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Hardware Instruments => MiniBrute => MiniBrute Technical Questions - FAQ => Topic started by: fivefathom on March 31, 2013, 08:39:08 pm

Title: Hidden Arpeggiator Function?
Post by: fivefathom on March 31, 2013, 08:39:08 pm
Hello all,

If this was in the manual, I missed it, but thought it deserved pointing out anyways :)

Turn ARP to HOLD
Press and hold a key and you'll hear a sound
Keep holding the key and turn the ARP to OFF, (the sound will stop), then back to HOLD, (still no sound)
You have just entered "Sticky Hold Mode"

Now any sequence that you play will just keep adding notes into the arpeggiator pattern up to a max of 16.  This has the advantage over the manual's method (hold the first note and play your sequence), as it give you the freedom to work without hold the first note.  You can add more instances of your first "hold" note as well without doing a hold/play/hold dance on the keys.  This method works better for me, so maybe you'll like it, too.

Hope it helps!
mario
Title: Re: Hidden Arpeggiator Function?
Post by: beefinator on April 01, 2013, 12:58:00 am
Very nice find.   :D


I don't believe this is an official feature.  But if it is just a bug, it should be kept.  This is really useful, saves having to fiddle around with octave switching to repeat the first note.  And it's not really something that might be done accidentally, so there's not really a reason to fix it.


And that's good, you can disable it just by clicking HOLD off again, so it really would never get in the way.
Title: Re: Hidden Arpeggiator Function?
Post by: Quinthius on April 01, 2013, 09:06:55 am
NEVERMIND - I re-read your message and get what you're saying now.  Cool find. :)
Title: Re: Hidden Arpeggiator Function?
Post by: yusynth on April 01, 2013, 03:21:53 pm
No it's not in the manual... because we did not know that lucky feature. That's great indeed !
Title: Re: Hidden Arpeggiator Function?
Post by: stevism on April 01, 2013, 09:48:10 pm
this doesn't work on my unit...may I ask what firmware version you are using / when you got your mb?
Title: Re: Hidden Arpeggiator Function?
Post by: beefinator on April 02, 2013, 12:32:17 am
I got mine november last year, I updated it to the 1.02 firmware.

Did you enable the time-sorted arpeggiator mode (sequencer mode) in the editor?
I haven't tried without it, but I know this trick works on mine with it enabled.
Title: Re: Hidden Arpeggiator Function?
Post by: stevism on April 02, 2013, 05:20:46 am
hmm, i got mine in november as well. I don't think i ever updated though, so i will have to check...

i've had the sequencer mode enabled since the first day I got it, and love it. so that's definitely there...

guess ill have to try again!
Title: Re: Hidden Arpeggiator Function?
Post by: rove on April 02, 2013, 07:57:38 am
I have inadvertently entered this mode on occasion and appreciate your outlining how to consistently  get into it as it seems very useful...
Title: Re: Hidden Arpeggiator Function?
Post by: fivefathom on April 02, 2013, 09:51:36 am
I'm running firmware 1.0.2.1, but I believe it worked before this as well.  It will work in both sequencer modes, but with ARP HOLD set to off in the firmware the notes will be pitch sorted. In fact, if you have a sequence running on your Brute, you can toggle pitch-sorted or time-sorted sequences in real time - yet another way to give some fun options if you have a mouse handy :)
Title: Re: Hidden Arpeggiator Function?
Post by: fivefathom on April 02, 2013, 09:53:53 am
I don't believe this is an official feature.  But if it is just a bug, it should be kept. 

You read my mind, Beefinator - I actually thought twice about posting it because I didn't want it taken away in the next firmware update! I figured it'd be better to share with the community, though - worth the risk!
Title: Re: Hidden Arpeggiator Function?
Post by: stevism on April 03, 2013, 03:34:53 am
so i found out i had never updated...and when i updated, it worked! this is awesome!!

maybe bruno snuck it in there as a pleasant little surprise and was waiting for us to find it ;)
Title: Re: Hidden Arpeggiator Function?
Post by: Bruno@arturia on April 04, 2013, 10:45:24 am
Haha ,no it's not been made for purpose, I would call it bug that turned into a feature nice! It's indeed very useful.  By the way it does explain weird behaviors I observed once and was not able to reproduce/understand.
I think you're right it should not be corrected.
Thanks for finding it.
Title: Re: Hidden Arpeggiator Function?
Post by: fivefathom on April 09, 2013, 08:48:23 am
My pleasure, Bruno! And congrats on the MiniBrute! I love exploring every facet of a wonderful piece of hardware like the MM. In fact, if you ever need an outside opinion on some new hardware or software, drop me a line and I'll be happy to help  ;)
Title: Re: Hidden Arpeggiator Function?
Post by: Bruno@arturia on April 11, 2013, 09:49:46 am
outside opinions are always welcome :)
If you have ideas or wishes for current and future products, feel free to PM me, or to share it in a new topic.

Thank you
Bruno
Title: Re: Hidden Arpeggiator Function?
Post by: dexfx69 on April 21, 2013, 11:24:47 am
as it give you the freedom to work without hold the first note. 

note, you don't have to hold down the first key for the whole sequence creation - you just need to play your sequence legato when creating it.
Title: Re: Hidden Arpeggiator Function?
Post by: beefinator on April 21, 2013, 05:27:25 pm
note, you don't have to hold down the first key for the whole sequence creation - you just need to play your sequence legato when creating it.

Ah, that makes it a bit easier.  But still, with this "bug" (which should be called a feature, it's so useful), you can just tap out all the notes one by one, no need for holding anything down.

I never use the non-bug sequencer setting function anymore.   :D
Title: Re: Hidden Arpeggiator Function?
Post by: Quinthius on April 21, 2013, 07:19:22 pm
The major advantage of this "bug" is that you can begin your sequence with double of the same note, which you cannot do in the normal documented way unless you enter a full 16-step sequence (i.e. you would have to hold some arbitrary note, like lowest C key, then punch in your double notes and fill out your sequence from there, but you have to enter in the full 16 steps so your first "hold note" gets overwritten).

With the regular documented method there is no way (that I am aware... anyone correct me if I'm wrong?) so enter a sequence "A, A, B, C" since if you hold down that first A note, you can't repeat it... or if you hold down a DIFFERENT note, then punch in double A, you end up with something like C, A, A, B... which might SOUND the same but technically will not be "lined up" / synced correctly.

So with this bug, you can enter your sequence in literally exactly as you want it, starting with double notes if desired, AND without having to punch in a full 16-note sequence.

At least that's the way I understand it... I have not actually TRIED the "bug" yet :) but these are the deficiencies I ran into when using the ARP sequencer, and from all descriptions of the "bug" I see, this seems to be one notable advantage.

Title: Re: Hidden Arpeggiator Function?
Post by: beefinator on April 21, 2013, 08:41:21 pm
The major advantage of this "bug" is that you can begin your sequence with double of the same note, which you cannot do in the normal documented way unless you enter a full 16-step sequence (i.e. you would have to hold some arbitrary note, like lowest C key, then punch in your double notes and fill out your sequence from there, but you have to enter in the full 16 steps so your first "hold note" gets overwritten).

With the regular documented method there is no way (that I am aware... anyone correct me if I'm wrong?) so enter a sequence "A, A, B, C" since if you hold down that first A note, you can't repeat it... or if you hold down a DIFFERENT note, then punch in double A, you end up with something like C, A, A, B... which might SOUND the same but technically will not be "lined up" / synced correctly.

So with this bug, you can enter your sequence in literally exactly as you want it, starting with double notes if desired, AND without having to punch in a full 16-note sequence.

At least that's the way I understand it... I have not actually TRIED the "bug" yet :) but these are the deficiencies I ran into when using the ARP sequencer, and from all descriptions of the "bug" I see, this seems to be one notable advantage.

Well, it's not impossible to repeat the first note, but definitely more of a hassle without this bug.
You can shift octaves while still holding that first key down.  E.g. with Octave 0, if you start the sequence at the lowest C on the keyboard, you can then go to Octave -1 and hit the second C on the keyboard.