aorist

Vertex

Added 2025-05-25 17:52:33 +0000 UTC

Vertex is a Max for Live sequenced synth influenced by the Moog DFAM, but with plenty of extras to take it into new sonic terrain.

The video below walks through most of the functionality (I realised I forgot to talk about the external MIDI input, consider that an Easter Egg!).

See the Ableton Info view (the "i" in the bottom right) for more help on how to use, everything is documented when you hover over it.

Featured on Mordio's amazing YouTube channel!

Requires Live 11 or higher.

2x triangle/saw oscillators with pitch envelope, glide, quantize, hard sync and FM
Switchable LP/BP/HP analog modeled filter with FM (thanks to Surreal Machines for the filter)
4x 8-step sequencers (pitch, velocity, and 2x mod), with individual length and rate controls
Sequencers can be assigned to any parameter
3 external inputs, for direct external input, oscillator FM and filter FM
Randomization for sequencer and oscillator parameters

1.3.0

Redesigned the UI
Added new osc shapes: Sin and Saw
Added more randomization options, including "randomize all"
Exposed randomize buttons to Ableton mapping.
Fixed some more sequencing bugs and improved sequencer latency. Note that there is still a 2-3 ms latency triggering the envelopes due to the way they are implemented. This shouldn't matter in normal usage but it's worth being aware of for timing-critical cases.

1.2.0

1.1.0

Fixed some sequencing bugs:
- First note would trigger twice when pressing play
- Extra "ghost" steps would sometimes play in between steps

1.0.0

Added external MIDI input:
- Each oscillator now has "Int" and "Ext" toggles. "Int" controls the pitch from the internal sequencer. "Ext" controls the pitch from MIDI input, using the last note played. The external note is added as an offset to the oscillator frequency, relative to C3 - the default oscillator frequency is now C3, so by default it will play the note you input, but this can be offset. Both Int and Ext can be enabled at the same time, so you can use the sequencer as a kind of arpeggiator.
- The global clock (in Tweaks) now has an "Ext" option. This triggers the envelopes whenever a MIDI note is received. The sequencers jump to the current step whenever a note is received, so that the sequences remain locked predictably to the timeline.
- The modulator selector now has an "M" option. This uses the velocity of the last received MIDI note as the modulator value.
Oscillators now show the corresponding note name if you hover over the frequency, with + or - to indicate if it is sharp/flat. Click the note name to toggle to always showing it. This is useful for creating more melodic parts.
Filter FM now uses the triangle wave from the oscillator - in my testing, triangle is the best sounding FM source
Fixed a bug introduced in 0.9.0 where Osc 1 was also affected by the FM knob
Fixed some timing issues at faster clock values than 16 (though this may still not be perfect)

0.9.0

Added global clock rate control in the Tweaks panel. All other sequencer clocks are derived from this, letting you create slower or faster sequences.
Pitch can now be sent to any combination of oscillator 1 and 2, rather than just 2 or 1+2. This lets you have a pitch sequenced FM modulator with a constnat pitch carrier.
Added a glide toggle for each oscillator
Increased the range of the filter so the highpass is more effective
Fixed a bug where filter type was not reloading properly

0.8.0

Many parameters can now be modulated by any of the sequencers. Click the square to the left of each knob to select the modulation source. The parameter will be modulated between 0 and the knob value.
Added a second mod sequencer. The panel can be toggled between Mod 2 and Tweaks.
The sequencer now correctly syncs to the timeline (previously it would always start at the first step regardless of playhead position)
Added a tweak control for the oscillator pitch modulation range

0.7.0

Added external input support. There are three separate inputs which other tracks in Ableton can be routed to: one for modulating the filter (1/2), one for an external input (3/4), and one for an external Osc 2 FM source (5/6)
Added a third sequencer, Mod, which can be used to modulate filter envelope depth and glide time
Added filter mod source selection, between noise, Osc 1, Osc 2 and external input
Added Osc 2 FM source selection, between Osc 1 and external input
Added filter env amount source selection, between velocity and modulation sequencers
Added sequencer rate control
Added oscillator quantize option, which quantizes the oscillator to the Live scale
Added oscillator pitch glide time
Added "Tweaks" controls to control advanced settings of the filter and envelope
Added proper names and info text to all controls
Tidied up the UI