v3 Beta Feedback And Discussion (Bugs, Features, Suggestions)

[musicdevelopments]

RapidComposer v3.9b33 is available!

Improvements:

• New option for voicing: 'Apply Voicing On Chord'. This will make the phrase use the chord notes in the voiced chord only. No duplicated notes will be added to phrases when the voicing has a note in multiple octaves.
• New setting for default voicing behaviour [Duplicate Phrase Notes] [Apply Voicing On Chord]
• Help for the voicing menus extended with more explanation
• Chord notes displayed as #1, #2, #3 instead of the old misleading Root, 3rd, 5th...
• New keyboard shortcuts for the following tabs: Composition, Phrase Editor, Melody Editor, Chord Rules Editor, MIDI Import
• 'Apply changes' button help text fixed

[sj1]

Wow, what a burst of development! Amazingly fast progress Attila! Many thanks!

For reference, the new keyboard shortcuts implemented in v3.9b33 are found at near the bottom of the Workspace section:

RC - New Key Shortcuts 01a.jpg

...

RC - New Key Shortcuts 01b.jpg

[sj1]

Hi,

I'm noticing that I don't have vertical control of the Phrase - Chord tab dialog size,

RC - Phrase Chord tab 01.jpg

with the consequence that I can't expand the dialog height enough to fully see the Help text.

RC - Phrase Chord Voicing Help 01.jpg

Also, it would be nice if all of these tabs remembered their dialog sizing after the user changes it. If we open something wider or taller because it is necessary in order to get the full view, it would certainly be most rapid if that did not have to be repeated the next time. Thanks!

[sj1]

• New option for voicing: 'Apply Voicing On Chord'. This will make the phrase use the chord notes in the voiced chord only. No duplicated notes will be added to phrases when the voicing has a note in multiple octaves.
• New setting for default voicing behaviour [Duplicate Phrase Notes] [Apply Voicing On Chord]

Offhand I'd suggest that 'Duplicate Phrase Notes' and 'Apply Voicing On Chord' should each get a separate Help explanation, if that is possible.

However, if the Help here is "one-text-popup-per-line" then I would suggest putting in whatever text is needed to explain each choice offered on that line.

RC - Default Chord Voicing Behavior Help 01.jpg

Perhaps it seems natural to just explain the "new thing", but to the new user everything is the "new thing"!

[sj1]

Hi,

I notice that re:

Master Track - Set As Timeline Region And Start Playback P

and

Workspace - Phrase Selection To Timeline Region And Start Playback In Loop L


both are very cool, very rapid ways of setting the timeline region, but neither does what I would have expected, which is to do the selection, turn the loop on, and immediately play back and loop the Loop region.


I notice both of these are provided:

Workspace - Phrase Selection To Timeline Region And Start Playback P
Workspace - Phrase Selection To Timeline Region And Start Playback In Loop L

which makes sense to me (but the 2nd does not behave as expected).


So I would suggest also providing both of these:

Master Track - Set As Timeline Region And Start Playback P
Master Track - Set As Timeline Region And Start Playback in Loop L


and in every case of Start Playback in Loop, please actually do that.
(IOW, move the play head to the start of the Loop and start looping!)

[sj1]

Also, Toggle Loop Playback at the Composition (or Global) level would be a very helpful Keyboard Shortcut to have.

[sj1]

• Chord notes displayed as #1, #2, #3 instead of the old misleading Root, 3rd, 5th...

Ah well, I question that.

Why is the old notation misleading?

This new notation is not at all intuitive for me.

For example, how is one supposed to rapidly understand that this is a Bm11 chord:

RC - PE New Notation 01.jpg

What do the numbers #1, #4, #2, and #6 mean here? There is no meaning that I can discern.

Previously, when the chord degrees were labeled, I at least knew the relationship of the notes to the chord intended.

I'm very interested in what others think of this change. I feel my own background in RC is not yet full enough to comment from RC-specific knowledge.

However, I'm pretty strong in Music Theory, and I can say that representation of scale and chord degrees is something I instantly comprehend and find useful. I'd imagine many others do also.

May I suggest that the old way and the new way be switchable for a time? In the best tradition of "beta", this would let people evaluate which they like better (if there is ultimately to be only one). OTOH, I wonder (still needing education ...) is there merit to both the old and new way? If so, perhaps the ability for the user to choose should be permanent.

[sj1]

Hi,

There is an aspect of RC that I personally find confusing, probably because it is unlike all other software I use.

Do I observe and understand correctly that RC keeps a copy of the very latest state of the Composition always available/recoverable and that this is what RC invokes when the program is started?

Then, if the user wants to reopen the last file he explicitly save he can (must) choose Open Composition and navigate to that file and open it?

Frankly, I'm very used to working the opposite way. By this I mean that when a file (Composition) reaches a state that I (might) want to return to, I save the file. Done.

Most programs will then allow me to set them to "reopen with last saved file" which is usually just what I want them to do. Otherwise, they open "blank" and I just go to the recent list and open the file I wish. Again, key point, I'm always reopening something I explicitly saved as "worth keeping".

Reopening with the last temp state of the program that I did not choose to save (because it's scratch-paper/trash to me) is not something I find helpful. Can we be given an alternative to this?

If I'm misunderstanding the situation, I look forward to being schooled!

[sj1]

I notice the composition title will hightlight if I mouse over it:

RC - Title Highlight 01.jpg

However, clicking or dbl-clicking etc. has no effect.

I suggest that either clicking or dbl-clicking here pop up the dialog where the title can be edited:

RC - Title Edit.jpg

[BluGenes]

Hi,

There is an aspect of RC that I personally find confusing, probably because it is unlike all other software I use.

Do I observe and understand correctly that RC keeps a copy of the very latest state of the Composition always available/recoverable and that this is what RC invokes when the program is started?

Reopening with the last temp state of the program that I did not choose to save (because it's scratch-paper/trash to me) is not something I find helpful. Can we be given an alternative to this?

If I'm misunderstanding the situation, I look forward to being schooled!

yup... in settings... either search the forums, or look more at obvious possibilities.. just saying..

also, as a side note, if, with those settings, and you haven't named the composition, it is saved and restored as "untitled"..

[BluGenes]

What I am actually waiting on, is huge. That is the ability to add custom chords to the rules editor. That would, by far, blow composing out the water with RC.

I do appreciate all the little things added as there are needed. But, I look forward to the bigger things..

[sj1]

Thank you for the picture BlueGenes! Perfect.

As I wrote, I'm pretty used to going to the Recents list and choosing to reload from there, so all good!

FWIW though, an option to 'Reopen Last Saved File (as saved)' would be just a tiny bit more "rapid".

[sj1]

the ability to add custom chords to the rules editor.

Sounds powerful!

[lulukom]

the ability to add custom chords to the rules editor.

+1

[BluGenes]

+1000 lol naw, it's all good.. Attila set a deadline for a September release of V4.. So, the biggest things to resolve are the crashes. So far, that seems to be good. (other than low life Apple users.. lol Just kidding).. But, he has a list, and it's naughty and nice.. so, help him keep focused..