RANDOM · A new instrument
Chooses modules, connects them and sets their controls. Use it when you want a fresh starting point.
WestCoastSynth / Visual manual
Follow the signal.
Find your sound.
A little curiosity. A few cables. An instrument that becomes your own. Learn by listening, one connection at a time.
The patching ideas apply across editions. These steps use the desktop controls; Touch has its own layout. Available modules and labels can vary with your app version.
01 / QUICK START · ABOUT 2 MINUTES
Press Random.
Press Random.
Then try Repatch.
Make a playing instrument in one click, then explore what else it can do. You don’t need to add modules or draw cables to get started.
REPATCH · New connections
Uses the modules already in your rack and changes the wiring between them. Knob settings can change too. Use it to explore another version of that system.
- Start quietly. Lower your speaker or headphone volume and open the synth. If you’re already working on a patch, QUICK SAVE it first.
- Click RANDOM and listen. Find RANDOM in the toolbar. Click once, give the patch a few moments to unfold, then raise your listening volume gently. Click again whenever you want a different starting point.
- Like the modules? Click REPATCH. Keep that rack and let the synth make new connections. Listen for changes in rhythm, texture and how the voices interact. Try it a few times to explore.
- Compare with Undo. Use history Back / Undo to hear the previous version again. On desktop, Cmd/Ctrl+Z goes back; Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+Z goes forward. Use the history controls rather than the library’s previous / next arrows.
- Keep a favourite. Press QUICK SAVE. Open LIBRARY → My Patches to return to it later. Save before starting another round of experiments.
THE EXPLORATION LOOP
RANDOM → listen → REPATCH → compare → QUICK SAVE. Start fresh when you want a new instrument; repatch when you want to hear more possibilities from the modules you have.
Right-click to steer the next result.
On desktop, right-click the RANDOM or REPATCH button itself to open its settings. On a Mac trackpad, use a two-finger click with secondary click enabled, or Control-click. Change a setting, click outside the panel to close it, then left-click the same button to hear a new result using those choices. Opening settings does not generate a patch.
Right-click RANDOM
Choose what kind of system it builds next.
- Sound direction: try Melodic for pitched phrases, Rhythmic for pulses and patterns, or Melodic + Rhythmic for both. Explore and Any leave more room for surprise.
- Rack size and cable density: choose a smaller rack and a sparser density range for something easier to follow. The two slider handles set the minimum and maximum the generator can choose.
- Key, scale and tempo: choose a melodic direction, then turn off Vary key & scale to select a fixed key and scale. Set the tempo range to guide the pace.
- Reverb and Delay: turn either off when you want to hear the core patch more clearly.
Lock rack keeps the case size steady. Lock panels and Lock cables keep the panel finish and cable colours steady; they do not preserve the patch wiring.
Right-click REPATCH
Choose how it explores the modules you already have.
- Cable density: move toward sparse for fewer extra connections, or toward dense for more modulation. Turn off Roll the density each time if you want to keep your chosen amount.
- How far the knobs move: lower this to concentrate on new wiring with smaller setting changes; raise it for a bigger variation.
- Use every module: enable this to include all eligible modules. This controls coverage; cable density still controls the extra wiring.
- Reorder module positions: leave this off to keep the panels in place while you compare different connections.
Try a low knob-variation amount and sparse cabling first. Left-click REPATCH, listen, then use Undo to compare. RESET TO DEFAULTS restores the Repatch settings if you want a fresh starting point.
No sound yet?
Check mute, device volume and the selected output in Audio/MIDI settings. In a DAW, check the instrument track and master output. If your patch uses MIDI, try a keypress. You can also open a factory patch such as Aurora Shield in LIBRARY → Atmospheric. See troubleshooting for a signal-by-signal check.
02 / ORIENTATION
Meet your instrument.
You don’t need to understand every panel to make something worth keeping. Start with these four places.
The rack
Your working instrument. On desktop, click an empty rack space to add a module, or drag a module from the drawer. If you run out of room, choose a larger case in SYSTEM.
The patch library
Open LIBRARY or click the patch name to browse factory and saved patches. The previous / next library buttons browse sounds; the history buttons recover your edits.
The exploration controls
RANDOM builds a system. REPATCH changes its wiring and can vary settings. REKNOB changes settings. ANIMATE keeps selected knobs moving over time.
The Bridge
This is the way out. Audio must reach one of its numbered inputs. The channel LEVEL, PAN and overall MASTER determine what reaches your speakers.
On iPhone, iPad and the Touch layout
Tap an empty rack space to add a module. Use Modules to browse or remove modules, and play the Contact Plate by touch. Follow the same source → shaping → output idea below; desktop right-click instructions refer to the desktop edition.
| Control | What changes | Use it when… |
|---|---|---|
| RANDOM | Modules, cables and settings | You want a fresh starting point. |
| REPATCH | Cables; settings may change too | You like the modules and want a new relationship. |
| REKNOB | Knob settings; rack and wiring stay | You want a variation of the same patch. |
| ANIMATE | Selected knobs move continuously | You want the sound to evolve. |
| QUICK SAVE | Saves a new patch in My Patches | You hear something you want to keep. |
03 / THE LANGUAGE
Three kinds of signal.
Three kinds of signal.
One simple idea.
A cable carries either sound or an instruction. Ask “what is travelling here?” and even a busy patch starts to make sense.
Audio
The sound itself: an oscillator, a noise source, the output of a filter. Audio travels through audio jacks to The Bridge.
SOURCE → SOUND SHAPING → OUTPUTControl voltage · CV
A changing instruction: pitch, brightness, level or position. An envelope can open a gate; a slow cycle can move a timbre.
CONTROL → A PARAMETER INPUTPulse / gate
A timing instruction. A pulse says “start now”. A gate can stay high while a key is held, so an envelope can sustain.
CLOCK OR KEY → TRIGGER
Patch by label and direction.
Drag from an output jack to a compatible input. Audio and control use separate patch domains; a sound output cannot be patched into a CV input. Turn on HINTS to show IN / OUT and suggested destinations. Cable colours change with your chosen colourway, so follow the labels too. On desktop, right-click an input to unpatch it.
MAKE
Oscillator
continuous tone
→
SHAPE
Low-pass gate
level + brightness
→
HEAR
The Bridge
stereo output
A low-pass gate closes down brightness as it gets quieter. That connected change is part of the plucked, woody character you’ll build next.
04 / TUTORIAL 2 · ABOUT 10 MINUTES
Three cables.
Three cables.
Your first plucked voice.
A continuous oscillator becomes a note when an envelope opens a gate. Build this small system and hear each part do its job.
Before you start: QUICK SAVE your current patch, stop ANIMATE, then choose SYSTEM → Clear system (silence + init). Add Waveform Reactor, Thruster Array and Iris Gate; keep The Bridge. Translator may also remain in the rack, ready for the keyboard tutorial. Use channel 1 throughout.
PATCH MAP / 01
| Cable | From · output | To · input | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 · Audio | Waveform Reactor · OUT | Iris Gate · CH 1 IN | Send the tone to the gate. |
| 2 · Audio | Iris Gate · CH 1 OUT | The Bridge · input 1 | Send the shaped sound to the output. |
| 3 · CV | Thruster Array · CH 1 OUT | Iris Gate · CH 1 CV | Open the gate with an envelope. |
- Give the oscillator a gentle starting sound. Set the principal FREQUENCY around 220 Hz, TIMBRE low and the internal modulation destination to OFF.
- Close the gate between notes. On Iris Gate channel 1, choose COMBO and turn LEVEL to zero. The incoming envelope will open it. On The Bridge, centre channel 1 PAN and raise its LEVEL and MASTER gradually.
- Shape a short strike. On Thruster Array channel 1, select TRANSIENT. Start with ATTACK near 1 ms and DECAY around 250 ms. Press its PULSE button.
- Make it repeat. Change the same envelope channel to CYCLIC. It now repeats without an external trigger. Increase DECAY for a longer, slower phrase; reduce it for shorter repeats.
- Bring out the wood and metal. Raise oscillator TIMBRE a little at a time. Short decays feel struck; longer decays let the harmonics ring. QUICK SAVE a favourite.
LISTEN FOR
A bright attack that becomes darker as it fades. Compare Iris Gate COMBO with GATE: GATE changes amplitude without the same closing filter. Return to COMBO for the rounded pluck.
My patch is silent, or it drones.
Silent: check the two audio cables, Bridge channel 1 LEVEL and MASTER, then press Thruster Array channel 1 PULSE in TRANSIENT mode. A drone: make sure Iris Gate channel 1 LEVEL is at zero and the envelope is plugged into the same channel’s CV input. FILTER mode shapes brightness without closing amplitude in the same way; use COMBO here.
05 / TUTORIAL 3 · ABOUT 5 MINUTES
Let the sound breathe.
Keep the repeating pluck from tutorial 2. Add one more cable so every note can arrive with a different shade.
- Use a second envelope as a slow control. Set Thruster Array channel 2 to CYCLIC. Start with ATTACK around 2 seconds and DECAY around 3 seconds.
- Move the timbre. Patch Thruster Array CH 2 OUT → Waveform Reactor TIMBRE input. Keep the oscillator’s TIMBRE knob low to leave room for modulation.
- Listen across several notes. Channel 1 still repeats the pluck. Channel 2 changes the texture on its own slower cycle. Change channel 2’s times and hear the pattern drift.
- Try the animator separately. QUICK SAVE this patch, then try ANIMATE. Right-click ANIMATE to choose which knobs can move and adjust its settings. Turn it off when you want to make a deliberate edit.
Thruster Array · CH 2 OUT
→
Waveform Reactor · TIMBRE
CV / a slow envelope becomes a changing texture
LISTEN FOR
The note timing stays familiar while the tone brightens and softens. If the sound stays very bright, lower the base TIMBRE setting or remove this cable to compare.
06 / TUTORIAL 4 · ABOUT 5 MINUTES
Put it under your fingers.
Convert the plucked patch into a playable voice. Pitch chooses the note; gate tells the envelope when you’re holding a key.
- Connect your keyboard. In the standalone app, enable your MIDI input in Audio/MIDI settings. In a DAW, route your keyboard’s MIDI to the instrument track.
- Add Translator. Patch its PITCH output → Waveform Reactor PITCH input. Translator’s PITCH output follows MIDI notes; use its output side, not its similarly named input.
- Give the envelope a gate. Patch Translator GATE output → Thruster Array CH 1 TRIG input. Change channel 1 from CYCLIC to SUSTAINED. Keep the three original cables.
- Play and hold. Use a short ATTACK, hold a key, then release it. Increase DECAY for a longer release. Choose TRANSIENT instead if you want each keypress to make a short strike, independent of how long you hold it.
Translator · PITCH
→
Waveform Reactor · PITCH
CV / which note?
Translator · GATE
→
Thruster Array · CH 1 TRIG
Gate / when does it start and stop?
One voice first.
This patch uses one oscillator voice, so start with single notes. If pitch is unexpectedly high or low, check the oscillator’s FREQUENCY / transpose settings. The on-screen Contact Plate also has PITCH and GATE outputs for a keyboard-free version of this patch.
07 / MODULE FIELD NOTES
Choose a job.
Choose a job.
Then choose a module.
You don’t need every module in every patch. These are the roles to reach for when you want one new possibility.
Make a sound
Dual folding oscillator
Waveform Reactor
Start with FREQUENCY and TIMBRE. Use SINE for a gentler source or OUT for the shaped voice.
Wavefolding oscillator
Warp Core
Explore TWIST and CRUSH for a more abrasive source.
Noise + random voltages
Uncertainty Drive
Use noise as audio, or random CV to introduce variation. Sampled random sections need trigger pulses.
Shape and move it
Four envelopes
Thruster Array
TRANSIENT makes a strike; SUSTAINED follows a held gate; CYCLIC repeats as a modulation source.
Four low-pass gates
Iris Gate
GATE controls amplitude, COMBO controls amplitude and filtering, FILTER controls filtering.
Triple morphing filter
Prism
Move between low-pass, band-pass and high-pass responses; add resonance carefully.
Sixteen-band filter bank
Spectra
Shape a sound in separate frequency bands.
Four swappable bays
Utility Bay
Choose the utility you need for each bay. Its available functions depend on your app version.
Play and organize
MIDI + OSC to control
Translator
Bring external performance into the rack. PITCH, GATE and velocity can each control a different destination.
Touch keys
Contact Plate
Play notes on screen; patch PITCH and GATE to your voice.
16-stage sequencer
Flight Path
Build a repeating phrase. Pitch output chooses notes and pulse output triggers envelopes.
Circular sequencer
Orbit
Explore repeating patterns arranged in a circle.
Clock + ratchet
Pulsar
Give events a pulse, then add repeated subdivisions.
Preset computer
Flight Computer
Move between patch slots. Cabling and module layout switch; knob settings can glide.
Mix, remember and finish
Mixer + preamp
Conflux
Combine sources before processing them together.
Spatial router
Vector Field
Move signals between destinations for spatial motion.
Loop recorder
Memory Core
Capture material and let it repeat inside the patch.
Delay
Time Rift
Add echoes. Start with a low wet mix and modest feedback.
Reverb
Void Chamber
Add a sense of space. Keep enough dry signal to preserve the attack.
Frequency shifter
Doppler
Shift the spectrum for metallic, moving textures.
Output + master
The Bridge
Mix four audio inputs with individual levels and pan, then set overall MASTER.
08 / TROUBLESHOOTING
Find your way back.
I can’t hear anything.
Check the device volume, mute and selected audio output. In a DAW, check the track and master routing. Then follow the audio: source OUT → gate / effect IN → its OUT → a numbered Bridge input. Raise that Bridge channel’s LEVEL and MASTER. A triggered patch also needs a keypress, pulse or running cycle. Save your work before trying RANDOM as a separate sound check.
The sound is harsh, muddy or too busy.
Change one thing at a time. Reduce oscillator TIMBRE or modulation INDEX for a simpler tone. Lower effects mix and feedback to hear the dry voice. Simplify the audio path before adding more modulation. Lower the output volume before a large change.
I changed something and want the old patch back.
Use history Back / Undo. On desktop, Cmd/Ctrl+Z undoes and Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+Z redoes. The library arrows browse presets; they don’t undo edits. History holds up to 100 patch snapshots in this session. QUICK SAVE creates a patch you can reopen later. Making a new edit after going back replaces the redo branch.
I don’t understand what a cable is doing.
Set Flow to Simple for direction and strength, or Detailed for traces and a selected-cable readout. Trace it from its output to its input and read both labels. Remove one connection and listen to the difference, then use Undo to restore it.
My patch sounds different every time.
Look for ANIMATE, random-voltage sources and Flight Computer recalls. Stop the animator while editing. A saved generative patch can still produce changing events when you reopen it; saving the patch stores its setup, rather than a fixed audio performance.
Keep exploring
One new cable.
One new possibility.
Save often. Make one change. Listen longer than you think you need to.