Creating a Generative Ambient Grid Patch with Sampled Sounds in Bitwig Studio 4.5

Tutorial | May 24, 2023

In this video, I wanted to create a generative grid patch using samples instead of oscillators, which I had never done before. I recorded a kalimba using my microphone and then cleaned it up with a loud split and an outer leveler. I then used it in a polygrid and triggered it with a dice module in free mode, adding notes with a step mode and quantizer. I also added modulation, filters, and delays to the sound. I then added a bass shot and a melody using a sample note. Finally, I randomized the melody and adjusted the balance and frequency using a cool force. I created a backdrop for an ambient tune and provided a link to the patch in the description.

You can watch the Video on Youtube - support me on Patreon

Questions & Answers #

Maybe you dont watch the video, here are some important takeaways:

Question 1: What is the main goal of the video? #

The main goal of the video is to create a generative grid patch using samples instead of oscillators. The creator aims to record a sound from their microphone and manipulate it using various modules in the grid to create a unique and interesting sound. The end product is meant to serve as a background ambient sound for an ambient tune or similar project.

Question 2: How is the sound created and manipulated in the video? #

The sound is created by recording a kalimba using a microphone. The recording is then edited and cleaned up using modules like the loud split and outer leveler. Next, the sample is imported into a polygrid in the grid, where it is triggered using various modules like the AD and dice. The waveform is manipulated using modules like module later, leg, and quantizer. The creator also uses a variety of filters and effects like reverb, delay, and transfer to add more depth to the sound.

Question 3: How is the melody created in the patch? #

The melody is created by using the second value output from the step module and transposing it using the transpose module. The melody is then quantized to a specific scale using the quantizer module. The creator also uses a delay to add more interest to the melody. They take the output of the melody and use it to modulate other modules in the patch, like the filter.

Question 4: Is the patch customizable? #

Yes, the patch is customizable. The creator provides a link to download the patch and encourages users to experiment with different settings and modules to create their own unique sounds and melodies. They suggest adding macros or remote controls to the patch to modulate different aspects, like blending out certain instruments or sources. The patch is meant to serve as a starting point for further exploration and customization.

Transcription #

This is what im talking about in this video. The text is transcribed by AI, so it might not be perfect. If you find any mistakes, please let me know.
You can also click on the timestamps to jump to the right part of the video, which should be helpful.

[00:00.000] Hey folks, welcome back to another video. In this video, I want to create something in
[00:05.320] the grid, some kind of generative grid patch, and I want to start right away. But instead
[00:12.160] of using oscillators, I want to use some kind of samples. I never made some generative
[00:18.840] patches with samples. So before I go into the grid, I want to record something from my
[00:26.520] microphone here. Just mute this. What you can see, it's picking up here my microphone.
[00:33.800] So I'm probably using here my kalimba. Okay, I just record this.
[01:02.800] Okay, so this then I probably want to clear out a bit more from noise and stuff like that.
[01:15.200] So maybe move this even here. So we can use here the loud split. So the idea is to create
[01:28.520] some kind of waveform. So mute here the noise part and just, you know, let the partial
[01:35.960] pass and then use a fancy, my fancy outer leveler. There you can even put already some reverb
[01:48.800] on it. Even portal. There's some kind of portal preset here, some random stuff.
[02:05.960] There you can even use pause stretch here. To get something.
[02:35.240] Let's record this. And then just look this part here.
[03:05.240] And it's too much reverb.
[03:35.240] So maybe add input a bit quieter. So we have some kind of pad sound. And we record this
[03:50.160] here into a second track. Output is audio 2. And it's enough. So we can delete this.
[04:11.600] And to use this audio here, this audio file inside of the grid. So use a polygrid here.
[04:22.040] And we probably want to open up the file, which is this one here. It's possible to rename
[04:29.320] now. Okay. So we drag this in here. And in the grid, we can now, let's use trigger module here.
[04:39.800] Trigger this. So the grid is already in mono-mode. Then an AD. Or maybe use your second one.
[04:53.520] Maybe seven, 16 and clock quantizer. And then we use a dice. Every time we trigger here
[05:13.120] the AD, we want to have a different position. So we use a module later. And then we put this
[05:20.800] here into free mode. Maybe cycles, textures. I have no idea. Let's try it out. Because this is
[05:29.440] in free mode. This is then yet to playhead. So we jump from one point to the other in the wave
[05:38.480] file. And then we probably want to have some kind of output here. Okay. So maybe let's try a leg.
[05:57.840] So we disable the input, the pre-cords. And because of the leg, you can see the interpolate here
[06:20.320] between the values we get from the dice. So it's kind of a smooth transition.
[06:34.320] And then we probably want to create some notes. So my preferred way is to use a step mode.
[06:43.440] Or that randomize it. And use some odd steps here, 15 steps. Maybe make it a bit faster.
[06:52.720] This is on loop mode. Yeah, it's okay. So now we get you some values. And then we
[07:04.240] modulate here a value, not the bad. To some kind of extent. This goes into a quantizer.
[07:17.840] And we don't want to use the external input. So we disable this. Dile in
[07:23.200] some kind of scale. Go into the sample and also we want to use the sample on hold.
[07:41.040] And then get something like this.
[07:53.280] So maybe we want to use an octave.
[08:05.840] So I want to slow this a bit down here. So I probably also use a chance.
[08:12.880] So we don't trigger every time.
[08:33.520] This could be also a nice idea here to modulate us this AAD.
[08:43.680] So we can see that when we don't have a value, it stays basically in place, which is a bit boring
[09:05.840] or sounds a bit odd. So using a random modulator here and add this to the position.
[09:22.160] Oh, we have to actually detect here the root key, right?
[09:39.360] This is the root key. It should be C. I'm completely forgot which kind of node I am.
[09:49.760] I was using C2.
[10:06.320] Let's use some kind of reverb here with delay plus.
[10:20.000] And delay is always good.
[10:34.320] So we blend here. Try signal with the delay signal.
[11:19.680] Maybe a filter.
[11:30.720] We'll take here also the pitch input.
[11:40.080] So we use an octave here to open up the filter.
[12:10.080] So now with the octave, we jump here around exactly to the right node, one octave higher or lower.
[12:40.080] Oh, we can also modulate at the foreland.
[13:10.080] We go one octave lower, C2, and we want to modulate here the resonance.
[13:40.080] Another delay here, and probably a low cut.
[13:59.920] Okay, so now we can try and add a sign to that.
[14:12.880] Sign is pretty pure.
[14:21.040] Let's take here the input from there.
[14:30.080] And then we can use the output of the sample as face input here.
[14:39.040] We can also modulate this. Let's see how this sounds.
[14:43.680] I also want to have an amplifier here at the end.
[14:46.000] And maybe a new meter, also an ADM.
[15:16.000] Okay, so it's already okay, so we want to use the dies here and use this for the face modulation.
[15:46.000] Also randomization here after decay time.
[16:16.000] Okay, octave, I want to switch it between different octaves.
[16:44.480] Maybe octaves are in front of the sample node, what steps, 13 steps, randomize.
[17:11.200] So maybe we can also introduce here a chance module, so we don't trigger each time.
[17:28.800] So it doesn't sound too busy.
[17:59.600] Maybe a base, some base shots, for the base we can maybe use a blade table,
[18:23.680] octava, as nodes we check the output from here, sample and hold,
[18:38.160] some kind of trigger module.
[18:42.480] Take here the 16 nodes from here, nice.
[18:45.920] ADM.
[18:50.960] Oh, we have to disable the pre-cuts, let's see, let's see.
[19:00.480] It's off here. Yeah, this is also disabled.
[19:05.360] Here we go to saw and maybe use three voices, so let's tune this and then use a merge.
[19:16.480] We go with the stereo output to the mono input, so we have some kind of mono signal.
[19:35.520] So this needs a filter,
[19:45.440] maybe the filter,
[20:09.840] So I trick out this here with just with one which is too short so using an oscillator
[20:25.160] amp or oscilloscope and see it's just triggering here right the base what we want to fill up
[20:36.040] this space so we just invert this by using a knot. So now we trick out here and we exchange
[20:48.440] this here for an ADS R so we have to sustain. I'll probably need to use a pitch quantizer
[21:13.360] as I add to it. It's a simple note so you can see what's going on and then maybe in a
[21:33.080] tiny right here to reduce the range at the base place. So C sharp F sharp C sharp
[21:51.140] A sharp so at least play some base note here so I reduce the value so value zero so we should play
[22:12.780] all right this is the sharp so let me see we modulate here and the transpose here. We can also
[22:36.980] disturb the signal here a bit with the transfer just draw some random curves in here so we map
[22:48.340] different values to different output values oh we need to tune your HL
[23:18.340] the main activity is this range yeah so we get the value from here which is okay you see I only
[23:32.100] modulate here by maybe 20% that's why we get so such a low range it doesn't help that much for
[23:44.900] the base I think this is better okay so to extend this a bit because we trick out here the base
[24:09.620] every time can see every every one bar I bring in a chance to not trigger every time but every time
[24:23.460] we don't trigger we sustain here the base longer until the next trigger then we can make this
[24:31.060] we trigger in here a bit shorter by using a length gate length taking this shorter maybe two
[24:42.740] milliseconds I can see that this disruption here of the of the sustain phase is much shorter what's
[24:52.180] actually need to be here right here I can see it's much shorter I would be nice to open up the
[25:12.180] filter yeah so we use a second random random end of all
[25:18.980] so this pretty random this kind of drone but it makes a nice atmosphere that you can't put
[25:47.780] something on top that brings in a bit more you know melody kind of recognizable stuff
[25:54.580] some correct the sounds correct the sounds so here we can do this here
[26:04.180] yeah you put this over here
[26:21.140] oh that's okay maybe one step to the left bam okay so
[26:31.140] so let's bring in some melodies so we use the second value you're much related to bit more
[26:41.620] again we go then into transpose and octave up each quantizer
[26:48.660] let's see at the zero maybe go for a sign
[27:05.220] oh yeah we need a sample note here this point trigger module maybe go up to 8
[27:13.300] trigger the sample note also AD and this should give us kind of a
[27:24.100] ah
[27:54.100] So we get a bit more kind of a melody that repeats our time, we bring down the bass and
[28:06.860] the melody, we can make this even more recognisable by using a delay, it's shot
[28:23.920] delay times, and the plant.
[28:52.960] So we use the pitch signal, maybe to change something on the melody oscillator, the same
[28:59.740] note gets the same modulation.
[29:02.880] So now we can try to randomize the melody, get something better out of this patch.
[29:27.840] So we can try to randomize the melody, we can make this even more recognisable by using a delay
[29:51.020] until you kind of get an idea of what melody emerges from the chaos.
[30:21.020] MaybeLaughing.
[30:49.500] Ciao.
[31:49.500] time for you to step in and take a listen and tweak everything until it sounds really nice.
[31:57.340] Find the right balance for each which instrument.
[32:02.540] It sounds pretty nice and there's actually not no Valhalla Supermassive on there which is nice but you can't add it.
[32:32.540] Maybe some kind of cool force, just to have just some quick balancing, quick frequency balancing.
[32:46.140] And we want to have here, let's use gain aim. We want to have here maybe minus 12 loves.
[33:16.220] The Supermassive is even too much, it blows everything too much.
[33:30.060] So these are the main pitches and this is here the octave I think.
[33:47.020] And this one also.
[34:04.780] So now we can maybe think about to bring in some more interesting things.
[34:12.220] Maybe I take the output of this and face modulate here this.
[34:23.020] Oh maybe this one here.
[34:31.100] So we take here dice and modulate this.
[34:41.260] Oh this maybe needs modulation here.
[35:11.580] Yeah and this is how we create these kind of generative patches or ambient.
[35:29.020] It's even too fast, maybe go down to 85.
[35:32.860] It's even more chill.
[36:02.860] And try to make this even longer, maybe 30 steps.
[36:32.860] And I like it so far.
[37:02.860] Okay, and the peak limiter and that's it.
[37:32.220] So this could be a nice background backdrop for an ambient tune on my other channel
[37:39.340] where I play some synthesizers along with that. Maybe add some macros or some remote controls
[37:45.740] to modulate different things or blend out certain instruments or sources in here.
[37:55.740] So the link to this patch is in the description below so you can download it and
[38:00.860] have some fun with it. Thanks for watching the video. Like and subscribe.
[38:07.420] See you in the next video.