KVR :: Rob Papen » Blue is too difficult [View Original Topic]
There are 26 posts in this topic.
bread - Sun Oct 23, 2011 6:39 pm
Um would be nice if I could actually get the arp to do what I want it to do without having to be a computer programming genius. I have tried for almost 2 weeks with this thing. So user unfriendly and the manual just says what the actual buttons do not how to use them. Software like this really needs some step by step tutorials for beginners. Also when I use the arp why are the notes automatically tuned to -36 so I have to change every single one back to 0 to even hear anything. This plug in also rarely stays in sync with pro tools. I feel I wasted my money. Nice sounds but frustrating and too difficult to use except for the presets.
Concretefx - Sun Oct 23, 2011 11:08 pm
About the arp, it should do that to -36, have you tried right clicking in the arp and selecting default, it'll set things to an appropriate default.
Syncing, trying turning off the sync, so it doesn't try to auto-sync.
And tutorial, Rob has done a video one here
http://www.robpapen.com/tutorials.html#Blue
and may do others.
Cheers
Jon
plauto - Mon Oct 24, 2011 6:20 am
Partly agree with that being said, It seems that developers like to complicate things that could be simple, the arpeggiator Nexus 2 (reFX) for example is very simple to use and more powerful than any other. Dune, Predator, Blue, Toxic Biohazard and others are similar and in my opinion is hard to create something really interesting.
Sorry my english translated.
Cheers
Rob Papen - Tue Oct 25, 2011 12:41 am
It is a heavy synth.
But that is always the battle between having features and "simple to use".
Tutorials can help, but I am way behind in that stuff. Need to finish also two for SubBoomBass and then the rest...................
Maybe you can write, what function you do not understand.
Maybe we can help out.
Rob
bread - Wed Oct 26, 2011 10:06 pm
Concretefx wrote:
About the arp, it should do that to -36, have you tried right clicking in the arp and selecting default, it'll set things to an appropriate default.
Syncing, trying turning off the sync, so it doesn't try to auto-sync.
And tutorial, Rob has done a video one here
http://www.robpapen.com/tutorials.html#Blue
and may do others.
Cheers
Jon
Syncing, trying turning off the sync, so it doesn't try to auto-sync.
And tutorial, Rob has done a video one here
http://www.robpapen.com/tutorials.html#Blue
and may do others.
Cheers
Jon
Are you serious?? Thats a tutorial?? That is a person sitting there in front of a computer screen saying nothing and tweaking some knobs. You cannot be serious that this is a tutorial. You must be taking the piss.
bread - Wed Oct 26, 2011 10:41 pm
The sync button doesn't appear to make the sequences sync with pro tools??
Where is the latch in the sequencer??
re_mute - Wed Oct 26, 2011 11:35 pm
bread wrote:
The sync button doesn't appear to make the sequences sync with pro tools??
Where is the latch in the sequencer??
Where is the latch in the sequencer??
If you want help you firstly need to calm down. And second, what version of Pro Tools? Mac or PC? What version of Blue? Buffer settings, audio interface etc etc.
Give more information, describe step by step how to recreate the problems. Make a clear, concise of feature requests.
Otherwise you just come off as an incoherent kid having a tantrum.
bread - Wed Oct 26, 2011 11:59 pm
re_mute wrote:
bread wrote:
The sync button doesn't appear to make the sequences sync with pro tools??
Where is the latch in the sequencer??
Where is the latch in the sequencer??
If you want help you firstly need to calm down. And second, what version of Pro Tools? Mac or PC? What version of Blue? Buffer settings, audio interface etc etc.
Give more information, describe step by step how to recreate the problems. Make a clear, concise of feature requests.
Otherwise you just come off as an incoherent kid having a tantrum.
Well firstly I am calm but Im really not happy that I only found out after my purchase that there is basically very little documentation or tutorials on how to use this synth. I feel I have spent good money and there should at least be some kind of basic instruction to get people started. But I guess I should have checked out the support before I purchased it. The manual in my opinion is quite useless. It gives no instruction but only says what each buttons function is.
My system - Mac OSX 10.7.2 Pro tools 10 blue 1.9.0b.
I don't have a problem as such. I just don't know how to get blue to do what I want it to do. Im sure it must be achievable but again without instruction I do not know how. Many plugins are well supported , very intuitive and easy to figure out such as avids transfuser but this one has me beat and I keep coming up against minor things that I just can't figure out. So I sit here for hours trying to figure out one little thing then I give up because I don't get anywhere. It should not be like this. Music should be fun not frustrating.
My latest issue is with the arp/sequencer. I managed to get to figure out how to use the arp with the sequencer and latch my sequence on so it plays continuously but now I am looking at the preset sequences and cannot figure out how to make them latch so that I can play them in a loop in pro tools. Im not sure what the point of having these preset sequences if they cannot be latched on in sync to pro tools. Can you please explain and Ill try to stay calm
Concretefx - Thu Oct 27, 2011 12:26 am
Sorry , for sequencer latching you should use midi hold (cc 64, value over 63), this will hold the sequencer. This is same for all modes, hold will stop notes being released.
Jon
bread - Thu Oct 27, 2011 12:29 am
see below
bread - Thu Oct 27, 2011 12:30 am
Concretefx wrote:
Sorry , for sequencer latching you should use midi hold (cc 64, value over 63), this will hold the sequencer. This is same for all modes, hold will stop notes being released.
Jon
Jon
what does midi hold(cc 64, value over 63), mean? Sorry I don't understand what this means
Concretefx - Thu Oct 27, 2011 12:37 am
It just means that you press your hold controller down (if you have one), so it's send a midi cc 64 message with a value over 63 to Blue. If you don't have a special hold controller, then if you send a midi cc 66 message , with a value over 63 over to Blue, it'll do the same thing.
There isn't a specific latch button for the sequencer (we may add one), but you can do it this way.
Jon
bread - Thu Oct 27, 2011 12:39 am
Concretefx wrote:
It just means that you press your hold controller down (if you have one), so it's send a midi cc 64 message with a value over 63 to Blue. If you don't have a special hold controller, then if you send a midi cc 66 message , with a value over 63 over to Blue, it'll do the same thing.
There isn't a specific latch button for the sequencer (we may add one), but you can do it this way.
Jon
There isn't a specific latch button for the sequencer (we may add one), but you can do it this way.
Jon
Um am I supposed to know how to do this cause I don't have a clue. You really need to add a latch button to the sequencer or its pretty much useless to people like myself who have no idea how to send this midi message. This should be a basic feature. Do I send from my keyboard somehow?? Sounds way too complicated. But Ill try if you can explain as I need to use this feature. If I cannot figure this out then your presets are redundant.
Concretefx - Thu Oct 27, 2011 12:52 am
All most all midi keyboards will have a hold / sustain button , it's a standard midi control.
Otherwise, for the Blue channel in protools, click on the view controller button for that track, it normals shows "notes", but click on it , and in the controllers sub-menu it'll shows sustain (64), if you set the value in this view to maximum, it'll put sustain / hold on and the sequencer will be held.
Alternatively, if you not playing live, then just have a note as long as you want the sequencer to play for (or have repeated notes), it'll work that way.
Jon
PS It is a good idea, in the next version (should be before the end of the year), I'll put in a sequencer latch button.
bread - Thu Oct 27, 2011 1:04 am
Concretefx wrote:
All most all midi keyboards will have a hold / sustain button , it's a standard midi control.
Otherwise, for the Blue channel in protools, click on the view controller button for that track, it normals shows "notes", but click on it , and in the controllers sub-menu it'll shows sustain (64), if you set the value in this view to maximum, it'll put sustain / hold on and the sequencer will be held.
Alternatively, if you not playing live, then just have a note as long as you want the sequencer to play for (or have repeated notes), it'll work that way.
Jon
PS It is a good idea, in the next version (should be before the end of the year), I'll put in a sequencer latch button.
Otherwise, for the Blue channel in protools, click on the view controller button for that track, it normals shows "notes", but click on it , and in the controllers sub-menu it'll shows sustain (64), if you set the value in this view to maximum, it'll put sustain / hold on and the sequencer will be held.
Alternatively, if you not playing live, then just have a note as long as you want the sequencer to play for (or have repeated notes), it'll work that way.
Jon
PS It is a good idea, in the next version (should be before the end of the year), I'll put in a sequencer latch button.
Thanks for the help.
Will I be able to update my version when you add it?
Concretefx - Thu Oct 27, 2011 1:06 am
Yes, all Blue 1 updates are always free.
And about tutorials, which ones do you think we should look into doing ?
Jon
bread - Fri Oct 28, 2011 3:21 pm
Concretefx wrote:
Yes, all Blue 1 updates are always free.
And about tutorials, which ones do you think we should look into doing ?
Jon
And about tutorials, which ones do you think we should look into doing ?
Jon
It would be really good to have some video or written tutorials for beginners showing step by step how to use the arp and the sequencer. Its really difficult for novices to figure these things out alone. Theres a few tuts on youtube about how to make sounds etc which are good but nothing about the arp/seq.
Rob Papen - Fri Oct 28, 2011 11:51 pm
bread wrote:
Concretefx wrote:
Yes, all Blue 1 updates are always free.
And about tutorials, which ones do you think we should look into doing ?
Jon
And about tutorials, which ones do you think we should look into doing ?
Jon
It would be really good to have some video or written tutorials for beginners showing step by step how to use the arp and the sequencer. Its really difficult for novices to figure these things out alone. Theres a few tuts on youtube about how to make sounds etc which are good but nothing about the arp/seq.
I am behind in this work of making tutorials.
They cost far more time to build. With SubBoomBass I still have to finish 2 types and for Predator...I still need to start.
BLUE is complex, but at the other hand...without this, the sound would not be so special.
Anyhow, if you have a question... just let us know
Rob
ATS - Sat Oct 29, 2011 12:07 am
Concretefx wrote:
Yes, all Blue 1 updates are always free.
And about tutorials, which ones do you think we should look into doing ?
Jon
And about tutorials, which ones do you think we should look into doing ?
Jon
Didn't I hear 2 was in the works. I guess this suggests that the upgrade will not be free to current BLUE users?
Rob Papen - Sat Oct 29, 2011 12:11 am
ATS wrote:
Concretefx wrote:
Yes, all Blue 1 updates are always free.
And about tutorials, which ones do you think we should look into doing ?
Jon
And about tutorials, which ones do you think we should look into doing ?
Jon
Didn't I hear 2 was in the works. I guess this suggests that the upgrade will not be free to current BLUE users?
Right now there is BLUE 1.9 and that one is the latest version.
The BLUE-II is indeed in works, but take much time to finish. We expand the synthesis and it will be very cool for sure.
BLUE-II will not be a free update. Of course we have a grace period for users that just purchased BLUE 1.9
Cheers,
Rob
I
bread - Sun Oct 30, 2011 3:58 pm
Rob Papen wrote:
bread wrote:
Concretefx wrote:
Yes, all Blue 1 updates are always free.
And about tutorials, which ones do you think we should look into doing ?
Jon
And about tutorials, which ones do you think we should look into doing ?
Jon
It would be really good to have some video or written tutorials for beginners showing step by step how to use the arp and the sequencer. Its really difficult for novices to figure these things out alone. Theres a few tuts on youtube about how to make sounds etc which are good but nothing about the arp/seq.
I am behind in this work of making tutorials.
They cost far more time to build. With SubBoomBass I still have to finish 2 types and for Predator...I still need to start.
BLUE is complex, but at the other hand...without this, the sound would not be so special.
Anyhow, if you have a question... just let us know
Rob
My main concern is the sequencer. It would be so much better with a latch button like the arp has. Sending midi messages to get it to hold is beyond my knowledge. I would just like to to hit latch and be able to listen to the preset sequences over and over with my loop in pro tools.
tommyzai - Fri Nov 04, 2011 7:47 pm
I haven't found Blue too difficult, but I am not using the sequencer. Personally, I prefer to have a dedicated sequencer. Maybe because I developed my work-flow back in the day. Oh, I remember my old Roland MC-500. I'm using Numerology3 with all the RP stuff and it works great. I'm not dis'n Blue's sequencer or any other on board sequencer. I just like to have a separate one for arpeggiators and transgatish and patterns and whatever.
For me, simpler is better, but my usage is more dependent upon working fast . . . shorten time from concept to creation.
Regardless of the buttons and knobs . . . Blue sounds fantastic! Thank you to Rob and Jon and anyone else who conspired to create such a super plugin!
kelldammit - Wed Dec 07, 2011 8:56 pm
bread wrote:
My main concern is the sequencer. It would be so much better with a latch button like the arp has. Sending midi messages to get it to hold is beyond my knowledge. I would just like to to hit latch and be able to listen to the preset sequences over and over with my loop in pro tools.
Try what Jon had suggested. You don't even have to mess with the midi cc. Just draw one continuous note for the duration of your midi loop, and that note will keep the sequencer going. It's pretty much SOP in the absence of a latch function (it applies to arps, too).
cheers,
kell
mrbungle - Sun Mar 04, 2012 12:00 pm
I agree that all RP arps (in Blue, Predator, etc.) are not so user-friendly. And just 16 steps? OMG... Is it the 80s?
Anyway, I tried to "copy" the notes in the sequencer (I use Sonar X1), so I could make longer sequences or variations, but I could never get the same results as I play the patch as an arp. Why is that? I've put the same notes, velocity, but not the same... Any advice on this? (what is the note lenght if it's tied, or what to do when it's off, what play mode to use, etc). Or is it not possible to get the same result in a DAW?
If you don't want to make a longer arp section in a future version, I suggest an option to "export" the arp to the sequencer (eg. pull it with the mouse, as in Spectrasonics products, that would be great).
IMHO the preset browser section should be also updated in the next big update (maybe in Blue II?), that's also not so user friendly. There are many synths where you can search presets by type (lead, bass, arp, etc), make favorites, rate them, etc.
However the sound is great, and I know that's what matters really. Keep up the good work!
Concretefx - Mon Mar 05, 2012 12:18 am
Hi there
We do have many plans for Blue II, which we are starting in mid 2012 . The preset browser will be updated so that it has the same functions as in Predator etc, so that you will be able to search for presets. An extended arp, well that is an intersting ideas as well
Cheers
Jon
PS Why the arp sounds differnt, hmm not sure, it's difficult to say without seeing the preset.
re_mute - Mon Mar 05, 2012 1:08 am
bread wrote:
My main concern is the sequencer. It would be so much better with a latch button like the arp has. Sending midi messages to get it to hold is beyond my knowledge. I would just like to to hit latch and be able to listen to the preset sequences over and over with my loop in pro tools.
Surely you could draw/record a note in Pro Tools the same length as the loops you're listening to which triggers the sequence; that way you don't have to worry about latching.
There are 26 posts in this topic.