Arrangement in Modular? Try the Tracker!

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This video is a full walkthrough and tutorial about the Biset Tracker module. It's a deep module, so this video is long, but totally worth it, if you're interested in learning to use this module. You can sequence synth voices, sequence drums, and even create an arrangement in the timeline.
Here you can find the Tracker module - library.vcvrack.com/Biset
00:00 - Introduction
01:01 - What is a tracker
02:39 - The interface
07:56 - Basic synth voice
17:10 - Modulation sequences
23:10 - Polyphony
25:10 - NoteFX
29:51 - Pattern length
37:23 - Sequencing drums
43:52 - Timeline
49:01 - Clip launcher
52:05 - Tuning and live recording
54:27 - T Control module
57:37 - T Clock and T State modules
01:00:15 - T Phase module
01:02:01 - T Quant module
01:03:36 - BPM modulation
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#vcvrack #modularsynth #eurorack #synthesis

[@lulwutmusic]

This has just solved all of my VCV workflow challenges. As a long term Renoise user, this is amazing! I think I'll be hitting that donation button once payday comes! Thanks for the tutorial!!

[@OmriCohen-Music]

Have fun!

[@exoner6110]

Respect to the developer. This brings back the way of sequencing how it was done in the 80s on an ATARI or other famous early gear. I say this with a positive intention, so don't get me wrong. I'm using electronic gear for decades now, starting in the late 70s. So I have seen all kinds of ways to add 'programming options' to electronic instruments. I remember the Commodore 64, doing its job in the BASIC-language, the ATARI-world with its pixel-graphical user-interface and I have seen lots of synthesizer with small 16-characters-2-rows-matrix-displays, just up-, down-, left-, right-, enter- and delete-buttons. I remember the hundreds of hours we spent to input the parameters until a sequence sounded as we wanted to. Good old times. This module brings this world back into VCV Rack. My main gear is an old Kurzweil K2500S, used as my master-keyboard, as a sound-source and as a sampler. This incredibly wonderful machine has a small matrix-display and has 3 user-manuals full of 'cryptic' button-press-sequences to tell the machine what to do. I still need and use the manuals because of the complexity of the features the Kurzweil offers. The workflow is similar to the workflow of this Biset-Tracker. But the quality of sounds, sequences, samples, effects and more I get from this midi-supporting machine is worth the 'pain' to program it. If you love the way to use the Biset-Tracker you might also fall in love with hardware-gear from the 80s/90s. Working with this kind of gear slows down your workflow, but gives you a deep understanding of what is going on inside of the machines, how the parameters do their job and fantastic sounds. Working this way is far, far away from mouse-clicking on presets, shoving curves and turning virtual knobs to get results quickly. Try and error gets your best friend. Again, respect to the developer. Peace.

[@The_Sock_]

you cannot comprehend how helpful this module is going to be for me, holy crap THANK YOU

[@OmriCohen-Music]

Have fun!

[@axs203]

I can't get over all the cool stuff in VCV

[@mfortes451]

Yo man! The one who detain mastery over vcv can do anything. No limits!

[@fuzzix]

Yes yes! Love a tracker interface. This one is very clever, well considered and designed. The horizontal pattern arranger as a performance tool is a favourite. Having mapping and polyphony as an option is 🤌🧑‍🍳💋 Thank you for going indepth on this!

[@OmriCohen-Music]

Glad you like it!

[@tdaonp]

I remember from my programming days, how confusing the 0=one construct was at first. Now it is second nature. It helps to not think of it as 0=one but as 0=first. It's just semantics, but for my addled brain it helped. Great video! I learned a lot. Thanks so much (also for your other videos!).

[@OmriCohen-Music]

That's makes total sense :) Thanks!

[@alotronic]

Thanks for bringing this to our attention, brilliant, brilliant, brilliant module!

[@OmriCohen-Music]

Glad you like it!

[@wirenoises]

What a cool interface. My question of what to work on for the week is answered now. 😁 Always appreciate the thorough overviews you provide.

[@OmriCohen-Music]

Happy to help!

[@3DPDK]

I've used Psycle Modular Music Creation Studio for 15 years. *I am SO happy to see this.* Because it's so much easier to set up instruments and effects in VCV, I've been trying to connect Psycle to VCV and it just doesn't want to work. It's not VCV's fault - the MIDI interface in Psycle is meant for external hardware interfacing and I'm not advanced enough to understand how to set up a virtual MIDI interface between the two. This tracker appears to have nearly the same functionality ... so ... Yippy!

[@NealSanche]

Thanks for the in depth tutorial. I am tempted now. The fact that you can use midi input makes this much more approachable.

[@OmriCohen-Music]

Yeah, it's worth learning it. You can create interesting sequences, even if you're using other sequencers at the same time.

[@justincatterall9597]

I usually stay away from videos longer than half an hour, I don't have the attention span for them, but I'm glad I didn't with this one. It was very, very interesting, all the way through. I'm definitely going to try the Tracker. Thanks for the excellent content.

[@OmriCohen-Music]

I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@VarnArt87]

In fact life changing! Iam so much in love already 🌻. Thank you from the bottom of my heart 🙏

[@OmriCohen-Music]

Have fun!

[@midiguru23]

At first I was thinking, "A tracker? No, thanks." And to be fair, a tracker's user interface is not exactly friendly. But after watching this video, I can see all sorts of useful things one can do with this amazing set of modules. Thanks for the video, Omri!

[@OmriCohen-Music]

Cheers!

[@lungaoson8374]

So nice! ❤ Thank you developer for this excellent module! And thank you, Omri for your knowledge! Nice sound examples here...

[@OmriCohen-Music]

Many thanks!

[@coco805]

You make it look oh so easy!

[@AnnaMotionMusic]

This is great!! I was thinking of getting the Nerdseq but it looked a bit complicated. But now i can have a play with this and i will get the basics before i get it!! Thanks for another amazing video! 🙂💜

[@OmriCohen-Music]

Happy to help :) I have the NerdSeq for quite some time, and I really enjoy working with it. I never had any experience with trackers before, and it was still very intuitive and easy to learn. Starting with the Tracker in VCV is a great introduction indeed!

[@ursbasteck]

Oh! Ooh! I had looked at this briefly but have somewhat cultivated an obsession with modulating clocks and was so bummed that the tracker didn't allow this. And then comes 54:34 :D

[@OmriCohen-Music]

It's also my favorite feature 🙂

[@koma2000music]

Wow, this is really cool Omri, thanks! Very inspiring stuff based on the first few minutes.. another video of yours added to the watch later.. 😅In these moments I wish I didn't need any sleep!

[@OmriCohen-Music]

Have fun!

[@koma2000music]

@@OmriCohen-Music Cheers!

[@BenAldhouse]

Having watched only a portion of Omri's typically excellent video I am confident I am going to like and use this sequencer a lot. I can't wait for the next upgrade to Cardinal, now, which I hope will include it.

[@OmriCohen-Music]

Awesome, thank you!

[@0e0]

incredible work here

[@OmriCohen-Music]

Thanks a lot!

[@Djisang]

This is revolutionary..

[@bruteflorist]

Thanks for this!

[@OmriCohen-Music]

No worries!

[@moldythoughts4765]

Nerdseq ... awesome

[@ARTBODY1]

The best feature of tracker is the tuning ... that is one of the main missing features in VCV. Sure we can work around BUT ... that's the point . Nearly all modules work on the Göppels440Hz, and the 4/x clock. Looks like Biset Modules are cool to do i.e. 5/x but the cat still hunting the tail. If i'll use i.e. MindMeld ShapeMaster Pro it looks like the 5/x and others are missing.

[@angrytoken]

Omri please do an overview of the modules AlliewayAudio in vcv rack, like Bumper, Koan etc

[@chrisgiblin7552]

How odd, I can't get the synth to stick/switch to the "trigger" mode from gate, it keeps going back to gate. (wonderful tutorial as always thanks very much!)

[@OmriCohen-Music]

Don't forget to click Update Synth :)

[@battledj2933]

Nice tutorial! Can you also use samples instead of instruments like in OpenMPT?

[@OmriCohen-Music]

Thanks! For samples, you will have to use a sampler module, and the T Synth module (or T Drum) to sequence it. There are many samplers in vcv like the Lomas one or the ones from Sickozell.

[@fuzzix]

@@OmriCohen-Music Autobreak is also probably worth considering for beat slicing

[@mfortes451]

Thank you for this, @OmriCohen ! I have a question regarding "Note Fx" operations (Randomness, Random amplitude, delay etc) Can I apply these variations over audio / sampled audio ?

[@OmriCohen-Music]

Cheers! If you want to use samples, you will have to use a sampler module like the ones from Sickozell. Then, you can use the fx on that.

[@mfortes451]

@@OmriCohen-Music Ok, thank you! I am familiar with the NYSHTI but I will check into that.

[@na-dj6ob]

How do you find this compares to Nerdseq?

[@OmriCohen-Music]

The basic workflow is similar, but the NerdSeq is quite the beast. The timeline will work a bit differently also. But it's a great module to practice with learn tracking before moving on to the NerdSeq.

[@scottymac3634]

A great explanation of this unit and the tracker workflow. But, yikes, what a bum-pain! Making music should be fun. Sorry, all due respect to the obviously massive amount of work by the developer, but this is like doing your taxes or going to the dentist.

[@OmriCohen-Music]

Using a tracker is like going to the dentist 😂 that's a good one! It's definitely a different workflow, but it makes a lot of sense once you get into it.

[@dwat3r]

So, does this count as using a DAW? For all the daw-less noodlers who make excuses for not finishing music, I'd rather say this is like riding a bicycle but assembling wheels and every part together yourself without calling it a bicycle. I tried once making an actual track in just vcv, but ended up being super frustrated and vcv kept buffer overflowing and crackling the sh*t out of my sounds. It's crazy that it has all the bells and whistles, but the fundamentals of the software is completely broken, so it's unreliable for serious work. For me, Renoise + vcv rack vst (in a sandboxed process, because vcv is sh*t and keeps f*cking up my daw) is a much easier workflow than this. But since I went this way, I tend to use vcv less and less, and instead use reliable plugins which can achieve the same sound and interestingly, I finish music more and more. I guess modular is just a crazy expensive way to just get stuck in noodleland instead of enjoying your musical creations

[@bricelory9534]

Different workflows work for different people. You might find yourself stuck with noodling in VCV, but I find it quite a flourishing place for me to generate a lot of raw ideas, stems, etc. that lead me to finishing things far quicker than I would otherwise. It all depends on what you want to do, how you want to do it, what sort of processes work with how you think creatively, and why you make music. There is absolutely nothing wrong with noodling, and music doesn't need to be released to be worthwhile - even though many people do find modular environments quite helpful as a primary music-making method or an auxiliary tool. DAW or DAWless is a really meaningless category, especially if it's all being interacted with through a computer and monitor. Find the tools that work for you, grow in your understanding of how they work, and then once you see their limitations, other options can be brought in to address them.