Architect beta for macOS, Windows, and Linux. 0.10.5 now available

[mannymang]

If I supply a Minimum and maximum to the force to scale module, it will sometimes go outside these limits depending on the tonic and scale. I haven't done extensive testing, but it appears to be the force to scale module. If you have a macro, it would be greatly appreciated! Thanks.

[colin@loomer]

Yes, I see what you mean. I'm assuming it'd just be a case of putting the minimum and maximum after the force to scale, not before, otherwise the force to scale could potentially exceed your prior limits.

[colin@loomer]

I've just had a try at your request, and it was slightly more involved than I first thought. It turns out you want to ensure that the specified minimum and maximum values are also in the scale; otherwise, it's possible to get out of scale notes when you go beyond the minimum and maximum limits. Which is probably exactly what you discovered and why you requested this in the first place!

Leave it with me, and I'll think about the cleanest way of limiting the notes.

[treebeard]

Hello and congratulations @Colin, well done and thank you! What a fantastic thing you have created - I think this is going to become a huge success. I've only had a brief chance to install Architiect but had a lot of fun already. One thing I am curious about is the behavior of Architect when run as a plug-in inside of a host. I'm using Cubase 8.5, and when I wired up a sequencer the sync fell out as soon as the end/start point of the host loop was reached. After the first loop the timing seemed to stay consistent but it was out of time with the host. Stopping and starting the host would cause the Architect sequencer to be back in time again, but when the loop point is crossed it goes out again. I messed around a bit trying different things and eventually stumbled upon something that seems to fix it. Architect seems to stay in sync with the host only if the track that Architect is loaded into (MIDI track) has the monitoring button for the track turned on! Is this the expected behavior? If the monitoring button is off the bpm is correct and it starts together with the host, but once the DAW loops it goes out of time.

[mannymang]

I've just had a try at your request, and it was slightly more involved than I first thought. It turns out you want to ensure that the specified minimum and maximum values are also in the scale; otherwise, it's possible to get out of scale notes when you go beyond the minimum and maximum limits. Which is probably exactly what you discovered and why you requested this in the first place!

Leave it with me, and I'll think about the cleanest way of limiting the notes.

Sounds great! Thank you.

[colin@loomer]

Is this the expected behavior? If the monitoring button is off the bpm is correct and it starts together with the host, but once the DAW loops it goes out of time.

Thanks Treebeard! No, that isn't the expected behaviour, but Architect does expect at least moderately accurate transport information from the host. It sounds to me (based on an intuition from your evidence, so I could be completely barking up the wrong tree here) like Cubase is giving different transport info depending on the track configuration.

However, this is beside the point, as Architect should try the keep in sync even with dodgy transport information. Could you let me know the following details:

- The loop length
- Your buffer size (in samples)
- Your audio sample rate (in Hz)

I'll see if I can reproduce it here.

[treebeard]

- The loop length
- Your buffer size (in samples)
- Your audio sample rate (in Hz)

Hi Colin,

I tried various loop lengths - 1 bar, 2 bars, 4 bars..
Buffersize 128 or 256 with RME Hammerfall Multiface.
48 and 44.1 kHz sample rate.

It does sound strange that Cubase would give different transport data just because monitoring was enabled - it doesn't sound like that should affect tempo but I could be wrong ofc. I do use an ERM Multiclock to sync up Cubase with external HW intruments, but I tried without it in the equation and it had no effect. Let me know if there is anything you would like me to try

...just had another go and noticed that if I toggle the 'monitor' button of the midi track that Architect is on it will go in and out of sync - no matter where it is in the loop. So if monitor is off and it is out of sync with the host and then I engage the monitor button - it will regain sync even if midway through the loop. Likewise when disengaging monitor - it will go out of sync at any point. Additionally, I guess that whatever 'monitoring' does is the same as having the track in focus so to speak because the same sync behaviour happens when I select/deselect the midi track during playback.

[colin@loomer]

Ok, thanks for the additional info. Very odd behaviour indeed!

I'll mull all this over and see if I can come up with a rational explanation. Failing that, and if I'm unable to reproduce myself, would you be ok to run a build on your machine that adds additional logging in order to help diagnose this?

[treebeard]

Failing that, and if I'm unable to reproduce myself, would you be ok to run a build on your machine that adds additional logging in order to help diagnose this?

Sure, no problem at all

I made a screen recording to show how I reproduce this problem but..
1. It has no audio (but still might be useful to see how I am setting things up)
2. KvR doesn't let me upload a .wmv as an attachment

If you would like to see and there is another way to send you the file just let me know.

[colin@loomer]

Thanks. I don't think I'll need the video yet, but could you keep hold of your .wmv, and if I do require it, I'll arrange storage so you can upload it somewhere?

[treebeard]

Thanks. I don't think I'll need the video yet, but could you keep hold of your .wmv, and if I do require it, I'll arrange storage so you can upload it somewhere?

Will do

[colin@loomer]

Architect 0.9.12 is now available. As requested, I've moved the hosting server to one that will hopefully have fewer issues, but please do let me know if you're not able to download.

macOS
Windows
Linux 32-bit
Linux 64-bit

0.9.12 adds the following changes:

- (improvement) MIDI note properties can now be specified by both name ('C3') or numeric value ('60').
- (new) Step values in all the sequencers and the arpeggiator can be changed using the mouse-wheel.
- (fix) Arpeggiator scanner no longer will always play the last note from the source notes.
- (fix) The state of various UI elements, which were not persisted correctly when re-opening the UI, are now saved and restored as expected.
- (new) The shading stripes on the sequencer and arpeggiators can now be grouped in any width, rather than always being in 4's.
- (improvement) The modules context menu is now sorted alphabetically.
- (fix) Sequencer cells on the Play window are now resized correctly when a sequencer track is resized.
- (new) Architect now supports a maximum of 32 outputs (16 pairs of stereo output.)
- (fix) Architect plug-in will now correctly route audio to the auxilliary outputs.
- (improvement) Various UI fixes and improvements.

Note that some hosts (and by some, I mean Logic) may need to rescan the Architect AU from the Audio Units Manager before the new outputs are available.

[colin@loomer]

Will do

I'd not forgotten your syncing issue. It's now top priority, and, unless 0.9.12 has some major nasties than need urgent fixing, I will contact you tomorrow to let you know how far I've got and how we should proceed. Thanks for you patience.

[colin@loomer]

Will do

So I've been looking into the Cubase loop issue, and so far haven't been able to reproduce it. Unfortunately, it doesn't appear Cubase 8.5 is available anymore, so I've been using a newer version of Cubase. That could be the difference, if it's something they've fixed.

But a code review has discovered a few things it potentially could be, although I'd really like to reproduce the issue for myself before I start changing this code.

If possible, could you send me a (simple) Cubase project that demonstrates this issue, and I'll see if I get any closer to reproducing the issue?

Thanks!

[Arguzeen]

Hello.
Total noob question here:
Is there a way to skip/mute step in one mono sequencer BY unskip/unmute same step in second mono sequencer?
Thanx