Here are this weekend’s bunch of price drops from 4Pockets. The offers end November 2nd.
- DigiStix 2 – $14.99 to $7.99 (ends November 5th)
- Progressions – $12.99 to $8.99
- Kaleidoscope Echo – $12.99 to $7.99
- MIDI Layers – $12.99 to $7.99
DigiStix 2
DigiStix 2 is an AUv3 compatible drum machine and sampler plugin for your favourite DAW.
This new version of DigiStix brings some distinct advantages over its predecessor, most notably the ability to host up to 64 samples per drumkit with 5 layers per pad. The interface has been drastically redesigned for iPad to make better use of full screen mode, allowing a popular MPC style 4×4 pad layout with 4 banks of samples. Digistix 2 also allows greater control over the multi-sample layers, with the ability to individually control the volume levels and pitch of layers as well as global pitch and tune settings all from the new sample window.
Previously, each pad had effect sends for the internal reverb and delay effects, but this can now be routed to external busses 9 and 10 for processing using external effects.
The controller editing is now build into the main display and can be edited in place without the need to scroll the interface. It also now supports extra effect controllers. A new context aware control window allows you to quickly change pad settings without the need for popup windows.
DigiStix 2 now supports GM and original DS drum kit layouts, and includes a sophisticated multi-layer Auto Sampler, capable of recording new GM compatible drumkits automatically from your hardware. It is 100% backward compatible with the original app, and can be used as a drop-in replacement.
Drag and drop support now allows you to directly drop samples on specific layers, as well as preview and edit them directly. You can create new kits by simply combining banks from existing kits into one mega kit, or use our non destructive referencing to include sounds from other kits.
The randomize feature has been enhanced so you can randomize individual instruments or within specific banks. The new continuous MIDI learn mode makes custom mapping a breeze.
Patterns can also be exported as MIDI stems for use in other packages including a direct import to Helium clips. You can also export patterns as audio in the latest version.
The auto sample feature allows automated recording of GM compatible kits directly from hardware drum machines. The slice editor can also be used for MPC style slicing of audio clips.
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.
Kaleidoscope
Kaleidoscope is an AUv3 MIDI processor designed specifically to simulate audio delay lines, but instead of processing audio data, it generates a series of delayed MIDI messages to achieve the same thing sonically, but with some added advantages.
You can have Kaleidoscope emulate multi-tap delays and gating effects, as well as being able to manipulate the pitch and velocity of each repeat, something that is not normally done using a typical audio echo or delay effect. By default, all repeated notes are processed using the chromatic scale mode, but you are free to impose any key and scale to ensure any pitched notes are incremented or decremented in accordance with the chosen scale.
Any MIDI notes that are presented to the Input MIDI port are processed by Kaleidoscope, and the modified output is then passed on to other instrument plugins. You can chain multiple instances of Kaleidoscope to create even more complex harmonies. For example, the first instance could turn one note into a simple 3-note chord, and the second instance could add octave offsets to create a lush, multi-octave outputs – all from a single note!
It is also possible to perform simple, real-time harmonies using Kaleidoscope by setting the number of repeats to zero. In this mode, you can customize the pitch and velocity settings and add up to 17 additional harmonies.
You can also switch to user definable mode to specify per step velocity and pitch settings to create complex sequences, complete with ties, note skip and loop mode.
MIDI Layers
Have you ever wanted to play multiple instruments from a single master keyboard during a live performance? Would you like to be able to set up keyboard splits, crossfade layers or create an ensemble of layered instruments? If you answered yes to either of those questions, then MIDI Layers may be your solution.
Layers allows you to create up to 12 scenes, each with up to 127 layers, spanning your entire master keyboard. These scenes allow you to seamlessly switch between various layer mappings at any time during a performance.
Each layer controls the MIDI output, which can be routed to one of MIDI Layers 16 output ports and 16 channels. So if you have 5 layers in your scene, each layer is able to divert MIDI key input to 5 destinations, allowing you to control 5 instruments from one master keyboard.
Layers can overlap, meaning you can create an ensemble of two or more instruments. Layers can also have cross fades so that you can fade from one instrument to another across a specified range. You can also control the velocity curves of a layer if you need to emphasize note velocity at a certain set of octaves.
Each layer can also be remapped so that you can target a different key range on the destination instrument. This allows you to have several single note layers that can target specific drum machine samples for instance.
You can assign a song per scene, or have several scenes containing parts of the same song. Switching scenes is simple, using the on screen scene buttons, via AU parameters, or you can even add a special control layer to a scene which can then be triggered via your master keyboard.
It is also possible to assign a Program Changes to a layer. When you switch scenes, each layer can fire off its own program change to your destination instruments.
Each scene can be assigned its own scale, which enables you to play using only the white notes so say goodbye to wrong notes.
Finally, layers can be assigned to mute groups, allowing you to quickly turn on/off groups of layers with a single key or button press.
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