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NDLR + Circlon
#1
Not mine, but I found this one this morning and wanted to share. This is one of my favorite ways to use the NDLR... meta sequencing! Using a more traditional sequencer to sequence changes on the NDLR to make longer form compositions makes for some amazing opportunities. This is such a good example of that:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=769fjeQA...e=youtu.be

Has anyone else been messing around with this method? I'd love to hear more examples.

Jesse
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#2
I'd seen this track and others by this guy before and have enjoyed them a lot. I'm not sure if this was recorded before the NDLR got its chord sequencer. Otherwise, im not exactly sure what using an external sequencer adds (other than different/easier-to-use interface, and maybe longer sequences )? Maybe im just not using my imagination enough Wink
I am interested in doing the opposite though.. using NDLR drone track to trigger/transpose a sequence on another sequencer or (more likely) on a synth's internal sequencer. eg. to do basslines. This requires the other sequencer can transpose by MIDI input... many can not, and I currently have nothing that can do this Sad
A Moog Grandmother, and/or Dreadbox Typhon are on my wishlist, and i believe both have this functionality... so I will be sure to try it out then!
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#3
(10-12-2020, 03:42 PM)KingKrog Wrote: I'd seen this track and others by this guy before and have enjoyed them a lot. I'm not sure if this was recorded before the NDLR got its chord sequencer. Otherwise, im not exactly sure what using an external sequencer adds (other than different/easier-to-use interface, and maybe longer sequences )?  Maybe im just not using my imagination enough Wink 
I am interested in doing the opposite though.. using NDLR drone track to trigger/transpose a sequence on another sequencer  or (more likely) on a synth's internal sequencer. eg. to do basslines. This requires the other sequencer can transpose by MIDI input... many can not, and I currently have nothing that can do this Sad
A Moog Grandmother, and/or Dreadbox Typhon are on my wishlist, and i believe both have this functionality... so I will be sure to try it out then!

In this case, I think the method employed is the external sequencer is sending midi notes (and possibly CC data) to the NDLR Ctrl channel which is then changing chord degrees, chord shapes, and things like motif pattern and rhythm clock division etc.
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#4
KingKrog Wrote:I am interested in doing the opposite though.. using NDLR drone track to trigger/transpose a sequence on another sequencer  or (more likely) on a synth's internal sequencer. eg. to do basslines. This requires the other sequencer can transpose by MIDI input... many can not, and I currently have nothing that can do this Sad
A Moog Grandmother, and/or Dreadbox Typhon are on my wishlist, and i believe both have this functionality... so I will be sure to try it out then!

Sheesh, that's a great thought there! I've been trying to get the same effect (bass line controlled by Drone) using the mod seq on my Korg MS-2000R, but never been totally satsfied. Something you wrote clicked in my brain, and it occurred to me to use the riff sequencer in my E-mu XL-1. The riff is transposable to the incoming MIDI note, and it's polyphonic so it will make multiple copies as needed for three note drones. Dude, you've saved me so much work!

Also, the sequencer that comes built into the Arturia Keystep is transposable with its own keyboard, and may function as such with MIDI data, I don't know for sure - haven't tried it. Also don't know if it makes polyphonic chords of its sequences with multiple MIDI note inputs. Worth a try, but it may be obvious I don't use my Keystep's sequencer much.

Back to the E-mu polyphonic riff sequencer, they are in any of the Proteous-2000 based modules, which seem to be be rather cheap these days.
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#5
Hope it works for you! I actually picked up a Proteus 2000 rack module recently. I wasn't aware of any sequencer - the only references I see to riffs in the manual, are the little audition demos it does for each preset. So it clearly can play sequences, but i don't know if they can be edited, or triggered? I dont think the 2000 has an arp either, so maybe this feature is not universal on all of these modules.

edit: i can kinda achieve something similar with "bpm" presets, which are tempo synced. No idea how much i can edit these though. Still pretty cool.
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#6
D'oh! Shortly after I posted that, it occurred to me I used the wrong terminology. You are correct, riff is for the preset audition feature. Also, looks like my assumption all those Proteus-2000 spin-offs had the same features was incorrect as well. Well, at least I DO know that the XL-1 has some pretty amazing arpeggiators built in. It's part of the arpeggiator that the user programmable patterns come in. E-mu calls is a polyphonic arpeggiator, and that name, on the surface, makes no sense to me.

At any rate, I haven't had time to mess with this recently, but I now really look forward to it. I hope report back in the near future with smiles plastered all over my face.
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#7
Oh this is heaven, works great! I used a MIDI processor to duplicate Drone ch 3 to ch 15 (keyboard control channel that doesn't transmit data), and put the new drone arp/pattern patch on ch 15. That way I can select between constant drone or patterned drone, or both, on the processor. And it's polyphonic, so increasing drone note count really makes it full.

The E-mu XL-1 is my main synth to use with the NDLR. And to think I was seriously considering selling it for $40 before I got the NDLR because I was believing the rumors that E-mu gear has no value in these modern times.
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#8
ha - i bought my Proteus 2000 for $170, and i think that was pretty good deal. Based on the current prices i've seen, the XL-1 is worth *at least* that, but if you change your mind and want to sell it for $40 I'll gladly take it off your hands Wink
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#9
hey there-
I'm using a cirklon to remotely control & clock my NDLR, & I have some issues.

I'm using the black & white key (I think mode 2) of the remote protocol, & that's all fine so long as you remember to put the black note on the previous step to 'arm' the change of chord type before the degree changes on the next step. this all works nicely.
but if I want to programme a *key* change using a CC, & this happens at the same time as a type &/or degree change, the drone gets cut off, & the transition is generally a bit flakey.

ideally, the key & mode would be set by the same method as the chord type & degree, using notes an octave or two higher. there's one for the suggestion box.

is there some limit to how quickly the NDLR can process these changes? is that the limitation I'm hitting?
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#10
(12-06-2020, 04:58 PM)duncanrmi Wrote: hey there-
I'm using a cirklon to remotely control & clock my NDLR, & I have some issues.

I'm using the black & white key (I think mode 2) of the remote protocol, & that's all fine so long as you remember to put the black note on the previous step to 'arm' the change of chord type before the degree changes on the next step. this all works nicely.
but if I want to programme a *key* change using a CC, & this happens at the same time as a type &/or degree change, the drone gets cut off, & the transition is generally a bit flakey.

ideally, the key & mode would be set by the same method as the chord type & degree, using notes an octave or two higher. there's one for the suggestion box.

is there some limit to how quickly the NDLR can process these changes? is that the limitation I'm hitting?

I think the problem is just difficult timing, but the big issue is that changing key or mode causes all notes to turn off. I think we would need a NRPN for enough combinations of Chord, Type, Key and Mode, but I like the concept.
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