MusicDevelopments

outsounder · Post by **outsounder** » Sun Dec 21, 2014 10:00 pm

I'd drop in and see what's happening with RC.

I downloaded the demo. Unfortunately I can't get it to work.

The test tones play and the metronome clicks but I can't get a bleep out of the sound fonts or vsti's it's scanned in if I drop some chords into it.

Tried all sorts, uninstall, re install etc ect and eventually gave up!

Any ideas?

BlackWinny · Post by **BlackWinny** » Sun Dec 21, 2014 10:57 pm

Let's try together if you want.

What DAW do you use?

outsounder · Post by **outsounder** » Sun Dec 21, 2014 11:19 pm

Cubase 8/Studio One 2 but just trying to get it to run standalone ATM

BlackWinny · Post by **BlackWinny** » Sun Dec 21, 2014 11:27 pm

outsounder wrote:Cubase 8/Studio One 2 but just trying to get it to run standalone ATM

Ok. So let's try in standalone for the moment.

Once RapidComposer is open, go the the tag "Settings" at the top. Then open the sub-tag "Audio".

In the field Audio API, do you have ASIO?

In the field Audio Device, do you have actually your exact device? By the way... tell me if it is ASIO4ALL.

And tell me also what is the content of the other fields of this page. They are not numerous.

And at the end, do you hear something when you click the button "Test Audio" which is below the fields? But don't forget to tell me what is the content of each field above this button.

And do that with Cubase and Studio One closed!!! Both don't have to be opened at the same time that RapidComposer is open. Because an ASIO driver can be accessed by only one application at a time.

musicdevelopments · Post by **musicdevelopments** » Tue Dec 23, 2014 10:57 am

Do you hear anything when you load and play back a composition template? (Click on "Using..." next to "New Composition").
I don't understand because if the audio test works, all soundfonts and VSTi plug-ins should have sound.
Did you try using another audio device or API?

outsounder · Post by **outsounder** » Fri Dec 26, 2014 8:13 pm

I downloaded again and it's seems to working fine and is stable. Maybe it was a corrupted download.

Some big improvements from the last time I tried it i'm pleased to say. Far more intuitive and easier to set up to use than Cognitone software. I've only downloaded the light version and haven't tried it as a plugin as of yet.

What extra is included in the purchased download as compared to demo downlaod? I read somewhere it was a few more progressions or phrases?

musicdevelopments · Post by **musicdevelopments** » Sat Dec 27, 2014 4:42 pm

Hi outsounder!

Thank you for your persistence! In the purchased version there are more than 260 additional chord progressions (both major and minor keys) and 237 reusable Bass/Piano/Guitar/Synth/Beat phrases created by Chris Caulder.
In the full edition only the purchased version contains the Melody Generator, and access to 50 reusable Melody Generator presets, also created by Chris Caulder.
You can download hundreds of phrases on this forum, contributed by yellukhan.

Thanks,
Attila

outsounder · Post by **outsounder** » Sat Dec 27, 2014 5:03 pm

Thanks for reply Attila, I found the answer in the user guide but you beat me to it before I could post!

I've purchased the Lite version for the time being to satisfy my curiosity on midi import/export.

outsounder · Post by **outsounder** » Tue Jan 13, 2015 1:23 am

Well unfortunately, apart from simple drag and drop of chords/progressions in a track (if it hasn't frozen trying to load it's last session in) the program, although advanced in concept is really unusable/unstable on this machine. There are multiple issues.

For example, start off with a simple 3 voice chord progression (if it doesn't freeze up trying to load the last project) double click on the track and alter the notes in the editor, apply to chords and exit and it doesn't happen. Try to change chord positions or anything on the track it decides to take a coffee break, undo and it decides to take a lunch break which pretty soon turns into a week off in another big freeze!

Unfortunately it spends more time not responding and freezing up than playing a simple four chord note!

If the core program is so unstable, it makes no difference what new features are added to an update, it only compounds and tangles itself up into to more knots than ever.

Extremely disappointing so far.

dsan@mail.com · Post by **dsan@mail.com** » Tue Jan 13, 2015 7:35 pm

Rapid Composer has become increasingly stable with each iteration, so I might suggest something amiss with your machine, outsider. I have been using RC since early days and have not had the problems many have complained about in the past.

Lucky? Maybe.

But I believe it is because of this trick:
http://www.thewindowsclub.com/fix-windo ... ccess-file

You should read that article and follow the steps. I'm pretty sure it will help you. I unblock every file I download in the manner described and do not have these problems with stability. Others have said this has helped them too.

That is, I assume you are on a Windows machine. Knowing specs are helpful to point you in the right direction.

HTH

Happy Musiking!
dsan

outsounder · Post by **outsounder** » Wed Jan 14, 2015 2:08 am

System? Two machines i7, 32 & 16 gig ram. On Win 7 Each six terra bytes drives. Sonic Core DSP studio system Asio to Cubase 7.5/8 and Studio one 2 with Ableton all sent via light pipe to 48 Channel fully extended Roland Digital Mixing system driving a 48 channel full recall mixing desk.

Been trying out RC in standalone mode (pleased to say) wouldn't dream of plumbing it into main DAWs right now as there's been highly tweaked and tuned to perfection for every day use studio use.

We are far from being inexperienced by any stretch when it comes to DAW building, performance and stability.

We have tried out RC a few times over the years and there are improvements in quite a few areas but, it's improved in many ways but it's still not reliable enough in so many areas.

If standalone is not stable there's really no point attempting to run it through a full feature daw without asking for problems, there's no way it could be introduced to clientele, the new release of 2.8 has not done it any justices at all.

That's the problem when two many new and abstract coding is introduced before core stability has been established. Steinbergs chord pad is extremely stable and and fantastic to use for midi recording editing and controlling, with hardly a crash unless some one introduces on old VSTi into the environment.

Won't give up on RC though, will play around with it as when time permits and be back here pronto with a step by step repros's (with screen shots, and films for sure, now that on this occasion it's a purchased application!

musicdevelopments · Post by **musicdevelopments** » Wed Jan 14, 2015 11:46 am

Hi outsounder,

I am sorry for your bad experiences with RC. There are several issues that have been fixed in the last days, a bug-fix update will be available in about 4 days. This usually happens when a new version is released after months of development, even if there were 14 beta versions before v2.8.

In v2.8 the underlying database handling was rewritten from scratch. This resulted in not just improved flexibility but also a new bug appeared: some composition files could not be loaded. This bug is fixed now.
I did not want to reply until the serious issue with UNDO is fixed. Big latencies occur when VST plug-ins' states are restored, sometimes unnecessarily; this is being fixed now.
While I am sure there are bugs remained in RapidComposer, hundreds of people use it without issues, who do not post on this forum. I investigate each reported bug and try to find a solution in the shortest possible time.
Please e-mail me if you'd like a refund.

Best regards,
Attila

outsounder · Post by **outsounder** » Wed Jan 14, 2015 11:01 pm

Thank you Attila, very gracious of you to offer a refund but that won't be necessary!

RC has a huge potential, will roll back from 2.8 and explore it some more as that version was not so bad.

As mentioned, there have been huge improvements over the last few years, your actions to include the recent updates are commendable and are bound to produce upheavals.

The main issues (here) seem to be the freezing/not responding when loading a session at start up, not responding/freezing on undo's and being unable to apply edits in the phrase editor to a track and a number of GUI issues, for example, just loaded up to have another look and the bottom of the screen (about 1/4 of it) is missing, or "out of range" so can't even see the "apply" button or resize the screen! The screen is all there whilst it's loading in the last session but them jumps outside of screen so that only the top half and top task bar is visible, not allowing any screen resize.

Sometimes the entire task bar disappears whilst booting, unfortunately, once word clock sync is lost over fiber optics, literally everything has to be rebooted in sequence, very time consuming.

The option to not load in last session at boot may assist in would be helpful. Are there crash logs saved anywhere that can be viewed or sent to you?

Thank you

JohnBullFrog · Post by **JohnBullFrog** » Thu Jan 15, 2015 9:26 pm

Absolutely no disrespect to outsounder BUT I wanna get on the record as acknowledging there are bugs in RC that are frustrating, especially the crashes, yet also stating that THIS IS THE MOST AMAZING PIECE OF MUSIC SOFTWARE I HAVE EVER SEEN HANDS DOWN BAR NONE!

I make this post in case other prospective customers are reading here and thinking maybe the software is not stable enough to use. Well, that is simply NOT TRUE! Cutting edge software that practically writes tunes for you and integrates with your DAWs and integrates all of your VSTs, etc. is bound to have bugs! No way around that! Yet this software does amazing things and has already improved my songwriting in the month and a half I have owned it and I am planning to use it on almost everything I write going forward!!

Will it crash on you? Yeah, it might. But so far when this has happened it has recovered my work for me so I have not lost anything. Plus, as I am familiar with working with advanced, cutting edge software, I learn to save often just to be safe!

And the support I have witnessed and experienced first-hand is beyond compare! Attila is here all the time answering questions and fixing bugs and improving the software based on his own ideas as well as user suggestions!

RapidComposer is simply amazing and easy to use and it produces awesome music. So if you are a songwriter or musician or just wanna make some music I encourage you to buy it and start enjoying it!

dsan@mail.com · Post by **dsan@mail.com** » Thu Jan 15, 2015 11:05 pm

From your response post to my suggestion, outsounder, it seems I may have inadvertantly insulted you.

I assure you there was no intent. From your op it was impossible to know what you do or do not know and what system you are on having problems with.

Anyway, did you try my suggestion? I'm curious if it helped you or not as many others have stated that by "Unblocking" the file it resolved a lot of issues for them.

Also, there is a tick box under settings that you can check to load last edited compostion at startup or not.

Perhaps a read of the user guide would assist you.

HTH

Happy Musiking!
dsan

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