Hi,
I’m new to the Pyramid, had it for a week now, and I wonder if there is a way to switch between patterns within a given track more easily. I like the way the Beatstep Pro handles this, and it would be great to have a simple and straightforward way on the Pyramid for it, too. Using Step+Pattern is OK, but in a live situation is easy to confuse the pattern numbers.
So, is there another way to switch the patterns?
Besides doing it manually, the only way I know how to do it is by recording a Sequence, but i wish there was another way.
I use Sequences for live performance. My set is mapped out and all of my program changes and CC stuff is programmed so the less I have to think about live the more room that gives me to “jam” FX, filters, etc within the song structure.
This is a structured workflow which I wouldn’t use for a more improv set. For those, I rely on Tracks over Sequences but in that case I wouldn’t rely on Patterns bc of the same issue you’re running into. However, 4 banks of 16 Tracks is a ton for doing an improv set imo.
These are the workflows I’ve been using and enjoy w the Pyramid!
I think it would be great if this were easier to access for a live context. My proposal would be to:
Hold the pad to the corresponding track (in TRACK mode) and rotate the main encoder knob.
I think this would be great, as the above currently isn’t assigned to any action.
So, in Track Mode, you push a pad and then turn an encoder.
In Track Mode, pushing a pad Mutes/Unmutes a Track.
How would the OS differentiate upon a “pad push” event between Mute/Unmute or “wait to see if the encoder knob is turned”?
The pyramid is able to distinguish between a hold and a press, as evident when step editing.
Step editing is not time sensitive.
But point taken.
Personally I’d be fine with being able to select pattern via MIDI, as in Note# = Track and Velocity = Pattern
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True—I don’t think my proposed solution is the most elegant by any means. It would essentially change the behavior of muting as it’d be activated on depress vs. push, and not everyone would be happy about that.
Mmmmm I don’t know about the encoder part, or Velocity(?!?!) being the selector for patterns, seems far too easy to mess up if trying to play notes in with a keyboard in Live mode. I’d be happier to see the patterns assigned to a particular (arbitrary) range on a keyboard, perhaps initially one octave per track, but adjustable for more or less, depending on the project, so that one could select patterns on more than one track at a time simultaneously.
I guess another workaround for me, would be to increase the number of sequences per project, to somewhere along the lines of quadruple what they are now. That would remove any trepidation toward burning up sequences for just seemingly minor changes.
I would so love to be able to select patterns via MIDI
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Rather than Velocity, I’d much rather a CC#, maybe MSB as track, and LSB for pattern, but it makes more sense to me to use channel and note number, with the ability to assign multiple patterns to the same note number, so that they could be assigned arbitrarily across the keyboard, and launched simultaneously.
However, quadrupling the number of Sequences, and allowing those to be assignable to midi note numbers might possibly be something of a work around.
The max of 32 sequences is, for me at least, the most significant limitation of the Pyramid. I have not yet hit the event limit, but it’s because I try to break my songs into lots of reasonably small loops. But once you start doing polyrhythms or even just offset transitions, where say, the drums begin their pattern for one bar, and then the bass comes in, and then a bar later the lead comes in, and then they all continue looping for a couple more bars, that’s at least 3 sequences down the drain for just one tiny transition in a song. 32 sequences get used up very quickly when your tracks don’t all switch in lock step.
Doubling that would be kind of nice.
It’s not ideal but I suppose loading a new project isn’t too much of a problem if you have something to use as a filler for a moment, Ie samples. This is taking a step back from when I used to gig with my Yamaha Rm1x but I’m willing to compromise for the sheer brilliance of the Pyramid, though I guess it wouldn’t be likely to put a strain on the machine if they opened it up to more sequences (unless you were hitting the boundaries of maximum midi events, which I feel is unlikely given the volume of those it can handle)
You mean loading a new project in the middle of a song? Oh no, I’m afraid that maneuver is very much off limits, at least in my playbook. Project level operations have no guarantee of speed and once a project is freshly loaded it is a very bad idea to hit play without first scanning each bank and making sure you know exactly what’s armed. Not to mention the risks involved if you use the Pyramid for clocking. And this approach is of course only an option at all if you are pairing the Pyramid with a second sequencer that’s capable of fully holding its own without the Pyramid in the picture at all, which kinda goes against the main selling points of the Pyramid in the first place.
That said, I personally use the 1 project = 1 song approach, as opposed to the 1 project = 1 set approach used by some. So I definitely do switch projects during my sets. But I don’t try to achieve the DJ-style nonstop flow of sound from start to finish that many electronic musicians strive for.