Logic's Arpeggiator [SOLVED]

[Farhanr]

Hi,

 

Just started using Logic Pro 9 and i recently watched a tutorial on Arpeggiator. I quiet dont get the need of having such a lenghty procedure. In Ableton, all you had to do was add a Midi Arpeggiator on your channel and you could use it. Can anyone answer?

 

Thanks

-Farhan

[Jordi Torres]

Hi.

 

Can anyone answer?

 

What's the question? Logic's arpeggiator isn't available as a plug-in like it is in Live. Unfortunately you'll have to patch it yourself in the environment. It's been like that for ages (long before Ableton Live even existed), maybe someday it will be updated and be available as a plug-in.

 

J.

[Gravity Jim]

I guess what the OP is asking is "Why?"

 

The Environment was developed in Logic back when "plug-ins" were a gleam in a programmer's eye.

 

And it's still there because, with Logic's approach, you can actually record the output of the arpeggiator as a series of editable MIDI notes. When I realized I could record the arpeggiated output, and not just the chords that feed the arpeggiator, I was completely knocked out.

 

The Environment provides a level of MIDI control you can't get in any other sequencer. It's not the reason I switched to Logic, but now that I'm here it's a huge plus.

[Jordi Torres]

And it's still there because, with Logic's approach, you can actually record the output of the arpeggiator as a series of editable MIDI notes.

 

You can easily record the output of Live's arpeggiator plug-in. It's definitely more convenient than patching it up in the environment (even if I'm into patching things up there).

 

J.

[Glenn L.]

If you load the electronic music template, there is already an arpeggiator built into the template, and can be used on a track by track basis.

[Gravity Jim]

And it's still there because, with Logic's approach, you can actually record the output of the arpeggiator as a series of editable MIDI notes.

 

You can easily record the output of Live's arpeggiator plug-in. It's definitely more convenient than patching it up in the environment (even if I'm into patching things up there).

 

J.

 

 

You learn something every day! I'd never seen one that would let you do that until I got Logic.

[Farhanr]

I guess what the OP is asking is "Why?"

 

The Environment was developed in Logic back when "plug-ins" were a gleam in a programmer's eye.

 

And it's still there because, with Logic's approach, you can actually record the output of the arpeggiator as a series of editable MIDI notes. When I realized I could record the arpeggiated output, and not just the chords that feed the arpeggiator, I was completely knocked out.

 

The Environment provides a level of MIDI control you can't get in any other sequencer. It's not the reason I switched to Logic, but now that I'm here it's a huge plus.

 

Hi,

 

Exactly what i wanted to ask. Logic is a great program overall but i am actually expecting a little ease of use. Being an ableton user i am used to move and put things around quickly.

[CarlosUnderground]

Logics arp setup is easy, it's just diferent. It would be nice to have it as is and as an insert.

[David Nahmani]

Logic is the only DAW software that allows completely customized MIDI routing. You could get the Arpeggiator to send its first note to a bass, second, third and fourth note to a synth, and fifth note going through a delay then to 3 layered instruments, etc.... try that in any other DAW!

 

The price to pay for this flexibility is that things are not always as easy to set up as just clicking a button or inserting a plug-in.

[DanRad]

I've always been frustrated by the Arp in Logic.. I didn't know you could record the output.. can someone quickly outline how that is done. One of the odd things about cabling it to a synth is that when bouncing, the arp doesn't do what it does when you just play it back "live". Maybe with recording the output, that problem could be solved. I would love to see something like the omnisphere arp where you can have a lot of flexibility within an arp where notes can be longer, shorter, higher lower etc. I know... dream on..

DanRad

[David Nahmani]

I didn't know you could record the output.. can someone quickly outline how that is done.

Cable the arp in the environment's "Click and Ports" layer, cabling its output into the "Sequencer input" object. Rec-arm any track and record, it will record the output of the arp.

 

One of the odd things about cabling it to a synth is that when bouncing, the arp doesn't do what it does when you just play it back "live".

I'm not sure what you mean - you should get the same results. Just make sure you bounce in real time.

[CarlosUnderground]

Real time being the key phrase.

[DanRad]

thanks for the suggestion,.. I've cabled it to the seq input, to the keyboard (in the clicks and ports window) to the Input view.. nothing works. The only way to get the arp to trigger is to cable it directly to an object and then record and play... but again, it doesn't play on an offline bounce. Nor can I edit things like note lengths etc if it were recording the arp output

 

What am doing wrong?

 

thanks

DanRAd

[ski]

Here are three methods for using the arpeggiator. Actually, two of them are the same, one just has a little convenience feature built in.

 

Method 1a: cabled between the Physical Input and the Sequencer input. With this method, any notes you play will be arpeggiated whenever Logic is running. The target for the arpeggiated notes will be whatever track you have selected (thus, whatever instrument is assigned to that track).

 

 

With the above method, there isn't a convenient way to disable the arpeggiator, ergo the next scenario:

 

Method 1b: Same as above (anything you play is arpeggiated) but here I'm using a cable switcher to let you switch the arpeggiator in and out as needed. NOTE: program the Cable Switcher to respond to "Meta" on its input (see Inspector). Normally it's set to respond to "Control" (CC#7 at that). So changing it to "Meta" will prevent the cable switcher from changing on you in the event you send Logic CC#7 volume data.

 

 

Method 2: Creating an arpeggiator and cabling it directly to the instrument. This is a best-of-both-worlds situation, where you can have two tracks to record on: one arpeggiated, one not.... If you assign the arpeggiator to an existing track (using, say, the MIDI Thru Tool -- my favorite for this purpose), selecting that track will play the sound with arpeggiation. But you can also have a track assigned directly to the instrument itself and play the sound straight.

 

[DanRad]

Thanks Ski. I've been using scenario #3 for many years.. But, it will not bounce. You have to either record it in real time as the full mix, or print in real time. The idea of "capturing" the output of the arp would fix that, plus add editing capabilities not (as they should be) built into the archaic arpeggiator itself. In the template that comes with Logic called "Electronic" I am able to high light the arp object in the environment and roll the sequencer with any track armed and it prints the midi information... but I am not able to duplicate that set up in my preferred template.

 

I'm analyzing it with my less than superior environment skills, so any help is appreciated.

 

See you soon,

DanRad

[David Nahmani]

I've been using scenario #3 for many years.. But, it will not bounce. You have to either record it in real time as the full mix, or print in real time.

It will bounce in Realtime - but not Offline (not sure if that's what you meant by "print"?)

 

[ski]

I just took a break from vocal aligning (gah!) to look at that Electronic Template. Essentially, what they have going on in there is an elaborate kind of arpeggiation scheme (using several of the lowly arpeggiator objects that we're already familiar with) as well as adding in MIDI delay effects. But ultimately, the route that the MIDI data takes within Logic is the same as my #1a and #1b above: MIDI comes into Logic at the Physical Input thing, gets routed to an arpeggiator, and then the arpeggiated data makes its way into Logic's Sequencer Input.

 

So with that template, as well as with my #1a/b methods, it's the arpeggiated data that gets recorded, not the raw input notes. With these schemes it should be entirely possible to bounce your parts offline because the output of the arpeggiator itself has already been recorded on the track. Thus it doesn't need to be running ("clocked") by Logic as it needs to be as Logic is running.

 

And even with the bottom scheme (my #2 above), you are also recording the arpeggiated notes, so once again, you should be able to bounce offline.

[David Nahmani]

And even with the bottom scheme (my #2 above), you are also recording the arpeggiated notes, so once again, you should be able to bounce offline.

Hmmmm no in your "Method #2" you are recording the chord on the Arpeggiator arrange track, not the arpeggiated notes. Upon playback the chord is being arpeggiated in real time then the arpeggiated notes are routed to the software instrument - so you need to bounce in real time.

[ski]

Of course you're right. Duh. Thanks for pointing out my mistake.

 

So here it is in a nutshell:

 

• If the arpeggiator feeds notes into the Sequencer Input (per the Electronic Template, or my scenarios 1a/b above), you can record the actual arpeggiator pattern on the track, not the "input notes". In this case you do not have to bounce your arpeggiated part in realtime; you can bounce offline because the arpeggiations are already recorded. This gives you the ability to edit the arpeggiated patterns themselves after you perform a part (pitch, velocity, duration).

 

• If you record notes on a track assigned to an arpeggiator, then only your input notes are fed to the track. They, in turn, are fed to the arpeggiator in realtime (during recording and playback). And in this case your only choice to record the arpeggiated pattern is to bounce in realtime.

[DanRad]

Viola! Cello! I cabled the arp BETWEEN physical input and seq. input and it works nicely. Still trying to figure out an easy way to flip the cable switch.. it would be nice to make an alias that could go somewhere handy in the arrange page. Now the arpeggiator is more of a tool than a toy.

 

Thanks for the guidance.

 

DanRad

[David Nahmani]

Still trying to figure out an easy way to flip the cable switch

 

Ok so expanding on ski's Method 1b:

 

1) Select the Cable Switcher to access its parameters in the Inspector.

2) In the Inspector, set Range to "0 1". This ensures the switch only has two positions: Bypass, or Arp.

3) Drag the physical input object down and the Cable Switcher at the very top left of the environment window.

4) Control-click the window and choose Protect Position and Hide Cables.

5) Control-click the window and choose Frameless Floating Window.

5) Resize the window and stick it anywhere, for example in the Inspector of your Arrange window.

 

Optional:

 

In the Cable Switcher parameters in the Inspector, set "Style" to "As Text", double-click the object and enter the names "Bypass" and "Arp" in the first two lines of the pop up window, resize and color the object:

 

[DanRad]

While better now that I can edit what comes out of the arpeggiator, it still suffers from a lag at end of an arpeggiated region. I using "snap to" I can make it start nicely on the down beat or beat.. but it still tends to either hang over or end early.... editable (now) but still a bit inaccurate.

Suggestions?

 

DanRad

[ski]

Hi Dan,

 

To be honest, I haven't been able to get the arpeggiator to respond without lag since Logic 8 (if I remember correctly). And when you mentioned the Electronic Template, I assumed that you had some success with its arpeggiator and was thinking to ask you to share your secret! And believe me, I've tried, oh, I've tried, to find the magic combination of settings on the arpeggiator that would result in a non-lagging response. But alas, I've had no luck after far too many attempts at it. No matter what options I select, on a stand-alone arpeggiator object or with the Electronic Template's arpeggiator option selector, my music ends up sounding like "Your Music Sucks".

 

Wish I had some answers for ya...

[DanRad]

See above. Best setting so far... snap to 1/4.. Start the arp sometime before the beat you want it on (gotta be an even beat) and try and let go close to where you want it to end and then (almost always you have to) edit the ending. Better... but no Omnisphere. (Love that arpeggiator)

DanRad

[ski]

Indeed, snap to 1/4 is about as good as it gets. I've even tried crazy things like snap to 1/2 or a whole note but doing that is like turning up the suck knob to 11.

[DanRad]

David, thanks for the handy floating button. Works well and now the arpeggiator works mo-bettah. If only it was from this century. Does anyone know of some sort of an arpeggiator plug in that could trigger other instruments?

[David Nahmani]

You're welcome Dan. I don't believe you'll find an arpeggiator plug-in, AFAIK Logic does not support MIDI output from any plug-in.

[Jordi Torres]

Does anyone know of some sort of an arpeggiator plug in that could trigger other instruments?

 

I don't believe you'll find an arpeggiator plug-in, AFAIK Logic does not support MIDI output from any plug-in.

 

There are some that work by sending its output to a virtual port that appears in Logic's physical input object just like any other MIDI device.

 

There's a free one called Kirnu that does just that.

 

J.

[David Nahmani]

There's a free one called Kirnu that does just that.

Excellent. Thanks so much for that link!

[Jordi Torres]

There's a free one called Kirnu that does just that.

Excellent. Thanks so much for that link!

 

No problem!

 

J.