patterns.org

Patterns

List patterns

Patterns that generate output based on an input list.

• pseq - Simply yields each element of its input list in order.
• pser - Like pseq, but instead of yielding the whole list N times, yields a total of N outputs.
• prand - Yields a random element from its input list.
• pxrand - Yields a random element from its input list, never yielding the same output twice in a row.
• pwrand - Yields a random element from its input list, based on a list of weights for each element.
• pwxrand - Yields a random element from a weighted list, never yielding the same output twice in a row.
• pshuf - Shuffles the input list, then yields the elements of the shuffled list in order a specified number of times.
• pslide - “Slide” across successive sections of a list, advancing the start point of the sublists by a specified amount between each.
• pindex - Get a specified element from the source list by its index.
• place - Interlace values from sublists of the input list.
• ppatlace - Interlace values from patterns in the input list.
• pwalk - Walk across the input list by moving relative to the current position in it.

Curve patterns

Patterns that generate numbers according to curve formulae.

• pseries - Each output is the previous element plus a number.
• pseries* - Syntax sugar for a pseries whose outputs move over a range linearly over a set number of steps.
• pgeom - Each output is the previous element multiplied by a number.
• pgeom* - Syntax sugar for a pgeom whose outputs move over a range exponentially over a set number of steps.

Randomness patterns

Patterns that generate random numbers.

• pwhite - White noise pattern; random numbers evenly distributed within a range.
• pbrown - Brownian motion pattern; random numbers within a range, where each number is a maximum amount away from the previous output.
• pexprand - Exponentially-distributed random numbers.
• pgauss - Gaussian-distributed random numbers.

Math/Logic patterns

Patterns whose outputs are the results of math operations on other patterns.

• p+, p-, p*, p/ - Basic math patterns.
• p/=, p=, p<=, p<, p>=, p> - Basic numeric comparisons.
• peql - Basic equality test a la eql.
• pwrap - Wrap numeric values within a specified range.
• prerange - Remap an input from one range to another range.
• pdiff - Get the difference between successive outputs of the source pattern.
• pdelta - Get the difference between successive outputs of the source pattern, wrapping negatives within a specified range.

Repetition patterns

Patterns that repeat or skip outputs from a source pattern.

• pr - Repeats (or skips) each output from its source pattern a specified number of times.
• pn - Loops its source pattern a specified number of times.
• pdurstutter - Repeats each element from its source pattern a specified number of times, dividing that element (or the duration of it if the element is an event) by that number.
• pdrop - Drop the first or last N outputs from a source pattern.

Filter patterns

Patterns that generate output by transforming a source pattern.

• pclump - Clump outputs of the source pattern together into lists of N elements.
• paclump - Automatically clump the source’s outputs into lists whose length matches the longest list in the current *event*.
• pfilter - Skip elements of a source pattern that a predicate function returns false for.
• pfilter-out - Skip elements of a source pattern that a predicate function returns true for.

Constraint patterns

Patterns that limit the number of, or values of, outputs from a source pattern.

• pconst - Limits the sum of the source pattern not to exceed a specified value.
• pfin - Limits the number of outputs yielded by its source pattern.
• pfindur - Limits the total duration of the outputs from its source pattern.
• psync - Limits the total duration of the outputs from its source pattern, adding a rest to bring the total duration to a specified multiple.

Timing patterns

Patterns that yield information about timing, or alter the timing of a source pattern.

• pbeat - Get the current beat of the pattern relative to its start.
• pbeat* - Get the current beat of the clock.
• ptime - Get the current elapsed time in seconds of the pattern relative to its start.
• prun - “Run” a pattern independently, yielding each output for a specified number of beats.
• pts - Timestretch a pattern’s total duration to a specified number of beats.

Referential patterns

Patterns that generate by referencing the outputs of other patterns.

• pk - Gets the value of a previously-defined key from the enclosing pbind.
• phistory - Get previous outputs of a pattern by their index in the pstream.
• pscratch - “DJ-like” scratching or scrubbing through the outputs of its source pattern.
• protate - Shift a pattern’s outputs forward or backward in the pstream, similar to alexandria:rotate.
• ps - Preserve the pstream state across invocations.
• prs - Syntax sugar for (pr (ps ...) ...).

Function patterns

Patterns that generate output based on an input function.

• pfunc - Yield the result returned by its input function. Unlike pnary, pfunc does not supply arguments to its function.
• pf - Syntax sugar for pfunc so you don’t have to write (lambda () ...).
• pnary - N-ary function pattern for applying a function to each of its arguments’ outputs.
• plazy - Lazily generate a pattern in place of this one by using the result of the input function.
• pif - “If” expression. If the source pattern returns a true value, yield the next output from the “then” pattern; otherwise, yield the next output from the “else” pattern.
• paccum - Numeric accumulator. Yields the value of applying its input function to a step parameter and the previous output.

Mini-language patterns

Patterns that allow you to write in a “pseudo-language” which may be more suited to specific tasks.

• ptrack - “Tracker-like” way to specify event patterns. Like pbind but with parameters as columns instead of rows.
• pt - Syntax sugar for ptrack so you don’t have to quote or write (list ...).
• pcycles - TidalCycles-inspired syntax; divide time between the elements of a source list.

UGen patterns

Patterns whose functionalities are based on UGens.

• pmouse - Get the mouse position of the display server (GUI).
• pmousex - Get the mouse’s x position on screen.
• pmousey - Get the mouse’s y position on screen.

Music patterns

Patterns whose outputs are based on music-related formulae or data.

• pbjorklund - Euclidean rhythm generation via the Bjorklund algorithm.
• psplits - Parameters to play sections of buffers defined via “split points”. Available in the bdef library.

Meta patterns

Patterns that are used to define or debug others.

• pbind - Basic event-stream-defining pattern.
• pb - Syntax sugar effectively combining the functionality of pdef and pbind together.
• pmono - Like pbind, but for monophony instead of polyphony.
• pdef - Pattern definition. Give a global name to a pattern, which allows it to be changed while it’s playing.
• ptrace - Prints the outputs of its source pattern; useful for debugging.
• pchain - Chain patterns together by using the first source pattern’s output as the input to the second, etc.
• pfor - Use each output of one pattern as input to a full play-through of another.
• ppar - Play patterns in parallel so that their outputs appear together in one pstream while preserving timing.
• pparchain - Define and play multiple patterns in parallel, each pattern using the previous’s output as its input.
• ppc - Syntax sugar for writing pparchain in the style of pb.
• psym - Define a sequence of patterns by name to play in succession and/or parallel.
• pmeta - Meta-control patterns by applying various transformations to them with a pbind-like syntax.
• ipstream - Insertable pstream; a pstream changeable while playing by the insertion of additional pstreams.