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StepBud AUv3 MIDI Sequencer - Available

tjatja
edited April 2019 in General App Discussion

StepBud is a MIDI Sequencer with Audio Unit AUv3 plugin, Audiobus and Ableton Link.

StepBud - AUv3 MIDI Sequencer by Cem Olcay
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/stepbud-auv3-midi-sequencer/id1453104408?l=en&mt=8

Add an unlimited number of steps to your sequencer.
Your steps appear with a LED and a fader on top of your screen.
You can change the active mode that your step faders displaying/controlling.
- Set the current note or chord in range of the scale and key you selected with respect the range of the octave you want to focus,
- Set the velocity, rate, gate time, modulation, pitch bend, portamento for each step,
- Try increasing the rate and repeat count your steps if you want to add more flavor.

Below the step faders, you have a master fader where you can control your entire sequencer. It has two modes which you can change from the settings strip on the bottom of the app.
- In copy mode, it assigns its value to each step.
- In shift mode, it shifts up or down each step.

If you want to go off-scale or try some crazy chords on some of your steps, or maybe on all of them, you can go to the Step Editor by double tapping the LED of the step you want to edit.

In StepBud's powerful Step Editor, you can set your step's notes either from the virtual keyboard or your connected MIDI keyboard. Don't forget to enable MIDI in port of your MIDI keyboard or the you want to receive MIDI from the settings menu. You may also preview the selected notes by pressing the preview button in Step Editor for making sure you created the perfect sound for your particular step.

You can also toggle the steps you want to disable by tapping its LED.
If you long-press the LED, you can access a menu where you may copy/paste the steps around, remove them or edit them.

If you enable the lock mode from the settings strip on the bottom of the app, you may adjust each visible step fader on the screen by a single swipe gesture without having to lift your finger up.

Try to change your arppegio mode from the settings strip. You can sequence your steps up, down, up-down or random order.

StepBud is a MIDI sequencer app and it does not generate sounds itself. You need to route its MIDI out port in the settings menu to the app you want to sequence.

Please note that you need to have an Audio Unit host application such as AUM, apeMatrix, Cubasis, BeatMaker or Audiobus in order to use the StepBud as an Audio Unit plugin. And don't forget to route StepBud's MIDI out to the app or audio unit you want to sequence.

StepBud's MIDI layer powered by free and open-source project AudioKit
https://github.com/AudioKit/AudioKit

Also, StepBud offers its core components for free on GitHub. Feel free to star, fork or contribute.
https://github.com/cemolcay/MusicTheory
https://github.com/cemolcay/LiveFader
https://github.com/cemolcay/MIDIEventKit

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Comments

  • Did some beta testing, just bought it. Wonderful app, and fantastic support of @cem_olcay

  • How does this compare to Atom, (which I've been loving)?

  • edited April 2019
    The user and all related content has been deleted.
  • This is quite wonderful. With the timing, gating and repeat functions, as well as the arp settings, you can get into some really interesting and useful melodic/rhythmic territory. One thing - some of the controls are sort of hiding on the far right, so it’s not always easy to get to all of the functions.

  • Any Videos?

  • edited April 2019

    If this thing had a Probability/% Play and Randomize note within Scale parameter it would be the best thing ever :) Right now, it's pretty nice from a functionality stand point. :)

  • @echoopera said:
    If this thing had a Probability/% Play and Randomize note within Scale parameter it would be the best thing ever :) Right now, it's pretty nice from a functionality stand point. :)

    Would sending notes to Cality work for this?

  • @echoopera said:
    If this thing had a Probability/% Play and Randomize note within Scale parameter it would be the best thing ever :) Right now, it's pretty nice from a functionality stand point. :)

    +1 Those would increase my interest x2.

  • tjatja
    edited April 2019

    @echoopera said:
    If this thing had a Probability/% Play and Randomize note within Scale parameter it would be the best thing ever :) Right now, it's pretty nice from a functionality stand point. :)

    I have the feeling that @cem_olcay has open ears and is interested in advancing this little gem :)
    There are such many new MIDI Apps, that I already lost control.

  • @tja said:

    @echoopera said:
    If this thing had a Probability/% Play and Randomize note within Scale parameter it would be the best thing ever :) Right now, it's pretty nice from a functionality stand point. :)

    I have the feeling that @cem_olcay has open ears and is interested in advancing this little gem :)
    There are such many new MIDI Apps, that I already lost control.

    @cem_olcay Please listen. I should have been clear, that the Probability/%Play and Randomize Note within Scale should be per step :)

    We are so close to having a generative little sequencer with this gem. Who will get to it first? Atom or StepBud? Either way, someone will definitely get a Bud from me for implementing it :)

  • @ALB said:

    @echoopera said:
    If this thing had a Probability/% Play and Randomize note within Scale parameter it would be the best thing ever :) Right now, it's pretty nice from a functionality stand point. :)

    Would sending notes to Cality work for this?

    I was playing with Cality yesterday, and while it does some cool stuff, I haven't completely figured out what it is doing :wink:

  • @echoopera said:

    @ALB said:

    @echoopera said:
    If this thing had a Probability/% Play and Randomize note within Scale parameter it would be the best thing ever :) Right now, it's pretty nice from a functionality stand point. :)

    Would sending notes to Cality work for this?

    I was playing with Cality yesterday, and while it does some cool stuff, I haven't completely figured out what it is doing :wink:

    Same. Dove into it again and it doesn’t do what I think you want.

  • edited April 2019

    @echoopera said:

    @tja said:

    @echoopera said:
    If this thing had a Probability/% Play and Randomize note within Scale parameter it would be the best thing ever :) Right now, it's pretty nice from a functionality stand point. :)

    I have the feeling that @cem_olcay has open ears and is interested in advancing this little gem :)
    There are such many new MIDI Apps, that I already lost control.

    @cem_olcay Please listen. I should have been clear, that the Probability/%Play and Randomize Note within Scale should be per step :)

    We are so close to having a generative little sequencer with this gem. Who will get to it first? Atom or StepBud? Either way, someone will definitely get a Bud from me for implementing it :)

    It does have a random function actually. In arpeggio settings, you can change the style up, down, up down, or random.
    But it does not have functionality for assigning random note values. Although, it has something way more fun, the "lock mode". You can assign random notes by yourself by swiping your finger around the faders randomly, you can literally draw a graph for sequencing in that mode. Also, if you try to change the master fader's mode to "shift mode", you can shift all faders up and down, while you are playing. And also, in AUv3, you can even hook up an LFO to the master fader and let it oscillate the master fader for you automatically since it is an audio unit parameter.

    Other than that, I'm not sure what you mean by the probability function. You mean like chance of that step getting played?

  • edited April 2019

    @cem_olcay said:

    @echoopera said:

    @tja said:

    @echoopera said:
    If this thing had a Probability/% Play and Randomize note within Scale parameter it would be the best thing ever :) Right now, it's pretty nice from a functionality stand point. :)

    I have the feeling that @cem_olcay has open ears and is interested in advancing this little gem :)
    There are such many new MIDI Apps, that I already lost control.

    @cem_olcay Please listen. I should have been clear, that the Probability/%Play and Randomize Note within Scale should be per step :)

    We are so close to having a generative little sequencer with this gem. Who will get to it first? Atom or StepBud? Either way, someone will definitely get a Bud from me for implementing it :)

    It does have a random function actually. In arpeggio settings, you can change the style up, down, up down, or random.
    But it does not have functionality for assigning random note values. Although, it has something way more fun, the "lock mode". You can assign random notes by yourself by swiping your finger around the faders randomly, you can literally draw a graph for sequencing in that mode. Also, if you try to change the master fader's mode to "shift mode", you can shift all faders up and down, while you are playing. And also, in AUv3, you can even hook up an LFO to the master fader and let it oscillate the master fader for you automatically since it is an audio unit parameter.

    Other than that, I'm not sure what you mean by the probability function. You mean like chance of that step getting played?

    Yep. Just looking to replicate some of the functionality of an Octatrack and OP-Z on iOS.
    If you allowed the user to specify %Play and Random Note Played per step on a slider (like you offer for Velocity, Gate, Modulation, etc) the user could specify if they wanted an assigned note per step to play from 0-100% of the time as it makes it way thru the sequence.

    The Random attribute would also, allow the note that the user specified on a particular step to be Randomized based on a percentage as well. So let's say that the user specifies a C4 on Step 6, and set the %Play to 50%, it would play that C4 note 50% of the time as the sequenced play. And if the user specified that Step 6 was randomized 10% of the time, that C4 note would be randomized Up/Down within the chosen scale 10% of the time when it was played.

    Does this make sense? Either way...loads of fun to use this tool with Cality so far...just looking for my iOS Octatrack replacement until Drambo comes out :)

  • Also, if you try to change the master fader's mode to "shift mode", you can shift all faders up and down, while you are playing. And also, in AUv3, you can even hook up an LFO to the master fader and let it oscillate the master fader for you automatically since it is an audio unit parameter.

    Osci-what?! Get out the front door! Too cool

  • @ALB said:
    This is quite wonderful. With the timing, gating and repeat functions, as well as the arp settings, you can get into some really interesting and useful melodic/rhythmic territory. One thing - some of the controls are sort of hiding on the far right, so it’s not always easy to get to all of the functions.

    @ALB The controls are not hiding you need to swipe left on them to reveal the master fader and ARP.

  • @cem_olcay Would you consider adding a “ tie” option for notes ?

  • edited April 2019

    @Jumpercollins said:

    @ALB said:
    This is quite wonderful. With the timing, gating and repeat functions, as well as the arp settings, you can get into some really interesting and useful melodic/rhythmic territory. One thing - some of the controls are sort of hiding on the far right, so it’s not always easy to get to all of the functions.

    @ALB The controls are not hiding you need to swipe left on them to reveal the master fader and ARP.

    Yeah, I’m even flashing the scroll bars a few times for making it clear that mode and settings area are scrollable horizontally, if you are out of space.

    @Jumpercollins what’s a tie option? 😄

  • ALBALB
    edited April 2019

    @Jumpercollins said:

    @ALB said:
    This is quite wonderful. With the timing, gating and repeat functions, as well as the arp settings, you can get into some really interesting and useful melodic/rhythmic territory. One thing - some of the controls are sort of hiding on the far right, so it’s not always easy to get to all of the functions.

    @ALB The controls are not hiding you need to swipe left on them to reveal the master fader and ARP.

    Yeah, I know. I didn’t mean they weren’t available, just that they weren’t immediately accessible at first glance. Apologies for not being clearer. 😊

  • Just grabbed it with the last bit of my apple gift cards I got for my bday!
    Had a great 75$ run with em, great way to finish em off!

  • edited April 2019

    Ok my questions...
    Does the arp always have to be running or can we do longer sustained notes?

    How does the modulation work, I don't really understand what I'm doing when I slide it around...I don't really hear any changes...

    Is there a manual?

  • I was wondering if there was a reset mode and found this in the other thread..

    **** Helpful tip***

    @cem_olcay said:
    If you double tap on a step's led in the pitch bend mode, you can reset it to the zero. In fact, in every mode other then note mode, if you double tap on a led, it resets that fader's value. Of course, in note mode, it opens to step editor if you double tap on the led.

  • Just picked this and Cality up. We are being spoiled with apps this year!!!!

  • @cem_olcay said:

    @Jumpercollins said:

    @ALB said:
    This is quite wonderful. With the timing, gating and repeat functions, as well as the arp settings, you can get into some really interesting and useful melodic/rhythmic territory. One thing - some of the controls are sort of hiding on the far right, so it’s not always easy to get to all of the functions.

    @ALB The controls are not hiding you need to swipe left on them to reveal the master fader and ARP.

    Yeah, I’m even flashing the scroll bars a few times for making it clear that mode and settings area are scrollable horizontally, if you are out of space.

    @Jumpercollins what’s a tie option? 😄

    Hi @cem_olcay A tie / slur option would stretch out the gate length of a individual step to the next step. If the next step pitch is the same as the step with slur applied it becomes a tie.

    I use HY plugins on desktop a lot. HYSEQ 16 X 3 is a pretty neat step sequencer and one of my favourites.

    It has some of the same functionality in its basic form as StepBud. It also has step probability, Slur, aswell as many other features.

    It’s great to see you brought a little bit of it’s magic to StepBud and iOS.

    Here is a quick video showing version 1 of the plugin. It’s got a lot better in version 2 but you get the idea of probability etc.

  • Here it goes out of sync with the host tempo within a bar or two...
    Not sure what I'm doing wrong...

  • Yeah, will release an update today, I'm working on it.

  • @reasOne said:
    Ok my questions...
    Does the arp always have to be running or can we do longer sustained notes?

    How does the modulation work, I don't really understand what I'm doing when I slide it around...I don't really hear any changes...

    Is there a manual?

    Ok so it seems like muting steps, which I discovered on accident lets you get more sustain from previous steps so that's cool...
    Still haven't made any progress figuring out the modulating tho

  • @reasOne said:

    @reasOne said:
    Ok my questions...
    Does the arp always have to be running or can we do longer sustained notes?

    How does the modulation work, I don't really understand what I'm doing when I slide it around...I don't really hear any changes...

    Is there a manual?

    Ok so it seems like muting steps, which I discovered on accident lets you get more sustain from previous steps so that's cool...
    Still haven't made any progress figuring out the modulating tho

    Modulation sends MIDI CC to the synth like a modulation wheel does.
    So, the synth should support modulation MIDI command. For example, you can do very fun stuff with it on the Model D app :)

  • @royor said:
    I was wondering if there was a reset mode and found this in the other thread..

    **** Helpful tip***

    @cem_olcay said:
    If you double tap on a step's led in the pitch bend mode, you can reset it to the zero. In fact, in every mode other then note mode, if you double tap on a led, it resets that fader's value. Of course, in note mode, it opens to step editor if you double tap on the led.

    Thanks for this, but until you know etc....

  • I really like this app @cem_olcay - great job.

    But I have a couple of comments about things I'd like improved :wink:
    1. Slider Values - When changing sliders it's often impossible to tell what you're setting the value to, as the value is only shown in the slider and it gets cut off. This is particularly a problem for chords and time values. One solution might be to show the value that's currently being changed somewhere else in the interface.
    2. Slider Width - Could the slider's width expand to be the entire width of the screen. If I have 8 sliders, it seems a bit ridiculous to have them so small on the left of the screen where I can't see the values properly. Or maybe this could be configured. Not sure.
    3. Setting slider values - It's often hard to set the value accurately. Something other apps do with sliders is when you move your finger away from the slider, horizontal movements become less precise so that larger movements result in smaller changes. This allows you to quickly move a slider and then dial it in precisely if needed.
    4. Step Keyboard - I like this. What I would really like is the ability to set the notes/chords for a step using the keyboard, and then advance to the next/previous step. Currently I have to close the keyboard, select the next step, reopen the keyboard. Not a great workflow.

    And also a request for an enhancement. Would it be possible to have a mode where the step lengths are different. You can get really interesting polyrhythms by using (say) a 5 step melody against a 3 step rhythm. Or have a 5 step melody against a pattern of seven accents. I feel that if you implement this (please do, as it would be righteous), it should be an additional mode that the user selects.

    Again, love this app. I've wanted this workflow for a long time.

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