Inspired by Tidal Cycles, Zen features a mini-notation for expressing patterns. It parses these strings into arrays of values and selects the correct value based on the current time.
Create an array of length 16 and fill with 1s:
s0.e.set('1*16').print('e') // triggers on every division
Create an array of length 16 and randomly fill it with 1s and 0s:
s0.e.set('1?0*16').print('e')
Create a sequence:
s0.x.set('0..15*16').print('x')
s0.e.set('1*16')
Randomly choose from the sequence:
s0.x.set('0..15?*16').print('x')
s0.e.set('1*16')
Alternate between values:
s0.x.set('0,1*2').print('x')
s0.e.set('1*16')
Alternate between values:
s0.x.set('0,0.25,0.5,0.75*4').print('x')
s0.y.set('0,0.25,0.5,0.75*16').print('y')
s0.e.set('1*16')
Notate bars:
s0.x.set('0..15*16 | 15..0*16 |').print('x')
s0.e.set('1*16')
Repeat bars:
s0.x.set('0..15*16 |*2 15..0*16 |*3').print('x')
s0.e.set('1*16')
Stretch bars:
s0.x.set('0..15*16 |^3').print('x')
s0.e.set('1*16')
You can repeat bars, then stretch them, but not the other way around:
s0.x.set('0..15?*16 |*2^3').print('x')
s0.e.set('1*16')
Euclidean rhythms spread x beats over a y divisions, as equally as possible.
4 pulses over 16 divisions:
s0.x.set('0..15*16').print('x')
s0.e.set('4:16')
3 pulses over 8 division:
s0.x.set('0..15*16').print('x')
s0.e.set('3:8')
3 over 8, twice per bar:
s0.x.set('0..15*16').print('x')
s0.e.set('3:8*2')
Midi note values are notated as <root><octave>, where the root is a capital letter and the octave is an number.
s0.set({inst:0,reverb:0.5,cut:0,cutr:100})
s0.n.set('C4 E4 G4 B4')
s0.e.sometimes()
Chords and scales are handled identically. Both return an array of note values. Scales were gratefully adapted from Tidal Cycle's scale library.
Chords are notated as <root><triad><extension?>, where the root is a capitalised letter, the triad is one of ma, mi, di, au, su (major, minor, diminished, augmented, suspended), and the (optional) extension is one of 6, 7, #7, b9, 9, 11, #11, 13, #13:
s0.set({inst:0,reverb:0.5,cut:0,dur:10,r:100})
s0.n.set('Cmi7')
s0.e.set('9:16')
Turn the chord into a sequence:
s0.set({inst:0,reverb:0.5,cut:0,dur:10,r:100})
s0.n.set('Cmi7..*8')
s0.e.set('9:16')
Randomly choose from the sequence:
s0.set({inst:0,reverb:0.5,cut:0,dur:10,r:100})
s0.n.set('Cmi7..?*16')
s0.e.set('9:16')
Specify the length of the chord:
s0.set({inst:0,reverb:0.5,cut:0,dur:10,r:100})
s0.n.set('Cmi7%16..*16')
s0.e.set('1*16')
A number of Pattern methods handle arrays and can be useful here:
s0.set({inst:0,reverb:0.5,cut:0,dur:10,r:100,vol:0.5})
s0.n.set('Cmi7').at(t())
s0.e.set('1*16')
Scales are notated <root><scale> and can be treated in the same way:
s0.set({inst:0,reverb:0.5,cut:0,dur:10,r:100,vol:0.5})
s0.n.set('Clyd*16')
s0.e.set('3:8*2')
Turn the scale into a sequence:
s0.set({inst:0,reverb:0.5,cut:0,dur:10,r:100,vol:0.5})
s0.n.set('Clyd..*16')
s0.e.set('1*16')
Randomly choose from the sequence:
s0.set({inst:0,reverb:0.5,cut:0,dur:10,r:100,vol:0.5})
s0.n.set('Clyd..?*16')
s0.e.set('1*16')
Specify the length of the scale:
s0.set({inst:0,reverb:0.5,cut:0,dur:10,r:100,vol:0.5})
s0.n.set('Clyd%16..?*16')
s0.e.set('1*16')
Execute scales() in the editor to print a list of available scales in the console.
Mini-notation can be used in place of any value in Zen, making it enormously powerful. For example:
s0.set({inst:0,reverb:'0.5?0*16',cut:'0?1*16',dur:10,r:100,vol:0.5})
s0.n.set('Clyd%16..?*16')
s0.e.set('1*16')