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https://github.com/korfuri/whattherack

WhatTheRack randomizes your VCV Rack so you make new discoveries
https://github.com/korfuri/whattherack

vcv-rack-modules vcv-rack-plugins vcvrack

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WhatTheRack randomizes your VCV Rack so you make new discoveries

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README 

        

# What The Rack



WhatTheRack is a plugin for [VCV Rack](https://vcvrack.com). It

contains three modules:



* WhatTheRack, a rack randomizer

* WhatTheMod, a module randomizer

* WhatTheJack, a wire randomizer



## WhatTheRack, a rack randomizer



The eponymous module has a single button. When you press the button,

WhatTheRack will spawn 19 random modules plus an audio interface and a

scope. If the option to "Randomize Parameters" is enabled in the context

menu, the parameters of the spawned modules will be randomized.



The modules will include at least 2 VCOs, 2 LFOs, 2 VCAs, 1 sequencer,

1 clock, 3 effect modules, 2 filters, 2 envelopes, 1 mixer and 3

miscellaneous modules. This works by scanning for your installed

plugins, and going through the registered module models' tags.



This is designed to get you started with a Rack that should always be

able to make some music. It may not be intuitive how, but discovering

new modules is part of the fun, and it can inspire you to create

completely new patches you wouldn't have experienced otherwise.



### How to use



Easiest way to get started:



* Clear your patch (Ctrl+N)

* Add WhatTheRack

* Hit the *?* button

* Try to make music with what just appeared!

* Want more modules? Click the *?* button again. Or don't, and enjoy

  the challenge of working with what you got.



## WhatTheMod, a module randomizer



This module is similar to WhatTheRack, but it will spawn a single

module of a type of your choice (VCO, LFO, VCA, Sequencer, Clock,

Effect, Filter, Envelope generator, Mixer or Misc). Like WhatTheRack,

enabling the "Randomize Parameters" option in the context menu will

randomize the parameters of the spawned module.



This is designed to help you get out of your routine - need a clock?

Why not use one you've never tried! Need a VCO and not sure which one?

Let fortune decide. I find it's more enjoyable if I actually commit to

using the modules it gives me instead of rolling again when I don't

immediately like what I got, but rerolling is always an option.



## WhatTheJack, a wire randomizer



WhatTheJack has a single button. When you press the button, a new wire

will be created at random. Any output from any module may be used, and

any free input from any module may also be used. If no input is

available, no wire is created.



This module is a work in progress. It tends to be a bit too random to

really stimulare creativity - patching cables completely at random

doesn't generally give you a very useful modulation or audio

path. Ideas on how to make this more fun to use are welcome, please

file Github issues or contact me directly!



## Is this serious?



Kinda. It started as a joke: VCV Rack is missing an essential part of

modular synthesis, that is, puzzling over someone else's rack. Why the

hell do you have 5 sample and holds and a single VCO? What were you

doing to set that sequencer to 13/32 time signature? How do you even

use this to make more than white noise? What The Rack recreates this

wonderful experience.



But as I developed it, it actually made me realize a few things about

how I use VCV Rack. I have a ton of installed modules I never used,

because I downloaded the plugin for a single module and ignored

everything else. I tend to always use certain chains of modules (this

clock, these sequencers, these oscillators, this filter, etc.) and

ignore the rest. Using the module gave me some new and fun challenges:

what can I do with these modules and only these modules? How can I use

this random selection of stuff to make good-sounding beats? This

brought me back to my first experience of modular synthesis, where I

had no idea what was going on, and it was great.



How you use it is up to you. I'm not 100% sure it can't crash your

Rack - the APIs don't really encourage doing this. But Andrew Belt

allowed this plugin on the plugin store, so it can't be all that

bad. Have fun.



## Contributing



I welcome Issues and Pull Requests to this repository if you have

suggestions for improvement. Note that I generally won't change a

module significantly after it's been released (i.e. after I've tagged

a version in the repo), so if your idea involves changing the

semantics of an existing module, please chat me up first.



This plugin is released under the WTF Public License.