THE CATERPILLAR
THE CATERPILLAR
programmed by Remo De Vico
The Caterpillar – A Granular-Spectral Trip
The Caterpillar is a Max for Live device that merges granular synthesis with real-time spectral processing.
At its core lies an intuitive spectrogram interface, allowing you to visualize and reshape the sound spectrum graphically.
You can use The Caterpillar as an audio effect by recording the buffer, or leave the REC button engaged to process incoming audio live. Explore different FFT resolutions to uncover a range of textures—from subtle spectral transformations to hallucinatory soundscapes.
Let go of control and enter a psychedelic journey where the Caterpillar becomes your spectral spirit guide.
The Caterpillar — Spectral Max for Live Effect
The Caterpillar transforms audio into a living spectral space.
Built around FFT analysis, it converts sound into a two-dimensional matrix (spectrogram), where frequency becomes material you can reshape, scan, blur, filter, and destabilize in real time.
From subtle spectral coloring to unstable glitch textures, The Caterpillar lets you work inside the sound rather than on top of it.
What It Does
- Warps and repositions frequency content
- Scans spectral frames with tempo-synced motion
- Applies shape-based filtering and spatial scaling
- Creates temporal smearing and spectral trails
- Introduces controlled noise reduction or expansion
- Generates unpredictable glitch artifacts
Core Features
- FFT processing (32–16384 bins)
- Internal spectral matrix engine
- Scan LFO with multiple waveforms
- Morphable spectral transformations
- Feedback-based scaling system
- Afterimage smearing (time-based blur)
- Spectral gate / expander
- Auto Glitch module
Use It For
- Spectral freezing and time-stretch textures
- Harmonic clouds and shifted reverb tails
- Rhythmic spectral movement synced to tempo
- Generative processing on pads, drones, and vocals
- Glitch and fragmentation on any sound source
A tool for exploring the internal structure of sound — not just processing it.