Creating your own Arpeggio

gig-raf · Post by **gig-raf** » Mon Jul 22, 2013 9:59 am

I search this forum, and googled for some tutorial on how to create my own Arpeggios.

I found a section in the parameter guide PDF book, but I am not really getting the big picture.

So fine. I Am able to get to the Arpeggio Pattern edit menus in the Global Mode section. After entering into the EDIT tab, I get that grid with 0-9 and . and -.

But how do I use it from here?

If I click the "0"; a small dot appears on the grid. but no sound. If I then start the ARP and press a key I might hear a note just repeating.

If I then extend the length of the arp I can of couse add more dots to the grid, but I getting the fundamental idea behind thid editor.

What are the differences between 0-9 etc. how do I make a simple arp of lets say C-E-F (up) and then F-E-C (down)?
-I was hoping I could just play and record on the fly (like an PRRP).

Can someone explain me how to make this simple arpeggio? does anyone know of a video tutorial or similar document that explains this in a "better" way?

thank you in advance.

Yatrix · Post by **Yatrix** » Mon Jul 22, 2013 8:34 pm

Frankly speaking Korg's way of creating arpeggios grew up from drum patterns and that makes them so strange from musicians point of view.

Much better way of making arpeggios is by recording short midi phrases, severely quantise notes in midi file , ...and convert to arpeggio with the help of my Aldan Librarian (ArpMaker function).
I did more then hundred of custom bass arpeggios for my own needs by playing traditional bass riffs from the greatest book "Enciclopedia of bass riffs" and converting 'em.
Yes, that takes some time, but that is much more musical way of thinking then direct creation of arps.

Yatrix · Post by **Yatrix** » Tue Jul 23, 2013 9:56 am

Just few sound examples on how it works for you.
Recorded early this morning between cap of coffee and pulling on shoes to run to work.

Something like Reggae:
http://soundcloud.com/yatrix/aldan-iii- ... rpeggios-3
Minor Blues:
http://soundcloud.com/yatrix/aldan-iii- ... rpeggios-2
Major Blues:
http://soundcloud.com/yatrix/aldan-iii-custom-arpeggios
Rock-n-Roll
http://soundcloud.com/yatrix/aldan-iii- ... rpeggios-1

Much easier accompaniment for jamming then under factory combinations, right ?

Pincho Paxton · Post by **Pincho Paxton** » Tue Jul 23, 2013 11:32 am

Yes, but when can we get Aldan III?

Yatrix · Post by **Yatrix** » Tue Jul 23, 2013 2:28 pm

Actually I have only few items to do which may take 1-2 full days and that's it, but due to it's not my main job but just hobbie everything take much-much longer, so, hopefully, Aldan III will be released in a couple of weeks.

gig-raf · Post by **gig-raf** » Wed Jul 24, 2013 6:05 am

Hi All,

First of all thanks for taking some time to answering me. I really appreciate your time and effort to help me/us and thanks for taking your time to release this software that I am sure many users will appreciate.

I will check out your software in the weekend. It is not a bad idea approach to use Aldan for making Arpeggios and for sure that is the fastest and perhaps also most intuitive way of building the arpeggios but I was wondering if you or someone else could still explain me the logic of the build in arpeggiater?

Sometimes I think it could be useful just to make the simple Arps on the keyboard itself. Unfortunately they documentation is rather poor when it comes to explain the Arp programming (at least for a newbie like me).

Yatrix · Post by **Yatrix** » Wed Jul 24, 2013 6:24 am

Funny thing that all the answers are already posted here at forum some time ago.

In few words the logic of arp is like follows:

If you wish to press three notes accord like Cmaj(C E G) on keyboard and hear 4-note arrpegiated accord CMaj7 (C E G A#) then set parameters to:

Arpeggio Tone Mode = Normal
Arpeggio Type =As Played (Fill)
Length =4

Step No. 01 to Tone0 with Pitch offset=0, (sounds C as pressed)
Step No. 02 to Tone1 with Pitch offset=0 (sounds E as pressed)
Step No. 03 to Tone2 with Pitch offset=0 (sounds G as pressed)
Step No. 04 to Tone0 with Pitch offset=+10 (sounds Bb without key being pressed)

The rest parameters doesn't matter for beginning.

If press minor( C-Eb-G) instead of major then second tone (Tone1 in our sample) sounds half tone down(as pressed), so C-Eb-G-Bb

After that, you press Gmaj and it will sounds like GMaj7, and so on.
So arpeggio works both for major and minor accords.

Manual is a bit confusing but try read it once more anyway.
Hope, helps.

gig-raf · Post by **gig-raf** » Wed Jul 24, 2013 6:54 am

Hi Yatrix,

agree, I saw this answer also on the forums. I guess my problem was understanding the answer that was posted then. After reading your answer again and trying out a few things I am starting to understand.

I think my main error was not to use (AS PLAYED).

So if I want one tone to sound at the time. I would put just ie. Tone 0 in every step

so 4 steps,

Tone 0-0-0-0
Pitch 0-0-0-0

This would make four identical sounds.

If I wanted two keys to sound pr step I would have done

tone 01-01-01-01
Pitch 0-0-0-0

if I press C-E on the keyboard these two notes are played 4 times.

but I had problems understanding how I could make an arp that when I press the C-note it would play C-E-G.

I was trying something like

Step1:
Tone 0 = pitch 0
Step2:
Tone 0 = pitch +3
Step3:
Tone 0 = pitch +6

but what you are telling me is that I can forget about the pitch and other settings and just use the option (AS PLAYED)?

I will I read the documentation again. Still think it is a shame no one has done a youtube video for this yet

Am I really the only one who wants to be able to use the keyboard to make Arps?
-Or am I just to stupid

that would of course also be an option.

Enri · Post by **Enri** » Wed Jul 24, 2013 8:11 am

@Gig-raf you are absolutely right, Korg explains poorly in the manual, you can get the basics really quick, but if you wanna do something more complex, you can throw that manual in the trash can.

For example I'm still trying to figure out how to create a more complex pattern of arpeggios, i.e. I need 3 quarter notes and then 1 full note, then again 3 quarter notes. How do you do that? The resolution changes the length of all your notes, not just one.

p.s. The example was random.

Yatrix · Post by **Yatrix** » Wed Jul 24, 2013 9:50 am

but I had problems understanding how I could make an arp that when I press the C-note it would play C-E-G.

I was trying something like

Step1:
Tone 0 = pitch 0
Step2:
Tone 0 = pitch +3
Step3:
Tone 0 = pitch +6

but what you are telling me is that I can forget about the pitch and other settings and just use the option (AS PLAYED)?

Gig-raf,
Think you are going in right direction.
If Arpeggio Type =AS PLAYED and you press several notes by fingers then each finger = Tone Number (just count fingers from 0).
and option SORT better to be set to ON - mean that lowest figures plays bass root.

If you want to trigger several tones in a step by one finger
then you have to specify Pitch for each step (very time consuming)
and it would be better to set Arpeggio Type =Running Up or Up&Down

Enri,
You can program long notes. Let's say your Steps are by quarter notes.

Step 1 -Tone 0 with Gate =Legato Velocity = 100(for example)
Step 2 nothing
Step 3 nothing
Step 4 nothing
Step 5 -Tone 0 with Gate =any Velocity = 0 -that stops first tone(note).

So, note sounded full measure and was stoped at the beginning of next measure.

gig-raf · Post by **gig-raf** » Wed Jul 24, 2013 12:18 pm

found this link on the net:
http://oreilly.com/digitalmedia/2006/06 ... iator.html

It doesn't explain in detail how the Arp of Korg m50 works, but it gives a very good idea of how Arps in general should be programmed.

Okay, no one said this was going to be easy.

Enri · Post by **Enri** » Sat Jul 27, 2013 7:36 pm

@yatrix I followed your steps and it didn;t work, there were still 2 notes that were played not just 1 long note.

dimitra · Post by **dimitra** » Mon Jul 29, 2013 5:30 am

@gif-raf, excellent link on arpeggiator basics.
I didn't know this ...
"As played: In this mode, the playback order depends on the order in which you pressed the keys. To make a slightly more interesting example, we'll use a C7 chord this time. If you play the notes in the order C-G-E-Bb, then the arpeggiator will repeat them in that order. Naturally, if you roll the chord from low to high or high to low when playing it, as played ends up being the same as up or down."

I was wondering why "Sort" is not working when I play a chord without holding the root note as the lowest (e.g. E-G-C for C Maj instead of C-E-G). So I guess the "As Played" radio button in Global mode arp page has to be unchecked for "Sort" to work.

dimitra · Post by **dimitra** » Tue Jul 30, 2013 2:20 am

Strange... whether I keep "As Played" on or off, the arps on M50 always seem to take the lowest played note as the root of the chord.
For e.g., I play F- Bb-D for B-flat Maj, but the arp takes the root as F instead of Bb!
Anyone knows whats wrong here ("Sort" is also on, both in the Global Arp edit page, and in the Combi I'm using)?

dimitra · Post by **dimitra** » Fri Aug 02, 2013 7:42 am

I think I had been misinterpreting what the "Sort" button does

From the Param Guide, p.g. 245

If Sort ( Global 6–1a) is checked, the notes
that were pressed will correspond in ascending order of
pitch to Tones 0, 1, etc. If Sort (Global 6–1a) is unchecked,
the notes that were pressed will correspond to Tones 0, 1,
etc. in the order in which they were pressed.

So the solution to my problem is to uncheck "Sort" and play the chord a bit staggered, with the Root note first, and then the 3rd and 5th.