Orbita Plugin For Ableton Live!

Hello!
Today we will tell you a bit more about one of the ideas that inspired Orbita: Circular Sequencing.

While a traditional music score has a rectangular shape, the music itself has no obligation to be seen as linear. In fact, since it often consists of repeated phrases, a circle is a much more intuitive way to visualise music. This is especially true for rhythmic parts.

source: incipitsify youtube channel

Read the overview of the circular approach to sequencing in this article by Jesse Siminski.

A simple ‘square’ rhythm is a good example, and so is a waltz. Euclidean rhythms are plentiful in nature and culture, and the concept is used across scientific fields. In music, Euclidean rhythms form the basis of what most cultures of the world consider ‘groovy’. And, they are better seen as a circle than as a line!

source: codepen.io

Some synthesisers and many web applications have instrumentalised circular sequencing – such as the Groove Pizza app. Here at Playtronica, we were inspired to create a hands-on, tactile circular sequencer – which is why Orbita is coming to life very soon.

source: Groove Pizza app

However, it will work best along with a web application developed specifically for it. So, we teamed up with Alkman who created Euclidean sequencer – a plugin for Ableton Live – to build an Orbita patch that can be integrated into the Max for Live toolkit.

source: Euclidean sequencer plugin

Stay groovy y’all,

Playtronica team