Purpose

Orbit generates polyphonic note patterns by stepping through number sequences instead of a written melody. Each voice follows a modular, multiplicative, sieve, or bitwalk path across scale degrees, producing interlocking lines that evolve in a structured but non-obvious way. It is a generative pitch engine for algorithmic and Xenakis-style composition.

Use

Wire a timeline clock into Input 0 and a scale into Input 1, choose a Mode, and set the orbit numbers. Voicecount sets how many lines run at once, and the out voices drive a polyphonic instrument. Adjust Modulus, Multiplier, and Orbitstep to reshape the pattern while it plays.

Inputs and outputs

• Input 0: timeline timeline clock. Required.
• Input 1: scale scale context. Optional, keeps the orbit in key.
• Output 0: out emits the generated note voices.

Controls

• Mode: orbit type. modular, multiply, sieve, or bitwalk.
• Rootnote: base pitch for the orbit.
• Voicecount: number of simultaneous voices, up to eight.
• Orbitstep: degree step size for the walk.
• Voiceoffset: degree spacing between voices.
• Multiplier and Modulus: the core numbers that shape multiplicative and modular orbits.
• Density and Gate: how many steps fire and note length.
• Velocity: output level.
• Octavefold: number of octaves the pattern folds across.
• Seed: repeatable random elements.

Notes

• Small changes to Modulus or Multiplier can reshape the whole pattern, so explore them in small steps.
• Use Octavefold to keep a wide orbit inside a playable register.
• Pair with a scale so every generated note stays musical.

Ports

Inputs

• timeline row
  timeline_state_f32_v1
• scale row
  scale_v1

Outputs

• out row
  note_voices_f32_v1

Parameters

Mode (Mode) Menu op('orbit').par.Mode

Default:

sieve

Options:

modular, multiply, sieve, bitwalk

Rootnote (Rootnote) Float op('orbit').par.Rootnote

Default:

50

Range:

0 to 127

Voicecount (Voicecount) Int op('orbit').par.Voicecount

Default:

4

Range:

1 to 8

Orbitstep (Orbitstep) Int op('orbit').par.Orbitstep

Default:

3

Range:

-24 to 24

Voiceoffset (Voiceoffset) Int op('orbit').par.Voiceoffset

Default:

2

Range:

-24 to 24

Multiplier (Multiplier) Int op('orbit').par.Multiplier

Default:

5

Range:

-31 to 31

Modulus (Modulus) Int op('orbit').par.Modulus

Default:

17

Range:

2 to 97

Density (Density) Float op('orbit').par.Density

Default:

0.72

Range:

0 to 1

Gate (Gate) Float op('orbit').par.Gate

Default:

0.38

Range:

0 to 1

Velocity (Velocity) Float op('orbit').par.Velocity

Default:

0.82

Range:

0 to 1

Octavefold (Octavefold) Int op('orbit').par.Octavefold

Default:

3

Range:

0 to 6

Seed (Seed) Int op('orbit').par.Seed

Default:

11

Range:

-100000 to 100000