Recommend me a MIDI effect to transform chords into splitted single notes

[Pinku Eiga]

In iOS, I discovered this amazing AUv3 MIDI effect, Polythemus AU.

https://apps.apple.com/app/polythemus-au/id1439815017

It will detect the different notes in a chord, and then you can split each note to individual MIDI channels.

In this way, you can play chords using synths or instruments that are monophonic, by creating various instances of them. You can even define the volume of each voice.

It's ideal to create polyphonic instruments that you can play live, from plugins or hardware synths having a single voice. Like the Audio Modeling SWAM instruments.

Is there any equivalent to achieve this on desktop? I suppose that probably there are Max For Live devices doing this, but I use Bitwig. And looking at the options in the Note Grid, I can't find a device to separate and split the notes (buy maybe I'm missing something).

So a VST option that works in Mac would be ideal.

[Digivolt]

I don't have it but I think Remidi 2 can something like what you want - https://www.pluginboutique.com/product/ ... 5-reMIDI-2

[xylyx]

Doesn't Bitwig's built-in 'Instrument Selector' achieve what you are looking for? If you put as many devices into it as required, set the mode to 'Round robin', then play a chord - each individual note of the chord will trigger the next device in the list.

[tactile_coast]

Venomode Phrasebox does this.

But if you want to assign a different MIDI channel to each note you need to make sure that your DAW supports multi-channel MIDI per track. For instance Bitwig supports this where Ableton doesnt.

[Pinku Eiga]

Doesn't Bitwig's built-in 'Instrument Selector' achieve what you are looking for? If you put as many devices into it as required, set the mode to 'Round robin', then play a chord - each individual note of the chord will trigger the next device in the list.

Thank you, xylyx! Your'e right, the instrument selector has an option for this. It's not the Round Robin one, Robin One is intended to add variations to your sounds. So for every new note triggered, it will change the instrument, even if they are separated.

But I only want to use the next instrument when the previous voice is in use, and yeah, there is an option for this: Free Voice.

I was dumb for not seeing this, and spending an hour the last night, trying to build this in The Grid

Also, many thanks to @Digivolt and @tactile_coast for your great alternatives!

I will investigate about them, I'm always a sucker for new MIDI effects.

[Tj Shredder]

I use free robin usually…

[Pinku Eiga]

Well, after testing this, none the free robin or free voice option work in Bitwig.

If you keep a key pressed, and then press other, the algorithm will work as intended, allocating the new note in the second instrument instance.

But if you press three keys at the same time to play a chord, Bitwig will send the three MIDI notes to the first instrument, no matter what.

This weekend I will try to demo Remidi 2 and Phrasebox, to see if I find a solution.

[xylyx]

Well, after testing this, none the free robin or free voice option work in Bitwig.

If you keep a key pressed, and then press other, the algorithm will work as intended, allocating the new note in the second instrument instance.

But if you press three keys at the same time to play a chord, Bitwig will send the three MIDI notes to the first instrument, no matter what.

This weekend I will try to demo Remidi 2 and Phrasebox, to see if I find a solution.

Round robin and free robin seem to work fine, sending a chord's notes to different instrument instances; free voice doesn't work in that way for me though, so I wonder if it's a bug. Even random mode seems erratic in device selection. Might be worth querying with Bitwig whether there is a bug.

I'm on Windows, so maybe the other modes are broken on Mac

[Pinku Eiga]

Well, after testing this, none the free robin or free voice option work in Bitwig.

If you keep a key pressed, and then press other, the algorithm will work as intended, allocating the new note in the second instrument instance.

But if you press three keys at the same time to play a chord, Bitwig will send the three MIDI notes to the first instrument, no matter what.

This weekend I will try to demo Remidi 2 and Phrasebox, to see if I find a solution.

Round robin and free robin seem to work fine, sending a chord's notes to different instrument instances; free voice doesn't work in that way for me though, so I wonder if it's a bug. Even random mode seems erratic in device selection. Might be worth querying with Bitwig whether there is a bug.

I'm on Windows, so maybe the other modes are broken on Mac

It's weird, I have tested this again with Round Robin and Free Robin, and now they work as intended for me. Maybe I messed the MIDI routing last night, I was using an external sequencer (Piano Motiffs) to trigger the notes.

Now I can definitely mark this as solved. You made my week, I lost countless hours these last days trying to figure out an alternative to Polythemus.

Now I'm curious to know if this is a common feature in other DAWs, or it's part of Bitwig's team wizardry

[Audiowalter]

How great if Studio One could do this. I sit there doing it by hand in the piano roll like an idiot.

[Tj Shredder]

Well, after testing this, none the free robin or free voice option work in Bitwig.

Not here, I use free robin to turn mono or non-expressive synths into MPE poly synths all the time…