sqsl Mantra

Experimental MIDI sequencer/pattern generator designed for iPhones.

// FEATURES

• 3 tracks (A, B, C)
• Triggers for each track (3 × 8 triggers)
• Pitch values shared across tracks (row of 8 values)
• Heptatonic scales quantizer (5 scale patterns × 7 modes × 12 roots)
• Scale morphing using Triadic transformations
• Degree mask per track (exclusion of specific degrees from the scale)
• Degree shift (degree transposition) per track
• Gate length per track
• Track length control for Track A and Track B (with optional reset synced to Track C)
• Track C Pause control (Track C will wait 0-8 steps before looping back to start)
• Clock divider per track
• Random step jump per track (probability)
• Clock acceleration linked to B Track's playhead position
• Swing and BPM clock control
• Velocity and MIDI channel (1–3) per track
• Velocity can be modulated by LFO (per track) with Rate and Amount control
• Pattern evolution synced to Track C loop
• Evolution has selectable groups of processes/transformations
• Variations generator based on current pattern and evolution settings (16 x 4 variations)
• Optional automatic capture of output to .MID files (synchronized to Play button)

// EVOLUTION

When evolution is triggered (Track C loop), it will randomly select one of the enabled transformation groups and apply one of the transformations contained in that group. Transformation groups can also be "locked-in" so they happen each time when evolution is triggered.

List of available groups and transformations within them:

PITCH

• The order of pitch values is reversed
• Two pitch values are swapped

TRIGS

• Two trigger states are swapped (within a single track)
• Trigger patterns of two tracks are swapped
• The trigger pattern of a single track is reversed

SHIFT

• The degree is shifted randomly on a single track

MORPH

• One of the 3 triads defining currently selected scale is rotated (replaced MODE transformation from previous version)

PAUSE

• Empty steps are added at the end of track C (0-8)

FLIP

• The pitch values of single track are inverted
• The pitch values of all tracks are inverted

STEPS

• The track length of A or B track is randomized

MASK

• The degree mask is shifted horizontally by one step (left or right)

BPM

• BPM is halved or doubled
• BPM is inverted (120 BPM taken as the axis)
• BPM jumps to a random value

READ 1ST

• First variation on current variation page is loaded (this transformation is excluded from variation generation).

ACCELERATE

• Acceleration parameters is randomized (speed up of clock depending on Track B playhead position)

RANDOM POSITION A

• Random step parameter of Track A is randomized

// PRESETS

There are 5 × 24 available slots for user presets. BPM and scale settings can be ignored when loading a preset. Evolution variations (64) are saved within presets.

// SAVING TO MIDI FILES

Output can be automatically saved to a .MID type. File will be located at the “On My iPhone/sqsl Mantra” folder and named using the current date and time. Takes start when PLAY is activated and end/save when PLAY is deactivated. File saving can be enabled (“AUTO SAVE” setting on the MIDI page) even after playback has started, since note events are always automatically captured in memory.

Important notes:

• Mantra does not make any sounds on its own, it generates MIDI messages (notes).
• Mantra is standalone application and it can not be loaded as AUv3 in other apps/hosts.

For more information visit: https://www.seqsual.com