I created an arpeggiator component for the Modular synth today. This was just a test of the random sequence mode, let loose on a pentatonic scale in Caustic, with a little bit of kick and bassline in the background. I found it quite relaxing so I thought I'd share. It's not really music so much as the code doing all the work.
The modular setup is a simple oscillator set to almost sine (little bit of triangle), with the NoteCV fed from the ARP, running through a lag processor. The modular's output goes through a mono-to-stereo chorus insert effect.
Hmm, and it appears the waveform is a big slug 
I like it and can see me using it a lot!
I'm thinking more like a hairy caterpillar... :o)
If you took the decay down a bit, and made it a bit more tight sine, you would be hitting Aphex Twin tracker days here Rej!
Love it! Selected Ambient works.
Mike
Nice tool to add some randomness. Will the scale be selectable?
very cool Rej!
"SLUG; the Random ARP"
this should be uploaded to the Caustic group in Sound Cloud!
Also really like the beaker in your logo
Random? There was some guys in the early 90’s (I think) who used to make ‘music’ with random generators and mathematical algorithms. Some kind of computer generated new age jazz, well that was awful in IMHO (most of the time anyway). But this sounds good, could be fun to play around with.
BUT! If its random it will play different in every take, right? Would it be possible to somehow lock it when it sounds good, or maybe export the result to a pattern?
It's very listenable, and I'm looking forward to playing with the modular one day.
Not sure it's Aphex Twin - perhaps a bit SAW1 - but definitely in the vein of the Warp Artificial Intelligence series. Very B12. And also very enjoyable to listen too!
Just found Caustic 2 and it's great on a Galaxy Note 2 with the S-Pen. No accidentally hitting anything with my fat fingers! Now I've found the PC version I'm not sure I'll be firing up Reason anywhere near as much as I used to!. Top app.
The scale will be whatever notes you sequence in. The ARP just takes whatever notes are playing and feeds them through one at a time, depending on the sequence selected. The range is currently 0 to 3 octaves
So far for sequence patterns I've got: (say for an input of 3 notes A,B and C)
Rising: A,B,C,A,B,C...
Falling: C,B,A,C,B,A...
Rise-Fall: A,B,C,B,A...
Fall-Rise: C,B,A,B,C...
Rise-Hold-Fall: A,B,C,C,B,A,A...
Fall-Hold-Rise: C,B,A,A,B,C,C...
Random: B,A,A,B,C,A,C,B...
I don't want to make any announcments with this, which is why I'm keeping it relatively "quiet". Those who see it here will understand that this won't be available tomorrow...
Yeah, I though about that. It would be possible to tie the randomness to the sample counter in the song sequencer, that way you'd get the same result every time in song mode. Pattern mode is a bit trickier because it only counts to 8 measures.
There's a part of me that thinks if you "sign up" for randomness, you get what you get, that was the deal. thoughts?
Algorithmic music (totally unpredictable) is sterile and boring. Sampled loops or single pattern music (totally predictable) can be boring too.
Sometimes I like to add some unpredictable things when I work with machines and patterns, it's like giving them choice (fake "free will", maybe). I also want to have some control over the random process: a selectable scale and a lock function (or write to pattern) could be helpfull.
Some mistakes or experimental tests with samplers an synths can be inspiring, too. I like to be surprised, if I can use the result In my creative process, like a controlled feedback with my favorite guitar.
Well, it's a full featured arpeggiator. I think we will have some fun with this one!
Hey! Hey!!! Rej made his first official SoundCloud track with his own App! This is a historic moment ladies and gentlemen. LOL
This reminds me of when I had my old Korg Poly 800 back in the day I used the ARP on it and fed that through a Yamaha R-100 Delay/Reverb unit and got some awesome groove effects like this.
How about the ability to capture the current random arp notes to piano roll?
I sign up! For some ideas I have in mind for a long time, this will be usable. If I add a random sequence in a song, I will get a new version of the same mix for each export. Interresting...
Well, I already have a "note randomizer" planned for the pattern editor options (in the dead space in the right hand side). This would work on all synths, but it assumes you'd first place the notes yourself, even if it's all on top of each other, then you could randomize their position in time, giving you an almost identical result as this (except it'd work for all synths)
That's just freakin' hipnotic. Please make more. :-)
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Hi Rej,
I’ve been thinking a lot about this since you posted this demo. One of things I came up with was very similar to that random generator. But my idea was to make it more like a full featured arp. You would place your scale/chord in the editor and set the note-length to whatever duration you want for the arpeggio. Then this function would split the notes into 16s, 32s or what have you and arrange them as an arpeggio.
Well I didn’t bring it up because I realized that this function would need a lot of controls like note length, direction/mode, number of octaves and so on. I am a bit of a control-freak when it comes to composing so the idea of being able to dump the arp-output to a pattern would be really nice, you could then edit every thing in it until you get it exactly the way you want. But if it would take to much space in the pattern-option menu I rather make my arpeggios manually. When realtime recording in Caustic becomes reality we will need some place to put quantisize options and I think this menu is the most logical place to put that.
But you can think about it if you want, maybe its not impossible to squeeze it in after all.
Hi,
I like the idea as Pan said, 'place your scale/chord in the editor and set the note-length to whatever duration you want for the arpeggio. Then this function would split the notes into 16s, 32s or what have you and arrange them as an arpeggio.'
When I did my first tune I started with an ABCBABC.. or similar pattern and then mixed up a few notes in different pattern variations till it sounded a bit less obviously a scale. Quite like how it turned out, in fact the melody is now stuck in my head! (I'd better work on something else quick)
re this comment, 'How about the ability to capture the current random arp notes to piano roll?'
I think you can already copy/paste from a pattern (I tried PCMSynth) to the piano roll. And vice versa, if you select a pattern worth of notes from the piano you can paste them into a pattern. Which is pretty cool as you can then create a longer melody and take bits of it then mix it up.
Cheers, Jon
@jonmaddison
Relaxing track.
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