HEAP MIDI TOOLS ONE by Heaps of Bleeps

This pack of 6 MIDI transformation tools focuses on rhythmic and melodic experimentation. The different tools can help you unlock polyrhythmic, polytempic, non dyadic, and generative rhythms and melodies from your existing rhythms and melodies. 

There are 4 different tools that have the word Weird in them, each of these tools helps you work with polyrhythmic, polymetric, and non dyadic grids. These tools have very similar interfaces and are meant to be used together.

On each of the “Weird” tools you set your customizable time value with 2 different modes. The different tools will perform their functions with this time value. 

To get polyrhythmic, polymetric, or tuplet time values, use polyrhythm mode. This allows you to set your time value with the “Beat Unit” parameter, which is divided by the “Subdivision” parameter and multiplied by the “# of Beats” parameters. 

In “Decimal” mode, the “# of Beats” parameter multiplies the “Beat Unit” by a decimal value, this mode is for non dyadic rhythms.

These “Weird” devices include:

• • Weird Quantizer: Quantize your MIDI to polyrhythmic, polymetric, and non dyadic grids. Great for generating off tempo beats and for rhythmic experimentation. You can use the quantize amount parameter to fade between rhythms on different grids (record MIDI out on another track to record this movement between grids),

• • Weird Swing: Unlike a normal swing, this device allows you to swing polyrhythmic, polymetric, and non dyadic note values. Though based on the math of traditional swing, these can generate a large variety of unexpected rhythms. It swings all notes between the Swing Anchors you set, meaning you can squeeze and stretch the MIDI between almost any time value you want, making rhythms that hardly resemble traditional swing. It can use linear swing or swing based on an exponential curve.

• • Weird Duration: Allows you to set fixed durations based on a polyrhythmic, polymetric, or non dyadic grids. This makes working with the grids set with the other devices more automated rather than having to manually set durations when then won’t automatically snap to the custom time value you’re working with.

• • Weird Shifter: Allows you to to shift notes along polyrhythmic, polymetric, or non dyadic grids. Think of this like a utility to make working with the grids set with the other devices more automated, rather than having to manually move the notes or durations when then won’t automatically snap to the custom time value that you’re working with.

The other devices each have their own different functions and interfaces. These include:

• • Clip Manip: Generate variation in your MIDI by using a variety of different algorithms to switch around different parameters of the MIDI notes. This allows you to generate different music material while maintaining the rhythm of the clip.

    The parameters you can manipulate are: Pitch, Velocity, Duration, Mute, Probability, Velocity Deviation, Release Velocity, and All.

    The algorithms are:

    • Scramble: Randomly scramble the values of the selected parameter.

    • Rotate: Rotate parameter values forward (+) or backward (-).

    • Reverse: Reverse parameter values.

    • Sort: Sort parameter values from low to high (+) or high to low (-).

    • Cut: Cuts notes at a selected note number (the “Cut At” parameter) and switches the 2 parts around.

    • Shuffle: Cut’s and shuffles the notes, like a perfect shuffle of a card deck. (Ex. 123456=142536)

• • Fractional Stretch: This device allows you to stretch your MIDI in a variety of different ways. You can stretch with fractional amounts, do BPM shifts, and wider decimal numbers than are built into Live’s default stretch function. Allowing for polyrhythmic and polytempic experimentation within Live 12.

The combination of all these devices can help you get inspiration when you feel stuck by generating unexpected variation out of your existing material.