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Rhythmism: Polyrhythmic MIDI Generator for Ableton Live

RHYTHMISM

Stochastic Linear Drum Composer

$19
+ applicable taxes
EXTENSIONS BUNDLE ONLY 

Rhythmism is an Ableton Live Extension that generates polyrhythmic and polyphonic MIDI clips from a grid of up to eight independent lanes. Each lane is its own rhythmic voice, with its own pitch, velocity, gate length, step rate, and firing probability, and lanes can run at genuinely different tempos relative to each other, drift stochastically over time, and decay in velocity or length as they go. All eight lanes can generate simultaneously into one clip for dense polyrhythmic and polyphonic textures, or take turns one at a time in Linear mode for something closer to a single evolving voice.

POLYRHYTHMIC EPOCH ROLLER

  • Sets each lane's actual speed through three combined parameters: Effective Rate equals Rate × Multiply ÷ Divide, where Multiply slows a lane down and Divide speeds it up
  • Lets two lanes share the same base Rate but drift in and out of phase across a clip using different Multiply and Divide values, the mechanism behind Rhythmism's polyrhythms
  • Fires each step according to a per-lane Density probability, independent of every other lane's firing pattern
  • Enables or disables any of the eight lanes independently, with disabled lanes producing no notes and dimming to 60% opacity in the table
  • Maps all eight lanes to standard Drum Rack pitches instantly in Drums mode, automatically disabling Scale Aware since drum pitches shouldn't be snapped to a melodic scale
  • Re-rolls a lane's deviation values at the start of each epoch, a repeating window whose length is set by Interval, only if that lane's Variance probability check passes
  • Leaves deviations frozen between epoch boundaries when Variance fails its roll, so a lane with Variance at 0% has fully static deviations and a lane at 100% re-randomises every single epoch
  • Applies Velocity Deviation, Multiply Range, and Divide Range as the three columns that actually get re-randomised when an epoch's Variance check passes
  • Decays velocity or gate length deterministically within a single epoch with Decay and Truncate, independent of the epoch-boundary Variance system entirely


Locking Pitch and Rate by default, rather than leaving every column open to Randomize, reflects a real workflow priority: most of the time you want to explore rhythmic density and stochastic character while keeping the melodic and metric foundation you've already settled on intact. Unlocking those columns is one click away when you do want a full reset, but the default protects the two things most likely to represent a deliberate decision you don't want randomised away by accident.
INTRICATE GLOBAL CONTROL

  • Applies any value typed into the gold Global Override row to all eight lanes immediately, with live propagation as you type or drag
  • Releases a global override by clearing its field, returning that column to each lane's own stored per-lane value
  • Exempts specific columns from the Randomize function entirely using the cyan Lock row, with Pitch, Rate, Divide, and Divide Range locked by default
  • Scales how far Randomize moves values toward a fully random target with the Amount control, from a full reset at 100% down to a gentle nudge at lower values
Tool Tip Annotated
Learn all you need to know directly in Live - just click the [?] icon in the Extension and hover your mouse over any parameter.
Scale Aware
Natively integrated with Live 12's scale and key for seamless workflow.
Already comes included in:
Extensions Bundle 001 · Ultra Bundle

Requires:
Ableton Live Suite 12.4.5 or above.
Not available in Live Standard, Intro, or Lite.