Documentation

spin will "spin" a layer up a pattern the given number of times, with each successive layer offset in time by an additional `1/n` of a cycle, and panned by an additional `1/n`. The result is a pattern that seems to spin around. This function works best on multichannel systems.

d1 $ slow 3 $ spin 4 $ sound "drum*3 tabla:4 [arpy:2 ~ arpy] [can:2 can:3]"

chop granualizes every sample in place as it is played, turning a pattern of samples into a pattern of sample parts. Use an integer value to specify how many granules each sample is chopped into:

d1 $ chop 16 $ sound "arpy arp feel*4 arpy*4"

Different values of chop can yield very different results, depending on the samples used:

d1 $ chop 16 $ sound (samples "arpy*8" (run 16))
d1 $ chop 32 $ sound (samples "arpy*8" (run 16))
d1 $ chop 256 $ sound "bd*4 [sn cp] [hh future]*2 [cp feel]"

Striate is a kind of granulator, for example:

d1 $ striate 3 $ sound "ho ho:2 ho:3 hc"

This plays the loop the given number of times, but triggering progressive portions of each sample. So in this case it plays the loop three times, the first time playing the first third of each sample, then the second time playing the second third of each sample, etc.. With the highhat samples in the above example it sounds a bit like reverb, but it isn't really.

You can also use striate with very long samples, to cut it into short chunks and pattern those chunks. This is where things get towards granular synthesis. The following cuts a sample into 128 parts, plays it over 8 cycles and manipulates those parts by reversing and rotating the loops.

d1 $  slow 8 $ striate 128 $ sound "bev"

The striate' function is a variant of striate with an extra parameter, which specifies the length of each part. The striate' function still scans across the sample over a single cycle, but if each bit is longer, it creates a sort of stuttering effect. For example the following will cut the bev sample into 32 parts, but each will be 1/16th of a sample long:

d1 $ slow 32 $ striate' 32 (1/16) $ sound "bev"

Note that striate uses the begin and end parameters internally. This means that if you're using striate (or striate') you probably shouldn't also specify begin or end.

gap is similar to chop in that it granualizes every sample in place as it is played, but every other grain is silent. Use an integer value to specify how many granules each sample is chopped into:

d1 $ gap 8 $ sound "jvbass"
d1 $ gap 16 $ sound "[jvbass drum:4]"

weave applies a function smoothly over an array of different patterns. It uses an OscPattern to apply the function at different levels to each pattern, creating a weaving effect.

d1 $ weave 3 (shape $ sine1) [sound "bd [sn drum:2*2] bd*2 [sn drum:1]", sound "arpy*8 ~"]

weave' is similar in that it blends functions at the same time at different amounts over a pattern:

d1 $ weave' 3 (sound "bd [sn drum:2*2] bd*2 [sn drum:1]") [density 2, (# speed "0.5"), chop 16]

(A function that takes two ControlPatterns, and blends them together into a new ControlPattern. An ControlPattern is basically a pattern of messages to a synthesiser.)

Shifts between the two given patterns, using distortion.

Example:

d1 $ interlace (sound  "bd sn kurt") (every 3 rev $ sound  "bd sn:2")

loopAt makes a sample fit the given number of cycles. Internally, it works by setting the unit parameter to "c", changing the playback speed of the sample with the speed parameter, and setting setting the density of the pattern to match.

d1 $ loopAt 4 $ sound "breaks125"
d1 $ juxBy 0.6 (|*| speed "2") $ slowspread (loopAt) [4,6,2,3] $ chop 12 $ sound "fm:14"

Smash is a combination of spread and striate - it cuts the samples into the given number of bits, and then cuts between playing the loop at different speeds according to the values in the list.

So this:

d1 $ smash 3 [2,3,4] $ sound "ho ho:2 ho:3 hc"

Is a bit like this:

d1 $ spread (slow) [2,3,4] $ striate 3 $ sound "ho ho:2 ho:3 hc"

This is quite dancehall:

d1 $ (spread' slow "1%4 2 1 3" $ spread (striate) [2,3,4,1] $ sound
"sn:2 sid:3 cp sid:4")
  # speed "[1 2 1 1]/2"

an altenative form to smash is smash' which will use chop instead of striate.