Proteus Generative Humanoid Sequencer

Seaside Modular Proteus

Proteus from Seaside Modular is an intelligent melody generation tool with a ton of controls to shape and sculpt your melodies into something truly organic. Unlike many generative modules, Proteus centers itself around the intersection between randomness and repetition, creating melodies that sound equally mysterious and human. While certainly generative, the Proteus strives to be more than just a fully random generative sequencer. Its algorithm emulates shapes and behaviors that human-made melodies tend to focus on, and uses that as a baseline to generate sequences, rather than something truly random.

Proteus starts by generating a melody based on the incoming clock signal and selected scale. Depending on the knob positions, Proteus will repeat a sequences at a particular length, and then over time get "bored" of said melody, indicated by the center light shifting from blue to pink. If the center light is pressed, Proteus will generate a new melody from scratch based on its current state. The Complx knob determines how simple or complex these melodies are, ranging from simple one or two note melodies at CCW, to complex ascending and descending melodic potential at the fully CW position. The Length knob determines the number of steps in a sequence, ranging from 2 to 32 potential notes or rests. The Density control determines the balance between notes and rests without affecting the core melodic structure. The Patience control sets how quickly Proteus gets bored of its current sequence. As the knob is turned clockwise, the probability of generating a new sequence will increase more and more with each repetition. The Scale knob selects from one of nine scales for Proteus to choose notes from: Major, Natural Minor, Harmonic Minor, Major Pentatonic, Minor Pentatonic, Dorian, Mixolydian, Bhaurai, Chromatic and Tuning modes, as well as one of six Custom Scales, programmable on Seaside Modular's Proteus web interface, savable on the included USB drive.

Proteus also includes a number of ways to save any melody you discover while exploring the high seas, such as the Lock Toggle which locks the current sequence into place for infinite replayability. The Pattern Bank offers another saving option, letting you save up to four sequences for later playback even after power cycling. On top of all that, Proteus features CV inputs for control over all of its parameters for an absurd amount of musical possibilities. In a world of generative sequencers focused on arbitrary melodic generation, Proteus from Seaside Modular explores uncharted waters by favoring the human over the truly random.

Proteus Features

• Human-like generative sequencer
• Length control sets length of the overall sequence, ranging from 2 steps to 32
• Density control determines the percentage of notes played vs. rest notes
• Mutate determines the probability that notes will change in Proteus's next cycle
• Sleep sets how many steps Proteus will wait before repeating its sequence
• Patience parameter decides how quickly Proteus gets bored of its current sequence
• Lock toggle switch for locking the current melody into repetition
• 9 selectable scales for Proteus to pull notes from (major, natural minor, harmonic minor, major pentatonic, minor pentatonic, dorian, mixolydian and bhaurai)
• Up to 6 Custom Scales, savable on the included USB drive
• CV control over all parameters
• Ability to save up to 4 patterns via internal memory