Modules

Everything in Numerology revolves around its modules. They come in a wide variety: There are sequencing modules for generating streams of MIDI notes or control signals, modules for generating and modify MIDI messages, modules for hosting Audio Unit synthesizers and effects, and modules for interfacing with the external world, and so on.

So what's a module?

At an abstract level, a module is a semi-independent component within Numerology that:

• Has a front-panel user interface with controls for modifying its behavior.
• Has a back-panel user interface for managing connections to other modules.
• Has inputs and output ports for various types of connections (Clock, CV, MIDI & Audio)
• Always lives inside a Stack.
• Supports the use of Stack Presets for saving and recalling the module's parameters.

All of Numerology's modules are listed in the "Module Lib" (Module Library) tab in the left-most panel of the Rack. When you first start Numerology, you will see three categories of modules:

To view the complete library of Numerology modules, use the "Library" menu that appears just above the list of modules, and chose the "Advanced" item. The primary difference between modules in the standard library and modules in the advanced library is that the advanced modules generally require that when you add them to a stack, you will need to go to the routing page to connect them to other modules, otherwise, they will probably not do anything.

Now that you have chosen the advanced module library, you will see 9 categories of modules:

Here is some information on what you will find within each module category:

The most important and most complex modules in Numerology are its MIDI sequencers, of which their are four:

• The MonoNote : A monophonic MIDI pattern sequencer.
• The PolyNote : A polyphonic MIDI pattern sequencer with up to 128 notes available at once.
• The DrumSeq : A multi-track MIDI pattern sequencer optimized for drum programming.
• The MatrixSeq : A polyphonic MIDI pattern sequencer with 12 notes of polyphony that can also be used as a programmable arpeggiator.

These are all very powerful modules that offer a wide variety of features. Each on its own is more powerful than many hardware sequencers that sell for hundreds of dollars. They all are share a common design and feature set, such that once you know one of them, you know them all. The easiest of these to start with is the MonoNote, which you call learn all about by reading its reference page.

Within the Note Sequencer category, you will also see the Matrix Arpeggiator, which is a slightly modified variant (or "prototype") of the Matrix Seq. It is actual the same module, but with some changes to its parameters, so that when you add it to a stack it is all ready to be used as an arpeggiator.

The next group in the Module Library contains sequencers that generate CV signals. Because these modules do not generate MIDI notes directly, they are a bit less convenient to use than the NoteSequencers. However, when used together, they are a very potent creative combination.

Of the four modules in this group, three are variants of each other: The IntervalSeq, VelocitySeq and ModulationSeq. Each of these is a different prototype of their common parent, the CV Sequencer. They are each modified for a specific task: The Interval Seq is setup to generate pitch intervals, the Velocity Seq is setup to generate velocity values, and the Modulation Seq is setup to act as a general-purpose source of CV Signals.

These modules are all about generating and processing CV Signals. Some of them are modules traditionally found in analog modular systems (LFO, Dual LFO and Envelope), some are modules that can be used as control panels (Triple XY & Fader Box), or for general purpose CV processing (Scale & Offset, SignalProc, CV Mixer, Sample & Hold). There is one module that is particularly useful, as it gives you the ability to setup internal automation of any parameter in Numerology: the ParamMod. There are several ways to setup parameter modulation in Numerology, they are discussed in detail here.

These modules are for generating and processing MIDI messages. You can generate MIDI Note, CC, NRPN, Pitch Bend and Program Change messages, and process and/or filter them in various ways.

There are two sample-based synthesis modules included with Numerology. The AudioSample module is for playing a sample as a single loop, or as a basic polyphonic synthesizer. The DrumKit module is an 8-part drum synthesizer with many handy features.

These modules are primarily for audio processing: they take audio in, modify it, and then send it back out. One of the modules, the Envelope Follower, converts an audio signal into a CV signal.

These modules allow you to run Audio Unit Synthesizers and Effects within Numerology.

Working with Modules

When you first start Numerology, you will get an empty stack with three big "Placeholder" modules, with these handy hints:

"Drag a Note Sequencer Here"

"Drag an AudioUnit Synth Here"

"Drag an AudioUnit Effect Here"

These placeholders are there as a guide: they provide simple instructions you can follow when you first start using Numerology. If you drag one of the matching modules over to a stack with these placeholders present, the module will be added, and will replace the matching placeholder. Or, you can remove the placeholders by clicking the "X" button on them (upper right-hand corner) and they will go away.

As you have probably determined by now, you add modules to a stack by dragging them from the Module Library to the stack of existing modules. When you drag them over, you will see a red box appear. This box indicates where the module will be added: If the mouse is hovering just between two modules, the box will be very narrow, to indicate that the new module will be inserted between two existing modules. If the mouse is not hovering near the border of two modules, the box will expand to cover the whole stack, indicating that the module will be added to the end of the stack.

When you add a module to a stack, Numerology may try to auto-connect it to other modules. You can disable this behavior by holding down the option key when you drag in the module. For more information on auto-connection, see the Routing chapter.

The user interface for a module has two, sometimes three sections. First there is the header, which is a darker-gray strip that runs across the top of the module.

The module header has several controls which all modules share. From left to right, they are:

• The Minimize Button : If you click this, the rest of the module (the body) will be hidden. Click it again to re-reveal the body.
  
  
• The Bypass Button : This looks like a little green power button. When it is green, the module is "live" and will work normally, when dark, the module is "off" (or bypassed) and will not be rendered. When a module is bypassed, it does not consume any CPU resources.
  
  
• The Action Menu : This menu has several commands for working with modules. More on this in a bit.
  
  
• The Move Handle : Click and drag here to move a module up or down in the stack.
  
  
• The Module Name : If you double-click on this, you can change the name of the module, as well as its comment.
  
  
• The Module Comment : You can add a short comment to any module, the default is "...". The comment is always drawn roughly in the center of the module header. Double-click the comment to edit it.
  
  
• The Module Title : This appears on the far right of the module header.

The Action Menu contains several commands that you will use now and then to work with modules:

• Rename / Edit Details : In addition to double-clicking on the module name, this is another way to bring up the "Module Detail" dialog where you can edit its name and comment.
  
  
• Delete Module : This is how you delete a module. After picking this, you will be asked to confirm deletion.
  
  
• Copy Params To All Presets : This will copy the current parameter settings for the module to all its presets.
  
  
• Copy Routings To All Presets : This will copy the current connections the module has to all its presets. If you have not turned off static routing for this module, this is unnecessary.
  
  
• Copy Params & Routings To All Presets : This copies all params and connections for the module to all presets.
  
  
• Export Module : This option allows you to export a module, along with any audio samples it may use, into a separate file. It can later be imported into another project. The export dialog also allows you to create a .zip archive of the module file.

Next comes the body of the module, which is where most of its controls are. Each module has a reference page in this manual, detailing all of its features.

Some modules have an extra panel of advanced settings that can be reached by clicking a small button with a triangle icon. This button always appears in the lower-left corner of the module body.

In the Stack menu, there is an item called Module Import. This allows you to import modules you (or someone else) may have previously exported. An exported module is stored in a file with the extension .nmod, and may include a "sidecar" .media folder with included samples or other files. Module import/export is a very handy way to reuse modules within new projects.