BlueARP VST Arpeggiator development - let's discuss! (Apple M1 ready, 4K)

[audiojunkie]

Yep, according to my plans, I hope to release BlueARP for Linux in 2026. The 1st format to implement will be CLAP, I'm already trying to implement CLAP for Windows first. This requires lots of manual work, cause I use older version of IPlug (and highly modified). They already added CLAP support to the latest iPlug2, but I can't use it directly, I have to incorporate that code malually.
But that's all doable, I don't see any 'show-stopper' things, only that it will take some time

Awesome news!!!! Thank you!!!

[graywolf2004]

This is actually a good idea to check. There's a param 'input range mode' - truncate and pass thru. Pass thru will pass the notes to the output filter, but without suspending the arp. The idea is to add a new option like 'pass thru + suspend', which will also suspend the arp. I will check how it works musically

Sounds great, I’m excited!

FYI - actually it is already there in v2.8.5, I need few more days to prepare the release. There's new option in 'input range mode' which supresses the arp when out-of-range key arrives. Works will both live play and piano roll. I like it with live play - kinda you have the rolling bass and you can jump in with your 'live' notes over the top. Not sure I will have time to make a video on this feature, but hopefully.

[graywolf2004]

I love BlueARP and have used it for years, but it lacks one critical feature that I long for every time I use it: delay compensation.

The problem: Arps generated by BlueARP usually sound slightly late (not quite on the beat) because most sounds have a non-zero attack time. Sending note-on precisely on the beat therefore causes the notes to sound at peak amplitude around 50ms after the beat.

The fix: I wish BlueARP had a "delay compensation" setting that allowed users to enter a time t expressed in milliseconds. Whenever the host DAW requests a buffer that starts at time s, BlueARP would instead generate a buffer consistent with start time s+t. This will cause it to send each note t ms early.

This would help users make BlueARP's arps sound so much tighter and cleaner. Thank you for considering my suggestion!
--Kevin

BlueARP DM alreay has that, but there it works like the internal clock shift for all instances. Here I feel this need for the Guitar mode at least, sometimes on slow strums it should begin a bit before the beat, so the last string starts sounding roughly at the measure. But I'm still trinkinghow to make it consistent with the DM and without introducing a bunch of new problems. But anyway, I adde this to my ToDo list, will try to do it for the Guitar mode first.
PS. Yeah, milliseconds is logical, but there it will be quantized by the buffer size, this is the smallest time frame BlueARP can manage. So for example if it is 64 samples at 48000Hz, this smallest possible time unit is 64/48000 = 0,0013 or 1,3 ms. Pretty close to 1 ms though, but with 256 samples it will be around 5 ms.

[neverbeeninariot]

[...]
I wish BlueARP had a "delay compensation" setting that allowed users to enter a time t expressed in milliseconds. Whenever the host DAW requests a buffer that starts at time s, BlueARP would instead generate a buffer consistent with start time s+t. This will cause it to send each note t ms early.
[...]

As a workaround (or solution...); don't most DAW's allow you to offset a track in time against the rest of the project, either natively as a track parameter (e.g. like Reaper), or using a utility plugin (e.g. Bitwig's Time Adjustment) ?

[NWSM]

Yep, according to my plans, I hope to release BlueARP for Linux in 2026. The 1st format to implement will be CLAP, I'm already trying to implement CLAP for Windows first. This requires lots of manual work, cause I use older version of IPlug (and highly modified). They already added CLAP support to the latest iPlug2, but I can't use it directly, I have to incorporate that code malually.
But that's all doable, I don't see any 'show-stopper' things, only that it will take some time

Clap for Linux is mostly very easy to install and use in Linux. Good Format.
Basically its just drag and drop. I think Preset-Folder can be Preset into CLAP, isn't it?
If yes i would prefer the Home Folder (best option /.clap).

[hamlen]

I'm still trinkinghow to make it consistent with the DM and without introducing a bunch of new problems.

Thank you for looking into this! In case it helps, my current makeshift workaround wraps the BlueARP binary in some compiled C code that prefixes every process(pd) call with something like:

Code: Select all

ProcessContext *pc = pd.processContext;
int sample_offset = static_cast<int>(std::round(t * pc->sampleRate / 1000)); // t = desired time in ms
double qn_offset = t * pc->tempo / 60000;
pc->projectTimeSamples += sample_offset;
pc->continousTimeSamples += sample_offset;
pc->projectTimeMusic += qn_offset;
pc->samplesToNextClock -= sample_offset;

and then calls BlueARP's process() API with that modified processData. It's a crude hack but I can confirm that it has the desired effect. Rounding the target offset time t to the nearest sample works well. (My ear can't discern variances of less than about 12ms, which is well within the rounding error.)

most DAW's allow you to offset a track in time

I use BlueARP for live performance, so there's unfortunately no track to offset.

[Parduz]

Hello to the BlueARP devs and all the users here.
This thread is very long so sorry if what I'm about to ask was already asked/answered.

I have a feature request: send the arpeggiated notes on the same MIDI channel they're entering.
I mean: If the arpeggiator plays K1-K4-K3-K2-K5 and the 5 notes in input are on MIDI channels 1 to 5, K1 should be sent on ch.1, K5 on ch.5, and so on.
Also, adding the option to sort the input keys by MIDI Channel.

As example of a use case, by using BlueARP on one of the RealLabs Guitars VSTs, this will allow to pick what string should play the note (those VSTs have an option to have each MIDI channel 1 to 6 assigned to string 1 to 6).

I don't know how hard it could be to implement this feature (like a new mode on the MIDI mode menu in the Setting page) but MAYBE it could not be so hard...

Thanks for this wonderful VST.

[graywolf2004]

Hello to the BlueARP devs and all the users here.
This thread is very long so sorry if what I'm about to ask was already asked/answered.

I have a feature request: send the arpeggiated notes on the same MIDI channel they're entering.
I mean: If the arpeggiator plays K1-K4-K3-K2-K5 and the 5 notes in input are on MIDI channels 1 to 5, K1 should be sent on ch.1, K5 on ch.5, and so on.
Also, adding the option to sort the input keys by MIDI Channel.
...

The thing you describe looks pretty much like MPE (midi polyphonic expression). I have this in my plans, but somewhere not in the nearest future, I want to do some things first like bring BlueARP to Linux and polish a few other things. But yeah, I had some thoughts along these lines already, especially guitar mode needs this MPE for better articulation. Like on the real guitar you can pitch-bend individual strings, while on a single MIDI channel pitch bend message affects all the playing notes. MPE solves that by splitting individual notes across midi channels. So it is in my To-do, but not at the top right now.

[graywolf2004]

BlueARP v2.8.5 update
https://omg-instruments.com/wp/?page_id=46

Change log:
1. Updated and reworked factory bank for the Guitar mode
2. Reworked and fixed velocity dynamics algorithms for the Guitar mode (i.e. proper velo spread for subsets of strings which were missed before). Your saved patches may sound a bit different, but not much (it only applies to the Guitar mode)
3. BugFix: if you close the plugin window without exiting the program name text edit box, name will be corrupted
4. BugFix: swapping steps (by clicking LEDs on the lane) didn't work for steps above 16 (on pages 2,3,4)
5. When order algo = pitch, descending or as played, descending and both polyphonic KEY SELECT and polyphonic OCTAVE are on, the algorithm takes the lowest note, not simply k1 as before
6. BugFix. When order = chord, normalized, it should take all the keys from a chord, not just the ones pressed. For example, if you press G-A-C (Am7 inverted), the normalized chord will give a sequence A-C-E-G
7. BugFix. When order = chord, normalized, low root, the chord shouldn't go lower, only the root key should go below
any of the pressed keys
8. BugFix for the Guitar mode: before the ChuckUp or ChuckDown steps all sounding strings should be muted.

This one is mostly about the Guitar mode and a few minor other tweaks. The main thing is the updated factory bank for the guitar mode and fine-tuned algorithms for better and more consistent behavior across various combinations of settings (like velocity spread actually didn't work when a 6-3 or 6-4 subsets of strings were selected which was quite necessary for low strumming patterns). There's a YT demo of this new bank I will upload shortly.
All the other things are work in progress, like this time offset feature.
There's algo a new input range mode = 'pass thru + mute arp' which I forgot to add to the change log and it allows to have an arp running and while out-of-the-range key arrives, it mutes the arp and plays that key.

[rasmusklump]

Thank you very much for your ongoing work on this great arp.

[graywolf2004]

So this is the video demo, updated factory bank for the Guitar mode (this one is pretty long, so use timecodes, also in the comment there are timecodes to the covers/musical demo parts)

PS. My bad, in a rush I forgot to actually update the bank for v2.8.5, so there's a quick fix v2.8.5b on my website:
https://omg-instruments.com/wp/?page_id=46
(make sure to take this one, otherwise you'll see the old guitar factory bank)

[aquilyzer]

FYI - actually it is already there in v2.8.5, I need few more days to prepare the release. There's new option in 'input range mode' which supresses the arp when out-of-range key arrives. Works will both live play and piano roll. I like it with live play - kinda you have the rolling bass and you can jump in with your 'live' notes over the top. Not sure I will have time to make a video on this feature, but hopefully.

That's awesome, thanks so much! The only thing missing now is another "Restart" option. Basically, when the arp engine is allowed to play again, so when it comes out of a muted state, it should be possible start the arp pattern from the beginning. That way, if you have these mute notes forming your melody on top of the arp, the arp will always play consistently again, like always ascending for example. I hope that makes sense

I think I’ll make a short little video about this new BlueArp feature in the next few days. I find it super powerful for this kind of melodies.

[Parduz]

The thing you describe looks pretty much like MPE (midi polyphonic expression)....

Uh! I know nothing about MPE, and my english is bad, so maybe I need to be more clear:
in FL Studio (dunno about other DAWs) you can assign the notes in the Bluearp track to diffent MIDI channels: all I was suggesting is to output the arpeggio notes on the same channel they were in input.

OR

as my english is bad, i was clear enough but i've not fully understood your reply

[graywolf2004]

...
That's awesome, thanks so much! The only thing missing now is another "Restart" option. Basically, when the arp engine is allowed to play again, so when it comes out of a muted state, it should be possible start the arp pattern from the beginning. That way, if you have these mute notes forming your melody on top of the arp, the arp will always play consistently again, like always ascending for example. I hope that makes sense
...

Yep, it makes sense. Actually you just gave me the idea is to link this to 'restart on' param. When it is set to 'key', may be logical to restart the arp as you say, not just from the left key in the 'arp' range. I will test it musically and if it works, I will add it, I think it makes sonic sense.

[graywolf2004]

Sorry, I actually forgot to update the bank inside the plugin, sorry for the confusion. I will update it to v2.8.5b in a few hours, while I'm struggling on Mac. Now you can just download the bank and open it from MENU -> Bank -> Open, just make sure you switched to the guitar mode first
https://omg-instruments.com/bluearp_plu ... Guitar.fxb
Plus the quick fix v2.8.5b is already here:
https://omg-instruments.com/wp/?page_id=46