Pings
ARP: four loops of FM blips sliding against each other, as of 1.4.0 (build 671d9be). FM-1 firmware.
1 · The loops
Four loops, 13, 17, 23 and 29 corcheas (8ths) long, each with a few notes of the chord. They slide against each other and line up again only after hours.
Notes
Mostly the chord's (now and then an octave up); one in four a passing note, the scale's 2nd, 4th or 6th above the chord's degree.
Each loop
Its own register, its own place in the stereo field, its own shade of tone and length.
A pass
At each loop's end: notes added or taken to Density; with Vary, a note moved or changed, or the next pass sat out.
Sends
Mostly into the echo; the dry against it each piece's own.
2 · The Pings page ARP · its part
DensityKNOB 1
How many notes each loop holds; a few more as the sweep opens, fewer in the dark. Heard as each loop comes round.0 none – 100 five a loop
VaryKNOB 2
The loops' changes, more or less than Form's Vary; centred, far left Hold (sheet 4's ring).Hold · 0 as Form's · +50
KNOB 3 · 4
Empty. The sends are the pings' strip (6); Cloud is on the Echo page (sheet 9).
3 · The voices ALGORITHM, a pings page
Every ping voice is FM. Round, a click a voice; each piece keeps its own.
Blip
The ping: its modulator's ratio set by the piece's Ping tone. 2-op.
Marimba
A wooden bar's fourth partial (4:1). 2-op.
Glass
A long, bright ring (3.5:1), two pairs: algorithm 5.
Wood
A knock (1.41:1), short. 2-op.
Drop
The pitch falling from an octave up. 2-op.
4 · The Pings voice page ARP again
OctaveKNOB 1
The pings two octaves down to two up; heard at once.-2 · 0 · +2
ToneKNOB 2
The ping, round to metallic: it moves the piece's Ping tone.-50 · 0 the piece's · +50
LengthKNOB 3
How long each ping rings, around the voice's.-50 · 0 · +50
BendKNOB 4
The pitch falling at the strike: 0 the voice's own, more from there.0 – 100
5 · The Pings FM page ARP a third time
AlgoKNOB 1
Which operators modulate which (7). Voice: the voice's own (Glass 5, the others 2-op).Voice · 1 – 8 · 2-op
RatioKNOB 2
The modulator's: harmonic to clangy (about ±0.8 octave of it).-50 · 0 the voice's · +50
FeedbackKNOB 3
Op 4 on itself (2-op: op 2), from the voice's own: pure to gritty.0 – 100
UpperKNOB 4
Operators 3 and 4's pitch (the other FM pages' Ratio); grey on 2-op.-50 half · 0 · +50 twice
6 · Level, strip, ARP held
OCT- / OCT+
On a pings page: their level, 5 a press; both together, muted or back.
The strip
SEL, white 2 (G3) held: Level, Echo, Plate, Filter. Black 2 (G#3): a tap solo, held a throw (sheet 2).
ARP held
0.5 s, a nudge: Tone, Ratio, Length, Bend (Upper, Feedback too); now and then a note of one loop. 1.5 s, a shake: another voice, every value a big step.
7 · The algorithms Algo, on every FM page
The 4-operator synths' eight, and a ninth of two operators. Teal, on the line: the carriers, heard; above, each modulator over the one it modulates; the loop: op 4's feedback (Feedback). Here Ratio moves op 2 and Upper ops 3 and 4; on the chord's and the bass's FM pages Ratio is ops 3 and 4.