polarity_music

Buss-Chords - making a circle of fifths device

Added 2023-10-26 15:34:17 +0000 UTC

In today's tutorial, we're diving into Bitwig Studio 5.1 to create an innovative sound device using Polymer and a node grid. My goal is to keep this explanation simple and straightforward, so stick with me!

Key Components:

Sound Creation: We start by inserting a Polymer device, adding convolution reverb, delay 2, and a peak limiter.
Node Grid: Within the node grid, we're focusing on the Pitch Buss, which we’ve covered in previous videos. It's used to easily step through musical intervals. In this case, we're using 7-semitone or 5th steps.
Value Knob: We introduce a value knob to modulate the signal. However, it only ranges from 0 to 1, so we scale it using a multiply and a constant to cover a wider range.
Intervals and Octaves: We make sure that the intervals are whole numbers by using a rounding module. We also control the octave range to keep it within C3 to C4, using a combination of multiply, divide, and wrapper modules.
Melodies and Chords: We create melodies that circle the Circle of Fifths, and then extend that to minor chords. We also incorporate a method to automatically create inversions of these chords to keep them within our desired octave range.
Modulation: For more variety, we introduce the option to switch to relative minor chords and change intervals.
Recording: I explain how to record this device's output into a new MIDI track in Bitwig Studio, offering tips on how to do it smoothly.
Additional Tweaks: For the final touches, we discuss how to manipulate the length of the gates and explore different chord types like suspended chords.