permute

permute is a 14-track improvisational MIDI sequencer for monome norns, grid, and optional Arc, crow, MIDI, or Launchpad Pro Mk3 devices.

Quick start

;install https://github.com/discepoli/permute

Connect a grid and your MIDI sound source, launch permute, then choose the output port in PARAMS > permute > clock + midi. Press K2 to start. The bottom row is track 1, the top row is track 14. Press a pad in a track row to add or remove a step.

On a 16×16 grid, row 15 is the dynamic row and row 16 is the modifier row. Hold a step and use the dynamic row to set a melodic step's pitch or a drum step's velocity. Hold modifier-row controls to mute, solo, randomize, change track range or speed, add temporary notes, and more.

Press the Takeover modifier to edit the selected track as a full-height pitch or velocity grid. Connect a 16×8 grid as an auxiliary editor for the selected track. Set external midi clock if another device provides transport, or hold K2 and press K3 to switch between internal and external clock.

Use save as default in the params menu to remember your usual device routing and track setup at startup. Save a norns PSET when you want to store a complete musical snapshot, including pattern data.

Grid cheat sheet

On a 16×16 grid, rows 1-14 are tracks, row 15 is the dynamic row, and row 16 is the modifier row. On a 16×8 grid, rows 1-6 are tracks, row 7 is dynamic, and row 8 is modifiers.

Column	Modifier	Hold it, then...
1	Mute	Press a track to toggle mute.
2	Solo	Press a track to toggle solo.
3	Start	Press a step to set a track's first step.
4	End	Press a step to set a track's last step.
5	Track Select	Press a track to select it. Double-tap to toggle focus mode.
6	Random Notes	Use the dynamic row to randomize notes or velocity.
7	Random Steps	Use the dynamic row to randomize gates.
8	Temp / Fill	Hold alone for pattern slots. Hold with Shift for temporary notes or fills.
9	Ratios	Use the dynamic row to select a loop position and cycle.
10	Shift	Use with the combinations below.
11	Octave	Use the dynamic row to set the selected track's octave.
12	Transpose	Use the dynamic row to transpose the selected track.
13	Takeover	Enter the selected track's full-height editor.
14	Clear	Press a track or step to clear that track.
15	Spice	Use the dynamic row to choose accumulated pitch change, then assign it to steps.
16	Beat Repeat	Use the dynamic row to select a temporary repeat length.

Combination	Action
Start (3) + End (4)	Set the selected track's speed on the dynamic row.
Track Select (5) + Takeover (13)	Enter or leave the transpose sequencer.
Random Notes (6) + Random Steps (7)	Randomize both notes and gates from the dynamic row.
Shift (10) + Start (3)	Halve the selected track's length.
Shift (10) + End (4)	Double the selected track's length.
Shift (10) + Random Notes (6)	Set ongoing note-randomization probability and span.
Shift (10) + Random Steps (7)	Set ongoing gate-randomization probability.
Shift (10) + Temp / Fill (8)	Add temporary notes or fills, according to `temp button mode`. Double-tap to latch.
Shift (10) + Transpose (12)	Toggle external MIDI recording.
Shift (10) + Takeover (13)	Toggle realtime grid recording.
Shift (10) + Spice (15)	Undo.
Shift (10) + Beat Repeat (16)	Redo.
Shift (10) + Clear (14)	Clear every track.
Clear (14) + another modifier	Clear that modifier's data for the selected track. Add Shift (10) to clear it for every track.

The full manual documents the grid, every modifier and combo, editing modes, external devices, parameters, defaults, and presets.

permute new

install

readme from discepoli/permute

permute

Quick start

Grid cheat sheet

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