Delptronics Trigger Man - Manual (Page 19)

Trigger Man User Manual
V2
19 of 20
Playing a Chain of Patterns with Different Sequence Lengths
When the Trigger Man plays a chain of patterns that contains outputs of different sequence lengths, the
meta-patterns get longer. The chart below shows a 2-pattern chain with several sequence lengths. We
have limited the number of sequence lengths in the chart for clarity.
The cells in the chart contain the pattern number and the step number separated by a dot.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32
8 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8
7 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.1 2.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.1 1.2 1.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.1 2.2 1.3 1.4
6 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.1 1.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 1.5 1.6 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.1 2.2
5 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.1 1.2 1.3 2.4 2.5 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 2.5 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.1 2.2
For each output, the step numbers increase as always, going from 1 up to the sequence length, then
resetting to 1, and repeating. The pattern number changes for all outputs at the same time when the
longest sequence resets to step 1. The point at which the pattern number changes is indicated by a thick
line in the above chart.
When the pattern number changes, all sequences go to the next pattern number, but they do not reset
to step 1. Instead, each sequence continues counting the step number until it reaches the sequence
length, then it resets to step 1.
The length of the meta-pattern is still determined by the least common denominator of the sequence
lengths, just as it would be if a single pattern was playing. However, that number is multiplied by the
number of patterns in the chain to get the total number of beats in the meta-pattern.
A 2-pattern chain consisting of 8-step and 6-step sequences, repeats after 48 beats (2 * 24). A 2-pattern
chain consisting of 8-step and 7-step sequences, repeats after 112 beats (2 * 56). And, so on. Using this
method, each individual step of each sequence gets played the same number of times over the course of
the meta-pattern. Seriously. We have spreadsheets and everything.
The other way to implement this would be to have all sequences start at pattern 2 step 1 at the same
time. That would not work well at all. Consider an 8-step sequence and a 7-step sequence (refer to the
above chart). If they restarted at the same time, then step 1 of the 7-step sequence would get played
twice every time the 8-step sequence repeated. It would give undue weight to that step, and it would
not sound right. The way it is implemented in the Trigger Man, all steps get equal play time.