Pattern Effects

Up until now, most of the functions we’ve seen are what other music programs are typically capable of: sequencing sounds, playing notes, controlling effects.

In this chapter, we are going to look at functions that are more unique to tidal.

reverse patterns with rev

n("0 1 [4 3] 2 0 2 [~ 3] 4").sound("jazz").rev()

play pattern left and modify it right with jux

n("0 1 [4 3] 2 0 2 [~ 3] 4").sound("jazz").jux(rev)

This is the same as:

$: n("0 1 [4 3] 2 0 2 [~ 3] 4").sound("jazz").pan(0)
$: n("0 1 [4 3] 2 0 2 [~ 3] 4").sound("jazz").pan(1).rev()

Let’s visualize what happens here:

$: n("0 1 [4 3] 2 0 2 [~ 3] 4").sound("jazz").pan(0).color("cyan")
$: n("0 1 [4 3] 2 0 2 [~ 3] 4").sound("jazz").pan(1).color("magenta").rev()

Try commenting out one of the two by adding // before a line

multiple tempos

note("c2, eb3 g3 [bb3 c4]").sound("piano").slow("0.5,1,1.5")

This is like doing

$: note("c2, eb3 g3 [bb3 c4]").s("piano").slow(0.5).color('cyan')
$: note("c2, eb3 g3 [bb3 c4]").s("piano").slow(1).color('magenta')
$: note("c2, eb3 g3 [bb3 c4]").s("piano").slow(1.5).color('yellow')

Try commenting out one or more by adding // before a line

add

setcpm(60)
note("c2 [eb3,g3] ".add("<0 <1 -1>>"))
.color("<cyan <magenta yellow>>").adsr("[.1 0]:.2:[1 0]")
.sound("gm_acoustic_bass").room(.5)

If you add a number to a note, the note will be treated as if it was a number

We can add as often as we like:

setcpm(60)
note("c2 [eb3,g3]".add("<0 <1 -1>>").add("0,7"))
.color("<cyan <magenta yellow>>").adsr("[.1 0]:.2:[1 0]")
.sound("gm_acoustic_bass").room(.5)

add with scale

n("0 [2 4] <3 5> [~ <4 1>]".add("<0 [0,2,4]>"))
.scale("C5:minor").release(.5)
.sound("gm_xylophone").room(.5)

time to stack

$: n("0 [2 4] <3 5> [~ <4 1>]".add("<0 [0,2,4]>"))
.scale("C5:minor")
.sound("gm_xylophone")
.room(.4).delay(.125)
$: note("c2 [eb3,g3]".add("<0 <1 -1>>"))
.adsr("[.1 0]:.2:[1 0]")
.sound("gm_acoustic_bass")
.room(.5)
$: n("0 1 [2 3] 2").sound("jazz").jux(rev)

ply

sound("hh hh, bd rim [~ cp] rim").bank("RolandTR707").ply(2)

this is like writing:

sound("hh*2 hh*2, bd*2 rim*2 [~ cp*2] rim*2").bank("RolandTR707")

Try patterning the ply function, for example using "<1 2 1 3>"

off

n("0 [4 <3 2>] <2 3> [~ 1]"
.off(1/16, x=>x.add(4))
//.off(1/8, x=>x.add(7))
).scale("<C5:minor Db5:mixolydian>/2")
.s("triangle").room(.5).dec(.1)

In the notation .off(1/16, x=>x.add(4)), says:

take the original pattern named as x
modify x with .add(4), and
play it offset to the original pattern by 1/16 of a cycle.

off is also useful for modifying other sounds, and can even be nested:

s("bd sd [rim bd] sd,[~ hh]*4").bank("CasioRZ1")
.off(2/16, x=>x.speed(1.5).gain(.25)
.off(3/16, y=>y.vowel("<a e i o>*8")))

name	description	example
rev	reverse	n("0 2 4 6 ~ 7 9 5").scale("C:minor").rev()
jux	split left/right, modify right	n("0 2 4 6 ~ 7 9 5").scale("C:minor").jux(rev)
add	add numbers / notes	n("0 2 4 6 ~ 7 9 5".add("<0 1 2 1>")).scale("C:minor")
ply	speed up each event n times	s("bd sd [~ bd] sd").ply("<1 2 3>")
off	copy, shift time & modify	s("bd sd [~ bd] sd, hh*8").off(1/16, x=>x.speed(2))