musicdevelopments wrote: Thu Oct 30, 2025 4:17 pm BluGenes is right, this is not that easy. To train such a network you need MANY files,
Thanks,
Attila
I appreciate the feedback Attila. If the neural‑network route isn’t viable, how about this as an alternative — it’s already almost possible with the current generators.
Proposal: add a new generator called the Shape Generator. You would import your MIDI library into it, and each time you hit Generate the Shape Generator would:
pick a MIDI file from your supplied catalogue,
apply a rhythm from your imported rhythm patterns,
apply a “shape” (melodic/riff contour) from your supplied shapes.
Think of it like the Idea tool where you drag your favorite melodies, shapes, and rhythms into a channel — except everything would happen inside this single generator. The notes would be absolute, so the generator could change rhythm and shape reliably without the current problems that appear when working with custom MIDI.
You can already approximate this workflow with multiple variation tools, but it’s time‑consuming and results aren’t perfect. The Shape Generator would be the closest thing to training a personal model without heavy GPU work: it’s basically a user‑supplied dataset built into a generator. Each generator could be saved and tied to the MIDI you provided, so different generators would reflect different styles (for example, a “funk generator” would use funk rhythms, funk shapes, and funk melodies).
Right now, with the chord/melody generator the only real control is rhythm — applying a shape requires extra variation steps and chord changes. That makes creating a melody like the one in the screenshot difficult. If your favorite shapes and rhythms were already inside the Shape Generator, you’d get outputs you like instantly, but with new rhythmic and shape variations applied. It would always feel fresh yet stay close to your taste because it only works with what you give it.
This seems like a great workaround and should be relatively straightforward to implement, since the Idea tool and the variations already contain the needed components. It would be more practical, faster, and creatively inspiring — essentially a built‑in, user‑supplied library of favorite shapes, riffs, and melodies drawn from your custom MIDI files. For anyone asking for custom datasets, this would be an excellent alternative.
