Triggering the Quadra plugin

[yo61]

Hi all,

First-time poster, guitarist, and synth newbie here.

I want to reproduce New Order's Temptation. Here's a live video with an extended intro where you can hear what they do - I think the Quadra is triggered from a drum machine of some sort:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJSzi1wTxiI

Is it possible to trigger the Quadra plugin like this from an external source?

Thanks for any suggestions/discussion.

R.

[Steve W]

Is it possible to trigger the Quadra plugin like this from an external source?

No idea what kind of triggering is being done in the video (other than what you suggest: "I think the Quadra is triggered from a drum machine of some sort"), but all CA Instruments I have used respond to MIDI whether from hardware or a software source. Did you read the section in the manual on MIDI? https://docs.cherryaudio.com/cherry-aud ... ontrollers

Not sure if you know, but if you want people to look at a specific section in a YT video, you can get the URL with the time parameter to post. (Yes, I looked around in the video trying to find what you had in mind, but had no idea if I was looking at what you were asking about. If there's a drum machine in there, I must has skipped past it.)

PS: By any chance are you talking about the Arpeggiator? https://docs.cherryaudio.com/cherry-aud ... rpeggiator

FWIW, I put CA's Quadra in a Voltage Modular Plug-in Host Module and found these arp parameters available.

CA Quadra - exposed Arpeggiator paramethers.png (6.07 KiB) Viewed 2434 times

So, on the chance that what you assume might have been an external drum machine as a source is an arpeggiator, the Quadra's MIDI Learn function can be used to assign midi commands to those arp functions. Verified working from sliders on my USB keyboard with Quadra as a standalone instrument.

On second thought, maybe you mean the 4-note Morse Code like rhythmic pattern that runs through the entire song.

[utdgrant]

I think the Quadra is triggered from a drum machine of some sort:

It definitely looks like that sort of configuration.

As you can see from the (hardware) Quadra rear panel, you can only send triggers and gates to the Bass and Lead sections:

QuadraRearPanel.jpg (37.22 KiB) Viewed 2421 times

I'm guessing that in the video, the Lead synth is playing in duophonic mode and triggered by an external sequencer or drum machine. You can see Gillian playing only two notes at a time, and you get 'voice stealing' when she's not bang on the beat. On the Lead Synth section, duophonic mode is enabled by swithing on the "2 Voice On" button.

Is it possible to trigger the Quadra plugin like this from an external source?

It's not obvious how to separate the notes and triggers from the MIDI input on CA Quadra.

I'd be tempted to use Voltage Modular for this purpose. The free Nucleus Edition will allow you to set up a gated VCA which you can then send the Quadra's audio through.

[yo61]

Hi Steve,

Thanks for the reply.

I'm very new to all this and am at the stage of finding out what I need to learn about. Your suggest of MIDI and the link is very helpful. Thanks.

The bit I was referring to in the video is the right at the start. You can hear a drum machine start up and then a synth sound playing the morse code figure you identified.

The information about trigger came from this post: https://www.soundonsound.com/forum/view ... 77#p296777

Temptation and EGG (Everything's Gone Green) were largely the products of the DR55 triggering an ARP Quadra. You'd have to dig into the Quadra's architecture to see how they did it, but I'd guess that there's some form of simple arpeggiator on there which is being triggered by the a pattern programmed DR55 (I think you could program the rimshot as a trigger?)

I'm hoping I can program in a drum pattern (in Logic) and trigger the Quadra sounds from that.

Thanks again for the suggestions. I'll do some reading around MIDI and come back if I have further questions.

R.

[yo61]

I think the Quadra is triggered from a drum machine of some sort:

It definitely looks like that sort of configuration.

As you can see from the (hardware) Quadra rear panel, you can only send triggers and gates to the Bass and Lead sections:

QuadraRearPanel.jpg

I'm guessing that in the video, the Lead synth is playing in duophonic mode and triggered by an external sequencer or drum machine. You can see Gillian playing only two notes at a time, and you get 'voice stealing' when she's not bang on the beat. On the Lead Synth section, duophonic mode is enabled by swithing on the "2 Voice On" button.

Is it possible to trigger the Quadra plugin like this from an external source?

It's not obvious how to separate the notes and triggers from the MIDI input on CA Quadra.

I'd be tempted to use Voltage Modular for this purpose. The free Nucleus Edition will allow you to set up a gated VCA which you can then send the Quadra's audio through.

Ah ha - your reply came as I was replying to Steve!

Thanks for the detail. I'll have a look at Voltage Modular and see if it will help.

Thanks again,

R.

[utdgrant]

Ah ha - your reply came as I was replying to Steve!

Thanks for the detail. I'll have a look at Voltage Modular and see if it will help.

I knocked up this quick patch with Micro Stringer taking the place of the Quadra:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyPpJXVdmfo

[yo61]

Ah ha - your reply came as I was replying to Steve!

Thanks for the detail. I'll have a look at Voltage Modular and see if it will help.

I knocked up this quick patch with Micro Stringer taking the place of the Quadra:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyPpJXVdmfo

Wow, that's awesome!

I don't suppose you can share a patch?

R.

[utdgrant]

Ah ha - your reply came as I was replying to Steve!

Thanks for the detail. I'll have a look at Voltage Modular and see if it will help.

I knocked up this quick patch with Micro Stringer taking the place of the Quadra:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyPpJXVdmfo

Wow, that's awesome!

I don't suppose you can share a patch?

R.

You can literally take all the control settings from the video, but sure I'll post an actual VM patch tomorrow (UK time).

[utdgrant]

You can use this patch as an instrument, by playing MIDI notes into VM, which then get played by Micro Stringer. Micro Stringer isn't part of VM Nucleus, but can be downloaded free-of-charge from the store.

Alternatively, you can use the patch as an FX Processor, rhythmically chopping up any sounds played through the Left Audio In channel.

QuadraTemptation.JPG (137.42 KiB) Viewed 2336 times

Temptation of the Quadra.voltagepreset

(9.53 KiB) Downloaded 221 times