Do people actually use arpeggiators?

[SnoopWess]

I have ben wondering about this for a long time. Personally, I feel like arpeggiators are "cheating". I mean, some other person in the world wrote that patter. How can using one be creative and original? Do people use them? Do pros use them ever? Are they royalty free? I know a lot of people in here are going to hate on me for saying it's cheating, but whatever.. I'm just curious. Let me know what you think either way. Thanks.

[Tweaking Knobs]

I have ben wondering about this for a long time. Personally, I feel like arpeggiators are "cheating". I mean, some other person in the world wrote that patter. How can using one be creative and original? Do people use them? Do pros use them ever? Are they royalty free? I know a lot of people in here are going to hate on me for saying it's cheating, but whatever.. I'm just curious. Let me know what you think either way. Thanks.

then stop using a sequencer and a sampler and do it all yourself , maually... duh...

[3dot...]

nobody uses them.... ever..
IT IS cheating!

and nobody likes a cheater...

[Sibanger]

Personally, I feel like arpeggiators are "cheating". I mean, some other person in the world wrote that patter. How can using one be creative and original?

Don't play the piano, cause someone else built it. Playing anything that someone else built is cheating.
Build and design all your instruments from scratch, and if any of them are software based, write the software code, after you come up with an original language to write your code in........

Good luck with it all

[dancing Ray]

Personally, I feel like arpeggiators are "cheating". I mean, some other person in the world wrote that patter. How can using one be creative and original?

Don't play the piano, cause someone else built it. Playing anything that someone else built is cheating.
Build and design all your instruments from scratch, and if any of them are software based, write the software code, after you come up with an original language to write your code in........

Good luck with it all

But first build that computer.

[dancing Ray]

To answer the original question, yes, I use arpeggiators, but rarely.
I find it not too easy to make them do what I have in mind, so often I´m better of programming the notes manually.

[Sibanger]

But first build that computer.

But it will not be a 'computer'...

It will be an original music maker box thingy.

Sorry

[rozling]

I have ben wondering about this for a long time. Personally, I feel like arpeggiators are "cheating". I mean, some other person in the world wrote that patter. How can using one be creative and original? Do people use them? Do pros use them ever? Are they royalty free? I know a lot of people in here are going to hate on me for saying it's cheating, but whatever.. I'm just curious. Let me know what you think either way. Thanks.

When you say someone else 'wrote' that pattern, I don't really believe that's correct. I think it would be more correct to say that someone programmed the arpeggiator to respond in certain ways to your input. It's up to you to 'play' the arpeggiator (and adjust its parameters) creatively to come up with unique sounds, melodies & chord progressions.

I would think the patterns that result are too basic to be considered an 'idea' in themselves. Maybe some presets on advanced arpeggiators would be complex enough to be considered an original idea, but really these are there to show off its capabilities - you're supposed to use these as inspiration and come up with your own.

Most of the time I hear arpeggiators being used succesfully they aren't the main genesis of the track. They might have 'inspired' the composer to write the tune but they are never front-and-centre for the whole thing. You definitely don't need to worry about royalties! Well unless you're arpeggiating a sample or something...

I hate the term 'pros' but if you want examples some of my favourite arp uses are Son of Flynn from Daft Punk's Tron soundtrack and Everyday Should be a Holiday by the Dandy Warhols. I was gonna mention Baba O'Riley but apparently that was just a basic note-repeat which I suppose you could consider to be a basic arp. Actually Everyday Should be a Holiday is very basic too, more of a rhythmic repetition than melodic.

[perplex]

u can use an arpeggiator in some very creative ways, so you couldn't call it cheating.

[ian_halsall]

You didn't make yourself so don't do anything.

[Mixikyr]

Deleted post.

[chapelier fou]

I've been trying for ten years to do random arpeggios by hands over 6 octaves. It's worth it !

[dancing Ray]

^^

[ze2be]

I use arps a lot in dance music. First of, I could never play that tight and fast myself! Second, it lets me focus on a lot more expression parameters, then I could if both my hands were playing keys, pads or strings. It lets me focus on envelope expression, glides, filters/wovels, lfos/vibratos, etc.

PS. You can optionally use midi clips in Session view as arps. Assign a bunch to your keys or pads! Also, on midi clips you can add your personal humanized (even randomized) grooves.

[JuanSOLO]

Sometimes when I am at home I put FM8 behind an arpeggiator, set the distance to 1, the velocity to 10, turn the decay all the way up, and activate hold. Then I pick a cool sound and hit one note. After about 30 minutes, some house cleaning, taking a dump, making dinner or whatever, I will hit another note on my keyboard, then maybe I will do some M4L patching and periodically reach over and hit another key.

I fucking LOVE arppegiators!