SquaredHeads Nora 1.4 - Phrase Arpeggiator + Harmonizer

[basslinemaster]

Squareheads, what does Nora do that Blue Arp doesn't? Due to the limitations of the demo (only 3 notes per octave) I didn't use it for very long, but I'm interested in what it can do that makes it worth buying, when I have Blue Arp.

[DJMashbot]

Am I missing something? I can't get it working inside Sonar X3 for the life of me. The manual won't open, as it gives an "Invalid registry" error. I've used a couple Arps before with no issues. With Nora, I've tried setting it up as an instrument, routing the midi out into another synth, and feeding Nora with midi in data, but I get no midi input to the synth, even though Nora shows that it is running. There is no documentation on the website, so I really have no clue if there's a different way to set it up or not.

Works fine here with X3e. Did you check "Enable MIDI output" in the "Soft Synth Options" window, and activate Input Echo?

Ah, forgot about the input echo, thanks for the reminder. Got it working, at least.

[elassi]

Squareheads, what does Nora do that Blue Arp doesn't? Due to the limitations of the demo (only 3 notes per octave) I didn't use it for very long, but I'm interested in what it can do that makes it worth buying, when I have Blue Arp.

I.e. in BlueArp you can't define two (or more) notes of a chord to be played at the same time. You can try this even with the demo version.

[squaredheads]

Can you possibly get rid of the 3 notes per octave demo restriction, and instead make it time out after some time, or make it functional for only 30 days or something? It's very hard to get a feel for it when you only have 3 notes per octave.

I talk about it with my partner. Indeed, 5 notes have tons of creative potential.

Can you make the window remember the last size you set it at? I don't know if this is possible, but it would be really helpful, and would save me having to resize it every time I open a new Nora in a project.

We'll try to finetune the demo version once we finish some critical stuff. The full version saves everything, sizes, selected notes, etc.

Also, you can't resize the window by dragging any of the edges, you have to drag the lower right hand corner - this is not usual windows behaviour, you should be able to resize by dragging any edge as well as any corner.

I have it disabled atm. The reason is: some host have problems resizing VSTs from top/left side.

Works fine here with X3e. Did you check "Enable MIDI output" in the "Soft Synth Options" window, and activate Input Echo?

Thanks Firepile, you saved me some time that I can use in Nora

Squareheads, what does Nora do that Blue Arp doesn't? Due to the limitations of the demo (only 3 notes per octave) I didn't use it for very long, but I'm interested in what it can do that makes it worth buying, when I have Blue Arp.

Nora is green, BlueArp is blue I'm just joking. I cannot help you here, for some professional ethics. All I can say is: We have tons of future plans for Nora.

[elassi]

I cannot help you here, for some professional ethics.

Re. Future plans: I have a feature request.
Please consider presets for the velocity too. Could be the same organisation style (even the same browser) as with the piano roll presets. Thanks.

[squaredheads]

Sure!

Anyway, any of you can email me your own presets to juan [at] squaredheads [-d.o.t] com if you want to contribute with Nora development. I hope I can have enough of them for 1.0.

[relayer]

I have some feature requests:

1. I would like to have the option to drag a pattern from the browser into Nora after the end of the pattern that is already there instead of overwriting the existing pattern. This would be used to create extended patterns. For example, the pattern already in Nora is for 1 bar and I could drag another pattern from the browser into bar 2 and have a two bar pattern.

2. It would be nice to have a 'preview' function in the browser where I would not have to drag each pattern into Nora to hear it, but instead could hit the up arrow, down arrow, or select with the mouse and have Nora automatically play the pattern. Then when I find the pattern I want to use, I would drag it into Nora.

3. It might be fun to have a "morph" feature where two patterns are selected and Nora creates a new pattern with elements from each. Even a "create random pattern" function might be nice.

Thanks for your consideration.

[squaredheads]

1. I'm currently working on that, I don't know what will I finish first, the second tool or this feature, as soon I have one of them ready we'll do another release.

2. There is some concepts problems here. Nora phrase editor's patterns aren't "Midi" or "Audio" (and they cannot be), so they cannot be previewed. The best thing we can do is allow to the user select the browser and be able to switch (and open) presets with Ctrl+Arrow. Is this good for you? However this won't be before than your first request.

3. How would you merge two patterns/presets with differents notes/octaves/lenght?

[relayer]

2. There is some concepts problems here. Nora phrase editor's patterns aren't "Midi" or "Audio" (and they cannot be), so they cannot be previewed. The best thing we can do is allow to the user select the browser and be able to switch (and open) presets with Ctrl+Arrow. Is this good for you? However this won't be before than your first request.

What I am currently doing is copying the current phrase (CNTRL ALT C), dragging patterns from the browser as the phrase is playing until I find one I want to use, and pasting the original phrase after the new phrase. It would be nice to have a preview option that would leave my phrase intact while I select other phrases in the browser and have them play instead. Once I find the one I want, then drag in before or after the one already in the grid to make my new two bar pattern.

As far as implementation, it would be like having a hidden grid that is used for the preview function.

3. How would you merge two patterns/presets with differents notes/octaves/lenght?

If you are interested in implementing this functionality, I can email you my ideas.

[elassi]

be able to switch (and open) presets with Ctrl+Arrow.

If "undo" works in this scenario it seems like a solution (to me). That said, I support the ideas #1 and #2 of 'relayer'.

Another thing urgently wanted: switching presets by bank-/program select. Or at least some sort of playlist mode where one can list patterns/presets.

[Happy Frog]

Oh look I found out where all the cool kids are hanging out, maybe they will accept me. Uhm cool kids=KVR bullies? No thanks, dont wanna play with them and their trolling games.

[Spitfire31]

Oh look I found out where all the cool kids are hanging out, maybe they will accept me. Uhm cool kids=KVR bullies? No thanks, dont wanna play with them and their trolling games.

Hm. Your first post in this thread, I believe. Who's been trolling you, then?

/Joachim

[squaredheads]

I was thinking about it yesterday. Relayer's request #1 and #2 are almost the same, like switching presets with midi messages. All of them should be solved as soon as I release pattern selector.

If you are interested in implementing this functionality, I can email you my ideas.

I'm always willing to know what final users wants. We'll implement it with a delay that depends how easy to code it is, how it affect the workflow, how many requests I have for it and how it affect to to the global vision we have for Nora.

[AusDisciple]

Tried the demo for five minutes and went straight to the payment page and made a purchase. Very nice work!

[squaredheads]

Thank you, enjoy Nora!