MACROFREAK

I don't know if many people use the Cycling Envelope as a constant function, allowing the Amount knob to basically become a macro control within the ModMatrix, but I think it's a pretty powerful sound design tool. It makes the MicroFreak seem like even more of a modular synth, in its own way. I use the Volca Beats at the beginning and the end, just wanting something to be there, not really distract from the MF. I also use the Slo reverb from Walrus Audio a lot on this.

TIMELINE

00:00 STARTER
using Volca Beats and a preset called 'M5' (see below)

00:23 INTRO
another Arturia MicroFreak video. i think this is maybe the 9th?

00:46 MORE INTRO
a discussion of the "Macro" knob concept for the MicroFreak. it's a straightforward thing that a lot of people probably do without really giving it a name. i assume, like "Fetch", that the term might not catch on.

03:14 MACRO KNOB CONCEPT
simple theramin preset (WALKTHROUGH)

06:24 PRESET - THERA
MONO, oct +1; CE: env, 0ms, 10s, 100%; ENV: 25ms, 25ms, 100%
2-OP FM: 50, 8, 28
CE-PITCH(+50) [vary Cycling Envelope Amount knob to change pitch]

11:11 A FEW EXAMPLES
a few (kind of redundant) presets, but each uses a pitch change and LFO rate change to get a pretty nice effect. the last one is different, more generally useful.

NOTE: IN ALMOST ALL OF THE PRESETS BELOW, THE TERM "CE: MACRO MODE" MEANS THE FOLLOWING - rise = 0ms, fall = 0ms, hold = 10s, and the amount knob is meant to be changed from 0% to 100% for various effects.

12:07 PRESET - GSUS4
PARA, oct 0; CE: macro mode; ENV: 0ms, 2s, 100%
2 OP FM: 0, 58, 75
LFO: TRI, 1.5 Hz, retrig ON
LFO-TIMBRE['amount'](+50)
CE-PITCH(+25) [similar to the Theramin]
CE-LFO_RATE(+50)

13:23 PRESET - ASUS4
PARA, oct -1; CE: macro mode; ENV: 0ms, 2s, 100%
BASS: 50, 50, 0
LFO: TRI, 0.2 Hz, retrig ON
LFO-TIMBRE['fold'](+100)
CE-PITCH(+25)
CE-LFO_RATE(75)

13:46 PRESET - UNI12D
UNISON 12, oct -1; CE: macro mode; ENV: 0ms, 2s, 100%
BASS: 50, 50, 0
LFO: TRI, 0.2 Hz, retrig ON
LFO-TIMBRE['fold'](+100)
CE-PITCH(+25)
CE-LFO_RATE(75)

14:24 PRESET - REV1
PARA, oct 0; CE: macro mode; ENV: 0ms, 5s, 100%
SAWX: 0, 0, 0
LFO: TRI, 74 Hz, retrig ON
LFO-TIMBRE['shape'](+100)
CE-PITCH(+25)
CE-LFO_RATE(-66.0)

15:02 TWO MUSICAL APPLICATIONS
the second of these (M5) is the first example of hijacking the Cycling Envelope Amount knob to specifically control a ModMatrix node (for which there is no actual knob).

15:34 PRESET - GILD
MONO, oct 0, arp on; CE: macro mode; ENV: 0ms, 2s, 0%(!)
HARMONIC: 0, 0, 0
GLIDE: 0
CE-PITCH(+25)
CE-GLIDE(12)

17:19 PRESET - M5
This is named after the Memory 5 slot on the as-shipped Volca Keys. I have always liked that preset sound/sequence a lot.
PARA, oct -1; CE: macro mode; ENV: 0ms, 2s, 100%
SUPERWAVE: saw, 50, 50
LFO: SQUARE, 1/4 notes (synced, 120 bpm), retrig ON
LFO-PITCH(7.2)
CE-[LFO-PITCH](17.0)

18:33 SHIFTING THE SOUND
These are a couple of more realistic examples for this method. The first switches between two different oscillator types using the Macro Knob. This sort of morphing is basically a continuum of presets. I don't even get into things like changing the attack or decay/release as a part of this. very possible. the only real limitation is the size of the ModMatrix.

22:01 PRESET - SWAPPER
MONO, oct 0; CE: macro mode, run instead of loop?; ENV: 0ms, 1.5s, 100%
KARPLUS-STRONG: 75, 29, 72
FILTER: lowpass, 600 Hz [vary during play for wah effect], 80%
CE-PITCH(-54.2) [this was an accident but sounded right]
CE-TYPE(54.5) [100% CE AMOUNT makes TYPE = SAWX, parameter values are maintained.]

23:33 PRESET - ALKALI
PARA, oct 0; CE: macro mode; ENV: 0ms, 2.5s, 100%
HARM: 39, 0, 0
CE-PITCH(-25)
CE-WAVE['spread'](-24)
CE-TIMBRE['rectify'](36)
CE-SHAPE['noise'](93)

25:13 BUILDING AN EFFECT
vibrato / tremolo module WALKTHROUGH

29:31 PRESET- MORPHOLO
MONO, oct +1; CE: macro mode; ENV: 0, 1s, 50%(!)
BasicWaves: 0, 0, 70 ['sub']
LFO: TRI, 6 Hz (unsynced), retrig ON
LFO-PITCH(1.0) [alpha]
LFO-SUSTAIN(0.1) [beta] note: this just activates the node.
CE-alpha(-1.0)
CD-beta(40)
[note: alpha and beta are just names for the two ModMatrix nodes]

31:26 BONUS EFFECT
faking a delay on the MicroFreak

31:45 PRESET - SAXDELAY
MONO, oct 0?; ENV: 0ms, 5s, 0% (!)
BASS: 24, 28, 4.5
FILTER: lowpass, 6.2 kHz, 50% (and higher)
LFO: SINE, 1.7 Hz ('delay' rate), retrig ON
LFO-CUTOFF(42)
33:06 OUTRO

35:45 ENDER
Volca Beats and MicroFreak (preset is MIAMI from the previous video). The clouds are running at 2x speed.


LINKS
https://www.arturia.com/
https://www.walrusaudio.com/