RC v6 and we want to know what you want to see in V6!

[BluGenes]

So version 6 is now in development and we want to know what you want to see in this version! A lot of the suggestions from v5 are being looked at being considered.. So, let us know!

[heliacal]

Jeez at this point I have no idea? OK here's a few:
-Controlled 4 part writing.
-GUI improvements, i.e., more organized and less chaotic.
-Being able to turn on a draw mode to insert notes without double clicking. For instance in Studio One, click & drag out the length, drag up & down for velocity.
-A keyboard shortcut to bring up the VST editor.
-Be able to pass keyboard shortcuts to RC when using as VST?

I'd like some sort of scripting but that's a massive undertaking.
I use https://opusmodus.com/ so would love to see the 2 merge of sorts, but that's a special use case for sure...

[mdstudio]

Why not right drag for selection, left click for insert so you didn't have to switch between tools

[Artie Fichelle]

When analyzing the works of great composers like Johann Sebastian Bach and Joseph Haydn, it’s fascinating to uncover the geometrical and mathematical underpinnings in their compositions. These methods aren’t always explicit but emerge through patterns, symmetry, and structural logic that reflect a deep orderliness—almost like musical architecture. Let’s explore some of the geometrical techniques they employed, focusing on concepts like retrograde, symmetry, and other structural devices.

### Bach and Geometrical Methods
Bach’s music is often described as a fusion of mathematical precision and artistic expression. His use of geometrical systems is particularly evident in his counterpoint and fugal writing.

1. **Retrograde**:
Retrograde refers to a musical line played backward. Bach didn’t use retrograde in a literal sense as often as later composers (like those of the 20th century), but it appears in subtle ways. For instance, in *The Art of Fugue*, Bach employs invertible counterpoint, where melodic lines can be flipped or mirrored. This isn’t pure retrograde but shares a geometrical spirit—transforming a theme while preserving its integrity. In the *Crab Canon* from the *Musical Offering*, the music is explicitly palindromic: one voice plays the theme forward while another plays it backward simultaneously, creating a literal retrograde motion.

2. **Symmetry and Mirror Structures**:
Bach loved symmetry. In pieces like the *Canons* from the *Musical Offering*, he uses mirror-like structures where melodies are reflected or inverted (pitch-wise, flipping high to low and vice versa). This is geometrical in a transformational sense—think of it as a reflection across an axis. The *Fugue in D minor* from *The Well-Tempered Clavier* also shows thematic material that feels balanced and proportionally structured, almost like a fractal unfolding.

3. **Proportional Design**:
Bach’s larger works, such as the *Mass in B Minor*, exhibit golden ratio-like proportions in their sectional divisions. While not overtly geometrical in the sense of shapes, the timing and placement of thematic returns often align with mathematical ratios, giving the music a sense of inevitable, grid-like precision.

4. **Fugal Geometry**:
In fugues, Bach uses *stretto* (overlapping entries of the subject) and augmentation/diminution (stretching or shrinking the theme’s rhythm). These techniques resemble geometric scaling—similar to how shapes can be enlarged or reduced while retaining their form. The *Fugue in C-sharp minor* from *The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I* is a prime example, with its subject manipulated in ways that feel like a kaleidoscopic rotation of musical material.

### Haydn and Geometrical Methods
Joseph Haydn, a key figure in the Classical era, approached geometry less through counterpoint and more through form and thematic development. His music reflects the balance and clarity of the Classical style, often with playful twists.

1. **Sonata Form as Geometric Framework**:
Haydn’s symphonies and string quartets (e.g., the *Op. 33* quartets) rely on sonata form, which is inherently geometrical. The exposition, development, and recapitulation create a symmetrical arc—two contrasting themes are presented, transformed, and then resolved in a mirrored return. It’s like a musical parallelogram where the outer sections balance around a central exploratory pivot.

2. **Thematic Transformation**:
While Haydn didn’t use retrograde explicitly, he often employed motivic inversion and rhythmic variation. In the *Symphony No. 94 ("Surprise")*, the main theme is manipulated with subtle shifts that feel like rotations or reflections of a core idea, giving a sense of geometric play within a stable structure.

3. **Symmetry in Minuets**:
Haydn’s minuets (common in his symphonies and quartets) are built on balanced, symmetrical phrases—typically 8-bar units that mirror each other. This creates a dance-like geometry, where each step forward has a corresponding step back, much like a choreographed pattern on a grid.

4. **Wit and False Recapitulations**:
In works like the *String Quartet Op. 33 No. 2 ("The Joke")*, Haydn plays with listener expectations by delaying the recapitulation or inserting unexpected pauses. This isn’t geometrical in a strict sense but feels like a deliberate skewing of an otherwise symmetrical form—almost a playful distortion of a perfect shape.

### Broader Geometrical Connections
Both composers worked within systems that suggest a deep affinity for order:
- **Bach’s Counterpoint**: His canons and fugues resemble tessellations—repeating, interlocking patterns that fill musical space without gaps, much like tiles in a mosaic.
- **Haydn’s Classical Balance**: His forms evoke the architectural ideals of the Enlightenment, with clear, proportional sections akin to the symmetry of a Palladian building.

While terms like "retrograde" are more explicitly tied to later serialist composers (e.g., Schoenberg), Bach and Haydn used analogous concepts intuitively. Bach’s music leans toward intricate, multidimensional geometry—spirals and reflections—while Haydn’s is more planar, with clean lines and balanced shapes. Their genius lies in making these structures feel organic, not mechanical, despite their mathematical roots.

Does this resonate with what you’ve observed in their works? If you’d like, I can dive deeper into a specific piece!

[musicdevelopments]

Thanks for all suggestions!

-GUI improvements, i.e., more organized and less chaotic.

I'd love to improve the GUI but I need some hints.
I am not sure what you mean by "more organized and less chaotic".

-Being able to turn on a draw mode to insert notes without double clicking. For instance in Studio One, click & drag out the length, drag up & down for velocity.

Yes, note editing must be improved.

-Be able to pass keyboard shortcuts to RC when using as VST?

This is the fault of DAWs, they don't send keyboard events to plug-ins (except for REAPER which has an option for that, thank you!). There is a workaround built in the RapidComposer plug-in for capturing the keyboard events, if you enable to small keyboard button in the top right corner. Then keyboard shortcuts will work. Please note this is not an issue on macOS.

Thanks,
Attila

[musicdevelopments]

Why not right drag for selection, left click for insert so you didn't have to switch between tools

This is not a bad idea! But right-click is used universally for opening the inspectors.
At the moment Ctrl-click creates a new note, and a simple click is used for selection/rubber-box selection. Would that be an improvement if a simple click would create a note immediately, and Ctrl-click is used for rubber-box selection? A simple click on an existing note would select it, only clicking on the background would create a new note.

Thanks,
Attila

[lulukom]

In version 6 I would like to have an assignment to the keys of my midi keyboard (and the keys of the computer keyboard) of clips in which I put frequently used phrases and could quickly insert them into any place of the composition. I would also like to have an extension of the loops that could be stretched with the mouse to the left and right horizontally from the phrase, and any segment of the phrase to the right or left. This would allow creating interesting combinations of notes within one phrase. Thank you.

[xbitz]

Hi everyone,
I don’t see any autosave feature every 5–10–15 minutes (for ex), or any recovery after an abnormal exit. Would it be possible to request this?

[mdstudio]

Why not right drag for selection, left click for insert so you didn't have to switch between tools

This is not a bad idea! But right-click is used universally for opening the inspectors.
At the moment Ctrl-click creates a new note, and a simple click is used for selection/rubber-box selection. Would that be an improvement if a simple click would create a note immediately, and Ctrl-click is used for rubber-box selection? A simple click on an existing note would select it, only clicking on the background would create a new note.

Thanks,
Attila

I might be mistaken but Reaper handles right click and right drag separately, so maybe it's possible, but not exactly sure how they implemented it (maybe it triggers on mouse up if no drag was performed). I think single click and ctrl+click would work too, I personally think clicking on an empty space should intuitively create a note and clicking on an existing note would select that note and the rubber box selection would be right drag or ctrl+left drag if right drag isn't attainable.

[musicdevelopments]

I think single click and ctrl+click would work too, I personally think clicking on an empty space should intuitively create a note and clicking on an existing note would select that note and the rubber box selection would be right drag or ctrl+left drag if right drag isn't attainable.

Thank you!

[musicdevelopments]

Hi everyone,
I don’t see any autosave feature every 5–10–15 minutes (for ex), or any recovery after an abnormal exit. Would it be possible to request this?

Hello xbitz,

this can be set already, but you'll need to enable storing the undo history on disk:



Each modification is saved, and when something bad happens, the next time RapidComposer is launched, it will locate the most recent change automatically. You can also go into the ...rcCOMP.history folder and rename any states to .rcCOMP and load that into RapidComposer.

Thanks,
Attila

[heliacal]

Thanks for all suggestions!

-GUI improvements, i.e., more organized and less chaotic.

I'd love to improve the GUI but I need some hints.
I am not sure what you mean by "more organized and less chaotic".

I'm thinking of something along the lines of a left Master Tab browser that pops out with a keyboard shortcut. It would look similar to the Browser window. It is contextual in that if you click on a Track, all the Track inspector tabs show, Master track all the Master track tabs show. It would get rid of the endless right clicking and positioning of all the various tab inspectors.

[heliacal]

Scaler Type Midi Key Binding:
-I would love to see the ability to play Chord Progressions on a midi keyboard like in Scaler. I'd like to not use Scaler at all actually.
-Perhaps a tab in the Chord Inspector.
-Ability to send progressions we create in the other tabs (Preview) to binding tab or direct binding in Preview tab?
-Ability to turn it on and off with a shortcut.
-Ability to set number of octaves that keys will play chords.
-Ability to use a phrase(s) for playback like in Preview.
-Ability to adjust timing, voicing, octave etc., then send to Master Track.

Hope this makes sense.

[lulukom]

I would also like to be able to quickly change scales corresponding to chords during loop playback and see all these scales. This is not done on the fly now.

[musicdevelopments]

Thank you!