make demo sounds, rather I just experiment and when it works I release it. For quite a while I've been honest in noting that my modular is virtual. I couldn't do anything that I do without Voltage Modular as I'd not be able to justifiy spending that much on equipment and I certainly wouldn't have the space. I'd guess I'm not alone in just making use of the tools but failing to make specific demo pieces. Now, if CA want to cross my palm with modules for doing so... then we're talking

[ColinP]

I got some interesting results with the Klee, but my main complaint (as it is with quite a few modules) is that I want to be able to control the sequencing to the point where I feel that it's me making the decisions, or pushing the direction, rather than the modules leading me by the nose. A big problem is the usual lack of good documentation with many modules, where I feel the developer just wants us to press things at random and be pleased with what pops out. Yes, I like an element of randomness, but ultimately it's me that should be dictating the outcome.

I've found that one way to address this problem is to use chord progressions.

One can use any generative technique to produce raw material and then use dynamic quantization to mould the results into something more coherent. Once you have explicit control of the chord progression you can compose at a higher level utilizing functional harmony to add "musical grammar and punctuation" to your generative patches.

In practice this means that instead of sending everything through a fixed quantizer that's set to a particular scale, one uses multiple quantizers working in parallel. Each quantizer is set to a particular chord and one then uses a switching module to select which quantizater output to use at each moment. By wiring up the switch inputs in different ways you can create any chord progression you like (within the limit of the switch capacity).

The VERY crude patch below shows how one might begin to approach this...

CrudeChords.png (747.65 KiB) Viewed 20423 times

For anyone unfamiliar with working with chord progressions I recommend looking at David Bennett's youtube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/@DavidBennettPiano/videos

You can work with chord progressions using only the stock VM modules but before I got bogged down with Adroit Custom this was an area I spent considerable time on. LSSP, the Granular Synth and N-Step can all handle chord progressions using a specialized signal called S-Poly.

The N-Step documentation describes relatively easy ways to sequence chord progressions using the Chord Memory and 8 to 1 Poly Switch modules.
LSSP provides a range of tools that can handle everything from basic diatonic triads to modal scales and includes modules that can do things like automatically create chords from arbitary scales and provide CV control of chord inversion.

For anyone interested in the more complex aspects of generative music I'd recommend they trial both the N-Step and Granular Synth bundles at the same time and read the following documentation and the pages it links to...

https://adroitsynthesis.com/gs-multiple ... gs-bridge/

One method of working I've found fruitful is to build a number of patches that produce interesting textures tuned to C, recording these sounds to audio files. Then start a fresh patch that consists mainly of an N-Step to GS bridge. Then append all the files together into one buffer in GS with multi-timbral access provided by GS Multiplex.

Then use N-Step to create three or four part counterpoint from a chord progression with careful use of N-Step's Bernoulli gates and sample and hold to break up the chord blocking.

By offloading much of the sound synthesis to separate patches and using GS to glue everything together you can produce extremely deep stuff even on a mid-range computer.

[SpaceDog]

[SpaceDog stuff removed as it's been quoted onece already]

[Interesting Content removed for space reasons only...]

For anyone interested in the more complex aspects of generative music I'd recommend they trial both the N-Step and Granular Synth bundles at the same time and read the following documentation and the pages it links to...

https://adroitsynthesis.com/gs-multiple ... gs-bridge/

[Even more interesting content again only removed for space reasons]

Thanks, some really interesting ideas in there, I appreciate the time you spent putting that together.

I do already own everything you've mentioned from yourself, and I even created a whole release based on my experiments with your Granular Synth (and you're credited) and Grants' excellent "non-causal" delay, Zeit. I have some thinking and playing to do as I know that I've barely scratched the surface of what some (all...?) of your modules can do. Your modules are unique and your documentation is always beyond excellent, thank you, and I find that so useful as being of a certain age I do actually read the stuff rather than poke 'n' hope.