Rapid Composer: The Missing Manual ;-)

[NTO]

actually Ic28 appears to be replaced by W. A. Production 'Midiq' for higher price (on sale now) with ~same features.
https://www.pluginboutique.com/product/ ... 5931-MIDIQ

[Dewdman42]

On my third attempt to learn the program, I took a lot of notes. Then I rearranged them, added a lot of pictures and videos and would like to share them here with you:

http://inventionen.eu/en/te/swrce

Really nice! Any chance we could see a downloadable PDF of this?

[David]

I owned RC for over a year before I had the courage to tackle using it, after a few fast scans of some then-incomprehensible YT videos about it had been enough to inspire an on-sale purchase. What was daunting to me? Where do I start!:)

Perhaps best not to start at all, as I wouldn't now change anything basic about it (what, start all over again?!?)—except to say that I didn't, and don't, find that there are any other MIDI-manipulation tools that I feel would be good preparation experiences for potential RC users. RC is simply too unusual, truly unique in SO many ways.

So I'd echo BlackWinny's excellent ^^^ post (last one on Page 1) with a large "ditto!". RC NEEDS to be studied, and watched being used, not just stumbled around in, hit or miss, trial and error, IMO. It's just too weird and too powerful to waste one's time approaching it that way, and I'm by no means a beginner with MIDI and complex music-making software, having broken my baby teeth on Notator, Sound Designer, and Doctor T back in the Dark Ages. I found BluGene's video series totally sufficient grounding in basic usage, especially when adjusted with YT's speed options to provide variable pacing.

That said, I totally support the idea of a growing collection of quick, shortish question-answer mini guides!

This seems an excellent way to offer both many ways in for a lot of different RC users, and an easy solution to the "it's always changing!" "problem" caused by Attila's fantastic responsiveness and unending urge to improve this masterwork. This is such a valuable aspect of the whole RC experience, IMO, so much to be preferred over distracting him with endless documentation updates. His work perfecting RC needs to be supported by others willing to show it off…which as it so wonderfully happens, is exactly what his creation has inspired, right here on KVR. Let it be ever thus:)

[spassbeisaite]

Really nice! Any chance we could see a downloadable PDF of this?

I'm sorry, no.
The text contains a lot of links, which are essential for understanding. If you would create a pdf, these would have to be included as text/image. The effort would be too big and there would also be copyright problems.
But you can open it in preview and save as pdf.

[pumafred]

I found BluGene's video series totally sufficient grounding in basic usage, especially when adjusted with YT's speed options to provide variable pacing.

Aaaahh, the YT speed options, good tip, thanks! I'll give those videos another try.

[Cereb]

Hi,

Just came across this thread and remebered discovering RC myself.

I think you should begin with the master track disabled... ask the user if they would like to turn it on... rather just having it there affecting everything with no hint of what it is doing. I was importing MIDI files and couldnt understand the chords were changing. Once I had my head around the fact that the master track was effecting all else... I began to understand.

RC is what Logic MIDI transform wishes it was... but it is totally hidden from a first time user. Logic is capable of all this too... but it has to be coded in ("ain't no body got time for that!) and is ridiculously limited in what it will allow the user to do... LOGIC I mean, not RC. Logic won't even let user define their own scales! and only has a small, limited number of MIDI transform slots to save your own codes in any way.

If you turn off the master track and let the user understand they can create phrases and manipulate them in so many ways... THEN (or vice versa) show the MASTER track defining the progressions... THEN show all the preset rhythms and phrases... and how how all that can be put together. RC is alot to take in... and without a manual to simplify these different functions... I can see alot of ppl with fast moving minds, wanting to open and throw something down ala FLStudio or any other DAW... just switching off and moving onto the next plugin they have to try. There are soooo many plugIns to try... easy to miss this gem...

but RC truly is the answer to inspired MIDI creation.
It is best for creating phrases, transitions, and movements that can then be sent to a bigger window for arranging, like logic (just my usage, of course).
That master track totally threw me in the beginning and it was only luck (mine) that I discovered what was under the hood. Bringing that concept back to stand as a feature (like the chord track in Cubase) rather than the defining workflow opens the whole program up to being the absolutely perfect assistant during composition, covering theory and experimental approaches. You can test any idea or break any stagnation by employing it... and it is quick to build really complex ideas.

Hope this reveals something about the mindset of a user who moved from
"damn... uninstall. What's next?" to
"OMG!! Do I tell everyone or keep this as a secret weapon? It's everything I dreamed of for manipulating MIDI"

Cereb

[musicdevelopments]

Thank you for your post, Cereb!
Attila

[mgrey]

AUTO-ADMIN: Non-MP3, WAV, OGG, SoundCloud, YouTube, Vimeo, Twitter and Facebook links in this post have been protected automatically. Once the member reaches 5 posts the links will function as normal.

Here in the forum the need for a tutorial or a manual in text form was frequently mentioned. Especially beginners lose their orientation again and again with the existing material - no matter if as text or video. I felt the same way.
...
So we need a manual or a text tutorial.
http://inventionen.eu/en/te/swrce (http://inventionen.eu/en/te/swrce)
...
So far 8 chapters have been completed. For beginners and interested people there should be everything worth knowing.
...
I make no claim to completeness. Of course I will make some additions over time.
...
And: I am interested in basic operating concepts rather than very specific topics.
...
Constructive criticism, comments and perhaps also text contributions would be very welcome

Thank you for this excellent resource. I am one who bought RC and abandoned it due to the chaotic interface, even though I could tell it had great things behind the GUI. I check in occasionally to see if there are new developments in making the program accessible for new users, and was glad to see your effort! Awesome job of describing. Would you consider adding some basic step-by-step exercises for beginners to follow? I know people use RC for different goals, so with some of those goals as endpoints, maybe exercises starting from scratch to those completed projects?

[sj1]

Hi. Working with the Wiki page for Phrase Generators

http://www.musicdevelopments.com/wiki/d ... generators

I notice info which appears to be no longer congruent with the current version of RC (in this case 3.9b4). I've highlighted this in blue below:

RC Phrase Generators Wiki 01.jpg

The next picture following that text likewise seems currently incorrect, unless it is a matter of my program configuration. Unlike the picture, I see no arrows in RC at the right-hand side of the generator names.

So, is the Wiki, as such, user editable? If so, a newbie like myself could enter some edits when I find situations like this, and the edits could then be queued for approval if the Wiki software supports that.

Finally, as regards the subject matter of the Phrase Local History, any explanation of how that currently does/doesn't function and how to take advantage of that would be welcome. Thanks!

[musicdevelopments]

Good question. Phrase local history is not displayed by default, not to confuse new users.
If you enable "Show History for Phrases" under Settings / Miscellaneous / Editing, you will see the left/right arrows during editing and go back and forth between generations.

Thanks,
Attila

[sj1]

If you enable "Show History for Phrases" under Settings / Miscellaneous / Editing, you will see the left/right arrows during editing and go back and forth between generations.

Indeed, thank you kindly!

Now, I notice that when I use the 'G' key on a selected phrase in the Composition window to regenerate and apply a phrase I do not get an addition to the history and an increment of the count.

In contrast, when I use the 'Regenerate!' button in the Phrase inspector I do get an addition to the history and an increment of the count.

Is it intended for regeneration to behave differently in these two contexts? (I could see either consistency or choice as being the intent - unless the difference is an accident! <g> )