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CIRCLES 1.0

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@ugrossek ugrossek released this 03 Nov 10:25
· 10 commits to true-pitch-shift since this release
circles-1.0
8478c9c

CIRCLES turns your CHOMPI into fifteen loopers that play together, each with its own instrument and its own loop length. Play a short figure and press loop, and that looper keeps repeating it. Then play the next one, or pass the same figure on to another. Because the lengths differ, the loops drift against each other, the way the minimalists worked, and line up only now and then: the music keeps changing on its own.

There is no grid, no steps and no record button: you play by hand and decide afterwards what to keep. It is closer to conducting a small ensemble than to programming a sequencer.

Start here: the guided tutorial, https://ugrossek.github.io/CHOMPI/circles/. Six short lessons, pieces to start from and a cheat sheet. With the CHOMPI connected over USB (a computer with Chrome or Edge; phones and tablets don't work), each lesson sets up its players on the CHOMPI, lights the control to use next, and notices when a step is done. Without a CHOMPI it runs as a demo.

In 1.0

  • Fifteen players, fourteen instruments on the white keys, all physical models: wood, marimba, amadinda, gangsa, mbira, kora, snare bar and muffled for rhythm; vibes, bell, hang, singing bowl, gong and glass for melodies.
  • Figures: play, press loop to keep; copy a figure to another player; give each its own length as a ratio of the shared beat (1/3 to 3).
  • Sound: K1 to K4 shape each player (with CHOMPI held, a second layer); the room and the volume on K6. With the switch on all, the knobs and the black keys work on everyone.
  • Hold K6 to see how many voices sound and how busy the CHOMPI is.

Install: with the multi-firmware launcher v1.1 or later, pick CIRCLES in the setup tool and put it on a free key, or send the downloaded CHOMPI_CIRCLES_1.0.bin with Feed the CHOMPI. On a stock card, put it in the card root as the only .bin.

Going back: with the launcher, start another key. On a stock card, put your previous .bin back in the card root (CIRCLES writes nothing to the card or the CHOMPI's flash).

Good to know: when many long notes ring at once the CHOMPI runs out of CPU and lets the quietest go first. Feedback is welcome.

SHA-256: 7ff2badcaa52cf5f8285efd9546ca1149b569cfa4d2b1aff4c97996edd8bb605 (the same build as beta 1).

Source: firmware/chompi-meter on the meter-fw branch.

Written together with Claude, Anthropic's AI assistant. Unofficial, experimental software, provided as-is with no warranty; use it at your own risk.

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