Metropolix and Gx

[mattl]

https://www.instagram.com/p/CL_oZ13hnV7/

Control knob 1 > pitch pre to track 1
Control knob 2 > octave to track 2
= instant jam

[slowwild]

@mattl

Ok here’s another one: press and hold multiple stage buttons to apply parameters across multiple stages at once.

Press and Hold already does Copy and Paste, so you can set one, and then paste it around wherever you need it.

@mattl

Minor suggestion: a button combination so that changes to a parameter (clock division, CV, track pitch, anything that can be done with the encoder) can be applied to both tracks 1 and 2.

Same with Tracks, Make a setting change, hold the source track and tap the destination.

[powpow]

This would be a HUGE addition for performances! Pretending it’s 2022 over here and we’re all rocking at the clubs again

[slowwild]

1.0.1.0!

No change to presets.

Metropolix 1.0.1.0

When muting, muted tracks/lanes now blink red when muted; thanks Loopop! Overall darker GUI; less drastic contrast changes in a dark environment. When auditing stages from the Loopy screen, the LEDs are now blue instead of white. Decreased max brightness of UI LEDs. Fix for missed gates when set to very short length at faster BPM; the shortest effective gate is 0.333ms. Slightly longer hold (1 second) required to save a shortcut. Minor bug fixes. Download Firmware and Updated Manual at http://…

[ohexoh]

Feedback: I find that the brightness between selected yellow Mod track LED vs. other MOD track LEDs is too similar making it hard to discern which track is selected. I think the tracks which are not selected should be dimmer to provide more contrast or the selected Mod track should pulse as seen elsewhere in the UI.

[slowwild]

Yeah makes sense, will roll that into the next version that comes out.

(Note: already updated in my development branch )

[freqout]

small suggestion: it’d be nice if when entering the mod lane setup menu (alt + mod), it was already focused (Init Lane X Defaults) on the last mod lane you were editing (edit + stage button). it seems to track its own mod lane separately, requiring you to choose it again.

it would also make that screen easier to use if it could show you what the selected mod lane is assigned to before you clear it/init its defaults.

[slowwild]

@freqout

small suggestion: it’d be nice if when entering the mod lane setup menu (alt + mod), it was already focused (Init Lane X Defaults) on the last mod lane you were editing (edit + stage button). it seems to track its own mod lane separately, requiring you to choose it again.

oops, that’s definitely a bug, will fix it for the next release
edit: fixed on my development branch

@freqout

it would also make that screen easier to use if it could show you what the selected mod lane is assigned to before you clear it/init its defaults.

i’ll address this as well.
edit: Also this is fixed for the next release

[freqout]

Nice! Btw, also noticed another small bug. Not exactly sure how to reproduce it, but I found that sometimes when I select Shuffle for the Order option on a mod lane, it would actually do Linear, sometimes forwards, sometimes backwards (mod lane was always set to forwards). It seemed like it had to do with also changing the length and/or division. And sometimes after changing those things around, it would properly be shuffling again.

[slowwild]

will look into that one. thanks

[r_omega]

First, great job on an extensive manual that allows us all to dive in as much or as little as we choose to in order to better understand Metropolix! Aside from the complexity that comes along with thinking about all the various ways that gates, pulses, and ratchets can interact, learning this machine has been a breeze and I have the manual to thank.

I have a couple questions/comments related to the accumulator function (which is awesome!):

1 - The default upper limit setting [found in ALT > ACCUM (LIM)] is +8 degrees, which seems like an unconventional choice. Perhaps you chose this as the default in order to create surprising progressions when people first start using the accumulator feature. However, if one is using a traditional scale with 8 steps and 7 notes (major, natural minor/Aeolian), having this setting at +8 degrees creates strange refrain/loop cycles for the progressions. If the default were +7, you would get more uniformity regarding the cycling of the progressions.

For example, when the upper limit is +7 degrees and you’re in a major scale, if you set the accumulator to +1 degrees on a stage, you will get a nice progression through all the notes of the scale every 8 “measures” or stages (Transpose Trigger set to ‘Stages’). As it is, +8 degrees throws in a random extra note one degree above the tonic, which “throws everything off”. The same is true with different accumulator degree settings per stage, +2, +3 etc., all have nice, round refrain cycles with respect to measure when the upper limit is +7.

Long story short: The fact that the default is +8 perplexed me for the bulk of the time I was learning about the accumulator feature, and it wasn’t until I turned to page 85 (Range Limits) where I realized I could adjust this upper limit.

2 - On page 83 it says, “Transpositions that shift into a lower or higher octave are indicated by an exclamation mark (!).” I have tried changing my track’s Slider Octaves (in the track’s Track Menu) and I have tried setting the degree for a stage’s accumulator to a number higher than the notes in my scale, and I don’t see an exclamation mark anywhere…so I was wondering what that was about.

Thank you!

[myles_avery]

Absolutely loving this. Just found one thing that might be user error, or might be a bug (I’m still only in the 20’s of the manual!!):

When I scroll over to home screen 4, the Mod Overview, TRK 1 and 2 CV lanes don’t display the CV in real time, even though I have a sequence running and triggering an Atlantis.

[castano]

I am so happy with metropolix!
I hope they add onscreen when showing notes
the ability to see what octave the note is in, especially when I save presets I tend to forget the notes I saved and is a bit confusing when I bring up an old preset

[mattmatt]

Metropolix is here…

Loopywave

[r_omega]

@slowwild

@mattl

Ok here’s another one: press and hold multiple stage buttons to apply parameters across multiple stages at once.

Press and Hold already does Copy and Paste, so you can set one, and then paste it around wherever you need it.

I just read through the CV part of the manual, and was thinking this feature would be great, and I just found the explanation for copying and pasting in the manual! For anyone else who’s curious, the copy-paste instructions are on pages 129-130.

[r_omega]

One suggestion regarding CV functionality:

Sometimes toggling between 1-volt steps with the encoder suffices instead of scroll scroll scroll scroll scroll through 0.01-volt steps. Maybe you press and hold a stage’s stage button (while the copy option is enabled) and turn the encoder to get 1-volt increments, or something like that?

[r_omega]

Almost done with the manual…think I found a teeny tiny bug…

When a Control Knob is set to control stage parameters, I believe there’s supposed to be a 1 or a 2 in a circle when you go to edit that parameter with the stage buttons. It looks like it’s showing a 1 even when Control Knob 2 is set to control that parameter…?

EDIT 1: Just found it on page 117, yeah, it’s supposed to be a 2 when Control Knob 2 is controlling that parameter.

EDIT 2: Ok I am finally done with this manual and I have one last question:

On page 122 it explains how you can use the XYZ attenuverters to control gates. (Cool!) I’m trying this with the accumulator to turn it on and off right now, and I would have expected that it would turn the accumulator on when it’s clockwise of noon, but it’s the opposite: counterclockwise of noon turns the accumulator on…?

[freqout]

I think I may have found a little bug or its possible that the Mute modulation target works in a way that is incompatible with what i’m trying to do?

I’ve been playing a bit with using another sequencer to sequence pitch while I let Metropolix do some crazy rhythms and and ratchets and octave shifts from a mod lane. So I have 1v/oct CV going into one input targeting Pitch Offset and then I have the gate from my sequencer going into another input targeting Mute with the attenuverter turned negative. So my Metropolix sequence is always playing, but it only outputs notes when the gate from my other sequencer is high. Works great and is very fun!

Unfortunately, the pitch going out of the Metropolix seems to always drop back to 0v (where all the sliders are set) as soon as the gate from the other sequencer going into the Mute CV input goes low. It’s very audible when I have longer tails on my envelope. The CV going into Pitch Offset hasn’t changed so it seems to me that it should continue to effect the pitch that is going out of Metropolix. Maybe this has something to do with how the Mute modulation target interacts with the sequencer? In any case, this is a pretty cool way to be able sequence pitch in addition to the sliders so it would be nice if muting the sequencer wouldn’t change the current pitch going out.

[slowwild]

@r_omega

Sometimes toggling between 1-volt steps with the encoder suffices instead of scroll scroll scroll scroll scroll through 0.01-volt steps. Maybe you press and hold a stage’s stage button (while the copy option is enabled) and turn the encoder to get 1-volt increments, or something like that?

There is pretty fast acceleration on the encoders, you should be able to hit 1V numbers pretty quick. you can go about 5v with a quick turn of the knob.

@r_omega

When a Control Knob is set to control stage parameters, I believe there’s supposed to be a 1 or a 2 in a circle when you go to edit that parameter with the stage buttons. It looks like it’s showing a 1 even when Control Knob 2 is set to control that parameter…?

Good catch, fixed for next version.

@r_omega

On page 122 it explains how you can use the XYZ attenuverters to control gates. (Cool!) I’m trying this with the accumulator to turn it on and off right now, and I would have expected that it would turn the accumulator on when it’s clockwise of noon, but it’s the opposite: counterclockwise of noon turns the accumulator on…?

The Attenuverter INVERTS the behaviour of the input. Normally, a destination controlled by a gate enabled when the gate is high, and off when the gate is low. Keep in mind that a low gate happens when there is no voltage coming into it— 0V, with or WITHOUT a cable plugged in, there is no difference.

Putting the attenuator into the negative side, is inverting the behaviour of the low gate into a high gate, therefore enabling the modulation.

[slowwild]

Hehe, we have a specific note to counter the behaviour you describe. I’ll look into it and see if we need it to work this way, I’m not sure that we do :).

float Track::GetPitchCV() const {
  // Let any slides/ramps play out, but don't apply offset when muted.
  return mods_.mute ? pitch_.cv : pitch_.cv + mods_.pitch_cv_offset;
}

Edit: Fixed for next version