In the market for a sketchpad for melodies

The Lounge Other Gear
#45

Thanks for this! Ordered :slight_smile:

4 Likes
#46

Ha thanks! Yeah I’ve owned the OG three different times. I REALLY tried to like it, but it just wasn’t meant to be. Plus it didn’t have scales :frowning:

1 Like
#47

You’ll have to let the gang know how you’re getting on with your choice.

1 Like
#48

You’re welcome! I hope you like it.

1 Like
#49

When you get it, make sure to update to the latest firmware if it’s not already installed. These boxes have a ton of features. Also, don’t forget to download any necessary drivers for your computer.

2 Likes
#50

Welcome to the club.

A tip to get you started: Always take a very deep look at the update manual. It contains important information about new functions that were added later and are not included in the “normal” manual.

A useful list of all the shortcuts with a lot of tricks and hints is here:

Everything else then in this thread, where you can find incredibly helpful resources:

https://www.elektronauts.com/t/mc-707-101-new-roland-grooveboxes

3 Likes
#51

Thanks everyone, much appreciated!

Unfortunately, I just read about the arp in the 101/707 thread. Is there really no way to play and record notes into the sequencer, then turn on the arp and have those notes arpeggiated? What about turning on the arp, then playing the notes-- do those arpeggiated notes get recorded into the sequencer? Could be a deal breaker :frowning:

#52

Yes, the arpeggiated notes will be recorded into the sequencer. It is rather unusual for an arpeggiator to act after and not before the sequencer.

1 Like
#53

I have never heard of assigning an arp after entering notes.
Please do share the name of a device or software that had this functionality.

#54

As far as software goes, this is pretty easy to do in Ableton Live.

3 Likes
#55
  • Roly SH-4D
  • Roly JDXI (on the bigger side of portable)
  • Roly JD-08 (only two track, but tiny and quite full-featured)
  • Polyend Tracker Mini (if you can stomach trackers)
  • One of the Sonicware Liven boxes e.g. XFM / Bass & Beats (questionable build quality but cheap and multi-track)
3 Likes
#56

Okay that’s good that the arpeggiated notes get recorded into the sequencer. Though, when the arp is on, is it always running/latched? Like, can you take your fingers off the notes and the instrument stops, so you can create your own rests?

#57

Same with Renoise.

#58

Thank you for sharing. I think I will install ableton live again, this would be fun to play with.

#59

Awesome, the sh4d was already on my radar, now it has been promoted to the wishlist.
Thank you

1 Like
#60

Every one of the Elektron boxes.

:wink:

Cheers!

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#61

This would be considered somewhat unique behaviour, and definitely not the norm for arps in general. And I would argue that it constitutes redundant functionality in any box with a sequencer.

Cheers!

#62

That seems more like a personal preference rather than a point to be argued. Personally, I prefer to use arps for their simplicity. Isn’t that why we have them? I’d rather select “random” as the arp pattern, then play away while switching up the octaves, rather than set up conditions or use some other process in a sequencer to recreate random notes/patterns, ie, I’m not militant about recreating the wheel for everything. I also like synth presets :slight_smile:

#63

But this is exactly my point.

If it’s a predictable pattern you’re after, you could simply commit those notes to the sequencer. If, on the other hand, you’d prefer a random pattern, you would typically just latch the arp, and play it accordingly. Rarely is there a need to employ both of those functionalities at the same time.

You were looking for a “sketchpad”, not Bitwig, right? That’s a rhetorical question, you don’t have to answer. I’m just saying… This is getting awfully specific for a tiny, affordable, standalone device for sketching down ideas on the train, that can’t be an iPad or laptop.

:face_with_raised_eyebrow:

Anyway, I hope the MC-101 works out for you.

Cheers!

#65

Op-z has quite a flexible arpeggiator track that you record your notes into and then can toggle the arpeggiator on/off and manipulate various parameters on a per step basis. It has random mode for you, can up the number of octaves and you can switch octave on the keyboard easily.

You could arpeggiate (if that’s a word) any synth track just by setting the track length to the number of notes you want and then use step components to manipulate it melodically and rhythmically in all sorts of ways.

Then there is the master track if you wanted to go beyond that and key change it all.

The synths are kind of lame compared to an mc-101, which is why I have both :laughing:

2 Likes