VArp-201 is a Max for Live MIDI effect which acts as a flexible pattern-based arpeggiator/note repeater. Features include:
- A number of traditional arpeggiator modes (ascending, descending, several alternating modes and random).
- The ability to add up to 3 octaves above the notes held down, as in 1980s-vintage synthesizers.
- A mono mode, in which only the last note held down will be emitted; this is useful when combining with other MIDI effects in Live.
- A note duration pattern memory programmable through a graphical interface, or initialisable with a number of preset patterns.
- The means to repeat each note pitch and duration between 1 and 4 times; this allows for more complex patterns to be built up.
VArp-201 is built in Max for Live and works as a MIDI Effect in Ableton Live if you have Max for Live. To install, copy VArp-201.amxd and varp201-durationeditor.js to your Max MIDI Effect presets folder. To use, drag VArp-201 in front of any instrument device in the Device View.
VArp-201, like other arpeggiators, responds to keys pressed on a keyboard (or notes sequenced in a Live MIDI Clip) and emits a stream of notes of various pitches. The pitches come from the keys pressed, with copies of those notes at higher octaves optionally added. VArp-201 emits notes when Live's transport is running, at specified note intervals; the stream of notes emitted by VArp-201 can consist of short and long notes, with short notes being a user-specified duration and long notes being of two short notes' duration. The pattern of long and short notes is programmable.
- Arp mode: A dropdown menu which selects the arpeggiator mode. Modes are:
- Ascending (↗): The arpeggiator cycles through available note pitches from lowest to highest, then starting again at the lowest.
- Decending (↘): The arpeggiator cycles through available note pitches from highest to lowest, then starting again at the highest.
- Alternating (⌃): The arpeggiator cycles through available note pitches from lowest to highest, and then back to lowest. The lowest and highest notes are played only once in each cycle; i.e., if the notes held down are C, E and G, it will play C E G E C E G E.
- Random (rnd): The arpeggiator plays notes selected at random from the available note pitches.
- Alternating 2 (↗↘): In each cycle, the arpeggiator plays the available notes from the lowest to the highest, and then from the highest to the lowest. This differs from the previous Alternating setting in that the lowest and highest are repeated. I.e., if the notes held down are C, E and G, it will play C E G G E C C E.
- Alternating 4 (↗↘↘↗): In each cycle, the arpeggiator plays the available notes ascending, descending, descending and then ascending. Lowest and highest notes are repeated, as in Alternating 2.
- Monophonic (mono): This is not technically an arpeggiator; while keys are held down, it plays each note with the pitch of the most recently pressed key.
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Octaves: The number of octaves to play. If this is 1, only the notes pressed are used by the arpeggiator. Higher values add octaves above those pressed. (Setting this to 2 and playing one note can get a classic 1980s synthpop bassline.)
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N rpt: Note repeat. The number of times each note pitch generated by the arpeggiator is played. If 1, they are not repeated; if 2, each pitch is played twice; i.e., an ascending arpeggion on a C Major chord would play C, C, E, E, G, G.
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Restart: If on, arpeggio patterns start from the beginning whenever the first note is held down.
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D rpt: Duration repeat. The number of times each note duration value is used. If 1, they are not repeated; if 2, short and long notes are played in groups of two, and so on. Note that this is independent of note repeat; notes of repeated duration may have different pitches and vice versa.
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Legato: The proportion of its duration that a note is on; this goes from very short to 1.
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Base duration: The duration of a short note, in terms of tempo units. Both ordinary and triplet units are provided.
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Rhythm pattern: The Rhythm area allows you to edit the current pattern, or load one of several predefined patterns using the drop-down menu:
- The pattern is displayed as a sequence of long and short marks. Click on a mark to toggle it between long and short.
- Drag from the end to lengthen or shorten the pattern.
- The arrow controls under the pattern editor can rotate the pattern to the left or right or reverse it.
VArp-101 is open-source software, distributed under a Creative Commons CC-BY-SA licence; which means that you are allowed to use it commercially or noncommercially, copy it and release derivative works, as long as the author (Andrew Bulhak) is acknowledged and any derivative works are equally free to use and copy. For more details, see http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
The pattern editor view is implemented in JavaScript; an article about the technical issues involved in its implementation is at http://tech.null.org/item/201306261438_custom_max_live_user