BlueARP VST Arpeggiator development - let's discuss! (Apple M1 ready, 4K)

[kbostroem]

Hi there,
I have an overwhelming desire to sequence more pressed keys then just k1..k5. More precisely I would love to use k6..k8. Is this already possible or is this a missing feature? If so, would it be a bad idea to not include it in a future update?
Best
Kim
PS: Is this the right forum and topic to post such stupid questions that might be disguised feature requests? I'm a bit lost in view of these 96 pages...

[graywolf2004]

Yep, can we download 2.2.8 or is it still the broken version?
Thanks,
Mario

phreaque is right, download 2.2.8 and replace .ini file as described. I'll fix this on my website this weekend. And hopefully will look at the bugs posted recently.

[graywolf2004]

Hi there,
I have an overwhelming desire to sequence more pressed keys then just k1..k5. More precisely I would love to use k6..k8. Is this already possible or is this a missing feature? If so, would it be a bad idea to not include it in a future update?
Best
Kim
PS: Is this the right forum and topic to post such stupid questions that might be disguised feature requests? I'm a bit lost in view of these 96 pages...

There wasn't such a feature request before. To be honest with you, it's unlikely I will add that. Firstly, I don't see much sonic use of such a feature. If you give me good musical example of such arping, I will maybe change my mind (or describe your use-case scenario in more details). Myself - I rarely go beyond 4 keys.
Secondly, there are some technical limitations. Since key select lane is polyphonic, I store it as a bit-matrix, 1 byte per step, 8 values max (now I have 7 bits - k1-k5, Fix, Root, only 1 bit extra left). So maximum I can add without big changes is k6, which won't make you happy anyway.

[graywolf2004]

Is it possible to limit number of steps for a page, to value lower than 16?
I found I can limit total number of steps, but then I cannot add more pages.
Why I would like to see it?
For example for 6/8 beat which require 12 steps per page (four, 3-step bars). In case of need of 24 steps for this beat, editing is a bit uncomfortable.. Such sequence is split into 16 and 8 steps. Even worse, pages don't contain complete bars. The first page contain first 5 bars and one step from 6th bar.
This is why ability to set a page size to 12 steps would be very useful.
Extending this request, it would be nice to have option to change a visualization of bar length. Right now it's fixed to 4 steps. In case of 6/8 beat, I would like to see 3 steps per bar.
thanks in advance
with regards

Actually I have this in my todo list, but as a low priority. I admit it's some inconvenience here, but yet I don't know how to do this right, and also I need to get more into time signatures. Maybe adding a simple setting "steps per page" will work best. Other option is trying to detect it automatically, based on sync and number of steps.

[graywolf2004]

Hi Graywolf,

First and foremost Thanks a lot for all your hard work and your commitment to updating and improving your product and for making it free so far. I have not used arpeggiators much so I am no expert. I am enjoying getting to know it and use it within Cubase.
I am finding one or couple issues with GUI. First it does not remember the last place I saved presets and, since Windows 10 is picky, I prefer to save presets to my own-created folder on a different drive and not in the installation folder on the C: drive. So every time I save a custom preset I have to go through several clicks to get to my folder. It would be great if it remembered the last place where something was saved, like other programs do.
Also, I am loading a previously saved custom preset program into a custom bank with only two presets and it does not appear in the list or replace the ones already there? I can save a bank and load a bank and that works OK but loading individual preset programs is not working for me.
Otherwise all is great. Congratulations on your BlueArp.

Regarding remembering the last directory - it's reasonable and easy to implement, I'll take it. I even remember such inconvenience myself but I didn't come to this simple idea.
As for loading presets - it should replace your current preset in a bank. Should work fine, can you describe in more detail where it fails? Like you load the preset but the name is not there or I doesn't change anything at all?

[damayor]

question does this arp come with presets?

[Niowiad]

it comes with a "Factory Bank" of 110-ish presets

[kbostroem]

There wasn't such a feature request before. To be honest with you, it's unlikely I will add that. Firstly, I don't see much sonic use of such a feature. If you give me good musical example of such arping, I will maybe change my mind (or describe your use-case scenario in more details). Myself - I rarely go beyond 4 keys.

Well, I've tried some arpeggiators in my life and the BlueARP is arguably the most powerful one. I thought I could reproduce any other arp sequence with it... until I stumbled across FM8's built-in arpeggiator, which is both easy to use and very powerful, too (definitely check it out!). It's an utter, unbelievable shame that the FM8 does not route out any MIDI despite of more than a decade of user requests, so it's impossible to use its built-in arpeggiator with some other instrument.
Now, I had a nice arp sequence going on with the FM8 and tried to reproduce it with the BlueARP. And it almost worked out, but eventually failed due to BlueARP's limitation to 5 keys . The reason why more than 5 keys may make sense is the missing key functionality. In my FM8 sequence it was set to "wrap -1" which corresponds to "cyclic -1 octave" in the BlueARP. The way these missing keys replacements work make "happy accidents" almost unavoidable. Plus if one plays with both hands, this can easily make more than 5 keys fed into the arp.

Secondly, there are some technical limitations. Since key select lane is polyphonic, I store it as a bit-matrix, 1 byte per step, 8 values max (now I have 7 bits - k1-k5, Fix, Root, only 1 bit extra left). So maximum I can add without big changes is k6, which won't make you happy anyway.

This I do not quite understand. 1 byte = 8 bits per step encode, in my humble understanding, 256 states per step. However, there are only 7 states per step so far (k1-k5, fix, and root), so there should be plenty of room left. What am I missing?

[graywolf2004]

kbostroem I'll check FM8, I tried this VST a while ago but didn't pay any attention to its arp.
Regarding 8 bits - from some version KEY SELECT lane is polyphonic, I made it possible to select more than 1 key per step (in maximum case, you can check them all Root, Fix, k1, k2, k3, k4, k5). So 0..255 encoding doesn't work here any more, it works if you allow only 1 value selected. In this byte - bit0 represents Root, bit1 - Fix, bit2 - k1 and so on.

[Krovatin]

Hi. I think it is time to moan about presets again.
1. We still have about 66 factory presets. I believe people can add some presets to fill it to 127.

2. I have to systemize my own presets somehow, but it is not comfortable for me every time if I would like to load preset to use menu = load program = open Folder Arpeggio = Open Folder Arpeggio 16 etc.
3. Can we have some VST like preset menu?

[kvmoore]

Hello.  I just downloaded the latest version (version 2.2.8 Jan. 2019 release) of BlueARP and I have to say, I'm very impressed with the improvements made since 2.2.5 and how well this arpeggiator now works as well as it's ability to mimic the Note Repeat function commonly found on the Akai MPC hardware sequencer (which is a production tool I'm a big fan and avid user of).  With each step set to "Chord" in the step sequencer and the input filter "in quantize" parameter set to "none," BlueARP will behave just like the MPC Note Repeat function when a key or several keys are pressed and held down simultaneously.  However, one additional aspect of the MPC Note Repeat function that I like is it's ability to allow you to select the sync quantization value by pressing buttons.  In BlueARP, the sync quantization value has to be selected from a drop down box, which brings me to the following questions:

1. As a feature request for a future update, would it be possible to have a dedicated selectable button on BlueARP's interface for each of the currently available sync quantization values starting from the lowest value all the way up to "1/64" and each of these buttons be midi learnable/assignable  to an external hardware midi button controller?  That would allow me to instantly shift between different quantization values in realtime during note repeats just like I do on the MPC.  

2. In addition to the above, would it be possible to also implement a midi learnable/assignable button for the arp mode that toggles between "on" and "thru" modes along with a second button to turn it off?

3. Third and finally, is there also a Cubase midi effect version of this arpeggiator step sequencer plugin?

BTW, Nice work on this excellent VST!!!

[phreaque]

Hi. I think it is time to moan about presets again.
1. We still have about 66 factory presets. I believe people can add some presets to fill it to 127.

2. I have to systemize my own presets somehow, but it is not comfortable for me every time if I would like to load preset to use menu = load program = open Folder Arpeggio = Open Folder Arpeggio 16 etc.
3. Can we have some VST like preset menu?

You have the right indeed.
The process of making the promised presets has been delayed, currently I've made 98 presets covering variety of instrumentation lines. Hopefully the total 127-set will be ready by the mid of March.

Screenshot 2019-02-27 11.28.22.png

[phreaque]

1. As a feature request for a future update, would it be possible to have a dedicated selectable button on BlueARP's interface for each of the currently available sync quantization values starting from the lowest value all the way up to "1/64" and each of these buttons be midi learnable/assignable  to an external hardware midi button controller?  That would allow me to instantly shift between different quantization values in realtime during note repeats just like I do on the MPC.  

2. In addition to the above, would it be possible to also implement a midi learnable/assignable button for the arp mode that toggles between "on" and "thru" modes along with a second button to turn it off?

3. Third and finally, is there also a Cubase midi effect version of this arpeggiator step sequencer plugin?

BTW, Nice work on this excellent VST!!!

Appreciate the input.

Regarding the points 1 & 2, all parameters are MIDI learn-able, most of DAWs would allow flexible range of implementing this.

ableton live - bluearp midi control link.gif

Regarding point 3. Currently there's a Midi-FX variation of BlueArp but it's AU format. Let's see what Graywolf would say in this regard.

[Krovatin]

I just realise that despite the fact I have 2.2.7 version, I have not got those Riff presets, from this video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSz3tlfs1oM

I checked, I have last factory bank and ini file, what else should I do?

[kvmoore]

1. As a feature request for a future update, would it be possible to have a dedicated selectable button on BlueARP's interface for each of the currently available sync quantization values starting from the lowest value all the way up to "1/64" and each of these buttons be midi learnable/assignable  to an external hardware midi button controller?  That would allow me to instantly shift between different quantization values in realtime during note repeats just like I do on the MPC.  

2. In addition to the above, would it be possible to also implement a midi learnable/assignable button for the arp mode that toggles between "on" and "thru" modes along with a second button to turn it off?

3. Third and finally, is there also a Cubase midi effect version of this arpeggiator step sequencer plugin?

BTW, Nice work on this excellent VST!!!

Appreciate the input.

Regarding the points 1 & 2, all parameters are MIDI learn-able, most of DAWs would allow flexible range of implementing this.ableton live - bluearp midi control link.gif

Regarding point 3. Currently there's a Midi-FX variation of BlueArp but it's AU format. Let's see what Graywolf would say in this regard.

Thanks for your feedback. That's good to know the parameters are midi mappable in Ableton Live. However, I don't see how it's possible in Cubase. Also in Live, the quantization values are only selectable by a slider or knob. The feature I'm requesting is for each of the quantization values (specifically for the "Sync" parameter under "Arp "Engine") to be assignable to a button. In otherwords, 1/4 could have it's own button on the midi controller, 1/32, could have it's own button on the midi controller, etc... When one of the buttons is pressed, the value that button corresponds to becomes the sync value of the parameter until the button of another value is pressed. That way I can instantly jump from 1/64 to 1/16, then to 1/24, then back down to 1/8, etc.... on-the-fly in realtime at the push of a button. The Akai MPC1000 has this feature well implemented.

Thanks.