Chord sequencer feedback

[mfreer]

Hi Guys,

I managed to get some time this weekend to have a good play with the NDLR and have been having lots of fun.
In particular I got to put the Chord sequencer though it's paces. I hit a couple of issues that I'm hoping you can help with:

1. There doesn't seem to be a way to reset the chord sequence back to start. For example, if I have only the Pad part playing a chord sequence, then stop the Pad part before the chord sequence has completed, any attempt to restart the Pad part will resume from the point in the chord sequence that it was stopped. This behaviour is problematic if you want to restart your song from the beginning. Is there currently a way to reset the chord sequence back to the start? 


2. The Chord sequence seems to loop indefinitely.  For example, if I have configured a song to have one section (e.g. A:1) the NDLR will continually repeat this section until the user explicitly stops playback of all parts. It would be really nice if there was a way to specify that song playback should stop when the chord sequence has reached it's end (rather than looping). 

Hopefully this feedback is helpful. Thanks once again for building this fantastic tool.

[mfreer]

Hi Steve or Darryl,

Could you confirm if there are firmware changes in the pipeline for the Chord sequencer? As it feels that the requirements identified in this post are pretty essential features.

Thanks

[Steve]

Thanks for the feedback. We are hearing similar feedback from others.

I agree that the start, stop, and reset of the Chord seq is a bit convoluted. Unfortunately the Chord Seq was the last major feature to implement and we simply ran out of buttons! :-( But I have been thinking about how to make it easier.

Also we were thinking about using the last slot in the Song section as a repeat value for the whole song not just a section. You'll loose a section repeat slot: from 8 down to 7 slots, but it might be worth it. The range would be 0 to 8 + continues loop.

Your thoughts?

Thanks,
Steve

[mfreer]

Hi Steve,

Thanks for the response, I really appreciate you taking on the feedback. 

CHORD SEQUENCE RESET
I'm wondering if pressing SHIFT + PANIC would be a viable option for resetting the chord sequence to the start? Currently there doesn't seem to be any way to reset.


SONG REPEAT
I think your suggestion of using the last slot in the song section as a repeat value for the song, would work well. Would you remove the section name indicator (A - C) from this last slot?


CHORD TYPE SELECTION BUG
I have noticed what seems to be a bug: The chord sequencer doesn't permit the selection of the alt-1 or alt-2 chord types.


CHORD AUDITION
The Chord sequencer doesn't currently provide a means to audition the chords you select for the sequence. I think the following workflow would work well:

• User enters the Chord Sequencer screen.
  
• User ensures that the chord sequence is disarmed.
  
• User selects a section step (e.g. A).
  
• User starts a part (e.g. Pad) or starts all parts.
  
• The chord associated with the selected section step should play.
  
• User stops the part/all parts.
  
• User changes the chord associated with the selected section step, or selects another section step (e.g. B)
  
• User starts a part (e.g. Pad) or starts all parts.
  
• The chord associated with the selected section step should play.
  

Thanks again for all your hard work.

[Steve]

Hi Steve,

Thanks for the response, I really appreciate you taking on the feedback.
NP! :-)

CHORD SEQUENCE RESET
I'm wondering if pressing SHIFT + PANIC would be a viable option for resetting the chord sequence to the start? Currently there doesn't seem to be any way to reset.
Unfortunately "Shift-Panic" is how to invoke a "PANIC msg" to be sent :-(

SONG REPEAT
I think your suggestion of using the last slot in the song section as a repeat value for the song, would work well. Would you remove the section name indicator (A - C) from this last slot?
Yes the A-C would be removed and we'd change the color or mark it some how.

CHORD TYPE SELECTION BUG
I have noticed what seems to be a bug: The chord sequencer doesn't permit the selection of the alt-1 or alt-2 chord types.
That was on purpose because the alt chord type are different for each chord degree.

CHORD AUDITION
I think it already (mostly) works. Using the Chord Degree buttons while in the Chord Seq'r (as a short cut) will change the chord degree.  So turn on the Pad (or any of the parts) and you can audition! Unfortunately the chord type isn't changeable in the Seq'r.
The Chord sequencer doesn't currently provide a means to audition the chords you select for the sequence. I think the following workflow would work well:

• User enters the Chord Sequencer screen.
  
• User ensures that the chord sequence is disarmed.
  
• User selects a section step (e.g. A).
  
• User starts a part (e.g. Pad) or starts all parts.
  
• The chord associated with the selected section step should play.
  
• User stops the part/all parts.
  
• User changes the chord associated with the selected section step, or selects another section step (e.g. B)
  
• User starts a part (e.g. Pad) or starts all parts.
  
• The chord associated with the selected section step should play.
  

Thanks again for all your hard work.

[mfreer]

Hi Steve,

I think it already (mostly) works. Using the Chord Degree buttons while in the Chord Seq'r (as a short cut) will change the chord degree.  So turn on the Pad (or any of the parts) and you can audition! Unfortunately the chord type isn't changeable in the Seq'r.

I may have stumbled upon a bug then:

• Enter Chord Sequencer
  
• Create a chord sequence
  
• Enable the sequence
  
• Start the Pad part
  
• Using the Chord Degree and (shift) Type buttons, change the chord degree or type of Section A, slot one.
  
• Observe that the playback of the sequence doesn't update to reflect the new chord selection.
  
• Using Encoder 6, change the chord degree or type of Section A, slot one.
  
• Observe that the playback of the sequence does update to reflect the new chord selection.
  
  

So the bug seems isolated to changing chords via the Chord Degree and (shift) Type buttons.

I'm not quite sure I follow when you say "the chord type isn't changeable in the Seq'r": I'm able to change the chord type using Encoder 6, and the sequence playback reflects this. Let me know if I'm missing something?

Thanks

[pickletech]

CHORD SEQUENCE RESET
I'm wondering if pressing SHIFT + PANIC would be a viable option for resetting the chord sequence to the start? Currently there doesn't seem to be any way to reset.
Unfortunately "Shift-Panic" is how to invoke a "PANIC msg" to be sent :-(

How about without the "Shift"? This could be within the context of the Chord Sequencer menu, where switching between Motifs 1&2 is irrelevant - like a reset for the sequence only, until a part is brought back. Certainly needs to be a way of dropping the sequence back to the start at will, especially with all the potential for droning segments that the NDLR offers. I've been working heavily with the sequencer for the first time tonight, and it's still not completely clear to me what the logic behind ARMED/DISARMED is, given that DISARMED doesn't stop a running sequence.

This leads on to a general observation about the blinking metronome dot - I think the blue blink for the start of a bar should be more event-driven rather than rigid. Basically, if going from a state of zero parts, the first press of a button that brings from silence a synth back into play should also trigger the start of a bar (quantisation taken into account, of course). It doesn't take many BPM to make it somewhat ineffective as a visual aid.

[racecube]

my simple problem is that arming and disarming does not work on the fly - only if I push a new parts Start button.

...and: It gets rather out of sync when I play with that feature :-(

[kastenbalg]

On firmware 1.1.066, arming a chord sequence and then starting any individual part or combination of parts with midi CC#'s 85-88 does NOT start the chord sequence. Stopping all parts with individual CC#'s 85-88 stops the chord sequence if it is already running, though.

By contrast, starting an individual part or combination of parts on the front interface of the NDLR starts an armed chord sequence, and stopping them all from the front interface stops the sequence.

This is a strange inconsistency.

Starting all the parts with the new-to-firmware 1.1.066 midi CC# 90 does start an armed chord sequence, and stopping them all with it stops it. I assume this is the correct behavior; it is useful to me. I just got that to work and it feels like a huge victory.

Let me explain.

I am hoping to be able to use an external sequencer to start and stop chord sequences on the NDLR. The NDLR's internal chord sequencer is less 'glitchy' than sending the NDLR chord changes through midi when modulating through many different keys; the NDLR's chord sequencer is easy to program, also, compared to sending the NDLR key and mode changes with midi CC's. An external sequencer for starting and stopping the chord sequences is still helpful. Starting the NDLR's chord sequencer with another sequencer that I can cue anywhere in a bar and have it start right on the next bar allows for easier timing live. I can also program the external sequencer to stop the chord sequence automatically if I wish.

Now that I have midi CC# 90 to do this, I'm delighted. Would like to see the individual midi CC#'s do the same thing. A little more versatile.

If you could spare a midi CC# to arm or disarm the chord sequence, that would also be helpful. While I am here asking for a pony, why just five internal sequences? Why not more?

Using the NLDR's chord sequencer to 'play a song' is not too useful to me and seems a little bit more than what the NDLR should do. Every song is different and I have other sequencers for things like that. But using the chord sequencer to store a few templates of modulations and fire them off live with automatic arpeggiation is an exciting idea and a better fit for the NDLR's concept.

[Jesse Johannesen]

On firmware 1.1.066, arming a chord sequence and then starting any individual part or combination of parts with midi CC#'s 85-88 does NOT start the chord sequence. Stopping all parts with individual CC#'s 85-88 stops the chord sequence if it is already running, though.

By contrast, starting an individual part or combination of parts on the front interface of the NDLR starts an armed chord sequence, and stopping them all from the front interface stops the sequence.

This is a strange inconsistency.

Starting all the parts with the new-to-firmware 1.1.066 midi CC# 90 does start an armed chord sequence, and stopping them all with it stops it. I assume this is the correct behavior; it is useful to me. I just got that to work and it feels like a huge victory.

Let me explain.

I am hoping to be able to use an external sequencer to start and stop chord sequences on the NDLR. The NDLR's internal chord sequencer is less 'glitchy' than sending the NDLR chord changes through midi when modulating through many different keys; the NDLR's chord sequencer is easy to program, also, compared to sending the NDLR key and mode changes with midi CC's. An external sequencer for starting and stopping the chord sequences is still helpful. Starting the NDLR's chord sequencer with another sequencer that I can cue anywhere in a bar and have it start right on the next bar allows for easier timing live. I can also program the external sequencer to stop the chord sequence automatically if I wish.

Now that I have midi CC# 90 to do this, I'm delighted. Would like to see the individual midi CC#'s do the same thing. A little more versatile.

If you could spare a midi CC# to arm or disarm the chord sequence, that would also be helpful. While I am here asking for a pony, why just five internal sequences? Why not more?

Using the NLDR's chord sequencer to 'play a song' is not too useful to me and seems a little bit more than what the NDLR should do. Every song is different and I have other sequencers for things like that. But using the chord sequencer to store a few templates of modulations and fire them off live with automatic arpeggiation is an exciting idea and a better fit for the NDLR's concept.

The CC start messages not starting the chord sequencer seems like a bug. I'll see if I can repro it and get it in the queue to be resolved. I'll also add a request to put a cc on the arm disarm as that seems like great addition to the functionality. Thanks for the great feedback. Cheers!
Jesse