CNTRL:R’s new Stepp:r’s
Absence of vowels notwithstanding, the new versions of the Synth and Drum Stepp:r Max for Live devices have been re-fashioned and augmented with some powerful yet simple features.
The first thing that needed to be done was to wipe the sweat off our brows from the first release and consider how we could better unify the Synth and Drum Stepp:rs code base with more shared code and concepts. While this may seem like something that would have happened naturally, there is nothing natural in the high-paced world of computer programming! We also wanted to reprogram some of the devices for an easier port to the OhmRGB so those users can get their steps on. Sadly, outside of the bug fixes that happen from this type of work, it doesn’t really impact the end product too much, and for those who are trying to make music, not code, you may want to hear something that makes your life better!
Let’s get to that.
The first thing you see is the interface, and we’ve made that clearer and better organized. The Drum Stepp:r has nice big labels that make it easier to know what sound you’re working on, and the Synth Stepp:r makes the presets easier to see and coordinate with the CNTRL:R’s 4×4. When you return to your set the next day, the sequence will return where you left off, and recalling presets is more reliable. The Synth Stepp:r’s presets have the extra bonus where a preset is saved when you move to the next preset. We left this out of the Drum Stepp:r, since the nature of the presets in that device are less fluid. I think you’ll agree when you work with them.
Another small feature for the Drum Stepp:r is that it now has the Synth’s “transpose” features. In a Live Drum Rack, this means the sequence will play a different pad (rather than a different “piano note”), so you can quickly move a sound’s pattern to a different sound. This seems trivial, except the Drum Stepp:r is smart enough to remap the knobs to the new sound’s parameters, so you can maintain timbral control.
The Synth Stepp:r has an interface improvement that helps you keep track of the notes on top row of the 16×2. It shows the note numbers (or click for the note names) that are currently on the top row, so you know what you can add to your sequence.
There’s also a new “time div” menu for both Stepp:rs so you can set the time to 1/4, 1/3, or 1/2 of the Live set’s master tempo.
Wait, I’m just getting started! On to the REALLY cool new stuff.
The Synth Stepp:r has a new feature called Automator. This records any knob or step-enable actions in a tempo-synchronized buffer. This buffer can can be set to any number of measures, and can be changed on the fly, staying in sync with your song. You can overdub more actions as you go. A simple example would be pressing the start button, turn the “filter” encoder for sweeps on the synth, then letting that automate your filter sweep. It’s like a user defined, interactive LFO. Running an Automator adds a lot of sonic variation to the sequence loop over the course of many measures. Or, in other words, it is REALLY COOL. The Automator can be started with the “groove” encoder’s push button.
Both the Drum and Synth Stepp:r benefit from a new feature called Rules. Iconoclasts will evangelize that “rules are made to be broken,” but in music, rules are the basis of pattern and expression. In the case of our Stepp:rs, the Rules dictate whether or not an enabled step will play on a given cycle of the sequence loop. Simply put, this provides some more variation in the loop so it is not the same 16 beats every measure. Deeper use will reveal the capability of easily programming fills and rhythmic tricks all within the simple boundaries of 16 steps. Here’s a video demonstration:
and here’s a text-based explanation, copied from our wiki:
Let's say you have a kick sequence: x . . . x . . . x . . . x . . .| Repeated twice (2 bars), this would of course be: x . . . x . . . x . . . x . . .|x . . . x . . . x . . . x . . . Now add a rule to the 2nd "x" so that it is "only 2". Now, the sequence still "looks" like this: x . . . x . . . x . . . x . . . BUT over 2 bars, it will actually play this: x . . . . . . . x . . . x . . .|x . . . x . . . x . . . x . . .
Of course, the rules can be interactively applied with the CNTRLR for maximum musical madness.
I fully admit to taking this idea from a presentation that Robert Henke gave at Expo ’74 a few years ago. However, I already admitted this a year or two ago when I released Livid Step, which also employs this. (Buy his new album Ghosts. It’s great!)
Plugs aside, there’s one more plug to discuss in this update. The Livid StemBot Max For Live device is a simple audio recorder that sync’s to the Live clock. Just set the number of bars you want to record to a WAV file, press “start” and it will start recording at the beginning of the next measure, and stop when it needs to. You can set the location you want these files to record to so you can easily bring them into your set and remix them. Put this in a Return track and use your Sends to make quick recordings of whatever you happen to be doing.
We hope you enjoy all this good stuff, as it continues to put new life into your Livid Instrument and put more music into your life! Download everything from our Controller Apps page.
