Drunq

A random notes generator with parameters to control the range around a Root Pitch and much more. The last up to sixteen steps can be looped and the loop can be shifted. Specifically designed with Push 3 Standalone in mind.

Drunq is driven by incoming Midi notes. They can be sent from a Driver Midi Clip (a selection of Driver Clips are available on the download page), played on a keyboard, come from a different Track or come from any external Midi source.
Each Note On will create a new random pitch or move the FREEZE Loop one step further.
Incoming Note Offs and Pitches are ignored.

The fastest way to try out Drunq:

• Drop Drunq on a Midi track before any instrument
• Hit Play
• Drunq will internally produce regular 16th notes until it receives Midi notes

THE CONTROLS

RANGE
Defines positive and negative pitch offsets relative to ROOT. The maximum of 96 semitones allows for a range of eight octaves (four octaves upwards and downwards).

REPEATS
Defines how often the latest pitch is re-used before a new random pitch is generated. Goes from 0-15. Repeat 3 creates 4 notes of the same pitch.

SKIP
Defines how many incoming notes should be ignored before triggering the next note. Goes from 0-15.

MODE
Mode I: Creates pitches which have more of a meandering character
Mode II: Creates pitches which are more random

ROOT
Defines a midi pitch used as centre by RANGE

DURATION
Defines the length of the generated notes between 5ms - 4 sec with an exponential character (smaller changes for lower values) .

VELOCITY
Controls notes velocity

FREEZE
Turn on the loop and play between one and 16 of the last notes in a loop.

LENGTH
Sets how many of the last 16 notes will be looped.

START
Sets the first note of the loop within the last 16 notes. Steps are wrapped around the maximum so it doesn't change the length of the loop.

CLOCK
If active Drunq generates 16th notes triggers internally when the Live set is started. The first incoming note deactivates this internal clock and Drunq is then driven by incoming Notes. CLOCK is by default turned on so Drunq runs as soon as the user hits Play. Turn off CLOCK to avoid immediate triggers when starting the Live set.

How to use the device

• Drop the device on a Midi track with any Instrument loaded
• Decide how to use Midi notes to drive Drunq:
  • Drop one of the Driver Clips that are included in the download
  • Create a Midi clip and add notes
  • Play any note on a keyboard
  • Send Midi notes from a different Track.
  • Send Midi note from any Midi hardware into Live
• Play with the parameters using the 8 Push Encoders

HINT

Feeding Midi notes from Drum Patterns creates sequences which feel independent and loosely synchronized at the same time.

KNOWN ISSUES

The notes pitches are not displayed correctly. This will be fixed in an update.

After downloading the device:

Upload the device to your Push 3 via the Live Browser. You can load Max For Live devices from anywhere on your Push into a set. We recommend to be more strict to avoid possible confusion:

• Add a folder to your User Library on Push and call it "Max For Live Devices" (In Ableton Live go to the Browser, select Push then its User Folder, right-click into the second column and select "New Folder")
• Inside this folder add another folder "Discrete Devices"
• Move "Drunq 1.amxd" inside the "Discrete Devices" folder. (Drop it from the Live Browser onto the folder in Push/User Library/Max For Live/Discrete Devices/)

Why do this?

You might want to add "Drunq 1.amxd" to a Template Live set. If your .amxd is not inside your User Library when saving a Live set as template the device will be copied into your User Library without notifying you creating confusion with duplicates.

A note for curious users: Currently, if you click the Edit button of the device it opens in Max and will be "frozen" meaning you cannot see the content. When you click the "unfreeze" button you are creating a folder called "Clip Settings Project" in ~/Documents/Max 8/Max for Live Devices/. It is good behaviour to delete this folder after you closed the device (without saving the changes!). If you save the device even without changing anything and it doesn't work as before any more it is best to download it again (and delete the edited version).

Developed and tested on Live 11, Live 12, and Push 3. Parameter mappings made with Push 3 in Standalone mode in mind.
Might or might not work in Live 10 or older.
Developed on macOS. Tested on macOS and Push 3. Might or might not work properly on Windows.