Modulation
When a scene preset is active, Orbiter automatically modulates instrument parameters over time. This creates slowly evolving ambient textures without any manual adjustment.
What Gets Modulated
- Brightness — tone colour shifts from darker to brighter
- Reverb — room ambience swells and recedes
- Decay — sustain length varies over time
- Volume — subtle level changes add dynamics
- Tuning — micro-detuning for organic movement
- Pan — spatial position drifts gently
Sequencer density parameters (note probability, burst rate) are not modulated — the rhythmic structure stays consistent.
How It Works
Modulation uses a mix of slow drifts and faster cycles, all derived from the same deterministic seed as the sequencer. This means:
- The modulation is reproducible — the same seed produces the same evolution
- Shared URLs include the modulation state, so recipients hear the same sound at the same point in time
- Each parameter moves at a different rate, creating complex evolving textures from simple rules
Visual Feedback
In the Instruments view, each knob shows two values at once:
- Orange arc and pointer — your base setting (what you set manually).
- Cyan arc and dot — sits on the outside of the orange arc and shows where modulation has currently moved the parameter to. The arc runs from the base position to the modulated position so you can see how far it's drifted.
