Help with simple routing, matrix style patching, and other beginner questions

#1

Hi Sorry if this is very elementary, just got an axoloti and it's my first venture into this deep of modular type patching. I've had a bit of a look around and couldn't find easy examples so here goes:

Is there an easy way to use a LFO as a clock (or generate any kind of clock source to trigger gates other than an lfo) like some of sequencer examples but also divide the speed/tempo in half and/or quarter? Like here's a clock at 100 bpm but also have outputs for 50bpm and 25 bpm and if I slow down the 'master tempo' they all follow?

Whats the most efficient way to route a signal from one of 5 outlets to a single input and easily select which one of the five is going through via midi? Like from the above example have a clock source and switching from 100/50/25? Can it be scaled up to 20 inputs to 1 output?

And really getting down to it... is there an easy way to build a patching matrix ala EMS VCSIII with the pins to do some live type patching? like 5 things on one side and 5 on the top and on off switches for each intersection. and control remotely through midi?

Finally is there a way with a sequencer patch to select which steps are playing over midi? Most of the sequencer/drum machine patches have a 16 selecter bar to choose which step sends a gate, but I'm not sure how to extend on/off control of these steps to a midi controller so I can use axoloti as a stand alone sequencer away from the patcher, but with an ipad midi controller template programming the steps, preferably while the sequencer is running of course!

If there's examples of any of this in action please feel free to just point me in the right direction if you don't want to type out a full explanation. Any help is greatly appreciated!

#2

ok,
easy ones first...

search on here for clock divider, there have been a few. common (easy) approach is to use a counter, drive by square lfo, then a logic/decode

5 into 1 = mux 5

next ones, sometimes midi mapping will work... or using mod sources to control things (like selectors)
at other times, midi control is more important than the UI.. i.e. your not using the axoloti UI at all.
in which case, I tend to use tables... i.e. i receive midi input (or other sources) then store values in a table, which then I then use as a source for the 'gates/notes' rather than a selector.

if you look in the Jan competition at my patch , you will see I follow this, albeit driving it with random signals rather than midi (as that was the purpose of the competition)

personally, Im moving away from using the graphical objects in Axoloti, for the simple reason, I usually use patches with the Axoloti UI running.
(though I do use dials and things, currently as some things can only be altered via dials as we don't have inlets for everything yet)

btw, this pin matrix, if you want graphical input, Id just arrange a few objects on the UI as a grid.
but bare in mind the VCS didnt just have on/off, it had variable values, i.e. id use an array of dials.

my main advice though is to jump in and start patching... might seem daunting now, but the more bits of the puzzle you patch, the more ideas of how to get around things will come to mind.... and of course showing patches here, will get comments about to solve problems, or how you can improve things.

#3

hmmm, tons of "food for experimentation"
(on macosx)

Help > Library

File > Library > Tutorials /Demos

#4

Thank you for a bit of a nudge in the right direction. My main problem now, once fully understanding how to use mux/demux with buttons/radio dials, is that I was looking for a 20 input mux. So I was able to use a two level system where one mux selects one of four others and then I have more than enough ins. But now each of these patchers takes 5 midi cc spots to control remotely. I've mucked around a bit now with the object examples, tuts, and demos but haven't found what im looking for. Is there a way to give an object Midi CC but with a limited range, say one radio dial is CC#1 , values 1-4, and another radio dial is same CC#1 but values 5-8?

Further to that when assigning a control to a midi cc with the right click popup menu is it assumed to be omni channel? I just have too many controls I want to use with midi and If i split up them on two channels it would be plenty but then giving all controls their own midi object might put my patch over the allotted ram. Just looking for the most efficient way to control over 127 parameters over midi. ugh what a rabbit hole.

Yes i figured out a simple matrix set up using single mix controllers and having them cascading through the bus ins, quite simple and hopefully doesn't take up much ram.. yes variable matrix is what i was looking for but a simple off on type thing will be useful in the future too!

Anyways my first patch is up and running and fun as hell so thank you for all the help!

EDIT: Found solutions already.. Patch and Patch/Patcher settings sets the seperate midi channel settings. They say you should sleep on it but i think i should take a week before posting! Using patch/patcher settings to have the dropdown box to set a different midi channel on each object. Tested and working for my purposes! Thanks again!

#5

Regarding a patch matrix, has anyone created one since this thread died down? I have a Ghielmetti matrix already wired to an Arduino - if there is no existing matrix module to connect that to, I'll roll my own. To match what I've got, it would have to be 20in x 20out, each output row configurable as SUM, AVE or (logic) OR over the connected inputs, data from the hardware transferred via I2C (probably with storage/playback via MIDI).

To elaborate a bit further - some fifteen to twenty years ago I attempted to build a Eurorack patch matrix module - while technically successful per se, the thing proved to be useless as a module, as wiring it up with forty cables obfuscated the synth worse than direct connections would have done.

Besides, the Eurorack was never designed for mixing with resistor pins, and Ghielmetti only offered (offers?) direct through, 2MOhm and diode pins, none of whom were suitable for using the matrix as a EMS style matrix - the best I ever achieved were patches with not more than one pin connected on each in- or output column. The idea of building a digital matrix, which could have made use of the diode pins for all-in-all-out patches not even possible on a EMS, occurred to me back then, but as my Nord Modular did not contain anything controllable by it (no large or chainable n*m matrix, nor MIDI controllable patch wiring), I had to give that up, and the matrices ended up disassembled and shelved.

I recently unearthed them and started working on them for soft-synth (VCV Rack) use, where the breadboard version (driven by an Arduino and a couple of multiplexers) currently works nicely. But again, there is not that much point in hardware matrix control for a system that won't ever do without a screen and mouse. So here comes the Axoloti - which could actually be built into a hardware interface only synth where matrix routing is as central as on EMS synths...