RapidComposer v4 beta feedback and discussion (locked)

[sj1]

I would like to load the matching chords from the composition Master Track into the MM along with the notes of the selected phrase(s).

[BluGenes]

Q. When we shift-double-click on a phrase to load it into the MIDI Mutator (MM), what determines the MM chords that will pertain while we are in the MM?

it is based on whether the notes are polyphonic or not. A polyphonic phrase is, if you use a spread sheet analogy is, any column that has more than one note in that column. So, mono phonic is no other notes above or below in that column.

You can test this by comparing the edit with a melody, for example, then doing the same but replacing it with a chord generator.

[sj1]

it is based on whether the notes are polyphonic or not.

OK, thanks!

I now see that if the notes are polyphonic then they are interpreted as MM chords.

Where do the MM chords come from when the notes are monophonic?

[sj1]

Oh, I found something -

RC - MM Play Comp with Edited Notes 01.jpg

Now I'm getting somewhere wrt. most useful auditioning in MM ...

FWIW, I think letting the user easily (i.e. not way over under the Settings tab) make a sticky choice between those two options (and with matching action when using the spacebar) would be great!

(Ala how we can currently make a sticky choice of which track to send the MM notes themselves to.)

RC - MM Playback Instrument Sticky Options 01.jpg

[sj1]

I suggest updating the MM section of the manual to mention this.

I don't think it currently does anywhere, but in any case, searching on "play composition" gave no hits, while searching on "edited notes" did have a few hits, but none of them turned up this capability.

Perhaps a brief explanation in the Workflow paragraph, also incorporating the hint text. Or perhaps a new "Auditioning" paragraph right after.

[sj1]

I am noticing that after I have hand-edited the chords in MM, regenerating 'Rhythm' using the dice will alter my chords.

I would think that chords would change only if I regenerated 'Chords'.

Here is a video: https://www.screencast.com/t/1s83qKJch

[BluGenes]

it is based on whether the notes are polyphonic or not.

OK, thanks!

I now see that if the notes are polyphonic then they are interpreted as MM chords.

Where do the MM chords come from when the notes are monophonic?

the best determined scale it can find.. I don't know what algorithm he uses, but, usually, you would look for what the frequency/relationship is between the notes, etc..

There are probably other factors there too..

To be honest here, I don't really use mutator, if at all. I have no reason to use it.

[musicdevelopments]

Hi.

I'm trying to regenerate the rhythm of a phrase using the Melody Generator, but I am not seeing any change in the rhythm, only in the shape.

You did not show me the settings under the "Rhythm" tab
E.g. if you have "Manual editing", the rhythm won't change because that is not a generator.

Thanks,
Attila

[lovemusic15]

Hi.

There are so many things with Mutator that don't work in the right way, hence why half of my suggestions to do with RC are to make up for the floors in MM . I feel your frustration sj1.

Could you please incorporate my previous two suggestions of adding the option of having rests after each notes to the variation and rhythm processing tab and the second suggestion that inside each generator a option of being able to generate melodies that are locked to certain notes in a scale.
(example generate melodies or bassline that only use these selected notes D Eb F G)

Not asking for anything brand new just for you to update features that already exist RC.

[sj1]

Hi lovemusic15.

Strangely, your post right above is formatted in a way (that I have not previously seen) that gives the impression I wrote it, though I did not.

FWIW, I wouldn't call myself frustrated. The latest additions are huge in my book - RC is evolving wonderfully.

I'm still very much learning when it comes to getting the most out of RC. Though time has been passing, I still consider myself a beginner at it.

I do, however, have beliefs or biases that:

a) workflow is (almost) everything,
b) interoperability is most of the rest
c) the beginner's POV can be revealing about where large (or small) gains in simplicity, clarity, consistency, and efficiency are available to be had
d) a beginner eventually loses their beginner's POV after/if they have fully or mostly adapted to "the way it is" (no matter how obscure or convoluted).

Perhaps I over-share my thoughts and wishes (whenever a post receives no reply, I wonder if that is the perception), and if so I apologize, but I do have the highest of hopes for where RC will ultimately arrive. IMO, there is a truly amazing place not all that much further along (if we get there!), where RC becomes my central tool around which all the other tools revolve.

[lovemusic15]

Hi Sj1

When I use the word frustrated I don't mean you're saying you're frustrated I mean it from the perspective of I understand your confusion with parts of RC. I've used RC for many years and I still struggle with some of the features and why they don't work in the way you would expect.

I work in media management so my job is to work with content creators and producers, so when I make suggestions about features being updated, that's purely based on my experience that I've found when using RC and feedback that I've got back from other producers.

Attila is one of the smartest developers I've come across so I have all faith in him coming up with the perfect solution to keep RC relevant in this era of AI technology. if like me you have a passion for music then I have made a little video linking some of the new advanced features that are coming out with AI technology.
Feel free to check it out.

[sj1]

Thanks for all your comments, and the very interesting video look into current musical AI.

No doubt that things are changing extremely fast on this front!

In RC-type terms, I could see genre-oriented "intelligence" being applied to chord progression generation. This could be a direct-to-chord-progression sort of thing, or it could be a genre-to-chord-rule-set sort of thing. I think the question here becomes "Where does the genre information come from?". Should Attila himself pursue the mastery and cataloging of genre-oriented rule info to build such into RC, or should he build RC in a way that the users can select and catalog genre-oriented rules on their own?

Offhand, I tend to think the latter makes more sense. The issue then becomes (in current RC terms) how can the user ingest chord progression info efficiently prior to converting it into chord rules sets. For this I advocate for MusicXML file import into the Master Track. From there, we already have what we need to build custom specific or hybrid CRSs (very cool!).

The other primary high-level compositional need IMO is for structure generation. In RC-terms, this would be a meta-level generator of Lines and Parts. I'd love it if the user could supply a tempo range and a running-length range and then have RC "dice" create structures automatically. I would like to see these displayed in a high-level visual allowing the whole structure to be seen and then accepted (or dismissed) by the user for instantiation into the timeline.

Workflow would then be:

0. setup up VSTs, tracks, etc. for desired instruments
1. choose approximate length and tempo of the piece
2. generate candidate structures and choose one
3. generate chord progressions into the structure until satisfied
4. everything else, combining generation and manual additions at any desired granularity

Then, an even higher meta-level would be to have RC do 1-4 by itself all with a single roll of the dice.

IMO, working toward this (or some similar) high-level vision is what will keep RC relevant and important going forward into the age of AI.

Once there is a "completed efficient pipeline" for compositional workflow, then any amount or form of AI assistance can be grafted in at any level to keep the product moving into the future with panache!

[thebutler]

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[lovemusic15]

Sj1 You have some really great suggestions there and i definitely support what you're saying. I think the idea in regards to genres and rules could work from a set of midi file that the user would input and then Rc would analyse that information and then generate chords and patterns based off those parameters.

So for example if I wanted to make a song like Nirvana I would put in all of my favourite Nirvana midi files and chord progressions and then RC would make me brand new songs based off of what I've imported.

You would also get the option to take a MIDI file from one genre and have Rc adapt the syncopation to make it fit into another genre. similar to what you can do with a sample speed it up or slow it down.

[lulukom]

+1