DivKid’s Proteus: When a Synth has Patience

Opening the Pandora’s Box of Eurorack

DivKid kicks things off with a classic intro to the first Eurorack module by Seaside Modular, the Proteus. From the get-go, it’s clear that this isn’t just any module. Proteus promises “very musical pattern generation,” something that might make your typical sound engineer raise a skeptical eyebrow. This video is sponsored by those very makers, Seaside Modular, who are notorious for pushing the boundaries with their innovative VCV rack modules. The stage is set for what promises to be a sonic adventure ripe with melodic, rhythmic, and synth hook goodness. Proteus is touted to have all this in abundance, with the ability to save, alter, and recall patterns at the flick of a switch—or better yet, with a mere thought, as if it were your obedient bandmate.

Proteus and the Winding Road of Features

Enter stage left, Proteus, a generative pattern maker oozing with musicality. This isn’t some off-the-shelf sequencer, this is dinner party conversation turned up with modular madness. Proteus comes locked and loaded with a variety of controls that would make even the most ardent of knob-twiddlers salivate. Central to this is its ‘patience’ feature, a control that decides when to rip up the playbook and bring something new to the table, just when you thought it was playing nice. Like the gods themselves, Proteus thrives in the tension between predictability and surprise, pulling from a wide range of CV inputs to paint musical landscapes. Its feature set is vast, from easy saves and recalls to the infamous patience mode. The module can craft the main melodic line or provide that touch of sonic class in the background, depending on how restless its patience happens to be. Proteus is compellingly described by DivKid as a bandmate that’s highly directable, never showing up drunk or forgetting its riffs at home.

"Proteus is a generative pattern maker that just oozes absolute musicality."

Musical Patrol with Patience

"It’s an incredibly controllable, musical, and variable approach to pattern generation."

How does one control chaos? Well, Proteus gives chaos a friendly pat and hands it a cup of tea. When you start patching, it’s like laying a foundation for an impending tonal revolution. The initial demonstration takes us through sequences of variable lengths and densities, showing the power of the ‘sleep’ function—where notes rest before jumping back into action. Here, ‘patience’ shines, allowing sequences to loop until the module whimsically decides enough is enough, ripping up the current script to write something entirely fresh. DivKid reveals the true charm of patience:

The Deep Well of Control and Flexibility

Ah, Proteus. It’s as if it were born from the depths of control and flexibility. The module’s octave, mutate, and complexity controls are tools even a musical alchemist would envy. DivKid pushes Proteus to unveil how these features contribute to evolving, non-repetitive sequences. It’s not merely about adding more notes but infusing each step with a touch of unpredictability—a proper geezer of a synth module. The creative leap Proteus makes is demonstrated through sequences where octave shifts and mutates dovetail, showcasing its true potential as a living, breathing entity. “There’s nothing quite like a touch of controlled madness,” as DivKid might say while illustrating its ability to emanate riffs that could soundtrack anything from a rave to a relaxing ambient piece.

Outcomes of Complexity and Harmony

Sometimes when you think you’ve heard it all, along comes Proteus. Its complexity control shifts patterns from delightfully simple to beautifully complex. This doesn’t just add depth; it adds a whole new dimension to your modular endeavours. DivKid demonstrates how melodic lines that begin with straightforward, rhythmic basslines quickly unravel into intricate musical dialogues. It renders sounds that shimmer with unpredictable brilliance, and this exploration of complexity yields results that are as captivating to hear as they are to create. As the patterns evolve, Proteus reveals its dual nature – suited just as well for crafting succulent ambient textures as it is for creating robust, rhythmical basslines capable of shaking even the staunchest of club night regulars to their core.

"Proteus does make for a great kind of secondary sequencer."

Configuring the Future

Towards the end, the video takes a turn into the seemingly mystical realm of the Proteus configurator. This online tool allows for a breadth of customisation only limited by one’s imagination (or perhaps online tutorials). This is where you can define custom scales, delve into microtonal landscapes, and infinitely fiddle with gate pass-throughs. Better yet, it’s highly shareable, with saved patterns living on through power cycles like digital desiccated fruit. DivKid shows how these advanced settings empower users to transcend the ordinary and embrace sonic eccentricities, whether you’re looking to make a simple scale adjustment or embark on a grand quest into microtunings. Proteus emerges as a behemoth of potentiality—not just a quirky module but a full-fledged musical partner.