Shakmat Four Bricks Rook User manual

16HP Eurorack Module Built & designed in Belgium www.shakmat.com
Shakmat
Four Bricks Rook

Far beyond basic step sequencing, the Four Bricks Rook brings
a highly intuitive interface to all of your rhythmic duties. Providing
a diverse array of features including a CV addressable memory
of 128 thirty-two step tables. The Four Bricks Rook can store
your own sequences, use an auto randomizer or pattern filler,
record precise timings of unquantized rhythms, all this accesible
via four modes defining the pads behavior : Play, recall Patterns,
play Fills, or Mute your sequences.
Introduction
The Four Bricks Rook requires a standard 2x5 pin eurorack
power cable. Make sure the red stripe on the cable matches
the -12V side of the power header.
Installation
Clock input
Reset input
Fill All input
Shift CV input
Length CV input
Table CV input
Outputs
Menu potentiometer & display
Menu LEDs
Table potentiometer
Length potentiometer
Shift potentiometer
Rec button & LED /
Load Pattern
Erase button /
Save Table
A/B button & LED /
Load Fill
Function button
Quantize button /
Random Amount
Track status LEDs
Pads
Mode LEDs

I

Let’s start by feeding the module with a clock signal through the
Clock input [1]. Four modes are available, defining the pads
behavior. To select one of them press Function [I] and the
corresponding pad [L] simultaneously.
Modes
In Play mode, the four pads act as manual triggers. If recording is
engaged [F], the associated LED lights on and the triggers
performed on the pads are recorded into the buffer.
PLAY
In Pattern mode, pressing a pad will cause the module to read the
sequence off a table (as defined by the Table potentiometer and
Table CV input) instead of the current buffer. To show that a track is
reading a table, the corresponding LED [K] is acting in an inverted
way so that it stays lit & turns off when a trigger is played. To return
to the buffer’s sequence, press the pad a second time. Pressing a
pad while Rec is engaged will import the pattern to the track.
PATTERN
Similarly to Pattern mode, Fill mode reads the selected table but in a
more dynamic way as the patterns play only while the pad is pressed.
This on-the-fly reinterpretation of the tables can be recorded.
Sending a gate signal to the module’s Fill All CV input [3] will
cause all the tracks to play fills for the duration of the gate signal.
FILL
This mode mutes a track by pressing on the corresponding pad. A
muted track will have a slowly pulsating status LED. While record is
engaged, this mode also allows to erase parts of a sequence.
MUTE

A sequence length is determined by the Length potentiometer [D],
in conjunction with the bipolar Length CV input [5]. Available
sequence lengths are: 32, 24, 16, 12, 8, 6, 4, 3, 2 and 1 step. By
using the Reset CV input [2] you can easily play sequences of
different lengths.
The Shift potentiometer [E] addresses parts of a recorded
sequence and can also be controlled via the Shift CV input [4]. For
example, if you record a 32 step sequence and then set the Length
potentiometer down to 8 steps, the original 32 step sequence will
be divided into four 8 step long segments. Using the Shift potentio-
meter allows you to choose between these four segments on the
fly. The figure below shows that specific exemple in a visual way:
Sequences
Steps
Segments
2 3
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