Post by menga on Aug 18, 2007 3:07:18 GMT
I've been receiving a few e-mails an inquiries on the use of Arp's so I figured I do a quick demo and state an explanation.
First, here's a quick song I did. It uses two sounds assigned to the Arp, "Simple Drone" slightly modified to play chords and play in 1/16th mode.
Download MP3
"Arp" means "Arpeggio".
Definition: www.thefreedictionary.com/arpeggio
Layman's terms applied to synths: A sound that plays and repeats a pattern (the arpeggiation) automatically when a key is pressed.
In synths of yesteryear, nearly all of them had an arpeggio function of some kind. Then for some reason synths lost the ability to arpeggiate for a while, but now once again almost all synths have the ability to do it.
Difference between then and now:
Then: Arp's had little to no ability to be programmed. Patterns were forced to be short.
Now: Arp's have complete ability to be programmed. The length of an arpeggiation has an almost unlimited length. The types of patterns you can use are unlimited.
Then: Arp's were easy to use. Hit a button to turn it on, select type of arpeggiation then twist a knob to select arp speed.
Now: Difficult to use (on workstations). Arp's are now tied directly to the metronome and the options are usually buried in menus. The Fusion is definitely not the only workstation to have this drawback.
It should be noted that little non-workstation synths (literally, the little ones) make arp's very easy to get to. Workstations on the other hand have always considered arp's a "non-vital" function, even though anyone who's ever used synths will agree that arp's are just plain cool.
If you have been "fighting" with the Fusion trying to get arp's to do what you want them to, these are my suggestions:
1. Do NOT auto-quantize when recording.
There is no need to do this because the arp follows the metronome precisely. Also, it's standard procedure to sometimes play notes "on the delay" right before a note starts when using arp's. Quantizing will at times f*ck that up something fierce.
Whether you are using an internal or external sequencer, do NOT quantize an arp.
2. There is an art to playing arp's.
Playing arpeggiations is TOTALLY different from playing otherwise. You can't play an arp like you would an acoustic piano. It does take time to learn how to get it right.
3. "Synthy" sounds are best for arp's.
A non-drum-kit plain jane arp is best when using a sound that is completely "flat" and "dry", like a square, a sawtooth, a "plain" organ and the like. If you start adding on reverbs, delays and so on it will sound like mud.
First, here's a quick song I did. It uses two sounds assigned to the Arp, "Simple Drone" slightly modified to play chords and play in 1/16th mode.
Download MP3
"Arp" means "Arpeggio".
Definition: www.thefreedictionary.com/arpeggio
Layman's terms applied to synths: A sound that plays and repeats a pattern (the arpeggiation) automatically when a key is pressed.
In synths of yesteryear, nearly all of them had an arpeggio function of some kind. Then for some reason synths lost the ability to arpeggiate for a while, but now once again almost all synths have the ability to do it.
Difference between then and now:
Then: Arp's had little to no ability to be programmed. Patterns were forced to be short.
Now: Arp's have complete ability to be programmed. The length of an arpeggiation has an almost unlimited length. The types of patterns you can use are unlimited.
Then: Arp's were easy to use. Hit a button to turn it on, select type of arpeggiation then twist a knob to select arp speed.
Now: Difficult to use (on workstations). Arp's are now tied directly to the metronome and the options are usually buried in menus. The Fusion is definitely not the only workstation to have this drawback.
It should be noted that little non-workstation synths (literally, the little ones) make arp's very easy to get to. Workstations on the other hand have always considered arp's a "non-vital" function, even though anyone who's ever used synths will agree that arp's are just plain cool.
If you have been "fighting" with the Fusion trying to get arp's to do what you want them to, these are my suggestions:
1. Do NOT auto-quantize when recording.
There is no need to do this because the arp follows the metronome precisely. Also, it's standard procedure to sometimes play notes "on the delay" right before a note starts when using arp's. Quantizing will at times f*ck that up something fierce.
Whether you are using an internal or external sequencer, do NOT quantize an arp.
2. There is an art to playing arp's.
Playing arpeggiations is TOTALLY different from playing otherwise. You can't play an arp like you would an acoustic piano. It does take time to learn how to get it right.
3. "Synthy" sounds are best for arp's.
A non-drum-kit plain jane arp is best when using a sound that is completely "flat" and "dry", like a square, a sawtooth, a "plain" organ and the like. If you start adding on reverbs, delays and so on it will sound like mud.
