A self-mutating spectral feedback monster that freezes audio moments and feeds them through chaotic nonlinearity, modulated by hand distance and internal knob conflict.
“A module that fights itself in real time. CHAOS and FEEDBACK actively oppose each other, creating physical tension in the interface. Hand-tracking injects collaborative chaos—sometimes you control it, sometimes it ignores you. Knobs emit CV that can patch back into themselves for self-sabotaging loops. Feed it nothing and it stays silent. Feed it a single note and it generates infinite fractals of increasingly alien harmonics until it locks onto a strange attractor or collapses into noise. The module is an argument machine: you vs. the knobs vs. the webcam vs. the chaos itself.”
6HP · 5 parameters · 4 inputs · 5 outputs
PARAMETERS
Freezeknob [0.01 – 5.0]Spectral snapshot duration in seconds. Hand distance from camera overrides in real time—close = fast, far = deep freeze.
Chaosknob [0.0 – 1.0]Morphs between smooth feedback (0.0) and full Chua circuit frenzy (0.5) to Lorenz attractor (1.0). Actively suppresses FEEDBACK knob as it rises.
Feedbackknob [0.0 – 1.0]Self-feeding intensity. Resists CHAOS knob—turn up CHAOS and this weakens automatically. Emits CV output tracking its position.
Strangenessknob [0.0 – 1.0]Real-time morphing between Chua and Lorenz strange attractors. Controls which nonlinear flavor dominates the feedback path.
Bodyknob [0.0 – 1.0]How much webcam hand-tracking noise injects into knob priority. High = knobs sometimes ignore you and follow their own chaos.
Spectral freezer implemented as real-time FFT snapshot (holds magnitude spectrum, replays with phase continuity). Feedback path runs through Chua circuit simulation (three-stage piecewise-linear nonlinearity) morphing smoothly to Lorenz attractor (three coupled ODEs). Hand distance from webcam (via WeirdKit face-tracking API) modulates FREEZE_TIME and injects stochastic perturbations into knob control signals based on HAND_INFLUENCE parameter. CHAOS and FEEDBACK knobs implement inverse relationship: feedback_effective = feedback_knob * (1 - chaos_knob * 0.8). All knob positions emit CV outputs for self-patching. Webcam input optional—module works with manual knobs alone but gains live performance dimension with hand tracking active.
AESTHETIC
Panel substrate deep black (#080A0F) with teal glow accents (#00FFB3) around FEEDBACK and FREEZE zones. CHAOS knob surrounded by hot pink (#FF3D6B) to show antagonism. Violet (#7B4FFF) accent on camera icon and HAND_INFLUENCE. Signal wires animated, pulsing with feedback intensity. Hand-tracking indicator (small camera icon) glows violet when active. Knob positions displayed as small CV readouts (0–10V scale). Layout: FREEZE on left (input side), FEEDBACK and CHAOS in center (conflict zone), STRANGENESS and BODY on right. All text Space Mono. Module name 'SERPENT' in large Syne bold, suggesting coiled energy and self-reference.