ARPEGGIATOR - Introduction

 

 

 

An Arpeggiator receives incoming MIDI notes, and outputs a sequenced pattern of notes based on a defined set of rules. Similar in concept to a step sequencer, an Arpeggiator has a number of differences that set it apart. Like a step sequencer, an Arpeggiator allows you to create and transpose a pattern, but it also interacts directly with the chords and intervals that you play. Omnisphere features a highly advanced, next-generation Arpeggiator.

Omnisphere’s Arpeggiator has multiple modes, trigger-types and clock rates, a variable length 32-step Pattern Programmer, and also features the innovative Groove Lock™ feature that synchronizes the Arpeggiator with Stylus RMX grooves (or any standard MIDI file).

Each Part in Omnisphere can have its own Arpeggiator, each with it’s own unique pattern settings.  This means that up to eight Arpeggiators can be running simultaneously, which is especially powerful when using Stack Mode.

There are many Arpeggiator presets available to help get you started exploring the Arpeggiator’s capabilities.  Selecting the different Arpeggiator presets will allow you to check out the some examples of arpeggio patterns that can be created. Arpeggio patterns that you create or modify can be saved as presets for later use.

 

POWER BUTTON

To engage the Arpeggiator select the power button.

 

ARPEGGIATOR - Presets

 

 

Selecting the down-arrow on the right side of the ARPEGGIATOR label will reveal the Presets menu, which has save/copy/paste options and a menu of Arpeggiator preset patterns.  Any custom arpeggios can be saved as presets.   You can also copy and paste patterns between Omnisphere’s Parts with the Copy/Paste functions.

ARPEGGIATOR - Modes

 

 

There are eleven different Arpeggiator modes available which determine the way the Arpeggiator outputs notes. Clicking on the MODE field will reveal the available modes.

Chord – all the notes held in a chord will be triggered at the same time, based on the velocity value of each step.

Up – all the notes held will be played in an ascending arpeggio.

Down – all the notes held will be played in a descending arpeggio.

Up/Down – all the notes held will first be played ascending, then descending.

Up/Down+  - similar to Up/Down, Up/Down+ repeats the upper note and the lower note, instead of just playing them once.

Down/Up – all the notes held will first be played in a descending arpeggio, then an ascending arpeggio.

Down/Up+ - similar to Down/Up, Down/Up+ repeats the lowest and highest notes when it reverses direction.

Random – All the notes held will be played in random order in the arpeggio.

As Played – The notes are played in the order they are triggered.

Repeat X2 – Every note in the arpeggio will be repeated twice, in ascending order.

Repeat X4 – Every note in the arpeggio will be repeated four times, in ascending order.

ARPEGGIATOR - Trigger

 

 

Legato

The Arpeggiator will continue through all of the steps in the pattern as long as notes are played legato.  If staccato notes are played, the Arpeggiator will restart from the beginning of the pattern.

 

Song Position

The Arpeggiator will follow the song position (bar & beats) of the host.

 

Note

Every time a new note is triggered, the Arpeggiator will restart from the first step.

ARPEGGIATOR - Clock

 

The clock setting lets you change the internal resolution of the pattern, and determines the time value of each step. For example, if you select 1/8 then each step in the Arpeggiator will be equal to an eighth note. In addition to straight steps, triplets and dotted note values are available from the Clock menu.

Available ranges are:

Straight steps: 1/1 ~ 1/32

Triplets: 1/1 triplet ~ 1/64 triplet

Dotted notes: 1/1 dotted ~ 1/64 dotted

 

ARPEGGIATOR - Octave

 

 

1 OCT

The Arpeggiator will play back a pattern based only on notes that are being held on the MIDI controller.

2 OCT

The Arpeggiator will play back a pattern based on notes being held on the MIDI controller, followed by the same pattern one octave higher.

3 OCT

The Arpeggiator will play back a pattern based on notes being held on the MIDI controller, followed by the same pattern one octave, then two octaves higher – over a three-octave range.

4 OCT

The Arpeggiator will play back a pattern based on notes being held on the MIDI controller, followed by the same pattern one octave, then two octaves, and again three octaves higher – over a four-octave range.

ARPEGGIATOR - Reset

 

 

When selected, the pattern will immediately reset to the first step.

NOTE: Using Reset will start playback from the first step regardless of Trigger mode.

ARPEGGIATOR - Length

 

 

Allows the overall length of all events in the arpeggio to be shortened or lengthened.  In the example below, the length of each event is at maximum length.

 

 

After changing the Length control to its minimum value, all of the events are a very short duration.

 

 

NOTE: Changing the length of individual events is discussed in the Pattern Programming section.

ARPEGGIATOR - Swing

 

 

At the minimum setting, all the events are aligned straight to the tempo grid.  As the control’s setting is increased, the events will have a greater swing groove.  At high settings the swing will be very exaggerated.

 

NOTE: If the Swing control is selected, the Groove-Lock Strength slider will be forced to maximum setting, which is how it’s designed to work.

 

ARPEGGIATOR - Velocity

 

 

This control determines how much the velocity of incoming notes affects the dynamics of the Arpeggiator pattern.  At maximum setting, keyboard velocity overrides all of the velocity settings in the Arpeggiator’s steps.  As the setting gets closer to minimum, the velocity values of each step will determine the dynamics of the Arpeggiator pattern.  Generally a setting of 50% is a good balance, since it allows the incoming MIDI velocity to interact with the dynamics of the pattern.

ARPEGGIATOR - Pattern Programming

 

 

Omnisphere’s Arpeggiator can have up to 32 steps in a pattern.  Each step can have it’s own length and velocity value.

To change the velocity of a step, click and hold at the top of the step and drag it up or down to raise or lower the velocity value of the step.

Two or more steps can be combined to create a tie.  The fastest way to “tie” steps together is to double-click the next step to the right.  It is also possible to finely adjust the duration of an individual step by holding down SHIFT while dragging the right edge of the bar horizontally until the desired length is achieved.  If the subsequent step of the pattern is empty, the duration of a step can be dragged into the empty step, also creating a musical ‘tie’.

 

ARPEGGIATOR - Range

 

 

The thin blue bar under the steps determines how many steps the pattern will have.  To change the number of steps, select the right end of the Range Slider and drag it until the desired number of steps is set.

NOTE – Dragging the Range Slider will not delete any steps – it just hides them, so you can access these hidden events again by simply increasing the range slider to the right.

Range 1-32

ARPEGGIATOR - Groove Lock™

 

 

Groove Lock™ is one of Omnisphere’s most innovate new features. In the past, arpeggiators have always had a fixed timing, so they’ve had limited usefulness in genres outside of electronic music. With Groove Lock™ you can lock the groove of the Arpeggiator to the feel of any Stylus RMX or Standard MIDI file. This dramatically expands the rhythmic potential of the Omnisphere Arpeggiator.

Any MIDI data from Stylus RMX – including Grooves that have had Chaos applied to them - can be dragged from Stylus RMX’s MIDI File field into Omnisphere’s Groove Lock™ field.  The name of the RMX Groove is also carried over.

As well, the feel of any standard MIDI file can be used as a reference for Groove Lock™. This is achieved by loading a standard MIDI file into Groove Lock™ using drag and drop or the MIDI file browser. This is explained in the MIDI file browsing section.

Grooves can be dragged from either of Stylus RMX’s two MIDI File fields, located on the Directory page and on the Chaos page.

 

Stylus RMX Directory Page

 

Stylus RMX Chaos Page

 

Click and drag the name of the MIDI file from Stylus RMX into the Groove Lock™ field below the Arpeggiator display to lock the feel of Omnisphere and Stylus RMX together.

 

 

Groove Lock™ is not limited to Stylus RMX MIDI data, any standard MIDI file can be dragged into Omnisphere’s Groove Lock™ feature.  This is explained in the MIDI file browsing section.

GROOVE LOCK™ - Strength & Clear

 

 

Strength is a blend control that determines how much the imported MIDI groove will affect the feel of the Arpeggiator’s pattern.  At minimum setting, Omnisphere will ignore the imported MIDI groove in favor of a standard, straight ‘grid’ feel.  With Strength set to maximum, the imported MIDI groove will completely override the grid and base the feel of the Arpeggiator’s pattern on the imported groove.

 

 

Clears the MIDI file from the from the Groove Lock™ field.

GROOVE LOCK™ - MIDI File Browsing

 

 

In addition to drag and drop, it’s also possible to click inside the Groove Lock™ field to open a file dialog, which allows browsing to any .MID file on your computer that you wish to import into the Arpeggiator.

 

 

 

NOTE: Omnisphere will only recognize the first 128 MIDI note events in a .MID file, so any subsequent notes are ignored.

GROOVE LOCK™ - Indicator Dots

 

 

When a MIDI file has been imported or dragged into the Groove Lock™ field, a series of small blue dots will appear directly below the Arpeggiator steps.  These dots serve a dual purpose.  They confirm that Groove Lock™ has received MIDI data and provide a visual reference for the feel of the MIDI content.  Changing the Arpeggiator’s Clock value will change the resolution of the blue dots.

 

Arpeggiator Clock set to 1/8

 

Arpeggiator Clock set to 1/16

 

The Groove Lock™ feature uses the timing and note values of the MIDI content, not the melodic value. This means that Omnisphere locks to the feel or groove of the clip, not to the musical pattern itself. This applies to polyphonic MIDI files as well.