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Tutorial Series

Arps Euclidya includes a series of factory patches designed to teach you the modular MIDI workflow from the ground up. You can find these in the patches/Factory/ directory.

Tutorial 0: Basic MIDI Routing​

Learning Goal: Understand the basic flow from input to output.

  • Path: MIDI In -> Sort -> MIDI Out
  • Concept: MIDI notes enter the system, are sorted into ascending order (a clean starting point for arpeggiation), and then sent to the Euclidean Engine (MIDI Out).
  • Action: Hold a chord and adjust the "Rhythm" and "Pattern" rings on the MIDI Out node.

Tutorial 1: Sequence Transformations​

Learning Goal: Manipulating the sequence order.

  • Path: MIDI In -> Sort -> Reverse -> MIDI Out
  • Concept: The Reverse node flips the sequence. In this tutorial, an ascending sorted chord becomes a descending one.
  • Action: Try bypassing the Reverse node to hear the difference in arpeggio direction.

Tutorial 2: Pattern Parallelism​

Learning Goal: Layering multiple transformations.

  • Path: One path goes Sort -> Concatenate A, another goes Sort -> Reverse -> Concatenate B.
  • Concept: The Concatenate node joins two sequences end-to-end. Here, we create an "Up-Down" sweep by joining the forward and reversed versions of the same input.
  • Action: Change the Euclidean rhythm to a longer pattern (e.g. 16 steps) to hear the full sweep.

Tutorial 3: Chord Construction & Quantization​

Learning Goal: Generating complex harmonies from single notes.

  • Path: Transpose (+4), Transpose (-5), and original input are merged via Zip nodes, then sent to a Quantizer.
  • Concept: Zip combines multiple single-note sequences into chords. The Quantizer (set to D Dorian) ensures that even if you play "wrong" notes, the resulting harmonies stay in key.
  • Action: Play single notes and listen to the emergent 3-note chords.

Tutorial 4: Generative Chords​

Learning Goal: Using the All Notes node for autonomous patterns.

  • Path: All Notes -> Quantizer -> Symmetry Nodes (Converge/Diverge/Reverse) -> Zip -> MIDI Out.
  • Concept: This patch requires no MIDI input. It uses all 12 chromatic notes, quantizes them to a C Aeolian scale, and then uses symmetrical transformations to build complex, 4-note evolving chords.
  • Action: Change the scale on the Quantizer to instantly morph the entire generative composition.

Tutorial 5: Multi-Channel Polyrhythms​

Learning Goal: Routing different sequence parts to different instruments.

  • Path: One sequence is split using Chord Split into top and bottom parts.
  • Concept: Three independent MIDI Out nodes are used, each set to a different MIDI channel with unique Euclidean rhythms and time divisions.
  • Action: Route MIDI Channels 1, 2, and 3 in your DAW to different instruments (e.g., Bass, Pads, Lead) to hear the polyrhythmic interplay.

Tutorial 6: MPE & Expression​

Learning Goal: Leveraging per-note expression for dynamic performance.

  • Path: MPE MIDI In -> ChordN -> Symmetries -> MIDI Out (with Pressure mapping).
  • Concept: This tutorial demonstrates MPE integration. Per-note pressure is mapped to output velocity (Pressure to Velocity set to 0.5), allowing each note in the generated chords to have its own dynamic intensity.
  • Action: Use an MPE controller (like a LinnStrument or Seaboard) and vary the pressure on individual fingers to "play" the arpeggio's dynamics.