Controls: TouchOsc is the iPad program which has controls allegedly connecting via WIFI to the instruments and DAW on your computer. I say allegedly because not\ matter what I tried I could not establish a connection between TouchOsc and Oscullator which translates the OSC messages to MIDI messages. Using a TouchOSC template, with what I think, are the right connections established there should have values appearing in Oscullator when the TouchOsc controls are moved but there is nothing. It may well be small thing I have missed but i can’t see how or why or what.
I know that Oscullator works because it works with the HecaChrome iPad controller most of the time. Osculator is recognised by Reason as a MIDI controller so that the messages can recorded. (Thanks Peff – see how to )
TouchOsc worked once by connecting directly to Logic Pro Studio with the LogicPad layout. Once.
It is very frustrating when your setup fails but you see others working especially as the hours pass by with no result.
Recording: I was just playing around with Rebirth on the iPad yesterday and recording a song using my DAWs. I really want to like Record but I can’t. It records well enough but the post recording work flow is clumsy especially the audio routing. I think this is partly to do the the effort in trying to simulate cabling with internal routing. In Live especially the audio routing is straightforward by just selecting a drop down box to the channel you want. It is much the same with Logic Pro. In the comparison with Logic and Live for recording I tend towards Logic because of the larger range of audio tools and I like Flex.
However with MIDI, with my AC Toolbox projects for example, I prefer the Live & Reason via Rewire combination. Live because of the straightforward midi routing and midi tools and Reason because I like the instruments. Using rewire also give the option of using VST/AU plugs. I think Reason works well without them.
A lot of mucking about this week with no solid result.
Programming Notes This a continuation of work in AC Toolbox to create drum patterns. In a previous blog entry pitches were selected randomly based on position.
The entry today is selecting pitches using a transition table. The pitches are actually used to trigger a MIDI drum maschine. For example if the values for a kick and hi hat are generated (36 38) then the probability of nothing being triggered is 50% and there is a 50% chance of a single kick being triggered. The code follows for the pitch generation:
(act-if (transition (make-conditional-table
// a symbol will be created to indicate what will be played next based on what was played before
'(khh) '(blk 0.5 k 0.5) // blk= blank khh = kick hi hat
'(blk) '(hh 0.3 shh 0.3 khh 0.4)
'(hh) '(blk 0.5 k 0.5)
'(shh) '(blk 1)
'(k) '(hh 0.5 khh 0.5)))
// the symbol is converted to MIDI values
equal 'khh ((36 38))
else equal 'blk 'nil
else equal 'hh '(38)
else equal 'shh '((37 38))
else equal 'k '(36)
else '(37))
This easily create break beat style patterns but is not useful for 4×4 pattern for straight dance where the previous (Jan 10 code) which is more precise on timing.
The transition table was taken from “Night of the Living Baseheads” – Public Enemy- in the “The Breakbeat Bible”
Podcasts My favorite music podcasts are English.
Sound on Sound: A lot like the magazine. Very professionally broadcast with with news items and information on music technology.
Sonic Talk From the Sonic state site. A chat between Nick, various regulars from the music profession and guests on news, music and technology. Casually informative.
DJ History(Bill Brewster) present an eclectic range electronic dance music with a distinctive funky feel.
All these podcast have 2011 broadcasts and have a good history of producing regularly which is really important.
iTunes is really poor for finding things since it is still based on search within broad musical classifications. For example word searches on “DJ History” listed all podcasts with DJ somewhere in the name or description. There are not enough tags to narrow down the items that you want and there is no time searching so there are many podcasts which have not broadcast for years. Given that most podcasts focus on the current event for their topic there is little historical worth on previous years podcasts.
Logist-1b4
Clock: (bpm 120)
Rhythm: (convert (logist 0.2 3.9 4 1) 50 1 8 )
Pitch: (convert (logist 0.22 3.8 5 1) 50 c3 c5)
Velocity: (convert (logist 0.22 3.8 5 1) 50 c3 c5)
Note: This is longer at 100 bars. The tune also uses a atmospheric patch which inherently adds a bit more depth.
The result with using these chaos functions is mixed. There is more periodic repetition however there is a fairly narrow range of values in each function which provides continual variation. Often the results just decay to a static line or lines.
Reason/Record: I am getting back into using Reason with Record. A difficulty did arise in trying to record the songs created from external software midi. The solution is:
1. Create an instrument track in record
2. Specify the instrument not the surrounding Record track wrapper as the target for the midi in the advanced settings.
3. Create and name a Mix track
4. Wire the output from the instrument Mix enclosure to the input of the of the new Mix track.
5. Click the little button marked “Rec Source” on the VU meter to record.
6. Create an Audio track
7. Select the Mix channel from Audio sources drop down menu. (It wiuld be easier if the Audio channels had input plugs.)
The sound can now be recorded on the audio channel.It does work but seems fiddly compared to the quick and easy channel selection in Ableton Live.
Project: Electribe Practising song mode with the Electribe. It is not that good but it is a start of something. It is a self motivation exercise. To publish is to complete something even if just at the introductory stage.
