Rhythm Bundle

Devices for generating and transforming rhythms. My interest in rhythmic exploration is what got me into making Max for Live devices to begin with. With these devices, you can create rhythms that are all-but-impossible to make using other techniques. You can also modify rhythms in subtle ways for building engaging and exciting compositions.

Truthfully, there are many more MIDI Tools that are great for working with rhythms. So, if you want everything, I recommend the All MIDI Tools Bundle. Nonetheless, this set of 9 devices is super powerful!

The Devices

Generators

Blocks

Blocks is a rhythm generator for Ableton Live that uses proportions to create uneven divisions of the MIDI Clip. You can think of it as an "additive rhythm" or a "proportional rhythm".

Mask Pattern

An idiosyncratic rhythm generator that builds patterns from negative space. The initial inspiration for this device was my desire to create a rhythm generation algorithm that would be able to produce the regular, evenly-distributed patterns that the Euclidean algorithm is known for, as well as lopsided patterns that are unevenly distributed, with clusters of notes in a short amount of time. What ended up coming out was an algorithm that could do exactly what I hoped AND way more: a one-to-four track rhythm generator that can produce a range of interlocking polymetric patterns. It works great for percussion, obviously, but also delivers surprising melodic discoveries through the interplay of patterns running at different pitches.

Polyrhythm

Polyrhythm is a multitrack algorithmic sequencer for generating a quick beat or melody. I really like using it with a drum rack to get a beat started. The length of each pattern can be set independently, which makes the rhythms it generates feel a lot less boring and loop-y.

Transformers

Divs

Divs is a transformer that subdivides notes in your MIDI clips to create ratchets, tuplets, nested rhythms. This device is great for adding decoration or rolls to rhythmic patterns.

Micro Stretch

This is transformer that allows you to stretch or compress a loop in a MIDI clip very finely. The point is to allow you to achieve phase shift effects like the ones Steve Reich used in his famous pieces Drumming, Come Out, and It's Gonna Rain.

Phrase Shuffler Pro

Instantly and effortlessly rearrange blocks of notes in a MIDI Clip. Absolutely incredible for resequencing your favorite breaks. The device is the successor to the wildly popular Phrase Shuffler, and has so many more features for surgically reordering fragments of MIDI clips.

Segment

Segment is basically a combination of Divs and Condition Transform. The histogram section at the top, borrowed from Condition Transform, displays the notes in the clip according to their duration. You can select notes by picking specific durations, and then subdivide them with the velocity and pitch functions borrowed from Divs. Quantization and special Division Mode help tame this device's weirdness when you need that.

Range

Stretch, compress, shift, wrap, fold, or clip ranges of pitch, velocity, and chance. This one started with my desire to be able to quickly and easily shift or stretch a whole batch of notes to match up with the notes I’m using in a drum rack. From there, it became clear to me how useful these range operations are for creating variations on clips. I also threw in a shaper function like the one in Phase Pattern for even more power.

Shift

Shift allows you to remix a clip quickly by rotating each attribute of the notes independently. This simple device has lots of power for creating subtle or dramatic variations on patterns and melodies.