Feature Request: holding notes

[prostenik]

While I am very pleased with the flexibility of Cream, I miss one feature: holding notes in SEQ. For example the lowest note is triggered in step one and then holds for 4 steps while the second note is triggered in each step. Currently, it seems that a note can only be either triggered or released in each step, but not hold.

Or am I missing something / just did not find this function yet?

[Architeuthis]

Yes, I think you are missing something, try "length" tab.

edit: wait a minute... hold on...

So you're saying, a note should be held while other notes play on top?

edit: could you explain how to set that up in Kirnu1?

[prostenik]

Exactly - length only allows me to increase the length of all notes of the step; however I would like to hold one note for several steps while other notes are independently triggered in the following steps.

To be honest, I never used Kirnu1, sorry.

[Architeuthis]

Have you accomplished this with any other tool / vst?

Edit: The reason I ask is because I'm trying to figure out how this might be implemented in the best way.

[chardin]

Catanya can produce overlapping notes. Watch around 0:30 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_btZGUC5is

I think Kirnu Cream is so much better than Catanya in so many ways. However, this is one feature (overlapping notes) that I would really like.

[Architeuthis]

I think the best way of implementing this is implenenting a "tie" function in the SEQ tab.

Agreed? This may be difficult to implement due to the need of figuring out how a tie note will respond with the rest of the tabs.

[Architeuthis]

here is a mockup

ORDER - not fully acquainted to this tab, can't offer an idea

CHRDMEM - not fully acquainted to this tab, can't offer an idea

LENGTH - ignore except if it is in the last step of the tie note, then it changes length of the tie note where the tie ends (so the tie note ends at the same time as non-tie notes triggered in the last step)

GATE - changes gate length of the tie note where the tie ENDS. only affects the very end of the tie, so it might last a little bit longer than the end step or end abruptlty at the tie end.

ACCENT - accents the note where the tie starts

TRANSP - transposes the note where the tie starts

DIV - ignore

SHIFT - shifts the note where the tie starts

[prostenik]

Agree - although you could also:

LENGTH - ignore except if it is in the last step of the tie note, then it changes length of the tie note where the tie ends (so the tie note ends at the same time as non-tie notes triggered in the last step).

ACCENT - if used in the first step accents the tie note; if used in any other step of the tie note sends aftertouch data

TRANSP - if used in the first step transposes the tie note; if used in any other step of the tie note sends pitch bend data (and sends reverse pitch bend in steps where no TRANSP value is used)

[Architeuthis]

Accent is for changing midi velocity and transpose is for changing the midi note, it really should stay that way. This is an arpeggiator after all; I can't say I agree with those Transpose and Accent ideas as pitch bend and aftertouch changes would affect everything, not just the tie note. I think your ideas would end up being confusing feature bloat.

I updated my post with some of your ideas.

[prostenik]

I'm not too familiar with the midi technicalities and actually never use aftertouch. If it really changes all events then that's a nogo. But also if it would just change the tie note it would definitely just be a nice to have.

I'm still thinking about the transpose function, though. If Kirnu just sends different midi notes then implementing this would probably be too complicated (and as above, anyway just a nice to have). Kirnu could also send the original midi note together with pitch bend data to do the transposing, then it would automatically affect all notes including tie notes (but I guess then the correction to scale degree would not work anymore?). On the other hand keeping the tie note while having others vary via transpose could potentially give some interesting effects.

Anyway, I would already be very happy with just the tie note functionality, even if the tie note would ignore all other tabs. Second priority would be that the tie note starts at the same time as potential non-tie notes on the first step and ends at the same time of a potential note triggered in the last step of the tie note (which should be the case if LENGTH and GATE are implemented according to your mock-up). Everything else is really just nice to have.

[gwok]

Totally love Cream, but was kinda surprised when I went to go tie a note and there was no function.

Tie notes imho, is a serious gap in functionality, for me at least.

[Mark R]

here is a mockup

I also would love a tie feature (like the above) in Cream.

But there is actually a way to get the same output as the above example using 2 different tracks in the same pattern.

Set Cream up like the mockup above except leave out the lowest note. Set it to loop the first 8 steps.

Now go to Track 2 and turn it on. Select its "SEQ" tab and click the lowest left box so it says "1" (lowest note). Set the loop so this track loops this one first step. Now turn down Track 2's "Rate Knob" to (for example) 1/4 - if Track 1 was set to 1/32 notes.

I really like the idea of this possibly being implemented graphically like the above examples. Way more fun and easier to set up.

Mark R

[gwok]

But there is actually a way to get the same output as the above example using 2 different tracks in the same pattern.

Set Cream up like the mockup above except leave out the lowest note. Set it to loop the first 8 steps.

Now go to Track 2 and turn it on. Select its "SEQ" tab and click the lowest left box so it says "1" (lowest note). Set the loop so this track loops this one first step. Now turn down Track 2's "Rate Knob" to (for example) 1/4 - if Track 1 was set to 1/32 notes.

Mark R

no offense, but that's super unintuitive

[Mark R]

no offense, but that's super unintuitive

I agree, That's why I said that I hope the developer can implement the more graphic approach Architeuthis proposed. I found it interesting however that the current Cream version could accomplish (much less intuitively) what Architeuthis's example would output.

[chardin]

But there is actually a way to get the same output as the above example using 2 different tracks in the same pattern.

Thank you Mark R for this work around. It's a bit difficult to setup but after it's done, save it as a preset.