Arpegiators

reincarnationfish · Post by **reincarnationfish** » Fri Dec 10, 2004 8:15 pm

Can I use Live's midi FX to create an arpegiator?

Or is there another piece of software that will allow me to do with in conjunction with live?

suburbanbather · Post by **suburbanbather** » Fri Dec 10, 2004 11:27 pm

I still don't understand? what is the point of arps., when you have midi sequencing+copy and paste.

starving student · Post by **starving student** » Sat Dec 11, 2004 6:50 am

i guess its just easier

Angstrom · Post by **Angstrom** » Sat Dec 11, 2004 1:48 pm

what is the point of an arpegiator ?

live performance!

Actually, I am nearly finished on a VSTi which aims to replace, or at least work alongside the arpegiator .

Arpegiators generally get used when you want to throw a tune in on the spur of the moment, the drawback is that what comes out is barely a tune!

In my VSTi you play notes on your keyboard into a kind of dynamic step sequencer, when you get to the 16th note on the display you find yourself overwriting the 1st note again. It's mono in the 'no chords' sense.

You can change where the loop starts and ends using sliders, also you can sit on just one note (eg the 12th out of 16) and just keep changing it by randomly stabbing at notes.
Well that's what I've been doing.

It's built for me, so I'm sure other people will find it less usefull, or even confusing! But, for ever-changing 'tangerine dream' style sequences or arpegio style stuff - Ive been lovin it.

I'll probably post a link to it when I finish the last of the GUI.

appologies if this sounded like an advert, but it seemed appropriate.
Anyway, I'm not selling it

reincarnationfish · Post by **reincarnationfish** » Sat Dec 11, 2004 7:02 pm

>>>>I still don't understand? what is the point of arps., when you have midi sequencing+copy and paste.

I'm gobsmacked. What do you use Live for exactly?

Well, I guess it's reasonable that there should be some people that use Live solely as a studio sequencer, but I'm still surprised by a statement like this.

The fact is that an old school Arpegiator (plus some delay, of course) is just fun. Sure, it's gimmicky and you can't use it all the time, but it's fun. The fact that it's easier to get an arpegiator effect with an arpegiator than with programming is beside the point.

Angstrom: I'll look forward to it. I don't know much about VSTi's. I've always used reason for all non-live work. But can you get an arpegiator that fucntions as a VSTi? I thought VSTis only output Audio.

Machinate · Post by **Machinate** » Sat Dec 11, 2004 7:12 pm

Angstrom wrote: Actually, I am nearly finished on a VSTi which aims to replace, or at least work alongside the arpegiator .
...
In my VSTi you play notes on your keyboard into a kind of dynamic step sequencer, when you get to the 16th note on the display you find yourself overwriting the 1st note again. It's mono in the 'no chords' sense.

Dude, I love this way of working! My Doepfer Schaltwerk does this, and the individual steps can be turned on and off. I highly recommend this feature as well, maybe via midi ccs? This is a cool way to build up arps, without punching so many keys.
Another idea is to have one midi channel to set up the steps, and another to transpose it, to set the root note. My schaltwerk does this too

This kind of arp is an excellent improvisational tool, imo much better than a regular arp, because this version is programmable on the fly.

I'm looking forward to seeing the results.
Andreas

hoffman2k · Post by **hoffman2k** » Sat Dec 11, 2004 7:27 pm

Machinate wrote:
Angstrom wrote: Actually, I am nearly finished on a VSTi which aims to replace, or at least work alongside the arpegiator .
...
In my VSTi you play notes on your keyboard into a kind of dynamic step sequencer, when you get to the 16th note on the display you find yourself overwriting the 1st note again. It's mono in the 'no chords' sense.
Dude, I love this way of working! My Doepfer Schaltwerk does this, and the individual steps can be turned on and off. I highly recommend this feature as well, maybe via midi ccs? This is a cool way to build up arps, without punching so many keys.
Another idea is to have one midi channel to set up the steps, and another to transpose it, to set the root note. My schaltwerk does this too

This kind of arp is an excellent improvisational tool, imo much better than a regular arp, because this version is programmable on the fly.

I'm looking forward to seeing the results.
Andreas

I wish i had a doepfer also, but you can do this with a uc 33 and plogue bidule. it probably will not be like doing it on hardware. But you can learn midi to the sliders of the stepsequencer in bidule.

B

Machinate · Post by **Machinate** » Sat Dec 11, 2004 7:39 pm

hoffman2k wrote: I wish i had a doepfer also, but you can do this with a uc 33 and plogue bidule. it probably will not be like doing it on hardware. But you can learn midi to the sliders of the stepsequencer in bidule.

B

Well, if it works, it works. The important thing is to be able to input the step note values with a keyboard. That's the intuitive way to do it, imo.

Angstrom · Post by **Angstrom** » Sat Dec 11, 2004 10:16 pm

In case anyone cares about this sort of thing, here's what it looks like.

there's the sequencer, the synth and a stereo filtered delay which can be midi time locked.

Ugly bugger isn't it

As I designed it for my own use the interface is geared to what I need, but as I realise other people may be interested in using it I have started to prepare it for a (free) distribution.

There's some audio samples of what it sounds like (in crunchy mp3) , I just did them by opening live - sticking a kick loop on and then capturing the output to a track - so dont go expecting any actual songs. Or top end fidelity of any kind!

1: making up a pattern in realtime by just cycling round overwriting, or sliding the 'write' LED about with the mouse and picking off individual notes.
Listen to demo of making stuff up 2.5meg VBR Mp3

2: a selection of different bad noises it currently makes
Listen to demo of flicking though presets randomly 1.5meg VBR Mp3

3: a kind of chordy trance thing going on
Listen to demo of me noodling pointlessly 3 meg VBR Mp3

please dont bother asking for features, I am a musician - not a software company

I do have many ideas on how it can be improved, but the key is keeping it quick to use (creating stuff) in a live situation. It is intended to be pretty much single purpose, rather than all things to all people.

toneroll · Post by **toneroll** » Sun Dec 12, 2004 12:47 am

you could save loads of midi clips .. do one in c then move up , once you do the one in C you can select all the notes and move them up one semi tone this would bring you to c # , carry on going saving each one asa a midi clip , then drag and drop them into midi tracks for ever. you could even draw the long root note into these tracks

i.e c3 for one bar and alternating c4 e4 and g4 , up, down or rdm.

then select loop and nudge up one.

you could do variations and 7th and 9th chords , diminished chords

same in reason, everyone goes on about arps, you can make one out of a matirx then wire it to osc pitch mod, to transopse in the matrix its just ctrl and arrow up.

voila.

UlcerPentacidis · Post by **UlcerPentacidis** » Sun Dec 12, 2004 1:43 am

Is that vsti sequencer mac or pc?

Angstrom · Post by **Angstrom** » Sun Dec 12, 2004 2:47 am

PC only I'm sorry to say.

Machinate · Post by **Machinate** » Sun Dec 12, 2004 12:14 pm

angstrom, that looks awesome. I mean, the seq. is the heart of it, anyway. The only thing ugly about it is the *font*. That's sooo synthedit

Shane 54 · Post by **Shane 54** » Sun Dec 12, 2004 5:42 pm

I'd love to try it, as looks awesome...

Please let us know when you're ready.

Cheers

Shane