Four Bricks Rook

Shakmat Modular 16HP
SEQUENCER DRUM TRIGGER

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Four-track trigger sequencer with 128-slot CV-addressable table memory, Length/Shift window, A/B buffers, Fill mode, quantize and randomizer. Unquantized recording for off-grid rhythms.

Patch Ideas · 8

★ Quad drum voice sequencer
4 pads → 4 drum voices · Table pot walks preset banks (Shakmat Basics / Richard Devine / Konstantine Funky etc.) · Fill All gate from performance button triggers breakdowns
▸ Show diagram
Patch diagramPatch diagram with 7 modules and 6 connections. Signals: 1 gate, 4 trigger, 1 clock.FOUR BRICKS ROOKClockPerformerKickSnareHatPercTable slot: 1 Richard Devine's BeatsClockclkFill AllgateOut 1trigOut 2trigOut 3trigOut 4trigOutclkGategateTrigtrigTrigtrigTrigtrigTrigtriggatetriggerclock
Unquantized hand-played groove
Rec armed · tap 4 pads like a finger drummer · module captures literal timing for off-grid swing · quantize only kick + snare, leave hats untouched for human feel
▸ Show diagram
Patch diagramPatch diagram with 6 modules and 5 connections. Modules: FOUR BRICKS ROOK, Clock, Kick, Snare, Hat, Perc. Signals: 4 trigger, 1 clock.FOUR BRICKS ROOKClockKickSnareHatPercRec: armed · Quantize: tracks 1+2 onlyClockclkOut 1trigOut 2trigOut 3trigOut 4trigOutclkTrigtrigTrigtrigTrigtrigTrigtrig12341. quantized2. quantized3. off-grid4. off-gridtriggerclock
Amen-break slice mangler
Record 32-step Amen pattern · Length=4 slices it into 8 segments · random LFO → Shift CV scrambles segment order each bar · Table CV selects alternative tables on top
▸ Show diagram
Patch diagramPatch diagram with 8 modules and 7 connections. Signals: 2 cv, 4 trigger, 1 clock.FOUR BRICKS ROOKClockS&HLFODrum ADrum BDrum CDrum DL=4 · 32-step recording: ClockclkShift CVcvTable CVcvOut 1trigOut 2trigOut 3trigOut 4trigOutclkOutcvOutcvTrigtrigTrigtrigTrigtrigTrigtrigcvtriggerclock
★ A/B verse/chorus switch
Bank A = verse groove · Bank B = chorus groove · performer toggles A/B at bar · identical trigger voices · identical table so Pattern mode can overlay fills on either
▸ Show diagram
Patch diagramPatch diagram with 7 modules and 6 connections. Signals: 5 trigger, 1 clock.FOUR BRICKS ROOKClockBar ClockKickSnareHatTomBank A: verse · Bank B: chorusClockclkResettrigOut 1trigOut 2trigOut 3trigOut 4trigOutclkOuttrigTrigtrigTrigtrigTrigtrigTrigtrigtriggerclock
Gate-from-trigger hack
Per-track trigger length set to clock period · clock doubler on Clock input · Out 1 becomes a gate the length of one clock-period while original division halves tempo, enabling gate sequencing from a trigger sequencer
▸ Show diagram
Patch diagramPatch diagram with 5 modules and 4 connections. Modules: FOUR BRICKS ROOK, Clock, Clock Multiplier, VCA, Drum. Signals: 1 audio, 1 gate, 1 trigger, 1 clock.FOUR BRICKS ROOKClockClock MultiplierVCADrumTrack 1 trig length: clock periodClockclkOut 1gateOut 2trigOutaudiox2audioOutclkGategateTrigtrig11. sustained gateaudiogatetriggerclock
★ Randomizer fills with probability
Per-track random amount: Track1=0 (no random), Track2=3 (light), Track3=6 (medium), Track4=9 (chaos) · random hits pile near sequence end for natural drum fills · Reset from bar clock resets the build-up
▸ Show diagram
Patch diagramPatch diagram with 7 modules and 6 connections. Signals: 5 trigger, 1 clock.FOUR BRICKS ROOKClockBar ClockKickSnareHatRideRand A: 0/3/6/9 per trackClockclkResettrigOut 1trigOut 2trigOut 3trigOut 4trigOutclkOuttrigTrigtrigTrigtrigTrigtrigTrigtrig12341. solid2. occasional3. busy4. chaotictriggerclock
CV-addressed song mode
Slow staircase CV into Table CV walks through 16 slots as song sections · Length held at 16 · each slot pre-filled with a different bar · simple LFO or sequencer becomes a song-mode driver
▸ Show diagram
Patch diagramPatch diagram with 7 modules and 6 connections. Signals: 1 cv, 4 trigger, 1 clock.FOUR BRICKS ROOKClockSlow StaircaseKickSnareHatPerc16 slots = 16 bars of song: ClockclkTable CVcvOut 1trigOut 2trigOut 3trigOut 4trigOutclkOutcvTrigtrigTrigtrigTrigtrigTrigtrigcvtriggerclock
Live fill performance
Play mode on pads 1-3 plays the buffer · pad 4 in Fill mode holds a loaded fill table · tap-and-hold pad 4 for momentary fills without re-patching · Fill All gate triggers full-kit breakdowns
▸ Show diagram
Patch diagramPatch diagram with 7 modules and 6 connections. Signals: 1 gate, 4 trigger, 1 clock.FOUR BRICKS ROOKClockPerformerKickSnareHatFill DrumPad 4: Fill mode · Load Fill: slot 9 Euclidean CombosClockclkFill AllgateOut 1trigOut 2trigOut 3trigOut 4trigOutclkGategateTrigtrigTrigtrigTrigtrigTrigtriggatetriggerclock

Behaviors

Play Mode Function + Pad 1 (Play)

Pads act as manual triggers. With Rec armed, pad presses are captured into the buffer at their literal timing (unquantized) unless Quantize is applied later.

Pattern Mode Function + Pad 2 (Pattern)

Pressing a pad swaps its track output from the buffer to the table pattern addressed by Table pot/CV. LED inverts to show pattern is active. Press again to return to buffer.

Fill Mode Function + Pad 3 (Fill) or Fill All gate

Table patterns play only while pad is held (or for the Fill All gate duration). Enables live on-the-fly fills. Fill slot independently assignable via Load Fill.

Mute Mode Function + Pad 4 (Mute)

Pad presses mute their track. Muted tracks show slow-pulsing status LED. While Rec is engaged, Mute additionally erases recorded steps within the mute window.

Length & Shift Slicing Length < buffer length with Shift CV

Short Length plus CV-addressed Shift turns the 32-step buffer into addressable slices. Resembles a slice function on a sampler — mangles Amen-break-style recorded tables into junglist variations.

Per-Track Random Fills Function + Quantize (Random Amount)

Each track has its own random amount 0-9. Algorithm concentrates random hits toward the end of the sequence (drum-fill style). Full F value is pure random triggers.

Non-Volatile State Storage Hold Rec for 5 seconds

Stores buffers, trigger lengths, random amounts, and pointed slots to flash. Powers up in the same state next session.

Controls

Global Table Potentiometer Selects one of 8 tables currently addressed. Combined with Table CV, maps across the 128-pattern memory via 16 loadable slots.
8 patterns per slot · 16 slots × 8 = 128 patterns in non-volatile memory
Global Length Potentiometer Sets playback length: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 16, 24, or 32 steps. Bipolar CV input is additive.
Available: 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 6 · 8 · 12 · 16 · 24 · 32
Global Shift Potentiometer Selects which segment of a recorded 32-step sequence plays at shorter Length. Divides 32 into length-size chunks.
At L=8 with 32-step recording: 4 segments · Shift CV selects between them on the fly
Load / Save / Trigger length / Random amount Menu Potentiometer Scrolls the menu display during Load Pattern, Save Table, Load Fill, trigger length edit, and random-amount edit.
Paired with display · double-click Function to edit per-track trigger length
Per-track Pads (4) Play triggers in Play mode, audition patterns in Pattern mode, gate fills in Fill mode, mute tracks in Mute mode.
Function+Pad selects mode · inverted LED indicates pattern playback overriding buffer
Global Function Button Shift key combining with other buttons: Function+Pad = mode select, Function+Rec = Load Pattern, Function+Erase = Save Table, Function+A/B = Load Fill.
Double-click = per-track trigger length edit · combined with Quantize = random-amount edit
Recording Rec Button Arms recording. Pad triggers are captured into the current buffer. Hold 5 seconds to store full module state to non-volatile memory.
Unquantized by default · Quantize button aligns to clock after the fact
Buffer Erase Button Erases the current buffer content on the pressed pad. Combined with Function = Save Table.
Per-track operation · select track by pressing its pad during Erase
Buffer A/B Button Switches between two recording buffers, like two sides of a tape. Function+A/B = Load Fill.
Two independent 32-step buffers per slot
Per-track Quantize Button Quantizes a recorded track to the incoming clock. Press Quantize then the target pad.
After-the-fact quantize · leaves other tracks unquantized

I/O

IN · 6

  • Clock -5 to +5V CLK
    External clock advancing the sequence.
  • Reset -5 to +5V
    Restarts sequence at step 1.
  • Fill All -5 to +5V GATE
    Gate input triggering all four tracks to play their Fill patterns for the gate duration.
  • Shift CV -5 to +5V CV
    Bipolar CV selecting playback segment within the 32-step buffer when Length < 32.
  • Length CV -5 to +5V CV
    Bipolar CV offset added to the Length potentiometer value.
  • Table CV -5 to +5V CV
    CV addressing the currently loaded 8-pattern table and spanning into adjacent slots.

OUT · 4

  • Out 1 0-5V GATE
    Track 1 trigger output. Default trigger length 4 ms; per-track adjustable up to clock period.
  • Out 2 0-5V GATE
    Track 2 trigger output.
  • Out 3 0-5V GATE
    Track 3 trigger output.
  • Out 4 0-5V GATE
    Track 4 trigger output.