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

[shiningstarswwsj]

The mock-up screenshot looks amazing BTW. I don't know how you did it but I'll attempt to recreate it in RapidComposer.

Hi Attila, I really appreciate your kind words about the mock-up! I’m really glad you liked it. I just wanted to visualize how things could look using Canva. I can’t wait to see your take on it inside RapidComposer.

I have good news. Today I added several things: muting variations in all tracks, copying variations to all other tracks, muting MIDI CCs in all tracks and copying MIDI CCs to all other tracks

Wow, that’s awesome, Attila. Thank you so much for the quick update!
The new features for muting and copying variations/MIDI CCs across tracks are super handy and it is definitely streamlining my workflow.

This was quick to implement, your other requests will require more time.

No rush on the other requests, I totally get that they’ll take more time. You’re doing incredible work, and it’s amazing to see RC evolve so quickly!

I also had a few more ideas that came up while using RC:

1.Merge/Unmerge Tracks for Ensemble Versions:
It would be great to have the ability to merge all tracks into a single ensemble track and then split them back into individual instruments. This could make switching between full-orchestra and section-based editing a lot smoother.

Merge Idea.png

2.Keyboard Shortcut for “Split Selected Phrases”:
A shortcut key for the “Split selected phrases at the click position” option would really help speed up editing as this is something I find myself using a lot.

Keyboard Shortcut.png

3.Scale Selection in the Variations Tab:
Adding a quick way to choose or change scales directly in the Variations tab (like in my attached mock-up) would make it much easier to experiment with harmonic ideas and test how different scales affect phrasing especially in bar-by-bar composition.

Scale in Variations tab.png

Thanks again, Attila, for all your hard work and dedication. Every update makes RC feel more like the ultimate creative companion. You're AMAZING!!!

[musicdevelopments]

I'm curious about the reworking of the UI engine. Is the existing implementation somehow roadblocking the future plans for RC?

Yes, the existing UI engine is full of workarounds and ugly hacks, especially on macOS. I hate it. Especially the plug-in UIs are full of problems, e.g. resizing the window. This new one is simpler and works better, opening possibilities for smoother screen updates, hardware accelerated rendering and shaders. It already works (95%) on Windows and now I am moving it to macOS. I'd like to implement focusing (and auto focusing) on tracks and phrases that you work with, and that requires smooth animation.

Thanks,
Attila

[musicdevelopments]

1.Merge/Unmerge Tracks for Ensemble Versions:
It would be great to have the ability to merge all tracks into a single ensemble track and then split them back into individual instruments. This could make switching between full-orchestra and section-based editing a lot smoother.

Hi shiningstarswwsj!

Thank you for your suggestions! Have you tried the "Composite track" feature which is not a well-known feature and is available from the track menu? It lets you show and edit multiple tracks in a single piano roll:



Tracks can be hidden or their notes may be locked to prevent editing.

2.Keyboard Shortcut for “Split Selected Phrases”:
A shortcut key for the “Split selected phrases at the click position” option would really help speed up editing as this is something I find myself using a lot.

If you search for "split" under Settings / Keyboard Shortcuts, you can find a few shortcuts:



Thanks,
Attila

[shiningstarswwsj]

Have you tried the "Composite track" feature which is not a well-known feature and is available from the track menu? It lets you show and edit multiple tracks in a single piano roll:

Hey Attila!
I really appreciate the suggestions! I tried the Composite Track feature as you suggested. It’s really is an underrated feature, being able to view and edit multiple tracks in one piano roll is extremely useful for ensemble-style work.

However, I did run into a few limitations that made it feel a bit restrictive compared to a true merged/ensemble workflow:

Composite Track.png

1.When selecting or editing multiple phrases, it’s easy to lose track of which notes belong to which instrument, especially when working with layered orchestral parts.
2.It would be amazing if the composite track allowed unified actions such as merging, splitting, transposing, or regenerating all visible tracks simultaneously while retaining individual track variations etc. Almost as if they were one “ensemble track.” as the tracks visually overlap quite a bit, making it a bit hard to see individual layers and there are no options when right clicking or left clicking.

So, while the feature is close to what I was hoping for, it’s not quite as flexible for multi-track compositional editing yet. It’s very close to the “merge all tracks into one” workflow I had in mind, But I feel it just needs a bit more control for multi-track phrase editing. Something like note forwarding, but to an ensemble track or tracks.
Still, I really appreciate you pointing me toward it. I hadn’t explored it deeply before!

If you search for "split" under Settings / Keyboard Shortcuts, you can find a few shortcuts:

Thank you so much for showing me the keyboard shortcuts.

I also had another small suggestion, while working with pitch bend and CC data. It would be really useful to have an option like “Save as/with Pitch Bend/CC Data into the CC Browser” similar to how phrases or rhythms can be saved, also with the ability to save them with in the phrases themselves.

Save Pitch Bend Data.png

I feel this would be a amazing feature as it opens up New possibilities for phrases. The ability to drag and drop CC data from the CC browser would be a game changing feature, while keeping in mind bar structures.

Save As Pitch Bend_CC Data Idea.png

Thanks again, Attila! for always listening and for the constant improvements you’re making. RapidComposer just keeps getting more and more powerful!

[shiningstarswwsj]

Hi Attila,

I had another small idea while organising progressions. It would be super handy to have an “Add chords to Progression Rules progressions” option right under the “Copy progressions to group.”

CHORDS IDEA.png

Basically, it will let me send the selected chords straight into the Progression Rules list without having to re-enter them manually via the Master track. It would make experimenting with new chord sets way faster!

Thank you Attila!

[Brian Collins]

This idea is triggered by Realtime's first tutorial video on keyboard shortcuts.

I use a Stream Deck and would like to use that to control RC - or at least for a lot of its features. Now I could set up many keyboard shortcuts in RC and then bind many of those to the Stream Deck buttons. And that would be a two-stage process and requires coming up with a unique key combination for each command I would want to use.

Instead, could RC contain a (very simple) HTTP server for a REST API, which would allow each named entry in the "Keyboard Shortcuts" list to be invoked by name. E.g. The Stream Deck button would send URL http://localhost:NNNN/key/Cut+track and RC would do the "Cut track" action as though triggered by a keystroke. So then I could access absolutely every keystroke-mappable command (current and future) by name without a keyboard shortcut. The Keyboard Shortcuts settings would act as documentation.

I guess the port number NNNN would either be fixed or else have its own Miscellaneous setting. And in future there may be more options beyond "/key/", maybe with parameterisation. But for now "/key/" is a very good start.

[shiningstarswsj]

Hey Attila,

I have a couple of small requests!

Can these features can be implemented....
1. “Limit Note Range” is missing in the phrase variations tab
In Track variations, the right-click menu includes a Limit Note Range, but in phrase variations this option isn’t there. It would be great if both menus had identical tools so we don’t need to switch views just for that and it would help in editing certain phrases in the timeline and only on certain bars within the composition.

Limit Note Range in Track Variations.png

Not available in Phrase Variations.png

2. Adding an “Expand Phrase” (time-stretch / slow down) option
Right now there’s Double Phrase in the variations tab, that doubles time in the phrases selected. What I’m wishing for is more like a Expand Phrase, where the phrase is stretched in time (slowed down). Basically a non-destructive time-stretch for phrases. I know it can be done manually by stretching the phrases. But I think it would be useful to have it in the Variations tab as an option.

Thank you so much for all your hard work and efforts, Attila!

[lulukom]

+1

[sj1]

Hi,

This request relates to making the scenario of importing a multi-channel (on single track) MIDI file much easier and more accurate to do.

Consider the starting point to be 6 tracks defined in RC, on channels 1-6, matched up with a multi-timbral instrument which is loaded with a combi that has great sounds setup to play each track.

Snag_d9973f.png

Now, there exists a MIDI file that has the data for the instruments, on the same 6 channels, and on a single track.

I go to import it, and the dialog looks like this:

Snag_db1fa4.png

Notice the order of the channels - they are not presented in numerical order. Where did the order come from? Wherever it came from, I'm not sure there is any reason for this not to be sorted into channel order - because, the first simplest way for this import to function would be from right here to dump each incoming channel's data into the corresponding track in RC. 1-6 -> 1-6. Done!

That would be great - the user could "Accept this now" and RC would do the rest, delivering the data into the correct tracks. That may be over-simplifying, so let's go to the next level and look at that.

Here is what is presented now for a Merge (the other choices do not operate as needed for this scenario):

Snag_e1eece.png

First off, the Merge is always set to take place at the end of the current composition. This is desirable if you really have a composition in the middle of progress, but for a new composition (based on this import you are about to complete) you probably want the incoming data to start at the beginning of the file.

So, one specific request is for 'The imported MIDI file will be inserted at: " USER_ENTERED_LOCATION.

The next point is that we have 6 tracks here that have to be individually set by the user to land in the right place. Given that the tracks in the composition have been laid out to a local standard (template), and the channels in the incoming MIDI are readable and could be matched to that standard, it would be a helpful boost to productivity if there were a "just do it" option available here, the result of which would be that channels 1-6 in the incoming are poured into the 6 tracks configured in the RC composition as channels 1-6. One touch, done!

Some of these ideas may need refinement and good nomenclature, but I hope I have described clearly the goal of extremely quick importation of MIDI files with a known channel structure into an RC composition where the tracks have been pre-set to match that channel structure.

Thanks for reading!

[musicdevelopments]

Thanks for the lots of suggestions!

I just wanted to show you the reworked variations menu, suggested earlier in this topic:

[shiningstarswwsj]

Hey Attila!

Wow this looks absolutely amazing!!! Thank you so much for the sneak peek! I really appreciate you taking the time to rework this, it’s a huge improvement.

Also, thanks a lot for including Limit Note Range. That’s really awesome of you. The menu is shaping up beautifully.

Also, I'm sorry for all the suggestions I just keep getting ideas while using the program, I hope that’s okay! I honestly feel like your work is a bit underappreciated sometimes. It’s truly amazing how open, responsive, and thoughtful you are as a developer.

Your software is incredibly inspiring. Happy holidays, and thanks again for everything!

[thebutler]

I just wanted to show you the reworked variations menu

Nice.! Good work; good suggestion from 'shiningstarswwsj'...

[thebutler]

Is it possible to add another entry to this dropdown for 'Bar.Beats.16ths' only please.?

RC_Time Display_2.jpg

Also is it possible when using both Bar Position + Timecode displays to keep the top, primary in 'large' format (like above picture), instead of reducing both to the same point size (below pic).? Visually, this would make it much better to read the 'main' display, by just a quick glance...

RC_Time Display.jpg

PS:- Also I'm sorry, but I have to say, this whole area seems to just visually merge into one similar 'blob' of information, with little to separate/distinguish each from another - especially when choosing to display both primary and secondary options here... Something to think about - or see if others/newcomers are that bothered by this like me...

[Mykyndryd_]

* Wasn't sure if this topic superceded Feature Requests so I've put in both.
Hope this is ok.

Hi Attila.
Is this Possible?

When using the neural network to create / continue a song, can there be a dropdown: "Absolute", "Chord Relative", "Scale Relative" that automatically adds the pipeline for right clicking the phrase after creation and converting to relative forms (If not set to Absolute). Absolute being the default unless a global preference can be set by the user.

This would be particularly useful where the user has already created a chord sequence / chosen a scale.

[edit] The assumption being that if either of the non absolute options are chosen, then the existing chord progression is preserved and the chord / scale relative conversion is transacted, defauting to: chord-nearest chord notes, scale-nearest scale notes, else, does what it does now.

There is huge potential in the neural function! I am experimenting with it and getting good results.

Regards.
Mike.

[musicdevelopments]

Hey Attila!

Wow this looks absolutely amazing!!! Thank you so much for the sneak peek! I really appreciate you taking the time to rework this, it’s a huge improvement.

Hi shiningstarswwsj,

thanks for your kind message!

I believe users should be able to shape the software they use, and I am the happiest when they actually do. I have always listened to suggestions and feature requests, and implemented most of them. I am grateful for good ideas, so keep them coming

Happy holidays!
Attila