[Feature Request] Start/Stop with DAW or Key Trigger

[simon.a.billington]

This basically applies to all the instruments like the Easel and the Synthi where sequences just go on and on and on!?!?!?

It would just be incredibly, incredibly helpful if there was a way to trigger the sequences to either start and stop with the DAW or at a keypress, at least as an option.

The fact that many of these sequences don’t ever shut up makes me not want to use the instruments which is a damn shame. I realise this was the characteristic of the instrument, but they had different workflows back then…

But for the love of god can you please make it stop!?!?!!

[Joe.Arturia]

Hi,

Can you supply some example preset names and which synth you’re using so I can test this out?

Sequences will generally trigger from the input of a midi note, and then play until the DAW’s transport is stopped - They shouldn’t continue once you’ve pressed stop.

Let me know!

Thanks

[LBH]

Hi @simon.a.billington,

I agree with @Joe.Arturia that some preset names can help to reply.

I have replied you here regarding Buchla V some time ago:

Any Way To Trigger Sequences With DAW Start/Stop?

I think I have already answered my own question on this one, I’m just really looking for a second opinion… There are many patches in the Easel that are just continuous as soon as you hit a key. This may be beneficial playing live, but is a nightmare when composing. All I really need is a practical way to get it to start and stop with the DAW or at the press of a key. As far as I can tell there is no way to do this. You can kind of come close in some patches if you set the Sequential Voltage…

Regarding Synthi V it’s similar.

You can reprogram presets to fit your needs. But it require you learn enough to use the synths.

In Synthi V - if you for example take the preset “Calm Walk”, then it keep playing after you release a key. Why? Because of the routing in the Matrix. Oscillator waveforms and the Filter is routed directly to outputs. The sound designer choose this routing.
You can route it all through the Envelope and route the Envelope to the outputs instead, then the sound will stop, when you release the keys. Then all will be to the same outputs.
You can also turn down the Channel levels or the Main level instead of change routing.
If you wan’t to stop the sound without changing the preset, then you can select the preset again, or you can use the Panic button by clicking on the CPU usage meter in the bottom panel of the application. Buchla V btw also have this Panic button.

A button to close open gates on all synths that can have open gates running after key release could perhaps help sometimes. One that can be set to react on DAW on/off messages and Key on/ off messages, and that an be automated. The problem with a "All Sounds Off"messages is exactly that all sound stop immediately - including effects sound and everything else.

Even if you hadStop Sequencers and Functions and other modulators options, then for example sounds routed directly to an output through an open gate would still sound.

In other topics in the forum people are asking how to keep the gate open without using HOLD or pressing keys. Most synths can’t. It’s a feature they can. The desires are not the same.

I would like the Functions to also work like Envelopes in this two synths. That could provide some possibilities.
Perhaps @Joe.Arturia will be kind to log this as a feature request.

[simon.a.billington]

You can find a few examples if you hit the Sequence filter and check out some of those presets.

For the Easel some examples would be…

• Techno Not 101
• Randsometalik
• Deep Forest
• Angles

For the Synthi…

• Calm Walk
• Truc11
• Feedback 4 A Better Life

Some examples for the ARP…

• Electro
• Metal Cans
• Nerv
• Poursure

There would be more instruments that suffer from this problem and, of course, Analog Lab which may play host to its own nightmare patches.

Most likely there’s probably some way to patch around it, but my skills aren’t quite there yet. Then there are the other more novice users who might like the preset, but wouldn’t know the first thing about patching.

Even then, most of us are still wanting these things to play in sync with our DAWs, start when they do, stop when they do, change tonal centre when it receives a keyboard input. So some optional quality of life improvements to accomodate this would be really appreciated.

[LBH]

Hi again @simon.a.billington ,

Here is my view based on my understanding.

It’s important to understand, that the oscillators run all the time. So can modulators and sequencers. We only hear it, if gates are open. Even if a sequencer is stopped, it does’nt have to mean sound stops.

There is nothing wrong with the presets you mention. They are designed this way.
It’s features this synths have, that they can do this.

Only by sending a Stop All Sounds message or somehow mute all outputs can as a single thing stop all sounds or prevent us to hear any sounds in all the presets and synths you mention.

Presets might not sound the same, if they can be and are reprogrammed. But learning to understand and use a synth can help in many ways.

We also all have the choice to not use a preset or a synth.

I’m sure Arturia will take you views into account.

[simon.a.billington]

No it’s not broken at all, and as I have also presented, this how they were designed back then. It’s not a bug report, otherwise I would have labelled the title appropriately.

Instead, its a small “quality of life” feature request which could potentially make these synths more usable to everyone, new comers and experienced users alike.

Starting and stopping with the DAW and/or keypress doesnt have to be a rule, it could be optional. But it does have real world practical applications not just for the inexperienced, but those working production trying to build a track. It’s very hard to get anything else done when these things can go on and on. Sure we could use different preset, but thats not what inspired us in the moment.

It’s just a shame to see inspiration take a back seat to the idiosyncrasies of how synths did or didn’t behave back in the day. We don’t have to change them, but we can add a small optional feature to make them more widely usable.

[LBH]

Trust me. It can also be annoying to me sometimes.
What you are asking for is something more than usual. That something is what i try to approach.

There is no solution that work 100% good for all out of the box as i see it.
There will be no solution that will work for all.
Some will be annoyed if the sound stop, others if it don’t. So someone need to do something manually. Minimum for someone is a click on a button.

You already have an easy option. Why can’t you for example use the PANIC button i wrote about? It’s one click with a mouse and work in both a host an outside a host.

That said, then i would like extra envelopes, as that in some cases can help - and at the same time add new sound design possibilities.

I have no idea how Arturia will prioritize this.

EDIT: We can hope Arturia can come up with something fantastic. EDIT END

[simon.a.billington]

Well the panic button would be functional, but not easy ti implement musically.

I was thinking something more like a gate that uses a keypress or a DAW start/stop as a trigger.

Syncing would be ideal, but thats the part I’m not sure how they could pull it off. That might have to be left to the user to make sure the start and stop on the bar. But then again, that’s where you can just line up the key trigger to when you need it and the synth re-syncs to that. Which would leave the freedom to trigger sequences on a different beat. I’ll often do that.