Skip to content

Orca's Heart v2

Jump to bottom
scanner-darkly edited this page May 31, 2024 · 13 revisions
orca's heart v2 panel

An eight-voice algorithmic sequence generator, the new version of orca's heart. This module generates sequences using an algorithm - instead of programming a sequence, you select the scale notes and control the algorithm parameters. You can use it to sequence up to 8 voices and produce 8 modulation CVs and gates that can be used to modulate Orca's Heart itself or other modules in your patch.

Quick Start

quick start patch
  • connect VOICES CV outputs to 1V/Oct (pitch) oscillator inputs
  • connect VOICES gate outputs to the envelopes that are used to control the VCAs the oscillators are going through
  • select scale notes - the white LED shows the currently selected scale
  • adjust sequencer speed with the SPEED knob
  • use the knobs to change algorithm parameters to modify the sequence
  • use MODULATION outputs to modulate voice parameters (oscillator waveform / filter cutoff / etc)

Knob Reference

Knob Function
SPEED internal clock speed (BPM)
LENGTH sequence length (steps)
TRANS transposition (1V/Oct)
GATE L voice gate length (sec)
VOICES voice count
SPREAD delay between voices
ALGO X algorithm X parameter
ALGO Y algorithm Y parameter
SHIFT scale shift parameter
SPACE silence level
ROTATE sequence shift
XMOD internal cross modulation

See below for more details on what each function does.

Scales

quick start patch

The top section with the red inputs / buttons / knobs is the scale section. This is where you select the notes that will be used in a generated sequence. There are two scales available, and you can switch between them manually or by sending a trigger to Toggle Scales A/B input (next to A and B labels). The manual switch can also select both scales at once, giving you a two octave range (scale B is transposed an octave up in this case).

There are 16 pentatonic scale presets available which can be selected with a knob or a control voltage. The linked button enables or disables presets - once you select a preset, make sure to turn it off to prevent overwriting the notes that are currently selected. The presets cannot be overwritten - if you select a preset and change any notes, those changes will not be stored in the preset.

Each scale can be transposed an octave up with a button or a gate sent to the corresponding input.

Important: no notes are generated if the current scale(s) doesn't have any notes selected.

Clocking

The module has an internal clock which you can control with the SPEED knob (the value is BPM). This clock is sent to the Clock output. The internal clock is disabled if something is connected to the Clock input - send a trigger here to sync Orca's Heart to another module.

Outputs

There are two main groups of outputs (in addition to the Clock and Reset outputs):

  • VOICES - 8 CV and gate outputs for the 8 generated sequences
  • MODULATION - 4 modulation CV and gate outputs for additional modulation

Modulation CVs (which produce voltage in the 0..+10V range) are stepped CVs that are also generated by the algorithm and will be affected by the algorithm parameters.

The blue colour denotes polyphonic outputs - if you use Orca's Heart with a polyphonic module such as Plaits, you can use a single cable for all 8 voices by connecting to CV/gate output 1. The polyphonic modulation outputs also produce 8 CVs/gates, if you need to use modulation CV/gate 5-8 with a non polyphonic module, connect output 1 to a Split module.

Lines module can help with visualizing the polyphonic outputs.

To Be Expanded

I'm Getting No Sound!

If you're not getting any notes generated, check the following:

  • Double check your connections - you should have at least one voice CV/gate connected to your sound source (typically an oscillator and an envelope).

  • Internal clock is disabled if something is plugged into the Clock input. If it works after unplugging the external clock, the issue is with the external clock being too slow or not sending triggers.

  • Make sure there is at least one note selected in the current scale. No notes are generated if the scale is empty.

  • Try increasing LENGTH parameter (if it's too short, it's possible there are no gates within that sequence).

  • Try reducing SPACE parameter.

  • Try changing ALGO X and ALGO Y parameters - in some rare conditions the combination of various algorithm parameters can result in no gates generated.

V2 vs V1

Here is what's new / different in v2:

  • the number of voices and modulation CV/gates increased from 4 to 8
  • polyphonic outputs
  • 16 scale presets
  • both scales can be selected at once, giving a 2 octave range scale
  • interface is easier to read when zoomed out
  • SPEED knob has improved response to allow for more precise control in lower range
  • max LENGTH increased from 32 to 64 steps
  • TRANS range increased to -3..+3 octaves
  • SPACE parameter improved and sounds more musical
  • new VOICE parameter to control the number of voices
  • new SPREAD parameter - delay each voice for a “strum” effect
  • new ROTATE parameter - shift voice sequences against each other
  • new XMOD parameter - add internal cross modulation
Clone this wiki locally