Omnitone — Rhythmi

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Rhythmi Eurorack Drum Sequencer Manual (PDF)

Creative Rhythmi Modulation Strategies

For Distorted Percussion, Dubstep/Drum & Bass Basslines, and Haunting Atmospheric Pads

Rhythmi is a deep, generative drum sequencer tailored for both quick, evolving grooves and mod-heavy explorations. Here’s how you can patch and modulate it for wild sound-design inspiration within your own modular setup—whether you’re after aggressive percussion, crazy modulated basslines, or spacious, shifting pads.

1. Creating Distorted Percussive Sounds

General Strategy: - Use Rhythmi to produce complex, evolving percussion patterns with heavy syncopation and energy. - Run audio outputs (Kick, Snare, Tom, Hat, Crash) through distortion, wavefolders, bitcrushers, or feedback devices outside the module. - Modulate parameters for ever-changing distortion character.

Step-by-Step:

• Energy Macro Control:
• Crank up the Energy to drive density on kick, snare, and toms.
• Hit the red cursor for crash triggers—patch this to gate further distortion or external event (e.g., toggle feedback).
• Syncopation (Synco) & Density:
• Max out Syncopation for hats and snares—creates unpredictable off-grid percussive triggers.
• Increase Density to pack the beats per drum voice.
• Evolve Parameter:
• Slowly modulate Evolve (CV or manually) for patterns that morph over time. Go further by randomizing Evolve for wildly asymmetrical fills.
• Short loops:
• Run 2–8 step loops for glitchy, stuttering patterns ideal for heavy distortion.
• Patch Suggestion:
• HI-HAT output to a gated fuzz/bitcrusher.
• SNARE output to a short delay/reverb plus overdrive.
• CRASH output to a distortion + filter—use crash as a rhythmic “reset” or spiky accent.
• External Modulation:
• Use a fast LFO or envelope to modulate Energy or Evolve via CV, so pattern intensity and fill rate constantly shift.

2. Creating Crazy Basslines (Dubstep/DnB Style)

General Strategy: - Rhythmi’s TOM output is both rhythm and pitch! Quantized to a minor pentatonic scale with 1V/oct, you can use this for basslines. - Pair evolving rhythms with external bass voice for heavy, wobbly, or tearing effects.

Step-by-Step:

• TOM CV Out:
• Send TOM CV output to a VCO/VCO-sub combo set low for sub bass.
• Use the Tom Amount knob to set the “note pool” size—more notes for more melodic fills, fewer for steady riffs.
• TOM Trigger:
• Also patch TOM TRIG out to a fast envelope or VCA, gating the bass oscillator.
• Energy Macro Control:
• As you raise Energy, TOM triggers cluster at the fill phase (end of loop), creating classic fill/roll effects.
• Go beyond the red threshold so crash = baseline “reset” accent.
• Swing:
• Push SWING to near 90% for delayed off-grid stabs.
• Evolve:
• Automate Evolve (with randomization!) for glitching or pitch-rising fills.
• External Patch Ideas:
• Use a distortion or formant filter after the bass for DnB “talking” basslines.
• Modulate these post-effects with the CRASH trigger, or use HI-HAT gates as envelope triggers for filter/FX motion.

3. Creating Haunting, Atmospheric Pads

General Strategy: - While Rhythmi is designed for rhythmic triggers, its evolution, syncopation, and density controls can generate organic “pulses” for granular or ambient soundscapes. - Use slow, sparse patterns to trigger layers of long-attack/release envelopes.

Step-by-Step:

• Slow Clock/External Sync:
• Set Rhythmi to a SLOW loop (low speed, long lengths) or clock from a divided LFO for ambient tempo.
• Low Energy, Sparse Density:
• Turn Energy low, density knobs low—few triggers, lots of space.
• Syncopation for Randomness:
• Modulate Synco slowly (with LFO or random voltage) on SNARE and TOM for unpredictable, ghostly hits.
• Pad Sound Source:
• Patch TOM or SNARE triggers to envelope generators with long attack and release—these EGs then modulate filters/VCAs of your pad voices (synths or samplers).
• Use TOM CV out to shift pad pitch in a scale-locked way.
• Evolve + Randomization:
• Apply evolving/randomization to keep patterns shifting gently.
• Swing:
• Dial in extra swing for ethereal delay/diffusion—spread attacks out in wonky ways.
• Layering:
• Mult outputs to modulate other parameters (e.g., send CRASH trigger to reverb “freeze” or shimmer FX).

General Patching/Modulation Tips

• CV Control Everything:
• Connect LFOs, envelopes, or random CVs to Evolve, Energy, Syncopation, or Length for hands-off textural changes.
• Pattern Automation:
• Use CV-enabled randomization for unpredictable bursts/fills—great for filling space in pads or sudden energy spikes in percussion.
• Base Pattern Changes:
• Long-press the encoder to flip the base pattern—use in performance or automate with external hands.

Summary Table: Parameter-Driven Sound Design

Generated With Eurorack Processor