From firstpr@ozemail.com.au Thu Mar 6 09:13:59 1997 6 Mar 97 12:12:19 -0500 4 Mar 97 23:50:03 -0500 Comments: Authenticated sender is From: "Robin Whittle" Date: Wed, 5 Mar 1997 15:33:54 +0000 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Subject: TB-303 pattern lengths Priority: normal X-mailer: Pegasus Mail for Windows (v2.23) In the Analogue Heaven mailing list, Bror Gundersen asked how to set the pattern length of a TB-303. Patterns can be from 1 to 16 steps long. After you clear the pattern, it is 16 steps long. You can set the length as you wish by holding the FUNCTION button (to the right of the RUN/STOP button) down, and pressing the "STEP" button (the one numbered "9") as many times as you want steps. This will clear the timing information in the pattern, but not the pitches or the accents and slides which you have programmed with those pitches. You will have to re-enter the notes, continuations and rests after changing the number of steps. Curiously the pitch, accent and slide memory of each pattern seems to be 48 steps long - but only the first 16 steps can have notes assigned to them. I have not got to the bottom of this. I don't know how to make them musically useable. There is a related function, which controls the division of clocks into steps. Roland DIN Sync is 24 pulses per quarter note - or 6 per sixteenth note. There is a "triplet" mode in the TB-303, which makes that pattern divide the clocks differently to play three steps in a quarter note rather than four. Thus it takes 8 clock pulses to make a step. To set a pattern to this mode, hold the FUNCTION button and press the Triplet button (with the 3 1/8 note symbols, and numbered "0"). This sets the pre-scale for that pattern, and normally there is no way of setting it back without clearing the pattern. Here are some additional details of the triplet pre-scale function. If the number of steps in the pattern when you set it was greater than 12, then the number of steps is changed to 12. Subsequently, you can set the step number to anything between 1 and 15. A 15 step pattern in triplet pre-scale mode takes 5 quarter notes to play. If you set the number of steps to 16, then this turns off the triplet pre-scale mode. This can be used as a way of reverting to ordinary pre-scale mode without clearing the pattern. On the other hand, clearing the pattern does not get rid of the notes (or accents or slides) so it is probably easier to clear the pattern anyway. Another related function is the ability to chain patterns together in manual play or in track write mode. 2, 3 or 4 patterns can be chained together simply by pressing simultaneously the lowest and highest pattern switches - with the following restrictions: 12 123 1234 23 234 34 56 567 5678 67 678 78 Since each pattern can have any length from 1 to 16, and have a normal pre-scale (4 steps per quarter note) or the triplet pre-scale (3 steps per quarter note), now that you have read all this, there is no excuse for being restricted to straight four-on-the-floor TB-303 patterns any more. Its time for the Waltz and various new rhythms which are more challenging to dance to. - Robin >>>> See my http://www.ozemail.com.au/~firstpr/dfish for <<<< >>>> details of my Devil Fish modifications to the TB-303 <<<< . Robin Whittle . . http://www.ozemail.com.au/~firstpr firstpr@ozemail.com.au . . 11 Miller St. Heidelberg Heights 3081 Melbourne Australia . . Ph +61-3-9459-2889 Fax +61-3-9458-1736 . . Consumer advocacy in telecommunications, especially privacy . . . . First Principles - Research and expression - music, . . music industry, telecommunications . . human factors in technology adoption. . . . Real World Interfaces - Hardware and software, especially . . for music .