Reviewed By fatalstrategies [all]
August 6th, 2022
Version reviewed: 1.12 on Windows
For enthusiasts of musical indeterminacy and experimental composition, this little-known free (!) MIDI-only plug-in is a dream come true, and dangerously habit forming. It employs a rules-based method based on visual input from the user, arranging interactive elements in puzzle-like grid, optionally tweaking their behavior in a more detailed "advanced view." There is no limit to how many instances you run (at least in Reaper, sorry to the other reviewer..) therefore you can place it on several tracks and effectively "plant a garden," the result is continuous, non-repeating generative music which unfolds "the same but different" every time you click play (the MIDI output can be captured to the file any time.).
Its most obvious usage is for chords and melodic material, but I have also used it to: compose shifting polyrhythmic drum patterns, randomly trigger samples, even using the note output to generate CC automation patterns (or any patterns... for anything..) which are at once consistent and ever evolving.
Approach it with a little patience and a lot of curiosity, you will be rewarded with that proverbial child-like thrill of discovery you perhaps forgot you were even capable of; the process becomes equally rewarding to the product. This thing would make John Cage and Brian Eno proud.
Read Review
yes it's fun. but for me it's crashing the s**t out of studio one...
can't complain for a freebie though..
Actually, same here with Live, but in Reaper everything is ok.
Please try version 1.02.
Just curious- was this inspired by ToneCarver's Nova3 (which was itself inspired by Otomata)?
I've been enjoying Nova3 for a while now, and it was the first thing I thought of when I saw the pic of Transition.
Super fun! Works good in Tracktion Waveform 9. One glitch, with a synth - VacuumPro cutting out after a lot of play, resolved by deleting the plug and re-inserting it, leading me back to more fun.
Update: Inserting 2 or more instances into Waveform brings about crashes fairly quickly. Sure is fun before it bails! Hope this can be stabilized going forward.
Are you using version 1.02? Just tested with 5 instances of Transition and 5 synths in Reaper, letting it run for 90 minutes, while recording the output. No crashes.
Thanks for the heads up regarding v 1.02. I just downloaded and installed it yesterday, which was reporting as v 1.00 in the Waveform plugin browser under the Description Tag column. I Re-downloaded and installed today and Waveform still reports it as v 1.00, yet the plugs About shows it as v 1.02.
It's still crashing when I use more than one instance. : (.
Thanks for the heads up regarding v 1.02. I just downloaded and installed it yesterday, which was reporting as v 1.00 in the Waveform plugin browser under the Description Tag column. I Re-downloaded and installed today and Waveform still reports it as v 1.00, yet the plugs About shows it as v 1.02.
It's still crashing when I use more than one instance. : (.
Update: Coming back into the edit after a crash, I started over with one instance, made a VacuumPro synth patch change as the edit was playing, then added another track / instance and it stayed functional. Repeated this pattern and have 5 tracks running great for over 10 minutes. Makes me wonder about VacuumPro interaction, in that as I first reported it cut out after a bit and needed to be reloaded.
This is a ridiculously fun plug, thank you!!.
Please log in to join the discussion
Submit: News, Plugins, Hosts & Apps | Advertise @ KVR | Developer Account | About KVR / Contact Us | Privacy Statement
© KVR Audio, Inc. 2000-2024
