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Arp "As Played" from External Keyboard

edited February 2020 in App Tips and Tricks

Hello,

Please help me figure out how I can get the "as played" mode from an arp when fed midi notes from an external keyboard. I've used this effect before with my Alesis Ion to great musical effect. I play a sequence of notes, let it repeat a couple times, then either play a new sequence (a new harmony, or new voicing), and run with that, or catch it into a looper and layer. Preserving the order of the notes is important, and doing it on the fly (no set sequences).

I also want an arp where I can pre-program rhythms. My Ion does this (but the Ion is retired from my setup).

I really like the depth of StepPolyArp, but it doesn't have 'as played." It only has the usual up, down, up/down etc. modes. ** ThumbJam** will do this, but ONLY when triggered within the app; when I use my K-Board or 88-key Roland, it reverts to up/down, etc. even though it's set to "as played." I have read the manual.

Even though I love ThumbJam (surprisingly good internal sounds; deep feature set), a don't see how to do rhythms, as SPA does so well.

I'm looking for a solution that spits out MIDI notes so I can play synths like Zeeon or PSP.

Suggestions? I don't mind buying another arp app, if that's what it takes.

Steve
ThinAirX.com

Comments

  • My In-Order-Arp Mozaic script plays all held notes (for instance of a chord) in their order, have a look at its introduction video to see if it fits your needs.

  • @_ki I checked out your video. This could work. (BTW, I couldn't understand everything you were saying in the video--the music track is sometimes louder than your talking).

    Mozaic is completely new to me, and I'm not a programmer. How does it work? If I load a script, does it simply show up as another AU? Can I control key parameters with MIDI control? I do know how to use AUM.

    In terms of an answer to my question, I'd rather use tried and true apps--less to go wrong, less complexity. But if your script in Mozaic is the only way to be able to do this, then I'll give it a go.

    Thanks,

    Steve

  • I don‘t know if there are other solutions, but using the script should be simple - no programming is needed.

    .

    The Mozaic Scripts List wikipage describes how to download and install the PatchStorage scripts, it also contains the huge categorized list of all available scripts.

    The parameters of the In-Order ARP script can be controlled via the following Mozaic AU parameters:

    • Pad 0 to 15: select a specific timing
    • Knob 0: gate length
    • Knob 1: humanization
    • User 0: pad selection by a single value
    • User 1: note repetition
      In AUM you need to route your controller (or controller AU like Rozeta XY as shown in the video) to AUM MIDI Control destination via the Midi Matrix and then setup the connection in AUMs MIDI Control (found in settings) for this Mozaic instance.

    Mozaic can be loaded into a MIDI slot in AUM. Each instance of Mozaic can load and run a different script, or run the same script several times using multiple Mozaic instances. The scripts including their current state are the ‚presets‘ of the Mozaic AU. Everything is saved/restored with the session.

  • @_ki Thank you so much for this detailed guidance. I'll give it a try. Is there a "manual" for this script, or is it self evident?

    To others: I'm still hoping there's a solution, like maybe I'm just missing some deep setting in SPA. Or some arp I don't know about.

    Steve
    ThinAirX.com

  • There is no further detailed manual than the text found on PatchStorage - which btw is also displayed when running the script by turning the HELP knob. I think using the labeled pads for the different arp-speeds is self-explanatory.

    I just tried around with SPA Unit, but neither the ‚>‘ nor the ‚1‘,‘2‘,‘3‘ modes play the notes in their initial play order.

  • wimwim
    edited February 2020

    @_ki wrote that script because a previous thread about this same subject initially failed to turn up anything. Later, a few AppStore options emerged.

    https://forum.audiob.us/discussion/35493/is-there-an-arpeggiator-app-that-plays-notes-in-pressed-order

  • _ki_ki
    edited February 2020

    @wim Thanks for reminding me, it totally forgot about Ioniarics AU :o
    I just re-tested: To to achieve an In-Order-Arp with Ioniarics AU, you have to set the probability of ‚part A‘ to 100% and ‚part B’ to 0% and to select the ‚Order‘ mode.

  • Thank you all. I'll check out these ideas.

    Slightly off topic, but related: I'm curious how other people use arp in live performance and for what musical purpose. Is anybody using @_ki 's Mozaic script, or Ioniarics?

    Steve
    ThinAirX.com

  • @_ki said:
    My In-Order-Arp Mozaic script plays all held notes (for instance of a chord) in their order, have a look at its introduction video to see if it fits your needs.

    Is it available as an IN-ARP purchase? :#

  • @craftycurate said:
    Is it available as an IN-ARP purchase? :#

    For profit maximization a ‚per note‘ subscription will be enforced :)

  • Magellan 2 has this. Fantastic arp

  • edited February 2020

    Hey, thanks for reporting the as-played bug in ThumbJam, it does seem to revert to Up when used with external control. With that fixed it would do what you wanted though....

  • I emailed @sonosaurus, the ThumbJam developer. He said it's definitely a bug and he'll fix it.

    When fixed, ThumbJam will be the "as played" arp this OP is looking for. The solutions revealed in this thread are workable, but won't it be nice to have this feature in a trusted, favorite app that does so many other things well too? TJ can receive and then spit out arp midi--not necessary to use its internal sounds (though they are really, really good sounds).

    Steve
    ThinAirX.com

  • @ThinAirX said:
    Thank you all. I'll check out these ideas.

    Slightly off topic, but related: I'm curious how other people use arp in live performance and for what musical purpose. Is anybody using @_ki 's Mozaic script, or Ioniarics?

    Steve
    ThinAirX.com

    I really love to use arps a lot as live performance. Even several layered with different randomizations/humanization to get out of the machine gun effect. Arps can also be useful as sound design tools. F.e. i like to use chords playing in very fast arps followed by the right effects can create interesting textures even if you might not hear the single notes anymore.
    I like f.e. to use 2-3 layers with the same arps. Then i play the bass notes f.e. 1/4, the mids 1/8 and the high notes 1/16, so simple via octaves. Then just change slightly some things add, different amounts of randomizations. Then i save it as instrument/performance and trigger it together at once. I even created some whole tracks where i only use arps and play some chords but you won´t notice it anymore as arp (well, mostly). But it can take a lot time to create such templates before i´m happy.
    A simple and effective way to get an interesting and out of the machine gun effect arp for live playing for me is when i once set my arps i put f.e. a randomization value (of course it all depends on the arp if it let you set such values) to velocity and/or note length. If your instrument is also set up to nicely respond to velocity it is already night and day.
    Oh, did i say that i love arps.
    I actually also like to using such randomized arps while sound designing presets and tweaking knobs because then i hear results of different single notes, chords and i can focus on just tweaking the knobs and how it all performs in different speeds, velocity zones and so on.
    I still search for a really good live usable and easy to program arp on iOS. So far there are tons of sequencers with so much things but i want it simple and effective. The one in ThumbJam is indeed maybe my favorite on iOS.
    Even a simple thing like the drop option there works brilliant, especially if you use several ones with different values and play them together.
    My all time favorite is still the stock arp in Logic. Great GUI, simple to use but really versatile behind if you dive in.
    Maybe someone could recommend me what would be the closest to the Logic arp on iOS.
    I wonder why this arp is not inside Garage Band on iOS (i mean not that hard limited thing which is a derivate of it).
    Oh and i also like arps which let me choose not only octaves but inversions for chords f.e.

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