Gliss

Bela 4HP
fw 2
UTILITY LFO ENVELOPE SEQUENCER SLEW RANDOM

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Capacitive touch-strip controller built on Bela Trill. Four modes (Control, Record, Signal, Notes) turn finger position and pressure into two CV/gate outputs. Open-source firmware; v2 adds 1U orientation and dual-strip splits.

Patch Ideas · 8

★ Expressive touch macro
Control mode · position → filter cutoff · pressure → resonance · single finger sculpts timbre in one gesture · latching OFF so envelope falls on release
▸ Show diagram
Patch diagramPatch diagram with 4 modules and 4 connections. Modules: Gliss, Filter, VCO, VCA. Signals: 2 audio, 2 cv.GlissFilterVCOVCAMode: Control · Latching: OFFOUT TOPcvOUT BOTTOMcvCutoffcvResonancecvInaudioOutaudioOutaudioInaudioaudiocv
★ Hand-drawn LFO
Record mode · draw a 10-second gesture · loops as custom LFO modulating pitch · re-draw live to mutate the shape · pairs beautifully with slow drones
▸ Show diagram
Patch diagramPatch diagram with 3 modules and 3 connections. Modules: Gliss, VCO, VCA. Signals: 1 audio, 2 cv.GlissVCOVCAMode: Record · Loop: ONOUT TOPcvOUT BOTTOMcvFMcvOutaudioCVcvInaudio11. envelope of gestureaudiocv
Gesture envelope
Record mode · draw an ADSR-shaped envelope once · IN receives gate from sequencer · plays gesture as envelope per note · drawable shape replaces a traditional EG
▸ Show diagram
Patch diagramPatch diagram with 4 modules and 4 connections. Modules: Gliss, Sequencer, VCO, VCA. Signals: 1 audio, 1 cv, 1 pitch, 1 gate.GlissSequencerVCOVCAMode: Record · Trigger: ININgateOUT TOPcvGategatePitch1v/octV/Oct1v/octOutaudioCVcvInaudioaudiocvpitchgate
CV scaler / clipper
Signal mode · chaotic source into IN · touch strip live-scales + clips the voltage · bottom output envelope follows · tame a wild LFO in real time
▸ Show diagram
Patch diagramPatch diagram with 4 modules and 3 connections. Modules: Gliss, Chaos LFO, Filter, VCA. Signals: 3 cv.GlissChaos LFOFilterVCAMode: SignalINcvOUT TOPcvOUT BOTTOMcvOutcvCutoffcvCVcv121. tamed2. env followercv
★ Five-note touch keyboard
Notes mode · tune five zones to a pentatonic scale · pressure → velocity on bottom out · ideal for performing melodies over a drone
▸ Show diagram
Patch diagramPatch diagram with 3 modules and 3 connections. Modules: Gliss, VCO, VCA. Signals: 1 audio, 1 cv, 1 pitch.GlissVCOVCAMode: Notes · 5 zones = pentatonicOUT TOP1v/octOUT BOTTOMcvV/Oct1v/octOutaudioCVcvInaudio11. velocityaudiocvpitch
Clocked 5-step sequencer
Notes mode · clock at IN advances a 5-step pattern · hold zones to mute/skip/hold steps · live-edit sequence by touching the strip while it runs
▸ Show diagram
Patch diagramPatch diagram with 4 modules and 3 connections. Modules: Gliss, Clock, VCO, Envelope. Signals: 1 pitch, 1 gate, 1 clock.GlissClockVCOEnvelopeMode: Notes · clock at IN = 5-step seqINclkOUT TOP1v/octOUT BOTTOMgateOutclkV/Oct1v/octTriggatepitchgateclock
Wavetable at audio rate
Record mode · wavetable setting ON · draw a waveform shape · feed V/oct sequence to IN · Gliss becomes a drawable oscillator tracked across octaves
▸ Show diagram
Patch diagramPatch diagram with 4 modules and 3 connections. Modules: Gliss, Sequencer, Filter, VCA. Signals: 2 audio, 1 pitch.GlissSequencerFilterVCAMode: Record · Wavetable: ONIN1v/octOUT TOPaudioPitch1v/octInaudioOutaudioInaudioaudiopitch
Dual-mode two-slider mixer
Control dual ON · top half of strip → VCA A · bottom half → VCA B · crossfade two sources with one finger per side · hands-on mixer
▸ Show diagram
Patch diagramPatch diagram with 5 modules and 4 connections. Modules: Gliss, VCA A, VCA B, Source A, Source B. Signals: 2 audio, 2 cv.GlissVCA AVCA BSource ASource BMode: Control · Dual: ONOUT TOPcvOUT BOTTOMcvCVcvInaudioCVcvInaudioOutaudioOutaudio121. top half of strip2. bottom halfaudiocv

Behaviors

Control mode finger on strip

Two-dimensional performance controller. Top output = position, bottom = touch size (pressure). Latching option holds last value on release. Dual split turns the strip into two independent sliders.

Record mode press-hold-release to record

Records a gesture up to 75 seconds. On release, loops automatically as a custom LFO. IN jack re-triggers playback for envelope use. Wavetable setting plays the gesture at audio rate tracked by V/oct at IN.

Signal mode CV / audio into IN

Touch strip visualises incoming signal as a VU-meter and performatively scales, offsets, clips and smooths it. Top output = processed signal, bottom = envelope follower of IN.

Notes mode tap one of 5 zones

Five user-tuned voltages played as a touch keyboard. With clock at IN becomes a 5-step sequencer with per-step mute/skip/hold. Pressure adds expressive modulation to bottom output.

Dual sub-modes long press mode → dual ON

Splits strip in half for two independent gestures. Control dual = two sliders; Record dual = two 37.5 s loops on top and bottom outs; Notes dual = two zones each with their own notes.

Open-source firmware v2 web-based updater (Chrome + USB)

v2 (Oct 2024) adds 1U panel orientation, gesture-sync clock outputs, refined calibration, and wavetable mode. Flashable via browser; all code on GitHub for user mods.

Controls

Global Touch Strip High-resolution capacitive strip sensing position and touch size (pressure). Single-touch in most modes; split into two halves in dual sub-modes.
sub-millimetre resolution · position + size · LED array mirrors touch
Global Mode button Short press cycles the four modes (Control / Record / Signal / Notes). Long press enters per-mode settings: output ranges, latching, dual split, wavetable.
short: mode cycle · long: settings · LED colour per mode
Per mode, per output Output range presets Settings menu selects voltage range for each output. Uni/bipolar options per mode. Calibrated per jack.
0-5V · 0-10V · ±5V · ±10V selectable · stored per mode

I/O

IN · 1

  • IN -5V to +10V usable · ±10V safe CLK
    Signal/CV input. In Signal mode it is the signal being processed; in Record mode it re-triggers playback; in Notes mode it acts as clock for step-sequencer use.

OUT · 2

  • OUT TOP -5V to +10V · range set per mode CV
    Primary CV. Follows finger position in Control/Notes, scaled recorded gesture in Record, processed input in Signal. Range configurable per mode.
  • OUT BOTTOM -5V to +10V · range set per mode GATE
    Secondary output. Touch size in Control, gate/env in Record, envelope-of-input in Signal, gate in Notes. Can be a trigger on gesture start/end.