Automatic 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:

• Knob position — your base setting (what you set manually)
• Secondary indicator — the current effective value after modulation is applied

This lets you see exactly how the modulation is affecting each parameter at any moment.