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How do I program a simple 16 channel song??


crobs808

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What's the best way to make a sequence? I have tried Midi import (but then those beats are not on my props, AND there are way too many of them, over 16). I have tried Beat and VU detection on an MP3 file and that was disasterous, even though the beat is very clear. I tried manually doing it by toggling on cells when i saw peaks, but that doesn't match when I click play. I also tried the Tap wizard (since I am a musician, and can keep a beat) but it doesn't toggle anything, it just makes grids and those grids aren't correct. It would be SO easy if I could map keyboard characters to channels. Q = 1, W=2, E = 3, etc...but I actually cannot get the keyboard to actually lay down a toggled cell. I have tried the arrow keys, spacebar, nothing recognizes. To be clear, I just wan ON and OFF (no shimmer, twinkle, fades, or any of that)

Anyway, I am feeling a bit hopeless. What have you all found is the best way to do this? I am happy to put in 4 or 8 hours or work for 1 song, I just want to make sure I am on the right path. Thank you!

 

My hardware: LOR1602Wg3-MP3g4

Edited by crobs808
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Create a new freeform timing grid: http://www1.lightorama.com/help/toolbar_timing_grid_menu.htm

Playback can be started and stopped using the spacebar. You can create timing marks during playback by pressing the "T" key. Kind of like the Tapper Wizard, but you can use the keyboard and you see the immediate result.

Matt

 

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Let me clarify. When I use the tapper wizard, it blinks the square (so I know it is getting my input), but then when I am done and click Apply/Exit it just shows a modified grid (no actual toggles of anything on). That modified grid only has half the number of spaces it needs to, so when I manually click to toggle cells afterwards, things are just constant on, instead of momentary on.

Edited by crobs808
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1) You can subdivide the marks in the timing grid. Click a cell. Press the "R" key to select the entire row. Now right-click inside the selected area and from the pop-up menu select Timing Mark > Subdivide Timings. When asked how many divisions to create, set it at 2 (the default). Click OK. Now all of your cells have been divided in half.

Matt

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Oh, I think I understand your previous reply now (sorry, I am dense).

 

So by pressing T as the song is playing it will just place an actual "ON" in the row on the timeline? What if I hold T down... will it make it longer or will I have to manually do that afterwards? Thank you!

Edited by crobs808
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"T" adds a timing mark, not an effect. So it really is like using the Tapper Wizard -- without having the tapper wizard open. If you have already used the Tapper Wizard to get the timing marks you want, then there is no reason to use the "T" command.

Matt

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Understood. The Tapper Wizard and the "T" option do not help me much. I was hoping there was a way to place an "On" effect while the song was playing. Especially if I could map specific keyboard keys to channels. Programming a song would be a matter of minutes instead of hours for these 16 channel ones, but beggars can't be choosers. ;) Thank you for the help, I am almost done with my first 16-ch song.

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Take a look at this video by John Storms. It covers extracting notes from a song using Audacity.

It's quite involved.

 

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Ha, I did the Audacity --> OUTPUTS --> Excel --> XML LMS/LorEdit modification earlier today and it worked alright for the song I am making (Bad Lip Reading - Seagulls, Stop It Now). I am about halfway done with making a 16 channel version of it. :)

Used this guide (I still had to go in and so a LOT of splitting) to get the right timing for ON/OFF effects. It did not predict the song that well, so I also ended up copy/pasting "by time" instead of "by cell" which is a FANTASIC feature of the S5 Sequencer software.

 

Edited by crobs808
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12 hours ago, crobs808 said:

Ha, I did the Audacity --> OUTPUTS --> Excel --> XML LMS/LorEdit modification earlier today and it worked alright for the song I am making (Bad Lip Reading - Seagulls, Stop It Now). I am about halfway done with making a 16 channel version of it. :)

Used this guide (I still had to go in and so a LOT of splitting) to get the right timing for ON/OFF effects. It did not predict the song that well, so I also ended up copy/pasting "by time" instead of "by cell" which is a FANTASIC feature of the S5 Sequencer software.

 

 

Great video. In fact this video was taken into account when S5 was created. Some parts are MUCH easier in S5:

  • The label files created by Audacity can be imported directly into a timing grid. http://www1.lightorama.com/help/toolbar_timing_grid_menu.htm
  • When he is creating fade downs at 12:24, this can be done in one step by selecting the row, then right-clicking and choosing Advanced Tools > Fade Down Each Cell.

Matt

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