Pattern

2.5b Music Tools - Pattern Tool

Pattern Tool Although it is considered a Music Tool, the Pattern Tool is so extensive in its capabilities that we've dedicated an entire chapter to it. Introduction Usage Controls Menu Drum Maps

Introduction The Pattern Tool provides a pattern-based alternative to the linear Track-oriented sequence recording and playback methods used by the Sequencer. Instead of playing or recording one straight segment from start to finish, the Pattern Tool plays the same short segment of music over and over again a predetermined number of times. The Pattern Tool accomplishes recording by playing the same section over and over again while you continually add and remove notes "on the fly." Pattern style sequencing is very useful for creating and performing rhythmic parts, especially drums. Each Pattern Tool stores one looped section of music. You can tell the Tool when to start playing and how many times to play. You can then chain multiple Pattern Tools in one Track to perform multiple sections. To help identify multiple Pattern Tools in a Track, you assign each Pattern Tool a name. Each Tool draws its icon in the PipeLine with the first letters of the name included. The Pattern Tool contains most of the Loop Tool's performance options. It provides Free Run, Trigger and Riff performance modes, as well as Transposed and Modulated playback options. Unlike the Loop Tool, however, it incorporates a complete graphic editor. Using the Pattern Tool's editor, you can enter notes in a piano roll or a drum grid. The drum grid provides the ability to use and modify drum maps. Like the Loop Tool, you can cut and paste to or from the Pattern Tool into the Barsss&Pamp;Pamp;Pipes Professional ClipBoard or a Track. NOTE: The Pattern Tool only records and plays MIDI note events. It does not support other MDI event types. For pattern-style looped recording and playback of other event types, use the Loop Tool. The Pattern Tool provides three playback modes: 1. In Free Run mode, the looped section starts playing at a predefined start point, and repeats a user-selected number of times. 2. In Trigger mode, a specific incoming note triggers the looped section to play immediately. The Tool ignores all other notes. 3. In Riff mode, an incoming note triggers the looped section to play immediately. If multiple overlapping notes enter it, the Pattern Tool plays multiple overlapping copies of the looped section. This provides a powerful performance Tool when used in conjunction with the Modulate and Transpose options (below.) The Pattern Tool provides two options for shifting the pitch of playback under user control: 1. The Transpose option shifts the looped section up or down in the same key. The Pattern Tool detern-tines the transposition by measuring the distance between a user-specified root note and the entering note. Notes shifted by the Pattern Tool in this mode abide by the user-specified Key & Scale/Mode in the Song Parameters. As a result, the shifted pattern stays in key, much like the Transpose Tool. 2. The Modulate option shifts the looped section up or down a constant distance determined by the difference between the note entering the Tool and the user-specified root note. Like the Modulator Tool, this shifts the pattern into a different key.

Usage To use the Pattern Tool, place it in a Track's PipeLine. You can place any number of Pattern Tools in one PipeLine and set each to play at a different time. You can even set multiple Patterns to overlap with different loop lengths. *TIP* Place the Pattern Tool in the input PipeLine. When you've finished designing the Pattern, put the Track in record mode and record the pattern in the Track. Open the Pattern Tool's Control window by double-clicking on the Pattern Tool in the PipeLine.

Controls The Pattern Tool's Control window displays a piano-roll grid. This Pattern grid displays the piano keys down the left edge of the window as a reference. Across the top, the Pattern grid displays the time reference as measure numbers subdivided by beat markers. It displays notes as blue bars, the vertical position denoting pitch and the horizontal denoting time. Each box in the Pattern grid has a length defined by the grid resolution option in the Set grid... menu command. Each note resembles a box. NOTE: The grid displays drum names down thr left border instead of piano notes if a drum format is chosen in the Note Map... Format menu. To view higher or lower pitches, drag the scroll bar located to the right of the Pattern grid. To view the Pattern grid at different points in time, drag the scroll bar located at the bottom of the Pattern grid. Like most windows in Barsss&Pamp;Pamp;Pipes Professional, the Pattern Tool's editor window provides the standard row of control buttons across the top. Click on the Magnifying Glass, Pencil, Magic Wand Hand, Duplicator, and Eraser to determine the behavior of the mouse. The Magnifying Glass The Note window appears when you click on the Magnifying Class button. When you click the mouse pointer on a note in the Pattern grid, the note's internal values display. Drag the sliders to set the following parameters: Time Use the Time: slider to set the note's time offset, measured in 192 pulses per quarter note. Range Use the Range: slider to set the degree of randomization in clocks. The Pattern Tool randomizes the timing of the note as it plays it to give it some extra "feel." Vel Use the Vel: slider to adjust the note's velocity, a MIDI value from 1 (very soft) to 127 (very loud). Range Use the Range: slider to randomize the velocity of each note. This slider sets the degree of "feel." Dur Use the Dur slider to change the note's duration, measured in 192 clocks per quarter note. Range The Pattern Tool also randomizes the duration of each note. Change the Time and Range values by using the Range: slider to change the default values assigned to new notes. The Pencil Use the Pencil to enter notes into the Pattern grid. Example: Entering A Note With The Pencil 1. Place the Pencil tip in a box and click once. The note plays and appears in the box as a red bar. To make a longer note, click and drag the Pencil to the right. To make the note louder or softer, click and drag up or down. 2. Notice that the Note window that you opened with the magnifying glass changes to display each note as you create it. 3. With the Pencil enabled and the Play button activated, enter notes on-the-fly by clicking on the piano-roll to the left. Alternatively, enter notes directly on your MIDI keyboard. NOTE: When you're entering notes on-the-fly, the Pattern Tool can lock the notes to the Pattern grid, or record them exactly as gou play them Enable the Auto Quantize flag in the Preferences menu If gou want the notes locked to the Pattern grid, otherwise, disable the Auto Quantize flag. The Magic Wand Use the Magic Wand to change the length or dynamic level of a note. Put the Wand tip on any note in the Pattern grid, click and hold on the note. Drag the note to change the length and dynamics and release the mouse button. Drag up to increase the note's velocity, drag to the right to increase the note's length. Watch the values change in the Note window (if it's still open.) *TIP* The Pencil automaticalig turns into the Magic Wand if you click down and hold on an existing note. You can also use the Magic Wand to create custom drum maps. If you've set the display to be a drum grid, highlight the EDIT button above the drum names. Then, click on a drum name with the Magic Wand. The Edit Item: requester opens, allowing you to change the note number of the selected drum. Please read later in this chapter for more information on drum maps. The Hand Use the Hand to drag notes from one position in pitch and time to another. Click on the Hand button. Place the Hand over a note and click and drag it anywhere in the Pattern grid. The Pattern Tool plays the note as you drag it. The Duplicator Use the Duplicator to make a copy of a note. Click on the Duplicator button and click on a note. Drag the note to a new position. The Eraser To remove notes, click on the Eraser button. Click on a note with the Eraser to remove it. Drag the Eraser through several notes to remove them all at once. Like the Pencil, use the Eraser from the piano-roll or MIDI keyboard. Erase notes by holding down the notes on your keyboard to remove while the Pattern Tool plays. The Play Button Click on the Play button to hear the pattern. While the pattern plays, the Play button becomes the Stop button. Click on it again to stop the performance. The pattern plays continuously, looping back to the start, until you stop it. NOTE: Although there is a Play button, there is no Record button. Instead, placing the mouse in Pencil mode automaticaliy enters the Pattern in Record. The Zoom In And Zoom Out Buttons Click on the Zoom In and Zoom Out buttons to control the viewing resolution of the Pattern grid. The Start Slider The Start slider sets the starting measure for the performance. Use the Start slider in conjunction with the Free Run performance mode. When the Sequencer reaches the measure number equal to the Start slider value, the Pattern Tool begins playing. The Length Slider The Length slider sets the length of the pattern in measures. When you change the Length value, the Pattern grid changes accordingly. The Repeat Slider The Repeat slider determines how many times the pattern repeats once it has begun playing during a sequence. This effects all performance modes, but not loop editing and recording. The Root Slider Use the Root slider in conjunction with the Transpose and Modulate options. This value determines the note to be compared with incoming notes for pitch shifting. The Edit Button The Edit button is only available in the drum grid. When the Edit button is highlighted, the mouse modes operate on the drum names in order to create custom drum maps. Please see Drum Maps, below, for more information.

Pattern Menu Use the first menu, the Pattern menu to clear, load, save, copy and set the Pattern name and Pattern grid size: Clear The Clear command clears the current Pattern grid of all notes. Load... Select Load... to read a previously saved Pattern grid of notes from disk. Save... Select Save.. to save the current Pattern grid of notes to disk. Set grid... Open the grid Resolution and Time Signature requester by selecting the Set grid... menu command. Drag the top slider, Smallest Note: to set the duration of a Pattern grid rectangle. Choose any size from a quarter note to a sixty-fourth note. For a triplet feel, click on the Triplet button, making the Pattern grid shorter so three rectangles fit in the space of two. A small Pattern grid Resolution provides greater rhythmic complexity, but at the expense of a cluttered display. No two notes may occupy the same rectangle in the Pattern grid. NOTE: Regardless of the Pattern grid resolution, you can always get the highest performance resolution by turning off the Auto Quantize option (see below.) Set the Time Signature by dragging the Beats Per Measure: and Beat: sliders. Click on Okay to accept the changes, Cancel to ignore them. Name... Open the Pattern Name requester by selecting the Name... command. Enter a new name for the Pattern. The Pattern Tool icon displays the first few letters of the name in its center. This helps identify different Patterns in the same PipeLine. Paste from ClipBoard To replace the current Pattern with the currently selected Clip in the ClipBoard, select the Paste from Clipboard command. Use this command to transfer sections of music from the Graphic Editor. Copy to ClipBoard To install a copy of the Pattern in the ClipBoard, select the Copy to ClipBoard command. Paste from Track Select a section of Track with the Edit Flags and choose Paste from Track to copy the Track's contents into the Pattern grid. This command always uses the Track that shares the PipeLine with the Pattern Tool. Use this command to transfer an already recorded piece of music from the Track into the Pattern Tool for further work. To Paste from a different Track, use the ClipBoard. Copy to Track Copy to Track copies the Pattern grid's contents into the Track, starting from the left Edit Flag. Once again, this always copies to the Track that shares the PipeLine with the Pattern Tool.

The Performance Menu The options in the Performance menu control the behavior of the Pattern Tool when Barsss&Pamp;Pamp;Pipes Professional performs. These options work in conjunction with the Start, Length, Repeat, and Root sliders discussed earlier in this chapter The following options can be found in the Performance menu: Free Run The default mode, Free Run, sets the Pattern Tool to synchronize with the Transport Controls. Once the sequence reaches the measure defined by the Start slider, the pattern performs the number of times define by the Repeat slider. If the Modulate or Transpose options are active, the performance shifts in pitch every time a note enters it. Trigger Trigger mode sets the Pattern Tool to play asynchronously. It starts whenever the Trigger note, defined by the Root slider, enters the Tool. This can be a very useful performance Tool. Trigger mode ignores the Modulate and Transpose options. Riff Riff mode directs the Pattern Tool to play whenever any note enters it. If the Modulate or Transpose options are active, the sequence plays transposed or modulated by the distance between the trigger note and the Root note, set with the Root slider. If multiple notes enter, Riff mode plays multiple copies at once. Transpose When in Transpose mode, the Pattern Tool uses incoming notes to Transpose the pattern up or down, determined by the distance between the incoming note and the root note selected with the Root slider. Transpose mode uses to the Track's Key parameter to keep all notes in the same Key. For example, you might create a simple pattern that plays a chord arpeggiation. Set the Root slider to be the same note as the root note of the chord, so it that specific note comes in, the chord plays directly. Set the Pattern Tool to loop forever in Free Run mode and turn on the Transpose option. Start the Transport and the Pattern Tool starts performing the chord arpeggiation. Play a new note into the PipeLine. The Chord jumps to the new note, staying perfectly in key. This is a wonderful way to work out chord changes, much like SuperJAM! Modulate When in Modulate mode, the Pattern Tool uses incoming notes to shift the Pattern up or down. Unlike the transpose mode, the shift is strictly linear, without any regard for the Key. As a result, it actually changes the key of the Pattern.

The Note Map Menu Use the Note Map menu to control the mapping of notes in the Pattern grid to keyboard or drum notes and create and save Drum Maps. The following commands are found in the Note Map menu: Format... Choose between a Drum grid and Piano roll by selecting from the appropriate Format... submenu item. Use a Piano roll for musical Patterns and the Drum grid for creating Drum rhythms. If you choose the Drum grid, the three next menu options become available: Use Default Drums Use Default Drums resets the Drum Map to the default Drum Map (General MIDI standard.) Load Load reads in a previously saved Drum Map. Save Save a Drum Map you've created by selecting the Save command. If you have a drum module that uses a different Drum Map from the General MIDI also MT-32) standard, create one and save it to disk. For more on creating you own Drum Maps, please see the Drum Maps section later in this chapter.

The Preferences Menu Use the following commands contained in the Preferences menu to select various options: Auto Quantize Selecting Auto Quantize causes all notes that enter the Pattern Tool to quantize to the Tool's grid resolution. If you'd like to record without quantization, turn this option off. You can still record one note per grid rectangle, but each has a time offset added to maintain the exact timing of the performance. You can open the Magnifying window for a non-quantized note and observe that the Time: value is rarely 0. Metronome Turn on the Metronome to hear a regular click as you record and edit in the Pattern Editor. The metronome clicks on every beat of the time signature. Set Metronome... Set the Metronome to a specific MIDI note by selecting the Set Metronome... command. The mouse pointer turns into a metronome. Click on the note in the Pattern grid that you would like to use as the metronome. Auto Scroll If you'd like the Pattern Tool's window to scroll as it performs, enable the Auto Scroll option.

Drum Maps As you probably know, in order to create a drum kit, MIDI sound modules assign different notes to different drum sounds. This relationship is called a Drum Map. Unfortunately, different sound modules assign different notes to different drums. As a result, each type of sound module requires a different Drum Map. Today, most synth modules abide by the General MIDI specification for drum maps. Still, you may have a machine with its own unique choices for snare, kick, cymbals, etc.. The Pattern Tool provides a complete system for designing and using your own Drum Map. Editing The Drum Map The Edit button sits above the list of drum names. Activate it to enable Drum Map editing. NOTE: The Edit button only appears wpen you've selected the Drum grid in the Format menu. With the Edit button activated, use the Pencil, Magic Wand, Eraser, Hand, and Duplicator to edit the drum names directly. Select the Magic Wand and click on one of the drum names to open the drum map Edit requester for that drum name. The Edit Item: requester displays the name of the drum, along with an ID number and the note value associated with the drum. Change the name of the drum by clicking after the Name: prompt and typing in a new name. Leave the ID # alone for now (more on this later). Change the note value by sliding the slider after the Note: prompt. Creating A Custom Drum Map The best way to create a drum map for your instrument is to start with the default drum kit, then edit each drum sound with the Magic Wand. For each drum, adjust the Note: value to the correct note for your instrument. For example, most MIDI instruments play a closed high hat on note F#3. If your instrument plays a closed high hat on note D4, click with the Wand on Closed High Hat, and change the note value to D4. Adding New Drum Sounds If your MIDI instrument supports more sounds, and you need to add additional drum sounds that aren't named already, activate the EDIT button and click in the drum name area with the Pencil. The drum map requester opens. enter the name for your drum sound, and set the corresponding note value. The Pattern Tool automatically sets the ID number for you. Copying A Drum Sound With the EDIT button highlighted, click on a drum name with the Duplicator. The drum map requester opens. This option allows you to create a new drum sound with the same name. The ID # is automatically set to an unused ID #, and the Note: value is set to C0. Drag the Note: value to find the right sound and edit the name as appropriate. Erasing A Drum Sound With the EDIT button highlighted, click on a drum name with the Eraser. The drum name and corresponding row in the Pattern grid are erased. Reorganizing The Drum Map With the EDIT button highlighted, click on a drum name with the Hand. Slide the Hand up and down the drum name list to move the drum name to a new position in the list. Notice that the Pattern grid rearranges, dragging the notes with the drum name. The ID Number The ID number is used internally by the Pattern Tool. It keeps Track of which drum sound is assigned to which note in different drum maps. For instance, let's say that Bass Drum 1 is set up with an ID # of 2 in one Pattern Tool, and you set up another Pattern Tool with a Closed High Hat with an ID # of 2. If you save a pattern from the first Pattern Tool, and load the same pattern into the second, the second actually plays a closed high hat each time the first would have played a bass drum sound. No two drum sounds can share the same ID number. This is why when adjust the ID #: slider, it skips from one number to another. We recommended that you do not adjust the ID #: slider.