ProbSEQ 1.0, developed by Gross9978, is a groundbreaking Max4Live device that embodies an 8-step sequencer, inspired by the theoretical basis of Impromptu ProbKey from VCV Rack. Targeted at enhancing creative composition, ProbSEQ features probabilities for adjusting notes, steps, and octaves, in addition to supplying a dynamic extent for velocities, designed to refine the sequencing process. The device can be accessed here: https://maxforlive.com/library/device/10331/probseq.
This inventive sequencer promises a flexible user experience with two key operational modes: Key and Drum. In Key mode, the device seamlessly synchronizes with the chosen scale in Ableton Live, exhibiting the notes for the scale. Moreover, users can switch between the chromatic scale and the key-specific scale by simply pressing the Scale button. Each aspect of the note sequence, including each key's note probability, the step chance, and the octave, can be individually manipulated, allowing users to craft distinct and personalized compositions.
In Drum mode, the first 16 slots of a drum rack become accessible, broadening the range of possible percussion sequences. Both modes are equipped with a slider for determining the velocity range as well as a fixed note length, ensuring both rhythmic precision and diverse expressivity.
Featuring customizable chance parameters for each element of the sequence, ProbSEQ encourages a unique approach to music creation. Although it is relatively new on the market, with only 27 downloads since its launch on April 28, 2024, ProbSEQ positions itself as a game-changer for composers seeking an experimental touch in their work while working within Ableton Live 12 and Max 8.1.5.
In conclusion, ProbSEQ 1.0 demonstrates the potential of Max4Live devices to revolutionize the creative process in electronic music composition. Its blend of modulation capabilities and intuitive design brings a new way to approach sequencing, providing both experienced and beginner music producers with an engaging and inspiring tool.
Example Usage
Imagine you've been tinkering around with melodies but can't seem to get out of your usual patterns. You're eyeing to bring a fresh perspective to your Ableton Live session. Enter the world of 'ProbSEQ 1.0,' designed by Gross9978, which is perfect for stepping into the realm of controlled randomness and probability in music composition.
Let's set up a basic sequence to add an unpredictable yet harmonious element to your track:
- Start by loading ProbSEQ 1.0 into a MIDI track with your favorite synthesizer as the instrument. Imagine the cool, digital interface as your new creative partner.
- Now let's explore the device. Notice the 8 steps laid out in front of you. These steps determine the rhythm and pitch of the sequence we're about to create.
- Click on 'Key' to switch to Key mode. This will ensure our sequence follows the musical scale of the track currently selected in Ableton Live. This little feature keeps your randomness in harmony with your project.
- For each step, adjust the 'chance' sliders for Notes, Steps, and Octaves. Here's where the magic happens! Set them around 50% to begin with – this means there's a fifty-fifty chance that each step will trigger or change, keeping your sequence exciting and ever-evolving.
- Experiment with the Velocity range slider on the right, which will control the dynamics of your sequence. The higher the range, the more variation in how hard or soft each note hits.
- Hit play and listen as ProbSEQ 1.0 generates a sequence that's never quite the same twice. Let it run for a few cycles, and when you hear a variation you love, you can record it into a clip for further use in your track.
- Don't forget to try out Drum mode by clicking 'Key' again. This time, ProbSEQ will control a drum rack. It's perfect for finding new rhythmical patterns that you may not have programmed yourself.
With ProbSEQ 1.0, you've just discovered a playful, experimental approach to composition. Let this Max4Live sequencer surprise you and inspire new ideas as you watch your track transform with sequences that maintain musicality while dancing with randomness.
Harnessing the stochastic capabilities of ProbSEQ to create generative melodies can be an exhilarating way to infuse your tracks with unpredictability and freshness. Here is an intermediate example of how we could actively create a piece of music that evolves over time:
Imagine we're working on an atmospheric techno track aiming for a sense of emergent, organic development in the lead melody. First, load ProbSEQ onto a MIDI track and pair it with a soft-synth that has a rich, evolving texture, such as Ableton's Wavetable or another device that supports expressive timbral changes.
Since ProbSEQ allows us to define probabilities separately for notes, steps, and octaves, let's start by setting a foundational scale in Live's Session view to control the harmonic content. Choose a Dorian mode for its jazzy flavor and set the ProbSEQ to Key mode to adhere to this scale.
Next, program an 8-step sequence that will serve as the scaffolding for our generative melody. Since we're working at an intermediate level, we don't want to go with a simple up or down pattern; instead, craft a non-linear sequence that jumps around the scale, providing a sense of movement and interest.
To breathe life into the static pattern, adjust the step probabilities to encourage variation. Create a rhythmical cadence by increasing the probability of certain steps while reducing others, forming a subtle groove that will percolate through the randomness.
To add vertical movement, tweak the octave probabilities for each step. For steps where you desire prominence or surprise, increase the chance of octave shifts. This can lend a dynamic range to the progression as some notes will jump an octave above or below, creating tension and release.
The velocity range slider should not be static either; automate this parameter to oscillate gently over time, granting the melody an evolving dynamic contour, from whisper-soft passages to forceful accents.
As the piece progresses, you can introduce automation to gradually dial back the probabilistic nature, leading to a fully composed section where the generative melody resolves into a pre-defined riff that you've composed, giving the listener a sense of arrival.
Throughout the track, use the "Drum" mode to sprinkle percussive elements into the composition. Assign a drum rack to a duplicate of the ProbSEQ track and design a complementary rhythm by harnessing probabilistic steps that occasionally sync up with the melodic peaks in the lead line, unifying the groove and harmony.
By mindfully leveraging the stochastic tools within ProbSEQ, we can usher in a musical narrative that feels alive and evolving – capturing the listeners' attention with an unfolding journey, making this 8-step sequencer much more than a simple repeating loop, but a dynamic instrument in crafting modern electronic compositions.
Further Thoughts
Expanding upon the innovations provided by the ProbSEQ 1.0, let's delve into a comprehensive example that explores the device's potential in pushing the limits of generative music.
Imagine you're crafting a piece that requires a dynamic and evolving melodic structure, typical in styles like IDM or ambient techno. After loading ProbSEQ onto a MIDI track in Ableton Live 12, you assign it to control a soft synth with a rich, textured sound, like Wavetable. You're aiming for a sequence that can transition smoothly between controlled randomness and defined melodic progression.
Begin by activating Key mode on ProbSEQ. By staying in sync with your project's scale, you ensure that the generated notes fit within the desired harmonic context. You set up each of the 8 steps with varying probabilities for note changes – perhaps 70% for steps you want to be more stable and 30% for those where you desire unexpected shifts. This way, the sequence remains somewhat predictable while still allowing for surprising turns.
Next, fine-tune the octave probabilities. You favor the lower octaves for a dark, moody intro, so you dial higher chances there, gradually decreasing as you ascend. As the composition unfolds, you automate these probabilities to shift towards the higher octaves, bringing a brighter, more open feel to the later sections.
You want each note's velocity to introduce more expression, imbuing the sequence with a human touch. You define a wide velocity range on the slider but with a gentle curve favoring softer dynamics, thus ensuring even the random spikes in velocity don't disrupt the overall ambient nature of your track.
To create rhythmic complexity, you modulate the step chance parameter. Setting lower probabilities for certain steps creates a syncopated rhythm, giving life to more complex patterns that evolve over time, all while remaining inherently musical due to their adherence to the selected scale.
Halfway through your arrangement, you automate a switch from Key to Drum mode for a bridge section where you've prepared a drum rack filled with tuned percussion. ProbSEQ begins firing off rhythmically consistent patterns that dance around the 16 available slots, forming polyrhythms that might not have been conceived through manual programming.
Throughout the track, you meticulously fine-tune the automation, ensuring that each section of your composition holds its own unique character, stemmed from the intelligently random sequences. ProbSEQ thus becomes an instrument on its own, a collaborator in the creative process that respects musicality while daring to challenge the conventional.
In your DAW, the Ableton Push becomes an extension of this collaboration as you use its pads to capture interesting sequences on the fly, either committing them to the arrangement as is or using them as a basis for further development.
By the track's end, ProbSEQ has guided you through multiple sonic landscapes, serving not just as a sequencer but also as a muse, challenging you to think outside of programmed patterns towards a more organic, living composition.