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

[Rahodees]

New to bluearp (and really, new to synth stuff in general). Is there a way to give it a tempo _other_ than having it run while playing or recording? I'd like to be able to play around with it to see what various things sound like _before_ I start recording/playing. I can of course just hit record and play around and delete/clip the results but it would be ideal if I could just tell it "pretend tempo X is happening right now." Is possible? I couldn't find a setting nor does "tempo" show up in the manual.

[Rahodees]

I just remembered another question, maybe even more important.

I am using Mixcraft 9. I am able to create arpeggiated sounds by creating an instrument track and putting bluearp as the instrument on that track--then putting a _second_ instrument on that track. Bluarp applies its function to that instrument when I play chords on it.

When I record, though, the midi track that results is _not_ arpeggiated. It just shows the chords I played. I can play back that track and bluarp does its thing, but I am hoping for a "printed out" result so to speak--a new track that just has all that arpeggiation built in.

My question is, how can I use bluarp to created an _arpeggiated_ midi track?

[WatchTheGuitar]

Don’t know how Mixcraft works, but with most DAWs the solution is to have a different track set to record the MIDI output from the track with BlueARP e.g. in Reaper there’s an option to “Record output (MIDI). Anything like that possible in Mixcraft?

[Rahodees]

That's the function I'm having trouble finding. I can have bluearp transmit out to midi 11 for example. And I can create a track and tell it to record from midi 11. But it doesn't, or at least, it doesn't pick up what bluarp is putting down. Someone told me "midi is broken in mixcraft," which I am assuming is hyperbole but maybe not. Right now I am in the "I probably just need to find some simple setting I'm missing" phase.

[Rahodees]

Haha and mixcraft's answer to the question "how do I do this" is "This is something you can do."

https://acoustica.com/legacy/dj-twist-a ... mixcraft-8

[WatchTheGuitar]

Unfortunately sounds like it's something broken in the DAW and not so much a missing function in BlueARP.

[Saffran]

Isn't Mixcraft loop based? Then a lack of midi options is pretty normal. You only need it to trigger loops.
Download and try Reaper or Cakewalk. They are proper all-around daws and free.
Although Reaper have a nag screen at the start asking you to pay. It's low cost and can be compared to the cost of one plugin, which people happily buy hundreds of.
Cakewalk is totally free. It needs to be authorized online once every 6 months. If not, it still works but you can't save your work.

[Rahodees]

//Isn't Mixcraft loop based?//

I wouldn't say so? You can do loops in it but it doesn't seem to be a thing the whole DAW is based on.

I'll look into reaper and cakewalk though.

[zzz00m]

Reaper can easily route things that not even Cakewalk can do. Reaper is the most flexible DAW in this regard. It's not my main DAW, but I keep it around due to it's flexibility. Very handy if you cannot get something to work in your main DAW!

But in this case, Cakewalk will work just fine!

1. Insert the synth that you want to play as a simple instrument track #1.
2. Insert BlueARP on another simple instrument track #2.
3. Set the input on track #1 to BlueARP.
4. Set the input on track #2 to whatever device you will be triggering BlueARP with. "All External inputs" will catch any of your external MIDI controllers.
5. Make sure that "Input Echo" (MIDI) is enabled for both tracks #1 and #2.
6. At this point you can just "play" the selected arpeggio via your controller and BlueARP, and the synth will respond.
7. To record MIDI, just arm the instrument track #1 for recording, and start recording. The arpeggio notes that are being sent to your synth will be recorded on the instrument track #1.

If you also arm the BlueARP track you will record the notes that you played on your controller on that track.

You can do essentially the same with Reaper, by configuring a send from the track with BlueARP to the track with your synth.

But to record the MIDI arpeggio, you will need to locate the MIDI record mode for the track, and set it to "Record: output (MIDI)". This is done by right-clicking on the red record button in the track to locate the record options context menu. Somewhat hidden, if you are not familiar with Reaper.

[syncopath]

Hi there,
I have a project that every time I open it, the plugin does not load.

I'm on Bitwig 3.3.11 & BlueARP 2.3.8 VST3 version.

It says:
"Could not load plug-in".
Two buttons: one to reload this plugin and other to reload all plugins.
"Could not load initial plug-in state: Error loading VST3 preset: C:\Users\blablablabla.........vstpreset"

[phreaque]

I'm on Bitwig 3.3.11 & BlueARP 2.3.8 VST3 version.

Give this a try & let me know if it works:

1. Backup your current version, take it to a different drive/folder.
2. Try using older VST3 version than 2.3.8. Use this link.
3. Re-scan your plugins, and open the project.

[syncopath]

I'm on Bitwig 3.3.11 & BlueARP 2.3.8 VST3 version.

Give this a try & let me know if it works:

1. Backup your current version, take it to a different drive/folder.
2. Try using older VST3 version than 2.3.8. Use this link.
3. Re-scan your plugins, and open the project.

Thank you so much for your help, it worked using 2.3.7 VST3.

[phreaque]

No worries
You might need to port you project to be compatible with higher version of BlueARP, one way is to:

• download the newer version but rename its folder so Bitwig can distinguish between new vs. old
• then open the project, save the presets in each BlueARP instance
• replace these instances with the newer version (right on place) & save.

[syncopath]

No worries
You might need to port you project to be compatible with higher version of BlueARP, one way is to:

• download the newer version but rename its folder so Bitwig can distinguish between new vs. old
• then open the project, save the presets in each BlueARP instance
• replace these instances with the newer version (right on place) & save.

Yeah, that's something I might do if I find the same problem in another project. I used VST2 x64 version, but since the developer told to change to VST3 because support for v.2 won't last for longer, I started using VST3 and I found this. Had not this problem with the plugin before.

[phreaque]

No actually, there's a confusion about VST 2.4 being superseded by VST3. Thing is that Steinberg dropped support to VST 2.4 SDK and their Cubase upcoming versions won't host VST 2.4.

But, any developer who owns VST 2.4 SDK license, it is still possible to create & publish plugins in that format as long as the customers have VST 2.4 hosts

Luckily, many DAWs & plugin developers try to 'avoid' VST3 format, due to its quirks.