Nova One - generative sequencer

tonecarver · 04-26-2011, 02:14 AM

I uploaded a JS plugin, Nova One, (inspired by Otomata http://www.earslap.com/), that generates MIDI sequences based on rovers moving through a matrix. Rovers that collide with walls make sound, rovers that collide with each other change direction, and rovers that strike obstacles have their direction and position affected in various ways. The end result is a sequence of notes that evolves and changes in (usually) pleasant and unpredictable ways.

The script has several controls for creativity but it is easy to get good results with the default setup so you don't need to dive deeper until or unless you want to.

The script is in the stash here: http://stash.reaper.fm/v/8491/Nova%20One.zip. A Readme with detailed usage information is included in the zip file.

Big thanks to IX (Philip S. Considine) for his MIDI Template script.

This is version 1.0 I hope to add more features soon.

Have fun.

** EDIT: version 1.2 is now available.
version 1.1
+ shift-left-click deletes rover in a cell
+ alt-left-click adds a half-speed rover (displays black arrow)
+ added 4 "tilt" obstacles that change orientation when encountered
+ added obstacles to slow down, unslow, and toggle pace of rovers
+ velocity jitter slider to add random variation to velocities
+ new Nova Mapper plugin to remap the output notes to user defined notes
version 1.2
+ bug-fix for clicking slow rover facing west

Arnar · 04-26-2011, 05:34 AM

Thats great mate ! Was just trying out Otamata the other day , wishing it was vst.

thanks, trying it.

Veto · 04-26-2011, 05:52 AM

wow this is awesome,
will have some great time with it, thanks a lot!

Edit: and even now a little FR

would a modifier+key combo doable for clearing a single rover? i would really like that.

tonecarver · 04-26-2011, 09:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Veto

and even now a little FR

would a modifier+key combo doable for clearing a single rover? i would really like that.

No problem. I'll add that to the to do list for the next update.

copacetic · 04-26-2011, 09:36 PM

I love it, thanks.

SiKo · 04-27-2011, 03:38 AM

Thanks for that!

sinkmusic · 04-27-2011, 05:04 AM

Thank you !

zappadave · 04-27-2011, 09:07 AM

looks great, will play with this tonight.

Arnar · 04-27-2011, 09:17 AM

Been trying this out and I love it , one question ?

Any way to save the pattern , other then saving a Reaper preset?

There's the pattern capture which suggests pattern saving but im not sure how to use it.

tonecarver · 04-27-2011, 09:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arnar

Any way to save the pattern , other then saving a Reaper preset?

There's the pattern capture which suggests pattern saving but im not sure how to use it.

The pattern capture stores the pattern in an internal buffer so you can restore it later. To demonstrate: Turn the transport off. Set playback mode to sync to host transport. Create a pattern, add obstacles if you want, whatever you like. Select the capture option from the pulldown to capture the pattern in the internal buffer. Run the transport for a while so that the rovers move, add items, remove items, whatever, then stop the transport. Selecting the restore option will return the pattern to what it was when you selected the capture.

Capture and Restore basically allows you to take a snapshot of a pattern and reset the sequence to that pattern any time. The current version has just the one internal buffer so only one pattern can be captured at a time. I am considering adding multiple buffers to act as a bank of snapshots for automating patterns during a song.

There is not any way (yet) to save patterns other than saving a Reaper preset. I'd like to add this as a feature for the next version so users can export, share and import patterns. Stay tuned.

sinkmusic · 04-27-2011, 09:44 AM

Hi have installed it in Program files > REAPER (x64)\InstallData\Effects, in a "Nova" folder that i created, and can't find anything when i type "nova" in the FX browser... Did i do anything wrong ?
Thank you

tonecarver · 04-27-2011, 09:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sinkmusic

Hi have installed it in Program files > REAPER (x64)\InstallData\Effects, in a "Nova" folder that i created, and can't find anything when i type "nova" in the FX browser... Did i do anything wrong ?
Thank you

This is from memory since I am not at my machine right now, but I think on my machine, Win7 x64, it would be c:\users\myusername\AppData\Roaming\REAPER\Effects \Nova. Your path might be different depending on your OS.

If you install any JS effect (from the FX browser, select JS Plugins, then pick one), then click the Edit.. button from that effects panel it will bring up a script editor. At the top of the editor (if I recall correctly) it should show the path where the effect is being loaded from. Find the REAPER\Effects directory in that path and place your Nova folder under there.

Arnar · 04-27-2011, 10:09 AM

OK, thanks !

Would be great to have more patterns .

It's still great though.

sinkmusic · 04-27-2011, 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tonecarver

This is from memory since I am not at my machine right now, but I think on my machine, Win7 x64, it would be c:\users\myusername\AppData\Roaming\REAPER\Effects \Nova. Your path might be different depending on your OS.

That was it : thanks !

Amazing plugin, kudos !

Arnar · 04-27-2011, 06:00 PM

Amazing actually , also using the humanizer and force to scale ...already got a track going , thanks !

tonecarver · 05-01-2011, 11:55 PM

Version 1.1 is now available in the stash http://stash.reaper.fm/v/8491/Nova%20One.zip

Changelist:
+ shift-left-click deletes rover in a cell
+ alt-left-click adds a half-speed rover (displays black arrow)
+ added 4 "tilt" obstacles that change orientation when encountered
+ added obstacles to slow down, unslow, and toggle pace of rovers
+ velocity jitter slider to add random variation to velocities
+ new Nova Mapper plugin to remap the output notes to user defined notes

Have fun.

copacetic · 05-01-2011, 11:59 PM

Nice.

IXix · 05-02-2011, 01:19 AM

Yay, somebody used my template! Looking forward to playing with this.

Edit: Love it

copacetic · 05-02-2011, 01:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arnar

Amazing actually , also using the humanizer and force to scale ...already got a track going , thanks !

Where might I find such a thing?

Veto · 05-02-2011, 02:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tonecarver

Version 1.1 is now available in the stash http://stash.reaper.fm/v/8491/Nova%20One.zip

Changelist:
+ shift-left-click deletes rover in a cell
+ alt-left-click adds a half-speed rover (displays black arrow)
+ added 4 "tilt" obstacles that change orientation when encountered
+ added obstacles to slow down, unslow, and toggle pace of rovers
+ velocity jitter slider to add random variation to velocities
+ new Nova Mapper plugin to remap the output notes to user defined notes

Have fun.

many thanks

Edit:
one minor bug: clicking alt-left 5 times will left a white rover which cant be removed until another rover moves over it. Otherwise great, i love the mapper!

tonecarver · 05-02-2011, 07:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Veto

one minor bug: clicking alt-left 5 times will left a white rover which cant be removed until another rover moves over it.

Thanks. I just uploaded v1.2 with a fix for that. Same place: http://stash.reaper.fm/v/8491/Nova%20One.zip

zappadave · 05-02-2011, 12:32 PM

Nova one is about the best sequencer I've used.
Any chance of something to sequence the gate time?

tonecarver · 05-02-2011, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zappadave

Any chance of something to sequence the gate time?

Hmm .. interesting. What sort of behavior do you have in mind?

zappadave · 05-02-2011, 10:41 PM

Maybe "obstacles" that aren't obstacles, and don't effect the route of the rovers, but raise or lower the gate time. In a different colour?
Sounds like it would work.

NoiseMan · 05-03-2011, 01:10 AM

Whoa... this is pure coolness. Thanks a lot!

tonecarver · 05-03-2011, 07:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zappadave

Maybe "obstacles" that aren't obstacles, and don't effect the route of the rovers, but raise or lower the gate time. In a different colour?
Sounds like it would work.

Oh yeah, that would work.

(I was just thinking about something like that, strangely enough, an action or a trigger that alters the slider values. It just hadn't occurred to me how it might be useful .. now we know

).

One caution though, if the gate slider is automated these rover-triggered actions to raise and lower the gates would be fighting against the automation. Not a big deal, but worth pointing out.

PitchSlap · 05-03-2011, 11:58 AM

I really like this, so thanks a ton for making it.

A few thoughts/suggestions:

-The mapper is a nice addition and adds a lot of flexibility but most times I would just like the ability to have all notes generated in a certain scale, this would probably be best implemented in the main plugin itself.

-Even though I use sync to transport, it only seems to sync the start and stop to the transport but not the actual pattern which means almost every time I stop and restart it sounds different which is usually undesirable.

-Being able to let Nova One run and record the whole sequence rather than just a single snapshot would add a level of predictability and stability to the generated sequences making it more useful for composition.

tonecarver · 05-03-2011, 12:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PitchSlap

-The mapper is a nice addition and adds a lot of flexibility but most times I would just like the ability to have all notes generated in a certain scale, this would probably be best implemented in the main plugin itself.

That may happen someday. The mapper was a kind of way to add flexibility for the situations where it is needed without making the original plugin too complex. Adding scales is under investigation though along with a few other features.

Quote:

Originally Posted by PitchSlap

-Even though I use sync to transport, it only seems to sync the start and stop to the transport but not the actual pattern which means almost every time I stop and restart it sounds different which is usually undesirable.

Yes, that is true. The sync to transport option controls when the rover engine runs but does not account for song position. The only way, at the moment, to ensure a reliable pattern at the start of a song is to use the capture pulldown to capture a pattern that you want at the beginning of a tune and then restore it manually when you reset the transport to the 0 position.

This brings a feature to mind though .. an option for an automatic 'pattern restore' to take place when the transport is at position 0. Hmmm.

Quote:

Originally Posted by PitchSlap

-Being able to let Nova One run and record the whole sequence rather than just a single snapshot would add a level of predictability and stability to the generated sequences making it more useful for composition.

That's probaby more than the plugin can take on .. but you can do that from Reaper by recording the MIDI that the plug generates. If yoo have Nova on a track by itself, enabling the record mode to 'Record output: MIDI out', arm the track, and record.