Posted
Maybe this is kind of implemented already (appreciate suggestions), if not...
I would like to mark a figure/phrase and using a clickboard feature to put a variation on it which musically increases and decreases the density in a random but still controllable (density itself as value between 0..1) fashion. Kind of automatic slicing and focussed deranging.
When pitches repeat after applying more density I would like to have another feature in clickboard which shift the repeat notes by random but still controllable (shift size in semitones) ornamentation.
Fri, 2022-12-23 - 11:30 Permalink
I'm afraid there's no algorithmic definition of "density" that would work for everyone. It depends on style, instrument role and personal preference. It even changes with every composition.
Removing density is relatively simple. Adding density is essentially composing, with all freedoms you can imagine. That's impossible to control with a few parameters.
You can easily create a pool with phrases of varying density. Begin with an incredibly dense figure that works (generate one, for example). Then duplicate it and delete or mute symbols to get a less dense variation. Apply legato if you want. Repeat this until you have enough phrases. Now drop them in the arrangement after each other to create a build-up.
Slicing is done by the "Derange" feature (blender icon).
Variation is a parameter that you can save to the Figure.
Fri, 2022-12-23 - 14:18 Permalink
I agree that the density feature would have to be understood as very experimental. But isn't the whole factories feature also like this? Maybe a button in the clickbar which when clicked again cycles through some options which the composer chooses or not. I hope I decribed it sufficiently as a generative feature and you give it some thought, as I feel that this has some great usecase in rhythmic variation.
Second, what about the ornamentation feature? I think it can be seen in several usecases seperately from density idea. When generating repeated notes by the brush, it would be useful to have a button, which nudges the repeat notes up and/or down.
Fri, 2022-12-23 - 15:44 Permalink
which nudges the repeat notes up and/or down
What if another composer wanted it to do something else?
The crux is that algorithms like this can't reasonably be hard-wired in application code. Transformations are better done with Factories, which are essentially rule-based scripts. We are not there yet, but if anything script-like will emerge, it will be with Factories.