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

[NTO]

Check this excellent video tutorial by John "SkipPy" Lehmkuhl


It is related to Unify plugin (which includes BlueARP in its bundled plugin package), but it will be useful for all BlueARP users.

Unify are distributing 2.2.11 in the latest release.

Broken - they know it.
Workaround - at your own risk:
https://forums.pluginguru.com/questions ... -editable/

[phreaque]

Yes and Shane told this will be corrected in the upcoming update, mid April.

[graywolf2004]

Pre-release: BlueARP v2.2.12
http://www.graywolf2004.net/files/3/Blu ... 2.2.12.zip
http://www.graywolf2004.net/files/3/Blu ... 2.2.12.zip
http://www.graywolf2004.net/files/3/Blu ... 2.2.12.zip

Not yet on my website, only post it here.
In about 2 weeks this version should be included into Unify, please check if it works OK.
Those who have Unify - you can take BlueARP.x64.dll and replace the one in your folder
C:\Program Files\PlugInGuru\Unify\VST\BlueARP

Mostly updates related to Unify and other minor changes:
1. 'GUI Scale' and 'Skin' settings moved from MENU to SETTINGS on the left panel
2. Added octave numbering options, it tells bluearp how to display notes or
which key is the middle - C3, C4 or C5. Before this change - C5 was the only setting,
cause this is the way it works in FL by default
3. Added 'sustain msg' and 'sustain polarity' options to existing midi cc filtering options.
sustain msg = sustain - works like normal sustain, arp latch - sustain is linked to arp latch
option. Difference with sustain - when all keys are released, chord sustains, but
as long as you press a new key, previous chord is cleared.
4. Added 'restart chain on switch' checkbox. When checked, chain always starts from the
beginning after chain switch (otherwise, in restart on beat mode, chain step is calculated from
host song position)
5. Ini file is now saved to different location, cause VST folder doesn't always have write permission.
Windows: C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\BlueARP,
OSX: c:/Users/<username>/Library/Application Support/BlueARP
Settings stored in INI are: selected skin, gui scaling, octave numbering

[graywolf2004]

Restart on key doesn't work for me. It only works the first time a key is pressed, and then IntPos keeps climbing forever after. Using FL Studio. is this a known bug?

EDIT: Doesn't seem to be present in 2.2.10, only 2.2.11

I tested it in 2.2.12, restart on key seems to work correct, arp restarts every time you hit a key/chord. I could miss it in 2.2.11, cause I did a lot of refactorings and could mess some things up.

[kvmoore]

I've played with Cubase and Ableton a little more and found out it is not possible to directly map the "sync" parameter to a button or several buttons. Currently, the "sync" parameter can only be mapped to a knob or slider/fader to correctly change the value of the "sync" parameter. As a result, I would like to see a radio button or option button for each value so that each possible value of the "sync" parameter could be mapped to a physical button on a hardware midi controller as a feature request like I mentioned before. I wanted to make and post an image of how the GUI could look with this implemented to give you an idea of what I'm talking about. It is posted below.

This additional feature along with the other currently available features already implemented would literally allow BlueARP to function just like an Akai MPC!!!

I've posted this feature request in this thread a year ago (March 3, 2019) along with a GUI mockup to illustrate what it could look like as well as how it would function. Would it be possible to implement this request so BlueARP could function like the note repeat function of the Akai MPC?

[kvmoore]

Here's the GUI image I've created to support the above mentioned feature request.

[QuantumState]

I went back to version 2.2.8 of MFX for Logic Pro, it turns out that the following versions have sync failures where it is most noticeable with the default `` BEAT '' option, oddly enough it seems that the yellow dot indicator seems to scroll below the sequencer. once you stop playing, continue browsing a little more, it doesn't restart at first, in vst version it doesn't happen, in version 2.2.8 it is stable.
Synchronization also fails when in the Logic Pro options the option `` buffer interval '' with value `` large '' creates different types of synchronism, especially when you select another track where the main bluearp is not, in short ... a series of errors I'm not willing to test where it fails and where it doesn't, I'm sticking with version 2.2.8 ... for now ...
I think this great software should improve the simplest things. Less can be more. And synchronism is the heart of arpeggios, if that fails ... the arpeggio is dead. With Arp Avenger via VST3 opening from Patchwork, or Nora ... They are perfect ... instead, I have to find these errors that make it not work as it should. I think Bluearp is really improved in the VST version, but for Logic Pro there are not many users who use it and that is why they do not complain ... a sadness ... it is a shame because it is great software. A cordial greeting!

[fmr]

Here's the GUI image I've created to support the above mentioned feature request.

It seems you loaded it in Cubase. How did you manage to do that? I put the folder in my VstPlugIns folder, but I can't see the plug-in listed in Cubase. It isn't blacklisted either.

EDIT: It is a VSTi...

EDIT 2: I've been working with Arpage SX, and the feature that allows to drag a MIDI clip into it, and immediately get an arpeggio is great, and much more convenient than the convoluted way of work in this plug-in. Besides, being a MIFI FX, Arpage SX immediately recognized the chords and adapts the arpeggio, even with notes that don't belong to the chord, like I did with some MIDI clips I used to create arpeggios in Arpage SX.

[graywolf2004]

Here's the GUI image I've created to support the above mentioned feature request.

I got the idea. Never treated this as a problem, cause with my controllers (Novation Remove, Korg nano kontrol) you can assign a button to a single CC value (instead of sending 0 / 127 in toggle mode for example). So this way, each time you press a button, it just sends this CC value.
To find out which CC value corresponds to param value, set control value in bluearp, on the bottom panel you will see:
P024: Sync = 4 / 40
In means that internal value 4 for sync (which is 1/16) corresponds to cc value = 40.
Can you assign the buttons this way on your controller?
I always do this way to assign chain switch to a row of buttons.
If it is unclear, I can make a quick howto video on this.

[graywolf2004]

I went back to version 2.2.8 of MFX for Logic Pro, it turns out that the following versions have sync failures where it is most noticeable with the default `` BEAT '' option, oddly enough it seems that the yellow dot indicator seems to scroll below the sequencer. once you stop playing, continue browsing a little more, it doesn't restart at first, in vst version it doesn't happen, in version 2.2.8 it is stable.
Synchronization also fails when in the Logic Pro options the option `` buffer interval '' with value `` large '' creates different types of synchronism, especially when you select another track where the main bluearp is not, in short ... a series of errors I'm not willing to test where it fails and where it doesn't, I'm sticking with version 2.2.8 ... for now ...
I think this great software should improve the simplest things. Less can be more. And synchronism is the heart of arpeggios, if that fails ... the arpeggio is dead. With Arp Avenger via VST3 opening from Patchwork, or Nora ... They are perfect ... instead, I have to find these errors that make it not work as it should. I think Bluearp is really improved in the VST version, but for Logic Pro there are not many users who use it and that is why they do not complain ... a sadness ... it is a shame because it is great software. A cordial greeting!

Recenlty I got used mac mini - to pay more attention to mac version of bluearp. I won't event describe my previous perversions to compile bluearp on mac, will just say that it was pain and I couldn't do any good debugging or testing )
So now - can you send me a logic demo project to demonstrate the issue? I'm still not a mac user, but at least now I have good tool to debug and fix this, if I can re-produce it.

[magicmusic]

On akai controller it is only possible to do notes, program change or program bank messages with the pads. akai controller use many and it do not support cc on the pads. I have a MPK225

[Ghost Dog]

In my case, the second instance of BlueARP always scales back to 100% when re-opening a project (Win 7, REAPER 6.08).

At first I couldn't get it to even switch to a different skin permanently, but, running REAPER in admin mode solved that. Apparently, the first and second (technically, they're 5th and 6th) line in the config file are for the chosen skin and scale respectively and it works if the project has one instance, but the second one (and all the rest as well, if there's more than one) always reverts back to 100% scale.

Why?

[ladybugs]

FEATURE REQUEST: Fretting/picking

I posted this request about a year ago, but there was no reply. Trying again, respectfully, without wanting to hijack.


The keyboard is divided into 2 ranges:

- The "fretting" range, where you play to define the chord.
- The "picking" range, where you play to pick single notes from the chord.

In many cases, it's convenient if the picking range consists of white keys only.

How would it work in practice? As an example, let's assume fretting range is C2-B3 and picking range is C4-B6.
By holding down these keys in the fretting area:

C2 F2 Bb2 E3,

You'd get a mapping like this in the picking area:

C4 -> C2
D4 -> F2
E4 -> Bb2
F4 -> E3

So you can strum or arpeggiate arbitrary sets of notes. Or map them to percussion controllers, for that matter. And, what matters most, change the mapping instantly just by playing a different chord in the fretting area.

Do you think this feature could be added to Blue Arp, or does it sound more like a different midi plugin altogether? There's nothing like this available as far as I've been able to find out - and I searched quite a bit.

[phreaque]

FEATURE REQUEST: Fretting/picking

Is it the same feature on some Roland arranger keyboards? If not, possible to provide an example / demo of similar approach please?

[ladybugs]

I don't know about Roland arranger keyboards, but RealGuitar used to have this feature when I used it a long, long time ago. I've since stopped being a user because the sounds were less than satisfying for me, but it's this feature I miss most. It was a tool to play picking patterns in real time.

I'll look for an example, but for the time being: Just imagine being able to "fret" (play) a chord with your left hand without it playing back, and play back the single chord notes - with dynamics and all - with your right hand on consecutive white keys.