Automate changes of the Arpeggiator tempo or clock

nebtug

Hi, pretty new to the Deluge but already loving it! Here's one thing I am not sure hot wo approach and would love to hear about a good way to do it.

I am trying to gradually change the speed of the Arpeggiator (or a loop of notes that act as an Arpeggiator).
So I want it to slowly gradually pick up speed and later slow down to a crawl. I have done it by manually changing the Tempo of the Deluge while recording the audio. This is fine to some extend but I would love to know if there is a better way of doing it. I would love to have a Midi-Track (or sequenced steps) that so I could control certain notes and also have more control over automation and effects (or be able to play the sequence on an external synth). Programming it manually seems to be almost impossible.

1. How do I get sequenced steps of an Arp that really picks up speed/slows down
2. Is it possible to record speed changes to the internal Arpeggiator or Tempo (like having the internal clock automatically speed up/slow down)?
3. I also have a Novation Peak with an Arpeggiator - I was able to pick up some Midi notes of it on an armed Midi-Channel. But it only worked partially. Is there a neat trick you guys now? For example arming a midi track and catching notes of the peaks Arp to later use as a midi sequecne to trigger it?

Too_Mere

The arpeggiator sync value is not currently possible to automate. But if you set sync value to off and use rate instead, that value can indeed be automated.

nebtug

Ah that's amazing. That really is all I needed from the deluge Arp. Thank you very much and sorry for the noob question. I just didn't realize that I could automate the rate when sync is turned off.

Now I only need to figure out how to do the same thing with the Arp of the Peak and I am golden.

Too_Mere

Nice!
You could use the arpeggiator in a MIDI clip controlling the Peak

nebtug

That's true! I will absolutely do that. I just tried to also utilise the peaks Arp since it hase some different rhythms and patterns. I am just trying some stuff out on the deluge right now and I am surprised how powerful it's Arp can be. So maybe I don't need the peaks Arp at all (even if it would be nice to use it in that way I guess). Thanks again for pointing me in the right direction! I really appreciate it.

Too_Mere

No problem 👍🏼

nebtug

Oh no it doesn't work on midi! I just tried it. The automation is lost when you change from synth to midi. If you try to learn the input of the Arp rate to the encoders it just says 'can't. Dann. Even when sync is turned off. Do you have an idea what's causing this?

Too_Mere

Oh shoot. You’re right. It seems the rate is not learnable or automatable in a MIDI clip.
I would instead look for what CC can control the rate of the Peak’s arpeggiator. You can then set one of the gold knobs in a MIDI clip to send that CC and automate that.

nebtug

None - that's the problem

nebtug

The peaks Arp is controlled via internal clock - this clock speed can not be changed via cc

Too_Mere

Oh bummer. Well the only other option I can think is to automate the Deluge tempo. The workaround way to do this is to sequence the tap tempo command. You can do this from a MIDI clip if the Deluge MIDI output is connected to its input.

nebtug

I can work with workarounds. Do you happen to have a link on how to do it or tell me how to do it? I would be really grateful

Too_Mere

Sure! Connect MIDI out to in with a cable. Create a MIDI clip and sequence a single note. Then go to settings (shift + select) under MIDI > Cmd > Tap. Press play to launch the MIDI clip and then hold learn to learn the sequenced MIDI note to the tap function.

Then exit the menu and sequence the note to meet your needs. For example placing a note on beat 1 and another just before beat 2 will speed up the tempo whenever the clip is launched. It takes experimentation to get the results you’re after.

nebtug

Thank you very much! I'll try that for sure. It's better than nothing I guess. As soon as the feature requests are open again I will submit a request for automation of the Arp in midi tracks.

nebtug

I figured it out! There is a way to do it! You can record tempo changes of the Arp-Rate as Midi notes and play them normally (including the speed changes). In case someone else wants to try it. Here is how to do it:

• Connect Midi-In to Midi-Out with a cable
• Create a Midi-Track on Channel 1 and put a random note in it
• Create a second Midi-Track on Channel 1A
• Learn the Midi Output of Track 1 in Track 1A (Press play and hold learn input + audition pad while in Midi-Track 1A)
• Change the 1A Midi-Track to a Synth Engine. Now everything you play in Track 1 will be audible. Midi-Track 1A is basically now a synth engine that listens to the Midi of track 1
• Now go to Midi-Track 1 to create your Arp. Once you are ready to record arm track 1A (Rec+Audition in Song view)
• Go to track 1, press record, than play to start recording. You can change the speed of the Arp with the Arp-Rate (remember to turn off Arp-Sync)
• Once you are done every note the Arp played should be in Track 1A as a normal note. You can change it to a Midi channel, connect the deluge to a Synth and play it as if it was just a normal midi-track without having to change the tempo or clock whatsoever.
• It's pretty neat

Too_Mere

Clever workaround. Nice thinking 👍🏼

1heUndertaker

@nebtug said:
I figured it out! There is a way to do it! You can record tempo changes of the Arp-Rate as Midi notes and play them normally (including the speed changes). In case someone else wants to try it. Here is how to do it:

• Connect Midi-In to Midi-Out with a cable
• Create a Midi-Track on Channel 1 and put a random note in it
• Create a second Midi-Track on Channel 1A
• Learn the Midi Output of Track 1 in Track 1A (Press play and hold learn input + audition pad while in Midi-Track 1A)
• Change the 1A Midi-Track to a Synth Engine. Now everything you play in Track 1 will be audible. Midi-Track 1A is basically now a synth engine that listens to the Midi of track 1
• Now go to Midi-Track 1 to create your Arp. Once you are ready to record arm track 1A (Rec+Audition in Song view)
• Go to track 1, press record, than play to start recording. You can change the speed of the Arp with the Arp-Rate (remember to turn off Arp-Sync)
• Once you are done every note the Arp played should be in Track 1A as a normal note. You can change it to a Midi channel, connect the deluge to a Synth and play it as if it was just a normal midi-track without having to change the tempo or clock whatsoever.
• It's pretty neat

Hey @netbug ! Really appreciate you posting your findings and the solution you found
Cheers !

nebtug

Sure thing mate!