this be useful? Try it out by plugging them into some different CV controls and
checking out the patterns created.
•
Now try changing to Preset 12. This is the same as Preset 11, except that the 2, 3, and 4
rows are replaced with Gates (1B and 1C remain as CVs). Try plugging these into some
drum modules or envelope generators to produce unexpected rhythmic patterns. Try
Preset 13 for toggles, and Preset 14 for triggers.
•
OK, what if I want a longer or shorter pattern than 16? You can set the length of the
pattern via the MantaMate panel. Press the “P” button once to get into Preference 1 (the
green LED next to the P button will light and the right-hand decimal point will show
on the 7-segment display) Then press the “S” button to get into the sub-preference of
Preference 1, which is Pattern Length (when no device is connected). It will display the
default length of 16 on the 7-segment display, and you can use the UP and DOWN
buttons to shorten or lengthen the pattern. It can go as low as 1 and as high as 32.
•
What if I don’t like the random pattern? Do I have to turn the MantaMate off and on
to get a new one? No, you don’t! You can get a completely new set of patterns by
holding down the P button and pushing the UP button. That will fully randomize all of
the 11 patterns. In the manual, we call this “hold the P button and press UP or
DOWN” the Konami code.
•
OK, what if I like the pattern, but I just want to nudge it a little to get some variation?
You can do that by Holding down the P button and pressing the DOWN button. That
will subtly change some of the values in the current patterns. Try it out with drum
modules plugged into the outputs and you can get really nice variations on a beat.
•
OK, what if I’m a weirdo and I think these simple repeating patterns are a little too
square? Instead of having all of the patterns reset at the same length, you can have it so
that the patterns each randomly choose their own length. This way, you still have
repeating patterns, but you get much more complex polyrhythms in how the patterns
interact. To do that, just change to Presets 15-18. These are the same as 11-14, but the
patterns have individual reset times. Now the Pattern Length parameter that you can set
in sub-preference 1 (described a couple paragraphs ago) is actually a Maximum Pattern
Length instead of an enforced Pattern Length. Listen to each pattern individually and
you can hear that they will repeat at different rates.
•
OH DAMB THIS BEAT IS SO FRESH but I don’t want to lose it when I turn off the
MantaMate! You can save the randomly generated patterns as a Preset. Just make sure
you are in the default Preset Select Preference (the green LED next to the P button is
not lit, and there are no decimal points in the 7-segment display). Then press the S
button to enter Save Mode. The 7-segment display will flash. Select the preset number
(from 19-99) to which you wish to save the pattern using the UP/DOWN buttons.
Then press S again to save. If you want to cancel, press P instead of S. These stored
presets are distinct from the ones that are saved when you have a Manta plugged in, or a
MIDI device – it’s a whole separate bank of presets.
