Here, I am going to use the Arpeggiator comp, just as an example of using these presets.
Adding an Arpeggiator and an VST Instrument
Let's use the Arpeggiator (Arp) component for some more fun.First off, start a new project, by clicking New in the Main window (and then, if there is a Save Changes prompt, click Yes, to save your previous project if you want to).
Let's add the Arp component and another VSTi. Right-click in the Main window, select Arpeggiator, right-click in the Main window again, select your VST folder, and navigate to the VSTi you want to use.
This time I am using CM303, again available from Computer Music magazine and created by Muon Software.
Now connect the components, by dragging the wires:
- from Master In MIDI out to Arpeggiator MIDI In,
- from Arpeggiator MIDI out to CM303 MIDI in,
- from CM303 Audio Out to Master Out Audio In.
Mute the Sequencer in the Mixer and press a key on your MIDI keyboard. You will hear a repetitive beat - that is the default arpeggiator pattern.
In this guide, I am going to walkthrough just enough of the Arpeggiator so that you can use the Arpeggio presets, not all the facilities available.
Locating the Arpeggio Patterns
Open the Arpeggiator - double-click it or right-click and select Edit. You will be able to see the 4 notes of the default pattern in the middle of the window.
First off, we will identify the location of the Arpeggio preset files. Click File, then Folder.
. . . and navigate to the eXT base folder, then to eXT presets, select arpeggios, then click OK.
From now on, eXT will start at the nominated folder when loading Arpeggio patterns. You can change the location at any time. If you don't set it then when you try to open an Arpeggio preset eXT starts its scan from the eXT base folder.
Just a word of caution here; Do not set this to a high-level directory; such as C:\ because eXT will then scan from that folder downwards looking for eXT files, and that could take some time.
Loading an Arpeggio Pattern
Click File, then Open and navigate through the menus to the desired Arp pattern and click it to load it. (Append adds a pattern to the existing pattern in the Arp.)
You will see the Arpeggio pattern appear in the Arp. You may need to scroll or resize the window to see it all.
As well as the piano roll grid there is a Velocity view beneath it where you can set the velocity of the note(s) in each step in the pattern. Beneath that is a CC view, where you can set up a CC envelope to accompany the pattern.
Playing the Arpeggio Pattern
Just press and hold down any key on your MIDI keyboard.Here's some other features you might like to try:
- If you would like the pattern to play at half the speed, select 8 from the Speed drop-down list. For quarter-speed, select 4.
- If your VSTi is velocity-modulated, you want to change the velocity of the notes in some of the steps, click in the velocity view. Try dragging the mouse on a upward slope or a curve through the velocities of all the steps.
- If you want to swing, drag the Q value up, to, say16.
- If you want a different (original) pattern, click Rnd, just below the piano roll grid.
By default the Rnd function alters only the Note pitches (to one of those in the pattern). If you click on the > after the Rnd button, you can also Randomise the percentage of steps containing a note, the range of velocities and the range of pitches of the notes. I will leave this for you to experiment with.
Saving an Arpeggio Pattern
Easy too, click File, then Save pattern.
A couple of notes - if you want a new sub-folder, you can right-click an existing folder and select Create folder, as we did previously. Or you can add a folder to your Favourite Arpeggio folders, in the same way as you did before. And dragging and dropping Arp patterns from the eXT Browser is not supported (yet).
I will leave you to explore the rest of the Arpeggiator facilities.