There is a setting in the squarp Pyramid that’s called omni mode.
This essentially makes it so that the “pattern” that is in focus is controlled by any midi channel that has input so that, basically, you can use one controller for everything.
there are other settings, like using one channel for omni mode, and every other channel by themselves so you have an option for a centralized controller based on “pattern” focus and the other channels just work as expected.
Maybe taking a look at how the pyramid handles midi channels and patterns could shine some light, as there are some things that are a real PITA about how it does so, but there is some really good stuff there.
I was also wondering how a REC button could work in zynstep, so you can play over a pattern without overdubbing without it depending on the focus. Maybe having record ARM buttons per pattern?
I am not quite sure I fully understand this. There is already the ability to overdub each pattern individually. Are you talking about being able to record along to a playing sequence? I do have the idea of a linear sequence track that is not pattern based so simliar to a DAW MIDI track but that is nowhere beyond the ethereal blue-sky-thinking stage yet.
I am not convinced of the need for switchable omni/multitimbral mode for the sequencer. I would like to hear the workflows / user stories described in simple steps to explain what someone would want to do (and why) so that I can imagine how this might manifest in zynthian. Sometimes the “why” is sufficient to allow explaination of how to do it - it may be a different workflow to what the user expected but sometimes it is better!
This is my why/how I use the midi routing of the pyramid and the different midi recording/programming options.
This is a mix of live looping longer patterns and “step” sequencing, and makes use of the un-quantized record option of the pyramid AND the grid sequencing options:
I want to be able to program AND/OR record any of my hardware synths, that are each on a different midi channel. This also applies to running sequences. For this there must be no translation of midi channels depending on the focus.
I want to edit a sound while the pattern is playing on one instrument without this affecting any other synth in the chain OR alter the sequence that’s playing (I don’t usually record automation as I do that live). For this there must be no unwanted overdubbing of sequences.
In terms of workflow, to record into a pattern one has two options:
Go into the desired pattern, establish a pattern length (if recording while playing), hit record and go.
Pause the sequencing, arm REC and then hit PLAY, after this a 1 bar (configurable) countdown goes on and plays the sequencer (all tracks that are unmuted) while recording the current pattern, extending the count of bars for the current pattern until the record button is hit, at which point the pattern bar length is set and starts looping.
I’ll, for example, program (or use the euclidean sequencer to generate) a semi-generative drum pattern (basically adding chance and random velocity midi effects), then I’ll play around until I get a bass line that I like, program or rec that in, record some chord progression live and, maybe in the same channel (i use keyboard splits) play, in the upper end of the keyboard, a lead part and make timbre changes in the bass and chords that I don’t want recorded into the pattern.
One feature of the pyramid that I’ve been missing is the ability to mute patterns individually (basically mute a certain pattern while keeping the sequencer running in the background). I understand this is a very different way of working than the zynStep but maybe a per midi channel mute is a simpler albeit almost as useful feature?
I am not saying that I expect this (incredible) one man proyect can outdo a ±650 euro piece of gear that is built for the exclusive purpose of sequencing BUT I’ve been really impressed and, so far, my expectations have been completely run over by the functionality of the ZynSeq, so there’s that.
I feel must stop helping with the feature creep, however I might be able to help with some of the coding for this, so lets brainstorm on!
PD: the “patterns” of ZynStep are called tracks in Pyramid, but are fairly equivalent, so I just used patterns to refer to those, this is here so that if you look in the pyramid manual you understand what I’m talking about
I did have some mute functionality in but a quick code review just now shows that I removed it. I may put it back in. It would probably work at the track level, not the pattern level so muting a track would stop playback of that track whilst the remaining tracks in any playing sequences continue to play. I see this as a useful feature in the linear song mode an may help with the workflows you describe.
I wonder if contrary to @jofemodo 's suggestion we may actually need more input channel options which include None, 1-16, Active and Omni. A tick list of channels would offer more flexibility but that is a bit excessive and I want to make it as simple as I can. There may be an option to configure the channel filtering in the MIDI filter but that feels unintuitive and too abstracted from the point of use.
I wonder if contrary to @jofemodo 's suggestion we may actually need more input channel options which include None, 1-16, Active and Omni. A tick list of channels would offer more flexibility but that is a bit excessive and I want to make it as simple as I can. There may be an option to configure the channel filtering in the MIDI filter but that feels unintuitive and too abstracted from the point of use.
This would be incredible, in fact not even the pyramid has this granularity, you set a midi out and the midi in is either omni mode, omni on one channel and then 1 channel per track (16 tracks) corresponding to the number of the track or one midi in per track, so there are no “per track” input settings that can be configured.
I wan’t offering that!!! (I wasn’t offering anything .) You can make a feature request describing what you want and we can see what is possible (anything) and easy (nothing).
There has been an update to the master branch which brings new hotness!
Some of these goodies include:
Ability to rename sequences
Linear song features in Arranger, e.g. multiple tracks with individual muting, playback, etc.
Fine adjustment of tempo (0.1 BPM steps)
Some bug fixes
The wiki has been updated (although some of the images refuse to change - we are looking into that) so you should be able to follow the tutorial and learn how to use it. Please feedback any issues with the wiki or workflows. Add bugs and feature requests to the issue tracker.
Using current master branch (bb5e19c) if you open the menu and try to select a menu option it fails because it is trying to clear the buttons that are not being shown. I have submitted a PR that fixes this and also sorts out the acceleration that needs to only be applied to tempo, not other sequencer controls.
@riban, @jofemodo — the way how fast and efficient you are in applying fixes and changes. Can’t express enough admiration of the way it happens ! Go Zynthians !
.) You can make a