my randomization ideas

[ultra]

i would like to post my randomization ideas.  i don't know assembly language and i currently have no ambition to learn it (i will in the future, though).  however, i'm going to post this in hopes that somebody will run with it.  before i get "rtfm" and "stop asking people to do your work" type answers, i would like to state that i'm not asking anybody to do this for me.  i'm just hoping someone does it.

up until around last october, i was writing a sequencer application that was inspired by the old seq-303 made by techno toys.  i quit because i found midibox seq and i had always had intentions of learning about electronics.  to me, midibox seq is a much better solution.  knobs and buttons are much better than clicking a mouse.

here is the interface for one of the modules.  the other two modules were geared toward cc and beat sequencing but don't need to be shown.

most of the functionality should be recognizable and self-explanatory.  the randomization is what interests me and was a feature that i loved in seq-303.  each section had minimum and maximum randomization values.  when the user clicks "randomize", any section with "allow randomize" selected would be randomized within the min and max allowed values.  in the midibox seq, i'd like to have an addon, perhaps using a small lcd and encoders to select min/max values, and have a random number sent to each step of the part shown on the display with the click of a button.  my program also features a vary button that can have a value associated with it.  if the value is, for instance, 5, every step will be randomized (either up or down) to a value that is from 0 to 5 steps away from where it originally was.  finally, not shown, there was a probability algorithm for each step.  a percentage could be set and each step would have that probability of being turned on or off, and if turned on, would be randomized accordingly.

any takers? :P

edit:

i forgot to add, in addition to the randomization, each step had link and step move buttons.  the link buttons would cause all other steps to increase or decrease in value the same amount that the one being controlled was moved.  unless, of course, they got to 0 or 127.  in that case the values just stayed at the top or bottom.

the step move buttons simply moved the selected pattern (just note, velocity, gate, or all three) one step to the left or right.

[stryd_one]

Sounds cool... I reckon it'll sound really interesting through the scale engine . I'll certainly look into putting this in the vX if you don't mind?

The great composers would surely be rolling in their graves, random sounds are passing as music a little too often for my tastes these days I must admit.

Use it wisely - (random = noise) != abstract ;) But everything has it's place.

Anyone heard 'Accidents don't happen'?

[ultra]

well, people exist randomly.  who you turn out to be is a result of careful (or not) crafting by the parents :).

edit:  the great composers of the past also didn't have the tools at hand that we do.  these days (to me), the great composers are the likes of amon tobin, atom heart, hallicinogen, monolake, and many more who probably use some sort of randomization at some point.  if not randomizing patterns, it's randomly hitting keys or turning knobs.

on the not-so-metaphoric side of things, it's just a fast way to make a sequence and build on it from there.  i've never used a completely random sequence without tweaking it a lot.  perhaps on a day you're feeling rather uninspired, you can click a button and give yourself something to work with.  any of these tools we use can be abused by someone being lazy.  i just like to have options.

and beside that, i'm sure many of the great compositions were created by someone sitting at a piano, randomly hitting keys until something sounds good.

i'd be ecstatic if you put it into the vx.  i like the vx idea and i will build one once it's released.

here's my other sequencing idea, and i'm not sure how much resources it would take up or even if it's possible, but no sense in not posting an idea:

have a mode that allows the user to create a "sound".  this sound could take up from 1-16 steps, and the user can program note/velocity/cc/gate information for that sound.  have the system create that small sequence as an object, with some kind of associated name.  then, when the user is in the main sequencing mode, rather than pick specific notes/whatever, they can choose that "sound" or object to be placed instead, and it will fire off that group of commands at that step.  perhaps all you would need then in the main sequencer window is the option to choose which object is fired and perhaps the ability to stretch it out from 1-16 steps, and it'll automatically compact or stretch out that mini-sequence.  this would allow the user to build one sound or mini-sequence at a time in build mode, and make it easy to move them about the sequence in the main sequencing mode using many of these mini-sequences to create complex layers of sound.  now imagine this on four tracks... :)  i hope i was able to explain this idea clearly enough.

drew