Audio node
Composer
The conductor: composes an endless piece in a style -- drums, bass, chords, pad, lead, arp -- and plays every synth in the system that Listens to it, bends the ones playing Live onto its harmony, and follows or overrides the system BPM. Add inside an Audio Modular System.
Inputs
| Port | Type | Default |
|---|---|---|
| EnableOff releases every child from the Composer — they play their own parts again. | bool | true |
| StyleThe genre the piece is written in: Meditative, Cinematic, Jazz, Rock, Deep Dub, Techno, Trance, Drum & Bass. Each carries its tempo range, grooves, bass idiom, progressions, form. Changing it builds a new track that takes over at the next phrase. | int | cinematic |
| Blend StyleA second style to lean toward — its grooves and progressions mix in by Blend (jazz + drum & bass = liquid; techno + dub = deep). Shown when Blend > 0. | int | cinematic |
| BlendHow much of the Blend Style comes through: 0 pure Style, 1 mostly the other. Clamped to 0…1; a core change (new track at the next phrase). | float | 0 |
| KeyThe tonic. Auto lets the seed choose. A core change. | int | 0 |
| ScaleThe mode: major, minor, dorian, mixolydian, lydian, phrygian, harmonic minor, pentatonics — or Auto from the style. A core change. | int | 0 |
| Length ModeEndless chains sections forever (the intro once). Fixed plans one piece of Length Min minutes, ends, breathes two bars, and begins the next. Random Range picks a length between Min and Max for each piece. | int | 0 |
| Length MinMinutes: the fixed length, or the lower end of the range. Clamped to 0.5…60. | float | 3 |
| Length MaxMinutes: the upper end of the random range. Clamped to 0.5…60. | float | 6 |
| SeedThe identity of the piece: same seed, same track. Changing it builds a new track that takes over at the next phrase boundary while this one keeps playing. | int | 0 |
| Override BPMOn: the whole system's transport follows the Composer's tempo (BPM, or the style's own when BPM is 0). Off: the Composer follows the system BPM. | bool | false |
| BPMThe Composer's tempo when overriding: 0 = the style's own range, hashed per track. Clamped to 20…300. | float | 0 |
| DensityHow full every part is — off-strokes, hats, arp notes, melody cells. Live. Clamped to 0…1. | float | 0.7 |
| ComplexityGhost notes, fills, chord extensions, arp patterns, grace notes, motif development. Live. Clamped to 0…1. | float | 0.5 |
| EnergyScales the whole arc — velocities, brightness, layers. Live. Clamped to 0…1. | float | 0.7 |
| DramaDepth of the arc: contrast between builds, drops and breaks, snare rolls, bass starvation, the occasional dropped one. Live. Clamped to 0…1. | float | 0.5 |
| RomanceWarmer voicings, sevenths and ninths, softer lead, pads even in busy styles. Live. Clamped to 0…1. | float | 0.4 |
| CalmSlower harmonic breath, longer notes, thinner drums, quieter breaks. Live. Clamped to 0…1. | float | 0.3 |
| GrooveSwing and human timing on top of the style's own feel. Live. Clamped to 0…1. | float | 0.4 |
| BreaksHow much of the form is builds and breakdowns versus grooves and drops. Shapes the form — a core change. Clamped to 0…1. | float | 0.5 |
| SpaceStereo width and air the Composer asks of the instruments. Live. Clamped to 0…1. | float | 0.5 |
| HandTiming scatter of every stroke — 0 machine, 1 loose. Live. Clamped to 0…1. | float | 0.25 |
Outputs
| Port | Type |
|---|---|
| Playing | string |
| Section | string |
| Chord | string |
| KeyThe tonic. Auto lets the seed choose. A core change. | string |
| Bar | int |
| Beat | int |
| EnergyScales the whole arc — velocities, brightness, layers. Live. Clamped to 0…1. | float |
| Tension | float |
| Progress | float |
| Drop | bool |
| BPMThe Composer's tempo when overriding: 0 = the style's own range, hashed per track. Clamped to 20…300. | float |
| Drums | float |
| Lead | float |
| Bass | float |
| Chord Notes | float |
How It Works
Composer is the conductor of an Audio Modular System. Drop it inside one and every child gains two ports at the top of its inspector: Composer (Off / Live / Listen) and Role (Auto, Drums, Bass, Chords, Pad, Lead, Arp, Texture, Ornament, World).
- Listen — the child becomes an instrument in the Composer's hands: it receives its part sample-accurately and its sound is written for it (clean by design), with only the basics left in its inspector.
- Live — the child keeps its own brain, but its notes are conformed onto the Composer's harmony and its level and density follow the arrangement's arc.
The Composer writes an endless piece — drums, bass, chords, pad, lead, arp — with section arcs, fills, builds, breaks and form. A change to the style or key builds a new track that takes over on the next four-bar boundary, so nothing ever jumps.
Styles and Mood
Eight styles, blendable: Meditative, Cinematic, Jazz, Rock, Deep Dub, Techno, Trance, Drum & Bass (with Blend Style and Blend for the crossfade). Key, Scale and Seed set the material; nine live mood knobs shape the performance: Density, Complexity, Energy, Drama, Romance, Calm, Groove, Space and Hand. Override BPM lets the Composer drive the container's transport.
Use Cases
- Endless score — an installation that plays for hours without repeating.
- Arrangement you steer — perform the mood knobs instead of the notes.
- Visuals in sync — Section, Chord, Bar, Beat, Energy, Tension, Drop and the three note streams are all outputs.
Tips
- Listen children share the headroom automatically, so adding instruments does not make the limiter work harder.
- Set Role to Auto and let the Composer decide from the instrument's type and preset.
- Fixed or random piece lengths end, rest two bars, and start the next one — a set, not a loop.
Open Composer in the interactive catalog →
Composer is one of 381 nodes in Grafit Pro.
Free download. Every feature for 7 days, no card. Then €99.99 once — or keep playing your projects as a Player.