Emu XL-7 & MP-7 User's Group

Is this possible to modulate arpeggio with touchstrip on command station like on a electribe?

On Wed, 12 Jan 2011, Matt wrote:

> Is this possible to modulate arpeggio with touchstrip on command station 
> like on a electribe?
=================

how is it done on an electribe?

i'm reluctant to say that it isn't possible... it depends on how deep you 
want to get into programming "cords". but i can't think of an immediately 
obvious way to control arpeggio with a controller (such as the 
touch-strip).


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On electribe there are two controls one is pitch and one is speed and you basically set the scale you want then slide the touchstrip up down for faster slower arp and then pitch up down to move up or down along the arp';d scale. basically I want to be able to play a simple chord progression and then arp that on the fly along a scale for controlled but random computer generated solos.
Possible?

On Wed, 12 Jan 2011, Matt wrote:

> On electribe there are two controls one is pitch and one is speed and 
> you basically set the scale you want then slide the touchstrip up down 
> for faster slower arp and then pitch up down to move up or down along 
> the arp'd scale. basically I want to be able to play a simple chord 
> progression and then arp that on the fly along a scale for controlled 
> but random computer generated solos. Possible?
==================

i'm not gonna say it isn't possible... but i'm not sure how i'd approach 
it...

possibly using the "pattern" LFOs (octaves, fifth+oct, sus4-trip, neener & 
hemi-quaver) routed to pitch and modulating the LFO(s) with one or more 
controllers while the arp is running..?

maybe someone can come up with a better way...?

remember, the touch-strip is basically just like any other controller 
input or knob. the power is in the cords ;)


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I don't know how the electribe modulates arps, but on my usb/midi keyboard --> P2500 setup, pitchbend provides for continuous modulation of an arp's pitch.  That's tooo simple, so I am guessing you are looking for something different. Hmmmmm.

--- In xl7@yahoogroups.com, Matt <somatt@...> wrote:
>
> Is this possible to modulate arpeggio with touchstrip on command station
> like on a  electribe?
>

Aha! I knew there had to be more to the question. I think I understand some of what you want to do. Correct me if I am wrong. You want to be able to:

(1) Play a progression (e.g., ||: C-E-G, C-F-A, C-E-G, B-D-G :||)
(2) Have your E-mu box arpegiate those notes (e.g., up)
(3) Move a controller (e.g., touchstrip) to modulate the progression in such a way that:
--(a) the modulation occurs in 1/2 steps as defined by equal temperment
--(b) the modulation is based on a certain scale (e.g., C major such that you have a I-ii-iii-IV-V-vi-vii/diminished pattern).

This is a good, challenging question. I do know that you can program key signatures into the tuning tables so that if a pattern arp is root-third-fifth, when you play C, you get a major arpeggiated triad (I), when you press D, you get a minor arpeggiated triad (ii), etc.

I don't know if that was discussed here or elsewhere, but if hasn't been discussed here and its something to want to do, all you need to do is create a tuning table so that the notes not in your scale are retuned to notes in your scale.

If I remember correctly, this trick will not work with Pitch Bend.

I haven't played with quantize much, but I am wondering if PB can be quantized to produce stepwise modulation if you are not really interested in forcing arps to a particular key signature.

I hope this helps. 

--Steve


--- In xl7@yahoogroups.com, Matt <somatt@...> wrote:
>
> On electribe there are two controls one is pitch and one is speed and you
> basically set the scale you want then slide the touchstrip up down for
> faster slower arp and then pitch up down to move up or down along the arp'd
> scale. basically I want to be able to play a simple chord progression and
> then arp that on the fly along a scale for controlled but random computer
> generated solos.
> Possible?
> On Jan 12, 2011 11:45 PM, "Atom Smasher" <atom@...> wrote:
>

maybe run the controller through the quantizer, then apply the quantized 
output to the pitch? i'm not sure how easy (or hard) it would be to get 
that tuned...?

controller -> quantizer -> pitch

or...

controller -> quantizer -> 4x gain -> pitch


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         ...atom

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 	"[Patriotism]... is a word which always
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 	 'patriots' with proud swelling hearts
 	 defended it against the next gang of 'robbers'
 	 who came to steal it and did -- and became
 	 swelling-hearted patriots in their turn."
 		- Mark Twain's Notebook

I just did a test as follows:

1. Set/Select arp. [I used a bass arp using only 1 later, set to random]
2. Set PB to +/- 12 semitones*
Layer Level Patchords
3. [#24] Set PitchWhl -> Pitch -038*
4. [#23] Set PitchWhl -> Quantize +100
5. [#22] Set Quantize -> Pitch +038

This was just a quick, simple test to see what happens when you quantize the pitchwheel. I don't know that it optimized, but it does provide for stepped modulation of the arp.    

Optimization:
*If you set PB to +/- 0 semitones, you don't need step 3 above.

Hope this helps.
Steve

--- In xl7@yahoogroups.com, "steve_the_composer" <smw-mail@...> wrote:

[snip]

> I haven't played with quantize much, but I am wondering if PB can be quantized to produce stepwise modulation if you are not really interested in forcing arps to a particular key signature.
> 
> I hope this helps. 
> 
> --Steve

I didn't see this until after my little test, but this is basically how I did it. As for 4Xgain, I gave that a try, too. Too much PB for my taste, but someone else might like it.

The next step after the ones I mentioned is to use a pattern lfo to control pitch. (At least that's one one I'm testing now and getting some cool effects.)

Steve 

--- In xl7@yahoogroups.com, Atom Smasher <atom@...> wrote:
>
> maybe run the controller through the quantizer, then apply the quantized 
> output to the pitch? i'm not sure how easy (or hard) it would be to get 
> that tuned...?
> 
> controller -> quantizer -> pitch
> 
> or...
> 
> controller -> quantizer -> 4x gain -> pitch
> 
> 
> -- 
>          ...atom
> 
>   ________________________
>   http://atom.smasher.org/
>   762A 3B98 A3C3 96C9 C6B7 582A B88D 52E4 D9F5 7808
>   -------------------------------------------------
> 
>  	"[Patriotism]... is a word which always
>  	 commemorates a robbery. There isn't a foot of
>  	 land in the world which doesn't represent the
>  	 ousting and re-ousting of a long line of
>  	 successive 'owners' who each in turn, as
>  	 'patriots' with proud swelling hearts
>  	 defended it against the next gang of 'robbers'
>  	 who came to steal it and did -- and became
>  	 swelling-hearted patriots in their turn."
>  		- Mark Twain's Notebook
>

i might try to figure this out when i get a chance... i understand octaves 
(in theory), but i'm not too savvy when it comes to other scales. what 
would be a good way to test how much the quantizer is affecting pitch?


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 	 wolf denounces him for the same act as the destroyer of
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 		-- Abraham Lincoln

wellwaddayaknow.... check out pg 187-188 of the manual ;)

there's the recipe for getting whole-tone scales from the quantizer.

and a trick i didn't notice before: "The 4x Amp can be used to get more 
steps or increase the interval of the Quantizer." wow... so the 4x gain 
can be used *before* the quantizer to get more steps!


-- 
         ...atom

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  -------------------------------------------------

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 		-- Aesop

Thanks all. I understood about 2/3 of this. Ill play with it and touch base soon.