scripts / norns
tidbit
Use Just Friends or a MIDI device as a 'melodic' granular synth.
install
In maiden's REPL (the >> prompt at the bottom of the editor), run:
;install https://github.com/markijzerman/tidbitOr add the splines catalog to maiden and install it from the project manager. Restart norns if the script ships a new engine.
readme from markijzerman/tidbit
Tidbit
Use Just Friends or a MIDI device as a 'melodic' granular synth.

See a video of Tidbit in action, using JF: https://vimeo.com/668942592/96eb5f63ae
Discussion on the llllllll.co forum: https://llllllll.co/t/tidbit
What is Tidbit?
Tidbit uses either Norns, Crow and JF (or W/) or MIDI to create granular notes - addressing the device in a very rapid way as to use the absolute most of JFs six voices or a MIDI device to create everything from rich sound beds to short scrapy percussive sounds. It applies the long history of granular synthesis to the six voices of Just Friends or a MIDI device, starting from Democritus' atom theory all the way to Curtis Roads' writings on Microsound and beyond.
You curate four sets of five notes, or- randomise them in the PARAMS menu. Now, you can modulate the sound parameters on JF, skipping through different note-sets with E3 and divisions with E2. On MIDI devices Tidbit relies on voice stealing.
See another short demo from an earlier version a while back here.
Installation
- Install via maiden or clone/download the repo to
dust/code. - Restart norns.
- Start Tidbit!
Requirements
Norns and either Crow and Just Friends, or a MIDI device. Optional: W/
Todo
- randomisation of wsyn params per grain would be cool
- A working internal engine so it does not need anything external
- a more beautiful visualisation (seems broken rn?)
- amplitudes should start at 1 (or at least half of them per chord)
- check the range of the notes (seemed to be able to go lower first when it was still numerical)
- dynamic amount of notes/note sets? make a “spread” param that can detune every note by a random amount
- set Crow inputs to determine noteset/division!
- make a “slow ambient mode”, in which I maybe read out ‘cycle’ state, or can trigger with K3 or something. Slow moving partial-mode ish. Have to think this through.
Contribute
PR's welcome!