Roli: Equator 2 is here !

[complicity]

Still no random phase/free running oscillators then?

[Examigan]

Equator 2.2 update is out. Happy to see that they fixed the note cut off bug in Bitwig! Now they just need to add user folder for samples and fix the filers horrible digital artefacts at high resonance.

That's good news as I remember you had reported that cut off issue a while back.
Is there still no way to change where it is installed to?

[Examigan]

Still no random phase/free running oscillators then?

I was hoping for that also, but I checked it just now and it's the same as before.

[aMUSEd]

I wish it was better integrated with my Lightpad block - I know that sounds odd given who created it, but compare it to Roli Studio Player and there is a huge difference. With RSP my Lightpad block automatically switches to a configuration where there is a touchable mode switch at the top of the pad between macro controls and the XY, but with Equator you need to use the hard mode switch on the side of the device which is not so easy to use as it requires a good push (which tends to make the device slip around so I have to steady it with my other hand) and is also in a poorly chosen position relative to the Seaboard block.

Annoyingly you can also get that configuration if you own a Loop block and have it in the Study Edition setup but I don't really have any other use for this block and it's a bit expensive for what it does. ROLI should just make that option available to everyone with a Lighted and Seaboard block.

[BONES]

Creating a point takes no time at all. Just type "create a restore point" in the windows search.

Cool. Thanks for the info. I just had a look and it seems it requires lots of disk space, so I think I'll pass for now. Thinking about it, though, there is only one time in the last 25 years I would ever had used it - I once deleted the wrong folder and lost several months worth of work on a couple of songs. One of them never got back to sounding as good as it had. But I've never had problems like you described. The UAD stuff probably complicates your set-up a lot more than anything I use, though.

[ChamomileShark]

When I've tried to do a restore it usually goes through 20 mins of apparently doing it and then comes up and tells me it couldn't do it.

[BONES]

... with Equator you need to use the hard mode switch on the side of the device which is not so easy to use as it requires a good push (which tends to make the device slip around so I have to steady it with my other hand) and is also in a poorly chosen position relative to the Seaboard block.

Really? I find it really easy. As in about a million times easier than the on/off switch. It's easier than the mode button in the Loop Block, too, although less easy to get at. I've not so much as looked at the Studio Player stuff, it looks like Amateur Hour to me. But my bandmate reckons there are a few useful things in it so I should probably install it at some point.

Annoyingly you can also get that configuration if you own a Loop block and have it in the Study Edition setup

How is that annoying? I think it's quite handy now that I've actually started using it.

but I don't really have any other use for this block and it's a bit expensive for what it does.

It might be more useful than you think. The transport controls are very handy for me with Studio One. You can pick one up on eBay for $60-$70 (USD).

ROLI should just make that option available to everyone with a Lighted and Seaboard block.

Yeah, and they should send every customer a case of beer, too. Good stuff, not Heineken. The bundles have been around for ages, you could have bought one if you wanted, I'm sure.

[Examigan]

When I've tried to do a restore it usually goes through 20 mins of apparently doing it and then comes up and tells me it couldn't do it.

It may be related to an antivirus you have running. You can try disabling it and then try it again, or try the restore point while in Safe mode. You can also run SFC to see if it helps.

[Examigan]

I've not so much as looked at the Studio Player stuff, it looks like Amateur Hour to me. But my bandmate reckons there are a few useful things in it so I should probably install it at some point.

The Studio Player has some presets from Strobe 2 and Cypher 2 that may be worth checking out. I don't think Equator 2 has the Smart Chord and multilayer arp features, so they may be interesting to try. I just installed the Player a few minutes ago, so I will be checking it out today.

[aMUSEd]

Really? I find it really easy. As in about a million times easier than the on/off switch. It's easier than the mode button in the Loop Block, too, although less easy to get at.

As I said it's too stiff on mine, plus the positioning is awkward if I want it magnetically linked to my Seaboard block. Whereas the mode switch you get with the Player or with the Studio Edition is placed right onto the touch pad so more accessible and as easy to press as the rest of the touchpad surface.

How is that annoying?

As I also said, it's annoying because to get that setup in Equator you need to buy a Loop block, which I wouldn't find much use for and so can't justify the expense, even if second hand. I don't need another hardware transport control as one is built into my NI keyboard and don't use the iPad app it integrates with

Yeah, and they should send every customer a case of beer, too. Good stuff, not Heineken. The bundles have been around for ages, you could have bought one if you wanted, I'm sure.

Again why justify the extra expense just for what is essentially just a script for the Lightpad and that could be made available to download? I already have the 2 blocks it actually uses, it doesn't even need the Loop block to work.

All I am suggesting here is ROLI build the same integration that is already possible for Studio Player into Equator - perfectly reasonable request considering they are based on the same engine and Studio Player is essentially a shell for Equator, Cypher and Strobe.

[aMUSEd]

btw this is what the Songmaker kit script looks like with the mode switch on top



which is identical to how it works when used with Studio Player

[BONES]

Again why justify the extra expense just for what is essentially just a script for the Lightpad and that could be made available to download?

I was thinking more of the Songmaker Kit, which is how I got my Lightpad. I got a couple of hundred off just for asking for a deal from the sales guy. Well, it was going for a grand and I got it for Au$840, which is about US$620.

Have you seen this app? You might be able to customise your Lightpad to work better for you -
https://swonic.com/dynamic-controls/

The other thing you could do, of course, is keep Dashboard open like I do and change modes there. If I could ask for any improvement, it would be an app with the keyboard but where the modes were different octaves. Or at least a way to change octaves quickly. Mind you, if they had done that I wouldn't have had to buy a second one, so Roli would have done themselves out of a sale.

btw this is what the Songmaker kit script looks like with the mode switch on top

I've got the Songmaker Kit and it doesn't have that. AFAIK, I've downloaded all the stuff I'm entitled to. Are you sure it's not a 3rd party app? And that's a Live Block in the photo, not the kit's Loop Block.

[aMUSEd]

No I've seen it in several photos and videos of it being used and asked Roli who said it was exclusive to the songmaker kit - afaik it is a mode that they can be put in when all 3 are linked but maybe it also works with any of the add-on blocks?

[BONES]

Well it is definitely NOT something that came with my Songmaker Kit. Roli doesn't even acknowledge the Kit as a separate product - I still had to register each Block individually. It's really just a bundle.

[aMUSEd]

There should be a 'Songmaker kit mode' that automatically comes on if you have the Loop, Lightpad and Seaboard blocks all connected - however this thread mentions a way to hack an existing script which apparently this mode is buried within:

https://support.roli.com/support/discus ... 6000003399