Modal Change
The
modal_change object allows a user to specify a tonic and diatonic mode
in its two inlets and get the pitch class value of each scale degree out
its eight outlets. A user can send a pitch class number or a letter name
message to its left inlet to set the tonic. A message box with a mode
name such as major, minor, Phrygian, Lydian b7, can be sent to the right
inlet to build up a scale from the given tonic. The object will output
the scale degrees for any tonic within the modes of the major scale, the
melodic minor scale, the harmonic minor scale, and the harmonic major
scale (the major scale with flatted 6). Instead of using one of the mode
names to build a scale, a user can also send a message with the number
of whole steps and half steps desired to build their scale, and receive
the scale degree pitch classes from its outlets.
Double clicking the object will open a display that allows the user
to see what mode they’re in and other information related to the
mode including scale degree distances that make up the scale and the
particular mode’s context within the larger pitch collection.
The
object can receive all of the organized pitch class data into a
table or by using an internal table with the argument table1.
The
object can also receive the organized pitch class data into a coll
list or by using an internal coll list with the argument scale.
The coll list also has an added feature: it will take any
incoming pitch and filter it to the nearest note from the selected
scale.
This
allows you to set the tonic and mode, and filter all incoming pitch
data so that whatever note is played, it will conform to the
diatonic pitch collection you’ve selected.
Modal Triad
The
modal_triad object allows a user to play tertian chords of any
quality. It receives scale data from the modal_change object and,
when a tonic and mode is selected, the object receives the numbers
1-8 in its leftmost inlet to output the notes of the chord function
associated with that number. For example, in major keys, the numbers
1, 4 and 5 are always major chords, 2, 3, and 6 are minor, so, if C
Major is selected, a 2 sent to the modal_triad object will yield the
notes of a d minor chord.
For
each selected chord, the notes of that chord are sent to the
object’s 7 outlets in the following order: root, third, fifth,
seventh, ninth, eleventh, and thirteenth. Alterations like flat
ninth or sharp eleventh are inferred by the chord
function as it relates to the selected tonic and mode.
The
second inlet of the object allows the chord tones, received as pitch
classes, to be restricted to one octave.
The
object also takes Roman numeral functions to yield chords. The
standard capital Roman numerals for major, lower case Roman numerals
for minor are used. A lower case Roman numeral iv in the key of C
Major will yield an F minor chord regardless of the fact that chord
has non-diatonic chord tones in it, the Ab.
A
capital Roman numeral with a plus sign next to it will yield
an augmented chord, and a lowercase Roman numeral with a zero
next to it will yield a diminished chord.
In
the same manner, a user can use letter names to build chords. A
capital C will yield a C Major chord while a lower case e
will yield an e minor chord. A capital C plus will yield an
augmented chord and a lower case d zero will yield a d
diminished chord.
This
object also receives messages for tonicizations. A user can send the
message Roman numeral V/5, to yield the 5 of 5 (a D Major chord in
the key of C Major). The V Chord Tonicizations produce a Dominant
7th chord for each scale degree in the selected mode. That is, the
root, 3rd, 5th, and 7th will form a Dominant 7th Chord exactly one
perfect 5th above a given scale degree. The 9th, 11th, and 13th
pitches of the chord are inferred according to the selected mode and
NOT the mode from which the tonicizing chord prevails.
Similarly the object allows other types of tonicizations including
leading tone tonications and minor four tonicizations. Augmented 6th
chords and Neopolitan chords can also be implemented.
The
object also has 7 switches that can be set to restrict notes from
reaching the outlets.
Modal Prog
The
modal_prog object takes a list of chords (as in a progression) in
its right inlet and outputs each of those chords one at a time to
the modal triad object when a bang is sent to the left inlet. The
object integrates with the modal_triad object and will interpret any
message that modal triad does.
By
default, a new list of chords triggered when a list is currently
being played will sound on the next bang received. With the
optional argument '@immediate 0', a new list of chords triggered
when a list is currently being played will sound as soon as each
chord from the first list has been played.
Modal Shiftlist
The
modal_shiftlist object receives a tonic and mode name in its inlets
and populates a list of all related modes sharing 6 of 7 notes. It
takes the pitches of the scale and moves each scale degree up or
down one at a time to see if a new diatonic mode can be formed. This
process will list 42 related modes for any of the major scale modes,
28 related modes for any of the melodic minor scale modes, 21
related modes for any of the harmonic minor scale modes, and 21
related modes for any of the harmonic major scale modes.
When
one of these related modes is selected from the list, the object
automatically repopulates the list with modes related to the new
key.
Modal Shift
The
modal_shift object is similar to the modal_shiftlist object, but it
is optimized to randomly choose one of the related modes when a bang
is sent to its left inlet.
Modal Mutation
The
modal mutation object is identical to the modal_shift object, but it
outputs only those related modes sharing a common tonic or a
semitone inflection of the tonic.
Modal Mediant
The
modal_mediant object receives a tonic and mode name in its inlets
and populates a list of modes in a chromatic median relationship
with the initial mode. When one of these related modes is selected
from the list, the object automatically repopulates the list with
modes related to the new key.
Modal Messian Objects
The
Modal Messian objects operate similarly to the modal_change object,
but output the pitch classes of Messiaen’s Modes of Limited
Transposition. You can send it messages like C Whole Tone or E
octatonic to receive the pitch classes of that mode. These objects
are also useful for creating modes with 6, 8, 9, or 10 unique scale
degrees as it also accepts scale degree distances.
Modal Analysis Objects
The
modal_analysis object takes incoming notes in its left inlet and
determines in what mode and tonic you’re playing when a bang is sent
to its right inlet. The object attempts to filter out repetitions
and organize notes to infer a mode. Double clicking the object will
reveal a window similar to that of the modal change object which
shows the mode as well as the scale degree distances that make up
the scale and the particular mode’s context within the larger pitch
collection.
The
ordered scale degrees are output as a list from the objects left
outlet and the scale degree distances are output from its second
outlet.
The
modal_analysis+ object does everything modal_analysis does, but is
also set to integrate with the modal change object to trigger a new
mode change when a mode is analyzed. A user could conceivably play a
scale, have it analyzed and then generate chords from that scale in
real-time.
Modal PC Match
The
modal_pc_match object takes an incoming note in its left inlet and
compares it against the diatonic pitch classes of any scale as
defined by the modal_change object. If the incoming pitch matches
one of the pitch classes of the scale, the object outputs a bang
from one of its first seven outlets.
The
object also defines the chromatic notes between diatonic scale
degrees. If an incoming pitch matches a chromatic scale degree, the
object outputs a bang from one of the next 14 outlets. For example,
a C# played in the key of C Major is between scale degrees 1 & 2 - C
& D - a whole step. An incoming C# in any octave will send a bang
out of the outlet marked “Match Scale Degree #1” [read Sharp One].
The
incoming note may also match a chromatic scale degree between a step
and a half (3 semitones). In this case, two chromatic notes are next
to each other separated by a half step. The lower of the two
chromatic notes is referred to as the “#1” (assuming that the step
and half interval is located between scale degrees 1 and 2 as is the
case in the sixth mode of the harmonic minor scale, Lydian #2). The
other chromatic note is closer to the higher scale degree and would
be referred to as “b2”, thus the object would output the message
“Match Scale Degree b2”. For example, imagine a G played in the key
of A Harmonic Minor (between scale degrees 6 & 7 - F & G#). An F# is
interpreted as “#6” and the G is interpreted as “b7”. Note: only the
harmonic minor and harmonic major scales and their modes have two
scale degrees separated by a step and a half.
In
addition to matching chromatic pitches, the modal_pc_match object
also outputs the chromatic pitch classes out of its last 14 outlets.
Note that this means some notes will be redundant. For example,
scale degree_b2 will be the same pitch as scale degree_#1 in Major
keys. Once again, this will not be the case in the modes of harmonic
minor and harmonic major where two pitch classes are separated by 3
semitones.
Modal Fuzzharm
The
modal_fuzzharm object outputs a fuzzy logic chord harmonization
based on incoming pitch classes. The object integrates with several
objects in the modal_object library including the modal_pc_match
object to determine if the incoming note played is diatonic or
chromatic and that notes relationship in the context of the
specified tonic and mode. For example, is the incoming note scale
degree 1? Is it chromatic scale degree #4? If so, how do we want to
harmonize that note when we receive it?
Double clicking the modal_fuzzharm object allows a user to see a
table of chord symbols that the modal_triad object can interpret.
The user can increase the probability weight to the table by
clicking on one of the cells in the column for the desired
chord/function listed in the top row. By default, all probabilities
are set to zero. For example, if the incoming note matches scale
degree one, you’d probably want to harmonize that note with the I
chord, the IV chord and the vi chord since that scale degree one is
present in all of these chords. Other chords may be used to
harmonize that note as well, but you’d probably want the object to
choose some chords more frequently than others, so we give them a
higher table weight by clicking further down on the cells.
A
bang sent to the modal_fuzzharm object will choose one of the chords
to harmonize that note with based on the weightings you’ve
specified. The table can be opened and presets can be saved. In the
help file for this object, the seven diatonic scale degrees all have
modal_fuzzharm objects connected so that when one of these scale
degrees is played, the note will be harmonized in any way the user
specifies. A specified table file has been loaded for each
modal_fuzzharm object when the help opens which illustrates some
default probability settings that harmonize these notes with
diatonic chord functions.
Modal Filter
Modal_filter is a simple abstraction that utilizes modal_change’s
built in coll list feature. The abstraction shows an incoming pitch
separated into octave class and pitch class. A chromatic pitch class
is then filtered to a diatonic one and merged with its octave class.
Thus, any non-diatonic notes will become diatonic ones.
Modal Strictmod
Modal_strictmod is a simple abstraction that allows the modal change
object to cause a strict modulation from one key to another. It
takes the initial tonic in its right inlet and the new tonic in its
left inlet and outputs the index of transposition number through its
outlet.
Modal Netsend & Modal Netreceive
The
modal_netsend and modal_netreceive objects are simple abstractions
designed to optimize sending modal_change messages over a network.
It uses normal UDP network features for port and IP address
specification.
Modal Line (BETA)
The modal_line
object operates similarly to the line object in terms of "ramping" from one
number to the next. However, the ramp in modal_line only includes diatonic
pitches of a specified mode.
Modal Chord Analysis (BETA)
The modal_chord_analysis object identifies a list of notes as tertian chords. The
root, chord quality, harmonic function, inversion, and bass note are given as
output. For added notes beyond the triad, M is used to indicate major intervals,
m for minor intervals, P for perfect intervals. # and b are used to indicate
alterations in perfect intervals.
V Objects
(included with MOL)
The V Objects Library
provides a number of shortcut tools for Max created by V.J. and included with the Modal
Object Library.
vj.banger
an abstraction to
bang multiple objects in sequence (based on Peter Elsea's banger object).
vj.buffer_cropper
remove silence from
the beginning of an audio recording within a buffer~ object
vj.lockstate
reports if a patcher
is locked or unlocked
vj.filepather
allows a user to
dump a bunch of files in a named folder and have those files automatically
loaded to Max's temp search path when the patch is loaded
vj.fileplayer
audio player
abstraction that plays back compressed and uncompressed audio including MP3's
vj.platform_detection
simple abstraction
reports if the patch is being run on a Windows or Mac platform
vj.timetrial
abstraction that
reports a nag screen or closes the patch when the trial expiration time has been
reached
vj.random_filename
abstraction that
creates a random filename. Output has descriptive filename and random number in
front. No more overwriting sfrecord~ files when batch recording in multiple
sessions!!
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