Ableton Forum

Hi!

Can you record just the midi patterns of the arpeggiator in a hardware synth into Live (or other soft sequencers)?

I ask because I have been looking at a couple of synths which are 'affordable' and have great arpeggiators, but I would like to use other sounds with the arps they can produce.

I also am looking at this because I want hardware which I can integrate into my software setup as well as potentially use live!

BTW I am a guitar player so I am only so so on keys.

Hello!

First you need to check if the hardware synth you want to buy is able to send its aperggiated MIDI notes to its MIDI output. Generally, you will find a menu in the MIDI/Global settings of the synth which can be turned on/off. For example, I know that such a menu exists in Access Virus C synth.

Then, do the following:

* connect the MIDI output of your hardware synth to the MIDI input of your soundcard (notes recording)

* connect the MIDI input of your hardware synth to the MIDI output of your soundcard (arpeggiator playing)

* create a MIDI track in Ableton Live

* create in this track a virtual instrument that sounds the way you like

* set the "MIDI From" menu of the track to the MIDI input of your soundcard where your hardware synth is connected

* set the "MIDI To" menu of the track to the MIDI output of your soundcard where your hardware synth is connected and select the right channel

* arm the MIDI track and check that your synth plays arpeggiated notes while you play a chord on your master keyboard

* record a MIDI clip in session or arrange view

* the MIDI clip should now contain the arpeggiated notes instead of the simple chords

It should work nice...

Thanks Ten Square, That was a great Midi lesson!

Unfortunately it is the Waldorf Blofeld synth that I am thinking of getting and it is not available here yet, so I can't check it out in a store. Also, for US $699 it seems like my affordable dream synth (can't afford a Virus Ti )

I don't know if you are familiar with this synth, but it has an arpeggiator which can do this:



"Okay, Blofeld's arpeggiator could very well become the biggest chapter of this page but let's try to keep it short...

It features variable clock divisions from 1/64 triplets to more than 1000 bars, with variable swing/shuffle, a range of up to 10 octaves. Up, down and alternate figures, selectable play order from low to high note, low to high velocity, as played or reversed, variable note length, different velocity modes. And Hold or One-Shot, if you like.

But more importantly, it has the most powerful Pattern Editor we have ever seen.

You can set each Step to either play the note it would do so anyway, to pause, to play the previous note again, play the first or the last note, play those together, play a chord consisting of all held notes or a randomly selected note.

Then you can adjust the Accent of each step (including silence), activate or deactivate Glide for each step, set the timing to play a step ahead or behind its nominal time, and finely adjust the note length between short staccato and full legato.

No wonder this arpeggiator had great reviews when it first appeared in the Waldorf Q. It will take you straight to arpeggiator-heaven, as has already happened to thousands of Waldorf customers. Dig it!"

http://www.waldorfmusic.de/en/products/ ... generation


I wanted to be able to apply all the above capability to soft synths like the Arturia Analogue Factory which has great sounds, but no arp like this!!!

I have discovered that manufacturers of all synths never seem to mention this anywhere. This is why I asked as I thought this was because it was a sort of 'everybody knows this' (except me) sort of thing!

Woaw! This new Waldorf synth and its arpeggiator look pretty powerful!

I hope that you will enjoy your new machine soon and that you will manage to use this great arp with your favorite virtual instruments!

Have you checked if it was available at MusicStoreKoeln in Germany?

Try this link...

since the microQ used to send the arpeggio via midi (a very useful function) I'd speculate the blofeld does as well.

The only problem being that it doesn't have a MIDI OUT port, but they state that the the USB MIDI port will act as MIDI OUT, so you will possibly need to send the apreggio's midi via USB in your DAW and from there route it to your other synths.
Sending arpeggio midi is nice, I used to trigger some shit in the sampler with the microQ arpeggio.
Since my microQ has become useless (all the outs are hissing too much) I think I'm gonna get a blofeld, looks interesting and it could fit into the live rig with no problem.

minimal wrote:since the microQ used to send the arpeggio via midi (a very useful function) I'd speculate the blofeld does as well.

The only problem being that it doesn't have a MIDI OUT port, but they state that the the USB MIDI port will act as MIDI OUT, so you will possibly need to send the apreggio's midi via USB in your DAW and from there route it to your other synths.
Sending arpeggio midi is nice, I used to trigger some shit in the sampler with the microQ arpeggio.
Since my microQ has become useless (all the outs are hissing too much) I think I'm gonna get a blofeld, looks interesting and it could fit into the live rig with no problem.

I think a microQ is a better deal. can be used as an fx and a synth in parallel.
very nice arp.and all the ins and outs youre supposed to get with such a powerfull unit...

maybe one of the cool new black ones.
I was itching to get one as my yellow mQ is long gone....

Thanks for the feedback everyone. The new Micro Q Phoenix looks like a great option (I don't know if this really means anything, but the demos of the Micro Q sound better than the Blofeld demo's for my taste?...same website, same audio listening quality, I presume)