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Modules

What is a Module?​

Modules are the building blocks of Sensory Percussion, so it's important to understand how they work in order to build your own sounds. This section will go over the different parts of a module, but to better understand the overall modular structure of the software, check out the How Sensory Percussion Works page.

There are two kinds of modules used to build sounds in Sensory Percussion: Controllers and Generators

Controllers​

Controller modules don't produce sound themselves; they just affect the relationship between other modules. There are six kinds of controllers, each of which performs a different action on all of the modules inside of it. Controllers can hold any other kind of module, whether it's a generator or another controller.

Generators​

Generators, as you might guess from the name, generate sound. The most commonly found type of generator in our preset kits is the sampler. Unlike controllers, generators can't hold other modules, so they're always at the end of the modular chain.

Below is an example layer from the set Acedia. You can see how the leftmost controller (drum pads controller) contains another controller (note controller), which contains a generator (sampler). Since generators can't hold other modules, this sampler is the end of the chain:

A screenshot of a layer with a Drum Pads controller, A Note controller, and a sampler visible A screenshot of a layer with a Drum Pads controller, A Note controller, and a sampler visible

Both controllers and generators can be found in the Build section of the library. You might also notice that this section includes Effects. Effects are not generators because they don't produce sound on their own, but they're also not controllers because they can't hold other modules. They're kindof in their own special category, which allows them to be placed on any module at any point in the chain. For more info on effects, check out the Effects page.

tip

If you find that you need to set the same value to the same parameter across multiple different modules, you can save time with copy value to siblings. See Parameters for this and the rest of what the right-click menu on a control can do.

Panels​

Modules are made up of panels. These are smaller sections that provide different settings and functionality to each module. There are some panels that are common to all modules, for example the mix, macros, and velocity i/o panels.

You can show or hide various panels by clicking on the panel button on the top-right of the module. Some panels, like Info, are hidden until you tick them in this menu.

A screenshot displaying the panels dropdown of a Drum Pad controller

Each panel can also be expanded or collapsed by clicking on the "open/close" arrow button on the bottom-left of the panel.

A screenshot of a Drum Pad controller with most of its panels collapsed

For more information on the different panels, check out the Panels page.

Power and Mute​

Every module's header has a Power button. Turning a module off makes it ignore every hit, including its own play button, and fades its audio out. Once it's silent, it stops processing entirely, so a powered-off module costs no CPU. You can still change its settings while it's off, and it comes back exactly as you left it.

Power is different from the mixer's M (Mute) button, which only silences a module's audio: a muted module still receives hits and fires its assignments.

To stop hits from reaching a module while keeping it otherwise running, use Block all input at the start of its input-filter row. See Block all input.

Monitor Mix​

Modules at the top level of the layer have a button at in their header row that allows you to send the module to the Monitor Mix. This is useful, for example, for sending a click track or backing track to your headphones without sending it to the Main Mix.

A screenshot of the Monitor Mix button