Orb Composer - Generative music app

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Orb Composer Artist S Orb Composer Pro S

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Thanks :-). Really amazing how great some old stuff already was. I remember some Microsoft composer which was really great but I think stopped working with XP....

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tonedef71 wrote:
tonedef71 wrote:I will post back to let everyone know how my activation situation worked out.
I have yet to hear back from Plugin Boutique or Hexachords, but I did try to activate the software again tonight, and this time it worked! I am thinking the issue was on the server side; the folks at Hexachords must have fixed something on their end. :tu:
So how do you rate Orb Composer Artist?
I'm tempted but it seems expensive for what it is.

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discoDSP wrote:Always liked generative stuff like Arguru's Saiko.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eu7M6RPzVKM
I remember this one from back in 1997-2000 or something, and as far as I can remember it can't save to midi, only wav.
i9-10900K | 128GB DDR4 | RTX 3090 | Arturia AudioFuse/KeyLab mkII/SparkLE | PreSonus ATOM/ATOM SQ | Studio One | Reason | Bitwig Studio | Reaper | Renoise | FL Studio | ~900 VSTs | 300+ REs

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simmo75 wrote: I'm tempted but it seems expensive for what it is.
I would agree that the original list price (back in April) of $399(!!!) was way too high. Even the current list price of $179 is too much for me personally for what I've heard it do in the demo videos, which is why I don't own it yet. But at the current sale price of $89, that seems pretty reasonable, and I am definitely greatly tempted.

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SirkusPi wrote:
simmo75 wrote: I'm tempted but it seems expensive for what it is.
I would agree that the original list price (back in April) of $399(!!!) was way too high. Even the current list price of $179 is too much for me personally for what I've heard it do in the demo videos, which is why I don't own it yet. But at the current sale price of $89, that seems pretty reasonable, and I am definitely greatly tempted.
Me too, but it seems that all the videos are of the Pro version and the Artist version is way more limited.

Is the demo the Pro version too? It doesn't state.

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Demo crashes/terminates when adjusting values/parameters during playback.
So far, I've only gotten boring results with it and I haven't heard anything yet that would make me want to purchase.
Started it up again, dragged piano 1 onto gui, clicked 4th randomizer button at top to the right of Show Curves, got blinking Please Wait message which is hanging indefinitely. Will terminate in process explorer since app is non-responsive.

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Musical Gym wrote:Demo crashes/terminates when adjusting values/parameters during playback.
So far, I've only gotten boring results with it and I haven't heard anything yet that would make me want to purchase.
Started it up again, dragged piano 1 onto gui, clicked 4th randomizer button at top to the right of Show Curves, got blinking Please Wait message which is hanging indefinitely. Will terminate in process explorer since app is non-responsive.
I actually bought it but it frickin activate :help:
I get 'Can't activate given key' error message, been trying all day.

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simmo75 wrote:So how do you rate Orb Composer Artist?
I'm tempted but it seems expensive for what it is.
Orb Composer Artist is like a watered-down version of the demo but with save capability and no expiration. I do like how Orb Composer is easy to tweak, but it is a lot of tweaking; sort of like all the twiddling of knobs on an analog synth. I am not thrilled about the limitations of the Artist version. While most of my compositions are in 4/4 time, they do tend to use modes other than major and minor and sometimes some ethnic scales. I would also like to be able to select from more than just major and minor triads from within the tool. Even at $89, I am wondering if it is still a bit pricey for the Artist edition. I also cannot see myself spending more than $110 for the Pro version, so the upgrade price from Artist to Pro still needs to come down to make me go for it.
[Core i7 8700 | 32GB DDR4 | Win11 x64 | Studio One 6 Pro | FL Studio ASIO/WASAPI ]

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simmo75 wrote:I actually bought it but it frickin activate :help:
I get 'Can't activate given key' error message, been trying all day.
It finally activated for me after progressing through the following stages:

Stage 1: Create an account at the Orb Composer web site (https://www.orb-composer.com/) and then try to register your Orb Composer Artist serial number with your account ("Add a serial bought in a shop"); keep trying periodically until it finally succeeds.

Stage 2: Open support tickets with Plugin Boutique and Hexachords; be sure to attach the IcLog.txt file from C:\Users\me\AppData\Roaming\com.hexachords.OrbComposer folder to the ticket.

Stage 3: Attempt again to activate your serial number from within Orb Composer; keep trying periodically until it finally succeeds.

The entire process took a few days; probably because I contacted support over the weekend.
[Core i7 8700 | 32GB DDR4 | Win11 x64 | Studio One 6 Pro | FL Studio ASIO/WASAPI ]

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tonedef71 wrote:
simmo75 wrote:I actually bought it but it frickin activate :help:
I get 'Can't activate given key' error message, been trying all day.
It finally activated for me after progressing through the following stages:

Stage 1: Create an account at the Orb Composer web site (https://www.orb-composer.com/) and then try to register your Orb Composer Artist serial number with your account ("Add a serial bought in a shop"); keep trying periodically until it finally succeeds.

Stage 2: Open support tickets with Plugin Boutique and Hexachords; be sure to attach the IcLog.txt file from C:\Users\me\AppData\Roaming\com.hexachords.OrbComposer folder to the ticket.

Stage 3: Attempt again to activate your serial number from within Orb Composer; keep trying periodically until it finally succeeds.

The entire process took a few days; probably because I contacted support over the weekend.
I'm really quite pissed off with myself for buying this Artist version and would discourage anyone from doing so.
It is even more restrictive than the demo version, which they blatantly use the 'PRO' version and make you think it's the Artist version.
Its taken 2 days to activate it, for me to find out I can't do the things I was doing in the demo...

I feel like this is a big deception on Orb Composers behalf. :uhuhuh:

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I ain't even halfway interested in the "Artist" version, given its limitations. Too bad they didn't put the Pro version on offer...
A well-behaved signature.

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JerGoertz wrote:I ain't even halfway interested in the "Artist" version, given its limitations. Too bad they didn't put the Pro version on offer...
They should have a demo for both versions and let the consumers know which version they’re demoing. Feels like deception to me.

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These apps are a complete waste of time. Put your time into leaning music theory and composing yourself. Something like OpusModus is a better bet if you want to do experimental abstracted composition, as YOU are telling the program what to do through code. Orb is a shot in the dark, and you're better off penciling in your own notes on the piano roll. But hey if you want to roll the dice over and over hoping for something to come out that you like, be my guest...
"and the Word was Sound..."
https://www.youtube.com/user/InLightTone

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InLight-Tone wrote:These apps are a complete waste of time. Put your time into leaning music theory and composing yourself. Something like OpusModus is a better bet if you want to do experimental abstracted composition, as YOU are telling the program what to do through code. Orb is a shot in the dark, and you're better off penciling in your own notes on the piano roll. But hey if you want to roll the dice over and over hoping for something to come out that you like, be my guest...
Although I know quite a bit of music theory and have no trouble coming up with singable melodies or riffs, I still like to play around with music prototyping tools like Rapid Composer and Orb Composer. Happy accidents can be fun.
[Core i7 8700 | 32GB DDR4 | Win11 x64 | Studio One 6 Pro | FL Studio ASIO/WASAPI ]

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So if we want to simulate a "demo" of Orb Artist by using the Orb Professional demo, what would we not be able to do, aside from time signatures other than 4/4, chords other than major/minor, orchestra, modes, nonwestern scales, and "space" features? (Does the chord restriction also rule out inversions, 7th chords, etc.?)

If you already have Waveform 9's midi generator and a good grasp of basic music theory is Orb Artist worth it for generating backing instrumentals for a preexisting vocal melody line?

Does the artist version let you generate a lot of instrumentals quickly with humanization, virtuoso playing, and interesting randomization options? Or is having a lot of different instruments at once part of "orchestra" and only available in professional?

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