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Grids for Max for Live screenshot

Grids for Max for Live

by mots

Grids (http://mutable-instruments.net/modules/grids) is a to...

View on maxforlive.com

Type
MIDI Effect
Author
mots
Version
1.6
License
None
Live version
11.3
Max version
8.2
Downloads
14,822
Updated
2024-01-09

Description

Grids (http://mutable-instruments.net/modules/grids) is a topographic drum sequencer module from Mutable Instruments.

This device is a port of the Eurorack version to M4L. Most of the original manual ( http://mutable-instruments.net/modules/grids/manual ) applies, with exception to of course cv inputs, clock in, tap tempo and such thing which do not make sense in a DAW.

Make sure to automate the parameters with automation or with a max4live LFO, that is where the fun begins!

- Compatible and tested with m1 macs

- Compatible with Ableton Push (not in standlone mode tough). Push supported based on https://www.maxforlive.com/library/device/9793/grids-4-push

License : released under GPL 3.0

Comments (37)

  • jeburkejr · September 21 2014
    This looks awesome, but I think something is missing from the download.
  • mots · September 21 2014
    updated the device. note this is a work in progress for the moment. euclidian mode is not extactly working as it should just yet. and there are some bugs here and there.
    comments/help welcome !
  • jeburkejr · September 21 2014
    Thanks for sharing!
  • JES · September 22 2014
    This is great. THANK YOU.
    There seem to be some sync issues but I'm hoping they can easily be resolved.
  • Mountkili · September 24 2014
    This is brilliant! I'm really looking forward to the update!
  • batman · September 30 2014
    Thank you so much! Excellent.
  • Minikin · October 06 2014
    Device doesn't save changed notes in 9.1.1. Could you fix it?
    Thank you in advance!
  • mots · October 06 2014
    Hi minikin !
    this is fixed now. thanks for the report
  • Minikin · October 07 2014
    Hi Mots,
    Thanks a lot! Really love this device.
  • braduro · November 02 2014
    permanent home in my performance template. Wonderful!
    Q: Did the original Grids transition to other meters, or remain in 4/4?
    The Euclidean toggle is greatly appreciated btw.
  • braduro · February 23 2015
    Looking forward to checking this new code.
    One thing that might be nice is if the main and accent toggles were visible to midi range. That way a single button could either go through a range of combinations or the same assignment could toggle the acc and mains entirely, effectively allowing an alternative kit or just an accented fill. I find that unless Im just beefing up the same hits and Ive found a really nice pocket for the sound, the accent button doubles up the mains even on the downbeat and gets a bit overplayed.
    Still nothing short of brilliant
  • mots · February 25 2015
    hi Brilliant, not sure what you mean, but i think what you mean, is changing midi note and on/off with on button press.
    i suppose that does not belong in grids and should rather be done in another max4live device.
  • herrprof · March 11 2015
    Plus you can always assign the button press in midi using the normal methods.
    I have a little bugglet: When you use the skin DISCO you cannot see the note numbers as you are changing them. Other skins do not have the problem.
  • braduro · March 23 2015
    Hi Mots,
    Looking forward to the update.
    What I meant by the range, was in the MIDI assignment list in Ableton, due to my own M4L incompetence, I can't invert the range on the main acc buttons. If I could, one button could instead of adding a fill pad, could replace the mains with the fills entirely.
    Unless, I'm intentionally doubling up a kick for example,
    I find that having the fill on for the pattern at all times sounds pretty exhausting for most sounds. In part, I think this is because the fill is also adding to the down beats, and is being evaluated every single measure (so it accents a bit more than an occasional fill.)
    I'd rather give myself two separate 3-piece kits entirely by toggling a button (all toms for example) and use the alternate set as a fill, not an accent.
  • braduro · March 23 2015
    I keep writing "fill". I mean your ACC
  • herrprof · March 23 2015
    Braduro - you might feel less fatigue on the accent if you setup your drum rack to use choke groups:
    http://www.samplepacks.ca/how-to-use-the-choke-feature-in-abletons-drum-rack
  • braduro · March 24 2015
    I like that idea, herrprof. I've never tried to apply it on a drum rack.
    Good to hear from you
  • YpsiKid · October 13 2015
    Hi there,
    patch doesn't seem to be working correctly in Live 9.2 with Max7 - just wondering if this is me or something to do with the update? Really interested in trying this out if possible - thanks!
    The issue is I don't seem to be getting varying midi data when turning the dials to get different patterns or fills.
    Cheers.
  • mots · October 13 2015
    hi just tried. and it worked for me. i have live 9.2.2 and max7.
    not sure what it could be
    cheers
  • braduro · October 13 2015
    Always a pleasure to see this very worthy device getting a new wave of attention.
    I'm curious: what is the resolution of patterns on the x/y grid? I tried a more critical listen and it seems like both axis go through just a few boundaries where the rhythm changes; maybe 4 to 6 each. Is that correct? So there really is a fairly finite (16 to 36 or so) resulting rhythms that cover any quadrant of the grid. Would that be the story?
  • mots · October 13 2015
    i could check the code again, but if i am not wrong it continously morph between a few points on each axis. if recall correctly 4 or 5.
  • YpsiKid · October 14 2015
    Thanks for the quick reply, will give it another go.
  • braduro · October 14 2015
    Oh man, now that I'm recounting it, there's well over a dozen stages that the point is either traveling along the x or y, not just 5 or 6. Couple that with changing the occurrences of kick/snare/HH along with the chaos knob, and there's a banquet of resulting rhythms...
  • holladaymark · November 10 2015
    I love this device! It works perfect on my Windows 8.1 laptop running live 9.5, however it is crashing live on my Windows 7 (Home Premium) laptop when running in "drums" mode, but not in "euclid" mode (obviously not very helpful for creating drum patterns). Any insight or suggestions would be much appreciated! Thanks again for this device.
  • mots · November 12 2015
    hey,
    my trial licence of visual studio expired. so i cannot re-build it. anymore :/ shame.
    if someone wants to give it a shout, feel free ! the code is on github.
  • mganss · July 05 2019
    @braduro It's a 5x5 two dimensional array of static patterns (hard coded). The axis resolution is 8 bits, i.e. there are 256 steps along each axis. For each coordinate, the closest pattern from the 5x5 array is determined along with 3 neighboring patterns. These are then linearly interpolated to compute a pattern for the chosen coordinate.
    Each step of a pattern is an 8 bit-value that encodes the "height" of the terrain at the coordinate in the map. The density parameter works like a sea level setting, i.e. it defines a threshold where the terrain becomes visible/audible. The height of the terrain is additionally modified dynamically by a random value.
    I couldn't find any indication of how the array of static patterns was chosen or generated. That would have been very interesting, because the Mutable Instruments product page mentions "a healthy dose of machine learning and graph algorithms, megabytes of drum loops, hours of intensive computations".
    @mots VS Community Edition is now free. I don't have time to try this, but another idea would be to use emscripten to port the code to javascript and get rid of the external.
  • thebrokenone · July 28 2019
    Hey man, really good stuff. Your efforts are genuinely appreciated! Thanks for making such a great device available for free - you're a good soul :)
  • pizu123 · September 12 2019
    Thanks for this device. Very useful!
    Mine doesn't seem to record MIDI though when I send the triggers to a different MIDI track, when I hit record on that track no notes are recorded, even though the sliders show MIDI coming through. So strange. Any ideas why?
  • gaziola · July 26 2020
    Yeah, great work. Really works well, specially with the TRs
  • kost4 · November 17 2021
    very nice module :-)
    unfortunately doesnt work on apple silicon in native mode
    (tested on ableton beta 11.1)
  • flozski · August 31 2023
    Hi, thanks for this incredible module, i use it a lot!
    Unfortunately, it doesn't work since I upagrate from Os el capitan to High sierra :'(
    Is anyone have any idea to fix this problem?
    I tried to reinstall Ableton and max, bue it hasn't fixed the problem..
    I can pu the module on a track but no midi note is sent from the module.
    Thanks to read me, schuuss
  • mots · August 31 2023
    i just tried on ventura with live 11 (the version released few days ago). it does generate midi fine.
    maybe the issue is that you are on m1, i dont have a m1 mac, and never could compile the source for m1
  • halfman73 · November 30 2023
    Wonderful device. Added a version of this to the library with Push mapping. Hope you don't mind :)
  • DMNM4L · February 27 2024
    Is there any way to make it record the patterns as midi clips?
  • ianpv · April 23 2024
    yep just make a new track with the MIDI IN from the track that Grids is on if you haven't worked it out yet, DMNM4L.
    Great device! thanks! Not sure if you're still maintaining it but the 'Chaos' parameter doesn't seem to do anything on Live 11.3.22, running on apple M1 pro. Still lots of fun without it though and everything else works fine!
  • DMNM4L · April 23 2024
    Thanks, ianpv! This will have to do.
  • lukeesh · April 14 2025
    I love this device! How hard would it be to add a clock divider or a BPM dial that can slow down the tempo (like the Ableton SQ Sequencer)? I am trying to do it myself but have no experience with M4L patching.

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