Sequencer thoughts... for Zebra 3 perhaps?

[TomTwohy]

After working with Zebra 2's sequencer a bit, something became apparent...

It would be lovely if the sequencer and even the arpeggiator were able to send the notes they spew forth to the DAW so the intricate patterns can thus be recorded (for posterity) and used by other programs... like Diva, or lil' Zebralette.

Changing the sound is perhaps embarassing, but I (for one) often just don't know how things are going to wind up in my crummy tunes.

As other contributors have indicated, even patch changes with in a sequence would be useful.

I've never been a fan of on board sequencers, the power of your sequenced, multi-stage filters is worth it, but compositional flexibly is generally ideal wherever possible in electronic music.

Or so I've heard

[Urs]

Working on it.

- Urs

[abstractcats]

This sounds good! Would it be able to trigger other synths, via midi? Kinda like, an ARP(something like, HG Sounds' ARP Or Kirnu) style plugin? That you be very cool!
This may be what TomTwohy, it saying. Sorry if I've been redundant/thick

[pdxindy]

Working on it.

- Urs

The todo list is longer by the day

[Urs]

The plan is to have drag'n'drop support for a MIDI file from sequencer to DAW. The sequencer can record the arpeggiator.

We have yet to figure it all out, but this is the abstract plan

[mellotronaut]

The plan is to have drag'n'drop support for a MIDI file from sequencer to DAW. The sequencer can record the arpeggiator.

We have yet to figure it all out, but this is the abstract plan

[iamyourfather]

The plan is to have drag'n'drop support for a MIDI file from sequencer to DAW. The sequencer can record the arpeggiator.

We have yet to figure it all out, but this is the abstract plan

I'd like this very much.

[Bathrobe]

when i don't have the cirklon with me on my travels i use thesys for composing and playing.
its' drag and drop into the daw works pretty neat too. you can choose how many bars you want to drag'n drop.

[irond13]

Apologies for resurrecting this thread, but you may also want to take a look at the technique Steve Duda uses in Cthulhu, which actually sends out generated MIDI notes on the fly, which can be routed into other synths. The demo video shows this being done in Ableton Live.

Demo video at http://www.xferrecords.com/products/cthulhu

[TomTwohy]

Yeah, well... I found a totally FREE VST PLUGIN that I can use on ALL my synths called "Kirnu 1.2.1"



It works very well for arpeggiation, sequences and has just enough features (such as export if notes through feeding MIDI inputs to channels) to keep me interested and none of the pre-made chord jive that Steve Duda crammed in to make life easier for Joel.

Come up with a seq passage, play them in my keyboard in my sequencer... try a few sounds... and when I'm satisfied, turn 'em all into nice clean fully sequenced clips.

I do think a SEPARATE SEQUENCER/ARPEGGIATOR is slightly more useful than a built-in sequencer/arpeggiator... the sequences become transportable and thus more options are available.

Steve Duda has LOTS of Deadmau5 support... why not try Kirnu? It's quite useful.

http://www.kirnuarp.com/kirnu1/index.html

Oh and the company has a more complete version (chords, 4 zones, etc.) for only 25 euros ($36)

http://www.kirnuarp.com/

P.S. No AU plug-in, so Logic guys are outta luck.

[pdxindy]

The regular Kirnu is missing some valuable functionality that the Zebra arp has... the Zebra arp is polyphonic and you can tie notes with portamento and you have some per step control of note order.

I recently bought Kirnu Cream which is well worth the cost over the free version... if you want to have an external arp. Cream has the pattern sequencer which is very useful and easy to work with. Lots of times it is easier to sequence 2 or 3 short patterns rather than construct a longer one. Cream has 32 steps rather than the 16. It also offers some per step control of note order like the Zebra arp. Cream also allows you to set the different lanes like length, gate, shift etc to different lengths.

You can also layer up to 4 arps on top of each other with each of them having its own settings so you can do some complex polyrhythms. I consider Cream a no-brainer for the price.

That said, you could not do this with Cream... This is the Zebra arp on a pluck sound. You can hear how some of the notes bend, but it is polyphonic... only that note bends, not the other notes sounding. So you could not do this with pitchbend either cause that bends every sounding note. This is a particularly lovely feature of the Zebra arp.

http://draigathar.org/sounds/Pluckde2.mp3

[TomTwohy]

Well, I wasn't DISSING the built-in unit... just Steve Duda's pricey handy-work.

OF COURSE built-in is better for detailed interactions and internal sound work. The possibilities are considerable when one can use timed LFOs, MSEGs, filters and whatnot to (as test pilots say) "push the envelope"... still, what you pointed out is a relatively obscure use... most sequencer use has far more mundane musical needs.

The fact you can only use the one internal sound you've set up can be very frustrating when you have a sequence, have not set anything in stone, and want to hear the same pattern with other sounds... or indeed other synths.

I wouldn't mind an U-he solution than allowed for this kind of flexibility... but I'm glad i've got a place holder until U-he creates a more flexible option. Moreover, if both options are available (internal and external) that's even better.

Lastly, the whole point of this post was I couldn't get the sequence OUT of Zebra and use it anywhere else, I could not generate sheet music, couldn't save my sequence with the composition I was working on.


Happily, we have solutions and U-he is hard at work making more cool stuff.

[pdxindy]

Well, I wasn't DISSING the built-in unit...

Oh, I know... I was passing on information for people interested in arps... I really like Cream and it can do a lot of things that the built-in arp cannot and as you say, can be used with the same pattern on any synth.

I also like Cthulhu too... It is good for chords. I am gonna get that one too. It is very handy for quickly recording specific chords by playing them and then being able to play them back each with 1 key... I've been enjoying the demo...

[TomTwohy]

If you can make use of it, thats great!

Respectfully I must avoid further "product creep" into my rather corse methodology.

Worst of all... Live 9 has landed in my life... plus dealings with incorporating a new Maschine mikro Mk2 into Ableton and all (turns out one can drag and drop patterns directly). My brain need time to assimilate the newness.

Using this simple, dismissible little freebee to make bass lines and riffs is almost... healing.

[pdxindy]

If you can make use of it, thats great!

Respectfully I must avoid further "product creep" into my rather corse methodology.

Worst of all... Live 9 has landed in my life... plus dealings with incorporating a new Maschine mikro Mk2 into Ableton and all (turns out one can drag and drop patterns directly). My brain need time to assimilate the newness.

Using this simple, dismissible little freebee to make bass lines and riffs is almost... healing.

I am just getting Live 9 and I think I will purchase Push as well... Other than my keyboard controller, I don't have any other midi device. Good luck with your new toys!