Homegrown Sounds

jensa · Post by **jensa** » Sat Mar 17, 2012 5:29 pm

Darn, I can't keep up! You're too fast, both of you.

Astralp · Post by **Astralp** » Sat Mar 17, 2012 6:17 pm

jensa wrote:Darn, I can't keep up! You're too fast, both of you.

Haha, you must try harder

Astralp · Post by **Astralp** » Sat Mar 17, 2012 6:22 pm

Do you intend to at least make a categorical list of the Ammonite presets?

Not really, I did start with intentions of categorizing them by bank but in the end the strong emphasis was on randomizing and so I did mixed banks, so the sounds are allover the place. The vision I had for Vortex was that it was the opposite of scrolling through sounds to select them which for me always gets in the way of making music, so it is more a SHIFT Click to randomize the sound whilst running until you hit something you like, which seems to work well for me at least.

But, I plan on doing some packs for it in the future which will be more organised.

I may get around to categorizing, but I shouldn't think it will be before v1, you're welcome to have a go if you want to

Astralp · Post by **Astralp** » Sat Mar 17, 2012 6:29 pm

We have diatonic chords!

For the Key of C, use 3 sequencers (5 for Major and dominant 7ths), don't load squash2scale, write your pattern off of C2 in the first sequence, then copy it to the others and on each successive one shift it the proper interval from root C, i.e., third, fifth, etc.

Go to the Repitch octave, disreqarding the black keys ... you can use them for other things ... set C4 to 0 and no load, D4 to 2 and load Dorian, E4 to 4 and load Phrygian, etc.

Now when you play your sequences together you get a C chord. Press D4 and instant Dmin. Press E4 and instant Em, etc.

And you still have 7 to 9 sequencers, depending whether you are making triads or tetrachords, left for drums, percussion, bass and synth lines ... plus those extra sharp/ flat repitch keys for some fancy footwork.

Excellent, nice to see the potential being utilized

As an aside, I think you should consider a convention where you place your drums and percs on the same sequences each time ... maybe C# and D# with both set to midi channel 10, or something like that.

Why? Well coming out the other end, either with GM hardware using channel 10 or direct outs into drum processing in your DAW or hardware, it would be convenient to know you could slap in any Vortex preset and your other setup is already to 'rock and roll,' without having to reset things to get your drums coming through the desired routing.

I'd rather keep it generic to be honest, I like the fact that each channel can be used for anything. The drums wouldn't really work because even though it is part gm, the kits are made up of just 24 samples and so the rules had to be bent. Plus the drums on CH 10 thing doesn't apply to any of the external gear I own, I'm not sure how widely supported it is these days? The Proteus 2500 for instance doesn't seem to use much logic for laying out drums (You have the keyboard version don't you?)

BUT, (there's always a but) there will eventually be a mixer template that you can save/load for quickly setting up the mixer.

Astralp · Post by **Astralp** » Sat Mar 17, 2012 6:30 pm

Oh, there's a bug in the last beta which may cause a crash when working with the multi-mode GUI, it's fixed in the next one sometime today.

como baila · Post by **como baila** » Sat Mar 17, 2012 7:00 pm

Astralp wrote:
I'd rather keep it generic to be honest, I like the fact that each channel can be used for anything. The drums wouldn't really work because even though it is part gm, the kits are made up of just 24 samples and so the rules had to be bent. Plus the drums on CH 10 thing doesn't apply to any of the external gear I own, I'm not sure how widely supported it is these days? The Proteus 2500 for instance doesn't seem to use much logic for laying out drums (You have the keyboard version don't you?)

BUT, (there's always a but) there will eventually be a mixer template that you can save/load for quickly setting up the mixer.

Understood.

I wasn't really talking about anything 'hardwired' in Vortex ... more like a convention of how presets are designed. Just so that upon load, you can have everything consistent from preset to preset ... and then wreak and wreck to taste. But I guess this flies in the face of your 'randomize till it sounds right' design philosophy.

Anyway, as you know, I'm wanting Vortex as a studio/ compositional tool. I can already foresee it as the ultimate remixing tool. Sort of like the design philosophy of Ableton, but instead of part of the DAW, an independent tool that can work in any DAW.

Imagine, take your remix project vocal, grid it out, define your key changes, set up 8 bar loop points and then start working with Vortex to build your sequences over the vocal while looping to get something you like. Set up a section for your verse, chorus, etc., triggered with a midi file input to Vortex. Record your midi for use of instruments of choice. I think you can understand where this is going!

What the piano did for permitting a single instrument to play polyphonically with melody against harmony, Vortex takes to the next level as a compositional tool ... or 'random performer,' as you envision, Andy! Its a virtual piano controlling other pianos. And with multisequence it's a piano controlling banks of other pianos which each control pianos.

I have no idea what kind of a cpu load would be required and I don't want to sound ungrateful for the direct outs, which I appreciate ... but alternatively, if the mixer routing permitted synth/ voice assignment to any available output channel ... like the routing before direct out, but with the additional outputs, that would also resolve the issue as far as creating sub-busses which could then be passed on to a set routing scheme.

I have a Command Station PK7 ... the first cousin of the PK2.5. You're right, it doesn't observe Channel 10 ... but most of my other multitimbral modules do when in GM mode.

Como

Musical Gym · Post by **Musical Gym** » Sat Mar 17, 2012 7:54 pm

Is the latest beta always available from the pc demo download link on the main site?

Are the banks included with the demo? I couldn't get any sound out of it when I tried it before and no presets were listed.

musikmachine · Post by **musikmachine** » Sun Mar 18, 2012 3:13 am

Astralp wrote:
musikmachine wrote:I'll try it, i just overwrote the previous betas but the pdf is inside the vst plugin folder and there's just an uninstall icon in the start menu.

Don't think the lp will work too well with nrpns, can't get the parameters to the right values; sequence length goes to about 14 then jumps back to the beginning. Tried different combinations but all it affects is the number of steps the sequence jumps with each button press...
try setting them as absolute values so that they only have one state, for example on = 16, off = 16, otherwise when switched off the will go to the off value if that makes sense!

I don't think they LP can send the correct values, anyway, don't i need the msb and lsb together to send the step value for each note? Can't do that with the lp automap, it's on or the other and the msb 0 appears to affect the midi mixer msb. Should i be able to step through the scale for each step via button presses with the launchpad?

Tried uninstalling the last beta and installed the new one but the pdf still installs to the vst plugin folder.

Just been trying this out with Geist, assigning all the channels to the same kit and setting up each sequence with octave steps to trigger different hits on each pass, really cool. This is an excellent plugin for generative use and like Como mentioned remixing.

Oh yeah, slight bug with paint mode; can't erase the notes, when i hold to delete the note just flashes on and off. I have to click in each step to remove it. everything else seems to be solid.

musikmachine · Post by **musikmachine** » Sun Mar 18, 2012 3:16 am

Astralp wrote:
jensa wrote:Darn, I can't keep up! You're too fast, both of you.
Haha, you must try harder

But you must make tutorial videos.

Astralp · Post by **Astralp** » Sun Mar 18, 2012 3:19 am

I know, I know...

Astralp · Post by **Astralp** » Sun Mar 18, 2012 3:28 am

Don't think the lp will work too well with nrpns, can't get the parameters to the right values; sequence length goes to about 14 then jumps back to the beginning. Tried different combinations but all it affects is the number of steps the sequence jumps with each button press...

Sounds like you are using NRPNS, they are used for the mixer, you want RPNS, they are the same but different.

Tried uninstalling the last beta and installed the new one but the pdf still installs to the vst plugin folder.

Ok, it's on the list again.

Just been trying this out with Geist, assigning all the channels to the same kit and setting up each sequence with octave steps to trigger different hits on each pass, really cool. This is an excellent plugin for generative use and like Como mentioned remixing.

I thought it would be good to have some non octave, ie other value modes for the octave row too! On generative, I was just playing with the alternative scale mode which changes the relationship nicely when a new sequence is added as it uses a single counter to flip between the up/down states

Oh yeah, slight bug with paint mode; can't erase the notes, when i hold to delete the note just flashes on and off. I have to click in each step to remove it. everything else seems to be solid.

I'll check it out, but I have fixed a bug today where painting the same note that was initially clicked didn't work so I guess it's part of that.

Don't think I'll make a the release tonight I'm exhausted and half way through tracking down a CC bug which I think I'll have to finish in the morning.

Solid wow! That is great to hear, I know how hard you are to please!

Astralp · Post by **Astralp** » Sun Mar 18, 2012 3:32 am

Musical Gym wrote:Is the latest beta always available from the pc demo download link on the main site?

Are the banks included with the demo? I couldn't get any sound out of it when I tried it before and no presets were listed.

I don't update the demo with every release, just the more stable ones, I'm very close to a release candidate now so when I do that one I'll send a mailout.

There are limited sounds in the demo, there are 8 presets and all the sounds that they need to work. MSB 0, LSB 0 is a bank of instruments that is fully functional but the drumkits and other instrument banks are empty b eyond what's needed for the 8 demo presets.

Astralp · Post by **Astralp** » Sun Mar 18, 2012 3:33 am

Como, I'll have to reply to you tomorrow, sorry must sleep my brain has hibernated!

como baila · Post by **como baila** » Sun Mar 18, 2012 6:51 am

Astralp wrote:Como, I'll have to reply to you tomorrow, sorry must sleep my brain has hibernated!

Get your rest!

Anyway, I was just speculating ... thinking how a lot of the better instruments like Stylus RMX or Kontakt work with the ability to assign any voice to any output. It would be nice and hopefully a future update ... but really Vortex is turning out so well I'm ashamed to quibble about anything.

Como

Astralp · Post by **Astralp** » Sun Mar 18, 2012 6:13 pm

//// BETA 33
* Pitch Triggers now have CCs assigned as an alternative to using notes.
* Fixed a Bug in the new pitch display that could cause a crash.
* Slight improvement to the keyboard display
* Fixed a bug where paint mode wouldn't paint notes if they were the same as the originally clicked note.
* Octave C4 is now green on the keyboard display
* Default Semi Tune is now correct.
* Adjusted the default template slightly.
* Fixed a bug where the CCs for channel 1 were sent at startup making the cutoff and Resonance wrong.
* Changed Paint Mode for Notes to be the same behaviour as rows so that CTRL now removes notes. SHIFT now paints only active steps and also works for the rows.
* CTRL + SHIFT click now resets the sequence notes/muters between all on/off on a flipflop basis.
* Manual has had a big update (still more to do)

Homegrown Sounds

KVR Audio

Vortex VSTi - Multi Timbral Groove Machine Beta