In the world of digital audio and music creation, finding new instruments that can add originality and unpredictability to your tracks is a constant process. That’s where Ordinate by Xoxos comes in, a unique VST tool that offers a fresh take on drum programming.
Ordinate: A revolution in drum programming
Forget about monotonous, perfectly looped rhythms. Ordinate is based on the principles of probability, allowing you to create drum patterns that breathe, evolve, and never sound exactly the same. It’s not just a sampler or a traditional sequencer; it’s a generative rhythm tool where randomness becomes a controlled part of your creative process.
Probabilistic sequencing means that you don’t just determine when each beat should be played. Instead, you set the probability that an event (the beat of a particular sample) will occur at a certain point in time. This opens up endless possibilities for creating subtle variations, unexpected accents, and organic grooves that are difficult to achieve with classical methods.
How does Ordinate work?
Ordinate is based on three independent programmable probability sequences. Each of them can be customized to trigger a specific drum sample with a probability you define in each step of the sequencer. You can assign separate sequences to the kick, snare, hi-hat, or any other elements of your drum kit. This allows you to build complex rhythmic structures, where each layer has its own degree of liveliness and unpredictability.
But the real magic starts with the fourth sequencer. This additional module operates at a different clock resolution and is used to switch between the three main probabilistic sequences. This ingenious solution makes it possible, for example, to increase the probability of triggering a certain “fill pattern” (additional variation or break) every 8 measures or at any other interval you choose. This way, you can program not only the basic groove, but also structure the dynamics of the entire drum part by adding planned, but still probabilistic, changes and transitions.
Unleash your creativity
Using Ordinate can dramatically change the way you approach creating the rhythmic foundations of your tracks. Instead of carefully drawing each note on a grid, you become an architect of probabilities that controls the flow of rhythmic events. This encourages experimentation and often leads to the discovery of new, fresh ideas that you would never have found using traditional methods.
This plugin is ideal for the genres of electronic music, hip-hop, ambient, experimental music, and any genres where uniqueness and lack of mechanical repetition are valued. It allows you to easily generate many variations of the same pattern, select the best ones or use them all to create truly dynamic and exciting drum parts.
Programming fills and breaks with the fourth sequencer adds another level of control over structure. You can create several different fills or variations of a basic pattern in different probability sequences and use a switch to activate them at the right moments. This is much more flexible than simply inserting pre-recorded MIDI fragments.
Technical Information
Ordinate is distributed in VST format and is designed for Windows (Win32) operating systems. It is easy to use, despite the depth of features it offers. The plug-in interface is intuitive, allowing you to quickly customize probabilities and sequences.
Conclusion.
If you’re looking for a tool that will help you break out of the usual drum programming framework and add an element of live, unpredictable dynamics to your tracks, Xoxos’ Ordinate is exactly what you need. Its unique probabilistic approach, combined with the ability to structure with a fourth sequencer, makes it a powerful ally in creating truly original and exciting rhythms. Give Ordinate a try and open up new horizons for your drumming!
