USER GUI

DE
TACTIC // CREDITS

SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT:
Thomas Hennebert

Ivo Ivanov

SOUND DESIGN AND SAMPLE CONTENT:

Ivo Ivanov

PRESET DESIGN & BETA TESTING:

Ivo Ivanov
Thomas Hennebert
Alex Retsis
Hans Besselink
Ian Lambert

AUDIO DEMOS / USER GUIDE / TUTORIAL VIDEOS:

Ivo Ivanov

PRODUCT GRAPHICS:
Ivo Ivanov

2D product logo by Nick Botner

This symbol refers to important technical info

This symbol refers to a tip, idea or side note

GLITCHMACHINES ® TACTIC 1.3.1

 LEGAL:
Piracy directly affects us! We need your support to be able to continue to bring you new
products - please do not share our plugins and packs illegally.

For full Terms & Conditions, please refer to the EULA (End User License Agreement)
located in the DOCS folder with this product or visit the Legal page on our website.

Glitchmachines ® https://glitchmachines.com

SETUP:
Please note that Tactic is an Audio Unit or VST3-only 64bit plugin.

1. Unpack the TACTIC.zip le

2. Via the TACTIC_INSTALLERS folder, run the installer for your system.

• Mac Users: As of version 1.3, there is no longer a separate preset installer

for Tactic presets. If your presets fail to install as expected, you can do so
manually by following the instructions provided here: MAC PRESET HELP

3. Manually place the entire TACTIC_SAMPLES folder in any location of your choosing
such as an internal or external hard drive where you store your samples.

4. Launch your VST3 or AU DAW and load Tactic on an Instrument Track.

5. Follow the prompt and point to the location of the TACTIC_SAMPLES folder:

• Upon rst launch, you will see a popup that prompts you to point to the
TACTIC_SAMPLES folder on your system. Tactic will remember this path so
that the factory presets and associated samples can load properly. Should
this folder ever need to be moved, simply navigate to the Con guration
Menu (gear icon in footer) and use the “change sound library folder
location” command to point to the folder in its new location.

6. Tactic is not played via MIDI keys on a controller. Instead, the plugin is primarily
driven by your host’s clock (same as our plugin Cataract). To operate the plugin, you
must press PLAY in your DAW’s transport. Load some of the factory presets to
con rm that you’re hearing audio and you’re all set!

If you require tech support, you may reach us at: glitchmachines.sales@gmail.com

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TACTIC SYNOPSIS:
Tactic is a phrase generator geared towards evolving sequences and metamorphic
patterns. Tactic features a host of sample slots and a master trigger sequencer
supported by several modulation sequencers with features such as per-step probability,
per-step parameter value designations and per-step randomization, giving you all the
tools necessary to create anything from subtle percussive grooves to experimental
hyperglitch chaos.

While Tactic can con dently stand on its own, the plugin truly comes to life when paired
with our range of signal processing plugins such as Convex, Subvert, Cryogen,
Quadrant and Fracture XT. You can of course also load your own samples and pair
Tactic with any of your favorite processors and effects chains to fully customize the
plugin to your needs.

With its 8 Sample Slots, Trigger Sequencer with Per-Step Probability, Dual Per-Step
Parameter Sequencers, Generative Sequencer, Comprehensive Randomizer, 640+
Factory Samples and 115 Factory Presets, Tactic brings a powerful new phrase
generator to the world of electronic music production.

TACTIC INTERFACE:

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Tactic’s user interface is split into 4 sections:

• SAMPLE SLOTS - 8 sample slots with control over various parameters:

• GLOBAL SECTION - optional internal clock, global controls and playback modes:

• SEQUENCERS - trigger seq, dual parameter seq and generative seq:

• FOOTER SECTION - preset browser, randomizer access and con guration menu:

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 The TEMPO display is a special feature - not meant to indicate the
current tempo of your host clock. It should be inactive (gray) during
normal use. Explained in the Global Controls section of this guide.

PARAMETER VALUE DISPLAY:

Parameters that may require precise adjustments have been equipped with
a parameter value popup. To reveal the current value of such parameters,
click on the corresponding knob. Likewise, as you adjust the relevant
parameter, its value will appear in a transparent popup.

Some parameters don’t feature this display - these parameters generally range from 0-1
(i.e. ON/OFF), from 0-100% or their value is only relevant within a certain context.

SCALABLE INTERFACE:

You may scale the Tactic user interface by dragging the bottom-right corner of the
window until you reach the desired proportions. This setting is automatically saved and
the plugin will launch with the set dimensions until they are altered.

Should the interface ever exceed the boundaries of your screen, you can trash the
preferences to reset its dimensions. To do this, navigate to the preferences via the
Con g Menu option and trash the corresponding le before relaunching the plugin.

In some situations (on older machines or laptops with lower resolution screens), it’s
possible that the default UI dimensions don’t allow the user interface to fully display on
screen, thereby usually impeding your ability to access the Con guration Menu. In this
event, it’s possible to alter the preferences le in a text editor by manually typing in the
desired dimensions. Contact our support team if you need assistance with this.

The Initialize option at the top of the Con g Menu allows you to
quickly reset your patch to the factory default INIT state.

Hold the Control/Command (Win/Mac) key to gain ner control over a parameter.

Doubl click a knob to reset it to its default value.

Drag & drop sample les to slots from within your DAW or system folders.

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TACTIC OVERVIEW:

Tactic offers 8 sample slots featuring several parameters that allow you to individually
sculpt the loaded les with control over pitch, start/end points and amplitude:

At Tactic’s core, you will nd the 16 step Trigger Sequencer, which allows you to trigger
one of the desired slots for each step. This sequencer features per-step probability
settings that breathe life into Tactic’s patterns by allowing you to determine the
percentage of chance that a particular step will trigger the associated sample:

The Trigger Sequencer is supported by two Parameter Sequencers that allow you to
choose several modulation targets, along with their values on a per-step basis:

The Generative Sequencer enables parameter randomization on a per-step basis:

Each of Tactic’s sequencers can be augmented via several attributes that give you
control of each lane’s playback direction, beat division and step length. You can also set
the trigger sequencer to trig a random slot on any/every step. All of these functions work
together to extend Tactic’s capabilities far beyond an ordinary 16-step sequencer,
allowing you to create evolving generative rhythms that are otherwise labor intensive to
program manually.

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Beneath Tactic’s front-facing functions, we’ve included a comprehensive Randomizer
panel where you can randomize nearly all of the plugin’s parameters in isolation and/or
randomize various groups of parameters simultaneously.

This panel is an extremely helpful utility in situations where you need to quickly
randomize samples without affecting sequences or randomize probability values or
sequencer patterns without affecting other settings. This tool also yields interesting
results in a more creative context, such as in situations where you are either in a hurry
to dial in a quantity of interesting results or simply lacking inspiration.

Tactic includes a percussion-oriented sample bank derived from our multitude of sound
effects products. In most cases, these assets have been edited to respond musically in
the context of Tactic’s framework. To get you started working with the plugin quickly, we
also included a wide variety of factory presets from some of our best designers. You can
use the functions in the Randomizer panel to easily swap samples in any of these
presets to dial in variations or even replace the relevant les with your own samples.

Tactic was designed to work well in tandem with signal processing plugins. Rather than
including built-in effects and typical modulation sources, we focused the plugin toward
sequencing and phrase generation so you can decide which processors to pair it up
with depending on your needs and interests. Plugins such as Subvert, Convex,
Cryogen, Fracture XT and Quadrant work particularly well with Tactic, or you could use
it with Cataract (on separate tracks) or any other combination of plugins to layer up
extremely complex rhythms and patterns with relative ease.

Regardless of your unique approach to production and musical preferences, Tactic will
yield interesting results each time you work with it thanks to its creative work ow,
streamlined interface and comprehensive sequencing options. Use it to create shape-
shifting percussive passages, metamorphic rhythms, generative sound effect
sequences and virtually anything else you can imagine.

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 SAMPLE SLOTS:

Each of the 8 sample slots are located at the top of Tactic’s interface and numbered to
correspond with the Trigger Sequencer (explained later in this guide).

Click in the LOAD SAMPLE eld to load a sample, or drag & drop .wav sample les
directly onto the waveform display from your DAW or desktop. Once you load a .wav
le, the < > arrows increment/decrement through the les in the currently active folder.

WAVEFORM DISPLAY: waveform zooming adapts to the current start/end settings; this
way the active range always corresponds with the zone shown in the display.

Right-clicking on any of the waveform displays brings up the following menu:

CLEAR SAMPLE: clears the currently loaded sample le from the respective slot

COPY SETTINGS: allows you to copy all of the respective slot’s settings

PASTE SETTINGS: allows you to paste all of the settings from another slot

ALT+Click in the waveform display to load a random le. This is a useful creative tool
for when you like a patch but want to quickly audition random les within that context.

Shift+Click in the waveform display to toggle SOLO PREVIEW. This allows you to
isolate a particular slot’s signal to make it easier to hear what’s going on. When this
function is active, the soloed slot’s waveform turn fuchsia to con rm its active status. To
return to the standard mode where all of the slots are audible, Shift+Click in the
waveform display again. This setting is not saved as part of the preset/plugin state.

The sample slot’s waveform displays are illuminated on each trigger to give you visual
feedback con rming when a sample is triggered.

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 Each sample slot includes a number of sculpting options, which are as follows:

COARSE : alters the pitch of the loaded le by +/- 12 semitones

FINE : deviates by +/- 100 cents from the current pitch
START : determines at which point in the sample le playback will begin
END : determines at which point in the sample le playback will end
AMP : determines the amplitude of the sample slot’s signal

Note that Tactic does not offer a timestretch algorithm so the samples will speed up and
slow down as they deviate from their root pitch in either direction.

Tactic’s maximum sample le size is governed by your system RAM. To avoid

performance issues it is generally advised not to load massive, high resolution les.

GLOBAL CONTROLS:

These controls affect all sample slots simultaneously. Note that this set of parameters
also corresponds with the Parameter Sequencers, as explained later in this section.

TEMPO : the ‘Internal Tempo’ option is a special feature. It is not meant to indicate your
DAW’s bpm value and should be kept inactive (grayed out) during normal use.

This function was implemented for special use-cases where you may want to use Tactic
inside an app that doesn’t have a master clock - such as within an audio editing app or
particular types of Max patches, etc.

Clicking the small clock icon on the left activates the internal clock and the icon and
tempo elds turn green to indicate that the clock is decoupled from your host. You can
then click & drag in the tempo eld to set Tactic’s internal clock to the desired value.

An additional use for this function is that it indicates the intended tempo for the factory
presets. For example if the tempo eld reads 150 bpm, then you should set your DAW’s
transport to that tempo in order for the preset to play back as intended.

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Controls in the Global Parameter section represent the Parameter Sequencer targets.

These settings are applied over the top of the individual sample slot settings. They are
the “default” values that apply if there is no sequencer data set for a parameter.

Likewise, if there is sequencer data present in the Parameter Sequencers, those values
actively take priority.

START : offsets the starting point of all sample slots simultaneously. The individual
slot’s sample start settings determine the base values.

COARSE : offsets the coarse pitch of all sample slots simultaneously. The individual
slot’s pitch settings determine the base values.

AMP : offsets the amplitude of all sample slots simultaneously. The individual slot’s
amplitude settings determine the base values.

You can effectively use this as Tactic’s Master Volume control.

PAN : offsets the panoramic position of all sample slots simultaneously.

ATT : offsets the attack envelope time of all sample slots simultaneously.

DEC : offsets the decay envelope time of all sample slots simultaneously.

L SIZE : the loop size values are expressed as divisions of the gate of a trig sequencer
step, ranging between 1/2 - 1/128.

Clicking this icon activates loop mode for all sample slots

Clicking this icon activates reverse playback for all sample slots

GLITCHMACHINES ® TACTIC 1.3.1

 TRIGGER SEQUENCER:

The Trigger Sequencer is Tactic’s master sequencer. It features 16 steps, each of which
allow you to trigger one of the 8 sample slots. Tactic is driven by your host’s clock,
therefore the tempo is determined by the BPM settings in your DAW’s transport. To
start/stop Tactic’s sequencers, you must press “play/stop” in your DAW’s transport.

The large blue squares at the top of the Trig Sequencer are the trigger steps. By default,
they are inactive and display a dash in the center. To designate a trigger, click & drag in
the box to choose between 1-8, which corresponds with the 8 numbered sample slots at
the top of the plugin’s interface. This way, you can create your sequence by choosing
which sample to trigger for each step. You may also designate the ? option for any of
the steps, which will trigger a random sample slot on each pass.

The dots below the trigger steps are visual step indicators, showing the active step.

The elds below the Trig Sequencer’s step indicator are the probability values. These
default to 100%, meaning that the respective triggers will be active 100% of the time.
You can click & drag in these elds to change their values, which then determines the %
chance the respective steps will trigger.

The parameters at the left side of the lanes are the sequencer attributes:

This eld allows you to change the beat division from 8 bars to 1/128
based on the host clock. Click & drag in this eld to change values.

This menu gives you option to set the Trig Sequencer to play back Dotted
or Triplet values based on the host clock.

This eld allows you to change the step count between 1-16 steps. Click
& drag in this eld to set the number of steps for the Trig Sequencer.

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Beat divisions allow you to offset the timing relationships between the host clock and
sequencers in such a way that one lane can stay on a step for a much longer/shorter
duration than other lanes. The resulting sequences become interesting quickly, as
showcased in many of the factory presets.

Click the icon at the top-right of the sequencer lane to cycle through the following
playback direction modes:

Forward: Steps will trigger in a forward direction (left to right)

Backward: Steps will trigger in a backward direction (right to left)

Pendulum: Steps will trigger left to right, then right to left, etc.

Random: Steps will trigger in random order

The two icons below the playback direction clear values of the Trig Sequencer:

Clear Sequence: Clears the trigger elds for all steps

Clear Probability: Clears the probability values for all steps

You can “choke” steps by designating an empty sample slot in your patch for this
purpose. For example, you can leave slot 8 empty and use this slot number in the
trigger sequencer after a desired step to arti cially cut off the tail of the previous step.

By using the ? (Random) playback direction and ? (Random) triggers together with the
probabilities, you can achieve signi cant creative complexity. You could, for example,
set a slot as the pattern’s “anchor” that triggers 100% of the time, and then set the
remaining probability elds to a variety of values. Together with the Parameter and
Generative sequencers explained later in this guide, it’s easy to set up extremely
complex evolving sequences/patterns.

Pay attention to your DAW’s loop range settings. If Tactic’s sequences are ending
abruptly or not behaving as expected, it’s likely that your DAW’s loop function is active
and the loop range is set shorter than the length of Tactic’s sequence.

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PARAMETER SEQUENCERS:

Tactic features two identical Parameter Sequencers that work in tandem with the Trig
Sequencer to allow you to modulate a parameter of your choice for each step.

The Attributes, Playback Modes and Clear Sequence button work the same way as in
the Trig Sequencer - please see the previous section for details.

The upper row features a set of dropdown menus from which you can select one of the
available modulation targets for each step. These targets correspond with the Global
Controls. Once you choose a parameter, the fuchsia eld below it will update to re ect
values relevant to that parameter. Click & drag in these elds to change their values.

The Param Sequencers offer the following modulation targets:

START: offsets the sample start // range = 0.00 to 99.00

LOOP SIZE: sets loop size // range = 1/2 to 1/128
LOOP: activates loop playback for step // value = ON/OFF
REVERSE: activates reverse playback for step // value = ON/OFF
COARSE TUNE: sets pitch for step // range = +/- 24 semitones
ATTACK: offsets attack envelope time // range = 0 to 200 ms
DECAY: offsets decay envelope time // range = 10 to 2000 ms
AMPLITUDE: offsets amplitude of step // range = -70.000dB to 0.000dB
PAN: offsets panoramic position for step // range = -1.00 to 1.00

Parameter modulation is valid for the duration of one step - after this, it snaps to the
relevant value in the Global Controls section. Meanwhile, if there is no sample active on
the next trig slot, the previous sample will continue to decay if it lasts longer than the
step value. As explained in the Trig Sequencer section, you can defeat this by setting
the following step to trigger an empty slot, thereby effectively “choking” the decay.

In situations where you alter the pitch of a step via the COA parameter and you wish for
a sample to decay naturally rather than snapping back to its root pitch at the following
step, you can simply set the following few steps to the same pitch values so they are
inline with the length of the respective sample’s decay time.

This behavior can also be used creatively to modulate a parameter in the decay stage
of a sample by activating targets in the steps following the initial trigger.

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All of the targets share the same underlying structure. As a result, all parameters default
to their lowest possible value (i.e. -24 or -1 rather than 0) in the parameter value elds.

GENERATIVE SEQUENCER:

Tactic features a Generative Sequencer that allows randomization of a parameter of

choice for each step.

The Attributes, Playback Modes and Clear Sequence button work the same way as in
the Trig Sequencer - please see the relevant section earlier in this guide for details.

The available targets are the same as in the Parameter Sequencer (see previous
section). In this case, however, instead of setting a speci c value for a particular
parameter, the target is set to a random value each time the step is active.

All of Tactic’s sequencers coincide to make it possible to create interesting patterns that
exceed the boundaries of average linear step sequencers. For example, you could set
the Generative Sequencer to 4 steps and set the beat division to 1 BAR. You could
then pick a different target for each of the 4 steps and Tactic would juxtapose these
randomizations over the top of the structures in the Trigger and Parameter sequencers.

Tactic truly comes to life when all of its sequencers work together. Between the
probability settings, the ability to trigger speci c or random slots per-step, specify
parameter values per-step, alter the playback direction, beat division and length per
sequencer and randomize target values per-step, Tactic makes it possible to create
evolving rhythms and generative patterns that are dif cult to program manually.

Numerous creative examples are included within the factory preset bank, so be sure to
check these out for inspiration.

When you’re ready to take things further, pair Tactic with your favorite processors or
effects chains and don’t forget that you can animate nearly every parameter via your
DAW’s automation facilities.

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RANDOMIZER:

Click this icon in the footer to reveal the Randomizer panel.

The Randomizer panel features a sophisticated system that allows you to randomize
isolated sections of the plugin or entire groups of parameters simultaneously.

A comprehensive layout of buttons shows a macro overview of all of the plugin’s

randomizable parameters. When clicked, buttons trigger the associated randomization.

Be sure to audit your patches, particularly after randomizing larger parameter groups,
since a lot of parameters will likely wind up at awkward values and either induce silence
or other unwanted artifacts. You should always check randomized parameters to
assess whether they need to be manually updated to more logical settings.

In our experience, it’s generally advisable to take a “less is more” approach to

randomization. Things can quickly fall out of control when using the fuchsia ALL/
GLOBAL macro randomization groups. While there are circumstances where this can
be used as a rewarding creative technique, you’re likely going to prefer to use the
isolated or grouped targets which typically yield more usable results.

Although nearly every parameter is randomizable, we excluded certain parameters that

do not yield viable results when randomized.

You must select a target folder for each desired sample slot prior to randomizing,
otherwise the controls will be randomized but no sample will be loaded in slots that do
not have a prede ned target folder.

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 FOOTER:
The Footer section gives you access to the Randomizer panel, Preset Browser and
Con guration Menu.

PRESETS :

Navigate through the presets either by clicking the drop-down menu and selecting a
preset, or by using the navigational arrows to increment/decrement through the list.

SAVE PRESET : clicking on this option will open a dialog box that will let you save the
current preset on your hard drive using the extension “.tctp”.

Only the presets saved in the default preset folder will appear in the menu. It is not
possible to set up custom folders within the current preset system architecture.

Imported le paths are stored on a per-preset basis. Be sure to manage your sample
libraries so that les linked to your saved presets can be properly recalled at a later
date. Moving or renaming imported les will break the paths and cause loading issues.
Likewise, les that are imported from external drives require that the relevant drive is
connected at the time the preset is recalled - otherwise the le can not load correctly.

It is not possible to share presets between systems as the le paths from another
machine will not resolve properly, thus causing the associated samples not to load.

The footer includes a dynamic log zone at the bottom-left of the interface below the
Tactic logo. You may see messages here under certain conditions such as when a
sample le can not be found, etc.

MIDI program change handling is currently not implemented.

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 CONFIGURATION MENU:

Click this icon in the footer to access the Global Con g Menu, which contains
various important functions that affect the plugin.

The plugin’s current version number is displayed at the bottom of this menu.

INITIALIZE :

Initializes all of the plugin’s parameters to their default state and clears all sample slots.

CHANGE SOUND LIBRARY FOLDER LOCATION :

As noted in the SETUP section of this guide, you will see a popup on rst launch that
prompts you to point to the TACTIC_SAMPLES folder on your system. Tactic will
remember this path so that the factory presets and their associated samples can load
properly. Should this folder ever need to be moved, simply navigate to the Con guration
Menu and use the “change sound library folder location” command to point to the
folder in its new location.

SHOW PREFERENCES FILE :

This option opens the Finder/Explorer to the location of the preferences le. This le
stores saved options like the user interface dimensions, etc. You can trash (delete) this
le in order to reset Tactic to its factory settings and default dimensions.

Some older machines may lack the screen resolution needed to fully display Tactic’s UI,
thereby hindering your ability to access the Con g Menu that leads to this menu option.
In this case, it’s possible to navigate to the preferences manually and alter the le via a
text editor to reduce the UI dimensions. Please contact support for assistance with this.

OPEN PRESETS DIRECTORY :

A shortcut to the dedicated system folder where the plugin’s presets are stored.

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 SAMPLE CONTENT OVERVIEW:
Tactic includes a selection of 640+ 24/96 .wav percussion-oriented sample les derived
from our multitude of sound effects products. In most cases, these assets have been
edited to respond more musically in the context of Tactic’s framework.

To get you started working with the plugin quickly, we also included a wide variety of
factory presets from some of our best designers. You can use the functions in the
Randomizer panel to easily swap samples in any of these presets to easily audition
different les in these contexts or even replace the relevant les with your own samples.

Imported le paths are stored on a per-preset basis. Be sure to manage your sample
libraries so that les linked to your saved presets can be properly recalled at a later
date. Moving or renaming imported les will break the paths and cause loading issues.
Likewise, les that are imported from external drives require that the relevant drive is
connected at the time the preset is recalled - otherwise the le can not load correctly.

While Tactic may work with other audio le formats, we recommend using standard .wav

The Tactic factory sample bank consists of 4 sound categories:

• COMPOSITE: processed, layered and designed sound effects

• ORGANIC: unprocessed Foley recordings derived from a broad range of objects
• PERCUSSIVE: drum and percussion hits derived from a broad range of sources
• SYNTHETIC: synthetic tones and effects derived from a broad range of sources

Tactic makes it easy to focus on speci c portions of samples within each slot. As such, it
is helpful to consider that even a fraction of a sample can become a prominent
percussion element in a patch. We particularly like using several “drum” sounds as the
basis for a sequence, then loading different sound effects in the remaining slots to bring
sonic interest and diversity to the patch.

This theory extends well beyond the included bank of factory samples; you can of
course load any of your existing samples into Tactic. To take things even further, visit
our website to explore our diverse range of sample pack products.

You are welcome to use Tactic’s sample library directly inside your DAW or other
devices - take a look at our EULA to understand the details of our license agreement.

Thanks for purchasing Tactic !

Please check out the rest of our products at our website: https://glitchmachines.com

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