55 Fifths
Fifths quantizes incoming or generated CV to keys arranged around the circle of fifths and outputs both a quantized note and an ambiguous third harmony voice. It can run from external clock (Pulse In 1) or internal tap-tempo clock, and can loop or write incoming material depending on switch state/toggles. Loop length is set by X, key center is selected by Main (or CV In 2), and CV In 1 transposes up to two octaves. Pulse outputs provide an internal clock pulse plus a probabilistic sequence pulse stream.
Panel
SourceVCA CVTranspose CVKey CVExt ClockLoop ToggleKey Monitor
OutVCA OutQuant NoteThird
HarmonyInternal
Clock PulseSequence
Pulse
Controls
Key Center
Selects key center index when CV In 2 is not connected
Loop Length
Sets quantizer/sequencer loop length from 1 to 12 steps
VCA Att
Controls input scaling; can be replaced by Audio In 2 control
Write Mode: Favors live/write behavior over loop playback
Loop Mode: Starts in looping playback mode
Tap/Shift Input: Tap tempo and hold gestures for alternate parameter editing
Inputs
Outputs
CV / Audio Source
Main signal to be sampled/quantized (or internal random source when unpatched)
VCA CV
Optional VCA/modulation control for input scaling
Transpose CV
Adds up to roughly two octaves of transpose before quantization
Key CV
Selects key index around the circle of fifths
Ext Clock
Advances quantizer/sequencer on rising edge when connected
Loop Toggle
Toggles loop/write behavior
Key Monitor Out
Main knob-centered monitoring signal
VCA Out
Scaled input/random signal used as quantizer source
Quant Note
Primary quantized pitch output (MIDI note mapped to CV)
Third Harmony
Harmonic third (major/minor context-sensitive) from quantized note
Internal Clock Pulse
Gate pulse at internal quarter-note timing
Sequence Pulse
Pulse stream from probabilistic/looped pulse sequencer
README
Fifths
A quantizer/sequencer that creates harmony and nimbly traverses the circle of fifths in attempts to make jazz, for the Music Thing Workshop System Computer.
By Dune Desormeaux (@dessertplanet).
Fifths quantizes incoming or generated CV to keys arranged around the circle of fifths and outputs both a quantized note and an ambiguous third harmony voice. It runs from an external clock (Pulse In 1) or an internal tap-tempo clock, and can loop or write incoming material depending on the switch.
Demo
Documentation
- fifths_doc.pdf — panel diagram and full operation notes.

