Rack/plugins/community/repos/Alikins

VCV Rack plugin

Plugins for use with VCV Rack virtual module synthesizer (https://github.com/VCVRack/Rack)

Modules

IdleSwitch

What

An ‘idle loop’ inspired module for detecting when an input is idle and turns on a gate until it sees activity again.

If no input events are seen at “Input Source” within the timeout period emit a gate on “Idle Gate Output” that lasts until there are input events again. Then reset the timeout period.

Sort of metaphoricaly like an idle handler or timeout in event based programming like GUI main loops.

The timeout period is set by the value of the “Time before idle” param.

Input event

An “Input event” is a gate or trigger (or a CV or audio signal that looks sufficently like a gate or trigger).

After a input event, the Idle Gate Output will remain on until an input event is seen at Input Source. When there is an input event, the Idle Gate Output is turned off until the expiration of the “Time before idle” or the next “Reset idle”.

Reset timer

If there is a “Reset timer” source, when it gets an event, the timeout period is reset. But unlike an “Input event”, a “Reset timer” event does does not reset the idle status.

After “Reset time” event, the “Idle Gate Output” will remain on until an input event is seen at Input Source. When there is an input event, the Idle Gate Output is turned off until the expiration of the “Time before idle” or the next “Reset idle”.

To use the eventloop/gui main loop analogy, a “Reset idle” event is equilivent to running an idle handler directly (or running a mainloop iteration with no non-idle events pending).

Clock input

If a cable is hooked to the “Clock Input” then the pulse from the clock will determine with the idle time expires. When there is a clock pulse, if there were no input events since the previous clock pulse that is considered idle.

The “Time before idle” display will reflect the time since the last clock pulse. The “Time remaining” display will always show 0 for now, at least until it can predict the future.

Time input and output

The “Time input” expects a CV output between 0 and 10V. The voltage maps directly do the number of seconds for the idle timeout. Eg. a 5.0V CV to “Time input” sets “Time before idle” to 5000ms (5.0 seconds)

The “Time output” sends a CV output between 0 and 10V indicating the “Time before idle” value.

The “Time output” can be used to connect one or more IdleSwitch modules together so they share the same “Time before idle”.

In “Clock input” mode, the “Time Output” will correspond with the “Time before idle” display until the time is over 10s, then the “Time output” will max out at 10V.

Gate Output and idle start and end trigger outputs

Once the idle timeout has expired, the “gate output” output will go high (+10V) and stay high until there are new input source events. ie, it turns on when there is no actively for the “Time before idle” length of time.

The “start out” output will send a +10V trigger at the start of idle, at the start of the “gate out” gate.

The “end out” output will send a +10V trigger at the end of idle, at the end of the “gate out” gate. This also corresponds to the same time as when a new “Input source” event is detected.

“start of” trigger == “we have gone idle” “end of” trigger == “we got input source events (activity) and am no longer idle.

Switched input and output

The “Input” is switched between “When idle” and “Off idle” outputs based on idle state.

The “Input” port on the bottom left can be any input.

The “Input” will be routed to the “When idle” output if idle. Otherwise, the “Input” is routed to the “Off idle” output.

Note the “Input” does not have to be related to the input connected to the “Input source”. “Input source” typically needs to be triggers or gates, but “Input” can be any signal.

Why

Original intentional was to use in combo with a human player and midi/cv keyboard. As long as the human is playing, the IdleSwitch output is ‘off’, but if they go idle for some time period the output is turned on. For example, a patch may plain loud drone when idle, but would turn the drone off or down when the human played and then turn it back on when it stopped. Or maybe it could be used to start an drum fill...

The “Reset idle” input allows this be kind of synced to a clock, beat, or sequence. In the dronevexample above, the drone would then only come back in on a beat.

And perhaps most importantly, it can be used to do almost random output and make weird noises.

ColorPanel

A CV controlled RGB/HSL color “blank” panel.

Supports selectable input ranges (0V to 10V or -5V to 5V) via right click context menu The color input mode is also selectable via the context menu.

Module is resizable.

BigMuteButton

A big mute button.

Use just before output to the audio interface module.

When clicked, will mute the output output. Will unmute on next click.

Easier/quicker than adjusting mixer levels, or system volume, or finding the tiny mute button on mixers.

MomentaryOnButtons

A set of GUI buttons that send a +10V output while pressed.

License

BSD 3-clause. See LICENSE.txt