Instrument building with track length and step mode filter function

[calem]

hi everyone, (not quite sure how this post got sooo long if theres a simple shortcut i am all ears!)

i wanted to create a limited custom bank of sounds on a per project or per track basis. because

I use an old rompler with many sounds per sound bank that I need to ignore.

and i dont think the definition files/ instrument call would help because i would still have to scroll through all sounds on piano roll?

anyone else here try this? down to hear any advice:)

this is what i have tried:

so i really like the filter feature on pyramid because

-step mode. 2nd+ step.
-then little dot shows up on screen.
-allows to scan only sounds previously assigned on current page - this is key/ it only applies to current page.

because track length is non destructive( i think) - i can ‘hide’ assigned steps at end of track and use them as a working pallette with filter function to build track. then shorten track when finished and whenever i want to edit i can add that last bar to track and there it is filled with chosen sounds.

the challenge is filter only functions on current section of track or pattern - it also does not seem to function across different patterns- so i have to zoom out to scan my sounds with filter or go to last track and copy paste which is too clunky a work flow.

i tried using live custom chords function to save a sound bank which was almost awesome
i.e. record sound with 2nd and custom chord position and then switch to step mode and assign position in sequence.

but for some reason my old rompler thinks of those assignments as position based and wont save the sounds there they keep changing - i have to explore it more- it was almost perfect.

so yh i like the idea of a pallete of paired down sounds within the track or project to work from but havent quite figured it out.

hopefully this process is helpful to someone though i feel a little lost in the weeds. kind of think i just need different sound making hardware. not sure how octatrak or black box sets of sounds (many here have) shows up but i find i lose creativity and my ears hurt if i have to scroll through miles of sample based sounds trying to find the one i had yesterday

[thetechnobear]

Im a bit confused when you say

the challenge is filter only functions on current section of track or pattern - it also does not seem to function across different patterns-

so a definition file can contain a list of notes, with labels… then you assign it to a track
you also need to turn on SETTINGS > MISC > LOAD DEFINITION = FILTER NOTE

you would then only define the notes that you are interested in (*)
(e.g. Nord Drum P3 definition file)

this is described in the manual

Pyramid Manual | Squarp instruments

this means you only get the notes listed that you have defined on that track.
… I don’t see where ‘current section of track’ comes into it?

another approach Ive used on synths, is just to delete all the presets Im not using… or group all my favourites together

sorry, I don’t know the specifics of your rompler, so not really easy to suggest ideas.
… the way we ‘interface’ with every synth, is always somewhat different, depending on feature set/capabilities of the instrument.

---

(*) Im assuming you are using a note to trigger certain sounds on your sampler.

[Wise-Beats]

I don’t really understand your goal so my advice may be useless…

This may help with skipping sound u want to ignore.

1-Enable patterns on the track u want to use.

2-On each pattern (32 per track) change the MIDI Ch/MSB/LSB to the patch u want. Use more tracks if u need more patterns.

3-Save the project as a preset file & u can make this autoload.

4-Now when u record to a pattern u can copy it to anyone or all of the patterns to hear how it sound with each patch.

I hope this was helpful, if not, let me know so i can better understand.

Peace

[calem]

Thanks for your thoughts/ and trying to understand my totally confusing post

I try to clarify. if you have a
2 bar track
zoom level at x4
4/4 time signature
a midi module with a patch selected with 88 sounds assigned to the track
so that 16 notes per bar are visible.

In step mode
with only 2 of the notes from 88 sound bank used such as a highhat and snare filled on 1st bar.

When
using filter (2nd+ step or push main encoder and scroll) i can scroll through those specific notes and not listen to 20 bell sounds.

but when you move the player position over to look at your next empty bar and attempt filter the piano roll returns to the entire set of 88 notes again from your sound source .

I had hoped could populate a bar with chosen sounds from the larger selection of my midi source sounds and then move through the bars of tracks and still filter through those previously selected sounds. But this doesn’t work across patterns or tracks.

So my work around was to “hide” a bar at end of track that contains subset of my midi sound source… or simply copy and paste… but both of these methods I find cumbersom.

wow that is difficult to explain sorry and it is super specific/nerdy.

Bottom line is I just need to stop being lazy and the time to write a definition file and then experiment with that process…

Thanks again for taking the time.

[calem]

Thanks for these ideas they are helpful. I am just trying to find the reight work flow that works with Pyramid and your suggestion is an interesting way to try different patches across a song part or even different subtle equalizations.

I tried out Ableton with Pyramid for first time yesterday and now all my ways of working with romplers are going to have to change. And reducing sound selection/limits workflow when there are too many options is key for my creative good vibes.

Thanks

[thetechnobear]

@calem

but when you move the player position over to look at your next empty bar and attempt filter the piano roll returns to the entire set of 88 notes again from your sound source .

yeah, the filter function is not for the entire track…
when you create a longer track (so using more notes) it would make the function less useful.
but you could run the idea past Squarp as a feature request?!

but really the instrument note definition was created for exactly this function…
and has the advantage you get to name the notes.
I don’t see why you’d not use it?

and as I said perviously… if you got a whole bunch of stuff your not using on the sampler, why not just delete them, or group them, so that you know certain samples are say in the range C1-C2, C2-3 etc

don’t get me wrong, the bit I hate about (all) samplers (Ive a few) , is organising samples…
its so tedious, but unfortunately… if you don’t do it, you just end up scrolling thru tons of samples you don’t want to use… so organisation is a necessary evil
(and probably why I end up using synths more than my samplers… and don’t get me started on synth preset!)

[calem]

Thanks for this - organization is key!
commiserating on sample selection exhaustion…
I am going to get into the definition files soon.

I guess I resisted the idea of def files because I was thinking - ‘what if I want some of those random sounds not in the definition file’ but now I realize I can just use another track for the entirety of the patch sounds and a definition file track for a selection of sounds.
I also liked using the random midi effect on the entire patch at small percentages to bring in random sounds I wouldn’t have chosen which would be outside the definition file… so yh those were my wierd reasons

[thetechnobear]

hmm, Im not sure the random effect will ‘quantise’ to notes in the definition.

as I think the definition file, is pretty much a UI feature … rather than quantisation… which you’d use a quantiser for
beyond that I think you need to raise a feature request. contact form