Chinenual-VCV

Virtual Eurorack modules for VCV Rack, available in the plugin library.

Feedback and bug reports (and donations) are always appreciated!

The Changelog describes changes.

Modules

• MIDI Recorder - a polyphonic multi-track recorder to convert CV to standard MIDI files.

• MIDI Recorder CC - an expander for the recorder to capture CV as CC values. Supports both 7- and 14-bit CC.

• DrumMap - Accepts percussion GATE inputs and converts them to General MIDI pitch v/oct.

• Tintinnabulator - Produce a harmonized pitch from an input chord and melody using Arvo Pärt-style tintinnabulation.

• NoteMeter - a polyphonic metering module that displays note names from V/Oct inputs.

• Inv - Produce a chromatically inverted V/oct pitch relative to a specified "pivot" pitch.

• SplitSort - Split a polyphonic cable and optionally sort the channels, with possibility to share sort criteria with another SplitSort or MergeSort.

• MergeSort - Merge monophonic cables into a polyphonic output and optionally sort the channels, with possibility to share sort criteria with another SplitSort or MergeSort.

• PolySort - Sort polyphonic signals, optionally reusing the same sort order as other inputs.

• Harp - a reimagining of Iasos's Golden Harp. Maps a continuous pitch CV input signal to a scale and generates gated notes as you "strum".

MIDI Recorder

A multi-track recorder to capture a VCV performance to a standard MIDI file. Supports up to 10 polyphonic tracks, converting CV in the same way the VCV core CV-MIDI module does.

Each row of inputs corresponds to one track of MIDI.

Motivation

I originally ran VCV Rack on a fairly low performance laptop (by current standards). I couldn't run Rack and a DAW at the same time, so I couldn't just stream MIDI out of Rack and record it in my DAW. I suspect I'm not alone. This module lets me capture 10 tracks of MIDI into a standard MIDI file and then import it into my DAW.

How it works

• REC - If the REC gate input is unconnected, you can press this button to start and end the recording. It changes color to red while recording.

• REC - You can control the recording start/stop with a gate signal (e.g. from Count Modula's FADE module). Recording starts when the signal is above 0.0v; stops when it drops to or below 0.0v. The Run button turns red during recording.

• BPM - Use this to set the tempo of the MIDI file. Uses same conventions as Impromptu's CLOCKED BPM output (BPM = 120 * 2^voltage). If unconnected, sets the MIDI tempo to 120 BPM. An LED style display shows the BPM.

• ACTIVE - This output gate is high when the recorder is actively capturing events. It can be used to synchronize the MIDI Recoding with an audio recording. When Align At First Note is enabled, this goes high after the first note is detected, else as soon as the recording is started.

• An LED under the ACTIVE port lights up when the recorder is capturing events (it lights up when the ACTIVE gate is high).

The remaining inputs accept the same signals as the VCV core CV-MIDI module, each row feeding a separate polyphonic track in the target MIDI file. CV input voltage ranges default to the same ranges used by the VCV CV-MIDI module, however the VEL, AFT, PW and MW input ranges can be changed to better match your modulation sources.

• V/OCT - polyphonic. Note pitch (1V/oct)
• GATE - polyphonic. Note gates (0 .. 10V)
• VEL - polyphonic. Note velocity (default: 0 .. 10V). Defaults to 100 if unconnected.
• AFT - polyphonic. Aftertouch/Key Pressure (default: 0V .. 10V)
• PW - monophonic. Pitchbend (default: -5V .. 5V)
• MW - monophonic. Mod Wheel (default: 0V .. 10V). Can optionally be set to capture 14bit values. See About 14bit below.

If GATE is connected, but V/Oct is not, the recorder supplies a default note value to each channel of the GATE (starting at C4, ascending by semitone for each channel of the input). This makes it easier to record percussion sequences. See the DrumMap module as another way to assign useful pitch values for drum gate inputs.

Target file selection works in a similar way to the VCV Recorder module. You can select a file from the context menu, or if none has been selected, you'll get a popup dialog the first time you try to record something.

Right-click Context menu:

• Output File - the path to the target MIDI file to be produced.
• Append -001, -002, etc. - If checked, the recorder creates unique files if the target file already exists (/my/file.mid, /my/file-001.mid, /my/file-002.mid, ...). If unchecked, the file is overwritten.
• Start at first note gate - when checked (the default), even after the recording is "started", the recording is delayed until it sees the first note. This ensures that the resulting midi events are aligned to the beginning of a bar. This also means that any non-note events (PW, MW, AFT) will be ignored until that first note plays. Turn this off to record the events immediately (in which case you may need to shift the events in your DAW to get them to line up nicely on a bar division.
• VEL Input Range - sets the input CV range for the VEL inputs. Defaults to 0..10V.
• AFT Input Range - sets the input CV range for the AFT inputs. Defaults to 0..10V.
• PW Input Range - sets the input CV range for the PW inputs. Defaults to -5..5V.
• MW Input Range - sets the input CV range for the MW inputs. Defaults to 0..10V.
• MW is 14bit - Capture MW as 14bit rather than the default 7bit. Emits two CC values (CC1 and CC33) when enabled. See About 14bit below.

MIDI RecorderCC

An expander for the MIDI Recorder that adds support for capturing arbitrary CC values. The expander must be adjacent to the recorder, and to its right. Any number of expanders can be used. When using more than one, just place them next to each other, all to the right of the master recorder module:

Each column of CC values is configured via the Right-click Context menu:

• Input Range - sets the input CV range for that column of inputs. Defaults to 0..10V.
• 14bit - Capture as 14bit rather than the default 7bit. Emits two CC values (CCx and CCx+32) when enabled. See About 14bit below.
• MIDI CC - The CC number.

About 14bit

If 14-bit CC is selected, two CC messages are created. One at the configured control number (with the MSB part of the value) and one at control number+32 (with the LSB part).

WARNING: The module does not attempt to prevent you from configuring conflicting CC's (e.g. if column 1's settings are CC=2, 14-bit, and column 2's is CC=34, both columns will be producing CC messages for CC=34. It does not prevent you from creating 14-bit CC pairs outside the "normal" range defined by the MIDI spec (only CC0 through CC31 have well defined paired CC's from 32 through 63, but the module will allow you to specify, for example, CC70 as 14 bit, which will emit CC70(MSB) and CC102(LSB)). If the LSB part of the value would extend beyond the maximum legal 127 CC number, it is silently omitted.

Also note that the MW column on the master recorder produces CC1 (and optionally CC33 if configured for 14bit).

DrumMap

DrumMap converts input percussion/drum gate inputs to pitch outputs corresponding to user-selectable General MIDI conventions. Use it to produce a polyphonic "drum track" with MIDIRecorder, or connect it directly to an external drum machine or DAW with VCV core's CV-MIDI.

Click on the input pair label to change the MIDI note to be associated with that gate.

Produces three polyphonic outputs V/Oct, Gate and Vel suitable for directly importing into the MIDIRecorder or sent out through CV-MIDI.

Tintinnabulator

Produce a harmonized pitch from an input chord and melody using Arvo Pärt-style tintinnabulation where a harmony note is selected from a reference chord. Pärt's music tends to use simple triads for his tintinnabulation but the module allows you to specify any set of notes as the reference.

The module supports several variants of the harmonization - select first available pitch or next one, in both upwards or downwards direction. Also supports bidirectional tintinnabulation, where every other note switches between upward or downwards selection. An Octave offset can be used to offset the harmony up or down from the reference melody line.

Controls:

• Mode - controls the algorithm used to select the harmony value. Options are:

  • "Up" - next chord note higher than the melody
  • "Down" - next chord note lower than the melody
  • "Up/Down" - alternating up or down
  • "Up+1" - second chord note higher than the melody
  • "Down-1" - second chord note lower than the melody
  • "Up+1/Down-1" - alternating up or down
  • "Quantize" - Choose the "closest" note (which may be itself). This is technically not "tintinnabulation" since if the melody note matches a chord note, it will not create a "harmony" note. However, this allows the Tintinnabulator to be used as a general purpose "chord quantizer".

• Octave - offset the resulting harmony note by up to three octaves up or down.

Inputs:

• Chord - the notes defining the reference chord (polyphonic: V/Oct). Aaron Static's ChordCV produces a suitable signal. The chord frequencies need not be 12 note equal-temperament. The resulting harmony notes will be chosen to match whatever tuning system is used in the chord input. The Tintinnabulator uses the reference chord to layout notes in a normalized octave, then replicates that quantization throughout the full voltage range, repeating the pattern for every octave.

• Melody - the pitches to be harmonized. (polyphonic: V/Oct).

• Gate - when using one of the bidirectional modes, the gate input is used to signal the harmonizer to switch direction (monophonic). Can be left unpatched if using a unidirectional mode.

Outputs:

• Tint - the resulting harmony pitches (polyphonic: V/Oct).

• Mix - The original melody and harmony pitches mixed into a common polyphonic output (polyphonic: V/Oct).

NoteMeter

NoteMeter is a polyphonic metering module that displays note names from V/Oct inputs. If the input voltage does not align exactly with a note voltage it indicates the deviance from the closest note as "cents".

Inv

Inv produces a chromatically inverted V/oct pitch relative to a specified "pivot" pitch. Consider quantizing the resulting signal to approximate diatonic inversion.

Inputs:

• Pivot - the pitch/frequency around which the melody should be inverted. (monophonic: V/Oct).

• Melody - the pitches to be inverted. (polyphonic: V/Oct).

Outputs:

• Inv - the resulting inverted pitches (polyphonic: V/Oct).

• Mix - The original melody and inverted pitches mixed into a common polyphonic output (polyphonic: V/Oct).

SplitSort

Splits a polyphonic cable and optionally sorts the channels, with possibility to share sort criteria with another SplitSort or MergeSort.

Buttons:

• Sort - sort the signals when pressed.

Inputs:

• In - the polyphonic cable to be split.

• Link - if connected, sort based on the values in the Link rather than the values in the Input. This allows multiple modules to be sorted in the same order. Can be daisy chained - the first module in the chain determines the sort order.

Outputs:

• Out - 16 separate outputs, one for each channel of the Poly input.

• Link - a polyphonic signal that can be used to control the sort order of another MergeSort or SplitSort module. Can be daisy chained - the first module in the chain determines the sort order.

For example, a set of three SplitSort modules can be used to sort incoming MIDI note/gate/velocity all sorted by the same V/Oct criteria:

See PolySort for an alternate approach.

MergeSort

Merges a set of monophonic signals into a polyphonic cable and optionally sorts the channels, with possibility to share sort criteria with another SplitSort or MergeSort.

Buttons:

• Sort - sort the signals when pressed.

Inputs:

• In - 16 separate inputs, one for each channel of the Poly output.

• Link - if connected, sort based on the values in the Link rather than the values in the Inputs. This allows multiple modules to be sorted in the same order. Can be daisy chained - the first module in the chain determines the sort order.

Outputs:

• Out - the polyphonic output.

• Link - a polyphonic signal that can be used to control the sort order of another MergeSort or SplitSort module. Can be daisy chained - the first module in the chain determines the sort order.

PolySort

Sort polyphonic signals, optionally reusing the same sort order as other inputs. Sorted output remain in sync with one another at the sample level.

Buttons:

• Link - When pressed, the input is sorted using the same sort order as the input above it. When unpressed, the input is sorted on its own.

Inputs:

• In - 10 separate polyphonic inputs.

Outputs:

• Out - 10 polyphonic sorted output corresponding to each input.

For example, an alternate way to sort MIDI similar to the example above for SplitSort would be:

Harp

A reimagining of Iasos's "Golden Harp". Maps a continuous pitch CV input signal to a scale and generates gated notes as you "strum".

Iasos was one of the originators of New Age music. I had the privilege of working with him in modernizing his Golden Harp (it originally relied on software running on a Commodore64; I replaced that with a small Arduino based controller.) The harp is a unique instrument that used the chicklet strips on a Colortone Pro music keyboard. Iasos would strum those strips like a harp. (he used several dozen scales (though never simple "church scales"); each had a different musical and emotional effect in his music).

There really is nothing currently available to replicate what his harp could do. The closest you might get is a ribbon controller or iPad and some specialized software.

This is that specialized software.

Inputs:

• Scale - Defines the notes of the scale to be strummed (V/Oct, polyphonic). Channel 0 is treated as the "root" of the strum range. The expected format is compatible with docB's Gen Scale and Aaron Static's ScaleCV modules. If unconnected, the Harp uses a chromatic scale rooted at C4.

• Pitch - The CV signal from the control surface. Not V/Oct; just a continous range of voltage that corresponds to where the musicians fingers are touching the control surface. Valid voltage range is determined by context menu (see below).

• Gate - When non-zero, the musician's fingers are strumming. Notes are triggered when the computed scale pitch changes. If unconnected, "always strumming".

Outputs:

• V/Oct - pitch of the strummed note. Polyphonic. Strummed notes cycle through the polyphonic channels to allow notes to "ring" and decay even when strumming quickly.

• Gate - gate of the strummed note. Polyphonic.

The signal range of the control surface is configured via the context menu:

• Number of notes mapped to the input CV pitch range - the number of scale notes mapped to the input signal. Adjust this to your control surface size - a smaller control surface will likely require a smaller number of notes than a control surface with a longer "throw".

• Pitch CV Input Range - the voltage range of the CV signal patched into the Pitch input

Differences from the Real Thing

• Iasos's Golden Harp's chicklet strips provide a tactile feedback - you can feel where your fingers are as you strum up and down the strip. The iPad based OSC interface, or ribbon cable provides no such feedback.

• The musician can change scales and root notes on the fly. This could be emulated by mapping a control surface button control the scale generator.

• The strips are polyphonic - you can trigger more than one note at a time. Harp only emulates the "strum the strip like a harp" mode - which was how Iasos used the instrument most of the time.

• The physical size of the strummable surface is quite a bit larger than an iPad and most ribbon controllers. It is about 19" long and the strip has 27 and 29 notes (one strip had two fewer keys).

Harp TouchOSC OSC or MIDI Control Surface

Harp does not depend on any particular control surface and can be configured to work with a variety of CV input ranges. You can use it with anything that can create a continuous voltage as the musician "strums" (could be a slider on a MIDI control surface, a ribbon controller, heck, even an LFO) I've created a simple control surface for the iPad using TouchOSC. The control surface sends both MIDI and OSC messages as the faders move; use whichever works best for you.

MIDI

Use the VCV Fundamental MIDI-CV module to capture Pitchbend events sent from the control surface.

• Channel - the left fader sends on Channel 1; the right fader sends on channel 2
• PW - the control surface sends the full pitchbend range; configure MIDI-CV to "2 semitones" to create a -5V .. 5V range for the control.
• GATE - If you configure MIDI-CV to be monophonic, you can just patch GATE directly to the Harp. The control surface creates NOTE-ON and NOTE-OFF events for MIDI 64, but all you need is the corresponding gate and the pitchbend info to control the harp.

OSC

Use Trowasoft's cvOSCcv to convert its OSC messages to CV:

• /1/fader1 - Left pitch - sends 0.0 through 10.0 corresponding to where the left control strip is being touched.
• /1/fader1z - Left gate - 1 when the user is touching the left control strip; 0 when not touching
• /1/fader2 - Right pitch - sends 0.0 through 10.0 corresponding to where the right control strip is being touched.
• /1/fader2z - Right gate - 1 when the user is touching the right control strip; 0 when not touching

Works best when wired with a direct USB (bridged) connection.

Acknowledgements

The MIDIRecorder leverages builtin functionality of the VCV Rack core MIDI support and uses the same third party MIDI File library as Squinky Lab's SEQ++ (Craig Stewart's midifile library). MergeSort and SplitSort are reimplementations of Aria Salvatrice's Splort and Smerge modules.