Here are this weekend’s deals from 4Pockets, ending June 23rd.
- Progressions – $12.99 to $7.99
- Surface Builder – $14.99 to $8.99
- DigiStix – $14.99 to $8.99
- MIDI Strummer – $12.99 to $7.99
Progressions
Progressions is an AUv3 MIDI plugin for your favourite DAW. It can be used to generate a unique set of chords that are unrelated to traditional scales, which become predictable and repetative over time. Instead, Progressions uses a unique way of mathermaically generating a series of related chords using only a root note and mode (major or minor). Chord sequences are limited by the selected complexity and freedom levels, which mimic the way traditional composers of old would wander away from tonality and back again.
The complexity level start off at Basic, which uses only the most common chords (I, IV, V and relative minor ii, iii, and vi triads). As you progress through the levels, you can add parallel majors and minors, sus and dom chords etc. At level 3 we start to introduce 6th and 7th chords, and then 9ths chords, all the way to 11ths, 13ths, Quartals and all their variations.
The freedom level allows us to specify how far to drift away from tonality (the root), even allowing you to create never ending randomized soundscapes.
Progressions allows you to quickly randomize a toolbox of chords, that can be played in a variety of modes (block chords, arpeggiated, or strummed). These can be synced to a host application, triggered remotely or pieced together into a song.
Song mode allow you to change play modes on the fly as well as being able to control many features of the app in real time.
Progressions supports open and closed chords with selectable voicings. It has an intelligent algorithm that attempts to align top notes of chords, add additional bass, and open chord padding to give equal weight to chords with only 3 notes. You can even play with rootless voicings.
The Humanize section allows you to control chord and note timings, as well as set velocity variations to ensure things don’t get too robitic.
Progressions also features an integrated arpeggiator and strummming pattern editor. You can load up to 6 arp and 6 strum patterns at the same time and seemlessly switch between them manually, remotely, or using song mode.
If you run multiple instances, Progressions allows you to sync your chord pads, song chain, arpeggiator / strum patterns between instances.
Progressions can be loaded as a MIDI plugin or as an Instrument for those programs that don’t support MIDI plugins (such as GB). Additionally when loaded as an instrument, you can use either internal sounds (soundfonts) or send MIDI directly to other MIDI instruments.
Surface Builder
Surface Builder is a tool for creating control surfaces that send MIDI data to one or more audio components in order to simplify remote control tasks. You start by creating a surface of a given size, adding buttons, knobs, faders, etc. to the surface and configuring them to generate the required MIDI output. Surface Builder allows you to send note on/off, controller change and program change values as well as being able to emulate modulation wheel and pitch bend data. Buttons can also be configured to send bulk MIDI data using a single key press. You can build surfaces that span multiple scenes and link between them for large complex interfaces.
Incoming MIDI data can also be used to control or trigger elements of the interface, giving a bi-directional stream of MIDI data. Surface Builder can be added as a pure MIDI plugin which allows processing of MIDI only, or as an instrument plugin, allowing you to process audio passing through it. You can even load it as an intrument and configure a surface to start and stop audio clips either manually or remotely.
Surface Builder was designed to be used as an AUv3 plugin within your favourite DAW, but it can also be used in standalone to send MIDI directly to MIDI hardware using direct access to their MIDI ports.
Many different object types are supported including buttons, switches, lights, rotary knobs, faders, sliders, XY-Pad, keyboards, as well as text, image and box objects. Each object has many different styles and colours, so no two surfaces look the same.
Drag and drop an audio file onto a button and that button becomes a clip player. Attach rotary knobs to control the clips volume and pan. Throw on top of that a LP/HP filter knob and you are cooking on gas. Drop PNG transparent image icons on buttons to customise the look and feel.
A button can record and playback bulk MIDI commands, on both button press and release. So pressing a button could send the notes of a chord when pressed, and appropriate note offs on release.
A surface can consist of up to 6 scenes for really complex designs. Buttons and switches can be used to switch scenes and also to show and hide other objects to make better use of screen space. Once your surface is complete switch to presentation mode to hide all the toolbars. Each surface can be saved with compressed audio and images all in a single surface file.
DigiStix
DigiStix Drummer is an AUv3 compatible drum machine / sampler plugin for your favourite DAW.
The program has a host of features which allow you to sample your own drumkits and trigger them either using a host application via MIDI or using the inbuilt pattern and song editor which automatically syncs tempo with your DAW.
There as so many great sources of professionally recorded drum kits these days which can be imported into DigiStix allowing you to build a catalog of your favourite sounds. Alternatively use the built in sampler to record your very own kits.
DigiStix has 16 assignable pads which can be quickly mapped to individual drum samples or recordings. Each pad has it’s own volume level, panning, reverb, delay, reverse and sample length settings. You can assign each pad to a mute group which allow for instance a closed hi-hat to mute an open high hat etc. Each pad can be assigned a one shot or looped sample. This enables you to import pre-looped samples at a specified BPM and have them play when a pad is pressed. You can also import up to 3 samples per pad and use in multi-sample mode which allows different velocity levels to trigger different pads etc.
One great feature of DigiStix is the ability to none destructively assign samples from different kits to the pads for live performance and song creation. We also provide an intelligent melodic mapping mode which maps selected samples over all 16 pads tuned to a selected key and scale.
The inbuilt sequencer allows patterns of up to 64 beats in length. Each pattern can have it’s own time signature allowing complex arrangements can be constructed. Up to 256 patterns can be chained together to make a soung which are saved independently of the kits. The pattern editor also allows you to enter 1/4, 1/8 and 1/16th note triplets as well as reverse sample and accented notes. We provide easy velocity editing with ‘draw in’ drum rolls etc.
DigiStix also features a 16 channel mixer, configurable digital delay, reverb, chorus / flanger, bit crunch, overdrive, 8 band EQ and digital filtering options (HP and LP filters).
Each drum pad can be mapped to an external MIDI trigger allowing external drum pads to be connected if you wish.
MIDI Strummer
MIDI Strummer is an AUv3 plugin designed to simulate guitar strumming and picking techniques. It can used to generate MIDI note data which can be sent to either an external synth of choice or the internal soundfont engine.
The inbuilt soundfont player allows you to import all your favourite .SF2 and .DLS soundfonts and use them as a sound source. MIDI strummer has a set of 16 definable chord pads that can hold a series of chords, which in turn can be triggered remotely via MIDI messages or by tapping the pads.
Use the pattern editor to create a series of picking or strumming patterns that can be tranposed to the selected chord pad.
Song mode allows you to chain these chord patterns together to form songs combining both picking and strumming patterns within the same song. Enable 6/12 string on a particular part to emphesize a pert by adding depth.
Strummer also features a number of audio effects that can be used to enhance the audio from the soundfont player. These include overdrive, distortion, tremolo, chorus, phaser, graphic EQ, digital delay and reverb.
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