KVR Audio

kevink · Post by **kevink** » Wed May 03, 2006 1:01 pm

My first sequencer, I wrote myself for a Z80 driving AD/DA converters connected to my ARP 2600. My second was Notator, which begat Creator, which begat Logic, but when I cut over to using PCs, Logic was no longer an option. So I cut over to Sonar 2.2, and have stayed with it up to Sonar 5. I still think it's a decent tool, but the MIDI functionality is still horribly rigid and linear compared to what I used to be able to do with the Emagic stuff. I started writing MFX plugins ( http://www.paralogos.com/music ) just so that I could do polyrhythmic loops in Sonar - lucky for me I can cut code at least as well as I can play.

But I can't help wondering if there isn't some host out there - I don't mind paying for it - that could be brought into a Sonar project as a Rewire plug-in, but which would be (a) more friendly for live/improvised MIDI work, and (b) more supportive of "non-linear" MIDI scoring. FL Studio? Live 5? I don't want or need complex audio capability - I already have Sonar and Audition for that.

DWb · Post by **DWb** » Wed May 03, 2006 1:07 pm

Another thread in hosts, another EnergyXT suggestion! You can't rewire it, but you can use it as a VST. Once you're in there, you can run multiple sequencers, midi parts, arps, use a whole load of live triggering options and so on.

runagate · Post by **runagate** » Wed May 03, 2006 1:08 pm

I can only guess that the energyXT people will direct you to the xt faq
where I read last night about how to make polyrhythms in it
(which made sense but since I don't have it I can't prove it)

I use FL more than any other reason because it can make
uneven metered polyrhythms whereas my main problem with it is it's
pattern-based linearity.

Hope you find a good answer.

mäxchen · Post by **mäxchen** » Wed May 03, 2006 1:14 pm

have a look at plogue.com, bidule is the hosts name. it can rewire and is also available as vsti. you can do with midi data what you want... demo is free, so try it.

mäxchen · Post by **mäxchen** » Wed May 03, 2006 1:16 pm

have red (short) about your mfx-plugs. most can you do with bidule too.

dougsyo · Post by **dougsyo** » Wed May 03, 2006 1:37 pm

kevink wrote:But I can't help wondering if there isn't some host out there - I don't mind paying for it - that could be brought into a Sonar project as a Rewire plug-in, but which would be (a) more friendly for live/improvised MIDI work, and (b) more supportive of "non-linear" MIDI scoring. FL Studio? Live 5? I don't want or need complex audio capability - I already have Sonar and Audition for that.

It sounds like you want a loop/pattern based host, rather than a linear host.

I'd say FLStudio (Fruityloops edition, not producer - works ReWire or DXI) or Project 5 V2.

Doug

kevink · Post by **kevink** » Wed May 03, 2006 2:19 pm

dougsyo wrote:
kevink wrote:But I can't help wondering if there isn't some host out there - I don't mind paying for it - that could be brought into a Sonar project as a Rewire plug-in, but which would be (a) more friendly for live/improvised MIDI work, and (b) more supportive of "non-linear" MIDI scoring. FL Studio? Live 5? I don't want or need complex audio capability - I already have Sonar and Audition for that.
It sounds like you want a loop/pattern based host, rather than a linear host.

That's pretty much what I said, but not the sort of monotonic step-based pattern sequencer that I see a lot of lately.

I'd say FLStudio (Fruityloops edition, not producer - works ReWire or DXI) or Project 5 V2.

I've got P5 1.5 (it was a bundle deal with one of the Sonar upgrades) but never much cared for it.

dougsyo · Post by **dougsyo** » Wed May 03, 2006 2:40 pm

kevink wrote:That's pretty much what I said, but not the sort of monotonic step-based pattern sequencer that I see a lot of lately.

Understood. I like FLS' way of handling patterns - you can have LOTS of patterns or loops, it's not restricted to 4 bar chunks, you can activate/deactivate different patterns, etc.

I've got P5 1.5 (it was a bundle deal with one of the Sonar upgrades) but never much cared for it.

P5V2 is a completely different/improved/evolved critter - although I admit I never connected with it the way I did FLStudio. It may be worth downloading the demo (even if it doesn't come with Dimension) to check it out. I believe the upgrade will cost about the same as FLS will (and that also has a demo version).

Doug

VariKusBrainZ · Post by **VariKusBrainZ** » Wed May 03, 2006 3:01 pm

this is what you need, when v2 finally gets released !

http://www.sq4.net/

kevink · Post by **kevink** » Wed May 03, 2006 3:19 pm

VariKusBrainZ wrote:this is what you need, when v2 finally gets released !

http://www.sq4.net/

Looks nice (the descriptions more than the screenshots, frankly), but so does a lot of vaporware. Am I to take it that you've been using the no-longer-available version 1? What do you like most/least about it? Have the developers been communicating with and supporting v1 users? They don't seem to have any forum on their web site.

Powerful, Non-linear/Polyrhytmic, Rewirable MIDI Host?