RapidComposer v4 beta feedback and discussion (locked)

[musicdevelopments]

The Markov generator is empty when added, as BluGenes wrote.
You open the phrase inspector, click on the Generator tab, and drop a MIDI file here to start:



A new phrase (of any length, similar style) is created from the notes of the MIDI file.

[musicdevelopments]

Please post any issues you found with the ghost tracks, BluGenes.

The Unghost option is in the track inspector here, just like for ghost phrases:



But you are right, it could be placed among the actions too...

[musicdevelopments]

Hello !
Or maybe someone will post a video on how to get something similar to musical phrases from this generator?)) I can’t do it))
And what kind of music is obtained, for example?)))

Hello lulukom,

I used Chopin piano pieces for testing. But modern chord or bass loops can be used too, the longer the better (the algorithm has more options to choose from, of course not randomly but based on your settings).
Maybe it works better for some music and worse for some other.

Thanks,
Attila

[BluGenes]

Please post any issues you found with the ghost tracks, BluGenes.

The Unghost option is in the track inspector here, just like for ghost phrases:



But you are right, it could be placed among the actions too...

yea, need to add that to the other tab too..

Kind of depends on the "intent" of the ghosting. When you first create one, it does ghost everything on the track. But, if you make a change to a phrase on the original track, it doesn't always reflect that change on the ghost. Like, adding a variation to a phrase, not the track.

So, I am not sure what you want. Only ghosting the track itself, or both phrases and the track. Adding variations doesn't seem to work.

As an example, drop a melody on a 4 bar track with an instrument of your choice. Ghost it with a new instance. On the original track, on the track variations, add a mirror horizontally. It is not propagated to the ghost.

[BluGenes]

Now, just to be a little more clear, as it is, I find the design is very useful. You don't get a completely ghosted track, that is, but, you do get a track that is also independent, sort of speaking. So, it kind of depends on, at what point you create the ghost..

I think more feed back from other users is needed.. (before any new changes)

[sj1]

If I understand correctly, a ghost track, as it is, takes the "core information" from the original and then lets you do variations on it.

Changing the "core information" in the original will change the ghost track. Changing anything else in the original will not change the ghost track.

If this is a correct description (?), then I think this is logical and directly comprehensible (once the user is clear on what "core information" actually consists of, which I do not claim to be <g>)!

[milliondabeat]

Hi Attila
Can you add "Ghost Tracks"?

Would it be possible to add in a way to ghost an entire track along with its phrase/track variations?
For example make a ghost of track(1) and use the extract notes variation to extract just the bass notes from the "Ghost Track" for a bassline, then ghost track(1) again and add make monophonic(highest notes) and Simplify Phrase + Adjust note lengths to create a kinda of monophonic lead, basically creating a multitrack composition that relies on on 1 track in a non destructive way. Itd be also useful for stacking sounds\instruments and easily creating variations on the stacks etc... Would also be nice if the user were still able to add variations on individual phrases inside of a "Ghost Track", and maybe possibly make a ghost of a "Ghost Track" to add further variations

hi Attila thank you for adding the ghost track feature much appreciated.
above i quoted my idea of how i would expect ghost tracks to work. Like BluGenes said the changes in the original are not propagated to the ghost but i think they should be or maybe have a switch for the 2 different modes

[BluGenes]

yea, you have to massage it a little bit, but, the Markov Generator can give great results. You just have to set up before hand and use a couple helper variations to get the best results.

[milliondabeat]

Hi BluGenes I would like to know what do you think about the implementation I described in my last message?

[BluGenes]

Hi BluGenes I would like to know what do you think about the implementation I described in my last message?

I think you could do most of that now with existing variations. Of course, the ghost tracks needs to be able to actually ghost the changes as you go..

[sj1]

It is supposed to start out empty. You provide the midi to alter. That is the entire purpose of this one, to modify midi you provide. Wouldn't make sense to have it already populated. Just open the phrase inspector and drop midi on the drop zone.

Thanks for your comments BlueGenes. I get it now!

I've been thinking a bit about this, and I admit a bias to believing that it is very desirable for Generators to have fundamentally consistent behavior across all members of the set.

Here is one idea I've come up with - Have a default .mid file be distributed with RC as a resource. Doesn't matter what the MIDI data in it actually is. Name it "Markov Seed Default.mid".

Then, when the Markov Generator is dropped onto a track, automatically instantiate it with that file, generating a phrase with notes, like all the other Generators. Subsequently, pressing "G" should randomize the Markov Generator params and regen the phrase (again, like the other Generators).

Markov Seed Default.mid would really be a mere placeholder, allowing the Markov Generator to behave like all the others. A secondary feature is that the user could replace that file with any other renamed .mid file if they wanted to, thus having their own custom default.

One step better, make it a config item:

Markov Generator Default Seed File: Markov Seed Default.mid

then the user could, if they change it, know what they are changing it to (because the new choice would have it's own file name, and not need to be renamed to "Markov Seed Default.mid").

Of course, the basic operation of opening the Markov Generator and dropping a NEW midi file on it could still then be undertaken at any time.

[sj1]

One other idea for clarification purposes, rename "Markov Generator" to "Markov Generator (from MIDI file)".

[lulukom]

Markov Generator is not included in the 4.7 final ?
Sorry then.. I liked the generator as a variation (and rather interesting) of the original midi files!

[musicdevelopments]

Hi lulukom,

no, the Markov Generator was not included in v4.7. It is very new and requires more testing and experimentation. Same with the ghost track, which I am fixing now. Yes, the ghost track should always be the exact copy of the original.

The good news is that today I implemented independent looping in the RC plug-in of the host. So now you can set up a 2-bar loop in RC while you play back your composition in the host if you want. In certain circumstances you can set up a loop in the host and RC at different positions, though this is not encouraged and not guaranteed to work

I'll upload a beta as soon as I fixed the ghost tracks.

Thanks for all the feedback and support!
Attila

[musicdevelopments]

One other idea for clarification purposes, rename "Markov Generator" to "Markov Generator (from MIDI file)".

Sure, I'll consider this. Does "Markov MIDI Generator" sound good?
Because I am planning to add a Markov Rhythm generator soon, that takes rhythm from existing MIDI files which you can apply to anything.