One Synth.. with multiple sequences to make a tune

[Jay65]

Sorry for the clumsy title of this subject.

Need some help with sequences.

Say I load a synth and want to make a tune/melody using 'blocks', instead of playing the whole thing on a control keyboard.

My method is program or play my first block, and call this sequence1 in the composer.

Now I want to create a variation of sequence1.

I copy & paste sequence1's piano-roll onto the clipboard.

Then in compose mode, I move the cursor to the end of sequence1; then paste the contents of the clipboard.

Now I have two copies of sequence1 side by side in compose mode.

Say I paste two more. Now I have 4 copies of sequence1 side by side (s1,s1,s1,s1) in compose mode.

Now I want to create a variation in the tune where sequence1 number 4 is.

So I click on this fourth block and make changes on the piano-roll i.e the variation.

I then change the name of this 4th block to sequence2

So now in compose mode, I have 3 sequence1 followed by sequence2.. (s1,s1,s1,s2)

If anybody is still following me..

Is this how other people construct single synth tunes (outside of playing it and recording) ?

My method seems very clunky and I'm sure I'm doing it wrong.

Apologies for my clunky description also.

[pljones]

Open up the Browser (toolbar button before the ">" Play button), set "What" to "Sequences" and "Where" to "This Project".

Try this:

- Create S1 (Ctrl key, mouse draw in Compose) and double-click to Edit -- "Sequence" gets created (see the Browser) and associated with the Part
- Ctrl-C to copy, mouse pointer at end of Part, Ctrl-V to paste -- this is now a new Part referencing the same Sequence
- Mouse pointer at end of Part, Ctrl-V to paste again -- another new Part referencing the same Sequence
- Ctrl-drag the last Part right then drop into place -- another new Part but this time you'll see there are now two separate entries in the Browser ("Sequence(1)", "Sequence(2)").

You can also see there is a difference in the Part title bars ("oo Seqeuence(1)" for the first three, just "Sequence(2)" for the last),indicating as a reminder that "Sequence(1)" is shared. Editing and Part referencing "Sequence(1)" will change what all those Parts play.

You can repeat the above process -- select all the parts, Ctrl-C, move the mouse to the end, Ctrl-V -- to make the tune longer. You can change the Sequence for a Part using the selector box in the lower left of the Composer. You can change a Part that's sharing a Sequence use its own Sequence by right-clicking and choosing "Make Unique Sequence".

You can rename a Sequence in several ways -- with the Browser open, it's easiest to right-click the Sequence there and select "Rename". You can do the same when you've a Part selected that plays that Sequence by right-clicking its name in the selector box at the lower left of the Composer and selecting "Rename". (You can also set up keyboard shortcuts for things like "Make Unique Sequence" and "Rename" if you use them a lot.)

(Just to add, I thought there was a Drag modifier key that had the same effect as Ctrl-C/Ctrl-V copying but I've not found it.)

[MuTools]

Maybe this helps: http://www.mutools.com/info/docs/mulab/composer.html

[MuTools]

Also see this video which demonstrates the basics of building up a composition:

[Jay65]

Open up the Browser (toolbar button before the ">" Play button), set "What" to "Sequences" and "Where" to "This Project".

Try this:

- Create S1 (Ctrl key, mouse draw in Compose) and double-click to Edit -- "Sequence" gets created (see the Browser) and associated with the Part
- Ctrl-C to copy, mouse pointer at end of Part, Ctrl-V to paste -- this is now a new Part referencing the same Sequence
- Mouse pointer at end of Part, Ctrl-V to paste again -- another new Part referencing the same Sequence
- Ctrl-drag the last Part right then drop into place -- another new Part but this time you'll see there are now two separate entries in the Browser ("Sequence(1)", "Sequence(2)").

You can also see there is a difference in the Part title bars ("oo Seqeuence(1)" for the first three, just "Sequence(2)" for the last),indicating as a reminder that "Sequence(1)" is shared. Editing and Part referencing "Sequence(1)" will change what all those Parts play.

You can repeat the above process -- select all the parts, Ctrl-C, move the mouse to the end, Ctrl-V -- to make the tune longer. You can change the Sequence for a Part using the selector box in the lower left of the Composer. You can change a Part that's sharing a Sequence use its own Sequence by right-clicking and choosing "Make Unique Sequence".

You can rename a Sequence in several ways -- with the Browser open, it's easiest to right-click the Sequence there and select "Rename". You can do the same when you've a Part selected that plays that Sequence by right-clicking its name in the selector box at the lower left of the Composer and selecting "Rename". (You can also set up keyboard shortcuts for things like "Make Unique Sequence" and "Rename" if you use them a lot.)

(Just to add, I thought there was a Drag modifier key that had the same effect as Ctrl-C/Ctrl-V copying but I've not found it.)

Hi pljones

Thank you so much for being so generous with your knowledge and time. Greatly appreciated

Btw I'll try not to ask anything else for a while..

[Jay65]

To Mutools

Thank you for the video link.

I did consult the online MuLab help document..
but I do think it's a bit brief in instruction.

Hope you consider doing some basic tutorials in due course.

Thank you.

[MuTools]

That linked video is the basic tutorial.

[Jay65]

That linked video is the basic tutorial.

It was useful.. and I know being video, you can pause, rewind etc

BUT If I were coming to MuLab as my first daw, I'd be so baffled. So much ground covered so fast.

This is purely my opinion. But I think smaller tutorials at a slower pace, would benefit new users; especially new daw-ers. (And I say that as someone who used to teach new users how to use software). Just my opinion, don't shoot me.

[MuTools]

I won't shoot you At the contrary, thx for your feedback. I've chosen to make the videos slow enough so they explain things in detail yet fast enough not to become boring. Indeed when things go too fast at a certain point of your interest, rewind a bit.